ABSTRACT Treatment and rehabilitation of the cognitive, psychological, motor sequelae central nervous system dysfunction often relies on assessment instruments to inform diagnosis track changes in clinical status. Typically, these assessments employ paper-and-pencil psychometrics, hands-on analog/computer tests, rating behavior within context real-world functional environments. Virtual reality offers option produce distribute identical “standard” simulation environments which performance can...

Objectives: To assess physician recognition of dementia and cognitive impairment, compare with documentation, identify patient factors associated recognition. Design: Survey physicians review medical records. Setting: Health maintenance organization in southern California. Participants: Seven hundred twenty-nine who provided care for women participating a cohort study memory (Women's Memory Study). Measurements: Percentage patients or impairment (using the Telephone Interview Cognitive...

The Virtual Environments Laboratory at the University of Southern California (USC) has initiated a research program aimed developing virtual reality (VR) technology applications for study, assessment, and rehabilitation cognitive/functional processes. This is seen to offer many advantages these aims an introductory section this article will discuss specific rationale VR in area clinical neuropsychology. A discussion attention processes follow issues development head-mounted display (HMD)...

In this initial pilot study, a controlled clinical comparison was made of attention perforance in children with deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) virtual reality (VR) classroom. Ten boys diagnosed ADHD and ten normal control participated the study. Groups did not significantly differ mean age, grade level, ethnicity, or handedness. No participants reported simulator sickness following VR exposure. Children exhibited more omission errors, commission overall body movement than were...

Summary: Carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele show significantly higher risk Alzheimer disease (AD). The aim this present study was to test hypothesis that a significant interaction exists between APOE genotype and gender on AD. Interactions by gender, although indicated in literature, require further verification. A total 195 past or current control AD participants an ongoing longitudinal aging dementia were genotyped. All subjects at least 60 years old; demented met clinical...

Objective: To provide exploratory analyses of associations between levels several sex hormones and cognitive performance in elderly women.

We performed two studies of cognitive abilities among men and women who met clinical criteria for Alzheimer9s disease (AD). Among 46 AD patients, performance on a composite neuropsychological battery was more impaired than that when the potentially confounding effects demographic variables were controlled; largest group differences due to significantly worse by with naming task. Based these initial findings, we next analyzed an independent data set 647 demented subjects enrolled in...

VR offers the potential to develop human testing and training environments that allow for precise control of complex stimulus presentations in which cognitive functional performance can be accurately assessed rehabilitated. However, basic feasibility issues need addressed order this technology reasonably efficiently applied neuropsychological assessment (NA) rehabilitation (CR) persons with acquired brain injury neurological disorders. This chapter will provide an introduction concepts along...

Journal Article Occupations with Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields: A Possible Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease Get access Eugene Sobel, Sobel 1Departments of Preventive Medicine and Neurology, University Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA. Reprint requests Dr. Department Medicine, Parkview Medical Building B-304, California School 1420 San Pablo Street, Los CA 90033 Search other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Zoreh Davanipour, Davanipour 2Department Raimo...

Forty years after the introduction of estrogens, debate over risks and benefits estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is still not entirely settled.In contrast, issues testosterone older men are just beginning to be addressed.There agreement that total, free, bioavailable (ie, bound by sex hormone-binding globulin) levels decline progressively with advancing age (Harman Tsitouras,

Abstract Introduction Resilience is the ability to maintain or quickly return a stable physical and psychological equilibrium despite experiencing stressful events. Flexibility of autonomic nervous system particularly important for adaptive stress responses may contribute individual differences in resilience. Power spectrum analysis heart rate variability (HRV) allows measurement sympathovagal balance, which helps evaluate flexibility. The present study investigated HRV as broad index...

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a condition of severe, intractable nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It has long been held that HG psychosomatic illness reflective long-term psychological trait, is, conversion disorder. We investigated this possibility by conducting two-phase study: (1) comparison women with (n = 9) without 10) pregnancy (2) nonpregnant who did not 12) have their most recent pregnancies. The pattern findings differed between experiments 1 2. During pregnancy, scored...

Abstract: Cobalamin levels are frequently low in patients with dementia, but it is unclear if they represent definable deficiency and what the mechanisms are. Therefore, being evaluated for dementia who had cobalamin no obvious evidence of were studied hematologically, neurologically metabolic tests re‐evaluated after treatment. Abnormalities suggestive or diagnostic documented most 16 demented nondemented patients. Metabolic results: 50% tested abnormal deoxyuridine suppression 44%...

Background: By one estimate, 60% of women experiencing the menopause transition perceive that they have memory problems, but most studies used cognitive function tests not substantiated a relation between stage and performance. We sought to describe cross-sectional status, estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), measured function. Methods: Cross sectional analysis community-based cohort midlife was used. Cognitive were East Boston Memory Test, Symbol Digit Modalities, Digits Span...

This work investigates assortative mating and convergence in personality their effect on marital satisfaction. Measures of were collected from a sample married couples before they met twice after married. Results showed evidence for but not an average couple. Similarity predicted later These results indicate that similarity psychological characteristics may benefit relationships while spouses choose partners with similar personalities do become more like the early part marriage.

The incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in returning Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi military personnel has created a significant behavioral health care challenge. One emerging form treatment for combat-related PTSD that shown promise involves the delivery exposure therapy using immersive virtual reality (VR). Initial outcomes from open clinical trials have been positive, fully randomized controlled are currently progress. Inspired by initial success our research VR to...

Virtual environment (VE) technology is increasingly being recognized as a useful medium for the study, assessment, and rehabilitation of cognitive processes functional abilities. The capacity VE to create dynamic three-dimensional (3D) stimulus environments, within which all behavioral responding can be recorded, offers clinical assessment options that are not available using traditional neuropsychological methods. This work has potential advance scientific study normal improve our...

Abstract The more replicated findings about gender difference in cognitive performance suggest female superiority on visuomotor speed and language ability male mechanical visuospatial tasks. Generally, group strengths found the early school years become established at adolescence remain stable through adulthood. current study tested whether patterns remained among 30 adult subjects. We also utilized a series of exploratory analyses to determine if observed differences were impacted by...

We evaluated scores on a brief psychometric screening instrument--the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)--for possible effects of gender, hypothesizing that women with Alzheimer's disease (AD) would perform more poorly than men. A significant gender difference was to be explored post hoc item analyses.Case-study design. hierarchical regression procedure controlled for the influence MMSE performance demographic variables (eg, age, duration dementia symptoms, education, and family history...