Verbal Information Research Articles

Retention of Verbal and Nonverbal Sequence Information in Working Memory. Analysis of Functional and Effective Connections

Retention of Verbal and Nonverbal Sequence Information in Working Memory. Analysis of Functional and Effective Connections

Family perspectives on delirium information provision in an inpatient setting.

Delirium is common in older hospitalised patients and is associated with significant distress in family members who witness it. Education-based interventions can support the family of people with delirium. This study aimed to understand the perspective of family members of people with delirium regarding the information they received and opportunities for improvement. We performed 10 semi-structured interviews of 11 family members (one mother-daughter dyad) of people with delirium greater than 65 years of age across two sub-acute Geriatric Evaluation and Management units in Victoria, Australia. Interviews were inductively analysed by the lead investigator to identify themes related to the information provided and opportunities for improvement. We identified three themes related to delirium information provision: (1) delirium knowledge is not common; (2) information should consider the broad complex of the person; and (3) lived experience of delirium was helpful. We identified five themes with regard to opportunities to improve delirium information provision: (1) Good communication skills are important; (2) Regular communication is helpful; (3) Family wish to be present and know how to be involved; (4) Information provision should include prognosis; (5) Written information can support verbal information. Information provision to family members should take into account their existing knowledge and experience and consider their family member as a whole. High quality, regular, written and oral communication from health-care professionals is likely to prove helpful.

Right is it right? Influence of the type of motor response on behavioral and electrophysiological indicators during the orthographic decision task

The role of the sensorimotor component in the processing of verbal information is currently widely discussed. We hypothesize that the type of motor response may influence behavioral and electrophysiological performance in an orthographic decision task. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in 42 right-handers during an orthographic decision task. Half of the participants were instructed to press the right button with their right hand upon encountering correctly spelled words and the left button with their left hand upon encountering misspelled words, while the other half followed the opposite instruction. The motor response to correctly spelled words was shorter for the dominant hand compared to the non-dominant hand, which may be due to the coincidence of semantic and motor representations (stimulus-response compatibility effect). In addition, reaction times to incorrectly spelled words were longer than to correctly spelled words only in the group of participants who responded with their dominant hand to correctly spelled words. The P200 and N400 ERP components did not depend on the type of motor response. However, in the group of participants who pressed correctly spelled words with their right hand, the amplitude of the P600 component was greater for misspelled words compared to correctly spelled words. Thus, the type of motor response influenced the effects associated with word spelling recognition.

EXPRESS: What are the benefits of directed attention within verbal working memory?

Information that is particularly relevant for upcoming behavior can be prioritized within working memory, by directing attention to it. Receiving focused attention during retention is assumed to be associated with specific benefits, such as increased memory performance and reduced vulnerability to perceptual distractions. This has been demonstrated in visuospatial working memory. Given the domain-general nature of the focus of attention, these benefits should extend to verbal working memory as well. This was tested in the current study. In particular, we examined and compared the effects of cue-based and reward-based prioritization in verbal working memory across a series of five preregistered experiments. These experiments varied in their memory materials, set size, interference, and memory task. Our results collectively revealed several key findings. Firstly, both cue-based and reward-based prioritization led to a clear and consistent memory boost for prioritized information in verbal working memory. Secondly, the memory boost induced by cue-based prioritization was mostly comparable to that induced by reward-based prioritization. Thirdly, memory for verbal information did not drastically suffer when exposed to perceptual interference. And lastly, the effect of perceptual interference on verbal information was not drastically influenced by whether the information was prioritized or not. Overall, this series of experiments contributes to understanding the consequences of directed attention in verbal working memory and highlights similarities and differences from findings in visuospatial working memory.

Interindividual Differences in Higher and Lower-Order Object-Related Cognition: The Role of Inner Speech

The capacity to experience inner speech has been hypothesized to impact cognitive functions like object recognition, abstract thought, and metacognition. However, little is known about how individual differences in the propensity to experience inner speech affect these functions, a relevant topic to address given the wide variation in this trait within the general population. Here, we contribute novel evidence addressing this gap and provide a new tool to measure these individual differences in German-speaking participants. In a first study, we validate the IRQ-G, a German version of the Internal Representations Questionnaire (Roebuck & Lupyan, 2020), offering scales that index the capacity to manipulate visual representations (Representational Manipulation), and the tendencies to experience thoughts in the form of visual and verbal information (Visual Imagery and Internal Verbalization, respectively). In a second study, we observe that participants with higher Internal Verbalization scores respond faster in a word-picture verification task where they match words to images but are more slowed by increases in semantic similarity between the items, relative to those with lower scores. We interpret this as a reflection of more categorical representations being cued in those with more language-reliant thinking during object recognition. In a third study, we present exploratory evidence based on a complex categorization task that more Internal Verbalization relates to slower determinations of response confidence when participants group images that rarely occur in the same context. We additionally offer exploratory evidence that condensed forms of inner speech hamper object recognition but aid abstract thought. Together, our studies highlight the complex and diverse effects of individual differences in inner speech tendencies on noncommunicative cognitive functions and broaden the methodological toolkit of researchers pursuing this line of inquiry in the German-speaking world.

Experimental Study on Video Discharge Instructions for Pediatric Fever in an Emergency Department.

Fever is a frequent cause of consultation in the pediatric emergency department (PED). Adequate discharge instructions are essential to guarantee good management at home and can reduce caregivers' anxiety and re-consultations. This study compares the improvement of caregivers' knowledge regarding fever between verbal discharge instructions and the addition of a video to verbal information. As a secondary outcome, we compared the rate of return visits. An experimental, prospective, single-center study was conducted in a tertiary hospital PED. Patients between 3months and 5years old with febrile syndrome were enrolled. Patients with comorbidities or SARS-COV2 infection were excluded. First, caregivers answered a written test concerning fever characteristics, management, and warning signs. Patients were assigned by simple randomization to a control group (standard verbal and written instructions) or to an intervention group (which additionally received video instructions). After discharge, investigators contacted caregivers by telephone. Caregivers were asked to answer the same questions as in the written test in addition to the need for subsequent visits (at the PED or any other healthcare facility) after discharge. Seventy-three patients were randomized to the intervention group and 77 to the control group (2 were lost during follow-up). There were no differences in the acquisition of caregiver's knowledge, with a median score improvement of 2 points in both groups (control group interquartile range (IQR) 1-2; intervention group IQR 1-3) (P =.389). In the intervention group, we observed a significant increase of correct answers in 4 out of 7 questions compared to 3 out of 7 questions in the control group. In the control group, 18.7% reconsulted compared to 10.9% in the intervention group (P =.188). Video instructions were not superior to verbal instructions at improving caregivers' knowledge of fever overall. However, more questions obtained a significant score increase in those that received video and verbal instructions. Our results suggest that the addition of video instructions could help reduce return visits.

A default mode network subsystem supports both item and associative word encoding: Insights from a meta-analysis

Abstract Recent meta-analytic evidence has underscored the significant role of the default mode network (DMN) in facilitating item word encoding. This study builds on this finding through a comprehensive meta-analysis of fMRI-based subsequent memory studies that use words as stimuli. The results highlight several key functions within the DMN. Firstly, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) subsystem of the DMN plays a pivotal role in enhancing successful word encoding, suggesting its vital involvement in the semantic processing of incoming verbal information. Secondly, the utility of the dmPFC subsystem extends beyond item word encoding to associative word encoding tasks, demonstrating its broad applicability in verbal information encoding. Thirdly, regions within the left inferior frontal cortex, a core component of the dmPFC subsystem, show increased activity during associative compared to item word encoding, emphasizing their role in integrating verbal information with contextual details. Contrary to previous research that linked the DMN with encoding interference—often attributed to the core subsystem’s tendency for mind-wandering—this study highlights the facilitative role of the dmPFC subsystem in memory encoding. The contrasting roles of the DMN subsystems, both interfering and facilitating, challenge traditional views and advocate for a more nuanced understanding of the network’s role in memory encoding.

A beautiful face is good when we're judged by others, a moral character is better.

Moral beauty, reflected in one's actions, and facial beauty both affect how we're judged. Here, we investigated how moral and facial beauty interactively affect social judgments and emotional responses, employing event-related brain potentials. Participants (all female) associated positive, neutral, or negative verbal information with faces scoring high or low on attractiveness and performed ratings of the faces as manipulation checks. In a separate test phase, the faces were presented again, and participants made valenced social judgments of the persons. Results show a dominance of moral beauty in valenced social judgments as well as ERPs related to reflexive and evaluative emotional responses (early posterior negativity, EPN, late positive potential, LPP), whereas facial attractiveness mattered little. In contrast, facial attractiveness affected visual processing (N170). Similarly, relatively shallow impressions of attractiveness and likability that require no knowledge about the person were influenced by both facial attractiveness and social-emotional information. This pattern of dominant effects of social-emotional information regardless of attractiveness shows that when it comes to our emotional responses and social judgments, moral beauty is what matters most, even in the face of physical beauty.

Memory modulation: Dominance of negative visual context over neutral verbal memory.

Neutral memories can be modulated via intentional memory control paradigms such as directed forgetting. In addition, previous studies have shown that neutral visual memories can be modulated indirectly, via remember and forget instructions towards competing verbal memories. Here we show that direct modulation of neutral verbal memory strength is impaired by negative visual context, and that negative visual context is resistant to indirect memory modulation. Participants were directly instructed to intentionally remember or forget newly encoded neutral verbal information. Importantly, this verbal information was interleaved with embedded negative visual context. Results showed that negative visual context eliminated the well-documented effect of direct instructions to intentionally remember verbal content. Furthermore, negative visual memory was highly persistent, overcoming its sensitivity to indirect modulation shown in previous studies. Finally, these memory effects persisted to the following day. These results demonstrate the dominance of negative visual context over neutral content, highlighting the challenges associated with memory modulation in psychopathologies involving maladaptive processing of negative visual memories.

The maxispan procedure makes the phonological similarity effect disappear while increasing recall performance.

Based on the hypothesis of two maintenance mechanisms of verbal information in working memory, an articulatory loop and an attentional executive loop, Barrouillet et al. predicted and observed that facilitating the optimal use and separation of these two systems results in a strong increase in recall performance. They developed for this purpose the maxispan procedure, in which participants cumulatively rehearse aloud a limited number of the first items of the series (i.e., three or four) and keep rehearsing them until the end of the series before recall. Beyond increasing recall performance, the model also predicts that the maxispan procedure should also abolish the phonological similarity effect (PSE, the poorer recall of phonologically similar than dissimilar items) in both the rehearsed and the nonrehearsed items by permitting the perfect maintenance of the former in a nonoverloaded articulatory loop and preventing storage of phonological traces of the latter in the attentional system. However, the PSE should reappear if too many items are verbally rehearsed in the maxispan procedure. In this case, the overload of the articulatory loop should lead to offload its content into the attentional system where phonologically similar traces are prone to confusion. We tested and verified these hypotheses in two experiments.

Introduction of a Novel Patient Safety Advisory: Evaluation of Perceived Information With a Modified QPP Questionnaire-A Case-Control Study.

Adverse events (AEs) may result in serious injuries or death. AEs occur in approximately 9.2% of hospitalizations, with a potential preventability of 43.5%. The aim of this study was to examine whether use of an illustrated patient safety advisory affected information transfer to inpatients regarding how they can participate in their own care to decrease the risk of AEs. All patients in the control (n = 129) and case/intervention (n = 511) groups received verbal information from healthcare personnel. The intervention group also received the illustrated patient safety advisory, "Your safety at the hospital." Before discharge, patients completed the Quality from the Patient's Perspective questionnaire. Mean patient age was 64.6/62.4 years in the intervention/control group, respectively, and 50% were men. Significant differences between groups were observed for most questions presented from the perceived reality of care perspective, in favor to the intervention group. Patients at surgical wards indicated higher scores on 9 of 12 Quality from the Patient's Perspective questions. Patients with hospital stays ≥4 days, at surgical wards, and living with someone else, placed higher subjective importance to questions concerning, e.g., protection/infection, nutrition, risk of falls and pressure ulcers, and discharge information. Using an illustrated patient safety advisory to complement oral information about patient safety risks resulted in positive responses and a significant difference was demonstrated in how information is perceived. The safety advisory could be used as a tool to decrease AEs. Patients who live alone may need more focused patient safety information to encourage involvement in their own care.

Patient Experience Survey as a Tool to Support Quality Improvement of a Geriatric Service in the Emergency Department (ED)

Abstract Background The aim of this survey was to valuate patient’s satisfaction with a Frailty Intervention Therapy Team (FITT) and gain insight into their thoughts about the service. Patients’ feedback is a vital component in monitoring and improving the quality of care. The data collected will help develop the service ensuring it’s patient centred and tailored to their needs. Methods A qualitative approach was taken in the form of a patient satisfaction survey. To limit bias responses, non-patient facing clerical facilitated the completion of the questionnaire with the patient. Results 27 surveys were administered over a 5-week period with an 81% response rate (n=22). 91% of patients surveyed felt the purpose of the FITT service was clearly explained to them, the team member had clearly introduced themselves and the team used both written and verbal information well –indicating an effective and efficient style of communication. 100% of patients reported that FITT treated them with dignity and respect. 18% of patients reported they were not involved in decision making relating to the care they received. The ED environment was rated as poor by 14% of patients, long wait time to be seen was also a concern. While some areas of patient concerns cannot be directly targeted by the team alone, we have a duty of care to highlight these concerns to the wider ED staff and hospital group. Conclusion A ‘what matters to you’ question has been incorporated into the assessment paperwork, to ensure patients’ wishes are being formally captured and placed centrally within care management planning. Communication to the patient was supported by providing a FITT information leaflet. Additional seating was procured by FITT to promote improvements in comfort and facilitate safe transfers of older patients in the ED. Patient feedback was presented to the ED governance group, including major themes of patient concern.

From unimodal to multimodal dynamics of verbal and nonverbal cues during unstructured conversation.

Conversations encompass continuous exchanges of verbal and nonverbal information. Previous research has demonstrated that gestures dynamically entrain each other and that speakers tend to align their vocal properties. While gesture and speech are known to synchronize at the intrapersonal level, few studies have investigated the multimodal dynamics of gesture/speech between individuals. The present study aims to extend our comprehension of unimodal dynamics of speech and gesture to multimodal speech/gesture dynamics. We used an online dataset of 14 dyads engaged in unstructured conversation. Speech and gesture synchronization was measured with cross-wavelets at different timescales. Results supported previous research on intrapersonal speech/gesture coordination, finding synchronization at all timescales of the conversation. Extending the literature, we also found interpersonal synchronization between speech and gesture. Given that the unimodal and multimodal synchronization occurred at similar timescales, we suggest that synchronization likely depends on the vocal channel, particularly on the turn-taking dynamics of the conversation.

A - 7 An Examination of the Predictive Roles of Healthy Literacy and Age in Online and Print Health Information Search Performance among Older Adults

Abstract Objective As older adults increasingly seek health information online, evaluating complex technology-based everyday behaviors is important. This study examined the predictive roles of health literacy and age in health information search accuracy across online and print sources. Methods Participants were 96 community-dwelling older adults (age: M = 70.09, SD = 8.69; education: M = 16.57, SD = 2.14; 75% female; 96.88% White). Participants completed the Newest Vital Sign, a health literacy measure that required participants to interpret verbal and numerical information on a nutrition label, and a health search task (HST), which examined the ability to navigate web and print sources to search for health information. Results A multiple regression was conducted in which HST accuracy was regressed onto health literacy and age for web and print subtasks separately. Cognitive status (MoCA total score) was a covariate. Although health literacy was not a significant predictor of HST accuracy, age was a significant predictor for the web-based subtask, β = −0.29, b = −0.05, SEb = 0.02, 95% CI [−0.08, −0.02], t(92) = −2.94, p = 0.004, and cognitive status for the print-based subtask, β = 0.36, b = 0.18, SEb = 0.05, 95% CI [0.08, −0.28], t(92) = 3.50, p = 0.001. Conclusions Compared to health literacy, age and cognitive status were stronger predictors of health information search performance across online and print sources in community-dwelling older adults. Future studies should consider the impact of age and comfort with technology in examining older adults’ ability to successfully navigate online health sources.

A - 122 Neuropsychological Case Study: Late-Onset Huntington’s Disease

Abstract Objective We present the neuropsychological profile of a 65-year-old male diagnosed with late-onset Huntington’s Disease (HD) in April 2024. In the context of very subtle chorea movements over the past several years, he started experiencing mood disturbances (e.g., increased irritability and social withdrawal) starting in June 2023. These changes were followed by cognitive difficulties, which led to a hospitalization for autoimmune encephalitis workup in February 2024. He described difficulties with learning and memory for future events, concentration, and executive functions (e.g., organizing and problem-solving). Method Referral from neurology to conduct a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation to characterize his cognitive functioning. Exam, chart review, and clinical interviews were conducted. Results The cognitive profile was largely preserved, with mild attentional and executive difficulties, as well as mild challenges retrieving unstructured verbal information. This indicated subtle frontosubcortical network disruption. Self-report questionnaires indicated mild hopelessness but minimal anxiety and mood concerns. During the course of the neuropsychological evaluation, he underwent genetic testing, which was consistent with a diagnosis of HD (41 CAG repeats in the HTT gene). From a neuropsychological perspective, his psychiatric and cognitive disruption were also consistent with a diagnosis of HD. Conclusion The patient’s psychiatric and cognitive decline are now understood in light of his recent HD diagnosis. While cognitive difficulties are prevalent in individuals with HD, the low prevalence of late-onset HD makes the results of this case report particularly informative. This report contributes valuable insights into the neuropsychological presentation of older adults with HD.

Representational visuals of abstract financial concepts: A means to foster financial literacy

Financial literacy is crucial for making sound financial decisions and living a better life. However, the field of finance is full of abstract concepts, such as inflation, liquidity, asset allocation and credit. Abstract concepts may be harder to comprehend than concrete concepts due to their lack of tangible referents in the physical world. In contrast, concrete concepts (e.g., car or house) have a palpable form and can be directly experienced through the senses. Against this background, the question arises of how instructional material can be designed in a way that helps people acquire knowledge about abstract financial concepts. Multimedia learning theories suggest complementing verbal information with visuals that represent the respective topic or concept. Since abstract financial concepts lack palpable, concrete forms, these representational visuals are not simply available but have to be developed. Based on grounded cognition theory, this article discusses three approaches, ‘situations’, ‘emotions’ and ‘metaphors’, which might be used to generate representational visuals of abstract financial concepts. This study aims to provide ideas and enhance our understanding of how grounded cognition theory can be utilized as a guideline to create representational visuals of abstract financial concepts and thus multimedia learning material, which in turn may support increasing people's financial literacy.

Cortical and subcortical substrates of working memory in the right hemisphere: A connectome-based lesion-symptom mapping study

Working Memory (WM) is a cognitive system whose crucial role is to temporarily hold and manipulate information. Early studies suggest that verbal WM is typically associated with left hemisphere (LH) brain regions, while the processing of visuospatial information in WM more specifically depends on the right hemisphere (RH). However, recent evidence suggests a more complex network involving both hemispheres' prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices in these processes. Unfortunately, previous lesion studies often examined only one modality (either verbal, or visuospatial) or one hemisphere, which limits the possible conclusions regarding non-lateralized hemispheric involvement. Using connectome-based lesion-symptom mapping on a large sample of patients with left (LBD) and right (RBD) focal brain damage, we examined whether gray matter damage and white matter disconnections predict deficits of WM updating in an N-back task. Patients were examined with two WM tasks that differed regarding modality (verbal, spatial) and cognitive load (1-back, 2-back). Behavioral outcomes indicated that RBD patients showed significant deficits in WM updating, regardless of task modality or load. This observation was supported by whole-brain voxel-based analysis, revealing associations between WM deficits and gray matter clusters in the RH. Specifically, damage to the right lateral frontal cortex including the brain region homologous to Broca's area was associated with verbal WM deficits, while damage to the right inferior parietal lobe and posterior temporal cortex predicted spatial WM deficits. Additionally, white matter analyses identified severely impacted tracts in the RH, predicting deficits in both verbal and spatial WM. Our findings suggest that the mental manipulation of both verbal and visuospatial information in WM updating relies on the integrity of the RH, irrespective of the specific type of information held in mind.

Navigating the mind's eye: Understanding gaze shifts in visuospatial bootstrapping.

Visuospatial bootstrapping refers to the well-replicated phenomena in which serial recall in a purely verbal task is boosted by presenting digits within the familiar spatial layout of a typical telephone keypad. The visuospatial bootstrapping phenomena indicates that additional support comes from long-term knowledge of a fixed spatial pattern, and prior experimentation supports the idea that access to this benefit depends on the availability of the visuospatial motor system. We investigate this by tracking participants' eye movements during encoding and retention of verbal lists to learn whether gaze patterns support verbal memory differently when verbal information is presented in the familiar visual layout. Participants' gaze was recorded during attempts to recall lists of seven digits in three formats: centre of the screen, typical telephone keypad, or a spatially identical layout with randomised number placement. Performance was better with the typical than with the novel layout. Our data show that eye movements differ when encoding and retaining verbal information that has a familiar layout compared with the same verbal information presented in a novel layout, suggesting recruitment of different spatial rehearsal strategies. However, no clear link between gaze pattern and recall accuracy was observed, which suggests that gazes play a limited role in retention, at best.

Нейровизуализационный подход для выявления биомаркеров рабочей памяти у больных с хронической ишемией мозга

Verbal working memory (VWM) is a fundamental function responsible for temporary storage and short-term handling of verbal information. The study was aimed to determine the working memory biomarker associated with imaging of the source of infra-slow electrical activity in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI). A total of 50 patients with CCI took part in the study: 16 males and 34 females aged 50–85 years. VWM was evaluated by the Luria test. The subjects were divided into two groups matched by age with the VWM below and above the average level for the studied sample. The infra-slow, below 0.1 Hz, electrical activity, otherwise known as the DC potentials (DCPs) of the brain, was recorded with five monopolar leads: frontal, central, occipital, right and left temporal. The resting state fMRI was used to analyze brain regions with the activated BOLD (blood-oxygen-level-dependent) signal that were associated with the brain regions responsible for VWM and the DCP generation sources recorded with the non-polarizable electrodes. The differences in BOLD signal activation and infra-slow activity amplitude were found in two VWM groups. These resting-state neural networks, VWM and the neural network responsible for DCP generation, overlapped in frontal regions. There were significant differences in DCP recorded with the frontal lead in two VWM groups (р = 0.00004). In patients with CCI, infra-slow activity, recorded with the frontal lead that is generated by the neural network fragment representing an intersection of the VWM network and the part of the brain responsible for DCP generation in the frontal region, is a VWM biomarker.

Retention of verbal and nonverbal information in the working memory. An analysis of functional and effective connectivity

In this work we estimated differences in the structure of brain systems that ensure encoding and retention in working memory (WM) of two types of information: verbal (letters) and non-verbal (segments of an open broken line) sequences presented either statically or dynamically. Brain systems were characterized by the strength of functional and effective connections between eight approximately bilaterally symmetrical cortical loci, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and regions of the temporal (STG), parietal (IPS), and occipital (v2) cortices. Using an 8-channel vector autoregressive model in the space of cortical EEG sources, it was shown in a group of subjects in whom high-density EEG was recorded that: (1) the brain organization of the WM when holding a sequence of letters differs from that when holding a sequence of broken line segments; (2) the brain organization of the WM depends on the mode of presentation of sequences: the strength of the functional connection is different during dynamic and static presentation of the sequence; (3) differences in the structure of functional and effective connections are not of a pronounced frequency-selective nature and are observed in all studied EEG frequency ranges from theta (4–8 Hz) to high-frequency gamma (50–60 Hz); (4) the most reliable differences between the task of retaining a sequence of letters and the task of retaining a sequence of broken line segments are observed in the alpha and beta frequency ranges during static visual presentation of sequences in the strength of functional connectivity measured using coherence between the left hemisphere dlPFC and the right hemisphere STG, as well as in theta range between the right hemisphere dlPFC and the left visual cortex v2; (5) the most reliable difference between static and dynamic presentation modes is observed in the task of holding broken line segments in the gamma frequency range (50–60 Hz) between the dlPFC in the right hemisphere and the left visual cortex v2.