B-181: Subjective Cognitive Concern and Frequency of High Neuropsychological Test Scores in Treatment-Seeking EOD Veterans

Abstract

Objective: Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) veterans often have high premorbid function and report a discrepancy between subjective cognitive decline and objective cognitive performance. Prior investigations in high-functioning older civilians with similar subjective reports indicated that cognitive concerns (CC) were associated with the absence of high neuropsychological (NP) scores, rather than presence of low scores. We assessed this notion among treatment-seeking EOD Veterans and predicted those with high CC would exhibit fewer high NP scores than those with low-moderate CC, despite a similar number of low scores. Method/Data Selection: Baseline data from a longitudinal study of military exposures were used (n=25; 100% Male; 92% White; Age=48.4±8y; Education=16±2y). The Cognitive Difficulties Scale (CDS), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition Digit Span, California Verbal Learning Test, Third Edition, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test–Revised, and Rey Complex Figure Test were acquired. CC groups were created to define high CC for the attention, concentration, and language (ACL) and delayed recall (DR) factors using the cut-point ≥3 on factor-applicable items (ACL: n=19; DR: n=16). T-tests examined differences in high, intact/average, and low NP scores across CC groups. Results/Data Synthesis: The high CC group showed higher CDS scores than the low-moderate group (ACL: 25.7±7 vs 13.5±4; DR: 8.46±2 vs. 3.5±1). T-tests revealed no significant group differences in NP score frequencies (p<.05), though trends aligned with hypotheses. Conclusions: This study investigated novel interpretations of NP test data to explore CC in EOD Veterans but found a null effect likely due to sample size constraints. Future studies should include healthy controls and consider contributing factors such as mood and sleep.