INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 02 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 08:00 am - 09:15 am Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 02: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 1 Final Abstract #100 Processing Speed’s Umbrella: Attention or Executive Functioning? Baylee Van Winkle, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States Jennie Kern, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States Lauren Frick, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States Benjamin Wenzel, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States Maggie Bila, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States Whitman Kent, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States Benjamin Pyykkonen, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States Category: Assessment/Psychometrics/Methods (Adult) Keyword 1: attention Keyword 2: executive functions Objective: Though the neuropsychological concepts of processing speed, attention, and executive functioning are used daily in the field, they frequently remain ill-defined and amorphous. Generally, Processing speed refers to the efficiency with which information is processed (Kail & Salthouse, 1994). It is frequently theorized to fall under the umbrella of attention (Danthiir et al., 2005; Papadopoulos et al., 2018). Processing speed appears to operate on unique biological pathways (Allen et al., 2001; Schmiedek & Li, 2004) yet it is clinically associated with executive functioning deficits. This difficulty may be due in part to the relation of processing speed to both inhibition and working memory (Chiaravalloti et al., 2003). There is ongoing debate as to whether the construct of processing speed is conceptually housed within the domain of attention or executive functioning or if it is a unique construct. Participants and Methods: This study used archival data from 200 adult participants assessed at a private practice neuropsychology clinic in the Midwestern United States. Processing speed was examined using the Processing Speed Index (PSI) from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). Attention was measured using the Working Memory Index (WMI) of the WAIS-IV and executive functioning was measured using the perseverative errors (PE) score on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Results: Both PE (p<0.001) and WMI (p<0.001) were significant predictors of PSI with the overall model accounting for 29% of the variance in PSI. Hierarchical regression with alternating order of entry into the model identified the unique predictive capacity of WMI (R² Change = 0.183, p<0.001) was greater than that of PE (R² Change = 0.039, p=.001). Conclusions: Processing speed is indeed significantly related to both aspects of attention and aspects of executive functioning. This study supports a stronger connection between processing speed and attention/working memory as assessed by WCST PE and WAIS WMI. Limitations and implications will be explored.

Poster

02/15/2024
08:00 am - 09:15 am
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 02: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 1

Final Abstract #100

Processing Speed’s Umbrella: Attention or Executive Functioning?

Baylee Van Winkle, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States
Jennie Kern, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States
Lauren Frick, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States
Benjamin Wenzel, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States
Maggie Bila, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States
Whitman Kent, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States
Benjamin Pyykkonen, Wheaton College, Wheaton, United States

Category: Assessment/Psychometrics/Methods (Adult)

Keyword 1: attention
Keyword 2: executive functions

Objective:

Though the neuropsychological concepts of processing speed, attention, and executive functioning are used daily in the field, they frequently remain ill-defined and amorphous. Generally, Processing speed refers to the efficiency with which information is processed (Kail & Salthouse, 1994). It is frequently theorized to fall under the umbrella of attention (Danthiir et al., 2005; Papadopoulos et al., 2018). Processing speed appears to operate on unique biological pathways (Allen et al., 2001; Schmiedek & Li, 2004) yet it is clinically associated with executive functioning deficits. This difficulty may be due in part to the relation of processing speed to both inhibition and working memory (Chiaravalloti et al., 2003). There is ongoing debate as to whether the construct of processing speed is conceptually housed within the domain of attention or executive functioning or if it is a unique construct.

Participants and Methods:

This study used archival data from 200 adult participants assessed at a private practice neuropsychology clinic in the Midwestern United States. Processing speed was examined using the Processing Speed Index (PSI) from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). Attention was measured using the Working Memory Index (WMI) of the WAIS-IV and executive functioning was measured using the perseverative errors (PE) score on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).

Results:

Both PE (p<0.001) and WMI (p<0.001) were significant predictors of PSI with the overall model accounting for 29% of the variance in PSI. Hierarchical regression with alternating order of entry into the model identified the unique predictive capacity of WMI (R² Change = 0.183, p<0.001) was greater than that of PE (R² Change = 0.039, p=.001).

Conclusions:

Processing speed is indeed significantly related to both aspects of attention and aspects of executive functioning. This study supports a stronger connection between processing speed and attention/working memory as assessed by WCST PE and WAIS WMI. Limitations and implications will be explored.