The assessment of executive functions to test the integrity of the nigrostriatal network: A pilot study

Ilardi, Ciro Rosario; Maio, Girolamo Di; Villano, Ines; Messina, Giovanni; Monda, Vincenzo; Messina, Antonietta; Porro, Chiara; Panaro, Maria Antonietta; Gamboz, Nadia; Iavarone, Alessandro; Marra, Marco La

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1121251

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 111 publications

(131 reference statements)

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“…Executive functions rely on the activation of various brain regions, particularly the prefrontal cortex, encompassing both the medial [ 101 , 102 , 103 ] and orbitofrontal regions [ 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 ]. Overall, the prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in executive processes like attention, action planning, and working memory.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Body Weight: Sex as a Moderating Variable

Ilardi,

Monda,

Iavarone

et al. 2024

Behavioral Sciences

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This study explores the interplay between executive functions and body weight, examining both the influence of biological factors, specifically sex, and methodological issues, such as the choice between Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as the primary anthropometric measure. A total of 386 participants (222 females, mean age = 45.98 years, SD = 17.70) were enrolled, from whom sociodemographic (sex, age, years of formal education) and anthropometric (BMI and WC) data were collected. Executive functions were evaluated using the Frontal Assessment Battery–15 (FAB15). The results showed the increased effectiveness of WC over BMI in examining the relationships between executive functions, sex differences, and body weight. In particular, this study revealed that there was a significant moderating effect of sex at comparable levels of executive functioning. Specifically, women with higher executive performance had lower WCs than their male counterparts, suggesting that executive function has a greater impact on WC in women than in men. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting more in-depth investigations of the complex relationship between cognitive deficits and weight gain, considering confounding variables of behavioral, psychobiological, and neurophysiological origin.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Body Weight: Sex as a Moderating Variable

Ilardi,

Monda,

Iavarone

et al. 2024

Behavioral Sciences

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“…The individual must possess the ability to swiftly adjust, alter tactics, and suppress reactions. These qualities are commonly known as “game intelligence”, referred to synergistically as executive functions in neuropsychology [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. Athletes encounter several obstacles throughout their careers, such as physical ailments, intense competition, declining performance, and the need to maintain a balance between personal and professional commitments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional Characteristics and Coping Strategies among Rugby Athletes: A Cluster Analysis Approach

Sapuppo,

Giacconi,

Monda

et al. 2024

JPM

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The developing domain of mental health in sports has gained much interest, acknowledging its pivotal role in athlete performance and well-being. The aim of this research is to provide a quantitative description concerning the levels of mental health, physical activity, cognitive fusion, cognitive flexibility, and coping strategies that characterize rugby athletes by using a data-driven approach. A total of 92 rugby athletes took part in this study and filled out a set of self-administered questionnaires. A correlational analysis showed that general well-being was positively associated with years spent playing rugby (r = 0.23) and coping mechanisms (r = 0.29). Athletes’ well-being was also negatively correlated with cognitive inflexibility (r = −0.41) and cognitive fusion (r = −0.39). A k-means cluster analysis identified two unique groups: group 1, characterized by higher levels of psychological well-being, lower levels of physical activity, greater cognitive flexibility, improved coping techniques, and reduced cognitive fusion, and group 2, which exhibits opposite characteristics. The discrepancies observed in psychological characteristics such as coping strategies, cognitive fusion, and cognitive inflexibility highlight their potential impact on the general health of rugby players. To comprehend the complex interplay between psychological and physical elements in rugby athletes, long-term studies with larger samples are crucial.

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On the Clinimetrics of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: Cutoff Analysis in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s Disease

Ilardi,

Menichelli,

Michelutti

et al. 2024

JAD

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Background: In the era of disease-modifying therapies, empowering the clinical neuropsychologist’s toolkit for timely identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is crucial. Objective: Here we examine the clinimetric properties of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for the early diagnosis of MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease (MCI-AD). Methods: Data from 48 patients with MCI-AD and 47 healthy controls were retrospectively analyzed. Raw MoCA scores were corrected according to the conventional Nasreddine’s 1-point correction and demographic adjustments derived from three normative studies. Optimal cutoffs were determined while previously established cutoffs were diagnostically reevaluated. Results: The original Nasreddine’s cutoff of 26 and normative cutoffs (non-parametric outer tolerance limit on the 5th percentile of demographically-adjusted score distributions) were overly imbalanced in terms of Sensitivity (Se) and Specificity (Sp). The optimal cutoff for Nasreddine’s adjustment showed adequate clinimetric properties (≤23.50, Se = 0.75, Sp = 0.70). However, the optimal cutoff for Santangelo’s adjustment (≤22.85, Se = 0.65, Sp = 0.87) proved to be the most effective for both screening and diagnostic purposes according to Larner’s metrics. The results of post-probability analyses revealed that an individual testing positive using Santangelo’s adjustment combined with a cutoff of 22.85 would have 84% post-test probability of receiving a diagnosis of MCI-AD (LR+ = 5.06). Conclusions: We found a common (mal)practice of bypassing the applicability of normative cutoffs in diagnosis-oriented clinical practice. In this study, we identified optimal cutoffs for MoCA to be allocated in secondary care settings for supporting MCI-AD diagnosis. Methodological and psychometric issues are discussed.

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The assessment of executive functions to test the integrity of the nigrostriatal network: A pilot study

Cited by 3 publications

References 111 publications

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Body Weight: Sex as a Moderating Variable

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Body Weight: Sex as a Moderating Variable

Functional Characteristics and Coping Strategies among Rugby Athletes: A Cluster Analysis Approach

On the Clinimetrics of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: Cutoff Analysis in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s Disease

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