Learning is the ability to acquire, or change existing knowledge, behaviours, or skills. This process may be disrupted in people with PTSD. There are two distinct forms of learning. The first is explicit (or declarative) learning, which occurs during a high level of consciousness regarding specific learnt content, for example, memorising information for an exam. The second is Implicit (or procedural) learning, which is less conscious and refers to learning that is gained from task performance, for example, juggling. Explicit verbal learning can be measured with the Hopkins Verbal Learning test, the California Verbal Learning test and verbal list-learning. The Brief Visuospatial memory test, the Rey design learning test, the Rey complex figure test, and visual reproduction all measure explicit visual learning. Implicit learning can be measured using the Serial Reaction Time task where learning is inferred from reduced reaction time to stimuli.

What is the evidence for learning ability?

Moderate to low quality evidence finds a medium-sized effect showing traumatised children with PTSD had poorer learning ability than controls who were not exposed to trauma or PTSD. This was not found when compared to trauma-exposed controls (without PTSD).

Moderate to high quality evidence found small to medium-sized effects of poorer learning ability in adults with PTSD than in trauma-exposed or non-exposed controls.

August 2021

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The post Learning appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Learning is the ability to acquire, or change, existing knowledge, behaviours or skills. There are two distinct forms of learning. Explicit (or declarative) learning occurs during a high level of consciousness regarding specific learnt content, for example, memorising information for an exam. Implicit (or procedural) learning is less conscious and refers to learning that is gained from task performance, for example, juggling. Explicit verbal learning can be measured with the Hopkins Verbal Learning test, the California Verbal Learning test and verbal list-learning, for example. The Brief Visuospatial memory test, the Rey design learning test, the Rey complex figure test, and visual reproduction all measure explicit visual learning. Implicit learning can be measured using the Serial Reaction Time task where learning is inferred from reduced reaction time to stimuli.

What is the evidence on learning in people with bipolar disorder?

High quality evidence finds medium-sized effects of poorer verbal and visual learning in people with the disorder (including first-episode) compared to controls without the disorder. Moderate quality evidence finds a large effect of poorer verbal and visual learning and memory in euthymic youth (aged 13 years) with bipolar disorder compared to age and IQ-matched controls. Moderate to low quality evidence finds a medium-sized effect of poorer serial learning in elderly people with bipolar disorder compared to age and education-matched controls. There was also a small trend effect in first-degree relatives of people with bipolar disorder aged 10-25 years. There were no changes in list learning over time (~5 years).

High quality evidence finds a medium-sized effect of poorer list learning in people with bipolar disorder and a history of psychotic symptoms compared to people with bipolar disorder without a history of psychotic symptoms. There was a small effect of poorer list learning in people with bipolar I disorder compared to people with bipolar II disorder.

Moderate to high quality evidence suggests a medium-sized effect of better list learning in people with first-episode bipolar disorder compared to people with first-episode schizophrenia, but poorer list learning during euthymia when people with bipolar disorder were compared to people with depression.

High quality evidence suggests a small association between poorer visual and verbal learning and memory and poorer general functioning.

October 2021

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The post Learning appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Learning is the ability to acquire, or change, existing knowledge, behaviours or skills. There are two distinct forms of learning: explicit (or declarative) learning occurs during a high level of consciousness regarding specific learnt content, for example, memorising information for an exam. Implicit (or procedural) learning is less conscious and refers to learning which is gained from task performance, for example, juggling. Explicit verbal learning can be measured with the Hopkins Verbal Learning test, the California Verbal Learning test and verbal list-learning. The Brief Visuospatial memory test, the Rey design learning test, the Rey complex figure test, and visual reproduction all measure explicit visual learning. Implicit learning can be measured using the Serial Reaction Time task where learning is inferred from reduced reaction time to stimuli.

What is the evidence for learning?

Compared to people without schizophrenia, moderate to high quality evidence found medium to large effects of poorer verbal learning, verbal memory, verbal paired associate learning, verbal recognition, and Serial Reaction Time performance in people with schizophrenia. There were small to medium-sized associations between more severe negative and disorganised symptoms and poorer visual and verbal learning.

Compared to people with bipolar disorder, moderate to high quality evidence found medium-sized effects suggesting people with schizophrenia show impaired performance on verbal and visual learning tasks. There was a medium-sized effect suggesting people with schizoaffective disorder also show impaired performance on verbal learning tasks compared to people with bipolar disorder. Small effects suggest people with schizophrenia show impaired performance on verbal and visuospatial learning tasks compared to people with schizoaffective disorder.

Overall, moderate to high quality evidence found greater improvements in explicit learning, but not implicit learning, with second-generation antipsychotics than with first-generation antipsychotics. Specifically, treatment with second-generation olanzapine, clozapine and risperidone, and first-generation haloperidol, result in improvements in explicit learning. There were small associations between better verbal learning and better community functioning, social behaviour, social skills, and problem-solving. Moderate to low quality evidence found better verbal learning is also associated with better work capacity.

In people at clinical high-risk of psychosis, moderate to high quality evidence found medium-sized effects of poorer verbal and visual learning compared to controls. Moderate quality evidence found small to medium-sized effects of poorer visual learning, with no differences in verbal learning, in people at clinical high-risk of psychosis who transitioned to psychosis compared to people at clinical high-risk of psychosis who did not transition to psychosis.

High quality evidence found a small impairment in learning in smokers vs. non-smokers with schizophrenia.  Moderate to high quality evidence found a small effect of better verbal learning and memory in people with a psychotic disorder and a substance use disorder than in people with a psychotic disorder and no substance use disorder.

March 2022

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