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Falkland EC, Wiggins MW, Douglas H, Sturman D, Auton JC, Shieh L, Westbrook JI. Explaining emergency physicians' capacity to recover from interruptions. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2022; 105:103857. [PMID: 35933839 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess whether the capacity to utilize cues amongst emergency physicians is associated with differences in the capacity to recover performance following an interruption. BACKGROUND Interruptions are implicated in errors in emergency medicine due to the cognitive load that they impose on working memory, resulting in a loss of performance on the primary task. The utilization of cues is associated with a reduction in cognitive load during the performance of a task, thereby enabling the allocation of residual resources that mitigates the loss of performance following interruptions. METHOD Thirty-nine emergency physicians, recruited at a medical conference, completed an assessment of cue utilization (EXPERTise 2.0) and an online simulation (Septris) that involved the management of patients presenting with sepsis. During the simulation, physicians were interrupted and asked to check a medication order. Task performance was assessed using scores on Septris, with points awarded for the accurate management of patients. RESULTS Emergency physicians with higher cue utilization recorded significantly higher scores on the simulation task following the interruption, compared to physicians with lower cue utilization (p = .028). CONCLUSION The results confirm a relationship between cue utilization and the recovery of performance following an interruption. This is likely due to the advantages afforded by associated reductions in cognitive load. APPLICATION Assessments of cue utilization may assist in the development of interventions to support clinicians in interruptive environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Falkland
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Mark W Wiggins
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Heather Douglas
- Department of Psychology, Newcastle University, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Daniel Sturman
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Jaime C Auton
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Lisa Shieh
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, California, USA
| | - Johanna I Westbrook
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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Zhou H, Tan Q, Ye X, Miao L. Number sense: the mediating effect between nonverbal intelligence and children’s mathematical performance. PSICOLOGIA-REFLEXAO E CRITICA 2022; 35:27. [PMID: 36103098 PMCID: PMC9474765 DOI: 10.1186/s41155-022-00231-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The study explored the mediating effect of number sense between nonverbal intelligence and children’s mathematical performance. The sample consisted of 131 pupils in Shaoxing City of China from grades 1, 3, and 5. The students completed measures of nonverbal intelligence, number sense, basic arithmetic ability, mathematical performance, rapid automatized naming, and working memory. Results show that although all variables significantly relate with each other (all p < .01), only nonverbal intelligence, number sense, and basic arithmetic ability significantly affect children’s mathematical performance (all p < .01). According to multiple-mediation model, nonverbal intelligence significantly predicts children’s mathematical performance through number sense and basic arithmetic ability. These findings suggest that domain-specific mathematical skills play a prominent role in children’s mathematical performance in primary school, rather than domain-general cognitive functions. Educators should pay attention to develop children’s number sense in order to improve children’s mathematical ability.
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Schulz D, Richter T, Schindler J, Lenhard W, Mangold M. Using Accuracy and Response Times to Assess Inhibitory Control in Kindergarten Children: An Analysis with Explanatory Item Response Models. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2119977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schulz
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Richter
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Schindler
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Lenhard
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Madlen Mangold
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Silman AK, Chhabria R, Hafzalla GW, Giffin L, Kucharski K, Myers K, Culquichicón C, Montero S, Lescano AG, Vega CM, Fernandez LE, Silman MR, Kane MJ, Sanders JW. Impairment in Working Memory and Executive Function Associated with Mercury Exposure in Indigenous Populations in Upper Amazonian Peru. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10989. [PMID: 36078698 PMCID: PMC9517927 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Matsigenka people living traditional lifestyles in remote areas of the Amazon rely on a fish-based diet that exposes them to methylmercury (MeHg) at levels that have been associated with decreased IQ scores. In this study, the association between Hg levels and working memory was explored using the framework of the Multicomponent Model. Working memory tasks were modified to fit the culture and language of the Matsigenka when needed and included measures for verbal storage (Word Span) visuospatial storage (Corsi Block Task) and a measure of executive functions, the Self-Ordered Pointing Task (SOPT). An innovation of the Trail Making Tests A & B (TMT A & B) was pilot tested as another potential measure of executive functions. The mean hair Hg levels of 30 participants, ages 12 to 55 years, from three different communities (Maizal, Cacaotal and Yomibato) was 7.0 ppm (sd = 2.40), well above the World Health Organization (WHO) limit for hair of 2.0 ppm and ranged from 1.8 to 14.2 ppm, with 98% of a broader sample of 152 individuals exceeding the WHO limit. Hair Hg levels showed significant associations with cognitive performance, but the degree varied in magnitude according to the type of task. Hg levels were negatively associated with executive functioning performance (SOPT errors), while Hg levels and years of education predicted visuospatial performance (Corsi Block accuracy). Education was the only predictor of Word Span accuracy. The results show that Hg exposure is negatively associated with working memory performance when there is an increased reliance on executive functioning. Based on our findings and the review of the experimental research, we suggest that the SOPT and the Corsi Block have the potential to be alternatives to general intelligence tests when studying remote groups with extensive cultural differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alycia K. Silman
- Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
- Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | | | | | - Leahanne Giffin
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | | | - Katherine Myers
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Carlos Culquichicón
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), San Martin de Porres 15102, Peru
| | - Stephanie Montero
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), San Martin de Porres 15102, Peru
| | - Andres G. Lescano
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), San Martin de Porres 15102, Peru
| | - Claudia M. Vega
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica, Puerto Maldonado 17001, Peru
| | - Luis E. Fernandez
- Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica, Puerto Maldonado 17001, Peru
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, USA
- Carnegie Amazon Mercury Project, Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Miles R. Silman
- Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Michael J. Kane
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA
| | - John W. Sanders
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
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Starr A, Leib ER, Younger JW, Uncapher MR, Bunge SA. Relational thinking: An overlooked component of executive functioning. Dev Sci 2022; 26:e13320. [PMID: 36030539 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Relational thinking, the ability to represent abstract, generalizable relations, is a core component of reasoning and human cognition. Relational thinking contributes to fluid reasoning and academic achievement, particularly in the domain of math. However, due to the complex nature of many fluid reasoning tasks, it has been difficult to determine the degree to which relational thinking has a separable role from the cognitive processes collectively known as executive functions (EFs). Here, we used a simplified reasoning task to better understand how relational thinking contributes to math achievement in a large, diverse sample of elementary and middle school students (N = 942). Students also performed a set of ten adaptive EF assessments, as well as tests of math fluency and fraction magnitude comparison. We found that relational thinking was significantly correlated with each of the three EF composite scores previously derived from this dataset, albeit no more strongly than they were with each other. Further, relational thinking predicted unique variance in students' math fluency and fraction magnitude comparison scores over and above the three EF composites. Thus, we propose that relational thinking be considered an EF in its own right as one of the core, mid-level cognitive abilities that supports cognition and goal-directed behavior. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Relational thinking, the process of identifying and integrating relations, develops over childhood and is central to reasoning. We collected data from nearly 1000 elementary and middle schoolers on a test of relational thinking, ten standard executive function tasks, and two math tests. Relational thinking predicts unique variance in math achievement not accounted for by canonical EFs throughout middle childhood. We propose that relational thinking should be conceptualized as a core executive function that supports cognitive development and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Starr
- Department of Psychology University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Elena R. Leib
- Department of Psychology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Jessica W. Younger
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA
| | - Melina R. Uncapher
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA
| | - Silvia A. Bunge
- Department of Psychology University of California Berkeley CA USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute University of California Berkeley CA USA
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Symmetry and spatial ability enhance change detection in visuospatial structures. Mem Cognit 2022; 50:1186-1200. [PMID: 35705852 PMCID: PMC9365739 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-022-01332-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) domains require people to recognize and transform complex visuospatial displays that appear to vastly exceed the limits of visuospatial working memory. Here, we consider possible domain-general mechanisms that may explain this advantage: capitalizing on symmetry, a structural regularity that can produce more efficient representations. Participants briefly viewed a structure made up of three-dimensional connected cubes of different colors, which was either asymmetrical or symmetrical. After a short delay, they were asked to detect a change (colors swapping positions) within a rotated second view. In change trials, the second display always had an asymmetrical structure. The presence of symmetry in the initial view improved change detection, and performance also declined with angular disparity of the encoding and test displays. People with higher spatial ability performed better on the change-detection task, but there was no evidence that they were better at leveraging symmetry than low-spatial individuals. The results suggest that leveraging symmetrical structures can help people of all ability levels exceed typical working memory limits by constructing more efficient representations and substituting resource-demanding mental rotation operations with alternative orientation-independent strategies.
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Oral contraceptive androgenicity affects symmetry processing speed in a visuospatial working memory task. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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58
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Izadi Laybidi M, Rasoulzadeh Y, Dianat I, Samavati M, Asghari Jafarabadi M, Nazari MA. Cognitive performance and electroencephalographic variations in air traffic controllers under various mental workload and time of day. Physiol Behav 2022; 252:113842. [PMID: 35561808 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mental workload (MWL) and time of day on cognitive performance and electroencephalographic (EEG) parameters of air traffic controllers. EEG signals recorded while 20 professional air traffic controllers performed cognitive tasks [A-X Continuous Performance Test (AX-CPT) and 3-back working memory task] after they were exposed to two levels of task difficulty (high and low MWL) in the morning and afternoon. Significant decreases in cognitive performance were found when the levels of task difficulty increased in both tasks. The results confirmed the sensitivity of the theta and beta activities to levels of task difficulty in the 3-back task, while they were not affected in the AX-CPT. Theta and beta activities were influenced by time of day in the AX-CPT. The findings provide guidance for application of changes in EEG parameters when MWL level is manipulated during the day that could be implemented in future for the development of real-time monitoring systems to improve aviation safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Izadi Laybidi
- Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Yahya Rasoulzadeh
- Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Iman Dianat
- Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mehdi Samavati
- Research Center for Biomedical Technologies & Robotics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi
- Center for the Development of Interdisciplinary Research in Islamic Sciences and Health Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Nazari
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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59
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Jiang LX, Huang GD, Wang HL, Zhang C, Yu X. The protocol for assessing olfactory working memory capacity in mice. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2703. [PMID: 35849713 PMCID: PMC9392537 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory capacity (WMC) is the ability to maintain information over a few seconds. Although it has been extensively studied in healthy subjects and neuropsychiatric patients, few tasks have been developed to measure such changes in rodents. Many procedures have been used to measure WM in rodents, including the radial arm maze, the WM version of the Morris swimming task, and various delayed matching and nonmatching-to-sample tasks. It should be noted, however, that the memory components assessed in these procedures do not include memory capacity. METHODS We developed an olfactory working memory capacity (OWMC) paradigm to assess the WMC of 3-month-old 5×FAD mice, a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The task is divided into five phases: context adaptation, digging training, rule learning for nonmatching to a single sample odor (NMSS), rule learning for nonmatching to multiple sample odors (NMMS), and capacity testing. RESULTS In the NMSS rule-learning phase, there was no difference between wild-type (WT) mice and 5×FAD mice in the performance correct rate, correct option rate, and correct rejection rate. The WT mice and 5×FAD mice showed similar memory capacity in the NMMS rule-learning phase. After capacity test, we found that the WMC was significantly diminished in 5×FAD mice. As the memory load increased, 5×FAD mice also made significantly more errors than WT mice. CONCLUSION The OWMC task, based on a nonmatch-to-sample rule, is a sensitive and robust behavioral assay that we validated as a reliable method for measuring WMC and exploring different components of memory in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Xin Jiang
- Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Beijing, China.,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory for Translational Research on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, Beijing, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hua-Li Wang
- Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Beijing, China.,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory for Translational Research on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Capital Medical University, Youanmenwai, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Beijing, China.,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory for Translational Research on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, Beijing, China
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60
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Passolunghi MC, De Blas GD, Carretti B, Gomez-Veiga I, Doz E, Garcia-Madruga JA. The role of working memory updating, inhibition, fluid intelligence, and reading comprehension in explaining differences between consistent and inconsistent arithmetic word-problem-solving performance. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 224:105512. [PMID: 35901670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Children's performance in arithmetic word problems (AWPs) predicts their academic success and their future employment and earnings in adulthood. Understanding the nature and difficulties of interpreting and solving AWPs is important for theoretical, educational, and social reasons. We investigated the relation between primary school children's performance in different types of AWPs and their basic cognitive abilities (reading comprehension, fluid intelligence, inhibition, and updating processes). The study involved 182 fourth- and fifth-graders. Participants were administered an AWP-solving task and other tasks assessing fluid intelligence, reading comprehension, inhibition, and updating. The AWP-solving task included comparison problems incorporating either the adverb more than or the adverb less than, which demand consistent or inconsistent operations of addition or subtraction. The results showed that consistent problems were easier than inconsistent problems. Efficiency in solving inconsistent problems is related to inhibition and updating. Moreover, our results seem to indicate that the consistency effect is related to updating processes' efficiency. Path analyses showed that reading comprehension was the most important predictor of AWP-solving accuracy. Moreover, both executive functions-updating and inhibition-had a distinct and significant effect on AWP accuracy. Fluid intelligence had both direct and indirect effects, mediated by reading comprehension, on the overall measure of AWP performance. These domain-general factors are important factors in explaining children's performance in solving consistent and inconsistent AWPs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Barbara Carretti
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Eleonora Doz
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34128 Trieste, Italy
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61
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Gao C, Zhao X, Li T. Effects of indoor VOCs from paint on human brain activities during working memory tasks: An electroencephalogram study. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e13062. [PMID: 35904389 DOI: 10.1111/ina.13062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As more and more people stay inside the building for a long time, the indoor environment has a great effect on their health, mood, and work efficiency. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals reflect electrical activity originating from neuronal firing when a task or activity is performed. Since there was no study on the effect of indoor air on nerves, this study utilized EEG to preliminarily explore the brain functions of subjects during working memory tasks with different difficulties. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as odor irritants in the air. We expected to find the difference in subjects' EEG signals between VOCs and low-VOCs. The EEG signals from 60 electrodes were analyzed by event-related potential (ERP), event-related spectral power (ERSP), and correlation network methods to describe the brain activity. We compared the results of subjects in VOCs and low-VOCs and found significant differences between ERP and ERSP in the alpha band during a simple working memory task. Subjects were more sensitive to the VOCs in simple tasks than in complex tasks. Our work provided evidence of odor effects on brain functions and could be used to guide the design of indoor odor in home, offices, and classrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Gao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Xing Zhao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Ting Li
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
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62
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Lucon-Xiccato T. The contribution of executive functions to sex differences in animal cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104705. [PMID: 35605792 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive sex differences have been reported in several vertebrate species, mostly in spatial abilities. Here, I review evidence of sex differences in a family of general cognitive functions that control behaviour and cognition, i.e., executive functions such as cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control. Most of this evidence derives from studies in teleost fish. However, analysis of literature from other fields (e.g., biomedicine, genetic, ecology) concerning mammals and birds reveals that more than 40% of species investigated exhibit sex differences in executive functions. Among species, the direction and magnitude of these sex differences vary greatly, even within the same family, suggesting sex-specific selection due to species' reproductive systems and reproductive roles of males and females. Evidence also suggests that sex differences in executive functions might provide males and females highly differentiated cognitive phenotypes. To understand the evolution of cognitive sex differences in vertebrates, future research should consider executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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63
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Soares PSM, de Oliveira PD, Wehrmeister FC, Menezes AMB, Rohde LA, Gonçalves H. Does IQ Influence Association Between Working Memory and ADHD Symptoms in Young Adults? J Atten Disord 2022; 26:1097-1105. [PMID: 34779307 DOI: 10.1177/10870547211058813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined the association between WM and ADHD symptoms in young adults and whether IQ-score influenced this association. METHOD Data from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study were analyzed (N = 2,845). Working memory and ADHD symptoms were collected at 22 years. IQ was examined at age 18. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to assess the associations between working memory and ADHD symptoms. We also evaluated whether IQ modified associations between working memory and ADHD symptoms. RESULTS Working memory was negatively associated with Inattention symptoms of ADHD. The association between working memory and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms of ADHD varied by IQ. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new insights to theories about the relationship between WM and ADHD symptoms as well as the development of interventions aimed at improving the performance of WM in ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Luis Augusto Rohde
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INCT-CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Rossignoli-Palomeque T, Perez-Hernandez E. Validity of The Evaluation System of Children and Adolescents to Measure Executive Functions: Convergent Validity. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/07342829221104349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) refer to a set of cognitive skills used to achieve goals and adapt to novelty and social situations. These cognitive skills strongly impact people’s daily lives. Hence, assessing these skills is important for an early intervention to address their lack if need be. Nevertheless, relevant scientific literature reports difficulties in assessing EFs, as they are a set of processes that involve many dimensions. Further, there are differences between everyday situations wherein EFs are employed and the context of a typical performance-based task, involving the use of EFs. Questionnaires are an excellent way to address these difficulties. The objective of this study is to test SENA’s convergent validity in terms of EFs’ assessment. The SENA is the first Spanish standardized questionnaire based on DSM-5 (2013), it assesses emotional and behavioral problems in children aged 3–18 years. This experiment involved students from regular schools ( N = 140; M age = 6.97 SD = 1.02). Statistical analysis was conducted that compared a validated EFs test (BRIEF-2) and the SENA test. The results of this study suggested the presence of convergent validity between SENA and BRIEF-2 vis-a-vis EFs. Thus, SENA is a valid assessment for EFs that are called for in school and family environments for those who speak Spanish. That said SENA is more comprehensive than BRIEF-2, as it not only assesses EFs but also identifies the problems currently associated with the failure in employing EFs, psychological vulnerabilities, and personal resources that are lacking. SENA provides a complete picture of children’s and adolescents' behaviors and emotions.
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Gabay L, Miller P, Alia-Klein N, Lewin MP. Circadian Effects on Attention and Working Memory in College Students With Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Symptoms. Front Psychol 2022; 13:851502. [PMID: 35651563 PMCID: PMC9150742 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.851502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Individuals with an evening chronotype prefer to sleep later at night, wake up later in the day and perform best later in the day as compared to individuals with morning chronotype. Thus, college students without ADHD symptoms with evening chronotypes show reduced cognitive performance in the morning relative to nighttime (i.e., desynchrony effect). In combination with symptoms presented in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we predicted that having evening chronotype renders impairment in attention during the morning, when students require optimal performance, amplifying desynchrony. Method Four hundred college students were surveyed for evening chronotype and symptoms of ADHD. Of those surveyed, 43 students with evening chronotype (19 with ADHD symptoms) performed laboratory attention tasks and were queried about fatigue during morning and evening sessions. Results Students with ADHD symptoms demonstrated a greater decrement in sustained attentional vigilance when abstaining from stimulants and asked to perform cognitive tests at times misaligned with natural circadian rhythms in arousal compared to their non-ADHD counterparts with the same chronotype. While individuals with ADHD symptoms had slower reaction-times during sustained attention tasks in the morning session compared to those without symptoms, there was no significant group difference in working memory performance, even though both groups made more errors in the morning session compared to the evening session. Conclusion These findings suggest that evening chronotype students with ADHD symptoms are at a greater disadvantage when having to perform sustained attention tasks at times that are not aligned to their circadian rhythm compared to their neuro-typical peers. The implications of this finding may be useful for the provision of disability accommodations to college age students with ADHD when they are expected to perform tasks requiring sustained attention at times misaligned with their circadian rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Gabay
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Pazia Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nelly Alia-Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Monica P. Lewin
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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Tibken C, Richter T, Wannagat W, Schmiedeler S, von der Linden N, Schneider W. Measuring Comprehension Monitoring with the Inconsistency Task in Adolescents: Stability, Associations with Reading Comprehension Skills, and Differences Between Grade Levels. DISCOURSE PROCESSES 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/0163853x.2022.2073736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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67
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Manelis A, Lima Santos JP, Suss SJ, Holland CL, Stiffler RS, Bitzer HB, Mailliard S, Shaffer MA, Caviston K, Collins MW, Phillips ML, Kontos AP, Versace A. Vestibular/ocular motor symptoms in concussed adolescents are linked to retrosplenial activation. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac123. [PMID: 35615112 PMCID: PMC9127539 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Following concussion, adolescents often experience vestibular and ocular motor symptoms as well as working memory deficits that may affect their cognitive, academic and social well-being. Complex visual environments including school activities, playing sports, or socializing with friends may be overwhelming for concussed adolescents suffering from headache, dizziness, nausea and fogginess, thus imposing heightened requirements on working memory to adequately function in such environments. While understanding the relationship between working memory and vestibular/ocular motor symptoms is critically important, no previous study has examined how an increase in working memory task difficulty affects the relationship between severity of vestibular/ocular motor symptoms and brain and behavioural responses in a working memory task. To address this question, we examined 80 adolescents (53 concussed, 27 non-concussed) using functional MRI while performing a 1-back (easy) and 2-back (difficult) working memory tasks with angry, happy, neutral and sad face distractors. Concussed adolescents completed the vestibular/ocular motor screening and were scanned within 10 days of injury. We found that all participants showed lower accuracy and slower reaction time on difficult (2-back) versus easy (1-back) tasks (P-values < 0.05). Concussed adolescents were significantly slower than controls across all conditions (P < 0.05). In concussed adolescents, higher vestibular/ocular motor screening total scores were associated with significantly greater differences in reaction time between 1-back and 2-back across all distractor conditions and significantly greater differences in retrosplenial cortex activation for the 1-back versus 2-back condition with neutral face distractors (P-values < 0.05). Our findings suggest that processing of emotionally ambiguous information (e.g. neutral faces) additionally increases the task difficulty for concussed adolescents. Post-concussion vestibular/ocular motor symptoms may reduce the ability to inhibit emotionally ambiguous information during working memory tasks, potentially affecting cognitive, academic and social functioning in concussed adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Manelis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Stephen J. Suss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Cynthia L. Holland
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery/UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Hannah B. Bitzer
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery/UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sarrah Mailliard
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Madelyn A. Shaffer
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery/UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kaitlin Caviston
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery/UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael W. Collins
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery/UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mary L. Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Anthony P. Kontos
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery/UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Amelia Versace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Teixeira-Santos AC, Moreira CS, Pereira DR, Pinal D, Fregni F, Leite J, Carvalho S, Sampaio A. Working Memory Training Coupled With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Experiment. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:827188. [PMID: 35493937 PMCID: PMC9039392 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.827188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been employed to boost working memory training (WMT) effects. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence on the efficacy of this combination in older adults. The present study is aimed to assess the delayed transfer effects of tDCS coupled with WMT in older adults in a 15-day follow-up. We explored if general cognitive ability, age, and educational level predicted the effects. Methods In this single-center, double-blind randomized sham-controlled experiment, 54 older adults were randomized into three groups: anodal-tDCS (atDCS)+WMT, sham-tDCS (stDCS)+WMT, and double-sham. Five sessions of tDCS (2 mA) were applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Far transfer was measured by Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), while the near transfer effects were assessed through Digit Span. A frequentist linear mixed model (LMM) was complemented by a Bayesian approach in data analysis. Results Working memory training improved dual n-back performance in both groups submitted to this intervention but only the group that received atDCS+WMT displayed a significant improvement from pretest to follow-up in transfer measures of reasoning (RAPM) and short-term memory (forward Digit Span). Near transfer improvements predicted gains in far transfer, demonstrating that the far transfer is due to an improvement in the trained construct of working memory. Age, formal education, and vocabulary score seem to predict the gains in reasoning. However, Bayesian results do not provide substantial evidence to support this claim. Conclusion This study will help to consolidate the incipient but auspicious field of cognitive training coupled with tDCS in healthy older adults. Our findings demonstrated that atDCS may potentialize WMT by promoting transfer effects in short-term memory and reasoning in older adults, which are observed especially at follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Teixeira-Santos
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Department of Social Sciences, Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality, University of Luxembourg, Esch-Belval, Luxembourg
- *Correspondence: Ana C. Teixeira-Santos,
| | - Célia S. Moreira
- Department of Mathematics, Centre for Mathematics of the University of Porto, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Diana R. Pereira
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Diego Pinal
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Felipe Fregni
- Spaulding Neuromodulation Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jorge Leite
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Spaulding Neuromodulation Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Portucalense Institute for Human Development, Universidade Portucalense, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Carvalho
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Translational Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Education and Psychology and William James Center for Research (WJCR), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Adriana Sampaio,
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Memory and Proactive Interference for spatially distributed items. Mem Cognit 2022; 50:782-816. [PMID: 35119628 PMCID: PMC9018653 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-021-01239-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Our ability to briefly retain information is often limited. Proactive Interference (PI) might contribute to these limitations (e.g., when items in recognition tests are difficult to reject after having appeared recently). In visual Working Memory (WM), spatial information might protect WM against PI, especially if encoding items together with their spatial locations makes item-location combinations less confusable than simple items without a spatial component. Here, I ask (1) if PI is observed for spatially distributed items, (2) if it arises among simple items or among item-location combinations, and (3) if spatial information affects PI at all. I show that, contrary to views that spatial information protects against PI, PI is reliably observed for spatially distributed items except when it is weak. PI mostly reflects items that appear recently or frequently as memory items, while occurrences as test items play a smaller role, presumably because their temporal context is easier to encode. Through mathematical modeling, I then show that interference occurs among simple items rather than item-location combinations. Finally, to understand the effects of spatial information, I separate the effects of (a) the presence and (b) the predictiveness of spatial information on memory and its susceptibility to PI. Memory is impaired when items are spatially distributed, but, depending on the analysis, unaffected by the predictiveness of spatial information. In contrast, the susceptibility to PI is unaffected by either manipulation. Visual memory is thus impaired by PI for spatially distributed items due to interference from recent memory items (rather than test items or item-location combinations).
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70
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How does bilingualism modify cognitive function? Attention to the mechanism. Psychon Bull Rev 2022; 29:1246-1269. [PMID: 35091993 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02057-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It has been claimed that bilingual experience leads to an enhancement of cognitive control across the lifespan, a claim that has been investigated by comparing monolingual and bilingual groups performing standard executive function (EF) tasks. The results of these studies have been inconsistent, however, leading to controversy over the essential assumptions underlying the research program, namely, whether bilingualism produces cognitive change. We argue that the source of the inconsistency is not in the evidence but rather in the framework that has typically been used to motivate the research and interpret the results. We examine the componential view of EF with its central role for inhibition and argue that it provides a poor fit to both bilingual experience and the results of these studies. As an alternative, we propose a more holistic account based on attentional control that overrides the processes in the componential model of EF and applies to a wider range of tasks. The key element in our account is that behavioral differences between monolingual and bilingual individuals reflect differences in the efficiency and deployment of attentional control between the two language groups. In support of this point we show how attentional control provides a more satisfactory account for a range of findings that cannot reasonably be attributed to inhibition. We also suggest that group differences will emerge only when the attentional demands of a task exceed the control abilities of one of the groups, regardless of the EF components involved. We then review literature from across the lifespan to evaluate the extent to which this account is consistent with existing evidence, and conclude with some suggestions on how the field may be advanced by new lines of empirical enquiry.
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71
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Friedman NP, Robbins TW. The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:72-89. [PMID: 34408280 PMCID: PMC8617292 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01132-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 166.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Concepts of cognitive control (CC) and executive function (EF) are defined in terms of their relationships with goal-directed behavior versus habits and controlled versus automatic processing, and related to the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and related regions and networks. A psychometric approach shows unity and diversity in CC constructs, with 3 components in the most commonly studied constructs: general or common CC and components specific to mental set shifting and working memory updating. These constructs are considered against the cellular and systems neurobiology of PFC and what is known of its functional neuroanatomical or network organization based on lesioning, neurochemical, and neuroimaging approaches across species. CC is also considered in the context of motivation, as "cool" and "hot" forms. Its Common CC component is shown to be distinct from general intelligence (g) and closely related to response inhibition. Impairments in CC are considered as possible causes of psychiatric symptoms and consequences of disorders. The relationships of CC with the general factor of psychopathology (p) and dimensional constructs such as impulsivity in large scale developmental and adult populations are considered, as well as implications for genetic studies and RDoC approaches to psychiatric classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi P Friedman
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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72
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DeYoung CG, Beaty RE, Genç E, Latzman RD, Passamonti L, Servaas MN, Shackman AJ, Smillie LD, Spreng RN, Viding E, Wacker J. Personality Neuroscience: An Emerging Field with Bright Prospects. PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2022; 3:e7269. [PMID: 36250039 PMCID: PMC9561792 DOI: 10.5964/ps.7269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Personality neuroscience is the study of persistent psychological individual differences, typically in the general population, using neuroscientific methods. It has the potential to shed light on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying individual differences and their manifestation in ongoing behavior and experience. The field was inaugurated many decades ago, yet has only really gained momentum in the last two, as suitable technologies have become widely available. Personality neuroscience employs a broad range of methods, including molecular genetics, pharmacological assays or manipulations, electroencephalography, and various neuroimaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. Although exciting progress is being made in this young field, much remains unknown. In this brief review, we discuss discoveries that have been made, methodological challenges and advances, and important questions that remain to be answered. We also discuss best practices for personality neuroscience research and promising future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin G. DeYoung
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA,Address correspondence to: Colin DeYoung, Department of Psychology, 75 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN USA.
| | | | - Erhan Genç
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | | | - Luca Passamonti
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Michelle N. Servaas
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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73
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Neubeck M, Karbach J, Könen T. Network models of cognitive abilities in younger and older adults. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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74
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The domain-specificity of serial order working memory. Mem Cognit 2021; 50:941-961. [PMID: 34961910 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-021-01260-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Making a turn while driving is simple: turn on the indicator, check for cars, then turn. Two types of information are required to perform this sequence of events: information about the items (e.g., the correct indicator), and the serial order of those items (e.g., checking before turning rather than vice-versa). Previous research has found distinct working memory capacities (WMCs) for item and serial order information in both verbal and nonverbal domains. The current study investigates whether the serial order WMC is shared for sequences from different content domains. One hundred and fifty-three participants performed sequence matching tasks with verbal (letters and words) and nonverbal (locations and arrows) stimuli. The accuracy of detecting mismatched item-identity and serial order information in sequences was used to operationalize item and order WMC. Using structural equation modeling analyses, we directly compared models that included either domain-specific or domain-general serial order WMC latent variables, finding that models with domain-specific serial order WMC latent variables for verbal and nonverbal materials fit the data better than models with domain-general latent variables. The findings support the hypothesis that there are separate capacities for serial order working memory depending on the type of material being ordered.
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75
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Yoo AH, Collins AGE. How Working Memory and Reinforcement Learning Are Intertwined: A Cognitive, Neural, and Computational Perspective. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 34:551-568. [PMID: 34942642 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Reinforcement learning and working memory are two core processes of human cognition and are often considered cognitively, neuroscientifically, and algorithmically distinct. Here, we show that the brain networks that support them actually overlap significantly and that they are less distinct cognitive processes than often assumed. We review literature demonstrating the benefits of considering each process to explain properties of the other and highlight recent work investigating their more complex interactions. We discuss how future research in both computational and cognitive sciences can benefit from one another, suggesting that a key missing piece for artificial agents to learn to behave with more human-like efficiency is taking working memory's role in learning seriously. This review highlights the risks of neglecting the interplay between different processes when studying human behavior (in particular when considering individual differences). We emphasize the importance of investigating these dynamics to build a comprehensive understanding of human cognition.
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76
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Read DW, Manrique HM, Walker MJ. On the Working Memory of Humans and Great Apes: Strikingly Similar or Remarkably Different? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 134:104496. [PMID: 34919985 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In this article we review publications relevant to addressing widely reported claims in both the academic and popular press that chimpanzees working memory (WM) is comparable to, if not exceeding, that of humans. WM is a complex multidimensional construct with strong parallels in humans to prefrontal cortex and cognitive development. These parallels occur in chimpanzees, but to a lesser degree. We review empirical evidence and conclude that the size of WM in chimpanzees is 2 ± 1 versus Miller's famous 7 ± 2 in humans. Comparable differences occur in experiments on chimpanzees relating to strategic and attentional WM subsystems. Regardless of the domain, chimpanzee WM performance is comparable to that of humans around the age of 4 or 5. Next, we review evidence showing parallels among the evolution of WM capacity in hominins ancestral to Homo sapiens, the phylogenetic evolution of hominins leading to Homo sapiens, and evolution in the complexity of stone tool technology over this time period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwight W Read
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Department of Statistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Héctor M Manrique
- Departamento de Psicología y Sociología, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Michael J Walker
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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Davis GP, Katz GE, Gentili RJ, Reggia JA. NeuroLISP: High-level symbolic programming with attractor neural networks. Neural Netw 2021; 146:200-219. [PMID: 34894482 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite significant improvements in contemporary machine learning, symbolic methods currently outperform artificial neural networks on tasks that involve compositional reasoning, such as goal-directed planning and logical inference. This illustrates a computational explanatory gap between cognitive and neurocomputational algorithms that obscures the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognition and impedes progress toward human-level artificial intelligence. Because of the strong relationship between cognition and working memory control, we suggest that the cognitive abilities of contemporary neural networks are limited by biologically-implausible working memory systems that rely on persistent activity maintenance and/or temporal nonlocality. Here we present NeuroLISP, an attractor neural network that can represent and execute programs written in the LISP programming language. Unlike previous approaches to high-level programming with neural networks, NeuroLISP features a temporally-local working memory based on itinerant attractor dynamics, top-down gating, and fast associative learning, and implements several high-level programming constructs such as compositional data structures, scoped variable binding, and the ability to manipulate and execute programmatic expressions in working memory (i.e., programs can be treated as data). Our computational experiments demonstrate the correctness of the NeuroLISP interpreter, and show that it can learn non-trivial programs that manipulate complex derived data structures (multiway trees), perform compositional string manipulation operations (PCFG SET task), and implement high-level symbolic AI algorithms (first-order unification). We conclude that NeuroLISP is an effective neurocognitive controller that can replace the symbolic components of hybrid models, and serves as a proof of concept for further development of high-level symbolic programming in neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P Davis
- Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Garrett E Katz
- Department of Elec. Engr. and Comp. Sci., Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
| | - Rodolphe J Gentili
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - James A Reggia
- Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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78
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Radulescu S, Kotsolakou A, Wijnen F, Avrutin S, Grama I. Fast but Not Furious. When Sped Up Bit Rate of Information Drives Rule Induction. Front Psychol 2021; 12:661785. [PMID: 34858245 PMCID: PMC8632011 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The language abilities of young and adult learners range from memorizing specific items to finding statistical regularities between them (item-bound generalization) and generalizing rules to novel instances (category-based generalization). Both external factors, such as input variability, and internal factors, such as cognitive limitations, have been shown to drive these abilities. However, the exact dynamics between these factors and circumstances under which rule induction emerges remain largely underspecified. Here, we extend our information-theoretic model (Radulescu et al., 2019), based on Shannon’s noisy-channel coding theory, which adds into the “formula” for rule induction the crucial dimension of time: the rate of encoding information by a time-sensitive mechanism. The goal of this study is to test the channel capacity-based hypothesis of our model: if the input entropy per second is higher than the maximum rate of information transmission (bits/second), which is determined by the channel capacity, the encoding method moves gradually from item-bound generalization to a more efficient category-based generalization, so as to avoid exceeding the channel capacity. We ran two artificial grammar experiments with adults, in which we sped up the bit rate of information transmission, crucially not by an arbitrary amount but by a factor calculated using the channel capacity formula on previous data. We found that increased bit rate of information transmission in a repetition-based XXY grammar drove the tendency of learners toward category-based generalization, as predicted by our model. Conversely, we found that increased bit rate of information transmission in complex non-adjacent dependency aXb grammar impeded the item-bound generalization of the specific a_b frames, and led to poorer learning, at least judging by our accuracy assessment method. This finding could show that, since increasing the bit rate of information precipitates a change from item-bound to category-based generalization, it impedes the item-bound generalization of the specific a_b frames, and that it facilitates category-based generalization both for the intervening Xs and possibly for a/b categories. Thus, sped up bit rate does not mean that an unrestrainedly increasing bit rate drives rule induction in any context, or grammar. Rather, it is the specific dynamics between the input entropy and the maximum rate of information transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Radulescu
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics-OTS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Areti Kotsolakou
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics-OTS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics-OTS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Sergey Avrutin
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics-OTS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ileana Grama
- Amsterdam Centre for Language and Communication, Faculty of Humanities, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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79
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Minihan S, Samimi Z, Schweizer S. The effectiveness of affective compared to neutral working memory training in university students with test anxiety. Behav Res Ther 2021; 147:103974. [PMID: 34624665 PMCID: PMC7611905 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Test anxiety (TA), defined as the emotional, physiological, and behavioural responses surrounding situations involving formal evaluation of performance, is a relatively common occurrence, and, when present, can be a disruptive factor in students' academic careers. Research indicates that working memory, in particular, affective working memory, is impaired in individuals with TA. The current study therefore explored whether training the application of working memory in affective contexts could reduce TA and associated cognitive and affective impairments. METHOD 60 Iranian university students (50% female; 19-22 years) with TA symptoms were randomized to receive 20 sessions of affective working memory training (aWMT), neutral working memory training (nWMT) or to a no-training control group. Prior and immediately after training, all participants completed measures of TA, working memory, cognitive control, and emotion regulation. RESULTS Compared to the control group, both the aWMT and the nWMT groups demonstrated improved cognitive and affective functioning from pre-to post-training. However, the reduction in TA symptoms and improvement in emotion regulation was greater in the aWMT group compared to the nWMT group. CONCLUSION aWMT may be an effective means of not only reducing TA, but also enhancing cognitive and affective functioning. These preliminary findings are promising given the potential for free and easy dissemination of aWMT in schools and online settings, including low- and middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah Minihan
- University of New South Wales, School of Psychology, Developmental Affective Science Lab, Australia
| | - Zobair Samimi
- International University of Chabahar, Department of Educational Science, Chabahar, Iran
| | - Susanne Schweizer
- University of New South Wales, School of Psychology, Developmental Affective Science Lab, Australia; University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Group, UK.
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80
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Holden LR, Hart SA. Intelligence Can Be Used to Make a More Equitable Society but Only When Properly Defined and Applied. J Intell 2021; 9:57. [PMID: 34940379 PMCID: PMC8706903 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence9040057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the US, undeniable evidence shows that socioeconomic inequities explain a high proportion of individual differences in school achievement. Although not all countries show this same effect due to socioeconomic status, it is consistently found that social inequities lead to achievement gaps. These achievement gaps then manifest into trajectories that set some individuals on a path of lower incomes, poorer health and higher mortality, lower wellbeing, and other poor adult outcomes. Like James Flynn so handily reminded the scientific literature that achievement gaps are explainable by environmental factors, the inequities we see around the world are based on environments some children are exposed to. In his work, Flynn stated his belief that the suppression of scientific work on intelligence would continue to lead to social inequities. We wish to take this idea and move it forward. We believe that the scientific construct of intelligence plays a key role in helping create a more equitable society through science. We also believe that the poor perception of intelligence, rooted in historical realities, means that it will continue to be misunderstood, feared, and misused, limiting how effective it could be in helping to close gaps in achievement and in creating a more equitable society.
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Affiliation(s)
- LaTasha R. Holden
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Sara A. Hart
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA;
- Florida Center for Reading Research, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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81
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Lücke AJ, Wrzus C, Gerstorf D, Kunzmann U, Katzorreck M, Schmiedek F, Hoppmann C, Schilling OK. Between-person and within-person associations of sleep and working-memory in the everyday lives of old and very old adults: initial level, learning, and variability. Sleep 2021; 45:6433636. [PMID: 34922403 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep duration affects various aspects of cognitive performance, such as working-memory and learning, among children and adults. However, it remains open, whether similar or even stronger associations exist in old and very old age when changes in sleep and cognitive decrements are common. METHODS Using repeated daily-life assessments from a sample of 121 young-old (66-69 years old) and 39 old-old adults (84-90 years old), we assessed links between sleep duration and different aspects of working-memory (initial level, practice-related learning, and residualized variability) between and within persons. Participants reported their sleep durations every morning and performed a numerical working-memory updating task six times a day for seven consecutive days. RESULTS Both people who slept longer and those who slept shorter than the sample average showed lower initial performance levels, but a stronger increase of WM over time (i.e. larger learning effects), relative to people with average sleep. Sleep duration did not predict performance variability. Within-person associations were found for people sleeping relatively little on average: For them, working-memory performance was lower on days with shorter than average sleep, yet higher on days with longer than average sleep. Except for lower initial levels of working-memory in old-old adults, no differences between young-old and old-old adults were observed. CONCLUSION We conclude that sufficient sleep remains important for working-memory performance in older adults and that it is relevant to include different aspects of working-memory performance, because effects differed for initial performance and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Lücke
- Institute of Psychology, Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cornelia Wrzus
- Institute of Psychology, Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Kunzmann
- Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Katzorreck
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Schmiedek
- DIPF
- Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Oliver K Schilling
- Institute of Psychology, Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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82
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Examining the relations between spatial skills and mathematical performance: A meta-analysis. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 29:699-720. [PMID: 34799844 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-02012-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Much recent research has focused on the relation between spatial skills and mathematical skills, which has resulted in widely reported links between these two skill sets. However, the magnitude of this relation is unclear. Furthermore, it is of interest whether this relation differs in size based on key demographic variables, such as gender and grade-level, and the extent to which this relation can be accounted for by shared domain-general reasoning skills across the two domains. Here we present the results of two meta-analytic studies synthesizing the findings from 45 articles to identify the magnitude of the relation, as well as potential moderators and mediators. The first meta-analysis employed correlated and hierarchical effects meta-regression models to examine the magnitude of the relation between spatial and mathematical skills, and to understand the effect of gender and grade-level on the association. The second meta-analysis employed meta-analytic structural equation modeling to determine how domain-general reasoning skills, specifically fluid reasoning and verbal skills, influence the relationship. Results revealed a positive moderate association between spatial and mathematical skills (r = .36, robust standard error = 0.035, τ2 = 0.039). However, no significant effect of gender or grade-level on the association was found. Additionally, we found that fluid reasoning and verbal skills mediated the relationship between spatial skills and mathematical skills, but a unique relation between the spatial and mathematical skills remained. Implications of these findings include advancing our understanding for how to leverage and bolster students' spatial skills as a mechanism for improving mathematical outcomes.
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83
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Fluid intelligence and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2110630118. [PMID: 34764223 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110630118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The last decade has seen significant progress identifying genetic and brain differences related to intelligence. However, there remain considerable gaps in our understanding of how cognitive mechanisms that underpin intelligence map onto various brain functions. In this article, we argue that the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system is essential for understanding the biological basis of intelligence. We review evidence suggesting that the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system plays a central role at all levels of brain function, from metabolic processes to the organization of large-scale brain networks. We connect this evidence with our executive attention view of working-memory capacity and fluid intelligence and present analyses on baseline pupil size, an indicator of locus coeruleus activity. Using a latent variable approach, our analyses showed that a common executive attention factor predicted baseline pupil size. Additionally, the executive attention function of disengagement--not maintenance--uniquely predicted baseline pupil size. These findings suggest that the ability to control attention may be important for understanding how cognitive mechanisms of fluid intelligence map onto the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system. We discuss how further research is needed to better understand the relationships between fluid intelligence, the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system, and functionally organized brain networks.
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84
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Gallardo-Moreno GB, Alvarado-Rodríguez FJ, Romo-Vázquez R, Vélez-Pérez H, González-Garrido AA. Type 1 diabetes affects the brain functional connectivity underlying working memory processing. Psychophysiology 2021; 59:e13969. [PMID: 34762737 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) deficits have been demonstrated to occur during the development of type-1-diabetes (T1D). Despite confirming the early appearance of distinct task-related brain activation patterns in T1D patients compared to healthy controls, the effect of VSWM load on functional brain connectivity during task performance is still unknown. Using electroencephalographic methods, the present study evaluated this topic in clinically well-controlled T1D young patients and healthy individuals, while they performed a VSWM task with different memory load levels during two main VSWM processing phases: encoding and maintenance. The results showed a significantly lower number of correct responses and longer reaction times in T1D while performing the task. Besides, higher and progressively increasing functional connectivity indices were found for T1D patients in response to cumulative degrees of VSWM load, from the beginning of the VSWM encoding phase, without notably affecting the VSWM maintenance phase. In contrast, healthy controls managed to solve the task, showing lower functional brain connectivity during the initial VSWM processing steps with more gradual task-related adjustments. Present results suggest that T1D patients anticipate high VSWM load demands by early recruiting supplementary processing resources as the probable expression of a more inefficient, though paradoxically better adjusted to task demands cognitive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco J Alvarado-Rodríguez
- División de Electrónica y Computación, CUCEI, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.,Dpto. de Electromecánica, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Rebeca Romo-Vázquez
- División de Electrónica y Computación, CUCEI, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Hugo Vélez-Pérez
- División de Electrónica y Computación, CUCEI, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
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85
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Lin Q, Yoo K, Shen X, Constable TR, Chun MM. Functional Connectivity during Encoding Predicts Individual Differences in Long-Term Memory. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:2279-2296. [PMID: 34272957 PMCID: PMC8497062 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
What is the neural basis of individual differences in the ability to hold information in long-term memory (LTM)? Here, we first characterize two whole-brain functional connectivity networks based on fMRI data acquired during an n-back task that robustly predict individual differences in two important forms of LTM, recognition and recollection. We then focus on the recognition memory model and contrast it with a working memory model. Although functional connectivity during the n-back task also predicts working memory performance and the two networks have some shared components, they are also largely distinct from each other: The recognition memory model performance remains robust when we control for working memory, and vice versa. Functional connectivity only within regions traditionally associated with LTM formation, such as the medial temporal lobe and those that show univariate subsequent memory effect, have little predictive power for both forms of LTM. Interestingly, the interactions between these regions and other brain regions play a more substantial role in predicting recollection memory than recognition memory. These results demonstrate that individual differences in LTM are dependent on the configuration of a whole-brain functional network including but not limited to regions associated with LTM during encoding and that such a network is separable from what supports the retention of information in working memory.
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86
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Munakata Y, Michaelson LE. Executive Functions in Social Context: Implications for Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Supporting Developmental Trajectories. ANNUAL REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 3:139-163. [PMID: 38993653 PMCID: PMC11238700 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121318-085005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Success in life is linked to executive functions, a collection of cognitive processes that support goal-directed behaviors. Executive functions is an umbrella term related to cognitive control, self-control, and more. Variations in executive functioning predict concurrent success in schooling, relationships, and behavior, as well as important life outcomes years later. Such findings may suggest that certain individuals are destined for good executive functioning and success. However, environmental influences on executive function and development have long been recognized. Recent research in this tradition demonstrates the power of social contextual influences on children's engagement of executive functions. Such findings suggest new interpretations of why individuals differ in executive functioning and associated life outcomes, including across cultures and socioeconomic statuses. These findings raise fundamental questions about how best to conceptualize, measure, and support executive functioning across diverse contexts. Future research addressing real-world dynamics and computational mechanisms will elucidate how executive functioning emerges in the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Munakata
- Department of Psychology and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Laura E Michaelson
- Human Services Division, American Institutes for Research, Arlington, Virginia 22202, USA
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87
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Fronto-Parietal Gray Matter Volume Loss Is Associated with Decreased Working Memory Performance in Adolescents with a First Episode of Psychosis. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10173929. [PMID: 34501377 PMCID: PMC8432087 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10173929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive maturation during adolescence is modulated by brain maturation. However, it is unknown how these processes intertwine in early onset psychosis (EOP). Studies examining longitudinal brain changes and cognitive performance in psychosis lend support for an altered development of high-order cognitive functions, which parallels progressive gray matter (GM) loss over time, particularly in fronto-parietal brain regions. We aimed to assess this relationship in a subsample of 33 adolescents with first-episode EOP and 47 matched controls over 2 years. Backwards stepwise regression analyses were conducted to determine the association and predictive value of longitudinal brain changes over cognitive performance within each group. Fronto-parietal GM volume loss was positively associated with decreased working memory in adolescents with psychosis (frontal left (B = 0.096, p = 0.008); right (B = 0.089, p = 0.015); parietal left (B = 0.119, p = 0.007), right (B = 0.125, p = 0.015)) as a function of age. A particular decrease in frontal left GM volume best predicted a significant amount (22.28%) of the variance of decreased working memory performance over time, accounting for variance in age (14.9%). No such association was found in controls. Our results suggest that during adolescence, EOP individuals seem to follow an abnormal neurodevelopmental trajectory, in which fronto-parietal GM volume reduction is associated with the differential age-related working memory dysfunction in this group.
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88
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Brand CO, Mesoudi A, Morgan TJH. Trusting the experts: The domain-specificity of prestige-biased social learning. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255346. [PMID: 34379646 PMCID: PMC8357104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Prestige-biased social learning (henceforth “prestige-bias”) occurs when individuals predominantly choose to learn from a prestigious member of their group, i.e. someone who has gained attention, respect and admiration for their success in some domain. Prestige-bias is proposed as an adaptive social-learning strategy as it provides a short-cut to identifying successful group members, without having to assess each person’s success individually. Previous work has documented prestige-bias and verified that it is used adaptively. However, the domain-specificity and generality of prestige-bias has not yet been explicitly addressed experimentally. By domain-specific prestige-bias we mean that individuals choose to learn from a prestigious model only within the domain of expertise in which the model acquired their prestige. By domain-general prestige-bias we mean that individuals choose to learn from prestigious models in general, regardless of the domain in which their prestige was earned. To distinguish between domain specific and domain general prestige we ran an online experiment (n = 397) in which participants could copy each other to score points on a general-knowledge quiz with varying topics (domains). Prestige in our task was an emergent property of participants’ copying behaviour. We found participants overwhelmingly preferred domain-specific (same topic) prestige cues to domain-general (across topic) prestige cues. However, when only domain-general or cross-domain (different topic) cues were available, participants overwhelmingly favoured domain-general cues. Finally, when given the choice between cross-domain prestige cues and randomly generated Player IDs, participants favoured cross-domain prestige cues. These results suggest participants were sensitive to the source of prestige, and that they preferred domain-specific cues even though these cues were based on fewer samples (being calculated from one topic) than the domain-general cues (being calculated from all topics). We suggest that the extent to which people employ a domain-specific or domain-general prestige-bias may depend on their experience and understanding of the relationships between domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte O. Brand
- Department of Biosciences, Human Behaviour and Cultural Evolution Group, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, England
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England
- * E-mail:
| | - Alex Mesoudi
- Department of Biosciences, Human Behaviour and Cultural Evolution Group, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, England
| | - Thomas J. H. Morgan
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
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89
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Abstract
What are the contents of working memory? In both behavioral and neural computational models, a working memory representation is typically described by a single number, namely, a point estimate of a stimulus. Here, we asked if people also maintain the uncertainty associated with a memory and if people use this uncertainty in subsequent decisions. We collected data in a two-condition orientation change detection task; while both conditions measured whether people used memory uncertainty, only one required maintaining it. For each condition, we compared an optimal Bayesian observer model, in which the observer uses an accurate representation of uncertainty in their decision, to one in which the observer does not. We find that this “Use Uncertainty” model fits better for all participants in both conditions. In the first condition, this result suggests that people use uncertainty optimally in a working memory task when that uncertainty information is available at the time of decision, confirming earlier results. Critically, the results of the second condition suggest that this uncertainty information was maintained in working memory. We test model variants and find that our conclusions do not depend on our assumptions about the observer's encoding process, inference process, or decision rule. Our results provide evidence that people have uncertainty that reflects their memory precision on an item-specific level, maintain this information over a working memory delay, and use it implicitly in a way consistent with an optimal observer. These results challenge existing computational models of working memory to update their frameworks to represent uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aspen H Yoo
- Department of Psychology, New York University, NY, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, NY, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,
| | - Luigi Acerbi
- Department of Psychology, New York University, NY, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, NY, USA.,Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,
| | - Wei Ji Ma
- Department of Psychology, New York University, NY, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, NY, USA.,
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90
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The Melody of Speech: What the Melodic Perception of Speech Reveals about Language Performance and Musical Abilities. LANGUAGES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/languages6030132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research has shown that melody not only plays a crucial role in music but also in language acquisition processes. Evidence has been provided that melody helps in retrieving, remembering, and memorizing new language material, while relatively little is known about whether individuals who perceive speech as more melodic than others also benefit in the acquisition of oral languages. In this investigation, we wanted to show which impact the subjective melodic perception of speech has on the pronunciation of unfamiliar foreign languages. We tested 86 participants for how melodic they perceived five unfamiliar languages, for their ability to repeat and pronounce the respective five languages, for their musical abilities, and for their short-term memory (STM). The results revealed that 59 percent of the variance in the language pronunciation tasks could be explained by five predictors: the number of foreign languages spoken, short-term memory capacity, tonal aptitude, melodic singing ability, and how melodic the languages appeared to the participants. Group comparisons showed that individuals who perceived languages as more melodic performed significantly better in all language tasks than those who did not. However, even though we expected musical measures to be related to the melodic perception of foreign languages, we could only detect some correlations to rhythmical and tonal musical aptitude. Overall, the findings of this investigation add a new dimension to language research, which shows that individuals who perceive natural languages to be more melodic than others also retrieve and pronounce utterances more accurately.
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91
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Stark GF, Avery EW, Rosenberg MD, Greene AS, Gao S, Scheinost D, Todd Constable R, Chun MM, Yoo K. Using functional connectivity models to characterize relationships between working and episodic memory. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02105. [PMID: 34142458 PMCID: PMC8413720 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Working memory is a critical cognitive ability that affects our daily functioning and relates to many cognitive processes and clinical conditions. Episodic memory is vital because it enables individuals to form and maintain their self-identities. Our study analyzes the extent to which whole-brain functional connectivity observed during completion of an N-back memory task, a common measure of working memory, can predict both working memory and episodic memory. METHODS We used connectome-based predictive models (CPMs) to predict 502 Human Connectome Project (HCP) participants' in-scanner 2-back memory test scores and out-of-scanner working memory test (List Sorting) and episodic memory test (Picture Sequence and Penn Word) scores based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected both during rest and N-back task performance. We also analyzed the functional brain connections that contributed to prediction for each of these models. RESULTS Functional connectivity observed during N-back task performance predicted out-of-scanner List Sorting scores and to a lesser extent out-of-scanner Picture Sequence scores, but did not predict out-of-scanner Penn Word scores. Additionally, the functional connections predicting 2-back scores overlapped to a greater degree with those predicting List Sorting scores than with those predicting Picture Sequence or Penn Word scores. Functional connections with the insula, including connections between insular and parietal regions, predicted scores across the 2-back, List Sorting, and Picture Sequence tasks. CONCLUSIONS Our findings validate functional connectivity observed during the N-back task as a measure of working memory, which generalizes to predict episodic memory to a lesser extent. By building on our understanding of the predictive power of N-back task functional connectivity, this work enhances our knowledge of relationships between working memory and episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gigi F Stark
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emily W Avery
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Monica D Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Abigail S Greene
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Siyuan Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - R Todd Constable
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marvin M Chun
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kwangsun Yoo
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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92
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Forsberg A, Blume CL, Cowan N. The development of metacognitive accuracy in working memory across childhood. Dev Psychol 2021; 57:1297-1317. [PMID: 34591573 PMCID: PMC8496917 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Growth in working memory capacity, the number of items kept active in mind, is thought to be an important aspect of childhood cognitive development. Here, we focused on participants' awareness of the contents of their working memory, or meta-working memory, which seems important because people can put cognitive abilities to best use only if they are aware of their limitations. In two experiments on the development of meta-working memory in children between 6 and 13 years old and adults, participants were to remember arrays of colored squares and to indicate if a probe item was in the array. On many trials, before the probe recognition test, they reported a metajudgment, how many items they thought they remembered. We compared meta-working memory judgments to actual performance and looked for associations between these measures on individual and trial-by-trial levels. Despite much lower working memory capacity in younger children there was little change in meta-working memory judgments across age groups. Consequently, younger participants were much less realistic in their metajudgments concerning their working memory capability. Higher cognitive capacity was associated with more accurate meta-working memory judgments within an age group. Trial-by-trial tuning of metajudgments was evident only in young adults and then only for small array set sizes. In sum, meta-working memory ability is a sophisticated skill that develops with age and may be an integral aspect of the development of working memory across the school years. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Forsberg
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri
| | | | - Nelson Cowan
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri
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93
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Xu J, Deng M, Nan W, Cai D. The effects of working memory training in children revealed by behavioral responses and ERP. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e2310. [PMID: 34333867 PMCID: PMC8413785 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have examined the effect of computerized cognitive training on working memory (WM), but the behavioral and neural effects were uncertain. Also, few studies have explored WM training effects on children using event-related potentials. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of WM training in children, including the effects on behavioral performance and neurophysiological outcomes. METHODS Forty-four healthy children (mean age = 7.76 years, SD = 0.57 years, 18 females) were assigned to the training and control groups. Over 20 training sessions, the training group participated in the computation-span and spatial N-back tasks, whereas the control group joined in normal class activities. They all completed the pre- and post-test evaluation of WM tasks (digit span backwards task and N-back task). RESULTS The results showed that WM training led to improved performance in the digit span backwards task and 2-back task of post-test evaluation, shortened P3a and P3b latencies in nontarget trials during the spatial 1-back task, shortened P3a latency in target and nontarget trials, as well as increased P3b amplitude and shortened P3b latency in target trials during the spatial 2-back task. CONCLUSIONS These results suggested that WM training might enhance children's behavioral performance on WM tasks and brought about neurophysiological changes. This study gives insights into the potential of WM training effects on children's behavioral performance and neurophysiological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xu
- Department of PsychologyShanghai Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Meiqi Deng
- Department of PsychologyShanghai Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- School of Foreign Languages in TourismShanghai Institute of TourismShanghaiChina
| | - Wenya Nan
- Department of PsychologyShanghai Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Dan Cai
- Department of PsychologyShanghai Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
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94
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Luo Y, Zhou J, Bao W, Qiu J, Nian J, Zhang Y. Working memory content guides attention. JOURNAL OF PACIFIC RIM PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/18344909211034752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies showed that working memory (WM) content can guide attention; however, whether working memory capacity (WMC) and state anxiety could affect this remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of WMC and state anxiety on attention guided by WM content. Participants with high and low WMC were assigned to either a neutral or an anxiety condition. They were asked to perform a modified change detection task with irrelevant singletons while their event-related potentials were recorded. N2pc and Pd were observed in the low-WMC and anxiety group, and Pd was observed in both the high-WMC and anxiety and the high-WMC and control groups, whereas neither N2pc nor Pd was found in the low-WMC and control group. These findings suggest that attention is guided or suppressed by WM content, depending on the WMC and anxiety level of the individual. This study provides a new perspective on WM content-guided attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Luo
- Laboratory of Acute Stress and Attention, School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Huaxi University Town, Guian District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P.R. China
| | - Jiarong Zhou
- Laboratory of Acute Stress and Attention, School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Huaxi University Town, Guian District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P.R. China
| | - Wei Bao
- Laboratory of Acute Stress and Attention, School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Huaxi University Town, Guian District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P.R. China
| | - Jing Qiu
- Laboratory of Acute Stress and Attention, School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Huaxi University Town, Guian District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P.R. China
| | - Jingqing Nian
- Laboratory of Acute Stress and Attention, School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Huaxi University Town, Guian District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P.R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Laboratory of Acute Stress and Attention, School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Huaxi University Town, Guian District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P.R. China
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95
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Forsberg A, Guitard D, Adams EJ, Pattanakul D, Cowan N. Children's long-term retention is directly constrained by their working memory capacity limitations. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13164. [PMID: 34328244 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We explored the causal role of individual and age-related differences in working memory (WM) capacity in long-term memory (LTM) retrieval. Our sample of 160 participants included 120 children (6-13-years old) and 40 young adults (18-24 years). Participants performed a WM task with images of unique everyday items, presented at varying set sizes. Subsequently, we tested participants' LTM for items from the WM task. Using these measures, we estimated the ratio at which items successfully held in WM were recognized in LTM. While WM and LTM generally improved with age, the ability to transfer information from WM to LTM appeared consistent between age groups. Moreover, individual differences in WM capacity appeared to predict LTM encoding. Overall, these results suggested that LTM performance was constrained by experimental, individual, and age-related WM limitations. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this WM-to-LTM bottleneck.
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96
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Goulas A, Damicelli F, Hilgetag CC. Bio-instantiated recurrent neural networks: Integrating neurobiology-based network topology in artificial networks. Neural Netw 2021; 142:608-618. [PMID: 34391175 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2021.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Biological neuronal networks (BNNs) are a source of inspiration and analogy making for researchers that focus on artificial neuronal networks (ANNs). Moreover, neuroscientists increasingly use ANNs as a model for the brain. Despite certain similarities between these two types of networks, important differences can be discerned. First, biological neural networks are sculpted by evolution and the constraints that it entails, whereas artificial neural networks are engineered to solve particular tasks. Second, the network topology of these systems, apart from some analogies that can be drawn, exhibits pronounced differences. Here, we examine strategies to construct recurrent neural networks (RNNs) that instantiate the network topology of brains of different species. We refer to such RNNs as bio-instantiated. We investigate the performance of bio-instantiated RNNs in terms of: (i) the prediction performance itself, that is, the capacity of the network to minimize the cost function at hand in test data, and (ii) speed of training, that is, how fast during training the network reaches its optimal performance. We examine bio-instantiated RNNs in working memory tasks where task-relevant information must be tracked as a sequence of events unfolds in time. We highlight the strategies that can be used to construct RNNs with the network topology found in BNNs, without sacrificing performance. Despite that we observe no enhancement of performance when compared to randomly wired RNNs, our approach demonstrates how empirical neural network data can be used for constructing RNNs, thus, facilitating further experimentation with biologically realistic network topologies, in contexts where such aspect is desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Martinistr 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Fabrizio Damicelli
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Martinistr 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Martinistr 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; Health Sciences Department, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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97
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Current Movement Follows Previous Nontarget Movement With Somatosensory Stimulation. Motor Control 2021; 25:553-574. [PMID: 34294606 DOI: 10.1123/mc.2020-0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This study examined whether the current movement follows the previous movement and whether this process is enhanced by somatosensory stimulation or is gated while retrieving and using the memory of the previously practiced target end point. Healthy humans abducted the index finger to a previously practiced target (target movement) or abducted it freely without aiming at the target (nontarget movement). The end point of the nontarget movement had a positive correlation with the previous nontarget movement only when somatosensory stimulation was given during the previous movement, indicating that the current nontarget movement follows the previous nontarget movement with somatosensory stimulation. No conclusive evidence of whether this process is gated by retrieving and using the memory of the previously practiced target was found.
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98
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Sedentary Lifestyle Matters as Past Sedentariness, Not Current Sedentariness, Predicts Cognitive Inhibition Performance among College Students: An Exploratory Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18147649. [PMID: 34300101 PMCID: PMC8303919 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background: Currently, sedentariness is assessed over a short period of time, thus it is difficult to study its cognitive implications. To investigate the cognitive consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, the past level (i.e., the sedentary time accumulated over the years) and current level of sedentariness should be considered. This pilot study aimed to investigate the negative association between a sedentary lifestyle and cognition by considering both the current and past sedentariness. It was expected that the physical activity level moderates the potential negative association between sedentariness and cognition. Methods: 52 college students (Mage = 20.19, SDage = 2; 36 women) participated in the study. Current sedentariness (ratio of sedentary time in the last year), past sedentariness (ratio of sedentary time accumulated in previous years), and physical activity (ratio of time spent in physical activity in years) were assessed using a questionnaire. Cognitive inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory updating were measured through three specific tests. Results: Past sedentariness significantly explained the inhibition performance when controlled for physical activity, whereas current sedentariness did not. More precisely, past sedentariness only negatively predicted cognitive inhibition when the physical activity level was low (β = -3.15, z(48) = -2.62, p = 0.01). Conclusions: The impact of sedentariness on cognitive functioning might only be revealed when past sedentariness and physical activity are controlled.
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99
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Capio CM, Lee K, Jones RA, Masters RSW. Examining the Antecedent Role of Movement Proficiency in Child Development: Study Protocol. Front Psychol 2021; 12:678874. [PMID: 34335392 PMCID: PMC8319238 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Decades of research, largely from associational studies, show that the relationships of movement proficiency with the cognitive and social aspects of development are particularly strong in early childhood. Children who move proficiently tend to have better cognitive skills and social behaviors. However, the mechanisms that underpin these relationships remain unclear and research that explores causation is necessary. This study will explore the antecedent role of movement proficiency in the cognitive and social domains of child development, by examining whether a targeted movement skills training program facilitates improvements in cognitive and social skills. Methods: A group-randomized controlled trial will be conducted, implementing a fundamental movement skills training program in Hong Kong kindergartens. Participants will consist of children aged 3–5 years (N = 158) who will be randomly allocated by class to either a training or active control condition. The training program (10 weeks × 2 bouts) will be informed by an error-reduced approach to skills learning, which will involve careful design and manipulation of equipment and training environment to minimize practice errors. The active control condition will consist of typical movement activities implemented in the kindergartens in the context of the local curriculum guide. Outcomes will be measured using standardized tests of gross motor skills proficiency, executive functioning, and social skills. Measurements will occur at baseline, mid-training, post-training, and follow-up. Latent variable longitudinal modeling will be used to analyze changes in the outcomes, with covariates that include sex, body composition, fine motor skills, and physical activity. Expected Results: The findings will subsequently be reported consistent with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement. Contributions to knowledge and understanding of child development are expected, through evidence of causal mechanisms surrounding the relationship of motor with cognitive and social development. The findings will also inform policy and practice related to early childhood development and education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Capio
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Health Science Department, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Kerry Lee
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rachel A Jones
- School of Education, Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Rich S W Masters
- Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
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100
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Tracking Cognitive Spare Capacity During Speech Perception With EEG/ERP: Effects of Cognitive Load and Sentence Predictability. Ear Hear 2021; 41:1144-1157. [PMID: 32282402 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Listening to speech in adverse listening conditions is effortful. Objective assessment of cognitive spare capacity during listening can serve as an index of the effort needed to understand speech. Cognitive spare capacity is influenced both by signal-driven demands posed by listening conditions and top-down demands intrinsic to spoken language processing, such as memory use and semantic processing. Previous research indicates that electrophysiological responses, particularly alpha oscillatory power, may index listening effort. However, it is not known how these indices respond to memory and semantic processing demands during spoken language processing in adverse listening conditions. The aim of the present study was twofold: first, to assess the impact of memory demands on electrophysiological responses during recognition of degraded, spoken sentences, and second, to examine whether predictable sentence contexts increase or decrease cognitive spare capacity during listening. DESIGN Cognitive demand was varied in a memory load task in which young adult participants (n = 20) viewed either low-load (one digit) or high-load (seven digits) sequences of digits, then listened to noise-vocoded spoken sentences that were either predictable or unpredictable, and then reported the final word of the sentence and the digits. Alpha oscillations in the frequency domain and event-related potentials in the time domain of the electrophysiological data were analyzed, as was behavioral accuracy for both words and digits. RESULTS Measured during sentence processing, event-related desynchronization of alpha power was greater (more negative) under high load than low load and was also greater for unpredictable than predictable sentences. A complementary pattern was observed for the P300/late positive complex (LPC) to sentence-final words, such that P300/LPC amplitude was reduced under high load compared with low load and for unpredictable compared with predictable sentences. Both words and digits were identified more quickly and accurately on trials in which spoken sentences were predictable. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that during a sentence-recognition task, both cognitive load and sentence predictability modulate electrophysiological indices of cognitive spare capacity, namely alpha oscillatory power and P300/LPC amplitude. Both electrophysiological and behavioral results indicate that a predictive sentence context reduces cognitive demands during listening. Findings contribute to a growing literature on objective measures of cognitive demand during listening and indicate predictable sentence context as a top-down factor that can support ease of listening.
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