Story Recall Research Articles

A Study on Verification of Equivalence and Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacologic Dementia Prevention and Early Detection Contents : Non-Randomly Equivalent Design.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to verify the equivalence and effectiveness of the tablet-administered Korean Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (K-RBANS) for the prevention and early detection of dementia. MethodsData from 88 psychiatry and neurology patient samples were examined to evaluate the equivalence between tablet and paper administrations of the K-RBANS using a non-randomly equivalent group design. We calculated the prediction scores of the tablet-administered K-RBANS based on demographics and covariate-test scores for focal tests using norm samples and tested format effects. In addition, we compared the receiver operating characteristic curves to confirm the effectiveness of the K-RBANS for preventing and detecting dementia. ResultsIn the analysis of raw scores, line orientation showed a significant difference (t=-2.94, p<0.001), and subtests showed small to large effect sizes (0.04–0.86) between paper- and tablet-administered K-RBANS. To investigate the format effect, we compared the predicted scaled scores of the tablet sample to the scaled scores of the norm sample. Consequently, a small effect size (d≤0.20) was observed in most of the subtests, except word list and story recall, which showed a medium effect size (d=0.21), while picture naming and subtests of delayed memory showed significant differences in the one-sample t-test. In addition, the area under the curve of the total scale index (TSI) (0.827; 95% confidence interval, 0.738–0.916) was higher than that of the five indices, ranging from 0.688 to 0.820. The sensitivity and specificity of TSI were 80% and 76%, respectively. ConclusionThe overall results of this study suggest that the tablet-administered K-RBANS showed significant equivalence to the norm sample, although some subtests showed format effects, and it may be used as a valid tool for the brief screening of patients with neuropsychological disorders in Korea.

Influences of Language Shift on Speech Fluency in Memory Production of Unbalanced Chinese-English Bilinguals

Language shift at encoding and retrieval has been demonstrated to influence memory. However, previous studies of language shift mostly focused on memory accuracy, leaving its effect on fluency of memory production neglected. The current study sets out to investigate how encoding language and delay interval influence speech fluency in memory production. In the study, 60 Chinese ESL learners were asked to verbally retell two stories in immediate or delayed memory tests. One story was learned in English but recalled in Chinese, and the other was learned and recalled both in Chinese. The fluency of their speech reproduction during story recall was manifested by production fluency and pause rate. The results show that encoding in English and retrieving in Chinese leads to more pauses and lower fluency than encoding and retrieving both in Chinese. However, the language shift effect on speech production diminishes after 24 hours’ delay. The results suggest the key role of delay interval in modulating language shift effect and shed light on bilingual memory and bilingual education.

Feasibility and Engagement of Multi-domain Cognitive Training in Community-Dwelling Healthy Elderly in Shanghai.

BackgroundIn recent years, cognitive training has been one of the important non-pharmaceutical treatment methods that could delay cognitive decline and improve quality of life in the elderly. In different types of cognitive training, both the cognitive domains focused on and their training methods widely vary. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and engagement of multidomain cognitive training in Chinese community-dwelling healthy elderly.MethodsBased on the cluster sampling method, a total of 151 healthy elderly, aged 70 or above, who lived in the neighborhoods in Shanghai met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study. Among them, 90 participants were assigned to the cognitive training group (intervention group), and 61 were assigned to the no cognitive training group (control group). Participants in the intervention group attended a 1-h multidomain cognitive training course twice a week for 12 weeks (total of 24 times), which targeted memory, reasoning, strategy-based problem-solving skills, etc. The control group did not receive any intervention.ResultsThere was a significant increase in test scores of story recall (t = −8.61, p = 0.00) and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) (t = −10.60, p = 0.00) after in-class interventions. The overall completion of homework was 77.78%. Fifty percent of the 90 participants completed self-training. The top three self-training methods were physical exercise, reading books and newspapers, and watching TV. The overall attendance rate of the intervention group was 76.14%, and more than 50% of them had an attendance rate of 77.8%. The attendance rate was positively correlated with years of education and baseline SF-36 (physical functioning, general health, vitality, and mental health) scores, whereas it was negatively correlated with baseline disease index and fatalism of personality indicators (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe elderly with higher educational levels and better physical and psychological conditions had a higher engagement in multidomain cognitive training. The training course proved to be rational, feasible, and effective for community-scale application.

Island tales: culturally-filtered narratives about island creation through land submergence incorporate millennia-old memories of postglacial sea-level rise

ABSTRACT In many long-enduring coastal cultures, there are stories – sometimes mythologized – about times when pieces of land became separated from mainlands by submergence, a process that created islands where none existed before. Using examples from northwest Europe and Australia, this paper argues that many such stories recall times, often millennia ago, when sea level in the aftermath of the Last Glaciation (last ice age) was rising and transforming coastal landscapes and their human uses in exactly the ways these stories describe. The possibility that these may have arisen from eyewitness accounts of these transformative processes, hitherto thought to be understandable only by scientific (palaeoenvironmental) reconstructions, should encourage more systematic investigations of such stories by scientists. It also suggests that science has traditionally underestimated the capacity of oral (pre-literate) cultures to acquire, encode and sustain their observations of memorable events with a high degree of replication fidelity.

A remote speech-based AI system to screen for early Alzheimer's disease via smartphones.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems leveraging speech and language changes could support timely detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The AMYPRED study (NCT04828122) recruited 133 subjects with an established amyloid beta (Aβ) biomarker (66 Aβ+, 67 Aβ-) and clinical status (71 cognitively unimpaired [CU], 62 mild cognitive impairment [MCI] or mild AD). Daily story recall tasks were administered via smartphones and analyzed with an AI system to predict MCI/mild AD and Aβ positivity. Eighty-six percent of participants (115/133) completed remote assessments. The AI system predicted MCI/mild AD (area under the curve [AUC]=0.85, ±0.07) but not Aβ (AUC=0.62±0.11) in the full sample, and predicted Aβ in clinical subsamples (MCI/mild AD: AUC=0.78 ±0.14; CU: AUC=0.74 ±0.13) on short story variants (immediate recall). Long stories and delayed retellings delivered broadly similar results. Speech-based testing offers simple and accessible screening for early-stage AD.

Accelerated long-term forgetting in adult patients with genetic generalized epilepsy.

Accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF) has been demonstrated among children but not adults with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE). We investigated (1) how forgetting patterns of verbal and visuospatial material differ between patients with GGE and healthy controls (HCs) and (2) whether ALF is associated with ictal or interictal epileptic activity. Forty-two patients with GGE (39, 92.9% experiencing seizures) were compared to 57 HCs in word, logical story, and Rey-Osterrieth complex figure recall tasks by testing after intervals of 30min and 4 weeks. Ambulatory electroencephalography (EEG) was performed before testing to detect generalized epileptic activity, and patients were asked to document the number of seizures during the 4-week interval. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated that individuals with GGE have different forgetting patterns in comparison to HCs in tasks of word (delay by group interaction F1.5, 142.5 =4.5, p=.02, =.04) and figure (F2, 194 =15.9, p<.001, = .14) but not story (F1.6 151.1 =.5, p=.58, =.005) recall. Last learning trial-adjusted scores of word recall were comparable between HCs and patients with epilepsy (PWEs) at 30min (p=.21) but not at 4weeks (p=.006). Individuals with GGE performed worse than HCs in figure recall at 30min and 4weeks (p<.001), with lower performance after the 4-week interval present only among seizure-positive and EEG-positive individuals (p<.001) during subgroup analysis. Performance on memory tests was unrelated to overall seizure frequency, the number of antiseizure drugs used, and epilepsy duration. Our study supports the presence of ALF in a task of word recall among adult patients with GGE. The pattern of forgetting visuospatial information suggests greater forgetting of material before the first delay and ongoing deficits among PWEs with epileptic activity. Future studies should confirm our findings and investigate the functional or pathological mechanisms of memory dysfunction in GGE.

Lateralized tau deposition and speech, language, and cognition: A descriptive case report

AbstractBackgroundAsymmetric binding patterns in tau PET imaging are sometimes observed, but less is known about how this asymmetry might explain clinical phenotypes and AD variants, especially in a longitudinal context. Previous work has demonstrated that unilateral tau deposition in left frontal and temporal regions is common in logopenic progressive aphasia (lvPPA), an atypical AD variant. This work presents two descriptive case studies of participants with opposing laterality of [18F]MK‐6240, a PET radioligand for AD neurofibrillary tangles.MethodTwo participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), an ongoing, longitudinal cohort study of late middle‐aged adults enriched for AD risk, were identified based on unilateral MK‐6240 deposition. Topographic amyloid and tau burden was assessed with [11C]PiB and [18F]MK‐6240 PET imaging, respectively. Demographic data, cognitive diagnoses, health histories, and APOE status are described. Longitudinal neuropsychological assessments and digitally recorded connected speech samples were analyzed to create a descriptive profile of cognition and connected speech‐language (CSL). Cognitive test scores and language measures were then compared against the scores of the full WRAP sample, using a robust normative approach previously described by our group.ResultMK‐6240 tau‐PET imaging revealed right‐lateralized tau in Participant A and left‐lateralized tau in Participant B (Figure 1). Participants were identical on all demographics except age and APOE risk of developing AD (though both participants were ApoE‐4 allele carriers) (Table 1). Cognitive assessment Z‐scores (0=mean of demographically similar cognitively stable WRAP participants; Figs 2‐4) depict considerable between visit variability for Participant A on all measures, including language and CSL, with decline from baseline on all but letter fluency. Participant B showed isolated baseline deficits on memory tests (AVLT and story recall) at two standard deviations below the mean, which declined further across visits, whereas performances on Trails, naming, category fluency, and all measures of CSL remained stable and within normal expectations.ConclusionIn this case study, right&gt;left tau PET signal was associated with greater decline in language, particularly connected speech and naming. Future work will examine associations between volumetric MRI and asymmetric regional tau deposition, as well as additional relationships to language and cognition.

Modified Mediterranean ketogenic diet resolves default mode network connectivity differences between adults with normal and impaired cognition

AbstractBackgroundIn the absence of disease modifying/preventative therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there has been increased focus on alternate therapeutic approaches, including the ketogenic diet, which supplies auxiliary metabolic fuel to brain and has potential neuroprotective effects. Our goal was to examine the modified Mediterranean‐ketogenic diet (MMKD) and an American Heart Association Diet (AHAD) in older adults at risk for AD with respect to cognitive performance and associated brain functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), which has been implicated in cognitive processes directed toward the self, such as introspection and autobiographic memory.MethodEighteen participants with normal cognition and subjective memory complaints (SMC) (n = 10, mean age = 65 ± 7) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) (n = 8, mean age = 64 ± 4) completed six weeks on both diets in a randomized crossover design. Before and after each diet, participants underwent 3T brain MRI and cognitive testing. MRI included T1‐weighted imaging for gray/white matter segmentation, and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) imaging for resting‐state functional connectivity. Cognitive function was evaluated using two memory tests, the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) and story recall, which were composited into a single memory score. BOLD data were pre‐processed and de‐noised using standard techniques, and normalized to the Mayo Clinic Adult Lifespan Template (MCALT). Connectivity analyses were performed using CONN functional connectivity toolbox. Briefly, functional connectivity of the DMN was analyzed utilizing the PCC for a seed to voxel connectivity analysis.ResultAt baseline, there were statistically significant differences in DMN connectivity between MCI and cognitively normal participants with SMC (Figure‐1), with connectivity increases between DMN and superior frontal gyrus, and decreases between DMN and superior parietal gyrus, which were significantly correlated with baseline memory scores (Figure‐2). After both diets, there were no detectable differences in DMN connectivity between the two groups. However, MMKD had a more pronounced effect on reducing DMN hyper‐connectivity among MCI participants than AHAD (Figure‐3).ConclusionOur results suggest that a ketogenic intervention may augment aberrant DMN network connectivity patterns in adults at risk for AD and lessen cognitive decline.

Cognitive performance predictors of incident motoric cognitive risk syndrome

AbstractBackgroundMotoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is a gait based pre‐dementia syndrome that builds on operational definitions of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and is associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s Disease and other types of dementia. Declines in cognitive function associated with risk of developing MCR have not been established. We aimed to examine the association between cognitive performance on tests of memory and executive function (EF) and related processes and risk of incident MCR.MethodOf the 541 non‐demented participants (aged 65+) in a community‐based cohort, at baseline 22 met criteria for MCR, 58 for MCI, and 17 met criteria for both MCR and MCI, and were excluded from the analyses. Cognitive performance was measured using seven tests: the free recall score from the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test, Figure Recall from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Story Recall from the RBANS, Category Fluency, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Digit Symbol Substitution test and Trail Making Test part B. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that these cognitive tests fell into two categories of cognitive function: memory and EF and related processes. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex and education was used to examine the association between cognitive test performance and incident MCR in 444 participants. For the purpose of comparison, we also examined the association between cognitive performance and MCI.ResultOver a mean follow‐up of 3.0 years, 37 participants developed incident MCR and 69 incident MCI. Performance on tests of EF and related processes was associated with risk for MCR (adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) ranging from 0.96 to 0.99). One memory test (free recall) was associated with risk of MCR (aHR: 0.94, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.89‐0.99). Performance on all tests of memory (aHR ranging from 0.81 to 0.92) and EF and related processes (HR ranging from 0.94 to 0.99) was associated with increased risk of MCI.ConclusionCognitive performance on tests of EF and related processes are associated with increased risk of MCR. This may be indicative of a distinct underlying pathology in patients who are at risk of MCR.

Acupuncture for amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A pilot multicenter, randomized, parallel controlled trial.

Introduction:Patients with amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are more likely to develop Alzheimer disease than corresponding age normal population. Because Alzheimer disease is irreversible, early intervention for aMCI patients seems important and urgent. We have designed a pilot multicenter, randomized, parallel controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on aMCI, explore the feasibility of acupuncture in the treatment of aMCI, so as to provide a reference for large-sample clinical trials in the next stage.Method:We designed a pilot multicenter, randomized, parallel controlled trial. This trial aims to test the feasibility of carrying out a large-sample clinical trial. In this trial, 50 eligible patients with aMCI will be included and allocated to acupuncture group (n = 25) or sham acupuncture group (n = 25) at random. Subjects will accept treatment 2 times a week for 12 weeks continuously, with a total of 24 treatment sessions. We will select 6 acupoints (GV20, GV14, bilateral BL18, bilateral BL23). For the clinical outcomes, the primary outcome is Montreal cognitive assessment, which will be assessed from baseline to the end of this trial. And the secondary outcomes are Mini-mental State Examination, Delayed Story Recall, Clinical Dementia Rating scale, Global Deterioration Scale, Activity of Daily Life, Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Section, brain magnetic resonance imaging, brain functional magnetic resonance imaging, and event-related potential P300, which will be assessed before and after treatment. In addition, we will assess the safety outcomes from baseline to the end of this trial and feasibility outcome after treatment. We will evaluate neuropsychological assessment scale (Montreal cognitive assessment, Mini-mental State Examination, Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Section) at 3 months and 6 months after treatment.Discussion:This pilot trial aims to explore the feasibility of the trial, verify essential information of its efficacy and safety. This pilot study will provide a preliminary basis for carrying out a larger clinical trial of acupuncture on aMCI in near future.

Development of a cognitive composite for measuring change in progressive supranuclear palsy

IntroductionIndividuals with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) experience cognitive changes that are challenging to follow without a validated neuropsychological test battery to measure progression. This study describes a composite measure to evaluate cognition in individuals with PSP. MethodsBaseline cognitive test data from 486 participants with PSP in the PASSPORT (NCT03068468) study included the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Color Trails Test (CTT) parts 1 and 2, letter−number sequencing, and letter fluency. Data were analyzed using summary statistics and a matrix of Pearson correlations. A hypothetical factor structure was constructed and validated. ResultsObserved correlations were highest for scores between story memory and story recall (correlation coefficient = 0.78) and lowest for scores between letter fluency and picture naming (correlation coefficient = 0.11), and picture naming and figure copy (correlation coefficient = 0.12). After excluding picture naming and Color Trails Test (CTT) parts 1 and 2, a 3-factor structure was hypothesized for the remaining 13 tests. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated goodness of fit within acceptable limits (comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index = 0.98, standardized root-mean-square residual and root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.05–0.06). Mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of change from baseline to week 52 in RBANS and PSP cognitive composite score produced mean-to-standard-deviation ratios of 0.418 and 0.780, respectively. ConclusionsThis novel composite endpoint, based on RBANS and designed to account for motor impairments in PSP, improves on current cognitive assessments PSP.

Reading and analysing short story collections: An empirical study of readers' interpretation process of Benni's Il bar sotto il mare

This article confronts the theoretical tenets of reader-oriented short story collection theory and its implications for a literary analysis of Benni’s Il bar sotto il mare (1987) with the results of an empirical study of 12 readers. Through free recall tasks and open questions, we collected their recall of stories, specific passages, recurring topics and general interpretation to assess the processes of reticulation (i.e. searching for recurring elements in stories) and modification (i.e. modifying initial hypotheses based on the identification of new elements) advanced by Audet (2014). This confrontation revealed noticeably disagreeing results. Our findings suggest that flesh-and-blood readers adopt a more straightforward and intuitive approach when reading and interpreting collections as they are subject to a strong primacy effect, privilege personal appreciation of specific stories and passages, and rely on a disinclination to alter initial interpretative hypotheses. The findings pave the way for further investigation into the readers of SSCs.

Encounters on the Holy Mountain: Stories from Mount Athos

<i>Encounters on the Holy Mountain: Stories from Mount Athos</i>

Comparación del Perfil Neurocognitivo de los Hijos de Padres con Trastorno Bipolar y Controles: un Estudio de Corte Transversal

IntroductionStudies that have compared the cognitive alterations of the children of parents with bipolar disorder (CPBD) versus the children of control parents (CCP), present heterogeneous results due to the studies’ methodological differences, the age of the population studied, and the lack of standardisation of the measures used for the different neurocognitive domains. The objective was to compare the neurocognitive profile of CPBD versus CCP to observe if there are differences that could be proposed as possible endophenotypes of BD. ResultsA total of 107 individuals (51 CPBD, and 56 CCP) with ages between 6 and 16 (mean, 12.2±2.80) years of age were evaluated. Seventy-four point five percent of the CPBD group had some disorder compared to 67.9% of the CCP group. Tests such as letter-F phonemic verbal fluency, letter-S phonemic verbal fluency, overall F-A-S phonemic verbal fluency, story recall and retrieval, and Wisconsin perseverative errors showed a difference with a small effect size, but with a high degree of uncertainty. ConclusionsThe CPBD did not have differences in their neurocognitive profile in comparison with CCP. Both groups have a high prevalence of psychopathology, which is a factor that could explain the lack of differences in neurocognitive performance.

Effects of Anosognosia on Static and Dynamic Amplitudes of Low-Frequency Fluctuation in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background: Anosognosia is a significant symptom in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) while the underlying neurological mechanism behind it is still unclear.Methods: A total of 121 subjects were included and classified into three groups, including 39 normal controls (NCs), 42 individuals with MCI without anosognosia (MCI-NA), and 40 individuals with MCI with anosognosia (MCI-A), based on their everyday cognition (ECog) questionnaire (discrepancy score). Resting-state functional MRIs were acquired from all the subjects, and the static amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (sALFF) and dynamic ALFF (dALFF) variance were investigated to evaluate the intrinsic functional network strength and stability, respectively, and both were corrected by age, sex, education, and gray matter volume. Eventually, correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between brain activity changes and cognitive status in all the subjects.Results: No significant difference was found between MCI-A and MCI-NA (P > 0.05) in cognitive ability. Regarding intrinsic brain activity, MCI-A had increased sALFF and dALFF variance in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relative to MCI-NA, as well as decreased sALFF and dALFF variance in the precuneus relative to MCI-NA and controls. Moreover, MCI-A had decreased sALFF in the inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and paracentral lobule (PCL) compared to MCI-NA. Among all the subjects, correlation analyses showed that the sALFF and dALFF variance in the precuneus was related to the Ecog discrepancy score (r = 0.232 and 0.235, respectively), immediate story recall (r = 0.200 and 0.277, respectively), and delayed story recall (r = 0.255 and 0.298, respectively).Conclusion: Alterations of intrinsic brain activation in the ACC and precuneus seem to be associated with the anosognosia symptom in patients with MCI.

Investigation Regarding Early Cognitive Function of Women in the Postpartum Period and the Analysis of Influencing Factors.

ObjectiveThe present study aims to assess the cognitive function of healthy full-term puerperae and compare it with the cognitive function of healthy non-pregnant women in order to analyze possible influencing factors.MethodsThe study subjects were divided into two groups: the maternal (case) group (n = 80) and the control group (n = 30). A total of 50 healthy single-birth full-term primiparous women and 30 women undergoing a second pregnancy were assigned to the maternal group, while 30 non-pregnant women matched by general data were assigned to the control group. Subject cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (Beijing version) and the Birmingham Cognitive Screen (BCoS) (Mandarin version); related influencing factors were analyzed.ResultsIn the maternal group, the results showed a MoCA score of 26.52 ± 2.13 points and a cognitive impairment incidence of 26% in primiparous women, along with a MoCA score of 25.83 ± 2.49 points and a cognitive impairment incidence of 36.7% in women undergoing a second pregnancy. All scores were lower in the maternal group than in the control group, which had a MoCA score of 27.47 ± 1.28 points and cognitive impairment incidence of 6.7% (p < 0.05). The differences in MoCA score and cognitive impairment incidence between the primiparous sub-group and the second pregnancy sub-group were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The visual space and executive function MoCA scale scores were lower in the maternal group than in the control group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the scores were lower in the maternal group than in the control group in the following BCoS items: instant story recall, total apple deletion number, auditory attention, rule conversion, and gesture imitation (p < 0.05).ConclusionWomen in the postpartum period may develop cognitive dysfunction; however, the difference in cognitive impairment incidence between the primiparous sub-group and the second pregnancy sub-group in this study was not statistically significant. The educational level, labor analgesia, and total labor time (min) were found to be influencing factors in the postpartum cognitive function decline (p < 0.05).

The Impact of Naturalistic Age Stereotype Activation.

Almost self-fulfilling, commonly held negative stereotypes about old age and memory can impair older adults’ episodic memory performance, due to age-based stereotype threat or self-stereotyping effects. Research studies demonstrating detrimental impacts of age stereotypes on memory performance are generally conducted in research laboratories or medical settings, which often underestimate memory abilities of older adults. To better understand the “real world” impact of negative age and memory stereotypes on episodic memory, the present research tested story recall performance of late middle-aged and older adults (N = 51) following a naturalistic age stereotype manipulation, wherein every day, newspaper-style materials (comics and puzzles) were either embedded with negative age and memory stereotype stimuli (stereotype group) or neutral stimuli (control group). Furthermore, all participants were tested in favorable, familiar environments. Potential moderators of the stereotype effects, e.g., metamemory beliefs, were assessed at baseline. Current memory evaluation and subjective age, as well as perceived stereotype threat and task-related anxiety, were assessed following the stereotype manipulation as potential mechanisms of the expected stereotype effects. Results suggested a contrast effect, as the stereotype group demonstrated superior story recall performance compared to the control group. Marginally significant moderation effects by age and perceived stereotype threat indicated that stereotype rejection was present for late middle-aged adults but not older adults, indicative of stereotype lift, and for individuals who reported low and average, but not high, levels of perceived stereotype threat. Additionally, a trend suggested more positive memory evaluation for those in the stereotype group who reported awareness of the stereotype stimuli than those who did not notice the stimuli. These results are consistent with other research demonstrating benefits to memory performance in adulthood based on motivational and contextual factors, such as using relevant memory materials and testing in favorable conditions. Moreover, the results of this study contribute to our understanding of individuals’ responses to different types of stereotype stimuli, and the differential impact of stereotype manipulations that are subtle versus blatant. Individuals were motivated to counteract negative stereotype effects when conditions were supportive, stereotype presentations were naturalistic, and personal beliefs were positive.

Brain Functional Correlates of Episodic Memory Using an Ecological Free Recall Task.

Episodic Memory (EM) allows us to revive a past event through mental time-travel. The neural correlates of memories recollection have been identified in hippocampal regions and multiple neocortical areas, but few neuroimaging studies have used an ecological task such as a free recall of a structured story. Using an ecological fMRI-free recall (FR) task, we aimed to investigate the relevant recruitment of the brain networks associated with the story recollection process and its performance. Fourteen healthy participants listened to a brief story and were tested for Immediate-Recall (IR), a task that is widely used in a neuropsychological evaluation. Then, the subjects underwent an fMRI session, where they had to perform a free recall (FR) of the story subvocally. Finally, the participants were tested for Delayed-Recall (DR). IR and DR scores were significantly (r = 0.942; p < 0.001) correlated. FR enhanced the activity of the Language, the Left Executive Control, the Default Mode and the Precuneus brain networks, with the strongest BOLD signal localized in the left Angular Gyrus (AG) (p < 0.05; FWE-corrected). Furthermore, the story recall performance covaried with specific network activation patterns and the recruitment of the left anterior/posterior AG correlated, respectively, with higher/lower performance scores (p > 0.05). FR seems to be a promising task to investigate ecologically the neural correlates of EM. Moreover, the recruitment of the anterior AG might be a marker for an optimal functioning of the recall process. Preliminary outcomes lay the foundation for the investigation of the brain networks in the healthy and pathological elderly population during FR.

Cognitive functioning in progressive myoclonus epilepsy type 1 (Unverricht-Lundborg Disease, EPM1)

ObjectiveThe aim of this neuropsychological study of a large cohort of patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy type 1 (Unverricht-Lundborg disease, EPM1) was to characterize the cognitive function of EPM1 patients and to explore the association between the disability caused by the disease and cognitive performance. MethodSixty-eight genetically verified EPM1 patients homozygous for the expansion mutation in the CSTB gene (37 males and 31 females aged 35 ± 11) participated in a neuropsychological assessment of intellectual ability, verbal memory, and executive and psychomotor function. The clinical evaluation comprised administering (and video-recording) the unified myoclonus rating scale (UMRS) to assess the severity of each patient’s myoclonus. Forty-six healthy volunteers (19 males and 27 females aged 32 ± 11) served as the control group for the neuropsychological tests. ResultsThe cognitive performance of the EPM1 patient group was impaired. Verbal Intelligence Quotient (VIQ) was below the average range (VIQ < 85) in 49% of the patients; further, Performance Intelligence Quotient (PIQ) was below average in 75% of the patients. The patients performed worse than the controls in both immediate and delayed story recall (p = 0.001); however, in the word list learning task, the patients performed only slightly worse than the controls. The one-hour delayed recall of the learned words was similar in both groups, and the percentage of retained words and story contents did not differ between the patients and controls. The patients were impaired in all of the executive function tests as well as in the psychomotor speed tests (p < 0.001 for all). Also, the patients’ simple psychomotor speed in the tapping task was significantly slowed in comparison to controls (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe patients had impaired performance in the majority of the cognitive measures; they showed the highest level of impairment in all the executive function tests and in the psychomotor speed tests. The measures of these cognitive domains are timed—therefore, it is clear that severe myoclonus limits patients’ performance. In contrast, verbal memory, especially delayed recall, was the least affected cognitive domain.

The Episodic Memory Profile in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis.

Although autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are commonly characterized by diminished episodic memory, the literature in this area is mixed. We address these inconsistent findings by employing multilevel Bayesian meta-analysis to quantify episodic memory differences between individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls. We used meta-regression to evaluate the effects of test modality (e.g., word list, story recall), delay interval (immediate vs. delayed), retrieval demands (recognition vs. recall), and sensory modality (auditory vs. visual) on episodic memory in ASD. A total of 338 effect sizes from 113 empirical articles, including 5,632 unique participants (ASD = 2,777, TD = 2,855), were included. Results show that the memory deficits associated with ASD were larger for recall (g = -0.52, se = 0.04, 95% CrI [-0.60, -0.43]) compared to recognition (g = -0.25, se = 0.05, 95% CrI [-0.35, -0.14]) and differed based on the testing modality. For example, effect sizes were smallest for words (g = -0.28, se = 0.05, 95% CrI [-0.38, -0.18]), pictures (g = -0.38, se = 0.07, 95% CrI [-0.52, -0.24]), and figure reproduction (g = -0.49, se = 0.11, 95% CrI [-0.70, -0.27]). However, effect sizes for sentences (g = -0.59, se = 0.20, 95% CrI [-1.00, -0.21]), stories (Hedges' g = -0.54, se = 0.08, 95% CrI [-0.69, -0.38]) and staged events (g = -0.75, se = 0.10, 95% CrI [-0.95, -0.55]) were much larger. These findings suggest that ASD is associated with a small to medium reduction in scores on episodic memory tests relative to TD controls.