The relation between prospective memory and working memory: Evidence from event-related potential data

Exploring Executive Functioning of Adults With Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder Using the Jansari Assessment of Executive Functions

Many individuals with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) demonstrate executive functioning difficulties on standardized assessments, yet these difficulties have not been investigated using ecologically-valid measures. 26 adults with probable DCD (pDCD), and 26 typically developing (TD) adults completed selected background measures and the Jansari assessment of Executive Functions (JEF©). JEF© is an ecologically-valid measure that provides measures of Planning, Prioritization, Selective-Thinking, Creative-Thinking, Adaptive-Thinking, and Action-, Event- and Time-Based Prospective Memory. pDCD participants were impaired relative to TD participants, with difficulties in Planning, Action-, and Event-Based Prospective Memory. These findings are consistent with self-reported difficulty and provide avenues for research investigating intervention.

Individual differences in everyday multitasking behavior and its relation to cognition and personality

Our ability to multitask-focus on multiple tasks simultaneously-is one of the most critical functions of our cognitive system. This capability has shown to have relations to cognition and personality in empirical studies, which have received much attention recently. This review article integrates the available findings to examine how individual differences in multitasking behavior are linked with different cognitive constructs and personality traits to conceptualize what multitasking behavior represents. In this review, we highlight the methodological differences and theoretical conceptions. Cognitive constructs including executive functions (i.e., shifting, updating, and inhibition), working memory, relational integration, divided attention, reasoning, and prospective memory were investigated. Concerning personality, the traits of polychronicity, impulsivity, and the five-factor model were considered. A total of 43 studies met the inclusion criteria and entered the review. The research synthesis directs us to propose two new conceptual models to explain multitasking behavior as a psychometric construct. The first model demonstrates that individual differences in multitasking behavior can be explained by cognitive abilities. The second model proposes that personality traits constitute a moderating effect on the relation between multitasking behavior and cognition. Finally, we provide possible future directions for the line of research.

ERP and Behavioural Correlates of Prospective Memory in Bilinguals during L1 and L2 Processing

Language influences how we process information from multiple domains. Thus, working in first (L1) or second language (L2) can modulate bilinguals' performance on basic activities, such as visual search, decision-making, or reading. However, few studies have explored the role of L1 and L2 processing during an essential ability, such as Prospective Memory (PM). This type of memory allows us to set intentions to perform in the future (e.g., to attend an appointment). Thus, this is a novel study that allows us to explore the influence of bilingual language processing on certain cognitive abilities, which have not been deeply studied yet, such as the recall of future intentions. Thereby, this study aimed to explore the neural and behavioural correlates of bilinguals during L1 and L2 processing in a PM task where participants had to carry out an ongoing task while recovering a prospective intention given a PM cue. Importantly, the nature of the PM cue (focal or non-focal) varied the monitoring demands of the task. Behavioural and Event-Related Potential (ERP) results indicated greater engagement of monitoring processes in the PM task during L2 processing. Specifically, in L2, we found lower accuracy rates in the ongoing task and smaller amplitude differences between the focal and non-focal conditions in the P3b. Altogether, these findings suggest an impairment in prospective processing due to working in L2 contexts, supporting previous research on the impact of the bilingual experience over PM.

Effects of virtual reality working memory training on event-based prospective memory in patients with major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND

Event-based prospective memory (EBPM) refers to remembering to perform delayed intention when specific events occur. EBPM deficit is present in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and hinders recovery from the illness. Working memory training (WMT) has been reported to enhance EBPM but its effect on EBPM in MDD remains unclear. We investigated whether virtual reality (VR)-based WMT can improve EBPM in MDD patients.

METHODS

Forty-six MDD patients and 41 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Among the former ones, the first 23 consecutive patients were allocated to the experimental group (MDD-VR) and the next 23 consecutive patients to the waitlist control group (MDD-W). EBPM accuracy was used to assess EBPM performance. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Massachusetts General Hospital Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire (CPFQ) were employed to assess the cognitive functions and the depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

At baseline, EBPM accuracy did not significantly differ between MDD-VR and MDD-W but was lower in both of these two groups than in HC (both p < 0.001). Group-by-time interactions on EBPM accuracy (F = 4.614, p = 0.031) and CPFQ score (F = 5.754, p = 0.021) were present, whereas no significant group-by-time interaction or group effects were observed for HDRS score (both p > 0.05). After VR intervention, MDD-VR showed an increase in EBPM accuracy (Cohen's d = 1.20 [95% CI: 0.53, 1.86], p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that VR-based WMT could improve EBPM deficits in MDD patients. Large-scale studies of a VR-based WMT program are indicated.

Alpha Oscillations in Parietal and Parietooccipital Explaining How Boredom Matters Prospective Memory

Intelligent interaction alters previous human–machine task allocation patterns. Human workers will suffer from boredom and inattention, posing a significant challenge for the human–machine interaction loop. This study aims to investigate the relationship between boredom and prospective memory, which is a memory form including the detecting, identifying, and executing functions. Thus, the attention and memory mechanisms are critical to complete prospective memory tasks when bored. This study recruited twenty-eight participants and used electroencephalography to measure the alpha power in brain regions. The results indicated that parietal oscillations had a mediation effect on prospective memory, which could be associated with the frequent unstable attention. In addition, this study found that parietooccipital oscillations linked boredom and prospective memory, and the default mode network (DMN) and visual processing during boredom could better explain this finding. The findings of this study suggested that attention management and influences of processing visual information were starting points to cope with boredom because they could help prepare for prospective memory and make optimal decisions accordingly.

Neurophysiological markers of prospective memory and working memory in typical ageing and mild cognitive impairment

OBJECTIVE

Prospective memory (PM) -the memory of delayed intentions- is impacted by age-related cognitive decline. The current event-related potential study investigates neural mechanisms underpinning typical and atypical (Mild Cognitive Impairment, MCI) age-related decline in PM.

METHODS

Young adults (YA, n = 30, age = 24.7, female n = 13), healthy older adults (OA, n = 39, age = 72.87, female n = 24) and older adults with MCI (n = 27, age = 77.54, female n = 12) performed two event-based PM tasks (perceptual, conceptual) superimposed on an ongoing working memory task. Electroencephalographic data was recorded from 128 electrodes. Groups were compared for P2 (higher order perceptual processing), N300/frontal positivity (cue detection), the parietal positivity (retrieval), reorienting negativity (RON; attention shifting).

RESULTS

Participants with MCI had poorer performance (ongoing working memory task, conceptual PM), lower P2 amplitudes, and delayed RON (particularly for perceptual PM) than YA and OA. MCI had lower parietal positivity relative to YA only. YA had earlier latencies for the parietal positivity than MCI and OA, and lower amplitudes for N300 (than OA) and frontal positivity (than OA and MCI).

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired attention and working memory may underpin PM deficits in MCI.

SIGNIFICANCE

This is the first study to document the role of RON in PM and to investigate neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning PM in MCI.

The Impact of Error-Consequence Severity on Cue Processing in Importance-Biased Prospective Memory

Prospective memory (PM) enables people to remember to complete important tasks in the future. Failing to do so can result in consequences of varying severity. Here, we investigated how PM error-consequence severity impacts the neural processing of relevant cues for triggering PM and the ramification of that processing on the associated prospective task performance. Participants role-played a cafeteria worker serving lunches to fictitious students and had to remember to deliver an alternative lunch to students (as PM cues) who would otherwise experience a moderate or severe aversive reaction. Scalp-recorded, event-related potential (ERP) measures showed that the early-latency frontal positivity, reflecting the perception-based neural responses to previously learned stimuli, did not differ between the severe versus moderate PM cues. In contrast, the longer-latency parietal positivity, thought to reflect full PM cue recognition and post-retrieval processes, was elicited earlier by the severe than the moderate PM cues. This faster instantiation of the parietal positivity to the severe-consequence PM cues was then followed by faster and more accurate behavioral responses. These findings indicate how the relative importance of a PM can be neurally instantiated in the form of enhanced and faster PM-cue recognition and processing and culminate into better PM.

Exercise and Prospective Memory

The purpose of this paper was to review the literature to evaluate the potential effects of exercise on prospective memory (PM). A narrative review was employed. In this review, we provide a brief description of PM; indicate the effects of PM on health; evaluate the effects of age and neurological impairment on PM; examine the neural correlates of PM; provide a description of specific components that subserve PM; identify non-behavioral strategies used to enhance PM; and evaluate the literature and plausibility through which exercise behavior may influence PM. Regarding the latter, this paper aims to burgeon the development of a new research paradigm that will play a critical role in patient health, given that memory function, and in particular, the prospective (vs. retrospective) component of memory, is highly sensitive to aging and is critically associated with health status. This is an emerging line of research that has critical implications for patient health.

ERPs and their brain sources in perceptual and conceptual prospective memory tasks: Commonalities and differences between the two tasks

The present study examined whether Event-Related Potential (ERP) components and their neural generators are common to perceptual and conceptual prospective memory (PM) tasks or specific to the form of PM cue involved. We used Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to study the contributions of brain source activities to scalp ERPs across the different phases of two event-based PM-tasks: (1) holding intentions during a delay (monitoring) (2) detecting the correct context to perform the delayed intention (cue detection) and (3) carrying out the action (realisation of delayed intentions). Results showed that monitoring for both perceptual and conceptual PM-tasks was characterised by an enhanced early occipital negativity (N200). In addition the conceptual PM-task showed a long-lasting effect of monitoring significant around 700ms. Perceptual PM-task cues elicited an N300 enhancement associated with cue detection, whereas a midline N400-like response was evoked by conceptual PM-task cues. The Prospective Positivity associated with realisation of delayed intentions was observed in both conceptual and perceptual tasks. A common frontal-midline brain source contributed to the Prospective Positivity in both tasks and a strong contribution from parieto-frontal brain sources was observed only for the perceptually cued PM-task. These findings support the idea that: (1) The enhanced N200 can be understood as a neural correlate of a 'retrieval mode' for perceptual and conceptual PM-tasks, and additional strategic monitoring is implemented according the nature of the PM task; (2) ERPs associated with cue detection are specific to the nature of the PM cues; (3) Prospective Positivity reflects a general PM process, but the specific brain sources contributing to it depend upon the nature of the PM task.

An investigation into prospective memory in children with developmental dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia hinders reading and writing acquisition of around 5–10% of the children all over the world. However, little is known about role of prospective memory among dyslexics. Prospective memory is realization of delayed intention. Realization of delayed intention requires self initiated process. The present study explored the role of memory (prospective and retrospective memory), meta-memory and attention among dyslexic's children. One hundred and fifteen children (51 dyslexics and 64 normal controls) participated in the study. Prospective and retrospective memory questionnaire, everyday attention questionnaire and meta-memory were administered on children. Analysis of variance was used to analyses the data. All the main effects were significant. Some interactions were also found to be significant. Results suggest that dyslexic's performance on memory (prospective and retrospective memory) was worse than normal control. Meta-memory influences both dyslexics and normal control on prospective and retrospective memory. However, meta-memory affected dyslexics much more than normal control group. Similarly, significant differential effects were observed for simple, difficult and mixed attentional condition among between dyslexics and normal control. Dyslexic's performance was deteriorated as compared to normal control group. The findings of the study are discussed in the light of the existing literature.