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IntroductionThe striatum and frontal lobes have been shown to have early Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology and are critical for motor and cognitive function. We hypothesized gait would be associated with early-stage dementia in Down syndrome (DS), a cohort at risk for AD.MethodsTwenty-eight participants with DS were enrolled in the study. Participants walked at their self-selected pace and while completing a dual task (counting, obstacle, or counting+obstacle).ResultsAll participants were able to complete the self-paced condition and 78.57-96.42% completed the dual-task conditions. There was a trend for greater dual-task effects on gait velocity based on dementia diagnosis. Gait velocity had stronger associations with clinical dementia assessments than age or diagnosis.DiscussionA dual-task gait paradigm is feasible to conduct with adults with DS and is associated with age and cognitive impairment. Dual-task gait may serve as an indicator of early stage dementia in DS.

The study investigated the collaboration between a non-profit and a for-profit organization and evaluated the benefits and drawbacks of the collaboration for the non-profit partner. The non-profit partner is a charitable organization that supports an ethnic minority in one of the least economically affluent European countries. The collaboration stemmed from a project, in which members of the minority cultivated and processed a delicatessen product for the market in more affluent European countries. The collaboration did not succeed to fully produce the desired results. It was negatively affected by inadequate communication, the absence of meta-goals, as well as classical and multi-level agency problems. In part due to the inexperience of both partners with such collaborations, the for-profit partner seems to have taken hidden actions. These actions did not contribute to the project goals, respectively jeopardized the goals and reputation of the non-profit partner.

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis is a neurological, autoimmune disorder tightly conceptualized only as recently as the mid-2000s. It presents itself in a combination of psychiatric, neurological, and autonomic features. We observe a unique case with probable earlier episode (prior to the mid-2000s conceptualization of the disease) and a later relapse, accompanying a comprehensive neuropsychological profile tracked after the relapse and subsequent improvement. Neurocognitive findings revealed residual frontal deficits with mood changes even in the state after plasmapheresis. This case is the first to describe posttreatment cognition in anti-NMDAR encephalitis after probable serial autoimmune episodes.

Sports concussions have been recognized as significant injuries among young athletes with research demonstrating that return-to-play prior to becoming asymptomatic can have significant repercussions, including risk of sustaining cognitive deficits. In tracking and monitoring concussions during sports seasons, many programs have begun utilizing computerized testing rather than traditional neuropsychological tests to 1) determine baseline scores, 2) track symptoms, and 3) measure cognitive deficits following concussion. Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is one such instrument. The current study examined ImPACT’s convergent, discriminant, and diagnostic validity by comparing scores from post-concussion athletes (SPORT) to those from non-concussed controls (CONT). SPORT included 29 athletes, ages 12-16, referred for neuropsychological testing following sports-related concussions. CONT included 25 healthy athletes, ages 12-16, who had not sustained a concussion in the past year. Overall, results showed general support for ImPACT, when used to screen cognition. In fact, all ImPACT domains successfully differentiated between CONT and SPORT athletes; evidence supporting appropriate convergent validity was best for the Visual Memory domain. ImPACT domains demonstrated variable discriminant validity. Overall examination of validity demonstrated that ImPACT has some weaknesses but may have utility in detecting post-concussion cognitive impairment.