Anthony P. Salvatore

Mood symptoms contribute to working memory decrement in active‐duty soldiers being treated for posttraumatic stress disorder

A significant proportion of military veterans of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Growing evidence suggests that neuropsychological deficits are a symptom of PTSD. The current study investigated neurocognitive functioning among soldiers diagnosed with PTSD. Specifically, active‐duty soldiers with and without a diagnosis of PTSD were assessed for performance on tests of attention and working memory. In addition, factors such as combat experience, depression, anxiety, PTSD symptom severity, and alcohol consumption were explored as possible mediators of group differences in neurocognitive functioning. Twenty‐three active‐duty soldiers diagnosed with PTSD were matched with 23 healthy Soldier controls; all were administered the Attention Network Task (ANT), Backward Digit Span (BDS) task, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, PTSD Checklist—Military Version, Combat Exposure Scale, and Modified Drinking Behavior Questionnaire. Soldiers diagnosed with PTSD performed significantly worse on the working memory task (BDS) than healthy controls, and reported greater levels of PTSD symptoms, combat exposure, depression, and anxiety. However, after controlling for depression and anxiety symptoms, the relationship between PTSD and working memory was no longer present. The results indicate that PTSD is accompanied by deficits in working memory, which appear to be partially attributed to anxiety and depression symptoms.

Auditory comprehension performance of college students with and without sport concussion on Computerized-Revised Token Test Subtest VIII

Aim: Auditory comprehension (AC) and visually assessed cognitive functions were compared in early stage postconcussed (PC) athletes and healthy controls using the Subtest VIII of the Computerized-Revised Token Test (C-RTT) and Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT). Results: As compared with healthy controls (n = 30), PC subjects (n = 30) had significantly lower C-RTT efficiency scores (p = 0.018), and lower ImPACT scores; total symptom score (p = 0.000.), verbal memory (p = 0.000), visual memory (p = 0.000), visual motor speed (p = 0.000) and reaction time (p = 0.004) in this post-test only matched subject design. Impulse Control was not significant (p = 0.613). Multiple regression and ANOVA indicated an association with reaction time only (p = 0.012) for the PC subjects. After controlling for reaction time, a significant difference in AC remained. Conclusion: The relationship between AC and other visually assessed cognitive functions was inconsistent suggesting that the C-RTT and ImPACT assessed different functional systems.

Expert System-Type Approach to Voice Disorders: Scheduling Botulinum Toxin Treatment for Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia

One of the most debilitating disorders is adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), a voice disorder caused by involuntary movements of the muscles of the larynx (voice box). For treating ADSD, botulinum toxin (BT) injections turned out to be very useful. However, the effects of BT are highly variable, so at present, there is no objective criterion of when such a BT treatment is necessary. It is therefore desirable to develop such a criterion. In this paper, we show that traditional statistical techniques are unable to generate such a criterion, while a natural expert system approach seems to be capable of generating reasonably simple rules that determine when a BT treatment is necessary.

Neural network approach to speech pathology

A speech problem can be caused by different reasons, from psychological to organic. The existing diagnostic of speech pathologies relies on skilled doctors who can often diagnose by simply listening to the patient. We show that neural networks can simulate this ability and thus provide an automated (preliminary) diagnosis.

The auditory comprehension changes over time after sport-related concussion can indicate multisensory processing dysfunctions

Although science findings and treatment approaches of a concussion have changed in recent years, there continue to be challenges in understanding the nature of the post‐concussion behavior. There is growing a body of evidence that some deficits can be related to an impaired auditory processing.