Faculty Bibliography

Emerging research supports the contribution of executive function (EF) to reading comprehension; however, a unique pattern has not been established for children who demonstrate comprehension difficulties despite average word recognition ability (specific reading comprehension deficit; S-RCD). To identify particular EF components on which children with S-RCD struggle, a range of EF skills was compared among 86 children, ages 10 to 14, grouped by word reading and comprehension abilities: 24 average readers, 44 with word recognition deficits (WRD), and 18 S-RCD. An exploratory principal components analysis of EF tests identified three latent factors, used in subsequent group comparisons: Planning/ Spatial Working Memory, Verbal Working Memory, and Response Inhibition. The WRD group exhibited deficits (relative to controls) on Verbal Working Memory and Inhibition factors; S-RCD children performed more poorly than controls on the Planning factor. Further analyses suggested the WRD group's poor performance on EF factors was a by-product of core deficits linked to WRD (after controlling for phonological processing, this group no longer showed EF deficits). In contrast, the S-RCD group's poor performance on the planning component remained significant after controlling for phonological processing. Findings suggest reading comprehension difficulties are linked to executive dysfunction; in particular, poor strategic planning/organizing may lead to reading comprehension problems.

Accurate pronunciation of phonetically irregular words (exception words) requires prior exposure to unique relationships between orthographic and phonemic features. Whether such word knowledge is accompanied by structural variation in areas associated with orthographic-to-phonemic transformations has not been investigated. We used high-resolution MRI to determine whether performance on a visual word-reading test composed of phonetically irregular words, the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR), is associated with regional variations in cortical structure. A sample of 60 right-handed, neurologically intact individuals were administered the WTAR and underwent 3T volumetric MRI. Using quantitative, surface-based image analysis, cortical thickness was estimated at each vertex on the cortical mantle and correlated with WTAR scores while controlling for age. Higher scores on the WTAR were associated with thicker cortex in bilateral anterior superior temporal gyrus, bilateral angular gyrus/posterior superior temporal gyrus, and left hemisphere intraparietal sulcus. Higher scores were also associated with thinner cortex in left hemisphere posterior fusiform gyrus and central sulcus, bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, and right hemisphere lingual gyrus and supramarginal gyrus. These results suggest that the ability to correctly pronounce phonetically irregular words is associated with structural variations in cortical areas that are commonly activated in functional neuroimaging studies of word reading, including areas associated with grapheme-to-phonemic conversion

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical utility and sensitivity of a portable, automatic, frontal quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) acquisition device currently in development in detecting abnormal brain electrical activity after sport-related concussion. DESIGN: This was a prospective, non-randomized study of 396 high school and college football players, including cohorts of 28 athletes with concussion and 28 matched controls. All subjects underwent preseason baseline testing on measures of postconcussive symptoms, postural stability, and cognitive functioning, as well as QEEG. Clinical testing and QEEG were repeated on day of injury and days 8 and 45 postinjury for the concussion and control groups. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The injured group reported more significant postconcussive symptoms during the first 3 days postinjury, which resolved by days 5 and 8. Injured subjects also performed poorer than controls on neurocognitive testing on the day of injury, but no differences were evident on day 8 or day 45. QEEG studies revealed significant abnormalities in electrical brain activity in the injured group on day of injury and day 8 postinjury, but not on day 45. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the current study on clinical recovery after sport-related concussion are consistent with early reports indicating a typical course of full recovery in symptoms and cognitive dysfunction within the first week of injury. QEEG results, however, suggest that the duration of physiological recovery after concussion may extend longer than observed clinical recovery. Further study is required to replicate and extend these findings in a larger clinical sample, and further demonstrate the utility of QEEG as a marker of recovery after sport-related concussion

Using separate generalized mixed-effects models, we assessed seizure recall and prediction, as well as contributing diagnostic variables, in 83 adult patients with epilepsy undergoing video/EEG monitoring. The model revealed that when participants predicted a seizure, probability equaled 0.320 (95% CI: 0.149-0.558), a significant (P<0.05) increase over negative predictions (0.151, 95% CI: 0.71-0.228]). With no seizure, the rate of remembering was approximately 0.130 (95% CI: 0.73-0.219), increasing significantly to 0.628 (95% CI: 0.439 to 0.784) when a seizure occurred (P<0.001). Of the variables analyzed, only inpatient seizure rate influenced predictability (P<0.001) or recollection (P<0.001). These models reveal that patients were highly aware of their seizures, and in many cases, were able to make accurate predictions, for which seizure rate may be an important factor

An unintended consequence of the New York psychology Scope of Practice legislation led to a restriction in the use of testing technicians that has yet to be reversed after 4 years. The misperception of neuropsychology by state legislators and psychology colleagues was a key obstacle to achieving a timely solution. We discuss how the political agenda and practice philosophies of New York neuropsychologists were at odds with those of our psychology colleagues, and how that brought about a protracted struggle affecting both patient care and the practice of clinical neuropsychology. Neuropsychologists must maintain an active role in professional and political organizations with equal attention at the local, state, and national levels to avoid similar restrictions to their clinical practice

Deja vu aura is a well-known phenomenon experienced by some patients with epilepsy. This study sought to explore the relationship between verbal memory and the experience of deja vu or other types of mnemestic auras in 42 individuals with intractable seizures and 42 age- and education-matched patient controls. Verbal memory was assessed with indices of learning, long delay recall, and recognition from the California Verbal Learning Test. Results indicated that auras of any type were not associated with memory performance on the California Verbal Learning Test. As expected, age and education were related to verbal memory performance. Mnemestic auras were associated with clinical indices of illness, suggesting that the presence of these auras may be regarded as a risk factor for greater chronicity and severity in epilepsy

Few neuropsychological tests have been developed specifically for non-English speakers. Rather, assessment measures are often derived from English source texts (STs) and translated into foreign language target texts (TTs). An abundant literature describes the potential for translation error occurring in test construction. While the neuropsychology community has striven to correct these inadequacies, interdisciplinary approaches to test translation have been largely ignored. Translation studies, which has roots in linguistics, semiotics, computer science, anthropology, and philosophy, may provide a much-needed framework for test development. We aim to apply specific aspects of Descriptive Translation Studies to present unique and heretofore unapplied frameworks to the socio-cultural conceptualizations of translated tests. In doing so, a more theoretical basis for test construction will be explored. To this end, translation theory can provide valuable insights toward the development of linguistically and culturally relevant neuropsychological test measures suitable for an increasingly diverse patient base. (JINS, 2010, 16, 227-232.)

The Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure (ROCF) is commonly used in evaluations of patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. We assessed test-retest performance on ROCF in 30 partial epilepsy patients (mean interval = 33.7 months) to derive reliable change indices (RCIs) and regression-based measures for change. ROCF reproductions were rescored by three raters (IRR Copy: 0.963; Delayed Recall: 0.986). The derived adjusted RC (90% CI) cutoff values for the ROCF Copy were (<or=-6.5, >or=8.4) and were (<or=-6.8, >or=10.0) for the Delayed Recall. Results from regression-based analyses were negative, using age, education, seizure duration, and age of onset, whereas a baseline score was a significant predictor of a follow-up score. The results provide a means to evaluate long-term outcome in epilepsy patients using the ROCF

Reviews the book, Marking the Mind: A History of Memory, by Kurt Danziger (see record 2008-14739-000). This book provides a very interesting, readable, and concise account of how our conceptions of memory have developed over the ages. In this book, the author places memory within a sociohistorical context, demonstrating how the metaphors used to describe this process have, over the ages, paralleled developments in communication technology. While reading this book, one readily discovers how the development of psychology as an empirical science has resulted in separating the study of memory from any relationship to context or meaning. The book is composed of nine well-organized chapters. Each of these is preceded by a useful chapter outline placed within a clearly readable table. Overall, the book does a nice job of reintroducing us to views of memory taken from the past while simultaneously challenging the dogma of many of our current approaches to this phenomenon.

OBJECTIVE: This study is the first to investigate the influence of a symptom-free waiting period (SFWP) on clinical outcome and risk of repeat injury after sport-related concussion. METHODS: This was a prospective, nonrandomized study of 16 624 player seasons from 1999 to 2004, including a cohort of 635 concussed high school and college athletes grouped on the basis of an SFWP or no SFWP observed after their concussion. Clinical outcome in symptoms, cognitive functioning, and postural stability 45 and 90 days postinjury was compared with preinjury baseline. Data on SFWP and same-season repeat concussion were recorded. RESULTS: An SFWP was observed in 60.3% of cases. There were no significant differences between the SFWP and no SFWP groups in acute injury characteristics or clinical outcome with respect to symptom recovery or postinjury performance on formal neuropsychological and balance testing. Most repeat concussions (79.2%) occurred within 10 days of the initial injury. The rate of repeat concussion was actually higher in the SFWP group (6.49%) than the no SFWP group (0.90%) (P < 0.005), but the repeat concussion subgroup's SFWP was 2.82 days shorter (95% confidence interval, 0.61-5.03; P < 0.01) and these athletes resumed participation 3.55 days sooner (95% confidence interval, 0.06-7.04; P < 0.05) than those in the SFWP group in which there was no repeat concussion. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that an SFWP did not intrinsically influence clinical recovery or reduce risk of a repeat concussion. The overall risk of same-season repeat concussion seems to be relatively low, but there may be a period of vulnerability that increases risk of repeat concussion during the first 7 to 10 days postinjury. Further study is required to investigate this preliminary finding and help determine whether this risk can be reduced further with specific injury-management strategies