G.T.L. Janssen

Executive Functioning in College Students: Evaluation of the Dutch Executive Function index (EFI-NL)

The Executive Function Index (EFI) is a short self-report questionnaire for the assessment of executive functions (EF) as encountered in daily life. The aim of the present study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the EFI (EFI-NL) in a college student sample (N = 376). Internal structure was analyzed using a principal components analysis with varimax rotation, followed by parallel analysis. This resulted in a five-factor solution accounting for 44.3% of the variance. Cronbachs alpha was acceptable for the EFI total score (α = 0.73), but internal scale consistencies were lower, ranging from 0.41 to 0.69. In comparison with the original United States sample both similarities and differences emerged. Although the five-factor structure as found in the U.S. sample did not provide a completely adequate fit for the present data, several equivalent factors were found. The (cross-cultural) differences were discussed against the background of possible disturbing factors, such as gender, age, and educational level. In general, the results lend support for the use of the EFI-NL as a self-report measure. However, replication of the factor structure and scale results in different samples is needed to disentangle the differential effects of age, gender, and item translation.

Decline of executive function in a clinical population: age, psychopathology, and test performance on the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB).

This study presents a cross-sectional examination of the age-related executive changes in a sample of adults with a history of psychiatric illness using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. A total of 406 patients, aged 18 to 72 years old, completed executive function tests of working memory, strategic planning, and set shifting. Using current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition criteria, patients were diagnosed with: (a) affective disorders (N = 153), (b) substance-related disorders (N = 112), (c) personality disorders (N = 82), or (d) pervasive developmental disorders (N = 59). Test performances were compared to those of 52 healthy adults. Similar rates of age-related executive decline were found for patients and healthy participants. However, as adults with a history of psychiatric illness started out with significantly lower baseline levels of executive functioning, they may require less time before reaching a critical threshold where functional deficits emerge. Limitations as well as implications for future research were discussed.

Understanding and Remediating Social-Cognitive Dysfunctions in Patients with Serious Mental Illness Using Relational Frame Theory

Impairments in social cognition and perspective-taking play an important role in the psychopathology and social functioning of individuals with social anxiety, autism, or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, among other clinical presentations. Perspective-taking has mostly been studied using the concept of Theory of Mind (ToM), which describes the sequential development of these skills in young children, as well as clinical populations experiencing perspective-taking difficulties. Several studies mention positive results of ToM based training programs; however, the precise processes involved in the achievement of these improvements are difficult to determine. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a modern behavioral account of complex cognitive functions, and is argued to provide a more precise approach to the assessment and training of perspective-taking, among other relational skills. Results of RFT-based studies of perspective-taking in developmental and clinical settings are discussed. The development of training methods targeting perspective-taking deficits from an RFT point of view appears to provide promising applications for the enhancement of current treatments of people with social-cognitive dysfunctions.

EPA-0533 - Psychopathology and aging: executive function performance on the cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery (CANTAB)

Introduction Early detection of cognitive change is essential for the diagnosis and timely onset of treatment in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. Since changes in executive function (EF) are contingent upon age and may compromise assessment accuracy, psychiatric patients and normal controls were compared in terms of cognitive decline rates. EF is measured with the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), that has adapted several standard cognitive tests for computerized administration and scoring. Objectives Specification of the relation between psychopathology, cognition and aging. Aims Cross sectional examination of the age related executive changes in a sample of adults with a history of psychiatric illness using the CANTAB. Methods A total of 406 patients (18-72 years), diagnosed with (a) affective disorders (N=153), (b) substance related disorders (N=112), (c) personality disorders (N=82), or (d) pervasive developmental disorders (N=59), completed CANTAB executive function tests of working memory (SWM), strategic planning (SOC) and set shifting (IED). Test performances were compared with those of 52 healthy adults. Results Both in the patient groups and the healthy participants, similar rates of executive decline were found. Conclusions The present research indicates that the decline of executive skills in populations with psychiatric conditions does not exceed the age related executive changes typically seen in healthy aging adults. Still, compared with the latter, patients seem to earlier reach the critical threshold at which functional deficits emerge, notwithstanding the comparable decline rates. Understanding aging and its interaction with cognition in later life may refine treatment design for the elderly patient.