Aspects Of Memory Function Research Articles

Rhythm and Reading Abilities

This study was conducted to investigate the previously indicated causal relationship between reading impairment and difficulties in rhythm perception in an adult sample. In our study the comparison was made between the family risk for dyslexia and the no-risk for dyslexia groups to assess the possibility of shared risk factors. We hypothesized that a relationship exists between reading deficits and lower performance in rhythm perception within the family risk for dyslexia participant group. The participants were young adults (N = 119, aged from 20 to 48 years old). We assessed the reading abilities, rhythm perception performance and memory performance, and sensorimotor music reward experiences of our participants. Our results indicate that in adulthood rhythm perception appears to correlate with aspects of memory function, rather than with measures of reading fluency. Our results also suggest an indirect relationship between rhythm perception and word text reading fluency through short-term memory within the family risk for dyslexia group. A weak positive correlation between sensorimotor musical reward experience and pseudoword reading fluency was detected as well. We suggest family risk for dyslexia as an additional variable in future research.

The effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on memory functioning in older adults: A systematic literature review.

Introduction:Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed to older adults. In contrast to young subjects, it is unclear whether older adults may be vulnerable to cognitive side effects. Serotonin is involved in cognitive functions (e.g. memory). It is of great importance to examine the effects of SSRIs on memory functioning in older adults.Objectives:The objective of this systematic literature review is to summarize studies in which the effects of SSRI treatment on all aspects of memory functioning in older adults are investigated.Methods:PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase were searched for all studies published until 18th of October 2021. Articles were included if they fulfilled the inclusion criteria as follows: (1) study design is (randomized) controlled trial, cross-sectional, or prospective cohort study; (2) study population consists of older adults (mean age ⩾65 years), or results for this age-group are reported separately; (3) intervention is use of an SSRI; and (4) effects on performance of any memory domain are measured and clearly described.Results:The search yielded 1888 articles, of which 136 were included for the full-text review. Eventually, 40 articles were included. Most studies reported no association between SSRI use and memory functioning. The studies that found a positive association mainly investigated older adults with mental or neurological disorders (e.g. depression or stroke). A few studies found a negative association in the following subgroups: non-responders (depression), patients with frontal brain disease, and women.Conclusion:Overall, no consistent negative effects of SSRIs on memory functioning in older adults were found after SSRI treatment. Most studies reported no change in memory functioning after SSRI use. Some studies even showed an improvement in memory performance. Positive effects of SSRIs on memory functioning were especially found in older adults with mental or neurological disorders, such as subjects with depression or stroke.

Exploring Ripple Waves in the Human Brain.

Ripples are brief (<150 ms) high-frequency oscillatory neural activities in the brain with a range of 140 to 200 Hz in rodents and 80 to 140 Hz in humans. Ripples are regarded as playing an essential role in several aspects of memory function, mainly in the hippocampus. This type of ripple generally occurs with sharp waves and is called a sharp-wave ripple (SPW-R). Extensive research of SPW-Rs in the rodent brain while actively awake has also linked the function of these SPW-Rs to navigation and decision making. Although many studies with rodents unveiled SPW-R function, research in humans on this subject is still sparse. Therefore, unveiling SPW-R function in the human hippocampus is warranted. A certain type of ripples may also be a biomarker of epilepsy. This type of ripple is called a pathological ripple (p-ripple). p-ripples have a wider range of frequency (80-500 Hz) than SPW-Rs, and the range of frequency is especially higher in brain regions that are intrinsically linked to epilepsy onset. Brain regions producing ripples are too small for scalp electrode recording, and intracranial recording is typically needed to detect ripples. In addition, SPW-Rs in the human hippocampus have been recorded from patients with epilepsy who may have p-ripples. Differentiating SPW-Rs and p-ripples is often not easy. We need to develop more sophisticated methods to record SPW-Rs to differentiate them from p-ripples. This paper reviews the general features and roles of ripple waves.

Psychometric validation of the survey of autobiographical memory: confirmatory factor analysis and network analysis

ABSTRACT Autobiographical memory (AM) represents the ability to remember personal experiences. There are several laboratory or neuropsychological tasks to assess different aspects of memory function. However, there has been little research on self-reported AM ability. The Survey of Autobiographical Memory (SAM) is a self-report questionnaire, developed to assess individual differences in AM. Evidence for the factor structure and network properties of the SAM is still needed. Here, using an integral approach, we validated the SAM using a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (Study 1) as in the original study, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Study 2), and a Network Analysis (Study 3) using two large independent samples (total n = 2896). We first replicated the original findings, then confirmed the existence of 4 factors and found that the Episodic and Semantic categories were the most central ones. Finally, we found between “groups” differences for Gender and Anxiety. Overall, three different methods revealed a robust profile of the SAM.

Thalamic and hippocampal volume associated with memory functions in multiple sclerosis

ObjectivesAlthough multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been considered to primarily affect white matter, it is now recognized that cognitive deficits in MS are also related to neocortical, thalamic and hippocampal damage. However, the association between damage to these structures and memory deficits in MS is unclear. This study examines whether MS patients with cognitive impairment have a reduction of hippocampal and/or thalamic volumes compared to cognitively intact patients, and whether these volume reductions correlate with various aspects of memory function. MethodologyVolumetric MRI measures of thalamus and hippocampus of forty-one patients with MS were performed. The patients were divided in two groups depending on the presence or absence of cognitive impairment, based on their neuropsychological tests scores. ResultsRight hippocampal volume was found to be associated with learning, and the left thalamic volume was found to predict performance in verbal memory. Cognitively impaired patients had a tendency to have a reduced left thalamic volume compared to cognitively intact patients. ConclusionsThis study does not support a direct relationship between hippocampal atrophy and verbal memory. These results add to the growing evidence of the involvement of thalamus in cognitive impairment in MS and its association with verbal memory deficits.

BDNF Variants May Modulate Long-Term Visual Memory Performance in a Healthy Cohort.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in numerous cognitive functions including learning and memory. BDNF plays an important role in synaptic plasticity in humans and rats with BDNF shown to be essential for the formation of long-term memories. We previously identified a significant association between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) and long-term visual memory (p-value = 0.003) in a small cohort (n = 181) comprised of healthy individuals who had been phenotyped for various aspects of memory function. In this study, we have extended the cohort to 597 individuals and examined multiple genetic variants across both the BDNF and BDNF-AS genes for association with visual memory performance as assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale—Fourth Edition subtests Visual Reproduction I and II (VR I and II). VR I assesses immediate visual memory, whereas VR II assesses long-term visual memory. Genetic association analyses were performed for 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped on Illumina OmniExpress BeadChip arrays with the immediate and long-term visual memory phenotypes. While none of the BDNF and BDNF-AS variants were shown to be significant for immediate visual memory, we found 10 variants (including the Val66Met polymorphism (p-value = 0.006)) that were nominally associated, and three variants (two variants in BDNF and one variant in the BDNF-AS locus) that were significantly associated with long-term visual memory. Our data therefore suggests a potential role for BDNF, and its anti-sense transcript BDNF-AS, in long-term visual memory performance.

Scopolamine-induced greater alterations in neurochemical profile and increased oxidative stress demonstrated a better model of dementia: A comparative study

Cognitive decline is found to be a common feature of various neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to recapitulate AD associated cognitive deficits and to plan therapeutic strategies researchers have developed various preclinical dementia models to recapitulate different aspects of cognitive domains affected in AD brain. So, the present study was aimed to compare alterations in previously reported dementia models i.e. pharmacological (Scopolamine-induced and corticosterone-induced), Environmental (Aluminium-induced and noise-stress) and physiological (natural aging) models in rats in a single experimental study across three cognitive domains spatial, recognition, and associative memory and associated alterations in their oxidative status and neurochemical profile to select appropriate dementia model. All groups received their respective treatments for 14days after which behavioural analysis was performed including Open Field test to assess ambulatory activity, Novel Object Recognition test, Morris Water Maze test and Passive Avoidance test for the assessment of recognition, spatial and associative memory. After monitoring the behavioural activities, rats were decapitated and their brains and hippocampus samples were collected for analysis of oxidative status and neurochemical profile. Results showed significant decline in different aspects of memory function in all dementia models which was more significant in scopolamine-injected rats. A significant decline in levels of monoamines and acetylcholine was also observed. In addition, significant alterations were also seen in oxidative profile indicating that cognitive decline could be associated with increased oxidative stress. Therefore, present findings highlight that for planning therapeutic strategies against cognitive dysfunctions, scopolamine-induced dementia model is the most appropriate dementia model to reveal AD-related cognitive impairment profile.

Measuring cognitive complaints in breast cancer survivors: psychometric properties of the patient's assessment of own functioning inventory.

Cognitive complaints are a concern for breast cancer survivors. Among various published measures for cognitive complaints, the Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory (PAOFI) is one of the few assessing a spectrum of cognitive abilities, including those most commonly reported by breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the PAOFI in breast cancer survivors. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted with a sample of breast cancer survivors (n = 189) who had completed all primary cancer treatments. Construct validity was examined by correlating factor scores with valid measures of cognitive complaints, fatigue, and quality of life. Reliability was measured by internal consistency of the items in each factor within this sample, a separate sample of breast cancer survivors with high persistent cognitive complaints (n = 72), and healthy controls (n = 63). Factor scores were compared across the three samples. A five-factor structure similar to the PAOFI standardization study was found, with factors related to executive functioning (accounting for most of the variance), two aspects of memory functioning, language, and motor/sensory-perceptual abilities. Factor scores highly correlated with measures of cognitive complaints, fatigue, and quality of life. Executive functioning and memory-related factors achieved adequate reliability across samples. Scores were significantly different across the three samples as expected. The PAOFI is a reliable and valid tool for measuring cognitive complaints in breast cancer survivors.

Structural MRI Correlates of Episodic Memory Processes in Parkinson's Disease Without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background:Changes in episodic memory are common early in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and may be a risk factor for future cognitive decline. Although medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory and frontostriatal (FS) executive systems are thought to play different roles in distinct components of episodic memory impairment in PD, no study has investigated whether different aspects of memory functioning are differentially associated with MTL and FS volumes in nondemented patients without mild cognitive impairment (PD-woMCI).Objectives:The present study investigated MRI markers of different facets of memory functioning in 48 PD-woMCI patients and 42 controls.Methods:Regional volumes were measured in structures comprising the MTL and FS systems and then correlated with key indices of memory from the California Verbal Learning Test.Results:In PD-woMCI patients, memory was impaired only for verbal learning, which was not associated with executive, attention/working memory, or visuospatial functioning. Despite an absence of cortical atrophy, smaller right MTL volumes in patients were associated with poorer verbal learning, long delayed free recall, long delayed cued recall, and recognition memory hits and false positives. Smaller right pars triangularis (inferior frontal) volumes were also associated with poorer long delayed cued recall and recognition memory hits. These relationships were not found in controls.Conclusions:The findings indicate that MTL volumes are sensitive to subtle changes in almost all facets of memory in PD-woMCI, whereas FS volumes are sensitive only to memory performances in cued-testing formats.

Degree of handedness and priming: further evidence for a distinction between production and identification priming mechanisms.

The distinction between implicit and explicit forms of memory retrieval is long-standing, and important to the extent it reveals how different neural architecture supports different aspects of memory function. Similarly, distinctions have been made between kinds of repetition priming, a form of implicit memory retrieval. This study focuses on the production–identification (ID) priming distinction, which delineates priming tasks involving verification of stimulus features as compared to priming tasks that require use of a cue to guide response retrieval. Studies investigating this dissociation in dementia or similar patient populations indicate that these forms of priming may differ in their neural bases. The current study looks at degree of handedness as a way of investigating inferred neural architecture supporting these two forms of priming. A growing body of research indicates that degree of handedness (consistent, or CH, versus inconsistent, or ICH) is associated with greater interhemispheric interaction and functional access to right hemisphere processing in ICH, with superior performance seen in ICH on memory tasks reliant on this processing. Arguments about the theoretical mechanisms underlying ID and production forms of perceptual priming tasks suggest that performance on these tasks will differ as a function of degree of handedness. We tested this question in a group of CH and ICH young adults, who were asked to study lists of words prior to performing a production priming task (word stem completion, WSC), a perceptual word ID task, and a word stem cued recall task. While both handedness groups exhibited reliable priming across tasks, WSC priming was greater in ICH than CH participants, with ID priming not differing between groups. This dissociation supports the argument that production and ID forms of priming have different underlying neural bases.

Episodic intertrial learning of younger and older participants: Effects of age of acquisition

ABSTRACTThere is clear evidence of a deficit in episodic memory for older adults compared to younger adults. Using an intertrial technique previous research has investigated whether this deficit can be attributed to a decline in encoding or consolidation. On standard memory tests, these two aspects of memory function can be measured by examining the items forgotten or acquired across multiple learning trials. The present study assessed whether age deficits in episodic memory were affected by stimulus characteristics, specifically age of acquisition (AoA). A standard intertrial design was implemented whereby participants studied word lists over several study-test trials. The stimulus characteristics of AoA were manipulated using a pure-list technique. Our findings showed that older adults demonstrate an overall recall deficit which appeared to be a consequence of both an encoding deficit and consolidation weakness. Earlier-acquired words were recalled significantly better than later-acquired words and this was apparently due to both enhanced encoding and consolidation of earlier- over later-acquired words. The key finding is that older adults show a recall advantage for earlier- compared to later-acquired words over the entire experiment to a greater degree than younger adults.

Sleep disorder in childhood impairs declarative but not nondeclarative forms of learning

A large amount of studies have investigated the association between sleep and memory systems. However, remarkably little is known of the effect of sleep disorders on declarative and nondeclarative memory for children. In the present study we examined the effects of sleep disorders on different aspects of memory functions by testing children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which is characterized by disrupted sleep patterns. We used “The War of the Ghosts” test to measure declarative memory and the Alternating Serial Reaction Time (ASRT) task. This enabled us to measure two aspects of nondeclarative memory—general skill learning and sequence-specific learning—separately. Ten children with SDB and 10 healthy controls participated in this study. Our data showed dissociation between declarative and nondeclarative memory in children with SDB. They showed impaired declarative memory, while the sequence-specific and general skill learning was similar to that of healthy controls, in spite of sleep disruption. Our findings suggest that sleep-disordered breathing affects declarative and nondeclarative memory differently in children. Moreover, these findings imply that the disrupted sleep pattern influences the more attention-demanding and cortical structure-guided explicit processes, while the less attention-demanding implicit processes mediated by subcortical structures are preserved.

Benefits and limitations of errorless learning after surviving pediatric brain tumors: A case study

Survivors of childhood brain tumors often acquire complex cognitive difficulties including impairments in attention, processing speed, and different aspects of memory function. These impairments can affect their learning in the real world and in the classroom. However, the efficacy of memory rehabilitation techniques post treatment has not yet been assessed in these patients. We present the case of a 15-year-old boy, C.J., who acquired a profound episodic memory impairment due to a metastatic germ cell tumor and subsequent treatment. The focus of this study was the application of an errorless learning technique to a verbal learning task. We were interested to test whether C.J. would benefit from errorless learning as compared to errorful learning. Results of an experiment and a follow-up study indicated that C.J.'s learning was more efficient under errorless conditions, although access to the information from long-term memory remained cue dependent. Implications for learning with or without the support of episodic memory are discussed, and future directions for memory rehabilitation of brain tumor survivors are outlined.

Commentary response: Addressing the challenges - response to the commentary of Jarrold and Hall (2012)

We thank the Editors for this opportunity to respond to the commentary by Jarrold and Hall (2012) on our article describing the impact of attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) both individually and in combination on various aspects of memory functioning (Rhodes et al., 2012). This was the first study to provide a detailed investigation of memory functioning in ODD and is notable for having identified that ODD, even in the absence of ADHD or other psychopathology, is associated with significant and wide ranging disruption of both executive and nonexecutive aspects of short term working memory and in long term memory functioning. We were also able to replicate findings from our previous studies (Rhodes et al., 2005 Rhodes et al., 2004) and those of others (Martinussen et al., 2005) that ADHD is also associated with significant executive and non-executive deficits in short term memory and deficits in longer term recognition memory. An additional, and interesting finding was that whilst those with ADHD, when compared to healthy controls, were only impaired on spatial memory tasks, the ODD group demonstrated deficits in both verbal and spatial aspects of memory. Whilst the findings for ODD are new, those for ADHD again replicate those previously described by others (Willcutt et al., 2005). Interestingly these deficits appear to be additive in nature with the comorbid group (ADHD + ODD) representing a hybrid of the two disorders. As pointed out by Jarrold and Hall, we adopted a theoretically driven approach to our analyses. By using a confirmatory rather than exploratory approach to factor analysis we were able to derive theoretically relevant factors that could then be used to examine the differential functioning between the clinical groups and the healthy controls. For reasons

Fractionating verbal episodic memory in Alzheimer's disease

The aim of this study was to determine the neural correlates of different stages of episodic memory function and their modulation by Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several decades of work has supported the role of the medial temporal lobes (MTL) in episodic memory function. However, a more recent work, derived in part from functional neuroimaging studies, has suggested that other brain structures make up a large-scale network that appears to support successful encoding and retrieval of episodic memories. Furthermore, controversy exists as to whether dissociable MTL regions support qualitatively different aspects of memory (hippocampus: contextual memory or ‘recollection’; perirhinal/lateral entorhinal cortex: item memory or ‘familiarity’). There is limited neuropsychological support for these models and most work in AD only has examined free recall memory measures. We studied the relationship between performance on different stages of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), a 15-item word list learning task, and structural MRI measures in mild AD patients. Structural measures included hippocampal volume and cortical thickness of several ROIs known to undergo atrophy in AD. Correlation and multiple regression analyses, controlling for age, education, and gender, were performed in 146 mild AD patients (MMSE 23.3±2.0). To evaluate the robustness of these relationships, similar analyses were performed with additional standardized verbal memory measures. Early immediate recall trials (e.g. Trial 1 of the AVLT) were not associated with the size of MTL regions, but correlated most strongly with inferior parietal, middle frontal gyrus, and temporal pole ROIs. After repeated exposure (e.g. Trial 5 of the AVLT), immediate recall was correlated with both MTL and a similar distribution of isocortical structures, but most strongly the temporal pole. For delayed recall, only the hippocampus correlated with performance. In contrast, for delayed recognition discrimination, the perirhinal/entorhinal cortex correlated more strongly than the hippocampus; no other isocortical regions were strongly associated with performance. Convergent results were found for immediate and delayed trials of other memory tests. The current results suggest that a richer understanding of the memory deficits in AD can be gained by examining multiple measures, which tap different aspects of memory function. Furthermore, the present findings are consistent with models hypothesizing different stages of verbal list learning map onto dissociable brain regions. These data have implications for understanding the anatomic basis of processes underlying episodic memory, particularly related to a division of labor within the medial temporal lobes and within the large-scale MTL-cortical memory network.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Cases of memory deficits after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) have been widely reported particularly short-term memory and to a lesser extent, long-term and autobiographical memory. Explanations for the mechanisms of ECT action have largely been limited to studies of the effect on brain metabolism, neurochemistry, and areas of the brain such as the hippocampus and frontal lobes. However, passing a current of electricity through the brain is clearly a holistic treatment, and consequently, a holistic theory may offer a better understanding of ECT action. Because of its effect on memory systems both positive and negative, it is possible that aspects of memory function could hold the key in explaining how and why successful ECT treatment functions. It will be argued that successful ECT treatment is effective because it facilitates and restores the function of specific memory systems that are deficient in the course of a severe depressive episode. It is these memory systems that link a person to the very essence of their existence and personal identity.

Memory and Consciousness in Alzheimers Disease

Human memory can be split into familiarity and recollection processes which contribute to different aspects of memory function. These separate processes result in different experiential states. In this review, we examine how this dominant theoretical framework can explain the subjective experience of people with Alzheimer's disease, the profile of their memory impairments and their inability to reflect on their performance metacognitively. We conclude with a brief overview of the brain regions supporting conscious experience of memory, and propose that the memory and awareness deficits seen in Alzheimer's disease could be conceived of as a deficit in autonoetic consciousness. A future priority for research is to take these robust constructs into research programmes examining rehabilitation and pharmacological intervention.

Production and Identification Repetition Priming in AmnesticMild Cognitive Impairment

ABSTRACT The experiment reported here examined implicit memory function, as measured through repetition priming, in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to examine whether impairments exist in this aspect of memory function. Young adults, healthy older controls, Alzheimer's disease patients, and MCI participants were asked to perform two types of implicit memory tests (word stem completion and threshold identification repetition priming tasks), as well as a recognition test for studied items. As expected, young adults performed better than the other participants on the recognition test and the word stem completion task; there was equivalent priming across groups on the word identification task. While both the older control and MCI participants showed lower levels of priming on the word stem completion task relative to the young adults, the magnitude of priming was equivalent for these two groups, and reliably greater than that of the dementia participants. These results suggest that not all aspects of memory function are impaired in MCI relative to healthy aging.

P2-438: Amyloid precursor protein–binding protein 1(APP-BP1) is critically required for the cell cycle progression in neural stem cells

ease (AD) patients was demonstrated in previous research. Since individuals with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (A-MCI) are at increased risk of developing AD, it is thus of interest to apply an EL approach to this particular population. Objective: The main goal of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of a memory training program using an EL paradigm compared to a control condition, the errorful (EF) learning, to help A-MCI individuals learn new people’s names. Methods: Twenty individuals meeting Petersen’s criteria for A-MCI were included in the study. Participants were randomized to the EL (n 11) or the EF (n 9) condition, and took part in 6 individual sessions over three weeks. They were trained to learn and recall 5 new face-name associations (first and last names) using the EL or EF paradigm. The program also contained psycho-educational content regarding different aspects of memory functioning. Measures of the trained material together with objective and subjective tests of memory were administered at baseline and post-intervention sessions. Results: Mixed ANOVAs revealed a main effect of time on the capacity to recall the trained material (F(1,18) 60.371, p 0.001). Group effect was however not significant. A significant pre-post effect was also observed on two subscales of the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire. Participants thus reported a significant higher degree of satisfaction regarding their memory at the end of the program (F(1,18) 9.547, p 0.01) and also a superior self-reported use of mnemonic strategies in everyday life compared to baseline (F(1,18) 14.395, p 0.01). However, there was no group effect. Conclusions: These preliminary results showed overall efficacy of the intervention program, regardless of the condition. However, several factors might explain the absence of significant difference between the two groups such as both received a psycho-educational intervention. In addition, explicit memory and general cognitive functioning are more preserved in A-MCI than in AD, thus probably making any intervention in MCI more efficacious than in AD. Long-term follow-up of these data will permit to verify if the training gains will be maintained over time, and similarly, between the two conditions.

Aging and Memory: A Cognitive Approach

This article describes changes in memory during the normal aging process from the standpoint of cognitive psychology. There is now a great deal of evidence to show that memory is not one single function but may be described in terms of different memory systems that show differential effects of aging. For example, memory for procedures, and some perceptual memory functions, show few age-related changes, whereas working memory, episodic memory, and prospective memory decline substantially in the course of normal aging. Memory for facts and knowledge (semantic memory) holds up well in older individuals provided that the information is used frequently, although the ability to retrieve highly specific information (such as names) typically declines. The article discusses current theoretical accounts of the effects of aging; different theorists have attributed the changes in memory and cognition to mental slowing, declining attentional resources, an inability to inhibit unwanted information, and a decline in cognitive control. Other suggestions include the notion that memory performance in older adults is particularly vulnerable when the need for self-initiated processing is greatest; conversely, performance is greatly helped by the provision of environmental support. The practical implications of these research findings and ideas include the point that clinical memory assessments should incorporate tests designed to measure the different aspects of memory functioning.