Neuropsychology Abstract of the Day: "Sluggish Cognitive Tempo"

Factor Structure of a Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale in Clinically-Referred Children.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 2012 May 8;
Authors: Jacobson LA, Murphy-Bowman SC, Pritchard AE, Tart-Zelvin A, Zabel TA, Mahone EM

Abstract

"Sluggish cognitive tempo" (SCT) is a construct hypothesized to describe a constellation of behaviors that includes daydreaming, lethargy, drowsiness, difficulty sustaining attention, and underactivity. Although the construct has been inconsistently defined, measures of SCT have shown associations with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly inattention. Thus, better characterization of SCT symptoms may help to better predict specific areas of functional difficulty in children with ADHD. The present study examined psychometric characteristics of a recently developed 14-item scale of SCT (Penny et al., Psychological Assessment 21:380-389, 2009), completed by teachers on children referred for outpatient neuropsychological assessment. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors in the clinical sample: Sleepy/Sluggish, Slow/Daydreamy, and Low Initiation/Persistence. Additionally, SCT symptoms, especially those loading on the Sleepy/Sluggish and Slow/Daydreamy factors, correlated more strongly with inattentive than with hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, while Low Initiation/Persistence symptoms added significant unique variance (over and above symptoms of inattention) to the predictions of impairment in academic progress.

PMID: 22566025 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Awake mental replay of past experiences critical for learning

An NIH press release:

Awake mental replay of past experiences critical for learning
07 May 2012

Read the release

The Wellcome Trust's YouTube Page

The Wellcome Trust's collection of its YouTube videos: Neuroscience and Understanding the Brain

Amyvid Approval

From Pharmalot blog, a good read about the Amyvid approval decision:

Should FDA Have Approved Lilly Alzheimer’s Agent?
Pharmalot
By Ed Silverman
April 9th, 2012 // 11:23 am

Read the full blog post

Creating a Neuroscience Learning Community

A fine blog entry at the Dana Foundation Blog:

Creating a Neuroscience Learning Community (05 April 2012).

Memory Program

I teach the first run tomorrow of my new 6-hr continuing-education program about Memory. Looking forward to it!

Upcoming Event: "Does the Brainʼs Wiring Make Us Who We Are?" (02 April 2012, NYC)

Does the brainʼs wiring make us who we are?
Event homepage

And, as discussed by Carl Zimmer:
The Loom

Neuroscience in Seattle

The Greater Seattle Brain Science Cluster
xconomy.com
Luke Timmerman
16 March 2012

Read article

FDA: Generic Lexapro

A press release from the FDA:

FDA approves first generic Lexapro to treat depression and anxiety disorder
14 March 2012

Read the full press release

Memory: BDNF and microRNAs

Making memories: How one protein does it
The JHU Gazette
12 March 2012

[snip]

"Studying tiny bits of genetic material that control protein formation in the brain, Johns Hopkins scientists say that they have new clues to how memories are made and how drugs might someday be used to stop disruptions in the process that lead to mental illness and brain-wasting diseases.

"In a report published in the March 2 issue of Cell, the researchers say that certain microRNAs—genetic elements that control which proteins get made in cells—are the key to controlling the actions of so-called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, long linked to brain cell survival, normal learning and memory boosting."

[snip]

Read the full article

Brain Awareness Week is Here!

Visit the Brain Awareness Week homepage at the Dana Foundation!

Computerized Cognitive Testing

I noticed the abstract for this new paper earlier in the day. It should be a good read.

Bauer RM, Iverson GL, Cernich AN, Binder LM, Ruff RM, Naugle RI (2012). Computerized neuropsychological assessment devices: Joint position paper of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and the National Academy of Neuropsychology.
Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology (2012 Mar 1).

Neuropsychological Abstract of the Day: Alzheimer Clinical Trial

Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Ascending Dose Study of the Oral γ-Secretase Inhibitor BMS-708163 (Avagacestat): Tolerability Profile, Pharmacokinetic Parameters, and Pharmacodynamic Markers
Clin Ther. 2012 Feb 28;
Tong G, Wang JS, Sverdlov O, Huang SP, Slemmon R, Croop R, Castaneda L, Gu H, Wong O, Li H, Berman RM, Smith C, Albright CF, Dockens RC

Abstract

BACKGROUND: γ-Secretase inhibitors (GSIs) are being investigated for their potential to modify the progression of Alzheimer disease based on their ability to regulate amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation. BMS-708163 (avagacestat) is an oral GSI designed for selective inhibition of Aβ synthesis currently in development for the treatment of mild to moderate and predementia AD. In addition to the desired effect on Aβ synthesis, GSIs affect Notch processing, which is thought to mediate some toxic adverse effects reported with this drug class. Avagacestat produced up to 190-fold greater selectivity for Aβ synthesis than Notch processing in preclinical studies and may therefore produce less toxic adverse events than other less selective compounds. Presented here are the results of the first in-human study for this new GSI compound. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess the tolerability profile, pharmacokinetic properties, and effects on pharmacodynamic markers (Aβ, trefoil factor family 3 protein, dual specificity phosphatase 6, and hairy and enhancer of split-1) of single, oral doses of avagacestat in healthy, young, male volunteers. METHODS: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-ascending dose study in 8 healthy young men (age, 18-45 years) per dosing panel. Each study participant was randomized to receive a single dose of placebo (n = 2) or avagacestat (n = 6 for each dose) as an oral solution in 1 of 9 sequential dose panels (0.3, 1.5, 5, 15, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg). For determination of avagacestat, blood samples were obtained before dosing and for up to 144 hours after dosing. For participants in the 800-mg avagacestat dose panel, additional samples were obtained at 216, 312, and 648 hours. For 40-amino acid isoform of Aβ (Aβ(1-40)) assessment, plasma samples were collected before avagacestat administration and up to 72 hours after dosing. RESULTS: Avagacestat concentrations peaked quickly after oral administration and then had a biphasic decrease in concentrations with a prolonged terminal phase. Exposures were proportional with doses up to 200 mg. Avagacestat was well tolerated at single oral doses up to 800 mg, with a biphasic effect on plasma Aβ(1-40). Adverse events were predominately mild to moderate in severity with no evidence of dose dependence up to 200 mg. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this single-ascending dose study suggest that avagacestat was tolerated at a single-dose range of 0.3 to 800 mg and suitable for further clinical development.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01454115.

PMID: 22381714 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Neurohacks Lands at the BBC

From the Neurohacks blog:

Neurohacks column at BBC Future
27 February 2012
Read the blog posting

Neuroaesthetics

From the BBC:

Understanding the brain on dance
27 February 2012 Last updated at 23:29 ET

[snip]

"How does the brain perceive and interpret beautiful movement?

"This is one of the key questions being asked by scientists at Bangor University who have enlisted the help of a professional dancer in their quest to better understand how our brains process movement and how we learn by observation.

"Dr Emily Cross' research focuses on the relatively new field of science called neuroaesthetics which looks at how the brain perceives artistic endeavours."

[snip]

Read the full article

Upcoming Event: Cambridge Neuroscience Seminar (Cambridge, 20 March 2012)

The 24th Cambridge Neuroscience Seminar:

Translational Neuroscience
For full information, click here.

New Nature Neuropod

The February edition of Neuropod presented by Kerri Smith is up and is a great listen today. Listen to or download the edition and enjoy features about the connectome, thoughts on just how many neurons are present in the average human brain, and "The Good, the Bad, and the Monkey."

Just where did that number of 100 billion come from?

One number is sure: it is the 50th episode of this popular podcast. Congrats!

Enjoy!

Homepage and link to podcast

Can Science Ever Explain Consciousness?

The Guardian's Science Weekly podcast for this week examines consciousness.

"On 7 March at the Royal Institution in London, Science Weekly presenter Alok Jha will host a debate entitled Consciousness: The Hard Problem?

"To discuss this slippery subject ahead of the debate Alok brought the three leading researchers and thinkers who will be participating into the Science Weekly studio: Professor Anil Seth, co-director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at Sussex University; Professor Chris Frith, professor emeritus at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London; and Dr Barry Smith, director of the Institute of Philosophy at the School of Advanced Study at Birkbeck, University of London."

Read the full article and listen to the podcast