Cognitive function testing

NS (children, environmental exposure) Neurological Impaired motor and cognitive function 40-50,20 years before testing current mean, 2.9 Stokes et al. 1998... 

NS (general population) Developmental Lower scores in test of Cognitive Function at 5 and 10 years of age 6.5 (mean at 24 months of age) Bellinger et al. 1991,1992... 

One of the most sensitive systems affected by lead exposure is the nervous system. Encephalopathy is characterized by symptoms such as coma, seizures, ataxia, apathy, bizarre behavior, and incoordination (CDC 1985). Children are more sensitive to neurological changes. In children, encephalopathy has been associated with PbB levels as low as 70 pg/dL (CDC 1985). The most sensitive peripheral index of neurotoxicity of lead is reported to be slowed conduction in small motor libers of the ulnar nerve in workers with 30-40 pg/dL lead in blood (Landrigan 1989). Other potential biomarkers of lead suggested for neurotoxicity in workers are neurological and behavioral tests, as well as cognitive and visual sensory function tests (Williamson and Teo 1986). However, these tests are not specific to elevated lead exposure... 

There also are numerous highly regarded, creative, and sophisticated tests to assess attention, concentration, and ECF, and these tests usually have manuals with age-corrected norms and sometimes provide sample test profiles of people with drug problems to compare with your client s profile. The WMS, for example, has a section that assesses attention and concentration in addition to memory functions. Another well-known attention and concentration test is the Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (Smith, 1991). Some of the more well-known measures of ECF and related cognitive functions include the Wisconsin Card Sorting... 

Herbal drugs can have general or specific effects on cognition. To understand the results of neuropsychological testing in drug studies, it will be useful to briefly discuss the breakdown of cognitive functions. 

Because of concern about possible residual effects on personality profile or cognitive function, we not only gave the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) and IQ tests prior to selection but also repeated them one and six months post-exposure. Although there were a few differences in the MMPI scale scores one month post-test, they were close to the pre-test values when the Inventory was repeated five months later. 

In these tests, EA 3580 produced somewhat more impairment in performance of Track Tracing Accuracy (Fig. 34) than in Track Tracing Speed (Fig. 35), suggesting that physical competence may be more resistant than cognitive functions to the effects of anticholinergic drugs with high relative central potency. 

Because chlorpromazine (CPZ, aka Thorazine) had commonly been used clinically to treat belladonna-induced delirium, George Aghajanian tested its effectiveness in reversing cognitive impairment in NF% scores when given in doses of either 25 or 50 mg of Thorazine at 45 minutes (Fig. 72). Decrements in NF% scores were actually increased by chlorpromazine - clearly an adverse effect on cognitive function rather than a beneficial one. 

Cognitive impairments are among the most common mental changes in PD, ranging from mild impairment of selected cognitive functions to severe dementia. In a study of more than 100 PD patients, only 25% performed adequately on a range of cognitive tests. Another 25% had mild impairment,... 

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