The development of a new test for executive dysfunction in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01447
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Kanno Shigenori 東北大学, 大学病院, 講師 (00596645)
• Research Collaborator: Arai Hiroaki ; Shibuya Satoshi ; Kikuchi Hiroaki ; Toyoshima Masako
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 遂行機能障害 / 特発性正常圧水頭症 / 神経心理検査 / 反応抑制 / 持続性注意

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed the neuropsychological test for sustained attention and response suppression (SARS), which could simply evaluate severity of executive dysfunction in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) without psychological stress. Although the subjects in the study were asked only to press the space key according to instruction when the visual stimuli were presented on a display, the SARS could evaluate severity of executive dysfunction in the patients with iNPH with the same accuracy as the standard neuropsychological test, such as the Frontal Assessment Battery. We are going to release the SARS as a free PC software after publishing the manuscript of the study.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション科学・福祉工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

SARSによって算出される反応抑制障害の指標は遂行機能を評価するFrontal assessment battery（FAB）と言語性記憶を評価するAuditory verbal learning test（AVLT)の成績と有意な負の相関を示すことから、iNPHにおける遂行機能障害、言語性記憶障害の背景に反応抑制の障害が深く関連していることが明らかになった。また、iNPHにおける反応抑制の障害は安静時におけるデフォルト・モード・ネットワークの活動低下と両側前頭葉皮質下白質の損傷と強く関連することが明らかになった。
SARSの開発により、iNPHの診療における診断能力の向上が期待される。