Cognitive-didactic Model for Making Testing Items in Physics

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education and Research in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2015

Automated Generating of Test Units for Evaluation of Cognitive and Language Skills

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education and Research in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2016

Cognitive-behavioural phenotype in a group of girls from 1.2 to 12 years old with the Incontinentia Pigmenti syndrome:recommendations for clinical management

Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP, OMIM#308300) is a rare X-linked genomic disorder (about 1,400 cases) that affects the neuroectodermal tissue and Central Nervous System (CNS). The objective of this study was to describe the cognitive-behavioural profile in children in order to plan a clinical intervention to improve their quality of life. A total of 14 girls (age range: from 1 year and 2 months to 12 years and 10 months) with IP and the IKBKG/NEMO gene deletion were submitted to a cognitive assessment including intelligence scales, language and visuo-spatial competence tests, learning ability tests, and a behavioural assessment. Five girls had severe to mild intellectual deficiencies and the remaining nine had a normal neurodevelopment. Four girls were of school age and two of these showed no intellectual disability, but had specific disabilities in calculation and arithmetic reasoning. This is the first description of the cognitive-behavioural profile in relation to developmental age. We stress the importance of an early assessment of learning abilities in individuals with IP without intellectual deficiencies to prevent the onset of any such deficit.

Mobility changes in older age: neuropsychological, neurophysiological and cognitive predictors of successful adaptation in a real world scenario

The aims of this thesis were to investigate the neuropsychological, neurophysiological, and cognitive contributors to mobility changes with increasing age. In a series of studies with adults aged 45-88 years, unsafe pedestrian behaviour and falls were investigated in relation to i) cognitive functions (including response time variability, executive function, and visual attention tests), ii) mobility assessments (including gait and balance and using motion capture cameras), iii) motor initiation and pedestrian road crossing behavior (using a simulated pedestrian road scene), iv) neuronal and functional brain changes (using a computer based crossing task with magnetoencephalography), and v) quality of life questionnaires (including fear of falling and restricted range of travel). Older adults are more likely to be fatally injured at the far-side of the road compared to the near-side of the road, however, the underlying mobility and cognitive processes related to lane-specific (i.e. near-side or far-side) pedestrian crossing errors in older adults is currently unknown. The first study explored cognitive, motor initiation, and mobility predictors of unsafe pedestrian crossing behaviours. The purpose of the first study (Chapter 2) was to determine whether collisions at the near-side and far-side would be differentially predicted by mobility indices (such as walking speed and postural sway), motor initiation, and cognitive function (including spatial planning, visual attention, and within participant variability) with increasing age. The results suggest that near-side unsafe pedestrian crossing errors are related to processing speed, whereas far-side errors are related to spatial planning difficulties. Both near-side and far-side crossing errors were related to walking speed and motor initiation measures (specifically motor initiation variability). The salient mobility predictors of unsafe pedestrian crossings determined in the above study were examined in Chapter 3 in conjunction with the presence of a history of falls. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which walking speed (indicated as a salient predictor of unsafe crossings and start-up delay in Chapter 2), and previous falls can be predicted and explained by age-related changes in mobility and cognitive function changes (specifically within participant variability and spatial ability). 53.2% of walking speed variance was found to be predicted by self-rated mobility score, sit-to-stand time, motor initiation, and within participant variability. Although a significant model was not found to predict fall history variance, postural sway and attentional set shifting ability was found to be strongly related to the occurrence of falls within the last year. Next in Chapter 4, unsafe pedestrian crossing behaviour and pedestrian predictors (both mobility and cognitive measures) from Chapter 2 were explored in terms of increasing hemispheric laterality of attentional functions and inter-hemispheric oscillatory beta power changes associated with increasing age. Elevated beta (15-35 Hz) power in the motor cortex prior to movement, and reduced beta power post-movement has been linked to age-related changes in mobility. In addition, increasing recruitment of both hemispheres has been shown to occur and be beneficial to perform similarly to younger adults in cognitive tasks (Cabeza, Anderson, Locantore, & McIntosh, 2002). It has been hypothesised that changes in hemispheric neural beta power may explain the presence of more pedestrian errors at the farside of the road in older adults. The purpose of the study was to determine whether changes in age-related cortical oscillatory beta power and hemispheric laterality are linked to unsafe pedestrian behaviour in older adults. Results indicated that pedestrian errors at the near-side are linked to hemispheric bilateralisation, and neural overcompensation post-movement, 4 whereas far-side unsafe errors are linked to not employing neural compensation methods (hemispheric bilateralisation). Finally, in Chapter 5, fear of falling, life space mobility, and quality of life in old age were examined to determine their relationships with cognition, mobility (including fall history and pedestrian behaviour), and motor initiation. In addition to death and injury, mobility decline (such as pedestrian errors in Chapter 2, and falls in Chapter 3) and cognition can negatively affect quality of life and result in activity avoidance. Further, number of falls in Chapter 3 was not significantly linked to mobility and cognition alone, and may be further explained by a fear of falling. The objective of the above study (Study 2, Chapter 3) was to determine the role of mobility and cognition on fear of falling and life space mobility, and the impact on quality of life measures. Results indicated that missing safe pedestrian crossing gaps (potentially indicating crossing anxiety) and mobility decline were consistent predictors of fear of falling, reduced life space mobility, and quality of life variance. Social community (total number of close family and friends) was also linked to life space mobility and quality of life. Lower cognitive functions (particularly processing speed and reaction time) were found to predict variance in fear of falling and quality of life in old age. Overall, the findings indicated that mobility decline (particularly walking speed or walking difficulty), processing speed, and intra-individual variability in attention (including motor initiation variability) are salient predictors of participant safety (mainly pedestrian crossing errors) and wellbeing with increasing age. More research is required to produce a significant model to explain the number of falls.

Team diversity and leadership: Tests of model of process and direct effects

A model was tested to examine relationships among leadership behaviors, team diversity, and team process measures with team performance and satisfaction at both the team and leader-member levels of analysis. Relationships between leadership behavior and team demographic and cognitive diversity were hypothesized to have both direct effects on organizational outcomes as well as indirect effects through team processes. Leader member differences were investigated to determine the effects of leader-member diversity leader-member exchange quality, individual effectiveness and satisfaction.^ Leadership had little direct effect on team performance, but several strong positive indirect effects through team processes. Demographic Diversity had no impact on team processes, directly impacted only one performance measure, and moderated the leadership to team process relationship.^ Cognitive Diversity had a number of direct and indirect effects on team performance, the net effects uniformly positive, and did not moderate the leadership to team process relationship.^ In sum, the team model suggests a complex combination of leadership behaviors positively impacting team processes, demographic diversity having little impact on team process or performance, cognitive diversity having a positive net impact impact, and team processes having mixed effects on team outcomes.^ At the leader-member level, leadership behaviors were a strong predictor of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) quality. Leader-member demographic and cognitive dissimilarity were each predictors of LMX quality, but failed to moderate the leader behavior to LMX quality relationship. LMX quality was strongly and positively related to self reported effectiveness and satisfaction.^ The study makes several contributions to the literature. First, it explicitly links leadership and team diversity. Second, demographic and cognitive diversity are conceptualized as distinct and multi-faceted constructs. Third, a methodology for creating an index of categorical demographic and interval cognitive measures is provided so that diversity can be measured in a holistic conjoint fashion. Fourth, the study simultaneously investigates the impact of diversity at the team and leader-member levels of analyses. Fifth, insights into the moderating impact of different forms of team diversity on the leadership to team process relationship are provided. Sixth, this study incorporates a wide range of objective and independent measures to provide a 360$\sp\circ$ assessment of team performance. ^

The relationship of attitudes toward science, cognitive style, and self-concept to achievement in chemistry at the secondary school level

There is currently a crisis in science education in the United States. This statement is based on the National Science Foundation's report stating that the nation's students, on average, still rank near the bottom in science and math achievement internationally. ^ This crisis is the background of the problem for this study. This investigation studied learner variables that were thought to play a role in teaching chemistry at the secondary school level, and related them to achievement in the chemistry classroom. Among these, cognitive style (field dependence/independence), attitudes toward science, and self-concept had been given considerable attention by researchers in recent years. These variables were related to different competencies that could be used to measure the various types of achievement in the chemistry classroom at the secondary school level. These different competencies were called academic, laboratory, and problem solving achievement. Each of these chemistry achievement components may be related to a different set of learner variables, and the main purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of these relationships. ^ Three instruments to determine attitudes toward science, cognitive style, and self-concept were used for data collection. Teacher grades were used to determine chemistry achievement for each student. ^ Research questions were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients and t-tests. Results indicated that field independence was significantly correlated with problem solving, academic, and laboratory achievement. Educational researchers should therefore investigate how to teach students to be more field independent so they can achieve at higher levels in chemistry. ^ It was also true that better attitudes toward the social benefits and problems that accompany scientific progress were significantly correlated with higher achievement on all three academic measures in chemistry. This suggests that educational researchers should investigate how students might be guided to manifest more favorable attitudes toward science so they will achieve at higher levels in chemistry. ^ An overall theme that emerged from this study was that findings refuted the idea that female students believed that science was for males only and was an inappropriate and unfeminine activity. This was true because when the means of males and females were compared on the three measures of chemistry achievement, there was no statistically significant difference between them on problem solving or academic achievement. However, females were significantly better in laboratory achievement. ^

The Influence of Psychological Predictors and Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management Intervention on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Adherence Among HIV-Positive Female Haitian Alcohol Users

Purpose: Over half the HIV-infected persons in the Caribbean, the second most HIV-impacted region in the world, live in Haiti. Using secondary data from a parent study, this research assessed the effects of psychological and social factors on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among Haitian, HIV-positive, female alcohol users. Theoretical Foundation and Research Questions: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior/Reasoned Action and the Information, Motivation, Behavior skills model as guiding theoretical frameworks, the study examined the effectiveness of an adapted cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM-A) intervention in improving ART adherence. The effect of psychological factors (depression, anxiety, beliefs about medicine, and social support), social factors (stigma, relationship status, and educational attainment), and alcohol on adherence to ART was assessed. Methods: The sample consisted of 116 female ART patients who were randomly assigned to the CBSM-A intervention or the wait-list control group. Participants completed intervention sessions as well as pre- and post-test assessments. Analyses of variance, t-tests, and point biserial correlations were used to test hypotheses. Results: Surprisingly, ART adherence rates significantly decreased for both groups combined [F (1, 108) = 8.79, p = .004]; there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups with regard to the magnitude of change between baseline and post assessment. On average, depression decreased significantly among participants in the CBSM-A group only [(t (62) = 5.54, p < .001)]. For both groups combined, alcohol use significantly decreased between baseline and post-assessment [(F (1, 78) = 34.70, p < .001)]; there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups with regard to the magnitude of change between baseline and post-assessment. None of the variables were significantly correlated with ART adherence. Discussion: Adherence to ART did not improve in this sample, nor were any of the variables significantly associated with adherence. The findings suggest that additional supportive and psychological services may be needed in order to promote higher adherence to ART among HIV-positive females. More research may be needed on this sample; a focus on mental health issues, partner conflict, family and sexual history may allow for better targeting and more successful interventions.

To what extent does the Health Professions Admission Test-Ireland predict performance in early undergraduate tests of communication and clinical skills? – An observational cohort study

Background: Internationally, tests of general mental ability are used in the selection of medical students. Examples include the Medical College Admission Test, Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test and the UK Clinical Aptitude Test. The most widely used measure of their efficacy is predictive validity.A new tool, the Health Professions Admission Test- Ireland (HPAT-Ireland), was introduced in 2009. Traditionally, selection to Irish undergraduate medical schools relied on academic achievement. Since 2009, Irish and EU applicants are selected on a combination of their secondary school academic record (measured predominately by the Leaving Certificate Examination) and HPAT-Ireland score. This is the first study to report on the predictive validity of the HPAT-Ireland for early undergraduate assessments of communication and clinical skills. Method. Students enrolled at two Irish medical schools in 2009 were followed up for two years. Data collected were gender, HPAT-Ireland total and subsection scores; Leaving Certificate Examination plus HPAT-Ireland combined score, Year 1 Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores (Total score, communication and clinical subtest scores), Year 1 Multiple Choice Questions and Year 2 OSCE and subset scores. We report descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and Multiple linear regression models. Results: Data were available for 312 students. In Year 1 none of the selection criteria were significantly related to student OSCE performance. The Leaving Certificate Examination and Leaving Certificate plus HPAT-Ireland combined scores correlated with MCQ marks.In Year 2 a series of significant correlations emerged between the HPAT-Ireland and subsections thereof with OSCE Communication Z-scores; OSCE Clinical Z-scores; and Total OSCE Z-scores. However on multiple regression only the relationship between Total OSCE Score and the Total HPAT-Ireland score remained significant; albeit the predictive power was modest. Conclusion: We found that none of our selection criteria strongly predict clinical and communication skills. The HPAT- Ireland appears to measures ability in domains different to those assessed by the Leaving Certificate Examination. While some significant associations did emerge in Year 2 between HPAT Ireland and total OSCE scores further evaluation is required to establish if this pattern continues during the senior years of the medical course.

The effects of centrally acting ACE inhibitors on the rate of cognitive and functional decline in dementia: a KDD approach

Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias are one of the most challenging illnesses confronting countries with ageing populations. Treatment options for dementia are limited, and the costs are significant. There is a growing need to develop new treatments for dementia, especially for the elderly. There is also growing evidence that centrally acting angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which cross the blood-brain barrier, are associated with a reduced rate of cognitive and functional decline in dementia, especially in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of centrally acting ACE inhibitors (CACE-Is) on the rate of cognitive and functional decline in dementia, using a three phased KDD process. KDD, as a scientific way to process and analysis clinical data, is used to find useful insights from a variety of clinical databases. The data used are from three clinic databases: Geriatric Assessment Tool (GAT), the Doxycycline and Rifampin for Alzheimer’s Disease (DARAD), and the Qmci validation databases, which were derived from several different geriatric clinics in Canada. This research involves patients diagnosed with AD, vascular or mixed dementia only. Patients were included if baseline and end-point (at least six months apart) Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE), Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) or Activities Daily Living (ADL) scores were available. Basically, the rates of change are compared between patients taking CACE-Is, and those not currently treated with CACE-Is. The results suggest that there is a statistically significant difference in the rate of decline in cognitive and functional scores between CACE-I and NoCACE-I patients. This research also validates that the Qmci, a new short assessment test, has potential to replace the current popular screening tests for cognition in the clinic and clinical trials.

Physical activity in the school setting: cognitive performance is not affected by three different types of acute exercise

Recent studies indicate that a single bout of physical exercise can have immediatepositive effects on cognitive performance of children and adolescents. However, thetype of exercise that affects cognitive performance the most in young adolescents isnot fully understood. Therefore, this controlled study examined the acute effects ofthree types of 12-min classroom-based exercise sessions on information processingspeed and selective attention. The three conditions consisted of aerobic, coordination,and strength exercises, respectively. In particular, this study focused on the feasibilityand efficiency of introducing short bouts of exercise in the classroom. One hundredand ninety five students (5th and 6th grade; 10–13 years old) participated in a doublebaseline within-subjects design, with students acting as their own control. Exercise typewas randomly assigned to each class and acted as between-subject factor. Before andimmediately after both the control and the exercise session, students performed twocognitive tests that measured information processing speed (Letter Digit SubstitutionTest) and selective attention (d2 Test of Attention). The results revealed that exercisingat low to moderate intensity does not have an effect on the cognitive parameters testedin young adolescents. Furthermore, there were no differential effects of exercise type.The results of this study are discussed in terms of the caution which should be takenwhen conducting exercise sessions in a classroom setting aimed at improving cognitive performance.

Cognitive Component Skills of Reading Comprehension in Developing Readers

Die Fähigkeit, geschriebene Texte zu verstehen, d.h. eine kohärente mentale Repräsentation von Textinhalten zu erstellen, ist eine notwendige Voraussetzung für eine erfolgreiche schulische und außerschulische Entwicklung. Es ist daher ein zentrales Anliegen des Bildungssystems Leseschwierigkeiten frühzeitig zu diagnostizieren und mithilfe zielgerichteter Interventionsprogramme zu fördern. Dies erfordert ein umfassendes Wissen über die kognitiven Teilprozesse, die dem Leseverstehen zugrunde liegen, ihre Zusammenhänge und ihre Entwicklung. Die vorliegende Dissertation soll zu einem umfassenden Verständnis über das Leseverstehen beitragen, indem sie eine Auswahl offener Fragestellungen experimentell untersucht. Studie 1 untersucht inwieweit phonologische Rekodier- und orthographische Dekodierfertigkeiten zum Satz- und Textverstehen beitragen und wie sich beide Fertigkeiten bei deutschen Grundschüler(inne)n von der 2. bis zur 4. Klasse entwickeln. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass beide Fertigkeiten signifikante und eigenständige Beiträge zum Leseverstehen leisten und dass sich ihr relativer Beitrag über die Klassenstufen hinweg nicht verändert. Darüber hinaus zeigt sich, dass bereits deutsche Zweitklässler(innen) den Großteil geschriebener Wörter in altersgerechten Texten über orthographische Vergleichsprozesse erkennen. Nichtsdestotrotz nutzen deutsche Grundschulkinder offenbar kontinuierlich phonologische Informationen, um die visuelle Worterkennung zu optimieren. Studie 2 erweitert die bisherige empirische Forschung zu einem der bekanntesten Modelle des Leseverstehens—der Simple View of Reading (SVR, Gough & Tunmer, 1986). Die Studie überprüft die SVR (Reading comprehension = Decoding x Comprehension) mithilfe optimierter und methodisch stringenter Maße der Modellkonstituenten und überprüft ihre Generalisierbarkeit für deutsche Dritt- und Viertklässler(innen). Studie 2 zeigt, dass die SVR einer methodisch stringenten Überprüfung nicht standhält und nicht ohne Weiteres auf deutsche Dritt- und Viertklässler(innen) generalisiert werden kann. Es wurden nur schwache Belege für eine multiplikative Verknüpfung von Dekodier- (D) und Hörverstehensfertigkeiten (C) gefunden. Der Umstand, dass ein beachtlicher Teil der Varianz im Leseverstehen (R) nicht durch D und C aufgeklärt werden konnte, deutet darauf hin, dass das Modell nicht vollständig ist und ggf. durch weitere Komponenten ergänzt werden muss. Studie 3 untersucht die Verarbeitung positiv-kausaler und negativ-kausaler Kohärenzrelationen bei deutschen Erst- bis Viertklässler(inne)n und Erwachsenen im Lese- und Hörverstehen. In Übereinstimmung mit dem Cumulative Cognitive Complexity-Ansatz (Evers-Vermeul & Sanders, 2009; Spooren & Sanders, 2008) zeigt Studie 3, dass die Verarbeitung negativ-kausaler Kohärenzrelationen und Konnektoren kognitiv aufwändiger ist als die Verarbeitung positiv-kausaler Relationen. Darüber hinaus entwickelt sich das Verstehen beider Kohärenzrelationen noch über die Grundschulzeit hinweg und ist für negativ-kausale Relationen am Ende der vierten Klasse noch nicht abgeschlossen. Studie 4 zeigt und diskutiert die Nützlichkeit prozess-orientierter Lesetests wie ProDi- L (Richter et al., in press), die individuelle Unterschiede in den kognitiven Teilfertigkeiten des Leseverstehens selektiv erfassen. Hierzu wird exemplarisch die Konstruktvalidität des ProDi-L-Subtests ‚Syntaktische Integration’ nachgewiesen. Mittels explanatorischer Item- Repsonse-Modelle wird gezeigt, dass der Test Fertigkeiten syntaktischer Integration separat erfasst und Kinder mit defizitären syntaktischen Fertigkeiten identifizieren kann. Die berichteten Befunde tragen zu einem umfassenden Verständnis der kognitiven Teilfertigkeiten des Leseverstehens bei, das für eine optimale Gestaltung des Leseunterrichts, für das Erstellen von Lernmaterialien, Leseinstruktionen und Lehrbüchern unerlässlich ist. Darüber hinaus stellt es die Grundlage für eine sinnvolle Diagnose individueller Leseschwierigkeiten und für die Konzeption adaptiver und zielgerichteter Interventionsprogramme zur Förderung des Leseverstehens bei schwachen Leser(inne)n dar.

The Effect of Carbohydrate Mouth Rinsing On Skill Specific Performance and Cognitive Function Following a Fatigue Inducing Bout of Fencing

The aim of this study was to investigate whether rinsing the mouth with a carbohydrate solution could improve skill-specific fencing performance and cognitive function following a fatigue inducing simulated bout of fencing in epee fencers. Eleven healthy, competitive epee fencers (three female; eight male; 33.9 ± 14.7 years; body mass 79 ± 16 kg; height 162 ± 54 cm) volunteered to participant in a single-blind crossover design study. During visit 1 participants completed a 1-minute lunge test and stroop test pre and post fatigue inducing fencing protocol. A 30 second electroencephalography (EEG) recording was taken pre-protocol participants were instructed stay in a seated stationary position with their eyes closed. Heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion were recorded following each fight during the fatiguing protocol. Participants mouth rinsed (10 seconds) either 25ml of a 6.7% maltodextrin solution (CHO) or 25ml of water (placebo) between fights and during the EEG recording. Blood lactate and glucose measurements were taken at baseline, pre and post protocol. All measurements and tests were repeated during a 2nd visit to the laboratory, except participants were given a different solution to mouth rinse, separated by a minimum of 5 days. The results showed an increase in heart rate (P < 0.05) and overall RPE (P < 0.001) over time in both trials. There were no recorded differences in blood glucose (F(1,8) = 0.634, P = 0.4, ηp 0.07) or blood lactate levels (F(1,8) = 0.123, P = 0.7, ηp 0.01) between trials. There was a significant improvement in lunge test accuracy in the CHO trial (F(1,8) = 5.214, P = 0.05, ηp 0.40). However, there was no recorded difference in response time to congruent (F(1,8) = 0.326, P = 0.58, ηp 0.04) or incongruent (F(1,8) = 0.189, P = 0.68, ηp 0.02) stimuli between trials. In conclusion mouth rinsing a CHO solution significantly improves accuracy of skill-specific fencing performance but does not affect cognitive function following a fatigue inducing fencing protocol in epee fencers.

Développement d’un questionnaire cognitif bref, le FaCE (The Fast Cognitive Evaluation), selon la modélisation Rasch adapté aux patients avec cancer

Les déficits cognitifs sont présents chez les patients atteints de cancer. Les tests cognitifs tels que le Montreal Cognitive Assessment se sont révélés peu spécifiques, incapables de détecter des déficits légers et ne sont pas linéaires. Pour suppléer à ces limitations nous avons développé un questionnaire cognitif simple, bref et adapté aux dimensions cognitives atteintes chez les patients avec un cancer, le FaCE « The Fast Cognitif Evaluation », en utilisant la modélisation Rasch (MR). La MR est une méthode mathématique probabiliste qui détermine les conditions pour qu’un outil soit considéré une échelle de mesure et elle est indépendante de l’échantillon. Si les résultats s’ajustent au modèle, l’échelle de mesure est linéaire avec des intervalles égaux. Les réponses sont basées sur la capacité des sujets et la difficulté des items. La carte des items permet de sélectionner les items les plus adaptés pour l’évaluation de chaque aspect cognitif et d’en réduire le nombre au minimum. L’analyse de l’unidimensionnalité évalue si l’outil mesure une autre dimension que celle attendue. Les résultats d’analyses, conduites sur 165 patients, montrent que le FaCE distingue avec une excellente fiabilité et des niveaux suffisamment différents les compétences des patients (person-reliability-index=0.86; person-separation-index=2.51). La taille de la population et le nombre d’items sont suffisants pour que les items aient une hiérarchisation fiable et précise (item-reliability=0.99; item-séparation-index=8.75). La carte des items montre une bonne dispersion de ceux-ci et une linéarité du score sans effet plafond. Enfin, l’unidimensionnalité est respectée et le temps d’accomplissement moyen est d’environ 6 minutes. Par définition la MR permet d’assurer la linéarité et la continuité de l’échelle de mesure. Nous avons réussi à développer un questionnaire bref, simple, rapide et adapté aux déficits cognitifs des patients avec un cancer. Le FaCE pourrait, aussi, servir de mesure de référence pour les futures recherches dans le domaine.

Time perception in mild cognitive impairment: Interval length and subjective passage of time

Objectives: Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may have difficulties in time perception, which in turn might contribute to some of their symptoms, especially memory deficits. The aim of this study was to evaluate perception of interval length and subjective passage of time in MCI patients as compared to healthy controls. Methods: Fifty-five MCI patients and 57 healthy controls underwent an experimental protocol for time perception on interval length, a questionnaire for the subjective passage of time and a neuropsychological evaluation. Results: MCI patients presented no changes in the perception of interval length. However, for MCI patients, time seemed to pass more slowly than it did for controls. This experience was significantly correlated with memory deficits but not with performance in executive tests, nor with complaints of depression or anxiety. Conclusions: Memory deficits do not affect the perception of interval length, but are associated with alterations in the subjective passage of time.

A systematic review of the psychobiological burden of informal caregiving for patients with dementia: focus on cognitive and biological markers of chronic stress

As the physiological impact of chronic stress is difficult to study in humans, naturalistic stressors are invaluable sources of information in this area. This review systematically evaluates the research literature examining biomarkers of chronic stress, including neurocognition, in informal dementia caregivers. We identified 151 papers for inclusion in the final review, including papers examining differences between caregivers and controls as well as interventions aimed at counteracting the biological burden of chronic caregiving stress. Results indicate that cortisol was increased in caregivers in a majority of studies examining this biomarker. There was mixed evidence for differences in epinephrine, norepinephrine and other cardiovascular markers. There was a high level of heterogeneity in immune system measures. Caregivers performed more poorly on attention and executive functioning tests. There was mixed evidence for memory performance. Interventions to reduce stress improved cognition but had mixed effects on cortisol. Risk of bias was generally low to moderate. Given the rising need for family caregivers worldwide, the implications of these findings can no longer be neglected.