Yoxas/statistical_literacy huggingface dataset:
Cognitive and mood status influence both personal and social daily activities, with great impact on life quality, particularly among the elderly population. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the psycho-affective status concerning eating habits within an elderly population of the Chania area in Crete, Greece. Cognitive status was assessed in 101 elderly subjects through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and mood was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Nutritional status was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable statistical analysis, after adjustment for age, marital status, education, and comorbidity, highlighted among males a positive association of the MMSE score with vegetable consumption (RR 1.18; 95%CI 1.03‒1.34) and a negative association with potato consumption (RR 0.83; 95%CI 0.72‒0.95). Conversely, among females, no statistically significant association was observed for any food. Further, among males, a protective effect on affective status was identified for chicken meat (RR 0.45; 95%CI 0.27‒0.77), fish (RR 0.41; 95%CI 0.21‒0.82), fruit (RR 0.70; 95%CI 0.52‒0.94), cereals (RR 0.67; 95%CI 0.53‒0.87), and cheese (RR 0.78; 95%CI 0.63‒0.97) consumption. Among females, the adjusted model showed a significant detrimental effect of vegetable consumption (RR 1.33; 95%CI 1.02‒1.73). A predominantly vegetable-based diet-with the notable exception of fruits and legumes-was associated with better cognitive status in males, albeit not in females. A higher intake of fruit, as well as fish, chicken meat, and cheese among males was associated with a better affective status, indicating that adequate protein supply may play a role in maintaining emotional balance.
Cognitive and neural research over the past few decades has produced sophisticated models of the representations and algorithms underlying numerical reasoning in humans and other animals. These models make precise predictions for how humans and other animals should behave when faced with quantitative decisions, yet primarily have been tested only in laboratory tasks. We used data from wild baboons' troop movements recently reported by Strandburg-Peshkin, Farine, Couzin, and Crofoot (2015) to compare a variety of models of quantitative decision making. We found that the decisions made by these naturally behaving wild animals rely specifically on numerical representations that have key homologies with the psychophysics of human number representations. These findings provide important new data on the types of problems human numerical cognition was designed to solve and constitute the first robust evidence of true numerical reasoning in wild animals.
Cognitive assessment using tangible objects can measure fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills along with other cognitive domains. Administering such tests is often expensive, labor-intensive, and error prone owing to manual recording and potential subjectivity. Automating the administration and scoring processes can address these difficulties while reducing time and cost. e-Cube is a new vision-based, computerized cognitive assessment tool that integrates computational measures of play complexity and item generators to enable automated and adaptive testing. The e-Cube games use a set of cubes, and the system tracks the movements and locations of these cubes as manipulated by the player. The primary objectives of the study were to validate the play complexity measures that form the basis of developing the adaptive assessment system and evaluate the preliminary utility and usability of the e-Cube system as an automated cognitive assessment tool. This study used 6 e-Cube games, namely, Assembly, Shape-Matching, Sequence-Memory, Spatial-Memory, Path-Tracking, and Maze, each targeting different cognitive domains. In total, 2 versions of the games, the fixed version with predetermined sets of items and the adaptive version using the autonomous item generators, were prepared for comparative evaluation. Enrolled participants (N=80; aged 18-60 years) were divided into 2 groups: 48% (38/80) of the participants in the fixed group and 52% (42/80) in the adaptive group. Each was administered the 6 e-Cube games; 3 subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV; Block Design, Digit Span, and Matrix Reasoning); and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Statistical analyses at the 95% significance level were applied. The play complexity values were correlated with the performance indicators (ie, correctness and completion time). The adaptive e-Cube games were correlated with the WAIS-IV subtests (r=0.49, 95% CI 0.21-0.70; P<.001 for Assembly and Block Design; r=0.34, 95% CI 0.03-0.59; P=.03 for Shape-Matching and Matrix Reasoning; r=0.51, 95% CI 0.24-0.72; P<.001 for Spatial-Memory and Digit Span; r=0.45, 95% CI 0.16-0.67; P=.003 for Path-Tracking and Block Design; and r=0.45, 95% CI 0.16-0.67; P=.003 for Path-Tracking and Matrix Reasoning). The fixed version showed weaker correlations with the WAIS-IV subtests. The e-Cube system showed a low false detection rate (6/5990, 0.1%) and was determined to be usable, with an average SUS score of 86.01 (SD 8.75). The correlations between the play complexity values and performance indicators supported the validity of the play complexity measures. Correlations between the adaptive e-Cube games and the WAIS-IV subtests demonstrated the potential utility of the e-Cube games for cognitive assessment, but a further validation study is needed to confirm this. The low false detection rate and high SUS scores indicated that e-Cube is technically reliable and usable.
Cognitive decline may progress for decades before dementia onset. Better cardiovascular health (CVH) has been related to less cognitive decline, but it is unclear whether this begins early, for all racial subgroups, and all domains of cognitive function. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of CVH on decline in the 2 domains of cognition that decline first in White and Black women at midlife. Subjects were 363 Black and 402 White women, similar in baseline age (mean±SD, 46.6±3.0 years) and education (15.7±2.0 years), from the Chicago site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Cognition, measured as processing speed and working memory, was assessed annually or biennially over a maximum of 20 years (mean±SD, 9.8±6.7 years). CVH was measured as Life's Essential 8 (blood pressure, body mass index, glucose, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, physical activity, diet, sleep). Hierarchical linear mixed models identified predictors of cognitive decline with progressive levels of adjustment. There was a decline in processing speed that was explained by race, age, and the 3-way interaction of race, CVH, and time (F1,4308=8.8, P=0.003). CVH was unrelated to decline in White women but in Black women poorer CVH was associated with greater decline. Working memory did not decline in the total cohort, by race, or by CVH. In midlife Black women, CVH promotion may be a target for preventing the beginnings of cognitive decline, thereby enhancing independent living with aging.
Cognitive deficits are core characteristics of schizophrenia, presenting before the emergence of psychotic symptoms. Individuals with a clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) and those with genetically high-risk of psychosis (GHR) also exhibit cognitive impairments. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain in which domains of cognitive impairments in these two groups were more similar to those of schizophrenia patients. Moreover, it is unclear which domains of impairment are caused by quality factors and which are more related to the state of disease. This research initiative aimed to extensively examine the distinct cognitive impairment profiles among the CHR, GHR, and first-episode schizophrenia (FES) cohorts. We compared the cognitive functions of the three groups and a healthy control group (HCs) using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). The participants for this study were recruited from the Beijing Anding Hospital of Capital Medical University. Our sample consisted of 56 patients with FES, 42 with CHR, 26 with GHR, and 62 HCs. The participants across all groups were matched in terms of gender, age, and level of education. Individuals with FES, GHR, and CHR showed significant impairment across the majority of MCCB domains, with the exception of visual learning, in comparison to HCs. None of the MCCB domains demonstrated a discerning ability to accurately differentiate between individuals with CHR and those with GHR. In the speed of processing and attention/vigilance domains, individuals with GHR and CHR exhibited scores between those of FES and HCs, with all group differences reaching statistical significance. This pattern of results indicates an intermediate level of cognitive function in individuals with GHR and CHR. Conversely, the levels of impairment observed in working memory and verbal learning were relatively consistent across all three groups: FES, CHR, and GHR. Notably, individuals in the CHR group exhibited performance akin to that of the HCs in the reasoning/problem-solving domain, while showing significant differences from the FES group, with the CHR individuals demonstrating better performance. Additionally, individuals with GHR displayed performance in social cognition similar to that of the HCs, while also demonstrating significant distinctions from the FES group, with the GHR individuals demonstrating better performance. Significant cognitive deficits exist in individuals with CHR, GHR, and FES, and these deficits vary across domains. Processing speed and attention/vigilance could potentially serve as robust biomarkers for identifying individuals at a risk of psychosis. The impairment observed in reasoning/problem-solving abilities might signify a qualitative trait, whereas deficits in social recognition could indicate a state characteristic specific to schizophrenia.
Cognitive distortions, defined as erroneous information-processing, are involved in the emergence and maintenance of various mental and emotional disorders, including anxiety and depression. On the other hand, several studies highlight the existence of links between these states and the dimensions of impulsivity. We therefore studied the links between cognitive distortions, anxiety and depressive symptomatology, and impulsivity. Two hundred and forty adults (aged 18-60 years, 101 men, 139 women) completed the French version of the Impulsive Behavior Scale, the Cognitive Distortions Scale for Adults and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The results obtained highlight the existence of a cognitive distortion specific profile regarding the urgency dimension. Negative maximization, disqualification of the positive, negative-focused dichotomous reasoning, positive arbitrary focus, and neutral omission in favour of the negative are thus the distortions most associated with the level of urgency of subjects. The results also show, a moderating effect of the level of urgency on the interaction between anxiety and negative focused dichotomous reasoning. As well as on the interaction between depression and positive minimization, and between depression and positive maximization. The discussion of the results focuses on the interpretation of the data regarding the anxiety-depressive states in general population.
Cognitive dysfunction has been correlated with seizure control in chronic epilepsy and in newly diagnosed epilepsy, which potentially makes it a good marker for predicting disease course and seizure control. However, there is a lack of prospective studies examining the role of cognitive dysfunction in predicting seizure recurrence at the earliest stages of the disease, such as following the first unprovoked seizure (UFS) or new onset epilepsy (NOE). Thirty three adult participants (FS=18, NOE=15) from the Halifax First Seizure Clinic (HFSC) completed a cognitive screening assessment at baseline (typically 3 months following diagnosis); seizure-recurrence was evaluated one year after the initial HFSC visit. Cognitive impairment, defined as at least one z-score in the impaired range (≤-1.5) relative to published test norms, was documented in 76% of the patients with seizure recurrence at follow-up and in 55% without seizure recurrence. Speed/executive functions and Memory were the most frequently affected domains, with impaired performance noted in 35% and 29% of the entire sample, respectively. Although the seizure recurrence vs. non-recurrence groups did not differ significantly on likelihood of impairment in any specific cognitive domains, a regression model of seizure recurrence that included years of education, baseline mood and anxiety scores, normal vs. abnormal baseline MRI, and impaired (vs. unimpaired) function in six cognitive domains was significant overall (Χ2 (10) = 24.04, p =.007*, R2N =.77). The regression model was no longer significant with the cognitive variables removed. Subtle cognitive dysfunction, especially in the domains of executive functions and memory are prevalent in individuals at the earliest stages of epilepsy. In addition to abnormal MRI and EEG findings at baseline, which are far less prevalent in FS and NOE, cognitive factors show promise in helping predict seizure recurrence in these populations.
Cognitive dysfunction is one of the leading causes of disability and dependence in older adults and is a major economic burden on the public health system. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for cognitive dysfunction and their predictive value in older adults in Northwest China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a multistage sampling method. The questionnaires were distributed through the Elderly Disability Monitoring Platform to older adults aged 60 years and above in Northwest China, who were divided into cognitive dysfunction and normal cognitive function groups. In addition to univariate analyses, logistic regression and decision tree modelling were used to construct a model to identify factors that can predict the occurrence of cognitive dysfunction in older adults. A total of 12,494 valid questionnaires were collected, including 2617 from participants in the cognitive dysfunction group and 9877 from participants in the normal cognitive function group. Univariate analysis revealed that ethnicity, BMI, age, educational attainment, marital status, type of residence, residency status, current work status, main economic source, type of chronic disease, long-term use of medication, alcohol consumption, participation in social activities, exercise status, social support, total scores on the Balanced Test Assessment, total scores on the Gait Speed Assessment total score, and activities of daily living (ADL) were significantly different between the two groups (all P < 0.05). According to logistic regression analyses, ethnicity, BMI, educational attainment, marital status, residency, main source of income, chronic diseases, annual medical examination, alcohol consumption, exercise status, total scores on the Balanced Test Assessment, and activities of daily living (ADLs) were found to influence cognitive dysfunction in older adults (all P < 0.05). In the decision tree model, the ability to perform activities of daily living was the root node, followed by total scores on the Balanced Test Assessment, marital status, educational attainment, age, annual medical examination, and ethnicity. Traditional risk factors (including BMI, literacy, and alcohol consumption) and potentially modifiable risk factors (including balance function, ability to care for oneself in daily life, and widowhood) have a significant impact on the increased risk of cognitive dysfunction in older adults in Northwest China. The use of decision tree models can help health care workers better assess cognitive function in older adults and develop personalized interventions. Further research could help to gain insight into the mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction and provide new avenues for prevention and intervention.
Cognitive flexibility (CF) enables individuals to readily shift from one concept or mode of practice/thoughts to another in response to changes in the environment and feedback, making CF vital to optimise success in obtaining goals. However, how CF relates to other executive functions (e.g., working memory, response inhibition), mental abilities (e.g., creativity, literacy, numeracy, intelligence, structure learning), and social factors (e.g., multilingualism, tolerance of uncertainty, perceived social support, social decision-making) is less well understood. The current study aims to (1) establish the construct validity of CF in relation to other executive function skills and intelligence, and (2) elucidate specific relationships between CF, structure learning, creativity, career decision making and planning, and other life skills. This study will recruit up to 400 healthy Singaporean young adults (age 18-30) to complete a wide range of cognitive tasks and social questionnaires/tasks. The richness of the task/questionnaire battery and within-participant administration enables us to use computational modelling and structural equation modelling to examine connections between the latent constructs of interest. The current study is the first systematic investigation into the construct validity of CF and its interrelationship with other important cognitive skills such as learning and creativity, within an Asian context. The study will further explore the concept of CF as a non-unitary construct, a novel theoretical proposition in the field. The inclusion of a structure learning paradigm is intended to inform future development of a novel intervention paradigm to enhance CF. Finally, the results of the study will be useful for informing classroom pedagogy and the design of lifelong learning policies and curricula, as part of the wider remit of the Cambridge-NTU Centre for Lifelong Learning and Individualised Cognition (CLIC).
Cognitive flexibility (CF) in the psychological literature has been described as an individual's ability to produce several solutions and retain control in novel situations. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to be an ideal scenario that demanded the application of adaptive thinking by students to deal with several challenges of the pandemic. This study aimed to assess the role of CF in reducing academic stress among university students due to the sudden and strict implementation of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design and data collection was completed during the 2020-2021 academic year. The study sample comprised 328 university students from Saudi Arabia. The online survey method was used, and study tools comprises of reliable and valid psychological measures to assess CF, academic stress, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emotional symptoms. IBMSPSS25 was used for statistical analysis of data. Multiple regression analysis was applied to determine the role of CF in reducing academic stress after controlling for other factors such as gender, age, academic year, negative impact of COVID-19 on daily life, and unpleasant emotional experiences. CF was significantly decreased the risk of experiencing academic stress (b = ‒0.196, t = ‒3.54; p < 0.001; 95% CI = ‒3.53 to ‒0.11) after controlling for the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life (b = 0.119, t = 2.09; p < 0.05; 95% CI = 0.02-0.63) and emotional repercussions (b = 0.109, t = 1.91; p < 0.05; 95% CI = ‒0.01-0.15). The current findings suggest that CF could be fostered among university students as a useful mental tool to cope with academic stress during less-structured educational and social circumstances that may impact their daily lives and emotional wellness.
Cognitive function impairment (CFI) is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and significantly impacts treatment adherence and quality of life. This study aims to create a simplified nomogram for early CFI risk detection. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles spanning from 1999 to 2002 and again from 2011 to 2014. Stepwise logistic regression was used to select variables and construct a CFI risk prediction model. Furthermore, C-statistic and Brier Score (BS) assessed model performance. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival curves were utilised to assess risk group-death prognosis relationships. Of the 545 participants in the CKD model development cohort, a total of 146 (26.8 %) had CFI. The final model included the variables of age, race, education, annual family income, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum albumin and uric acid. The model had a C-statistic of 0.808 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.769-0.847) and a BS of 0.149. Furthermore, the 5-fold cross-validation internal C-statistic was 0.764 (interquartile range: 0.763-0.807) and BS was 0.154. Upon external validation, the model's C-statistic decreased to 0.752 (95 % CI: 0.654-0.850) and its BS increased to 0.182. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that intermediate-to-high-risk participants had shorter overall survival time than low-risk participants (log-rank test: p = 0.00042). This study established an effective nomogram for predicting CFI in patients with CKD, which can be used for the early detection of CFI and guide the treatment of patients with CKD.
Cognitive functioning in older age profoundly impacts quality of life and health. While most research on cognition in older age has focused on mean levels, intraindividual variability (IIV) around this may have risk factors and outcomes independent of the mean value. Investigating risk factors associated with IIV has typically involved deriving a summary statistic for each person from residual error around a fitted mean. However, this ignores uncertainty in the estimates, prohibits exploring associations with time-varying factors, and is biased by floor/ceiling effects. To address this, we propose a mixed-effects location scale beta-binomial model for estimating average probability and IIV in a word recall test in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. After adjusting for mean performance, an analysis of 9,873 individuals across 7 (mean = 3.4) waves (2002-2015) found IIV to be greater at older ages, with lower education, in females, with more difficulties in activities of daily living, in later birth cohorts, and when interviewers recorded issues potentially affecting test performance. Our study introduces a novel method for identifying groups with greater IIV in bounded discrete outcomes. Our findings have implications for daily functioning and care, and further work is needed to identify the impact for future health outcomes.