Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30834482›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2019

Sustained attention failures on a 3-min reaction time task is a sensitive marker of dementia.

Aurélie L Manuel, David Foxe, Nathan Bradshaw, Nicholas J Cordato, John R Hodges, James R Burrell, Olivier Piguet

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
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  9. Improv as cognitive activity.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025
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  11. Attention Deficits in Healthcare Workers with Non-Clinical Burnout: An Exploratory Investigation.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Aurélie L ManuelSchool of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. aurelie.manuelstocker@sydney.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8301-033X
David FoxeSchool of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Nathan BradshawSchool of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Nicholas J CordatoBrain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 100 Mallett Street, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
John R HodgesSchool of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
James R BurrellBrain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 100 Mallett Street, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
Olivier PiguetSchool of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council CE11000102National Health and Medical Research Council 1072451National Health and Medical Research Council APP1037746National Health and Medical Research Council APP1103258Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung P300P1_171478
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The objective of the study is to determine the utility of a simple reaction time task as a marker of general cognitive decline across the frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) spectrum and in Alzheimer's disease (AD). One hundred and twelve patients presenting with AD or FTLD affecting behaviour (behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia), language (progressive non fluent aphasia, logopenic progressive aphasia, semantic dementia) or motor function (corticobasal syndrome, progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia-motor neuron disease) and 25 age-matched healthy controls completed the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), a 3-min reaction time (RT) task. The proportion of lapses (RT > 500 ms) was significantly increased in dementia patients compared to healthy controls, except for semantic dementia, and correlated with all cognitive functions except language. Discrimination of individuals (dementia patients versus healthy controls) based on the proportion of lapses yielded the highest classification performance (Area Under the Curve, AUC, 0.90) compared to standard neuropsychological tests. Only the complete and lengthy neuropsychological battery had a higher predictive value (AUC 0.96). The basic ability to sustain attention is fundamental to perform any cognitive task. Lapses, interpreted as momentary shifts in goal-directed processing, can therefore, be used as a marker of general cognitive decline indicative of possible dementia.

Indexed as

AgedAlzheimer DiseaseAttentionBiomarkersFemaleFrontotemporal Lobar DegenerationHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsPredictive Value of TestsPsychomotor PerformanceReaction TimeBiomarkersDementiaNeurodegenerative disordersPsychomotor vigilance taskReaction timeSustained attentionVigilance

Identifiers

PMID30834482

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.