Cognitive fatigue (CF) is a common, yet poorly understood symptom in neurological disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke). Studies show that reward plays a central role in CF. For instance, introducing or increasing reward often improves task performance. It is less clear, however, how reward affects subjective (self-reported) CF (SCF). This study examined the effect of reward type (monetary or performance feedback) and frequency (infrequent or frequent) on SF.

In an online between-subjects study, 400 participants completed a computerized cognitive switching task and were randomly grouped into one of the five possible groups based on reward condition: [1] infrequent monetary reward, [2] frequent monetary reward, [3] infrequent performancefeedback reward, [4] frequent performance feedback reward, and [5] a no-reward group. SCF was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale of Fatigue (VAS-F) during the task. Mixed effects models were used to estimate the influence of reward type and frequency on task performance and SCF.

We found that the monetary groups were significantly faster (p<.001) compared to the feedback and no-reward groups, and that the frequent group was faster (p=.05) compared to the infrequent group. Reward type and frequency did not have a significant effect on VAS-F scores. However, when we looked at each reward group, we found that the monetary-infrequent reward group was associated with a decrease in VAS-F scores on average compared to the no-reward group (p=.04).

The type and frequency of reward influence aspects of task performance (response time but not accuracy). Findings suggest that money had a greater effect on response time and may decrease SCF in cognitively healthy individuals when provided infrequently. Future studies should examine how these findings translate to clinical populations. Continued work is needed to understand how and which specific behavioral reward manipulations reduce fatigue, which could eventually lead to improved assessment and our ability to target fatigue across clinical populations.

Gliomas are a group of CNS neoplasms arising from neuroglial cells with various degrees of aggressiveness. Resection of brain tumors is complex to perform without neurological sequelae due to the diffuse nature of the tumors. This study aimed to design a neuropsychological battery to examine pre surgical cognitive deficits in a case series of patients with LGG and to determine the post-surgical effects after resection.

11 adult patients aged 19-65 years (38 ±DS:15.5) with a diagnosis of LGG without cognitive complaint were evaluated with a selection of specific neuropsychological tests to identify possible baseline cognitive deficits and their evolution after tumor resection. All participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation assessing memory, language, attention, executive functions, visuospatial functions, social cognition, praxis, agnosias, functionality, mood, and quality of life. The neuropsychological battery design was based on a systematic review of the literature on surgical interventions in low-grade gliomas.

Despite not reporting subjective cognitive complaints, patients showed deficits in multiple cognitive domains in the pre-surgical evaluation when comparing their performance with normative values adjusted for age, sex, and education. Deficits in executive functions and attention were observed: 36% presented failures in graphomotor speed (TMT A), 27% of subjects presented failures in attentional span (Direct Digit Span), working memory (Inverse Digit Span), and cognitive flexibility (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) and 9% presented difficulties in processing speed (Trail Making Test A) and inhibitory capacity (Stroop Test). Memory: 18% of the patients showed deficits in immediate logical memory and 9% in delayed memory (Craft Story 21). Likewise, 18% of the patients presented compromise in immediate auditory-verbal learning and 27% in delayed auditory-verbal learning (Rey Auditory-Verbal Test). Language: 18% showed failures in naming (Boston 60) and 9% in comprehension (Token Test). Likewise, 27% of the patients presented difficulties in social cognition (Mind in the Eyes Test). Finally 41% of the patients reported symptoms of depression and/or anxiety in the neuropsychiatric questionnaires.

The results highlight the importance of strategically designed pre-surgical cognitive assessment for the detection and follow-up of cognitive and mood disorders associated with the location of the space-occupying lesion (LOE). The patients assessed in this study will be evaluated three months after surgery to document changes in baseline cognitive symptoms. Furthermore, in patients with lesions in the left hemisphere, an intraoperative evaluation will be performed to minimize subsequent deficits, assessing these functions during surgery and emphasizing language.

Socioeconomic status (SES) has been recognized as an important factor in psychological research within the last few decades. Past literature recognizes that having lower SES can have a negative impact on many aspects of one’s health, especially in diseases related to brain aging. A recent avenue for research regarding SES and the brain-behavior relationship suggests that socioeconomic status can act as a moderator for brain activation during task performance. The hypothesis for this project was that there will be a negative correlational relationship between brain activity and SES when controlling for participants’ age, sex, and performance on the episodic memory tasks, but a positive correlation between task performance and SES was expected.

With 100 middle-aged healthy adults from the Reference Ability Neural Network (RANN) study (53 male and 47 female, age M=48.0 +/- 7.55 years), three episodic memory fMRI tasks were performed and studied in relation to SES and age. The tasks were Logical Memory, Word Order, and Pair Associates tasks that involved episodic memory for story details, order of words presented, and pairing of words, respectively. We quantified memory performance with average accuracy from performance of the three tasks. We used the FSL software to preprocess and perform voxel-wise group analysis. All brain activation analyses were corrected for multiple comparison using cluster thresholds in FSL.

Correlation between SES and memory performance was found to be marginally significant (R=.188, p=.061). All tasks had areas of positively correlated activation for age. The Logical Memory task had multiple areas of brain activation that were positively correlated with age, particularly at the lateral occipital cortex, lingual gyrus, and the occipital fusiform gyrus, all areas that underlie visual processing. There were no areas of correlated brain activation for SES, sex, and task performance for the Pair Associates and Logical Memory tasks. Brain activation for the Word order task in the left precuneous cortex and the right middle frontal gyrus, left lateral occipital cortex, left occipital fusiform gyrus, and parts of the lingual gyrus was positively correlated with memory performance when controlled for age, sex, and SES.

The hypothesis was not entirely supported by the results of this study, but the marginal effect between SES and memory performance can suggest that SES may affect memory performance within middle-aged adults. While we did not find a brain association with SES in this age group, we observed regions that underlie task performance. Further research can be done on possible moderating effects of Socioeconomic Status on memory and executive function with structural neuroimaging to further investigate the effects of SES on cognition.

Veterans from the 1991 Gulf War (GW) experienced several neurotoxicant exposures, including chemical weapons, pesticide sprays and creams, oil well fires and pyridostigmine bromide anti-nerve gas pills during the war. Research has shown these exposures to affect cognition and mood. Moreover, MR diffusion imaging has shown microstructural changes in the white matter that may be related to psychomotor slowing. Over a third of all GW veterans suffer from a chronic multi-symptom disorder called Gulf War Illness (GWI). The Kansas Criteria for GWI consists of six distinct criteria including symptoms of fatigue/sleep problems, pain symptoms, neurologic/cognitive/mood symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, and skin symptoms. The Boston Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC) was a multi-site study designed to assess symptoms of GWI. After the conclusion of the GWIC study, the Boston Biorepository Recruitment and Integrative Network for Gulf War Illness (BBRAIN) was developed to harmonize retrospectively collected GW Veteran data while simultaneously collecting Time 2 data and samples from GW veterans who participated in the original study. This analysis includes the first 58 participants who have completed the GWIC study and the BBRAIN study.

We conducted a longitudinal analysis of cognitive outcomes from the BBRAIN data repository. Verbal learning, memory, attention, and executive functioning were assessed using neuropsychological tests including the Continuous Performance Test (CPT3), Trail Making Test A, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS), California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II). A total of 58 participants were re-evaluated from the original GWIC cohort with a total of 47 cases and 11 controls. Paired t-tests for the cognitive measures were completed separately for GWI cases and healthy GW veteran controls for each of the neuropsychological test measures. Average time between assessments was four years.

The overall sample was on average 56 years old, 84% male and 75% White. The average level of education was 15 years. GWI cases showed significantly more commission errors and slower reaction times on the CPT3 at Time 2 compared to Time 1 (p < 0.05). Cases also showed a slowing in time to completion on Trails A at the second time point (p<0.05). On the other hand, controls only showed significantly slower reaction times on the CPT3 at Time 2 (p<0.05).

These results showed that veterans with GWI are showing more decline over time in cognitive functioning particularly on psychomotor slowing and impulsivity than control veterans. It is important to document illness trajectories for veterans with GWI in order to devise strategies for interventions and treatments. The importance of studying longitudinal cohorts is to document changes in the same individuals over time. The next steps are to assess if this accelerated aging develops into neurodegenerative conditions by using brain imaging and other biomarkers in addition to cognitive evaluations. This could identify individuals who should be the focus of targeted treatment strategies while there is still time to intervene.

Translatability of preclinical results remains a major obstacle in neuropsychiatric research. Even when cognitive tests in preclinical models show translational validity for human testing, with sensitivity to clinical deficits, there remains the issue of heterogeneity among human participants. Norming of performance on cognitive tasks enable corrections for any differences in performance that may arise from the influence of socioeconomic factors, and thus a more direct comparison with preclinical testing results. The 5-choice continuous performance task (5C-CPT) is a test sensitive to changes in sustained attention and cognitive control in rodent manipulations and clinical populations, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Herein, we present normed results of 5C-CPT data from a cohort of human participants, enabling greater comparison to future clinical and rodent testing.

5C-CPT data were generated from a range of participants from the Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center (n=82) and a study of bipolar disorder (n=45). Participant demographics were as follows: Age M=38.5, SD=16.7, Education: M=14.5, SD=1.9, 45% female, 10% Asian, 17% African American, 27% Hispanic, and 46% non-Hispanic White. We used the test2norm R-package to create norms for each of the major outcomes from the 5C-CPT. Non-normally distributed raw scores were transformed to generate more normally distributed data needed for the norming process. Raw scores were first converted into uniform scaled scores that range from 0-20 where a higher score indicated better performance. We then generated T-score formulas, which are standardized residuals and scaled to have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10. The residuals are obtained from regressions, modeled using multiple fractional polynomial method (MFP), which regresses scaled scores on demographic variables, which a user wishes to control for (gender, age, education, ethnicity, etc.). MFP models allow to fit non-linear effects for numeric demographic factors (e.g., age), if such effects exist.

New, demographically corrected T-score formulas were calculated for each major outcome of the 5C-CPT: reaction time (MCL), reaction time variability (VarRT), dprime, hit rate (HR) and false-alarm rate (FAR). MFP models showed that age had a significant effect on MCL, VarRT, dprime, and HR (all p<0.01), while gender only showed a significant effect for MCL and VarRT (all p<0.05). Interestingly, education and ethnicity did not show a significant effect for any MFP model and none of the demographic factors (age, education, gender, ethnicity) were significant in the model for FAR. As defined in the test2norm package, all scaled scores had a mean of 10 and SD of 3 and all T-scores had a mean of 50 and SD of 10.

The 5C-CPT is a test of attention and cognitive control available for human testing, reverse-translated from rodent studies. The normative data generated here will enable future comparisons of data without the need for additional control studies. Furthermore, comparing these normative data to manipulations will enable further comparisons to rodent testing, with manipulations relative to baseline becoming more meaningful. Thus, the 5C-CPT is a viable tool for conducting cross-species translational research toward developing novel therapeutics that treat dysfunctional attentional and cognitive control.

Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is the self-reported experience of one’s own declining cognition prior to objective impairment on clinical neuropsychological testing. While SCD is a promising marker of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD), information is needed to determine which cognitive complaints reflect typical aging versus prodromal degenerative disease. The objective of the current study was to examine the extent to which specific cognitive complaints were associated with two clinical outcomes including: 1) lower performance on cognitive tasks sensitive to preclinical AD; and 2) seeking help (i.e., medical attention) for cognitive difficulties.

The current sample consisted of 175 healthy older adults (56 Male, 119 Female), aged 51 to 90 (M=72.67, SD=7.12) with a mean education of 16 years (SD=2.3 years) who performed > -1.5 SD on clinical neuropsychological testing. 26.8% of the sample self-reported as race/ethnic minorities (e.g., Hispanic or Non-Hispanic, Black, Asian, Other.) Participants completed a 20-item SCD questionnaire assessing perceived cognitive difficulties in comparison to same aged peers, and tests shown to be sensitive to preclinical AD including the Face Name Associative Learning Test and the Loewenstein-Acevedo Scales for Semantic Interference and Learning. Participants were coded as having sought help for SCD (39%) if they entered the current study from a clinical referral source, OR if they entered through a non-clinical referral stream but indicated that they had previously seen a doctor specifically for memory concerns or spoken to their doctor about memory concerns. Chi square tests were used to examine relationships between SCD item endorsement and help-seeking; ANOVAs were used to the extent to which item endorsement was associated with performance on cognitive tests. Results were considered significant at p < .05.

Three SCD items were associated with both lower cognitive test scores and having sought help for SCD (p values ranged from < .001 to .02). Items included difficulty remembering the date or day of the week and remembering a few shopping items without a list. One non-memory item was also associated with both outcomes including difficulty thinking ahead. In contrast, six items were not related to either outcome of interest. Such items included difficulty remembering appointments, remembering where you put things like keys, following a map to a new location, doing two things at once, understanding what you read, or understanding what people say to you. The remaining eleven items explore the extent to which selective associations exist with either help-seeking or cognitive performance.

Patients and clinicians alike are often unsure about which cognitive difficulties are typical for aging and which may be the cause for further workup. Current results suggest that certain complaints among cognitively healthy older adults may be cause for more thorough evaluation or monitoring. These complaints include specific memory and nonmemory concerns. Future work is needed to determine if these complaints predict future cognitive decline or conversion to Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Hearing consists of peripheral components (outer and middle ear, cochlea) and the central auditory system (cochlear nuclei to the auditory cortex). Speech perception relies on peripheral hearing abilities (i.e., pure-tone thresholds) and central auditory processing (CAP) and cognitive functioning. Specifically, working memory, executive function, attention, and verbal functioning allow for speech understanding. As a result, CAP deficits are also influenced by peripheral hearing sensitivity and cognitive functioning. Assessing CAP deficits can be difficult because of these complex interactions. Prior work has shown persons living with HIV (PWH) are at higher risk for sensorineural hearing loss compared to persons living without HIV (PWOH) after adjusting for age, sex, and noise exposure. Further, HIV is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, one example being Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its precursor, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), with auditory dysfunction occurring in earlier stages of AD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate: 1) the peripheral hearing sensitivity and CAP in PWH and PWOH; and 2) the association between cognitive function measures and CAP in PWH and PWOH.

Participants included 59 PWH (39 men and 20 women, mean age=66.7 years [SD=4.4 years]) and 27 PWOH (13 men and 14 women, mean age=71.9 years [SD=7.1 years]). Participants completed a standard neuropsychological battery assessing the domains of learning, recall, executive function, working memory, verbal fluency, processing speed and motor. Raw scores were transformed to demographically corrected, domain T-scores. Cognitive function was normal for 39 (66.1%) PWH and 16 (59.3%) PWOH while 43 (72.9%) PWH and 17 (63.0%) PWOH were determined to have MCI. Participants with dementia were excluded. Participants also completed a hearing assessment, a portion of which consisted of pure-tone thresholds, peripheral hearing measure, and dichotic digits testing (DDT), a CAP measure. Pure-tone air-conduction thresholds were obtained at octave frequencies from 0.25 through 8 kHz, including 3 and 6 kHz. A pure-tone average (PTA) was calculated from 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz thresholds for each ear. The DDT involves the presentation of numbers from 1 to 10, excluding 7, in which two different digits are presented to one ear while two other digits are simultaneously presented to the opposite ear. The outcome of DDT is percent correct.

PWH had slightly lower (i.e., better) mean PTAs in both ears compared to PWOH, but this was not statistically significant. Conversely, PWH had lower percent correct DDT results compared to PWOH, but this difference was also not statistically significant. Participants with impairment in verbal fluency, executive functioning, and working memory had significantly worse DDT results by approximately 10%, but only for right ear data.

PWH in our sample had better hearing than PWOH, which can be explained by PWH having a lower mean age. PWH had poorer DDT results, however, indicative of CAP deficits rather than peripheral hearing problems. Poor right ear DDT was associated with impairments specifically in frontal-based cognitive processes with an executive component.

Behavior is the product of interconnected brain regions that work together as networks. This case study examines whether there are differences between a participant with a large congenital left temporal lobe cyst, which impacted the volume of structures in the region, and control subjects of similar age on cognitive tasks and network connectivity as measured by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).

The case participant (CP; 71 year old female) and controls (CON; n = 25; 48% female) were recruited as part of a larger aging study. CON were chosen from the larger study population by age (+/- 10 years from CP; Range = 68-86 years). Cognitive tasks included: Shopping list memory task, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, WAIS-IV subtests: Digit Span, Digit-Symbol, Symbol Span, and Letter-Number Sequencing. For rs-fMRI, we administered four blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional connectivity (rs-fMRI) scans at 6 minutes each. Image processing was conducted using the CONN toolbox. Independent sample t-tests evaluated differences between CP and CON. Segregation was evaluated in the Auditory (Au), Cerebellar-basal ganglia (CBBG), Cingulo-Opercular Task Control (COTC), Dorsal Attention (DA), Default Mode (DMN), Fronto-Parietal Task Control (FPTC), Salience (Sa), Sensory Somatomotor Hand (SSH), Sensory Somatomotor Mouth (SSM), Visual (Vi), and Ventral Attention (VA) networks to assess CP’s functional segregation by network throughout the brain. Bonferroni correction was applied to account for multiple comparisons in cognitive testing (.05/7 for significance at p < 0.007) and network segregation (.05/11 for significance at p < .005).

Independent samples t-tests did not reveal significant differences across cognitive tasks (t(24) <1.04, p > .05). Network segregation did not reveal significant differences between CP and CON across networks examined (t(24) < 1.269, p > .005). However, DMN and DA segregation trended toward significance (t(24) = -2.724, p = .006 and t(24) =-2.006, p = .028), respectively) with CP demonstrating lower segregation as compared to CON.

CP performed similarly on cognitive testing to CON, indicating that the congenital presence of a large temporal lobe cyst did not impact global cognition, list learning and memory, working memory, or processing speed. CP did not demonstrate significantly different segregation across networks of interest after Bonferroni correction. Our cognitive performance results are consistent with a similar case-study examining language, which revealed intact linguistic abilities (Tuckete et al., 2022). The lack of differences in cognitive performance and segregation highlight the capacity for plasticity in the human brain, even in the presence of a large structural abnormality. This also suggests that the processes of aging in this case are not markedly different from controls. In future research we intend to expand on this case study by evaluating right temporal to hippocampal seeds and language network seeds to delve deeper into memory and language functioning.

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a debilitating multi-symptom condition that affects nearly a third of 1990-91 Gulf War (GW) veterans. Symptoms include chronic pain, debilitating fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, and cognitive decrements. Prior studies have documented reduced cognitive functioning in this affected population, particularly in the areas of memory, attention and response inhibition. To date, research has focused on cognitive functioning in male and female veterans together. Very limited research has reported on GW women's cognitive functioning separately mostly due to scarcity of data on women veterans. In this study, we had the unique opportunity to utilize a newly combined neuropsychological test dataset from women GW veterans in the Boston, Biorepository and Integrative Network (BBRAIN) for GWI. The aim was to compare neuropsychological outcomes with toxicant exposures in women veterans with and without GWI.

Cognitive data from the BBRAIN biorepository was used for this study. The sample consisted of 62 women veterans who were deployed to the Persian Gulf War from 1990-91. Neuropsychological test scores included the Conners Continuous Performance Test Third Edition (CPT3), Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Color-Word Interference, and the California Verbal Learning Test Second Edition (CVLT-II). War-related exposure to chemical weapons, anti-nerve gas pills and pesticides were measured by a self-reported survey. For analysis, war-related exposure was classified into three groups: controls with 0-6 days of exposure; cases with 0-6 days of exposure and cases with 7 or more days of exposure. Multiple linear regression modeling was used to measure differences in neuropsychological scores across the three groups by each war-related exposure.

After adjusting for age, education and other exposures, an increase in duration of exposure to pesticides was significantly associated with worse CPT3 commission errors, fewer words correct in the CVLT-II trials 1-5, and an increase in self-corrected errors on DKEFS Color-Word Interference Test Trials 1, 2 and 4 (p<0.05). More days reported hearing chemical alarms and seeing smoke from oil well fires was significantly associated with fewer words correct on all CVLT-II trials, and more self-corrected errors on Color-Word Interference Trials 2 and 4 (p<0.05). An increase in exposure duration to pyridostigmine bromide anti-nerve gas pills was associated with fewer words correct on the CVLT-II learning Trials 1-5 and short delay recall and an increase in self-corrected errors on Color-Word Interference Trials 2, 3, and 4 (p<0.05). When associations were adjusted for PTSD, all significant associations stayed constant (p<0.05).

In this study, women veterans with GWI who had higher levels of exposure to pesticides, oil well fires and who took more antinerve gas pills during the war are showing increased learning difficulties and more deficits in attention and response inhibition. Future research should examine if similar patterns of neuropsychological symptoms are also present in male GW veterans with higher war-time related toxicant exposures.

More than 30 years after the 199091 Gulf War (GW), approximately 200,000 veterans are still suffering from Gulf War Illness (GWI). Veterans who have this multi-symptom disorder experience impaired cognition, chronic pain, sustained fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues. GWI is believed to be associated with neurotoxicant exposures during the war. Prior research has shown cognitive deficits in combined samples of male and female GW veterans with GWI. These studies have shown that veterans with GWI have cognitive decrements in memory, learning and sustained attention. Studies have yet to compare neuropsychological outcomes by sex. This is mainly due to the lack of collected data on women GW veterans in the past. This study aims to analyze neuropsychological differences in males compared with female veterans with GWI and in those with neurotoxicant exposures from the Boston, Biorepository and Integrative Network (BBRAIN) for GWI repository dataset.

The total sample included 297 veterans with GWI (women n=50, men n=247) who were deployed to the 1990-91 Gulf War with an average age of 52 years. GWI case status was defined by the Kansas GWI criteria. Neuropsychological data including the Conners Continuous Performance Test Third Edition (CPT3), Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Color-Word Interference Test, and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II) were combined from the BBRAIN repository datasets. War-related exposures, including chemical weapons, anti-nerve gas pills and pesticides were measured by a self-reported survey. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the association between sex, war-related exposures, and neuropsychological test score outcomes.

After adjusting for age, education level and PTSD, men had a significantly lower number of words correct in the CVLT-II learning Trials 1-5, short delay recall and long delay recall compared with women veterans (p<0.05). The two groups also differed significantly in CPT3 commission scores, and total time on the D-KEFs Color-Word Inference total times in Trials 1 and 2 with men performing worse (p<0.05). Reported exposure to chemical weapons, pesticides, pyridostigmine bromide (PB) anti-nerve gas pills or smoke from oil well fires were all significantly associated with fewer words correctly recalled on all learning trials of the CVLT-II, long delay, and short delay to a greater degree in men as compared to women (p<0.05). Reported exposure to chemical weapons or smoke from oil well fires were significantly associated with more commission errors on CPT3 in men with GWI (p<0.05). Chemical alarms, smoke from oil well fires and PB were associated with slower response time on the Color-Word Interference test Trial 1 in men compared with women veterans.

In this study, men with GWI demonstrated significantly poorer performance in verbal memory, learning, response speed and attention. Male veterans reporting neurotoxicant exposures during the war also showed worse learning and verbal memory, impulsivity and response speed decrements compared to exposed women veterans. Future research should consider men and women separately when examining outcomes from war-related exposures.

Parental history (PH) of problematic substance use has been identified as a risk factor for adolescent substance use, which can lead to increased use in adulthood. Researchers hypothesize that individuals with PH exhibit premorbid differences in their reward processing, increasing their likelihood of engaging in reward-driven behavior. Studies have shown that preadolescents with PH have greater activation in their putamen and nucleus accumbens (NA); however, most research has only investigated PH of alcohol use (PHA), not PH of drug use (PHD). Additionally, limited research has assessed whether reward processing develops differently among youth with (PH+) to youth without (PH-). The present study utilizes the national, prospective Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development SM (ABCD) Study to examine whether reward anticipation in the nucleus accumbens (NA) differs in preadolescents with and without parental substance use history and whether patterns of reward anticipation change over time during a two-year follow-up period. Further, it will also examine whether PHA and PHD predict similar activation patterns.

The current sample (N=6,600, Mage = 10.9; range = 9-13.8 years old; 46.7% female) was drawn from the national ABCD Study. To assess reward processing, the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MID), a fMRI task-based paradigm, was administered at baseline and 2 year follow-up. The primary regions of interest (ROI) were the left and right NA and neutral vs anticipation of large rewards was the selected contrast. The Family History Assessment was used to assess problematic parental alcohol and drug use for both parents, with scores ranging from 0-2, with two indicating that both parents demonstrate problematic use. Three PH contrasts (PH- vs.PH+1, PH-vs.PH+2, & PH+1 vs. PH+2) were created for each group (PHA and PHD) (Martz et al., 2022). Separate linear mixed-effect models with predictors variables (parental contrasts, timepoint, and parental contrasts-by-time-point) and covariates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, parental education, parental warmth, parental monitoring, and the random effects of MRI model, family status, and subject) were run to predict reward anticipation.

Results indicated that PHA and,not PHD, was predictive of reward anticipation. PHA+1 youth showed greater activation in the l-NA (b= .02827, p= .03) and r-NA (b= .03476, p=.005), compared to PH- youth. Additionally, PHA+1 youth showed greater activation in the r-NA (b=-.07029, p=.008) compared to PHA+2 youth, but not in the l-NA. Those with PHA+2 demonstrated blunted activity in both the l-NA (b= -.07244, p=.02) and right nucleus accumbens (b= -.1091, p=001) when compared to those with PH-. No interactions with time were found.

Preadolescents with a PHA+ for both parents had blunted activity in reward anticipation, conferring a unique risk not seen in youth with only one parent with problematic alcohol use, or in youth with a PH of drug use. Future research should attempt to disentangle both genetic and environmental factors that may explain these discrepancies in reward processing, as well as the protective factors that may mitigate it. The current study found no interaction between PHA+ and time, suggesting that during preadolescents, the pattern of reward functioning remains consistent, but future work should assess if this pattern holds up across adolescence

Gulf War (GW) veterans were exposed to many neurotoxicants during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Neurotoxicants included: chemical warfare such as sarin nerve gas, combustion byproducts from oil well fires and diesel fuels from tent heaters, pesticides, and prophylactic anti- nerve gas pyridostigmine bromide pills (PB); all of which have been associated with both cognitive and mood concerns. There are few longitudinal studies that have examined cognitive functioning regarding these toxicant exposures. In our longitudinal Fort Devens cohort, we found decrements over time in the area of verbal learning and memory but no differences in measures of nonverbal memory and executive function. To describe changes more accurately over time in this GW veteran cohort, we examined cognitive functioning in those with probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) versus those without.

The FDC is the longest running cohort of GW veterans with initial baseline cognitive, mood, exposure and trauma assessments in 1997-1998 and follow-up evaluations in 2019-2022. FDC veterans (N=48) who completed both time points were the participants for this study. Veterans were categorized into dichotomous (yes/no) groups of PTSD classification. The PTSD checklist (PCL) was used to determine PTSD case status. Symptom ratings on the PCL were summed (range:17-85) and a cutoff score of 36 or higher was utilized to indicate probable PTSD. Neuropsychological measures of mood (POMS) and memory (Visual Reproductions from the Weschler Memory Scale-R; California Verbal Learning Test Second Edition; CVLT2) and executive function and language; (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System- Color Word and Verbal fluency- Animals) were compared overtime using Paired T-tests.

The study sample (N=48) was 92% male and 96% reported active-duty status at the time of the GW. Mean current age was 58 years. All veterans reported exposure to at least one war-related toxicant. 48% met criteria for probable PTSD (N = 23) while 52% did not (n=25). No differences between groups were found in any of the POMS subscales, nor were differences seen in verbal memory, executive function, or language tasks. There were, however, significant differences in nonverbal memory in those with probable PTSD showing fewer details recalled during delay on the WMS-R Visual Reproductions (p<0.05).

In this longitudinal analysis, GW veterans with PTSD showed declines in nonverbal memory and consistent levels of function in all other tasks. Basic mood scales did not show decline; therefore, these results are not due to generalized changes in mood. All participants reported at least one neurotoxicant exposure and we did not have the power to examine the impact of the individual exposures, thus we cannot rule any contributing factors other than PTSD. This study highlights the importance of longitudinal follow up and continual documentation of GW veterans’ memory performance and their endorsement of mood symptoms overtime. Specifically, these findings reveal that future studies should examine the prolonged course of memory and mood symptomatology in GW veterans who have endorsed a traumatic experience.

Memory complaints have been a concern of Gulf War (GW) veterans since their return from the war in 1991, and over time it has been reported that exposures to neurotoxicants during the war have been associated with memory decline from premorbid levels. However, many of the studies that have shown slight or no memory decrements only looked at one time point and have not followed participants to document trajectory of symptoms over time. Longitudinal design is an optimal way to document change in cognitive function over time and the Fort Devens cohort (FDC), the longest running cohort of GW veterans, is ideal for assessing such change. This prospectively designed non-treatment seeking cohort were assessed at multiple timepoints with neuropsychological assessments and surveys. Initial neuropsychological assessments from 1997 showed above average scores on tests of verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test) and average nonverbal memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-R) performances. A follow-up study of neuropsychological testing was completed between 2019-2022. This study was designed to document change in cognitive status between the two time points.

Participants (N=50) from the original 1991 cohort were again tested from 2019-2022. Neuropsychological tests included California Verbal Learning Test-Second edition (CVLT2) for verbal learning, and the visual reproduction subtest from the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) for nonverbal learning and memory. For both time points, the average scores of the participants were compared with age scaled scores for each neuropsychological test.

The mean age of our current participants was 58 years. 72% were men. Relative to standardized test norms at the first time point, the scores for total learning from trials 1 through 5 from the CVLT2 were in the above average range relative to age and gender-based norms. During the second time point, the participants average scores on the same scale had dropped to the average range, one full standard deviation below their prior performances. In addition, at the first time point, total learning from visual reproductions was in the average range and dropped to the low average range for the second time point. This value dropped by one-half a standard deviation.

Results showed significant diminishment in verbal and visual memory relative to prior test performances. Whenever possible, documenting the trajectory of symptoms relative to where each participant started on neuropsychological functional outcomes is key to understanding the longitudinal impact of neurotoxicant and other war-related exposures in military veterans. Given this decline, further assessment of GW veterans’ cognitive trajectories is warranted.

People with Korsakoff syndrome (KS) experience severe neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric complications following vitamin B1 deficiency predominantly due to alcoholism. KS often presents itself with neuropsychological symptoms such as problems in episodic memory, executive functioning, and social cognition. Common neuropsychiatric symptoms in KS are disorders of affect, confabulations, anosognosia, and apathy. Apathy can be defined by a pathological lack of goal-directed behaviors, goal-directed cognitions, and goal-directed emotions. Patients with KS have an increased risk of cerebrovascular comorbidity. Cerebrovascular accidents are known to increase the risk for developing apathy. Apathy in KS patients can negatively influence the ability to live an autonomous life, often making 24-hour care a necessity. Limited research on apathy in KS patients has been published to this day. Our aim was to assess apathy in Korsakoff patients with and without neurovascular comorbidity.

General apathy and related subconstructs, such as judgment and decision-making skills, emotional blunting, and the intentions to perform pleasurable activities, were studied in fifteen KS patients, fifteen KS patients with additional cerebrovascular comorbidity, and fifteen healthy controls. The first responsible caregiver of each patient filled in the Apathy Evaluation Scale and Scale for Emotional Blunting. An examiner administered the interview-based Judgement scale of the Neuropsychology Assessment Battery with the KS patients and each KS patient filled in the self-report section of the Pleasurable Activities List. Both KS patient groups receive 24-hour care in a specialized facility for Korsakoff Syndrome.

Our study found higher levels of general apathy in both KS patient groups, when rated by their caregiver compared to healthy controls. No difference was found between the KS patient groups and the healthy control group on the self-reported section of the Pleasurable Activities List, which might suggest the presence of intrinsic motivation in KS patients. However, a discrepancy was found between the self-reported activity levels and proxy reported levels of apathy. KS patients with cerebrovascular comorbidity showed increased levels of emotional blunting compared to KS patients without cerebrovascular comorbidity and healthy controls. Decreased judgment and decision-making skills were found in both patient groups compared to healthy controls, with no difference found between KS patients with cerebrovascular comorbidity and KS patients without.

Our findings suggest that people with Korsakoff syndrome experience more general apathy compared to healthy controls. Both patient groups showed decreased judgement and decision-making skills and increased emotional blunting. Intrinsic motivation was found to be intact in KS patients. Experiencing cerebrovascular comorbidity in KS carries a risk for developing emotional blunting. Our findings show that apathy greatly affects people with KS. Future scientific research is warranted to further benefit the care for this complex patient population.

Prior literature has documented how motives for cannabis use predict frequency of use and cannabis use problems among adolescents. However, few studies have examined possible moderating variables that may influence the association between cannabis use motives and frequency of use. The current study examines how risky decision-making moderates this association to help better understand which individuals are at greater risk for cannabis use escalation. The current study will be the first to examine the interactive effects of motives for cannabis use (i.e., health or recreational reasons) and risky decision-making on cannabis use trajectories among a sample of adolescent cannabis users.

Data from 194 adolescent cannabis users aged 14–17 at baseline were analyzed as part of a larger longitudinal study. Participants included those who self-reported use of cannabis within six months prior to the baseline assessment. The Marijuana Reasons for Use Questionnaire (MJRUQ) was used to assess motives for cannabis use from a list of 13 items. A confirmatory factor analysis identified “health” and “recreational” factors for motives for cannabis use. Lifetime frequency of cannabis use (number of days used) was assessed through the Drug Use History Questionnaire, while risky decision-making was assessed using the Game of Dice Task. We used latent growth curve modeling and linear regression analyses to examine the interactive effects of motives for cannabis use and risky decision-making on initial levels of lifetime cannabis use at baseline, and rate of cannabis use escalation over time.

No significant interactive effects were found for health motives for cannabis use; however, we found significant main effects of health motives on initial levels of lifetime cannabis use at baseline (b = 100.82, p < .01) and rate of cannabis use escalation (b = 24.79, p < .01). Those with a greater proclivity to use cannabis for health purposes showed higher initial levels of lifetime use at baseline and steeper increases in the rate of cannabis use escalation relative to those less likely to use for health purposes. Furthermore, we found a significant interactive effect of recreational motives for use and risky decision-making on the rate of cannabis use escalation (b = -2.53, p < .01). Follow-up analyses revealed that among those less likely to use cannabis for recreational purposes, higher risky decision-making was associated with a steeper increase in the rate of cannabis use escalation relative to those who exhibited lower risky decision-making.

The current study replicated findings suggesting that cannabis use motives influence cannabis use trajectories. We found that using cannabis primarily for health reasons was associated with higher initial levels and steeper increases in use regardless of decision-making. Furthermore, we found that both motives for use and risky decision-making interacted to influence associations with cannabis use trajectories. Specifically, among individuals reporting less cannabis use for recreational reasons, those with relatively riskier decision-making showed steeper increases in the rate of cannabis use escalation. These findings inform prevention and intervention practices that focus on decision-making by tailoring approaches based on an individual’s primary motives for cannabis use.

Emotion regulation and functioning have well established links to substance use in adolescents. Yet limited research has investigated emotion regulation in very early substance initiators either on self-report or on behavioral measures (i.e., Emotional Stroop). Similarly, there are few prospective investigations of emotional functioning as a predictor of initiation. Given concerns of emotion difficulties preceding and predicting substance use onset, we aim to investigate emotional functioning difficulties in very early (ages 9–13) substance use initiators relative to sociodemographically matched controls, both after initiation and as a predictor of initiation. We hypothesize that initiators would demonstrate greater emotion dysregulation and decreased emotional functioning relative to controls.

ABCD Study Annual Release 4.0 was used. Participants included those who had data available at Y3 follow-up visit and youth-reported use of any full dose of a substance (n=148). Sociodemographic controls were then matched (n=148). General linear mixed effects models were run to assess emotional functioning at Y3 (Emotional Stroop response time and accuracy performance, youth-reported Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and parent-reported Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and Child Behavior Checklist externalizing and internalizing symptoms) by substance use group status controlling for random effects of family. Further, hierarchical linear models assessed CBCL emotional functioning from Y0 to Y3 predicting SU initiation at Y3, controlling for within-subject change.

At Y3, early substance use initiation predicted higher parent-reported externalizing symptoms significantly (estimate=5.88, p<.001). Substance use initiation also marginally predicted high parent-reported internalizing symptoms (estimate=2.29, p=.08) and DERS (estimate=0.02, p=.07). ERQ and Stroop performance were not significantly associated with group status (p's>.10). For externalizing symptoms predicting SU initiation, regardless of year (baseline through Y3) was significantly predictive of initiation (p's<.001). HLM demonstrated that externalizing symptoms at all time points resulted in the best predictive model (AIC=392.85, BIC=422.80, relative to models including all data through Y2, AIC=433.63, BIC=458.59).

Here we found externalizing symptoms and, to a lesser extent, internalizing symptoms and emotion dysregulation are associated with early substance use initiation. However, results are limited to parent report, despite the consideration of youth-report and a behavioral measure of emotion regulation, the Emotional Stroop task. Further, while marginal effects were found, downstream externalizing symptoms were a better predictor of later substance use initiation. While other metrics of emotion regulation have been linked to substance use in adolescence, emotion regulation abilities may change as a result of substance use, rather than a predictor of use, and thus needs monitoring over time.

Emotion regulation is generally thought of as the process of overriding one's initial emotional response to personally relevant events. One frequently investigated type of emotion regulation is cognitive reappraisal, which describes one's ability to cognitively alter the meaning of an event. Cognitive reappraisal is associated with better cognitive, social, and health outcomes compared to other emotion regulation strategies. The cognitive building blocks of cognitive reappraisal are related to executive cognitive control processes, which broadly describe one's ability to engage in non-automatic and goal-oriented behaviors. Crucially, executive control processes are also relevant in demanding cognitive tasks such as prospective memory since, similarly to cognitive reappraisal, they involve effortful and purpose driven efforts. However, cognitive reappraisal has thus far not been investigated regarding prospective memory performance despite findings that suggest that emotionally evocative stimuli improve prospective memory performance. The present study investigated whether cognitive reappraisal state and trait measures as well as other types of emotion regulation strategies are associated with prospective memory accuracy of negatively valenced prospective memory targets.

A total of 45 participants (69% women; M = 22.62 years, SD = 5.69 years) took part in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive reappraisal and prospective memory tasks were administered on the computer. A total of 106 pictures were shown in the prospective memory task, including 12 prospective memory hits. A 2-back paradigm was used as the effortful ongoing task. Dependent measures included accuracy of and reaction times to negative prospective memory hits. A total of 45 pictures were shown in the cognitive reappraisal task. Participants were asked to decrease their negative emotions when looking at previously normed negatively valenced pictures versus merely looking at them (Lang et al., 2001). Dependent measures in the cognitive reappraisal task included success of downregulating negative emotion after the DECREASE versus LOOK instruction. A mood manipulation check and a questionnaire asking about participants' reappraisal strategies was conducted. Trait based measures of emotion regulation included the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Dysfunction of Emotion Regulation Scale.

Participants endorsed significantly higher negative mood after looking at negative versus neutral pictures, t(48) = 22.77, p , .05). Ratings further indicated that participants were able to significantly decrease how negative they felt when reappraising versus looking at negative pictures, t(44) = 12.82, p , .05. Regarding the relationship between prospective memory accuracy of negatively valanced prospective memory targets and cognitive reappraisal ability, no significant bivariate correlation was found (p > .05). However, a significant bivariate correlation was found between reaction times to negatively valenced prospective memory targets and cognitive reappraisal ability (rs = -.32, p = .03). No significant relationship was observed between prospective memory accuracy of or reaction times to negatively valenced prospective memory targets and trait based measures of emotion regulation (all ps > .05).

Hypotheses were partly supported. Higher state-based cognitive reappraisal abilities may be associated with lower cognitive costs when asked to remember negatively evocative pictures and/or higher overall cognitive capacity. The importance of assessing emotion regulation when utilizing emotionally evocative stimuli and their clinical significant is discussed.

Cognitive reappraisal is a frequently researched emotion regulation strategy. It broadly describes one's ability to alter or reinterpret the meaning of personally relevant events. Cognitive reappraisal is robustly associated with lower self-reported negative affect, lower physiological arousal, and higher positive affect, which is the reason why it is a key component of many psychotherapeutic interventions. However, little research to date has investigated different types of cognitive reappraisal tactics and their association with cognitive reappraisal success. Given that there are an arguably indefinite number of ways to reappraise personally relevant events, it would be clinically informative to identify those tactics that are associated with the greatest decline in negative emotionality. The current study investigated whether one's predominant use of a specific reappraisal strategy is associated with divergent cognitive reappraisal success.

A total of 42 participants (67% women; M = 23.33 years, SD = 6.05 years) took part in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive reappraisal was administered via a computerized task modeled after McRae et al. (2012). A total of 45 previously normed pictures were shown in the cognitive reappraisal task (Lang et al., 2001). Participants were asked to either decrease how they felt or look at negatively evocative images. The dependent measure was success of downregulating negative emotion after the “decrease” versus “look” instruction (i.e., cognitive reappraisal success). A mood manipulation check, a questionnaire asking about participants' reappraisal strategies, and frequency of each reappraisal tactic was conducted after the task was completed to ensure that participants implemented the task as intended. Reappraisal tactics were rated by 3 independent raters individually according to a previously established rating tactic coding system (McRae et al., 2012). An analysis of variance was conducted comparing reappraisal success across groups of the reappraisal tactic most frequently used for each participant. Additionally, total number of reappraisal strategies used was included as a covariate.

Participants endorsed significantly higher negative mood after looking at negative versus neutral pictures, t(41) = 22.70, p < .05). Ratings further indicated that participants were able to significantly decrease how negative they felt when reappraising versus looking at negative pictures, t(41) = 11.95, p < .05. On average, participants' most frequently used reappraisal tactic was used 50.54% (SD = 16.32) of the time. Descriptive statistics on frequency of reappraisal tactics across participants is shown. Regarding the analysis of variance of divergent reappraisal success based on tactic, no significant relationship was found (p > .05). The inclusion of number of reappraisal strategies per participant did not impact the results (p > .05).

The present study did not show a significant difference between reappraisal tactics regarding their cognitive reappraisal success. This replicates past findings and indicates that type of reappraisal tactic used may be not as impactful as using cognitive reappraisal in some fashion. However, reappraisal tactics were not distributed equally across participants. Future studies should include larger samples to attain adequate sample sizes for each reappraisal tactic. Furthermore, participants should be instructed to use a specific reappraisal tactic alongside their self-selected reappraisal preferences to gain insight into the relative success of different reappraisal tactics. Clinical relevance of present findings is discussed.

We measured sex differences in emotion regulation (ER) abilities – relying on exercise of cognitive reappraisal – during an image rating task in adults over 55 years of age with varying degrees of depression symptom severity. We also collected a self-report measure on participants' views of their own ER capacities. Previous research by this group has demonstrated the importance of emotion processing in the context of sex and aging in depression. We hypothesized that females would (1) score higher on the Cognitive Reappraisal Facet of the ERQ, (2) be more successful in utilizing cognitive reappraisal skills in response to negative stimuli; and (3) have self-report scores on the ERQ that more closely match their success at cognitive reappraisal than would males.

capacities. Previous research by this group has demonstrated the importance of emotion processing in the context of sex and aging in depression. We hypothesized that females would (1) score higher on the Cognitive Reappraisal Facet of the ERQ, (2) be more successful in utilizing cognitive reappraisal skills in response to negative stimuli; and (3) have self-report scores on the ERQ that more closely match their success at cognitive reappraisal than would males.

Only the first of our three outcome measures was successfully predicted by the model including age, MADRS scores, and sex as predictors. Scores on the ERQ cognitive reappraisal facet with sex accounted for 11.3% of the variance (F=7.344, p=.009). Age and depression symptom severity did not reach significance. Performance on the ERT itself and the correlation between the two were not meaningfully modeled.

Women showed both better cognitive reappraisal abilities overall and more insight into the level of those abilities, findings that fall in line with most ER literature. However, we found that females were also more likely than males to be skewed in the positive or “overconfident” direction; to overestimate those same abilities. This information is useful for clinicians interpreting self-report information in the emotion regulation domain. These findings may not generalize to a more diverse (racially and socioeconomically) population and given the cognitive nature of the reappraisal strategy; these results may not extend to a less educated population. These data will be useful to inform the interpretation of fMRI images from this same experiment.

Youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity, often experience challenges with emotion regulation (ER) and/or emotional lability/negativity (ELN).1-3 Prior work has shown that difficulties with ER and ELN among young children contribute to lower academic achievement.4-6 To date, research examining associations between ADHD and academic achievement have primarily focused on the roles of inattentive symptoms and executive functioning.7-8 However, preliminary work among youth with ADHD suggests significant associations between disruptions in emotional functioning and poor academic outcomes.9-10 The current study will examine associations between ER, ELN, and specific subdomains of academic achievement (i.e., reading, spelling, math) among youth with and without ADHD.

Forty-six youth (52% male; Mage=9.52 years; 76.1% Hispanic/Latino; 21 with ADHD) and their parents were recruited as part of an ongoing study. Parents completed the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale11 and Emotion Regulation Checklist12 about their child. Youth completed the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-II13 and three subtests [Spelling (SP), Numerical Operations (NO), Word Reading (WR)] of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-III.14 Univariate analysis of variance assessed differences in emotional functioning and academic achievement among youth with and without ADHD. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between emotional factors and the three subtests of academic achievement.

Youth with ADHD exhibited significantly higher ELN (M=30.7, SD=8.7) compared to their peers (M=23.2, SD=5.8), when controlling for child age, sex, and diagnoses of conduct disorder and/or oppositional defiant disorder [F(1,41)=8.96, p<.01, ŋp2=.18]. With respect to ER, youth with (M=24.8, SD=4.2) and without ADHD (M=25.8, SD=4.3) did not differ [F(1,41)=.51, p=.48]. Surprisingly, within this sample, ADHD diagnostic status was not significantly associated with performance on any of the academic achievement subtests [WR: F(1,41)=.29, p=.59; NO: F(1,41)=.91, p=.35; SP: F(1,41)=2.14, p=.15]. Among all youth, ER was significantly associated with WR (r=.31, p=.04) and SP (r=.35, p=.02), whereas ELN was associated with performance on NO (r=-.30, p=.04). When controlling for child age, sex, IQ, and ER within the full sample, higher ELN was associated with lower scores on the NO subtest (b=-.56, SE=.26, p=.04). The associations between higher ER and WR scores (b=1.12, SE=.51, p=.03), as well as higher ER and SP scores (b=1.47, SE=.56, p=.01), were significant when controlling for child age and sex, but not ELN and IQ (p=.73 and p=.64, respectively).

As expected, youth with ADHD had higher ELN, although they did not differ from their peers in terms of ER. Results identified distinct associations between ER and higher reading/spelling performance, as well as ELN and lower math performance across all youth. Thus, findings suggest that appropriate emotional coping skills may be most important for reading and spelling, while emotional reactivity appears most salient to math performance outcomes. In particular, ELN may be a beneficial target for intervention, especially with respect to improvement in math problem-solving skills. Future work should account for executive functioning skills, expand the academic achievement domains to include fluency and more complex academic skills, and assess longitudinal pathways within a larger sample.