Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to identify if one atypical antipsychotic (risperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, clozapine, quetiapine) is more effective in treating behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). The secondary aim is to identify a difference in dosage between the atypical antipsychotics when used to treat BPSD. Methods: Articles regarding atypical antipsychotics and BPSD were located on the Arizona State University Library website and Google Scholar. A total of 13 studies were included in analyses. The mean difference of the measurement of BPSD from baseline to end of study were extracted from the studies, converted to z-scores using standard error, and the average was found for each medication and placebo groups. Data on dosage was also collected and the total mg of medication for an average participant was calculated based on type of medication. Two ANOVAs were conducted: one to identify a significant difference between the average effect of each medication on BPSD and another to identify a significant difference between the level of dosage given on average for each medication. Results: These analyses indicated that there was no significant difference between individual atypical antipsychotics or placebo (F(5,19) = 0.254, p = 0.932). There was a significant difference in level of dosage with quetiapine having a significantly higher dosage on average than every other medication (F(4,12) = 18.49, p = 0.0000456). Conclusions: There is a lack of evidence that supports the use of atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of BPSD, however, future research that focuses on lower doses of these medications and interactions with psychotherapy may prove beneficial.

In this thesis, the relationship between digital and clinical motor tests will be examined. These tests will be performed on adults of older age (~66 years). Most participants are those who are concerned about developing, or already have, a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The digital test that is given and evaluated is Neurotrax. Clinical motor tasks being administered include the Purdue Pegboard, Box & Blocks, Grip Strength, and Pincer Grip. Correlations between motor skills from NeuoTrax and each clinical task were calculated and analyzed. Statistical analysis of this data was done with Excel Data Analysis Toolpak. Means and standard errors were also calculated. Results indicated that Pincer Grip Strength (N) and Color Trails (%) had strong correlations with NeuroTrax Motor Skills, with correlation coefficients of 0.562 and -0.510, respectively. These associations between the NeuroTrax Motor skills assessment and clinical motor tasks may suggest that executive function and grip strength are mostly represented as motor skill domain in digital tests. Future work should examine other motor domains such as dexterity, variability, timing, and muscular efficiency aspects of digital motor assessments.

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that increased in prevalence in the last few decades, most notably among older adults. The gap in knowledge of aging processes, among individuals with ASD, and the increasing prevalence of Parkinsonism diagnosis in this population, revealed a need for research efforts. Nevertheless, differences in the group and age-related differences in cortical thickness in brain regions associated with motor control remain relatively unexplored. Objective: In this study, we analyzed cross-sectional data to investigate group differences and age-related differences in cortical thickness of the left hemisphere (lh) and right hemisphere (rh) of the precentral gyrus and paracentral lobule, in adults with ASD vs. NT adults. Knowing that individuals with ASD present greater group and age-related motor impairments than NT individuals, we tested the following hypothesis: adults with ASD will demonstrate reduced cortical thickness and greater relationships between increasing age and decreasing cortical thickness in the precentral gyrus and paracentral lobule than the NT participants. Methods: Group and age-related differences in cortical thickness were analyzed in our cohort of 191 participants with (N=105; ages 18-71) and without ASD (N=86 ages 18-70). T1-weighted MRI images were collected from each participant and were analyzed using FreeSurfer to obtain cortical thickness measurements from the motor regions of interest. Using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics for macOs, Version 28.0.1.1) univariate general linear models were used to test the between-subject effects of group, age, and group by age interaction, with sex as a covariate. Results: A statistically significant effect of the diagnosis group on cortical thickness was only observed in the lh precentral gyrus, with the ASD group showing a thinner cortex than the NT group. A statistically significant group-by-age interaction was present in the cortical thickness of the lh precentral gyrus, the rh precentral gyrus, and the lh paracentral lobule. For each interaction, the relationship between age and cortical thickness had a steeper negative slope in the ASD group compared to the NT group. Discussion: Consistent with our hypothesis, findings indicate ASD affects cortical thickness and may be linked to greater age-related reduced cortical thickness, of the studied motor areas, in adults with ASD compared to NT adults. Future research is warranted to investigate the relationship between cortical thickness in motor regions and the severity of motor impairments in the ASD population. Further longitudinal investigations of the age-related changes (trajectories) in cortical thickness, specific to motor regions, in individuals with ASD, are also necessary.

The primary goal of this study is to assess and develop an understanding of the effects of Assisted Cycling Therapy on manual motor performance in children with Down syndrome. Seven children (Mage 11.6 years old) completed a 30-minute cycle session 2x/week for 8 weeks on the PACT bicycle at a 35% greater rate than their self-selected rate. Pre- and post-testing of grip force with a dynamometer and unimanual and bimanual manual dexterity using the Purdue Pegboard were measured to determine changes in force production and fine motor control, respectively. Results consistently showed improvements in grip force in both hands and bimanual dexterity following PACT. My results are interpreted with respect to cerebral lateralization and neuroplasticity following PACT intervention.

Cognitive functioning is an extremely crucial part of daily living. In individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) these tasks get even more challenging. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) on cognitive functions in children with Down Syndrome (DS). This study examines the change in cognitive functioning using tests like Reaction time, Tower of London, and Card Sorting over an eight week intervention. All seven participants in the study were assigned to complete the ACT intervention, in which they rode a stationary bike with the assistance of a motor to maintain a cadence of at least 35% greater than their voluntary cycling speed. All participants completed the ACT intervention but a few were unable to complete some cognitive functioning tests due to their intellectual abilities. Overall, the results of this study showed that information processing, task-switching and problem solving improved following the eight week ACT intervention. These results provided more scope for future research in this field which can be done by modifying the time period of the intervention, increasing sample size of the study as well as conducting additional cognitive function tests. The results of our study are discussed with respect to the upward regulation of neurotrophic factors which are involved in increasing the functioning within the prefrontal cortex following exercise intervention.

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized by involuntary tremors, muscle rigidity, slowed movement, and cognitive impairments. Some people with PD experience “Freezing of Gait” (FOG), which is an acute inability to release effective stepping. The severity of Freezing of Gait can be influenced by disease duration, disease severity, and medication. Freezing of Gait can lead to an increased risk of falls, mood disorders, reduced quality of life, poorer cognition, and executive function impairments (Morris et. al.). It is important to understand how Freezing of Gait can affect cognition, as this can alter the plan of cognitive rehabilitation that the patient receives in order to improve their cognition. Within each of these domains, are a variety of tests that all claim to measure the same cognition the same way and achieve similar results. A recent meta analysis assessed this hypothesized effect. However, to best understand this relationship, it is important to assess whether the effects of FOG status on cognition are similar across cognitive tests of the same domain. This research was performed by using a previously completed meta analysis on PD tests and the domains that tests fall into. Each of the domains were analyzed individually, and the most common tests used within each domain were compared to determine their effect sizes. The effect sizes were then compared to determine which tests have a greater influence on cognition, and if the effect sizes of each test within the same domain are similar, showing that FOG affects cognition to a similar degree.