Academic literature on the topic 'Higher cognitive functions'
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Journal articles on the topic "Higher cognitive functions"
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WANG, Jun, and Tian-Yong CHEN. "Inhibitory Control and Higher Cognitive Functions." Advances in Psychological Science 20, no. 11 (June 14, 2013): 1768–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1042.2012.01768.
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Perlovsky, Leonid. "Nonlinear dynamics and higher cognitive mental functions." Physics of Life Reviews 9, no. 1 (March 2012): 74–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2011.12.004.
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Perlovsky, Leonid. "Emotions of “higher” cognition." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 35, no. 3 (May 23, 2012): 157–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x11001555.
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AbstractThe target article by Lindquist et al. considers discrete emotions. This commentary argues that these are but a minor part of human emotional abilities, unifying us with animals. Uniquely human emotions are aesthetic emotions related to the need for the knowledge of “high” cognition, including emotions of the beautiful, cognitive dissonances, and musical emotions. This commentary touches on their cognitive functions and origins.
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Parente, Annalisa, Valentina Manfredi, Flavio Villani, Silvana Franceschetti, and Anna Rita Giovagnoli. "Investigating higher-order cognitive functions in temporal lobe epilepsy: Cognitive estimation." Epilepsy & Behavior 29, no. 2 (November 2013): 330–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.07.031.
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Schmeidler, James, Cecilia N. Mastrogiacomo, Michal S. Beeri, Clive Rosendorff, and Jeremy M. Silverman. "Distinct age-related associations for body mass index and cognition in cognitively healthy very old veterans." International Psychogeriatrics 31, no. 06 (February 5, 2019): 895–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1041610218001412.
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ABSTRACTAssociations between high body mass index (BMI) and subsequent cognitive decline, reported in elderly averaging below age 75, become less consistent at older ages. We compared the associations of BMI with cognition in moderately old (ages 75–84, N = 154) and oldest-old (85+, N = 93) samples. BMI and cognition were assessed cross-sectionally in cognitively intact elderly (mean age = 84.5, SD = 4.4) male veterans. Regression analyses of three cognitive domains — executive functions/language, attention, and memory—compared relationship with BMI between the moderately old and oldest-old. Higher BMI was associated with relatively poorer executive functions/language performance in the moderately old, while the opposite relationship, higher BMI associated with relatively better performance, was found in the oldest-old. Associations for the other two cognitive domains did not differ significantly between age groups. The reversal of association direction for executive functions/language performance with higher BMI is consistent with the protected survivor model. This model posits a minority subpopulation with a protective factor—genetic or otherwise—against both mortality and cognitive decline associated with risk factor status. The very old who remain cognitively intact despite the presence of risk factors are more likely to possess protection.
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E, K. F., MH R. Ho, and SH A. Chen. "Cerebellar Involvement in Higher Cognitive Functions: a Meta-Analysis." NeuroImage 47 (July 2009): S103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1053-8119(09)70894-8.
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Snyder, Peter J. "Evolutionary Bases for Cerebral Localization of Higher Cognitive Functions." Brain and Language 73, no. 2 (June 2000): 127–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/brln.2000.2301.
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Hu, Hao, Katinka Eggers, Wei Chen, Masoud Garshasbi, M. Mahdi Motazacker, Klaus Wrogemann, Kimia Kahrizi, et al. "ST3GAL3 Mutations Impair the Development of Higher Cognitive Functions." American Journal of Human Genetics 89, no. 3 (September 2011): 407–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.08.008.
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Matsui, Yasuyuki, Satoshi Maesawa, Miyako Futamura, Maki Tobinaga, and Masazumi Fujii. "Challenging for preservation of higher cognitive functions during awake surgery." Higher Brain Function Research 35, no. 1 (2015): 1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.2496/hbfr.35.1.
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Frith, Chris, and Ray Dolan. "The role of the prefrontal cortex in higher cognitive functions." Cognitive Brain Research 5, no. 1-2 (December 1996): 175–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0926-6410(96)00054-7.
Full textDissertations / Theses on the topic "Higher cognitive functions"
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Swain, Sharon Ann. "Impairments in higher cognitive functions following frontal lobe lesions in man." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.338513.
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Ng, Virginia Wun Kum. "Functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation of plasticity of higher cognitive functions following neurodevelopmental brain lesions." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.391619.
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MARCILESE, MERCEDES. "ON THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS: REPRESENTATION, RECURSION AND NUMERICAL COGNITION." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2011. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=17819@1.
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CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOEsta tese investiga a possível relação existente entre dois aspectos tidos como centrais na cognição humana: a capacidade de qualquer criança sem impedimentos de ordem neurológica ou social adquirir uma língua e a possibilidade de habilidades cognitivas superiores que, tais como a língua, são específicas da espécie, serem desenvolvidas. No que tange às habilidades superiores, são focalizadas habilidades numéricas dependentes do cálculo com quantidades exatas e a habilidade de integrar informações provenientes de diferentes domínios cognitivos. Esse tópico é explorado tomando como eixo duas propriedades cruciais das línguas: representacionalidade e recursividade. Ambas estão vinculadas ao fato de as línguas serem sistemas de natureza representacional – dado que incluem um léxico – e incorporarem um sistema computacional que opera recursivamente. Parte-se de uma proposta teórica (Corrêa, 2005-2009; Correa & Augusto, 2007) que visa a articular uma teoria psicolingüística da aquisição e do processamento da linguagem com a concepção de língua expressa no Programa Minimalista (Chomsky, 1995-2007), aliada à idéia de que a língua forneceria o suporte necessário para a combinação de informação advinda de diferentes sistemas de representação vinculados a vários domínios da cognição (Spelke, 1992-2010). A hipótese de trabalho que orienta esta pesquisa é a de que o papel da língua no desenvolvimento das habilidades superiores em questão vincula-se diretamente às duas propriedades cruciais mencionadas: representacionalidade – no caso da cognição numérica, o fato de a língua poder vir a fornecer uma representação exata para a numerosidade por meio dos numerais – e recursividade, definida como um mecanismo que possibilita a integração de informação de natureza diversa e como propriedade compartilhada por estruturas que podem estar associadas a diferentes domínios da cognição. São reportados dois conjuntos de experimentos, cada um voltado para questões centradas na representação e na recursividade, respectivamente. Cinco experimentos foram conduzidos com crianças de 2-6 anos, tendo um grupo de adultos como controle. Um experimento elaborado com vistas a verificar se haveria priming de estruturas recursivas entre os domínios lingüístico e matemático foi conduzido apenas com adultos. Adicionalmente, o desempenho de quatro adultos com quadros de afasia foi avaliado em uma tarefa de cada conjunto de experimentos. Os resultados dos experimentos vinculados à representacionalidade sugerem uma sensibilidade precoce das crianças às propriedades que distinguem numerais de outras formas de expressão de quantidade. Numerais parecem ser associados preferencialmente à codificação de quantidades exatas mesmo antes de a aquisição do significado de cada item (um a cinco) ser completada. Os resultados de dois experimentos relacionados à recursividade indicam que as dificuldades atribuídas a crianças de até 6 anos de idade com estruturas recursivas podem ser decorrentes de fatores não-lingüísticos assim como de possíveis problemas metodológicos. Não foram encontrados resultados compatíveis com um efeito de priming estrutural interdomínios, quando comparadas sentenças relativas e expressões numéricas recursivas. Tomados em conjunto, os resultados mostram-se consistentes com a hipótese de trabalho e podem ser considerados como indicativos de que a aquisição de uma língua contribui para o desenvolvimento de habilidades específicas relacionadas à cognição numérica, mas sugerem cautela quando transferências entre domínios cognitivos são consideradas.
This thesis investigates the possible relationship between two central aspects of the human cognition, namely, the capacity of any child to acquire a natural language (in the absence of neurological or social impairments) and the development of high cognitive abilities, which appear to be specifically human. As far as the latter is concerned, numeral abilities involving calculus with exact quantities and the ability to integrate information from different cognitive domains are focused on here. Two fundamental aspects of human languages are considered in this regard: representation, in so far as languages include a lexicon, and recursion, in so far as they incorporate a computational system that operates on lexical items recursively. This study is inserted into a research program aiming at articulating a minimalist conception of language with a theory of language processing and acquisition (Corrêa, 2005-2009; Correa & Augusto, 2007). The idea that language is crucial for the integration of information from different cognitive systems (Spelke, 1992-2010) is also incorporated here. The working hypothesis guiding this investigation is that the role of language in the development of numerical abilities can be related to those two fundamental aspects: language provides the means of representing exact quantities, in so far as the lexicon includes numerals (number words) and is endowed with recursive operations that enable information stemming from different domains to be integrated in a single linguistic expression. Moreover, recursion is a property that can be shared by systems pertaining to different cognitive domains. Two sets of experiments are reported, each of them devoted to questions pertaining to representation and recursion, respectively. Five experiments were conducted with 2-6 year olds and adults. An experiment carried out only with adults explored the possibility of a cross-domain priming effect to be obtained when recursive structures (sentences with relative clauses and recursive numeral expressions) are sequentially presented. Additionally, four aphasic patients were submitted to one task of each set of experiments. The results suggest early sensitivity to the distinction between numerals and other sorts of number words (quantifiers). Numerals appear to be associated with exact quantities even before their exact meaning (from 1- 5) has been acquired. Recursion appears to be operating before the age of six. Difficulties in dealing with the processing of recursive linguistic structures usually ascribed to children appear to be due to non-linguistic factors and/or to methodological problems in the assessment of children’s recursive abilities. Cross domain structural priming effects failed to be obtained. As a whole, the results are compatible with the hypothesis orienting this thesis, though caution is required when cross domain effects are considered.
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Feredoes, Eva Psychiatry Faculty of Medicine UNSW. "Investigating the neural correlates of higher cognitive functions in humans using transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. Psychiatry, 2005. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/23460.
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An important aspect of cognitive neuroscience is to localise specific brain regions involved in cognitive tasks, and to determine the mediating brain processes. There are several investigative approaches towards this, but amongst them, only transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is able to interfere with the brain in such a way as to show the critical involvement of a brain region in a particular behaviour. TMS can be applied in normal subjects during the performance of a cognitive task and the resulting disruption of activity in the targeted brain region leads to an alteration in, or suspension of, behaviour consequent upon that brain activity. More recently, another brain stimulation technique has emerged that may also be able to contribute to the investigation of human cognition. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applies a weak direct current to a targeted brain region, modulating cortical excitability and thereby altering the behavioural output. tDCS may be able to provide information that complements TMS and other investigative techniques by modulating behaviour in a way that depends on the role the brain region is carrying out in the task. This thesis describes a series of experiments in which TMS and tDCS were applied to two well-studied cognitive behaviours, working memory (WM) and mental rotation (MR). WM is the temporary retention of information that can be manipulated in order to guide behaviour. The most popular psychological model of WM proposes a multi-modal central executive (CE) that acts upon information stored in dedicated buffers (Baddeley, 1986). The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a strong candidate as a key CE node (D'Esposito & Postle, 2000; Petrides, 2000b; Smith & Jonides, 1997; Stuss & Knight, 2002). MR is a visuo-cognitive process by which an image can be mentally modified into an orientation other than the one in which it is displayed (Corballis & McLaren, 1984). The area centred around the intraparietal sulcus is a brain key region for MR (Alivisatos & Petrides, 1996; Harris et al., 2000; Jordan et al., 2001). The work presented in this thesis examines the roles of the DLPFC and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in WM and MR, respectively, and also highlights some of the methodological issues that are necessary to consider in order to produce reliable virtual lesions. The studies were carried out in young healthy volunteers, and were approved by the institutional ethics committee. In one study, repetitive TMS (rTMS) was shown to disrupt the manipulation of verbal information held in WM when administered over the right DLPFC, a result which supports a process-based segregation of the human prefrontal cortex for WM. Low- and high-frequency rTMS did not disrupt performance on another popular test of executive processing, n-back, a result which suggests that specific stimulation and task conditions must be met in order to produce virtual lesions, but also questions the critical importance of recruitment of the DLPFC for a running span task. rTMS applied to the right PPC replicated results from a previous TMS investigation, supporting the critical role this region in the rotation of images (Harris & Miniussi, 2003). When the left PPC was stimulated, impairment was produced only for the rotation of inverted stimuli. A role for the left PPC in the rotation of objects-as-a-whole is proposed based on these findings. The use of tDCS in the investigation of WM and MR is amongst the first to be described. Stimulation of the left DLPFC led to decreased performance accuracy on a verbal WM task in a polarity-specific manner. The pattern of results produced supports the role of the DLPFC as a node of a CE. tDCS over the left DLPFC did not modulate n-back task performance, a result which supports the TMS results that the involvement of the left DLPFC is not critical to the successful performance of the n-back task, although methodological issues remain of concern in relation to this conclusion. MR was not affected by tDCS applied to the right PPC and this result is most likely a direct demonstration of the importance of electrode montage. In conclusion, these studies show that rTMS and tDCS can be usefully applied to create virtual cortical lesions or modulate cortical excitability during the performance of cognitive tasks in humans, and can play an important role in investigating cognitive neuropsychological models. More widespread use of these techniques to complement lesion studies and functional neuroimaging is recommended.
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Tonini, Audrey. "Fonctionnement émotionnel et socio-cognitif dans le vieillissement normal et le Mild Cognitive Impairment. : apport de la validation française du Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for higher cerebral functions." Thesis, Paris 8, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014PA080002.
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Ce travail de thèse s’articule autour de trois études complémentaires. La première aborde la validation française d’un test rapide d’évaluation des fonctions supérieures: le Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for higher cerebral functions (B.N.I.S). Cette étude a permis de rendre disponible en langue française un outil rapide qui évalue les fonctions cognitives classiques mais aussi les capacités émotionnelles et sociocognitives, fonctions généralement non intégrées dans ce type de test. La seconde étude, menée auprès de participants présentant un Mild Cognitive Impairment (M.C.I), a ensuite permis de mettre en évidence la nécessité de prendre en compte l’évaluation émotionnelle. Les participants M.C.I présentent un profil spécifique au B.N.I.S., notamment aux subtests d’affectivité, d’orientation, de mémoire et d’auto-évaluation de la performance mnésique. Enfin, la troisième étude analyse les performances de reconnaissance faciale des émotions et de raisonnement social au cours du vieillissement normal, le Mild Cognitive Impairment et la démence de type Alzheimer (DTA) au stade débutant. Nous observons un déclin des capacités de reconnaissance faciale des émotions et de raisonnement social au cours du vieillissement normal qui s’accentue significativement au cours de la DTA. Un profil spécifique est retrouvé pour le M.C.I avec un déclin en raisonnement social mais des capacités de reconnaissance faciale émotionnelle comparables aux sujets âgés du groupe contrôle. L’évaluation des capacités émotionnelles devrait être davantage intégrée aux bilans neuropsychologiques afin de mieux orienter les modalités de prise en charge de la population vieillissanteThis research presents three complementary studies: (1) the french validation of the Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for higher cerebral functions (B.N.I.S), developed by G. Prigatano in 1991. We have assessed 167 subjects from 15 to 84 years within a french population. The goal is :1) to promote a new short screening instrument dedicated to cognitive and emotional functions, usually emotional functions are not integrated in neuropsychological assessments ; (2) to apply the B.N.I.S to Mild Cognitive Impairment (M.C.I) subjects (N=39) in order to highlighted the importance of the emotional assessment in this type of population and found a specific profile at the substests named: affectivity, orientation, memory and self-assessment of the mnesic performance ; (3) to analyze, with more precision, the performance of emotional facial recognition and social reasoning during normal ageing (N=54), M.C.I (N=25) and Alzheimer disease (AD) at the early stage (N=17). A decline of sociocognitive capacities is observed during the ageing and seems to become more important during the course of M.C.I and the AD. A specific profile was found for each group. The assessment of emotional capacities seems relevant and should be more integrated into the neuropsychological assessments, in order to improve diagnosis and to propose the best modalities of care for the ageing population
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VILLARINHO, CLARA NOVOA GONCALVES. "ON THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS: THE FEATURE POINT OF VIEW OF COMPLEMENT CLAUSES AND THE MASTERING OF FALSE BELIEFS." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2012. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=21874@1.
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PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIROCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO
PROGRAMA DE SUPORTE À PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO DE INSTS. DE ENSINO
Nesta tese, investiga-se a hipótese de que a aquisição de um traço sintático de Ponto de Vista (PoV) e sua codificação em CPs de orações completivas subcategorizadas por verbos de crença seja condição necessária para o desenvolvimento pleno de Teoria da Mente (TM), caracterizado pelo domínio da habilidade de raciocinar e prever ações de indivíduos que possuem uma Crença Falsa (CF), atingido por crianças aproximadamente aos quatro anos de idade (cf. DE VILLIERS E DE VILLIERS, 2009) (doravante, Hipótese PoV-CF). Especificamente, esta pesquisa visou a: averiguar em que medida a HPoV-CF pode ser sustentada; avaliar a possibilidade de se incorporar um traço PoV a um modelo online de computação sintática baseado nos pressupostos minimalistas (CORRÊA E AUGUSTO, 2007; 2011); e caracterizar o processo de aquisição do conhecimento relativo a esse traço à luz de uma teoria procedimental de aquisição da linguagem (CORRÊA, 2009). São apresentadas três possíveis análises de PoV codificado como traço formal ou semântico em completivas. Argumenta-se que, independentemente da caracterização desse traço, a aquisição do conhecimento que este representa dependeria inevitavelmente de um bootstrapping semântico, o que pressupõe a habilidade cognitiva de distinguir pontos de vista. No que concerne à investigação empírica, oito experimentos foram conduzidos. Os experimentos 1 a 6 visavam a investigar a habilidade de crianças de 3;3-3;5 anos em lidar com diferentes demandas requeridas à realização das tarefas tradicionais de CF e de Memória para Complementos (cujos resultados corroboram a HPoVCF), como a habilidade em lidar com interrogativas QU de objeto, a factividade de verbos mentais e factualidade. Foi também investigada a habilidade dessas crianças em lidar com tarefas linguísticas que incluem uma situação de CF. No Experimento 7, foi avaliada a habilidade das crianças em atribuir valores-verdade a completivas e a ambas as orações da sentença complexa. No experimento 8, o papel da recursividade linguística para o raciocínio sobre CFs de primeira e segunda ordem foi investigado, com crianças de 6;2 anos. De um modo geral, os resultados sugerem que i) as crianças não dominam demandas inerentes às tarefas tradicionais, indicando que seu insucesso nessas tarefas pode não refletir uma dificuldade em lidar com completivas ou com CFs; ii) as crianças atribuem corretamente valores-verdade a completivas, embora a atribuição de valor-verdade à oração principal (sentença completa) independentemente do valor da completiva seja mais custosa; iii) o raciocínio de CFs de primeira e segunda ordem pode ser conduzido por meio de estruturas não recursivas, embora estruturas recursivas pareçam facilitá-lo. Tendo-se em vista os resultados obtidos e à luz do possível processo de aquisição assumido, considera-se que a HPoV-CF não pode ser sustentada. Habilidades metacognitivas parecem ser requeridas para que a criança ignore o valor-verdade da completiva ao atribuir um valor-verdade à sentença completa. Argumenta-se que um possível papel para as completivas no desenvolvimento de TM seria o de prover uma representação que pode ser usada como recurso para facilitar (não sustentar) o raciocínio sobre CFs.
This dissertation investigates the hypothesis that acquiring knowledge concerning the syntactic feature Point-of-View (PoV) in CPs of complement clauses (CCs) subcategorized by verbs of belief is a necessary condition for children to achieve a fully developed Theory of Mind (ToM) – the ability to ascribe false beliefs (FBs) to others and to predict their reasoning and action based on it (usually achieved by 4 years of age) (cf. DE VILLIERS AND DE VILLIERS, 2009) (henceforth, PoV-FBHypothesis). In particular, this study aimed to verify the extent to which PoV-FBH can be maintained; to evaluate the possibility of incorporating a PoV feature in an on-line model of syntactic computation grounded in minimalist assumptions (Corrêa & Augusto, 2007; 2011) and to characterize the developmental course of the acquisition of knowledge concerning this feature in the light of a procedural theory of language acquisition (Corrêa, 2009). The possibility of PoV being represented as a formal feature or as a semantic feature was considered in three analyses of CCs. It is argued that no matter how this feature is characterized, the acquisition of the knowledge it represents would inevitably rely on semantic bootstrapping, which presupposes the cognitive ability of distinguishing points of view. As for the empirical investigation, 8 experiments were conducted. Experiments 1-6 aimed at assessing 3;3-3;5 year olds ability to cope with a number of the demands of the traditional FB and Memory for Complements (MC) tasks, which supports PoVFBH, such as the ability to cope with object WH, the factivity of mental verbs and factuality. The production of CCs and childrens ability to cope with a linguistic task that includes a FB situation were also investigated. In experiment 7, childrens ability to assign truth-values to CCs and for both clauses of the complex sentence was evaluated. In Experiment 8 the role of language recursion for first- and second-order FB reasoning was investigated with 6;2 year-old children. In general, the results suggested that i) childrens failure on the traditional FB and MC tasks does not necessarily mean difficulty in dealing with CCs or FBs, insofar as they do not cope with most of the demands these tasks presuppose; ii) 3 year olds correctly assign truth-values to CCs, though assigning the truth-value for the main clause (the whole sentence) independently of the truth-value of the CC is particularly costly; iii) first- and second-order FB reasoning can be undertaken on the basis of non-recursive structures, although recursive structures seem to facilitate it. In sum, both in the light of the possible developmental courses of acquisition considered here and on the basis of the results obtained, it would be hard for the PoV-FBH to be maintained, as it stands. Metacognitive abilities may be required for children to be able to ignore the truthvalue of the CC when assigning a truth-value for the complex sentence. It is argued that the possible role of CCs in the development of ToM is to provide a representation that can be used to facilitate FB reasoning, not to support it.
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Isidora, Votls. "Visoke kognitivne funkcije u nastavi lingvistiĉkih predmeta na tercijarnom nivou obrazovanja." Phd thesis, Univerzitet u Novom Sadu, Filozofski fakultet u Novom Sadu, 2016. http://www.cris.uns.ac.rs/record.jsf?recordId=100344&source=NDLTD&language=en.
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Iskustvo u radu sa studentima pokazalo je da studenti nedovoljno ĉesto ostvaruju zadovoljavajuće ishode uĉenja na lingvistiĉkim predmetima na studijama engleskog jezika, što je takoĊe opisano i u stranoj literaturi. Kao jedan od razloga navodi se nastava koja upućuje studente na pasivnost, te oni pribegavaju memorisanju i reprodukciji materijala kao najĉešćim ishodima uĉenja. Biggs (1999) razraĊuje koncepte dubinskog i površinskog pristupa uĉenju, koje relevantna literatura smatra kljuĉnim faktorima za kvalitet ishoda uĉenja. Dubinski pristup uĉenju korelira sa kvalitetnim ishodima uĉenja i funkcionalnim znanjem, a karakterišu ga motivacija, zadovoljstvo usled uĉenja, studentska aktivnost i to aktivnost visokih kognitivnih funkcija. Visoke kognitivne funkcije (Bloom i dr. 1956, Anderson i dr. 2001) i povezane kognitivne radnje (rešavanje problema, analitiĉko, kritiĉko i kreativno razmišljanje) jesu najvaţniji ciljevi visokog obrazovanja jer samo one, usled primene transfera uĉenja, govore o steĉenom i primenljivom, tj. funkcionalnom znanju. Obuka i razvoj visokih kognitivnih funkcija omogući će studentima da uĉenju pristupe dubinski što je još jedan razlog da budu osnovni nastavni cilj svih predmeta na ustanovama tercijarnog obrazovanja. U skladu sa ovim teorijskim postavkama postavljene su osnovna i pomoćna hipoteza: upotreba posebno konstruisanih veţbi za aktivaciju viših kognitivnih funkcija u nastavi lingvistiĉkih predmeta dovešće do sticanja funkcionalnog znanja na teorijskom i praktiĉnom nivou; steĉeno znanje kroz ovakvu eksperimentalnu nastavu i upotreba tog znanja odraţavaće kognitivne funkcije ne samo niţeg nego i višeg reda: primeniti, analizirati, proceniti, stvoriti, kao i kritiĉko i kreativno razmišljanje i rešavanje problema. Kako bi se proverile hipoteze, sproveden je eksperiment sa studentima prve godine engleskog jezika (N=34) na Fakultetu za pravne i poslovne studije dr Lazar Vrkatić u Novom Sadu. U istraţivanju sa paralelnim grupama, eksperimentalna grupa je imala veţbe sa aktivnostima koje razvijaju više kognitivne funkcije na predmetu uvod u opštu lingvistiku tokom zimskog semestra školske 2012/2013. godine. UporeĊeni su kvantitativni rezultati kolokvijuma eksperimentalne i kontrolne grupe na kraju semestra, a potom je sproveden intervju sa po pet studenata iz svake grupe radi utvrĊivanja kvalitativnih razlika u kognitivnim procesima kod ove dve grupe. Obe grupe su ostvarile podjednak uspeh na kolokvijumu, te je osnovna hipoteza odbaĉena. Kodirani podaci iz intervjua pokazali su da obe grupe podjednako koriste kognitivne funkcije po broju i distribuciji, te je i pomoćna hipoteza odbaĉena. Kao objašnjenje za odsustvo većeg uspeha EG navedena su metodološka ograniĉenja istraţivanja: duţina eksperimentalne nastave, problem dokazivosti transfera i problem kodiranja intervjua. Drugi faktori koji mogu objasniti neuspeh su: prethodno steĉene navike u uĉenju, neshvatanje svrhe izuĉavanja predmeta i dr. UporeĊeni su rezultati boljih i slabijih studenata, te je utvrĊeno da bolji studenti pokazuju veći stepen samostalnosti, da upotrebljavaju više kognitivne funkcije kao i duţe nizove kognitivnih radnji. Posmatrajući kvalitativne podatke, bolji studenti eksperimentalne grupe pokazali su promenu gledanja na svet usled izuĉavanja lingvistike i izrazili su zadovoljstvo zbog uĉenja ovog predmeta. Oni pokazuju i upotrebu najduţih nizova vezanih kognitivnih radnji. Iz ovoga se moţe zakljuĉiti da su oni pristupili uĉenju dubinski i zbog toga ostvarili kvalitetnije ishode uĉenja. U cilju donošenja ĉvrstih zakljuĉaka neophodno je sprovesti dugotrajniji i obuhvatniji multidiciplinarni istraţivaĉki projekat, s obzirom da bi pozitivni rezultati bili od velikog znaĉaja za poboljšanje ishoda uĉenja na tercijarnom nivou obrazovanja. Ključne reči: uĉenje i nastava na tercijarnom nivou, taksonomija obrazovnih ciljeva, pristupi uĉenju, više kognitivne funkcije, transfer uĉenja, funckionalno znanje.The experience of working with university students has shown that the learning outcomes of linguistic courses are infrequently satisfactory, which is also described in literature worldwide. Teaching philosophy in which students are forced into passives roles is one of the causes since such teaching results in low motivation with memorizing and reproduction of learned materials as the most frequent outcomes of learning. Biggs (1999) develops the concepts of deep and superficial learning approaches which have been declared in the relevant literature as key factors for the quality of learning outcomes. Deep approach to learning correlates with high quality learning outcomes, and is characterized by high motivation, satisfaction with learning and student activity of appropriately high cognitive levels. Higher cognitive functions (Bloom et. al. 1956, Anderson at al. 2001) and related cognitive activities (problem solving, analytical, critical and creative thinking) are the most important goals of higher education since these thinking skills are transferable and therefore represent applicable and functional knowledge. The training and development of the higher cognitive skills enables students to use deep approaches to learning, which is an additional reason to consider them as fundamental teaching goals in all courses in tertiary education. Based on this theoretical framework the main hypothesis and sub-hypothesis were formulated as follows: the use of specially designed practices which activate higher cognitive functions (HCF) will result in acquiring functional knowledge at both theoretical and practical levels; the knowledge gained through such teaching will reflect the use of higher cognitive functions: apply, analyze, evaluate, create, as well as show problem solving skills and critical and creative thinking. To test the hypotheses an experiment was conducted with the first year English language students (N=34) at the Faculty of Legal and Business Studies dr Lazar Vrkatić in Novi Sad. In the parallel groups design, the experimental group (EG) was involved with activities which develop HCFs in the course of Introduction to General Linguistics during the winter semester of the 2012/2013. Quantitative data were collected at the end of the semester (the final test) and compared between the two groups to determine whether the EG scored better results than the control group (CG). This was followed by interviews with five respondents from each group to qualitatively compare the cognitive processes. No statistically significant difference between test results in the two groups was found and so the main hypothesis was rejected. The coded data from the interviews showed an equal number of identified CFs with both groups with similar distribution patterns, thus the sub-hypothesis was also rejected. The absence of better scores of the EG can be explained by some methodological limitations of the experiment, such as the length of the experimental activities, the problem of proof of transfer and the coding of the interview data. Other factors include the existing learning habits of students, the inability to grasp the purpose of studying linguistics, etc. The results of better students were compared to those of the weaker ones, which showed that better students are more autonomous, use a greater number of HCFs and string more CFs into a complex response. Qualitative data also showed that better students of the experimental group expressed a change in how they see the world around them and express satisfaction because of studying linguistics. They also string the longest chains of cognitive activities. These findings lead to a conclusion that better students of the EG used deep approaches to learning which resulted in higher quality learning outcomes. In order to achieve conclusive results, a comprehensive long-term multidisciplinary research project should be carried out, since its results would have a significant impact on the quality of learning outcomes in tertiary education.
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Tillman, Carin. "Working Memory and Higher-Order Cognition in Children." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala University, Department of Psychology, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-9271.
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Higher-order cognitive functions, such as executive function (EF) and intelligence, are crucial to the everyday functioning of human beings. Gaining knowledge about these functions is important for our general understanding of human nature as well as for our ability to help those who may not develop these processes optimally. The present thesis focused particularly on the EF component working memory (WM), described as the ability to maintain informa-tion in consciousness during short time periods with the purpose of using that information in complex cognition. The major aims of the thesis were to increase our understanding of higher-order cognition in children as well as of deficiencies in intelligence found in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We approached these aims by studying the interrelations among EF-related components in terms of their independent contributions to intellectual functioning. We also studied whether the lower intelligence in children with ADHD was mediated by fundamental EF-related components or whether these deficiencies went beyond the weaknesses in these specific cognitive functions.
Interpreting the present data, we suggest that intellectual functioning in children is best viewed as representing a system of primarily independent parts that may be accompanied by an overarching common mechanism. The multiple components involve, but are surely not limited to, WM functions, inhibitory functions, sustained attention, and processing speed. One of these functions, WM, was found to be further partitioned into domain-specific executive WM processes and domain-specific short-term storage processes, all of which constitute important aspects of higher-order cognitive functioning. We have further learned that deficits in fluid intelligence in children with ADHD may entail more than weaknesses in specific central cognitive functions. This additional deficit is cautiously interpreted as involving supe-rior executive attention functions setting the stage for the development and integration of the EF system as well as the “intelligence system”.
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Insabato, Andrea. "Neurodynamical theory of decision confidence." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/129463.
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Decision confidence offers a window on introspection and onto the evaluation mechanisms associated
with decision-making. Nonetheless we do not have yet a thorough understanding of its neurophysiological and computational substrate.
There are mainly two experimental paradigms to measure decision confidence in animals: post-decision wagering and uncertain option.
In this thesis we explore and try to shed light on the computational mechanisms underlying confidence based decision-making in both experimental paradigms.
We propose that a double-layer attractor neural network can account for neural recordings and behavior of rats in a post-decision wagering experiment. In this model a decision-making layer takes the perceptual decision and a separate confidence layer monitors the activity of the decision-making layer and makes a judgment about the confidence in the decision.
Moreover we test the prediction of the model by analyizing neuronal data from monkeys performing a
decision-making task. We show the existence of neurons in ventral Premotor cortex that encode decision confidence. We also found that both a continuous and discrete encoding of decision confidence are
present in the primate brain. In particular we show that different neurons encode confidence through three different mechanisms: 1. Switch time coding, 2. rate coding and 3. binary coding.
Furthermore we propose a multiple-choice attractor network model in order to account for uncertain option tasks. In this model the confidence emerges from the stochastic dynamics of decision neurons, thus making a separate monitoring network (like in the model of the post-decision wagering task) unnecessary. The model explains the behavioral and neural data recorded in monkeys lateral intraparietal area as a result of the multistable dynamics of the attractor network, whereby it is possible to make several testable predictions.
The rich neurophysiological representation and computational mechanisms of decision confidence evidence the basis of different functional aspects of confidence in the making of a decision.El estudio de la confianza en la decisión ofrece una perspectiva ventajosa sobre los procesos de introspección y sobre los procesos de evaluación de la toma de decisiones. No obstante todav'ia no tenemos un conocimiento exhaustivo del sustrato neurofisiológico y computacional de la confianza en la decisión. Existen principalmente dos paradigmas experimentales para medir la confianza en la decisión en los sujetos no humanos: apuesta post-decisional (post-decision wagering) y opción insegura (uncertain option). En esta tesis tratamos de aclarar los mecanísmos computacionales que subyacen a los procesos de toma de decisiones y juicios de confianza en ambos paradigmas experimentales. El modelo que proponemos para explicar los experimentos de apuesta post-decisional es una red neuronal de atractores de dos capas. En este modelo la primera capa se encarga de la toma de decisiones, mientras la segunda capa vigila la actividad de la primera capa y toma un juicio sobre la confianza en la decisión. Sucesivamente testeamos la predicción de este modelo analizando la actividad de neuronas registrada en el cerebro de dos monos, mientras estos desempeñaban una tarea de toma de decisiones. Con este análisis mostramos la existencia de neuronas en la corteza premotora ventral que codifican la confianza en la decisión. Nuestros resultados muestran también que en el cerebro de los primates existen tanto neuronas que codifican confianza como neuronas que la codifican de forma continua. Más en específico mostramos que existen tres mecanismos de codificación: 1. codificación por tiempo de cambio, 2. codificación por tasa de disparo, 3. codificación binaria. En relación a las tareas de opción insegura proponemos un modelo de red de atractores para opciones multiplas. En este modelo la confianza emerge de la dinámica estocástica de las neuronas de decisión, volviéndose así innecesaria la supervisión del proceso de toma de decisiones por parte de otra red (como en el modelo de la tarea de apuesta post-decisional). El modelo explica los datos de comportamiento de los monos y los registros de la actividad de neuronas del área lateral intraparietal como efectos de la dinámica multiestable de la red de atractores. Además el modelo produce interesantes y novedosas predicciones que se podrán testear en experimentos futuros. La compleja representación neurofisiológica y los distintos mecanísmos computacionales que emergen de este trabajo sugieren distintos aspectos funcionales de la confianza en la toma de decisiones.
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Fraraccio, Maria. "Effects of high frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on cognitive function in Parkinson's disease." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=84030.
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Objective. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether high frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (HFS STN), for the treatment of motor signs and symptoms characteristic of Parkinson disease (PD), has detrimental consequences for cognitive processing. Methods . An extensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 15 PD patients with bilateral implantation of high frequency stimulators of the subthalamic nucleus for the treatment of PD. Patients were tested in two sessions: during one session the stimulator was set to a satisfactory therapeutic level and in the other the stimulator was set to OFF. Results. Statistically significant differences between sessions were not observed on task variables measuring executive function, verbal working memory, attention, language, visuospatial perception and verbal and visuospatial memory. In contrast, significant improvements with stimulation were observed for motor signs and symptoms and on tasks measuring skilled motor function. Conclusion. We investigated the specific cognitive effects of HFS STN in non-demented patients diagnosed with late stage PD. Our findings suggest that in relatively young patients with no symptoms of dementia or psychiatric disorder, the impact on cognitive processing is minimal.
Books on the topic "Higher cognitive functions"
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Roy, John E., and Harmony Thalía, eds. Machinery of the mind: Data, theory, and speculations about higher brain functions : based on the First International Conference on Machinery of the Mind, February 25-March 3, 1989, Havana City, Cuba. Boston: Birkhäuser, 1990.
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Kamenskaya, Valentina, and Leonid Tomanov. The fractal-chaotic properties of cognitive processes: age. ru: INFRA-M Academic Publishing LLC., 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.12737/1053569.
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In the monograph the literature information about the nature of stochastic processes and their participation in the work of the brain and human behavior. Established that the real cognitive processes and mental functions associated with the procedural side of external events and the stochastic properties of the internal dynamics of brain systems in the form of fluctuations of their parameters, including cardiac rhythm generation and sensorimotor reactions. Experimentally proved that the dynamics of the measured physiological processes is in the range from chaotic regime to a weakly deterministic — fractal mode. Fractal mode determines the maximum order and organization homeostasis of cognitive processes and States, as well as high adaptive ability of the body systems with fractal properties. The fractal-chaotic dynamics is a useful quality to examine the actual physiological and psychological systems - a unique numerical identification of the order and randomness of the processes through calculation of fractal indices. The monograph represents the results of many years of experimental studies of the reflection properties of stochastic sensorimotor reactions, as well as stochastic properties of heart rate in children, Teens and adults in the age aspect in the speech activity and the perception of different kinds of music with its own frequency-spectral structure.
Designed for undergraduates, graduate students and researchers that perform research and development on cognitive psychology and neuroscience.
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Paz-Alonso, Pedro M., Silvia A. Bunge, and Simona Ghetti. Emergence of Higher Cognitive Functions. Oxford University Press, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935291.013.003.
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Rossi, Simone, Stefano F. Cappa, and Paolo Maria Rossini. Higher cognitive functions: memory and reasoning. Edited by Charles M. Epstein, Eric M. Wassermann, and Ulf Ziemann. Oxford University Press, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198568926.013.0032.
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Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a sophisticated approach for interfering with human memory and reasoning due to its ability to transiently interfere with the functions of the specialized cortical network, especially when applied as repetitive (r)TMS. This article reviews TMS studies dealing with short-term retention, working memory, and with the episodic component of declarative memory. It also considers certain aspects of semantic memory and nonverbal reasoning. Furthermore, it discusses methodological considerations about the experimental designs, which can be used for the investigation of human cognitive functions. This article emphasizes the fact that higher cognitive functions provide an example as to how underlying physiological mechanisms cannot be fully disclosed by investigations based on a single technique. Studies to develop a true multimodal approach are being undertaken. In this light, behavioural interference studies will gain new power in combination with disruptive and correlational methodologies, establishing causality in a more sophisticated manner.
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Hodges, John R. Localized Cognitive Functions. Oxford University Press, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/med/9780192629760.003.0003.
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Chapter 3 discusses aspects of normal and abnormal language function, followed by a brief description of disorders of calculation (acalculia) and of higher-order motor control (apraxia). The second half of the chapter deals with disturbed right hemisphere functions: neglect phenomena, dressing and constructional apraxia, and complex visuo-perceptual deficits (agnosias).
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Hodges, John R. Distributed Cognitive Functions. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/med/9780198749189.003.0001.
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This chapter discusses cognitive functions with a largely distributed neural basis within the framework of contemporary cognitive neuroscience. The following are described: arousal/attention, memory (short-term, or working memory; episodic memory; semantic memory; and implicit memory), and higher-order cognitive function such as planning, problem-solving and set-shifting, motivation, inhibitory control, social cognition, and emotion processing. Each function in placed in the context of its neural basis, with a brief description of the disorders that may affect these cognitive abilities. Methods of assessment at the bedside and by using neuropsychological tasks are also outlined.
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Hodges, John R. Localized Cognitive Functions. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/med/9780198749189.003.0003.
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This chapter discusses localized cognitive functions. The functions ascribed to the dominant, usually left, cerebral hemisphere show much more clear-cut laterality than those associated with the so-called minor hemisphere. This applies particularly to spoken language. This chapter discusses aspects of normal and abnormal language function in the framework of contemporary cognitive neuroscience with descriptions of the classic post-stroke variants of aphasia (Broca’s, Wernicke’s, conduction, etc.) although these are rarely seen in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. There is also a description of disorders of written language (the dyslexias and dysgraphias), of calculation (acalculia), and of higher-order motor control (apraxia). This is followed by descriptions of the syndromes associated with disturbed right hemisphere functions: neglect phenomena, dressing and constructional apraxia, and complex visuoperceptual disorders (agnosias). Each cognitive syndrome is placed in the context of its neural basis, disorders which affect the ability and methods of assessment at the bedside and using neuropsychological tasks.
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Adele, Diamond, and National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.), eds. The Development and neural bases of higher cognitive functions. New York, N.Y: New York Academy of Sciences, 1990.
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Robertson, Ian H., and Redmond G. O'Connell. Rehabilitation of Attention Functions. Edited by Anna C. (Kia) Nobre and Sabine Kastner. Oxford University Press, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199675111.013.021.
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The evidence for the effectiveness of rehabilitation of three types of attention—selectivity, sustained attention, and attentional switching—is reviewed. Limited but significant effects in all three domains are observed, though evidence for generalization to wider everyday life functions remains relatively sparse. In the case of sustained attention and also in the case of spatial selectivity, the modulating effects of arousal are shown to be important, and higher level executive deficits may at times be exacerbated or even caused by lowered levels of arousal. Conversely, methods of modulating arousal may be used to improve sustained attention and executive functions in a range of clinical conditions. Attentional functions are key to other cognitive domains such as attention and perception, and so the promising evidence for attentional rehabilitation may contribute to the rehabilitation of other cognitive domains also.
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B, Scheibel Arnold, and Wechsler Adam F, eds. Neurobiology of higher cognitive function. New York: Guilford Press, 1990.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Higher cognitive functions"
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Nakaguchi, Takao, Yohei Murakami, Donghui Lin, and Toru Ishida. "Language Service Composition Based on Higher Order Functions." In Cognitive Technologies, 41–56. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7793-7_3.
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Nelson, Charles A., Michelle de Haan, and Kathleen M. Thomas. "The Development of Higher Cognitive (Executive) Functions." In Neuroscience of Cognitive Development, 143–53. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470939413.ch10.
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Chady, Marcin. "Modelling Higher Cognitive Functions with Hebbian Cell Assemblies." In Emergent Neural Computational Architectures Based on Neuroscience, 398–406. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44597-8_29.
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Di Lieto, Maria Chiara, Chiara Pecini, Emanuela Castro, Emanuela Inguaggiato, Francesca Cecchi, Paolo Dario, Giuseppina Sgandurra, and Giovanni Cioni. "Robot Programming to Empower Higher Cognitive Functions in Early Childhood." In Smart Learning with Educational Robotics, 229–50. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19913-5_9.
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Riekkinen, Paavo J., Jouni Sirvio, Paavo Riekkinen, Antti Valjakka, Pekka Jakala, Esa Koivisto, and Risto Lammintausta. "The Role of the Noradrenergic System in Higher Cerebral Functions: Experimental Studies about the Effects of Noradrenergic Modulation on Electrophysiology and Behavior." In Neurotransmitter Interactions and Cognitive Function, 91–102. Boston, MA: Birkhäuser Boston, 1992. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9843-5_6.
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Fortes, Antonio F., and Hugo Merchant. "Investigating Higher Order Cognitive Functions in the Dorsal (magnocellular) Stream of Visual Processing." In Plasticity in the Visual System, 285–306. Boston, MA: Springer US, 2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/0-387-28190-8_13.
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Golden, Gerald S. "Disorders of Higher Cognitive Function." In Textbook of Pediatric Neurology, 249–61. Boston, MA: Springer US, 1987. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7029-1_23.
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Franzen, Michael D. "Tests of Higher Cognitive Function." In Reliability and Validity in Neuropsychological Assessment, 283–97. Boston, MA: Springer US, 2000. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3224-5_17.
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Kalenscher, Tobias, Lisa-Maria Schönfeld, Sebastian Löbner, Markus Wöhr, Mireille van Berkel, Maurice-Philipp Zech, and Marijn van Wingerden. "Rat Ultrasonic Vocalizations as Social Reinforcers—Implications for a Multilevel Model of the Cognitive Representation of Action and Rats’ Social World." In Language, Cognition, and Mind, 411–38. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50200-3_19.
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AbstractRats are social animals. For example, rats exhibit mutual-reward preferences, preferring choice alternatives that yield a reward to themselves as well as to a conspecific, over alternatives that yield a reward only to themselves. We have recently hypothesized that such mutual-reward preferences might be the result of reinforcing properties of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by the conspecifics. USVs in rats serve as situation-dependent socio-affective signals with important communicative functions. To test this possibility, here, we trained rats to enter one of two compartments in a T-maze setting. Entering either compartment yielded identical food rewards as well as playback of pre-recorded USVs either in the 50-kHz range, which we expected to be appetitive or therefore a potential positive reinforcer, or in the 22-kHz range predicted to be aversive and therefore a potential negative reinforcer. In three separate experimental conditions, rats chose between compartments yielding either 50-kHz USVs versus a non-ultrasonic control stimulus (condition 1), 22-kHz USVs versus a non-ultrasonic control stimulus (condition 2), or 50-kHz versus 22-kHz USVs (condition 3). Results show that rats exhibit a transient preference for the 50-kHz USV playback over non-ultrasonic control stimuli, as well as an initial avoidance of 22-kHz USV relative to non-ultrasonic control stimuli on trend-level. As rats progressed within session through trials, and across sessions, these preferences diminished, in line with previous findings. These results support our hypothesis that USVs have transiently motivating reinforcing properties, putatively acquired through association processes, but also highlight that these motivating properties are context-dependent and modulatory, and might not act as primary reinforcers when presented in isolation. We conclude this article with a second part on a multilevel cognitive theory of rats’ action and action learning. The “cascade” approach assumes that rats’ cognitive representations of action may be multilevel. A basic physical level of action may be invested with higher levels of action that integrate emotional, motivational, and social significance. Learning in an experiment consists in the cognitive formation of multilevel action representations. Social action and interaction in particular are proposed to be cognitively modeled as multilevel. Our results have implications for understanding the structure of social cognition, and social learning, in animals and humans.
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Dockery, Colleen A. "The Human Experiment: How We Won’t Win the Rat Race. What Can We Learn from Brain Stimulation in Humans and Rats About Enhancing the Functional Neurobiology of Higher Cognitive Functions?" In Trends in Augmentation of Human Performance, 73–95. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6253-4_8.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Higher cognitive functions"
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Amanna, Ashwin, Matthew J. Price, Soumava Bera, Manik Gadhiok, and Jeffrey H. Reed. "Cognitive Engine Architecture for Railway Communications." In ASME 2010 Rail Transportation Division Fall Technical Conference. ASMEDC, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/rtdf2010-42011.
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This paper discusses a railway specific cognitive radio that builds upon software defined radio (SDR) platforms to adapt the radio based situational awareness. Cognitive Radio incorporates artificial intelligence based algorithms with reconfigurable software-defined radios that enable automatic adjustments of the radio to improve performance and overcome obstacles the radio may confront in the field (i.e. environmental/man-made interference, occupying the same channel as a user with higher priority, etc.). This paper describes the Railway Cognitive Radio (Rail-CR) architecture and illustrates preliminary results in simulation. The proposed cognitive engine architecture consists of a case-based reasoned (CBR) and a Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization routine. This paper discusses the overall cognitive architecture, the relationship between the CBR and the GA based on weighted objective functions, and metrics for assessing performance. Methods for case representation, quantifying similarity between cases histories, and techniques for managing case growth rate are presented as well as a proposed test bed SDR platform.
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Kumstát, Michal, Martin Sebera, and Michal Vičar. "The Effects Of Commercially Available Energy Drink On Cognitive Performance." In 12th International Conference on Kinanthropology. Brno: Masaryk University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/cz.muni.p210-9631-2020-7.
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Energy drinks are frequently purported as a non-alcoholic beverage food commodity to im-prove cognitive function and concentration and as such is marketed especially on vulnerable populations such as professional drivers, students, managers. We aimed to explore the acute dose-effect of commercially available multi-ingredient beverage on cognitive performance. Twenty adult university students, caffeine-deprived received two 500 ml non-alcoholic, glucose-free, multi-herbal extract drinks differing in ingredients dose: DRINK100, threefold higher concentration dosage (DRINK300) and ingredients-free, flavored-matched placebo (PLA) in a double-blind, three-way cross over, randomized order, separated by a 7-day wash-out period. Cognitive functions, autonomous nervous system activity, and specific mental performance were assessed. Drinks were consumed in the late evening (20 p.m.). Standardized psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) to detect reaction time, lapses and the total score and spectral analysis of heart rate variability (software-driven, standing/lying down with ~300 beats recorded in each position, relative change in total power score be-tween consecutive measurements was used) took place immediately prior and 60, 120 and 180 min post-drink consumption (post-drink). Thirty minutes of the cognitively demanding task (continuous manual text transcription) was commenced immediately and in 90, and 150 min post-drink. Total word counts were used in assessing mental performance chang-es. The ecologically valid methodology was used to mimic typical students time of drink consumption. During the 60min post-drink, the level of alertness decreased independently of the drink category, however, DRINK300 increased correct: lapsus ratio in 120 min and this remained elevated until the end of testing. No significant effect of DRINK100 over PLA on vigilance was present. DRINK300 led to an increase in autonomic nervous system activity after drink admin-istration in 60–90 minutes post-drink with a clear decline observed in PLA. This corresponds with a significant increase in the number of words transcripted in the corresponding time in DRINK300, however, not sustained in 180 min post-drink. We demonstrate an acute and transitional dose-effect of multi-herbal caffeine-containing non-energetic beverage on cognitive and autonomous nervous system performance. The effect appears to be evident immediately ( < 30 min) post-drink. A beverage containing guar-ana equivalent to 120 mg of caffeine reduce cognitive performance impairment and this is sustained over ~180 min.
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Panesi, Sabrina, and Lucia Ferlino. "Using Apps in Formal Education to Improve Executive Functions in Preschoolers." In INNODOCT 2019. Valencia: Universitat Politècnica de València, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/inn2019.2019.10117.
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The term Executive Functions (EFs) refers to a set of higher order cognitive processes that are critical for goal directed behaviour. They include inhibition (i.e., the ability to suppress task-irrelevant cognitive processing and ignore salient yet irrelevant features of the situation), shifting (i.e. the ability to switch between different operations or levels of processing), and updating (i.e. the ability to encode, hold and monitor incoming information in working memory, replacing information that is no longer relevant with new information). The most notable developmental change in children’s EFs occurs during the preschool period, and this is associable to and predictive of children’s general learning ability. For this reason, efforts to develop EFs in preschoolers is of vital importance. In recent years, only few studies have investigated the effect of EFs intervention on preschoolers, despite the potential preventive effect of early intervention on later developmental problems. A number of related solutions have been proposed over the years, including both paper-and-pencil activities and digital applications (e.g., software and videogames). However, few attempt have been made to integrate the many advantages of traditional, low-cost playful activities with the (often) powerful affordances of digital technologies. Hence, we propose just such a hybrid solution, with a set of mobile applications (apps) designed to foster EF development among early learners in education settings. We opted for such a solution as mobile apps have proved to be familiar, highly usable and well accepted among young children. At a more general level, this contribution seeks to provide useful input on the affordances and indicators that can help guide the effective choice of apps useful for developing EFs, and how these tools can be optimally introduced and employed in traditional teaching and learning programs.
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Ford, Matthew, Peter Matic, and Alan Leung. "Expanding Helmet Design Methodologies Through Brain Functional Area Representative Threat Models." In ASME 2013 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/imece2013-64959.
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In combat zones, warfighters may be exposed to multiple threat types that can result in impacts to the head. These head impacts can lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI) or other functional or cognitive impairments, depending on the impact location, duration, and severity. Personal protective equipment mitigates the damage to the head, and current equipment design efforts focus on high-level protective metrics such as local helmet deformations and penetrations, as well as global accelerations or rotations of the head. Advances in brain imaging and mapping have made it possible to couple brain regions with specific functions, which could lead to higher resolution injury models and a more integrated helmet design process. The Naval Research Laboratory has developed a design tool to relate cognitive and functional brain regions from the literature to representative threat models for a head-helmet system. In this study, the philosophy and methods behind this augmented design tool and some of its applications are discussed. Through surveying detailed brain mappings and Brodmann functional areas, spatial coordinates for a coarse and a fine brain model were identified, scaled, and positioned within a three-dimensional model of the head. Projectile threats to the brain from all directions were simulated to evaluate the vulnerability of specific brain regions for a given protective helmet geometry. Using this platform, a variety of design tools were developed to investigate the functional effects of making geometric changes to the helmet.
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Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A., Carla E. Förster Marín, Francisco Aboitiz, and Jorge Gaete. "ARE THERE DIFFERENCES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS OF CHILDREN WITH A TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL DEVELOPMENT STIMULATED BY A GAME ON A TABLET?" In International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends. inScience Press, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.36315/2021inpact072.
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"Introduction: Executive functions (EF) are developed early, building a fundamental basis of higher cognitive processes in adulthood (Garon et al., 2008). There are studies with children of typical development (Passolunghi et al., 2006; Welsh et al., 2010) that have demonstrated the key role of EF, such as working memory, inhibitory control, planning and attentional flexibility, in initial literacy and precalculus. What is still unclear is whether these EF can be stimulated early and if it has any effect on their development. At the same time, it is known that children with atypical development, such as ADHD, have deficiencies in the development of EF (Barkley, 1997). Early stimulation of EF in this type of population will have the same effects as in a typical development population? The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of a stimulation program of the EF (working memory, inhibitory control, planning and attentional flexibility), by means of a tablet digital game, in the development of the EF of preschool children with and without symptoms of ADHD, of socioeconomically disadvantaged sectors. Method: Two groups, control (CG) and intervention (IG) were selected at random, both were evaluated twice (before and after). In total there were 408 participants, 212 with typical development and 196 with atypical development. The IG was exposed to a digital game of EF through a tablet during 12 sessions (in the classroom). Results: The main results show differences in favor of IG in the different EF evaluated, both for children with and without ADHD symptoms, with the exception of attentional variable for which no differences were observed. There are differences in the effect of EF among children evaluated. Discussion: These differences and their possible implications in the educational and social environment are discussed."
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Williams, Christopher B., John Gero, Yoon Lee, and Marie Paretti. "Exploring the Effect of Design Education on the Design Cognition of Mechanical Engineering Students." In ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. ASMEDC, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2011-48357.
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In this paper, the authors report on progress of a longitudinal study on the impact of design education on students’ design thinking and practice. Using innovations in cognitive science and new methods of protocol analysis, the authors are working with engineering students to characterize their design cognition as they progress through engineering curricula. In this paper, the results from a protocol study of sophomore Mechanical Engineering students are presented. Specifically, data gathered from two experimental sessions (conducted before and after the students’ introductory design course) are analyzed to identify changes in design thinking cognition. Design cognition is determined using protocol analysis with the coding of the protocols based on a general design ontology, namely, the Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) as a principled coding scheme (as opposed to an ad hoc one). Preliminary results indicate that statistically significant changes in students’ design cognition occur over the course of their sophomore year. The change manifests itself in an increase in focus on the purposes of designs being produced, which is often a precursor to the production a higher quality designs, and an increase in the design processes associated with the introduction of purposes of designs.
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Al Ghazali, Kateba, Sana El Tayeb, Ayesha Musleh, Tamara Al-Abdi, and Zumin Shi. "Serum Magnesium and Cognitive Function among Qatari Adult." In Qatar University Annual Research Forum & Exhibition. Qatar University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2020.0207.
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Background: Previous studies found that low levels of magnesium can increase the risk of several diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension which are associated with cognitive dysfunction. Objective: Examine the association between serum magnesium and cognitive function among Qatari adults. In addition to assessing the interaction relation between low serum magnesium, hypertension, and diabetes in relation to cognitive function. Methods: Data from 1000 Qatari participants aged ≥20 years attending the Qatar Biobank Study were analyzed. Serum magnesium was measured by an automated calorimetric method and suboptimal magnesium was characterized by <0.85 mmol/L. Cognitive function was measured by a computer-based selfadministered test focusing on mean reaction time (MRT). Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression were used. Results: The prevalence of suboptimal magnesium was 57.1%. Across the quartiles of serum magnesium from high to low, the regression coefficients (95% CI) for MRT were 0, -17.79, -18.27, and -31.93 (95%CI 2.38–3.05), respectively (p for trend <0.033). The presence of hypertension and diabetes significantly increased the MRT along with a wide range of low serum magnesium. Women with diabetes or hypertension were affected the greatest by low magnesium levels. Conclusion: There was a positive association between serum magnesium and cognitive function. Low magnesium levels were associated with a longer MRT.
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Shealy, Tripp, Mo Hu, and John Gero. "Patterns of Cortical Activation When Using Concept Generation Techniques of Brainstorming, Morphological Analysis, and TRIZ." In ASME 2018 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2018-86272.
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This paper presents the results of an experimental study comparing cortical activation in the brain when generating solutions using brainstorming, morphological analysis, and TRIZ. Twelve engineering students were given the same three design tasks, respectively, using the three solution generation techniques. Students generated solutions while change in oxygenated blood along the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The results show that generating solutions using brainstorming, morphological analysis, and TRIZ leads to differences in cortical activation, specifically along the region of the brain associated with spatial working memory, cognitive flexibility, and abstract reasoning, called the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (left DLPFC). Brainstorming evokes a high average blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response in the left DLPFC early during the solution generation process but this high response is not sustained. In comparison, morphological analysis and TRIZ evoke multiple high average BOLD responses across the solution generation process. Not only was the high average BOLD response sustained but the density of network coordination among brain regions across the PFC was greater for morphological analysis and TRIZ. Higher density is a proxy for higher cognitive effort. The brain regions most central to coordination also varied. During brainstorming the right hemisphere, in a region associated with memory encoding (right PFC), was most activated. During morphological analysis, the left hemisphere, the left DLPFC was most activated. During TRIZ, both the middle and left hemisphere included regions of high activation. These results indicate neuro-cognitive differences of activation patterns, cognitive effort over time, and brain regions central for coordination when using these three concept generation techniques. Future research can begin to explore neuro-cognitive differences as a result of these techniques over multiple uses and the effects of design education.
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Meda, Shashwath, Erwin Boer, Nicolas Ward, Gregory Book, Michael Stevens, Catherine Boyle, Muhammad Mubeen, and Godfrey Pearlson. "Longitudinal Effects of Acute Cannabis Exposure on Automobile Driving Behavior in a Naturalistic Simulated Environment." In 2020 Virtual Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Marijuana. Research Society on Marijuana, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.26828/cannabis.2021.01.000.21.
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Background: Driving is a complex day-to-day activity that employs a variety of cognitive and psychomotor functions in harmony, many of which are known to be affected acutely by CNB intoxication which could in turn pose a significant public health risk. The recent legalization of both recreational and/or medicinal marijuana in several states has thus created an urgent need to better understand the effects of CNB on such functions in the context of driving. The present study employs a longitudinal, double-blind, placebo- 2 active dose study to investigate the effects of CNB on a variety of driving-related behaviors in a controlled, naturalistic simulated environment. Methods: The current study employed N=37 subjects (N=25 male, frequent cannabis users, mean age 24.25+7.01), each exposed to a placebo, low and high dose of CNB on three separate days. On each day, following a single acute inhaled 0.5 g dose of either 0%, 3% or 5-7% of THC via a desktop vaporizer, subjects drove a virtual driving simulator (RTI SimVehicle platform) three times inside an MRI scanner and once out of scanner, randomized, and dispersed throughout an eight hour daily period. During each driving session three distinct real time behavioral tasks corresponding to lane-keeping following simulated wind gusts (operational), lead car following (tactical) and safe overtaking (strategic) were assessed and corresponding behavioral data were computed using custom Matlab scripts. Data were analyzed using a mixed model framework in SPSS v24 which included dose, session, instrument (desktop v MRI), dose*session, dose*instrument and session*instrument as primary factors, covarying for age and sex. Results: Intoxicated subjects made significantly fewer gas pedal corrections (p<0.02) during the car following task and similarly fewer corrections to the steering reversal rate (p<0.02) during the lane weaving task, suggesting reduced awareness under the influence of cannabis. In addition we found that several variables showed significant differences in terms of estimates captured throughout the day suggesting that overall risk taking lessened as the day progressed and CNB effects wore off. Also, data trends suggested that under the high dose subjects took longer to return to baseline from their ‘impaired’ driving patterns. Key metrics that showed such significant daily effects included mean headway (p<0.001) and time to collision (p=0.02) from the car following task, deviation of lane position (p=0.03) from the lane weaving task, median gap (p=0.02) and overtaking speed (p=0.02) from the overtaking task. Although many driving measurements differed depending on whether driving was done in MRI or at a desktop setting, these differences had no relationship to different drug dose levels. Conclusion: In summary, key driving functions affected under higher doses of CNB largely agreed current cross sectional literature. Generally, largest impairments in driving behavior seemed to occur within 1-4 hours after drug exposure, which might have important implications for real life driving situations. Our preliminary analyses yield numerous metrics that changed throughout the day, suggesting broad-based impairment on many metrics commonly used to quantify driving performance and risk.
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Kurniawan, Hendri. "Various Alertness Cognitive Stimulation on the Optimization of Motor Recovery Among Post Stroke Patients in Neurorehabilitation Program." In The 7th International Conference on Public Health 2020. Masters Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.05.06.
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ABSTRACT Background: Stroke affects the patient’s cognitive ability. Cognitive ability also underlies the motor and functional recovery processes of post-stroke patients. Various Alertness Cognitive Stimulation (VACS) is a computer-based cognitive exercise that combines cognitive and motor components. This study aimed to examine the effect of VACS on the optimization of motor recovery among post-stroke patients. Subjects and Methods: This was an experimental study with pre-test and post-test control design. This study conducted at the Mandiri Center and Neurorehabilitation Clinics, in November-December 2019. A total of 40 post-stroke patients were enrolled in this study and divided into 20 patients in control and 20 patients in treatment groups. The dependent variables were cognitive and motor skills. The independent variable was VACS. Data were collected using Cognistat and Modified Motor Assessment Scale (MMAS). The data were analyzed by means of a comparative test. Results: The MMAS score of post intervention in the treatment group (Mean=3.40; SD= 1.88) was higher than the control group (Mean= 2.25; SD=1.68). The motor ability of the treatment group was significantly different from the control group (t= 2.04; p= 0.048). Conclusion: VACS can optimize the motor recovery of post-stroke patients in a neurorehabilitation program. Keywords: cognitive training, VACS, MMAS Correspondence: Hendri Kurniawan. Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Polytechnics, Ministry of Health, Surakarta, Central Java. Jl. Capt. Adisoemarmo, Toduhan, Colomadu, Karanganyar – Surakarta, 57173. Email: kurnia_hyckle@yahoo.co.id DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.05.06
Reports on the topic "Higher cognitive functions"
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Ruff, Grigory, and Tatyana Sidorina. THE DEVELOPMENT MODEL OF ENGINEERING CREATIVITY IN STUDENTS OF MILITARY INSTITUTIONS. Science and Innovation Center Publishing House, December 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/model_of_engineering_creativity.
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The troops of the national guard of the Russian Federation are equipped with modern models of weapons, special equipment, Informatization tools, engineering weapons that have artificial intelligence in their composition are being developed, " etc., which causes an increase in the requirements for the quality of professional training of future officers. The increasing complexity of military professional activities, the avalanche-like increase in information, the need to develop the ability to quickly and accurately make and implement well-known and own engineering solutions in an unpredictable military environment demonstrates that the most important tasks of modern higher education are not only providing graduates with a system of fundamental and special knowledge and skills, but also developing their professional independence, and this led to the concept of engineering and creative potential in the list of professionally important qualities of an officer. To expedite a special mechanism system compact intense clarity through cognitive visualization of the educational material, thickening of educational knowledge through encoding, consolidation and structuring Principle of cognitive visualization stems from the psychological laws in accordance with which the efficiency of absorption is increased if visibility in training does not only illustrative, but also cognitive function, which leads to active inclusion, along with the left and right hemispheres of the student in the process of assimilation of information, based on the use of logical and semantic modeling, which contributes to the development of engineering and creative potential.
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Stall, Nathan M., Yoshiko Nakamachi, Melissa Chang, Shiran Isaacksz, Christa Sinclair Mills, Elizabeth Niedra, Camille Lemieux, et al. Mobile In-Home COVID-19 Vaccination of Ontario Homebound Older Adults by Neighbourhood Risk. Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, March 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.47326/ocsat.2021.02.19.1.0.
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Homebound individuals face substantial barriers to receiving COVID-19 vaccines as they cannot or rarely leave their homes because of medical, psychiatric, cognitive, functional, transportation-related and social reasons. There are at least 75,000 Ontarians aged 65 years and above who are homebound, with the majority being women and people aged 85 years and above. Much of this older homebound population requires mobile in-home COVID-19 vaccination, which could be prioritized by residence in high SARS-CoV-2 risk neighbourhoods.
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McDonagh, Marian S., Jesse Wagner, Azrah Y. Ahmed, Benjamin Morasco, Devan Kansagara, and Roger Chou. Living Systematic Review on Cannabis and Other Plant-Based Treatments for Chronic Pain: May 2021 Update. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), June 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.23970/ahrqepccerplantpain3.
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Overview This is the third quarterly progress report for an ongoing living systematic review on cannabis and other plant-based treatments for chronic pain. The first progress report was published in January 2021 and the second in March 2021. The draft systematic review was available for public comment from May 19 through June 15, 2021, on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Effective Health Care website. The systematic review synthesizes evidence on the benefits and harms of plant-based compounds (PBCs), such as cannabinoids and kratom, used to treat chronic pain, addressing concerns about severe adverse effects, abuse, misuse, dependence, and addiction. The purpose of this progress report is to describe the cumulative literature identified thus far. This report will be periodically updated with new studies as they are published and identified, culminating in an annual systematic review that provides a synthesis of the accumulated evidence. Main Points In patients with chronic (mainly neuropathic) pain with short-term treatment (4 weeks to <6 months): • Studies of cannabis-related products were grouped based on their tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) ratio using the following categories: high THC to CBD, comparable THC to CBD, and low THC to CBD. • Comparable THC to CBD ratio oral spray is probably associated with small improvements in pain severity and may be associated with small improvements in function. There was no effect in pain interference or serious adverse events. There may be a large increased risk of dizziness and sedation, and a moderate increased risk of nausea. • Synthetic THC (high THC to CBD) may be associated with moderate improvement in pain severity and increased risk of sedation, and large increased risk of nausea. Synthetic THC is probably associated with a large increased risk of dizziness. • Extracted whole-plant high THC to CBD ratio products may be associated with large increases in risk of withdrawal due to adverse events and dizziness. • Evidence on whole-plant cannabis, low THC to CBD ratio products (topical CBD), other cannabinoids (cannabidivarin), and comparisons with other active interventions was insufficient to draw conclusions. • Other key adverse event outcomes (psychosis, cannabis use disorder, cognitive deficits) and outcomes on the impact on opioid use were not reported. • No evidence on other plant-based compounds, such as kratom, met criteria for this review.
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Stall, Nathan M., Kevin A. Brown, Antonina Maltsev, Aaron Jones, Andrew P. Costa, Vanessa Allen, Adalsteinn D. Brown, et al. COVID-19 and Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes. Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, January 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.47326/ocsat.2021.02.07.1.0.
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Key Message Ontario long-term care (LTC) home residents have experienced disproportionately high morbidity and mortality, both from COVID-19 and from the conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several measures that could be effective in preventing COVID-19 outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths in Ontario’s LTC homes, if implemented. First, temporary staffing could be minimized by improving staff working conditions. Second, homes could be further decrowded by a continued disallowance of three- and four-resident rooms and additional temporary housing for the most crowded homes. Third, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in staff could be minimized by approaches that reduce the risk of transmission in communities with a high burden of COVID-19. Summary Background The Province of Ontario has 626 licensed LTC homes and 77,257 long-stay beds; 58% of homes are privately owned, 24% are non-profit/charitable, 16% are municipal. LTC homes were strongly affected during Ontario’s first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Questions What do we know about the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Ontario LTC homes? Which risk factors are associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario LTC homes and the extent and death rates associated with outbreaks? What has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general health and wellbeing of LTC residents? How has the existing Ontario evidence on COVID-19 in LTC settings been used to support public health interventions and policy changes in these settings? What are the further measures that could be effective in preventing COVID-19 outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths in Ontario’s LTC homes? Findings As of January 14, 2021, a total of 3,211 Ontario LTC home residents have died of COVID-19, totaling 60.7% of all 5,289 COVID-19 deaths in Ontario to date. There have now been more cumulative LTC home outbreaks during the second wave as compared with the first wave. The infection and death rates among LTC residents have been lower during the second wave, as compared with the first wave, and a greater number of LTC outbreaks have involved only staff infections. The growth rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections among LTC residents was slower during the first two months of the second wave in September and October 2020, as compared with the first wave. However, the growth rate after the two-month mark is comparatively faster during the second wave. The majority of second wave infections and deaths in LTC homes have occurred between December 1, 2020, and January 14, 2021 (most recent date of data extraction prior to publication). This highlights the recent intensification of the COVID-19 pandemic in LTC homes that has mirrored the recent increase in community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 across Ontario. Evidence from Ontario demonstrates that the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and subsequent deaths in LTC are distinct from the risk factors for outbreaks and deaths in the community (Figure 1). The most important risk factors for whether a LTC home will experience an outbreak is the daily incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the communities surrounding the home and the occurrence of staff infections. The most important risk factors for the magnitude of an outbreak and the number of resulting resident deaths are older design, chain ownership, and crowding. Figure 1. Anatomy of Outbreaks and Spread of COVID-19 in LTC Homes and Among Residents Figure from Peter Hamilton, personal communication. Many Ontario LTC home residents have experienced severe and potentially irreversible physical, cognitive, psychological, and functional declines as a result of precautionary public health interventions imposed on homes, such as limiting access to general visitors and essential caregivers, resident absences, and group activities. There has also been an increase in the prescribing of psychoactive drugs to Ontario LTC residents. The accumulating evidence on COVID-19 in Ontario’s LTC homes has been leveraged in several ways to support public health interventions and policy during the pandemic. Ontario evidence showed that SARS-CoV-2 infections among LTC staff was associated with subsequent COVID-19 deaths among LTC residents, which motivated a public order to restrict LTC staff from working in more than one LTC home in the first wave. Emerging Ontario evidence on risk factors for LTC home outbreaks and deaths has been incorporated into provincial pandemic surveillance tools. Public health directives now attempt to limit crowding in LTC homes by restricting occupancy to two residents per room. The LTC visitor policy was also revised to designate a maximum of two essential caregivers who can visit residents without time limits, including when a home is experiencing an outbreak. Several further measures could be effective in preventing COVID-19 outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths in Ontario’s LTC homes. First, temporary staffing could be minimized by improving staff working conditions. Second, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in staff could be minimized by measures that reduce the risk of transmission in communities with a high burden of COVID-19. Third, LTC homes could be further decrowded by a continued disallowance of three- and four-resident rooms and additional temporary housing for the most crowded homes. Other important issues include improved prevention and detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in LTC staff, enhanced infection prevention and control (IPAC) capacity within the LTC homes, a more balanced and nuanced approach to public health measures and IPAC strategies in LTC homes, strategies to promote vaccine acceptance amongst residents and staff, and further improving data collection on LTC homes, residents, staff, visitors and essential caregivers for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretation Comparisons of the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in the LTC setting reveal improvement in some but not all epidemiological indicators. Despite this, the second wave is now intensifying within LTC homes and without action we will likely experience a substantial additional loss of life before the widespread administration and time-dependent maximal effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. The predictors of outbreaks, the spread of infection, and deaths in Ontario’s LTC homes are well documented and have remained unchanged between the first and the second wave. Some of the evidence on COVID-19 in Ontario’s LTC homes has been effectively leveraged to support public health interventions and policies. Several further measures, if implemented, have the potential to prevent additional LTC home COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths.
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Mothers’ prenatal BMI is linked with foetal brain connectivity. ACAMH, December 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.13056/acamh.14315.
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New data suggest that a high maternal prenatal body mass index (BMI) is associated with differences in functional connectivity in the foetal brain that might confer a risk of mental health and cognitive problems in childhood.