Previous News-items on Cognitive Reserve

Since January 2011

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August 29, 2011, First results on eating subtypes and prediction of treatment response.

During the last few months, the first results on two projects were obtained.

1. In the first project, our intern Emma Whittinger analyzed the behavioral and questionnaire food data from the first 250 participants enrolled in the collaborative research program on Individual Differences by ATIA and the Spinoza Centre, University of Amsterdam. In a representative sample of the Dutch population between 20 and 25 years-old we obtained the first confirmation on the validity of the existence of over-eating subtypes. The model supported two subtypes that are defined by the ATIA Obesity research team, whilst the construct validity for a third type was more modest.

2. In the second project, the ATIA decision trees and machine learning tools could predict the response of glioma patients with cognitive deficits to an intensive cognitive training program in 80% of the cases. The prediction was based on a number of easy-to-assess biographic and clinical variables. As a serendipitous finding, two different sets of variables predicted either positive or negative treatment response, respectively. Our collaborators from Tilburg University (see below February 28) were pleased with these results. Our methods will be extended with user control over the relative positive and negative predictive power of the the decision trees generated by the ATIA algorithm.

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June 2011, Collaboration on early detection of non-responders in depression 

The Alan Turing Institute Almere has recently started a research collaboration with Research Institute Brainclinics in Nijmegen. They have developed a successful treatment for depression that combines repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and psychotherapy. The present leading hypothesis is that rTMS attains it therapeutic effect by a changes in functioning of the prefrontal cortex.
ATIA assists Martijn Arns (director and chief scientist of Research Institute Brainclinics) in indicating subgroups of patients that will probably not benefit (non-responders) from this combined therapy based on an intake assessment including QEEG recordings.
The main aim from Brainclinics is to identify non-responders to treatment in an early phase, and also to investigate further which (new) therapeutic interventions might be used best to treat these non-responders. The first results are expected this summer.

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May 2011, Brain reserve for reading skill in right frontal cortex 

Researchers at the University of California recently reported a study in which they used 3D brain MRI scans to compare cortical anatomy between three groups of university students: proficient readers, poor readers, and resilient readers (impaired at phonological decoding but skilled in text comprehension).
This latter group provides a unique opportunity to investigate brain reserve for reading comprehension deficits. Just like the poor readers, the resilient readers showed a reduction in typical asymmetry of gray matter thickness in the temporo-parietal region. However, just as proficient readers, resilient readers exhibited larger brain sizes in the right inferior frontal region than both poor readers.
Adequate right inferior frontal cortex volume can thus be interpreted as brain reserve in the domain of reading skill. At ATIA we expect to find this kind of reserves in our large collaborative research on the prediction of individual differences on the basis of neural structures and activity.

Welcome, S. E., Chiarello, C., Thompson, P. M., & Sowell, E. R. (z.d.). Reading skill is related to individual differences in brain structure in college students. Human Brain Mapping. doi:10.1002/hbm.21101

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April 2011, Trimbos Institute evaluates cognitive fitness training

Following the accomplishment of the research initiatives of the Alan Turing Institute Almere to assess individual cognitive reserve, the next goal will be to indicate training strategies that take advantage of those reserves.
The Trimbos Instituut and the Fonds Psychische Gezondheid recently started the evaluation of a cognitive fitness program aimed at strengthening the mental functioning of a group of people with chronic psychological problems. We welcome this kind of studies and hope to integrate such training approaches in our research programs and products at a later stage.

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February 2011, Recent publication of and new collaboration with Tilburg University.

One of the aims of the Alan Turing Institute Almere is to promote personalized medicine in the treatment of cognitive deficits. Recently, Karin Gehring and Margriet Sitskoorn, from Tilburg University, in collaboration with their colleagues, published a study with a similar aim.
Their study investigated the specific patient factors that predict responsiveness to a cognitive rehabilitation program. The program was demonstrated to be successful at the group level in patients with gliomas, nearly 60% of the participants of the intervention reliably improved. Reliable improvement was predicted by age (p = .003) and education (p = .011). These predictors are discussed as proxies of brain reserve theory.
At present the Alan Turing Institute collaborates with these authors to see whether the (non-linear) data-analysis techniques implemented at the institute can replicate and extend these findings.

Gehring, K., Aaronson, N. K., Gundy, C. M., Taphoorn, M. J., & Sitskoorn, M. M. (2011). Predictors of Neuropsychological Improvement Following Cognitive Rehabilitation in Patients with Gliomas. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 17(02), 256-266. doi:10.1017/S1355617710001530  

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January 2011, dr. Kirk Daffner, MD on Promoting Cognitive Reserve

Promoting cognitive reserve and prevention of its loss is important for individual and public health writes dr. Kirk Daffner MD, from Harvard Medical School. 
An extensive review of different kinds of studies (ranging from basic animal to epidemiologic and human intervention studies) shows that the most converging evidence for factors that promote cognitive reserve has accumulated for physical and cognitively stimulating activities. Aggressive treatment of vascular risk factors, diabetes and sleep disorders is another important strategy. The use of statines, antioxidants, fish oil and other agents needs further support at the least.

Daffner, K. R. (2010). Promoting Successful Cognitive Aging: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 19(4), 1101-1122. doi:10.3233/JAD-2010-1306