Papers by Liselotte de Wit
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, Oct 31, 2023
to predict Aβ-PET positivity (p=.046) such that female C-carriers exhibited the lowest prevalence... more to predict Aβ-PET positivity (p=.046) such that female C-carriers exhibited the lowest prevalence of Aβ-PET positivity (13%) compared to other groups (23% to 35%). C-carriers exhibited larger temporal lobe volumes across sex, yet this effect only reached statistical significance among females (females: d=0. 41, p=.018; males: d=0.26, p=.179). In post-hoc analyses, larger temporal lobe volumes were selectively associated with better verbal memory in female C-carriers (β=0.36, p=.026; other groups: |βs|<0.10, ps>.538). Conclusions: Among clinically normal older adults, we demonstrate female-specific advantages of carrying the SNAP-25 rs105132 C-allele across cognitive, neural, and molecular markers of AD. The rs105132 C-allele putatively reflects higher endogenous levels of SNAP-25. Our findings suggest a female-specific pathway of cognitive and neural resistance, whereby higher genetically-driven expression of SNAP-25 may reduce likelihood of amyloid plaque formation and support verbal memory, possibly through fortification of temporal lobe structure.
Free recall versus combined cued recall and recognition to detect true memory impairment on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
Alzheimer's & Dementia
BackgroundThe Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is widely used as a brief screening measure to... more BackgroundThe Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is widely used as a brief screening measure to characterize overall cognitive status. Although only delayed free recall of the brief 5‐item memory list contributes to widely used MoCA total scores, the optional cued recall and multiple‐choice recognition subtests may provide better diagnostic accuracy than free recall alone.MethodData on 719 individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment and 601 cognitively unimpaired controls were obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) delayed free recall condition was used to characterize level of memory performance. Participants with demographically adjusted T‐scores of ≤ 2 SDs below the mean were classified as ‘impaired.’ Binary logistic regressions assessed if combined MoCA cued/recognition performance was a significant predictor of impaired delayed recall on the AVLT beyond the contribution of free recall and whil...
Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, Dec 29, 2022
A-3 Examining The Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Performance on The Community Screening Instrument for Dementia in Congolese Older Adults
Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology
Objective: Given the lack of comprehensive neuropsychological tools in Sub-Saharan Africa, there ... more Objective: Given the lack of comprehensive neuropsychological tools in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a need to examine the clinical utility of dementia cognitive screeners in this setting. We examined the contribution of sociodemographic factors to performance on the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSID) in Congolese older adults. Methods: 354 participants (mean age = 73.6 ± 6.7, mean education (years) =7.3 ± 4.7; 50% female) were randomly recruited. All participants completed the CSID (mean = 25.23 ± 4.19). Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine the contribution of age, education, sex, and the interactions between education, school type, and participant income to CSID raw scores. Raw scores were demographically adjusted for education and sex by adding 1 point for ≤12 years of education and 1 point for female. Results: Older age (β = −0.362, p < 0.001), fewer years of education (β = −0.335, p = 0.022), female sex (β = −0.223, p = 0.035), and public scho...
Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 2020
Objectives: Diagnostic pathways are limited. A validated instrument that can triage patients when... more Objectives: Diagnostic pathways are limited. A validated instrument that can triage patients when they are suspected of mild dementia (MD) is necessary to optimise referrals. Method: The MoCA is validated for identifying MD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a cohort of patients suspected of cognitive impairment (CI) after initial assessment in old age psychiatry. The reference standard was the consensus-based diagnoses for MD and MCI, adhering to the international criteria and using suspected patients, but without CI as comparisons (NoCI). Results: The mean MoCA scores differ significantly between the groups: 24(SE: .59) in NoCI, 21(SE: .31) in MCI and 16,7(SE: .45) in MD (p < .05). The AUC of MD against non-demented (MCI + NoCI) was 0.83(95%CI: 0.78-0.88) resulting in 90% sensitivity, 65% specificity, 50%PPV and 94%NPV at a "best" cutoff of <21 according the Youden index and respectively 0.77(95%CI: 0.69-0.85), 56%, 73%, 90%, 28% for CI (MD + MCI) against NoCI at <21. Conclusion: 90% of individuals with a MoCA of <21 will have CI (MD + MCI), while 94% with a MoCA of ≥21 will not have dementia. The MoCA can reduce referrals substantially (50%) by selecting who don't need further work up in a memory clinic, even if they were suspected of CI after initial assessment.
Journal of neuropsychology, Jan 11, 2016
Prism adaptation (PA) is a widely used intervention for (visuo-)spatial neglect. PA-induced impro... more Prism adaptation (PA) is a widely used intervention for (visuo-)spatial neglect. PA-induced improvements can be assessed by visual search tasks. It remains unclear which outcome measures are the most sensitive for the effects of PA in neglect. In this review, we aimed to evaluate PA effects on visual search measures. A systematic literature search was completed regarding PA intervention studies focusing on patients with neglect using visual search tasks. Information about study content and effectiveness was extracted. Out of 403 identified studies, 30 met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was evaluated: Rankings were moderate-to-high for 7, and low for 23 studies. As feature search was only performed by five studies, low-to-moderate ranking, we were limited in drawing firm conclusions about the PA effect on feature search. All moderate-to-high-ranking studies investigated cancellation by measuring only omissions or hits. These studies found an overall improvement af...
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Background: Survival and associated clinical and pathological characteristics in Lewy body diseas... more Background: Survival and associated clinical and pathological characteristics in Lewy body disease (LBD)-related dementias are understudied. Available studies focus primarily on white non-Hispanic samples. Objective: We investigated demographic, clinical, and pathological correlates of survival by race and ethnicity in an autopsy-confirmed cohort of LBD cases. Methods: Using National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center data, we selected participants who self-identified as Black, Hispanic, or white who had neuropathological assessments showing transitional or diffuse LBD pathology. We used Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson χ2 analyses to investigate group differences in demographic and presenting clinical and pathological characteristics. We used linear regressions to identify predictors of survival with sex, age at symptom onset, education, ethnoracial status, LBD pathology type, and Braak tangle stage included in the model. Results: Data from 1,441 white, 60 Black, and 54 Hispanic participant...
Procedural learning, declarative learning, and working memory as predictors of learning the use of a memory compensation tool in persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
Neurotherapeutics
Comparative effectiveness of behavioral interventions to mitigate the impacts of degeneration-bas... more Comparative effectiveness of behavioral interventions to mitigate the impacts of degeneration-based cognitive decline is not well understood. To better address this gap, we summarize the studies from the Healthy Action to Benefit Independence & Thinking (HABIT®) program, developed for persons with mild cognitive impairment (pwMCI) and their partners. HABIT® includes memory compensation training, computerized cognitive training (CCT), yoga, patient and partner support groups, and wellness education. Studies cited include (i) a survey of clinical program completers to establish outcome priorities; (ii) a five-arm, multi-site cluster randomized, comparative effectiveness trial; (iii) and a three-arm ancillary study. PwMCI quality of life (QoL) was considered a high-priority outcome. Across datasets, findings suggest that quality of life was most affected in groups where wellness education was included and CCT withheld. Wellness education also had greater impact on mood than CCT. Yoga had a greater impact on memory-dependent functional status than support groups. Yoga was associated with better functional status and improved caregiver burden relative to wellness education. CCT had the greatest impact on cognition compared to yoga. Taken together, comparisons of groups of program components suggest that knowledge-based interventions like wellness education benefit patient well-being (e.g., QoL and mood). Skill-based interventions like yoga and memory compensation training aid the maintenance of functional status. Notably, better adherence produced better outcomes. Future personalized intervention approaches for pwMCI may include different combinations of behavioral strategies selected to optimize outcomes prioritized by patient values and preferences.
Hippocampal Subfields in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Associations with Objective and Informant-Report of Memory Function
Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2022
BackgroundEvidence suggests that select hippocampal subfields are implicated in the initial stage... more BackgroundEvidence suggests that select hippocampal subfields are implicated in the initial stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and are selectively involved in objective memory. Less is known whether subfields are associated with informant-reported memory difficulties of individuals with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).MethodData from 56 participants with a diagnosis of amnestic MCI were included in the present study. To test whether FreeSurfer derived hippocampal subfields (CA1–4, subiculum, presubiculum, and dentate gyrus) were associated with objective (learning and delayed recall) and informant-reports of memory difficulties, we used multiple linear regression analysis. Subfields were adjusted for total intracranial volume, and age, sex, and years of education were included as covariates in all models.ResultsLarger presubiculum, subiculum, and CA4/dentate gyrus volumes were associated with higher delayed recall scores, and larger subiculum and CA4/dentate gyrus vol...
Neuropsychology Review, 2021
The literature on repetition priming in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is inconsistent, with some findi... more The literature on repetition priming in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is inconsistent, with some findings supporting spared priming while others do not. Several factors may explain these inconsistencies, including AD severity (e.g., dementia vs. Mild Cognitive Impairment; MCI) and priming paradigm-related characteristics. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides a quantitative summary of repetition priming in AD. We examined the between-group standard mean difference comparing repetition priming in AD dementia or amnestic MCI (aMCI; presumably due to AD) to controls. Thirty-two studies were selected, including 590 individuals with AD dementia, 267 individuals with amnestic MCI, and 703 controls. Our results indicated that both individuals with aMCI and AD dementia perform worse on repetition priming tasks than cognitively older adults. Paradigm-related moderators suggested that the effect size between studies comparing the combined aMCI or AD dementia group to cognitively health...
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2022
Objective:While declarative learning is dependent on the hippocampus, procedural learning and rep... more Objective:While declarative learning is dependent on the hippocampus, procedural learning and repetition priming can operate independently from the hippocampus, making them potential targets for behavioral interventions that utilize non-declarative memory systems to compensate for the declarative learning deficits associated with hippocampal insult. Few studies have assessed procedural learning and repetition priming in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).Method:This study offers an overview across declarative, conceptual repetition priming, and procedural learning tasks by providing between-group effect sizes and Bayes Factors (BFs) comparing individuals with aMCI and controls. Seventy-six individuals with aMCI and 83 cognitively unimpaired controls were assessed. We hypothesized to see the largest differences between individuals with aMCI and controls on declarative learning, followed by conceptual repetition priming, with the smallest differences on procedu...
Additional file 4: of Physical exercise and cognitive engagement outcomes for mild neurocognitive disorder: a group-randomized pilot trial
CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a pilot or feasibility randomized... more CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a pilot or feasibility randomized trial in a journal or conference abstract. (PDF 189 kb)
Additional file 3: of Physical exercise and cognitive engagement outcomes for mild neurocognitive disorder: a group-randomized pilot trial
CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a pilot or feasibility trial. (PD... more CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a pilot or feasibility trial. (PDF 216 kb)
Additional file 2: of Physical exercise and cognitive engagement outcomes for mild neurocognitive disorder: a group-randomized pilot trial
SPIRIT 2013 Checklist: Recommended items to address in a clinical trial protocol and related docu... more SPIRIT 2013 Checklist: Recommended items to address in a clinical trial protocol and related documents. (PDF 113 kb)
Additional file 1: of Physical exercise and cognitive engagement outcomes for mild neurocognitive disorder: a group-randomized pilot trial
Supplementary neuroimaging protocol. (PDF 66 kb)
Self-Efficacy for Managing Mild Cognitive Impairment Scale
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2021
Background: One nonpharmacological intervention for persons with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairme... more Background: One nonpharmacological intervention for persons with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is development of a compensatory memory notebook/planner system. De Wit et al. (2019) showed that global cognitive status is the primary predictor of learning success with training on a memory notebook system and
Latent Factor Structure of Outcome Measures Used in the HABIT® Mild Cognitive Impairment Intervention Programs
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2021
Background: In Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) research, common outcome measures... more Background: In Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) research, common outcome measures include cognitive and functional impairment, as well as persons with mild cognitive impairment (pwMCI) and care partner self-reported mood and quality of life. Studies commonly analyze these measures separately, which potentially leads to issues of multiple comparisons and/or multicollinearity among measures while ignoring the latent constructs they may be measuring. Objective: This study sought to examine the latent factor structure of a battery of 12-13 measures of domains mentioned above, used in a multicomponent behavioral intervention (The HABIT® program) for pwMCI and their partners. Methods: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) involved 214 pwMCI-partner pairs. Subsequent Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) used 730 pairs in both pre- and post-intervention conditions. Results: EFA generated a three-factor model. Factors could be characterized as partner adjustment (29.9%), pwMCI adju...
Psychometric properties of theself‐efficacyfor managing mild cognitive impairment scale
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2020
We adapted a self‐efficacy measure for managing chronic illness to be specific to persons with mi... more We adapted a self‐efficacy measure for managing chronic illness to be specific to persons with mild cognitive impairment (pwMCI). The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the scale, the self‐efficacy for managing MCI scale, for use in research.
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Papers by Liselotte de Wit