NeuroCognitive Disorders Lab

The NeuroCognitive Disorders Lab, directed by Fofi Constantinidou, is housed in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology. The lab is equipped with current neuropsychological/cognitive tests, research protocols and materials required for the ongoing projects, as well as two networked computers.

Approximately 6-9 undergraduate and 3-6 graduate students participate in research projects each year via independent studies, master’s theses, or graduate research projects. Some of the undergraduate students are funded via university programs (e.g., Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program, College of Arts & Science Dean’s Scholars Program, Small Research Grants, and others). Graduate students are funded by the university or by competitive grants awarded to Dr. Constantinidou in support of her research.

Currently four primary research projects are being conducted:

1. The Effectiveness of a systematic categorization program in patients with traumatic brain injury: Clinical trials. Constantinidou and colleagues have developed a systematic Categorization Program (CP) designed to improve cognitive abilities and problem solving in patients with brain injuries. The CP consists of eight levels. The initial levels deal with concrete categorization, such as object description, identification of similarities and difficulties. The program progresses to a higher level, or abstract thought, that requires problem-solving and decision making abilities. The CP is being tested at four clinical centers around the country and at the Miami University Speech and Hearing Clinic. Preliminary analyses indicated that patients in post-acute rehabilitation who received the Categorization Program demonstrated significant improvement in their functional cognitive and social abilities. In addition, these patients demonstrated improvement in their categorization abilities and were able to generalize their skills into new situations. To date, Constantinidou has received over $260,000 in funding from the Center for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield California and the Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, Pomona, California in support of this project.

2. The effects of sports-related concussion in college students. Concussion as a result of sports related injuries comprises a large percentage of mild brain injuries. Since the summer of 1999, Dr. Constantinidou has collaborated with the Athletic Department at Miami University to obtain baseline neuropsychological data from freshman varsity athletes. The baseline data are extremely helpful when a player sustains a concussion. Constantinidou has already seen the practical benefits of this endeavor. Specifically, in the past five years she has been able to follow-up athletes who had undergone baseline assessment and sustained a concussion following the baseline. These assessment results provided helpful information to team physicians as they made decisions regarding the athletes’ safety to return to play. The analyses, which include neuropsychological testing and follow-up assessments as well as symptom analyses, suggested that on the average, an athlete who sustains a concussion should refrain from strenuous physical activity for about 7-10 days. The data was presented at national and regional conferences. Data from this research provided information regarding the effects of mild TBI on the brain and the duration of these effects in order to make decisions regarding the athletes’ safety to return to play.

3. The effects of native language on cognitive performance. As part of this project Constantinidou led a team of Cypriot speech pathologists, who adapted several neuropsychological measures for working memory, attention and language into the Greek language. They obtained data from Greek Cypriot subjects and compared their performance to matched English speakers in the US. Dr. Constantinidou and her students presented their findings regional, national and international conferences. Results suggested that the linguistic structure of a language impacts short-term memory and attention performance due to the demands imposed on the working memory system. Dr. Constantinidou, in collaboration with colleagues in Cyprus, plans to expand this project to include older subjects from various regions of Cyprus. In addition to comparative information, this study provides normative data on normal adult function in Greek Cypriots. This is a great area of need for clinicians and researchers in Cyprus.

4. Systematic categorization training in older adults. Preliminary research in our lab has shown that the aging process reduces our ability to use features and describe everyday objects effectively. With support from the university, we will test the effectiveness of the Categorization Program (see # 1 above) with normal older adults.