Browsing by Author "Herold, Christina J."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Neurological soft signs and brain morphology in people living with HIV
    (2022) Herold, Christina J.; Kong, Li; Ceballos, Maria Elena; Schroeder, Johannes; Toro, Pablo
    Neurological soft signs (NSS) are a common feature of severe psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia but are also prevalent in organic brain diseases like HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) or Alzheimer's disease. While distinct associations between NSS, neurocognition, and cerebral regions were demonstrated in schizophrenia, these associations still have to be elucidated in HIV. Therefore, we investigated 36 persons with HIV of whom 16 were neurocognitively healthy and 20 were diagnosed with HAND. NSS were assessed using the Heidelberg scale. NSS scores were correlated with gray matter (GM) using whole brain voxel-based morphometry. Results showed significantly elevated NSS in the HAND group when compared to the neurocognitively healthy with respect to NSS total score and the subscores "orientation" and "complex motor tasks". While the two groups showed only minor, non-significant GM differences, higher NSS scores (subscales "motor coordination", "orientation") were significantly correlated with GM reduction in the right insula and cerebellum (FWE-corrected). Our results corroborate elevated NSS in HIV+ patients with HAND in contrast to cognitively unimpaired patients. In addition, cerebral correlates of NSS with GM reductions in insula and cerebellum were revealed. Taken together, NSS in this patient group could be considered a marker of cerebral damage and neurocognitive deficits.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Verbal fl uency in normal aging and cognitive decline: Results of a longitudinal study
    (2021) Frankenberg, Claudia; Weiner, Jochen; Knebel, Maren; Abulimiti, Ayimunishagu; Toro, Pablo; Herold, Christina J.; Schultz, Tanja; Schroeder, Johannes
    Verbal fluency -i.e. the ability to name as many words of a given category as possible in a defined time interval -is an integral part of neuropsychological test batteries for the diagnosis of dementia. Verbal fluency can be easily administered and thus may also be implemented in computerized dementia screening tests.