Autobiographical Memory Test Research Articles

Role of autobiographical memory in the impact of MBCT on dysfunctional attitudes, depressive symptoms and anxiety in bipolar I patients

BackgroundThe literature suggests that cognitive reactivity in bipolar patients can increase relapse vulnerability, is enhanced by depressive mood and dysfunctional attitudes, and could be improved with MBCT. Autobiographical memory (AM) could be involved in cognitive reactivity, and improved with MBCT training. This study aims to investigate the effect of MBCT for bipolar patients on depressive and anxious symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes and AM, and the predictive versus mediating role of AM in the impact of MBCT on clinical symptoms. MethodsSixty-two outpatients diagnosed with bipolar I disorder were assigned to MBCT and were compared to 37 bipolar patients on a waiting list. Affective symptoms and dysfunctional attitudes were explored using self-report inventories (BDI, BAI, DAS) and AM was assessed using the Autobiographical Memory Test. ResultsPatients receiving MBCT demonstrated significantly decreased depressive symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes, overgeneral memories and omissions, and increased specific memories. General AM and omissions at baseline respectively predicted lower anxiety and dysfunctional attitudes improvement following therapy, but the improvement of AM did not explain the impact of MBCT on depression and dysfunctional attitudes improvement. LimitsFurther studies should consider patients’ therapeutic adherence and mechanisms involved in MBCT in order to better apprehend how MBCT may reduce dysfunctional attitudes and improve AM in bipolar patients. ConclusionResults are consistent with the hypothesis that MBCT reduces cognitive reactivity and AM impairment in bipolar disorders. Findings suggest that AM training prior to MBCT may influence MBCT efficacy, but that MBCT efficacy on AM and clinical symptoms are non-related phenomena.

Autobiographical memory as a latent vulnerability mechanism following childhood maltreatment: Association with future depression symptoms and prosocial behavior.

Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered neural reactivity during autobiographical memory (ABM) recall and a pattern of overgeneral memory (OGM). Altered ABM and OGM have been linked with psychopathology and poorer social functioning. The present study investigated the association between altered ABM and subsequent socio-emotional functioning (measured two years later) in a sample of adolescents with (N = 20; maltreatment group, MT) and without (N = 17; non-MT group) documented childhood maltreatment histories. At baseline, adolescents (aged 12.6 ± 1.45 years) were administered the Autobiographical Memory Test to measure OGM. Participants also recalled specific ABMs in response to emotionally valenced cue words during functional MRI. Adolescents in both groups underwent assessments measuring depressive symptoms and prosocial behavior at both timepoints. Regression analyses were carried out to predict outcome measures at follow-up controlling for baseline levels. In the MT group, greater OGM at baseline significantly predicted reduced prosocial behavior at follow-up and showed a trend level association with elevated depressive symptoms. Patterns of altered ABM-related brain activity did not significantly predict future psycho-social functioning. The current findings highlight the potential value of OGM as a cognitive mechanism that could be targeted to reduce risk of depression in adolescents with prior histories of maltreatment.

Comparison of systemic lupus erythematosus patients and healthy individuals in terms of autobiographical memory, mood, and cognitive emotion regulation.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown cause. It affects different organs in the body. Neuropsychiatric manifestations are among the adverse effects of this disease. Considering the importance of neuropsychiatric manifestations, especially memory dysfunction and mood disorders, early neuropsychological evaluation and serious rehabilitation programs are needed. The present study aimed to compare SLE patients and healthy individuals in terms of autobiographical memory, mood, and cognitive emotion regulation. A sample of 30 SLE patients and 30 healthy individuals was selected by the convenience sampling method. The sample was evaluated by tests such as the Autobiographical Memory Test, the Beck Depression Inventory-second edition, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by the univariate analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of variance, and the Mann-Whitney U tests. The results of the study revealed a significant difference (p < .01) between SLE patients and healthy individuals in terms of autobiographical memory functioning in retrieving past memories and delay in retrieving memories. A significant difference (p < .001) was also found between SLE patients and healthy individuals in terms of mood. However, no significant difference was observed in terms of cognitive emotion regulation. Based on the results of this study, SLE patients' memory, especially autobiographical memory, and their mood are adversely affected by the disease-related neurological damage.

Effect of the NMDA receptor partial agonist, d-cycloserine, on emotional processing and autobiographical memory.

Studies suggest that d-cycloserine (DCS) may have antidepressant potential through its interaction with the glycine site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; however, clinical evidence of DCS's efficacy as a treatment for depression is limited. Other evidence suggests that DCS affects emotional learning which may also be relevant for the treatment of depression and anxiety. The aim of the present investigation was to assess the effect of DCS on emotional processing in healthy volunteers and to further characterise its effects on emotional and autobiographical memory. Forty healthy volunteers were randomly allocated to a single dose of 250 mg DCS or placebo in a double-blind design. Three hours later, participants performed an Emotional Test Battery [including Facial Expression Recognition Task (FERT), Emotional Categorisation Task (ECAT), Emotional Recall Task (EREC), Facial Dot-Probe Task (FDOT) and Emotional Recognition Memory Task (EMEM)] and an Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT). Also, participants performed the FERT, EREC and AMT tasks again after 24 h in order to assess longer lasting effects of a single dose of DCS. DCS did not significantly affect the FERT, EMEM and FDOT performance but significantly increased emotional memory and classification for positive words v. negative words. Also, DCS enhanced the retrieval of more specific autobiographical memories, and this effect persisted at 24 h. These findings support the suggestion that low-dose DCS increases specific autobiographical memory retrieval and positive emotional memory. Such effects make it an intriguing agent for further investigation in clinical depression, which is characterised by decreased autobiographical memory specificity and increased negative bias in memory recall. It also underscores the potential role of DCS as an adjunct to cognitive behavioural therapy in depression.

Examining the effects of memory specificity and perceptual load on susceptibility to misleading information

SummaryOur study aimed to examine the role of perceptual load in eyewitness memory and susceptibility to misinformation and establish whether trait‐based memory specificity protects against misinformation. Participants (n = 264) viewed a video depicting a crime and completed a memory questionnaire immediately afterwards and 1 week later. Memory specificity was measured using the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT). Higher AMT scores were associated with better memory accuracy. Performance was worse in the high load compared to the low load condition at immediate recall. However, this effect was not seen for every question and load did not influence eyewitness identifications. To test the possibility that load effects were not fully captured by the questionnaire in experiment 1, we conducted a second experiment (n = 120) where we systematically manipulated misinformation about central and peripheral details. We found no effects. Our findings suggest that high perceptual load enhances eyewitness suggestibility, while specific autobiographical memory protects against misinformation.

Observing the self, avoiding the experience? The role of the observer perspective in autobiographical recall and its relationship to depression in adolescence

ABSTRACTThe tendency to adopt an observer perspective (OP) when recalling autobiographical memories has been shown to be related to both avoidance and depression in adults. Very little research has examined this relationship in adolescents, however, and none of this work has adopted a longitudinal paradigm. This is an important gap in light of the marked escalation in rates of depression across the adolescent period. The current study therefore examined the concurrent and longitudinal (one year) relationships between observer perspective in the Minimal Instruction Autobiographical Memory Test (Mi-AMT; Debeer, E., Hermans, D., & Raes, F. (2009). Associations between components of rumination and autobiographical memory specificity as measured by a minimal instructions autobiographical memory test. Memory, 17(8), 892–903. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658210903376243), avoidance, and depression in a large, longitudinal sample of adolescents (mean age = 15.03 at T1). Consistent with predictions we found a significant but small cross-sectional correlation between OP and higher levels of depressive symptoms, however the relationship with avoidance was not significant. Contrary to predictions, the longitudinal relationships of OP with avoidance and depression were not significant. These findings raise the possibility that OP may be negligibly related to avoidance or depression during adolescence.

A multi-method comparison of autobiographical memory impairments amongst younger and older adults

Objectives: Research indicates that, compared to younger adults, older adults have difficulty recalling memories of specific past events (those lasting less than 24 h) and this difficulty is associated with depression. These studies are largely confined to a single measure of specific memory recall and there are conflicting findings when alternative measures are used. This investigation provides the first comparison of memory specificity between younger and older adults using several different measures.Method: Older (n = 105) and younger (n = 88) adults completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) and Sentence Completion for Events from the Past Test (SCEPT) and the number of specific memories was quantified for each measure. Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory Version II (BDI-II).Results: Compared to younger adults, older adults recalled fewer specific memories in the AMT and more specific memories in the AMI. This latter effect was particularly pronounced for memories related to childhood. There was no group difference in responses in the SCEPT. There was no evidence of an association between memory specificity and depression for any of the measures.Conclusion: Older adults have difficulty retrieving specific memories after cuing by nouns and adjectives, as in the AMT, but they have enhanced recall of specific memories after cuing by life periods, as in the AMI, and this is particularly true of memories related to childhood. Individual differences in memory specificity are not related to depression symptoms in healthy samples.

Autobiographical Memory Impairment in Adolescents in Out-of-Home Care.

Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for emotional problems in adolescence and adulthood and has deleterious effects on cognitive functions such as working memory. A key aspect in the study of the cognitive and affective consequences of maltreatment is autobiographical memory, especially regarding the difficulty retrieving specific memories, known as overgeneral memory. In this study, autobiographical memory tests, working memory, and a depressive symptom assessment were administered to 48 adolescents in care with a history of maltreatment (22 abused and 26 neglected) without mental disorder, who had been removed from their family and were living in residential child care, and to 61 adolescents nonmaltreated who had never been placed in care. The results show that adolescents with a history of maltreatment remember fewer specific events (Cohen d = 1.1-1.3) and that both working memory and depressive symptoms are involved in overgeneral memory (R2 = .13-.26). Directions for future research include neuropsychological assessment and implementation of a training program to increase specific memory recall in this population.

Increased Direct Retrieval of Overgeneral Categoric Memory in Individuals with Dysphoria and a History of Major Depression

Increased overgeneral categoric memory has been reported in individuals with dysphoria and a history of depression. In three experiments, we examined whether increased categoric memory among individuals with depression occurs through generative or direct retrieval. Generative retrieval requires effort or additional information until the end of retrieval; direct retrieval occurs without such effort or information. Participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test with minimal instructions and were asked whether each retrieval was generative or direct. Depressive symptoms were assessed using a self-reported scale and structured interview. Across three studies, we found that individuals with dysphoria and a history of depression reported high proportions of categoric memory via direct retrieval for negative cues. In addition, Study 3 showed that trait dysfunctional schema predicts direct retrieval of categoric memory for negative cues. We suggest that direct retrieval of categoric memory could indicate depression vulnerability. Decomposing the overgeneral memory (OGM) will help us gain a better understanding of the association between OGM and its negative outcomes.

Musical and Photographic Stimulations on the Symptomatology of Alzheimer’s Disease in Elderly

Background: Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and neurodegenerative disorder characterized by deterioration of brain functions. Psychosocial interventions such as music and photographic stimuli may contribute to cognitive and sensory exercise or rehabilitation. Objective: Evaluate musical and photographic stimuli in elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: It is an uncontrolled clinical trial, before-after type, eleven subjects composing the sample. Participants were submitted to Katz Index, Autobiographical Memory Test, GDS-15, Mini-Mental State Examination. The collection instruments were used on the first and last day of intervention, individually. There were 2 sessions in the week with duration of 50 minutes totaling 20 sessions. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics and as variables expressed as mean standard deviation. Results: There was a significant effect of cognitive activity (P , it was observed that a small advance (P = 0.05) of the daily life activities. With the analysis of GDS-15, it is verified that they are more effective for the increase of the previous self-estimation of the therapy (P = 0.94). In the application of the AMT, it is observed that there was a better recruitment of the memory for the neutral words. Conclusion: Musical and photographic stimuli had a positive effect on the cognitive level, daily life activities and autobiographical memory in seniors with Alzheimer’s disease.

Psychometric Evaluation of an Episodic Future Thinking Variant of the Autobiographical Memory Test – Episodic Future Thinking-Test (EFT-T)

Abstract. Future-oriented variants of the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) are often used to assess the generation of specific episodic future thoughts, however, as yet the underlying factor structure of items in this modified test has not been examined. Therefore, over two studies we examined the factor structure and validity of an episodic future thinking variant of the Autobiographical Memory Test (Episodic Future Thinking-Test; EFT-T). In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis ( N = 466) showed a one-factor structure underlying responses to positive, negative, and concrete noun cue words on the EFT-T. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis with a different sample ( N = 304) and using different cue words showed a good fit for a single-factor structure. In both studies, good convergent validity was found with scores on the EFT-T correlating with autobiographical memory specificity scores, with support for divergent factors also. Mixed support was found for associations with measures of mental imagery, and the implications for measurement are discussed. These studies provide the first evidence that the EFT-T unidimensionally assesses specificity in episodic future thinking across two cue word sets.

Retrieval of negative autobiographical memories is associated with hostile attributions in ambiguous situations amongst people with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is characterised by difficulty understanding the thoughts and intentions of other people. Misunderstandings could lead people to attribute hostility to others’ actions. Theories suggest that we use our autobiographical memories to inform our understanding of other people but no study has examined the relation between memory and hostile attributions in schizophrenia. People with (n = 42) and without (n = 34) schizophrenia diagnoses completed The Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Questionnaire (AIHQ) to assess their tendency to attribute hostility to other people’s actions and the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) to assess their ability to recall specific positive and negative autobiographical memories. In linear regressions the interaction between diagnostic group and the proportion of specific negative memories participants retrieved explained significant variance in each AIHQ index. Follow-up correlation analyses showed that participants with schizophrenia who retrieved more negative memories also attributed greater hostility to other people’s actions (r = 0.47) and reported that they would respond with greater aggression (r = 0.59). These correlations were in the opposite direction for controls. People with schizophrenia may use their memories for negative past events to understand the actions and intentions of other people, leading to attributions of hostility for otherwise benign actions.

The Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART): A Measure of Individual Differences in Autobiographical Memory

We introduce the Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART) to examine individual differences in how well people think they remember personal events. The ART comprises seven theoretically motivated and empirically supported interrelated aspects of recollecting autobiographical memories: reliving, vividness, visual imagery, scene, narrative coherence, life-story relevance, and rehearsal. Desirable psychometric properties of the ART are established by confirmatory factor analyses demonstrating that items probing each of the seven components form well-defined, yet highly correlated, factors that are indicators of a single underlying second-order factor. The ART shows high test-retest reliability over delays averaging three weeks and correlates meaningfully with a test of different categories of memory. Overall, the findings document that autobiographical recollection is a dimension that varies among individuals. The ART forms a reliable and easily administered autobiographical memory test that will help to integrate autobiographical memory research with fields generally concerned with individual differences, such as health and personality psychology.

Relation of positive memory recall count and accessibility with post-trauma mental health

ABSTRACTPositive memory encoding and retrieval deficits have an empirical relation with several post-trauma outcomes. Drawing from the Contractor et al. model, we examined relations between positive memory characteristics and post-trauma mental health indicators. A trauma-exposed community sample of 203 participants (Mage = 35.40 years; 61.10% female) was recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Participants completed measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), posttraumatic cognitions (Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory), affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), count/number of recalled specific positive memories (Autobiographical Memory Test) and accessibility of a specific positive memory (i.e., subjective ease of recalling details of a memory; Memory Experiences Questionnaire-Short Form). Linear regression results indicated that PTSD intrusion severity, PTSD negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM) severity, PTSD alterations in arousal and reactivity (AAR) severity, self-blame, and positive affect significantly and negatively predicted the count of specific positive memories. Further, PTSD NACM severity, PTSD AAR severity, negative cognitions about the self, and negative affect significantly and negatively predicted accessibility of a specific positive memory. Thus, count/accessibility of specific positive memories was associated with several post-trauma mental health indicators; this highlights the relevance and potential impact of integrating positive memories into trauma treatment.

Sleep and cognitive development in preschoolers: Stress and autobiographical performance associations

Sleep regulation is an important developmental milestone for children. Although sleep quality has been associated with mental health as a function of negative valence of memories, to our knowledge, there is no information about autobiographical memory specificity and sleep functioning among children ages 3 to 6 years. Because autobiographical memory is consolidated at 4 and a half years of age, this is an important developmental period to study. Thus, the main aim of this study was to examine the relationship between sleep characteristics (by parental self-report) and performance on the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) adapted for children (Nieto, Ros, Mateo, Ricarte, & Latorre, 2017), as well as the relationships between sleep characteristics, AMT and stress levels. One hundred seventy children (51% boys) between the ages of 41 and 78 months were tested in an infant/preschool context. Results showed that the time (measured in minutes) slept during the night or the day positively correlated with autobiographical memory specificity, regardless of memory valence. Finally, specific memories with a positive valence correlated negatively with stress. Due to the relevance of sleep for neurological development and its association with psychopathology, the current results support the significance of controlling sleep quality in the development of autobiographical memory in children, as well as the need to explore its possible association with the presence of positive or negative emotional state during retrieval. In short, our results represent the first approach to the subject under study, which should be completed with objective sleep measures.

Reciprocal Relationship Between Reduced Autobiographical Memory Specificity and Depressive Symptoms in Nonclinical Populations

Previous studies have demonstrated that patients with major depression have reduced autobiographical memory specificity (AMS), and reduced AMS predicts a worse course of depression. However, in nonclinical populations, the relationship between depressive symptoms and reduced AMS is unclear, as well as whether reduced AMS predicts high levels of depressive symptoms. A 6-month prospective study of 150 undergraduate students was conducted. Participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test Optional Instructions, which is suitable for detecting reduced AMS in nonclinical populations. A cross-lagged panel design showed a significant reciprocal relationship between depressive symptoms and reduced AMS. Additional analysis revealed that reduced AMS at time 1 predicted depressive symptoms at time 2 for individuals with high levels of depressive symptoms at time 1. These results suggest that reduced AMS in nonclinical populations with some degree of depressive symptoms is a potential target for interventions to prevent the onset of depression.

The mediating effect of generalized autobiographical memory between shame and depression in college students

Objective To explore the mediating effect of overgeneral autobiographical memory between shame and depression in college students. Methods Randomly selected 205 undergraduates were tested using Shame Scale (SS), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Autobiographical Memory Test(AMT). Results (1)The total score of shame was (58.46±12.34). The total score of overgeneral autobiographical memory was (5.19±2.11). The total score of depression was (19.62±5.36). The correlation results showed that the sense of shame, the overgeneral autobiographical memory and depression were positively correlated with each other(r=1.99, 0.48, 0.28; all P<0.01). (2)Mediation effect analysis and further Boot-strap test showed that sense of shame positively predicted depression, and overgeneral autobiographical memory partly mediated the association between the shame and depression, accounting for 10% of total effect. Conclusion During the clinical treatment of depression, medical profession can reduce the depression caused by shame by intervening in the generalization of autobiographical memory of patients with depression. Key words: Sense of shame; Overgeneral autobiographical memory; Depression; Mediating role

Autobiographical Memory From Different Life Stages in Individuals With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Autobiographical memory dysfunction is a marker of vulnerability to depression. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience high rates of depression and memory impairment, and autobiographical memory impairments have been observed compared to healthy controls; however, these groups were not age-matched. This study aimed to determine whether individuals with untreated OSA have impaired autobiographical memory when compared to age-matched controls, and to assess the quality of autobiographical memories from three broad time points. A total of 44 participants with OSA (M age=49.4±13.0) and 44 age-matched controls (M age=50.0±13.1) completed the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) to assess semantic and episodic memories from three different life stages, and 44 OSA participants and 37 controls completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) to assess overgeneral memory recall (an inability to retrieve specific memories). OSA participants had significantly poorer semantic recall of early adult life on the AMI (p&lt;.001), and more overgeneral autobiographical memories recalled on the AMT (=.001), than controls. Poor semantic recall from early adult life was significantly correlated with more depressive symptoms (p=0.006) and lower education (p&lt;0.02), while higher overgeneral memory recall was significantly associated with older age (p=.001). A specific deficit in semantic autobiographical recall was observed in individuals with OSA. OSA patients recalled more overgeneral memories, suggesting that aspects of the sleep disorder affect their ability to recollect specific details of events from their life. These cognitive features of OSA may contribute to the high incidence of depression in this population. (JINS 2019, 25, 266-274).

Earthquake Trauma, Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory, and Depression Among Adolescent Survivors of the Wenchuan Earthquake.

Trauma has a profound impact on overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM), which is a risk factor for depression. Violent earthquakes can cause tremendous trauma in survivors. We examined the relationship between earthquake trauma, OGM and depression in adolescent survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake in this study. OGM was assessed using the autobiographical memory test in a sample of adolescent participants who experienced the violent earthquakes in Wenchuan, China, in 2008 and control participants who had never experienced a destructive earthquake. Depression was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II in all participants. The results showed that compared with the adolescents with no earthquake trauma, the adolescents with earthquake trauma reported significantly more depression (d = 0.49) and overgeneral autobiographical memories (d = 0.55). Moreover, when they experienced earthquake trauma, the adolescents with low OGM did not experience more depression, but the adolescents with average and high OGM experienced more depression than the adolescents with no earthquake trauma. This finding indicated that in a non-Western cultural context, adolescents’ propensity toward OGM made them vulnerable to depression after experiencing an earthquake trauma.

Retrieval process of overgeneral memory and the capture and executive control hypothesis: using Autobiographical Memory Test with thought sampling

ABSTRACTThe retrieval process for underlying overgeneral autobiographical memory remains unclear. In this study, we identified what leads to self-referential and categoric thoughts and examined the influence error-monitoring ability has on the reporting of categoric memories. We also examined whether cue self-relevance and/or executive control task performance are related to the number of specific memories reported. Using thought sampling, 94 college students completed the Autobiographical Memory Test, as well as a verbal fluency task and a depression scale. The results indicated that depressive symptoms and negative highly self-relevant cues were associated with self-referential/categoric thoughts during memory retrieval. Further, preceding self-referential/categoric thoughts and low error-monitoring ability predicted immediate after-reporting of categoric memories. Simultaneously, highly self-relevant cues and executive control task performance predicted the reporting of many specific memories. Subdividing the retrieval process and examining the process involved in depression are essential.