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Minor GN, Hannula DE, Gordon A, Ragland JD, Iosif AM, Solomon M. Relational memory weakness in autism despite the use of a controlled encoding task. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1210259. [PMID: 37691809 PMCID: PMC10484720 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210259] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recent work challenged past findings that documented relational memory impairments in autism. Previous studies often relied solely on explicit behavioral responses to assess relational memory integrity, but successful performance on behavioral tasks may rely on other cognitive abilities (e.g., executive functioning) that are impacted in some autistic individuals. Eye-tracking tasks do not require explicit behavioral responses, and, further, eye movements provide an indirect measure of memory. The current study examined whether memory-specific viewing patterns toward scenes differ between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Methods Using a long-term memory paradigm that equated for complexity between item and relational memory tasks, participants studied a series of scenes. Following the initial study phase, scenes were re-presented, accompanied by an orienting question that directed participants to attend to either features of an item (i.e., in the item condition) or spatial relationships between items (i.e., in the relational condition) that might be subsequently modified during test. At test, participants viewed scenes that were unchanged (i.e., repeated from study), scenes that underwent an "item" modification (an exemplar switch) or a "relational" modification (a location switch), and scenes that had not been presented before. Eye movements were recorded throughout. Results During study, there were no significant group differences in viewing directed to regions of scenes that might be manipulated at test, suggesting comparable processing of scene details during encoding. However, there was a group difference in explicit recognition accuracy for scenes that underwent a relational change. Marginal group differences in the expression of memory-based viewing effects during test for relational scenes were consistent with this behavioral outcome, particularly when analyses were limited to scenes recognized correctly with high confidence. Group differences were also evident in correlational analyses that examined the association between study phase viewing and recognition accuracy and between performance on the Picture Sequence Memory Test and recognition accuracy. Discussion Together, our findings suggest differences in the integrity of relational memory representations and/or in the relationships between subcomponents of memory in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta N. Minor
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Deborah E. Hannula
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Andrew Gordon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - J. Daniel Ragland
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Desaunay P, Guillery B, Moussaoui E, Eustache F, Bowler DM, Guénolé F. Brain correlates of declarative memory atypicalities in autism: a systematic review of functional neuroimaging findings. Mol Autism 2023; 14:2. [PMID: 36627713 PMCID: PMC9832704 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00525-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The long-described atypicalities of memory functioning experienced by people with autism have major implications for daily living, academic learning, as well as cognitive remediation. Though behavioral studies have identified a robust profile of memory strengths and weaknesses in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), few works have attempted to establish a synthesis concerning their neural bases. In this systematic review of functional neuroimaging studies, we highlight functional brain asymmetries in three anatomical planes during memory processing between individuals with ASD and typical development. These asymmetries consist of greater activity of the left hemisphere than the right in ASD participants, of posterior brain regions-including hippocampus-rather than anterior ones, and presumably of the ventral (occipito-temporal) streams rather than the dorsal (occipito-parietal) ones. These functional alterations may be linked to atypical memory processes in ASD, including the pre-eminence of verbal over spatial information, impaired active maintenance in working memory, and preserved relational memory despite poor context processing in episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Desaunay
- grid.411149.80000 0004 0472 0160Service de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, CHU de Caen Normandie, 27 rue des compagnons, 14000 Caen, France ,grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076EPHE, INSERM, U1077, Pôle des Formations et de Recherche en Santé, CHU de Caen Normandie, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, 2 rue des Rochambelles, 14032 Caen Cedex CS, France
| | - Bérengère Guillery
- grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076EPHE, INSERM, U1077, Pôle des Formations et de Recherche en Santé, CHU de Caen Normandie, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, 2 rue des Rochambelles, 14032 Caen Cedex CS, France
| | - Edgar Moussaoui
- grid.411149.80000 0004 0472 0160Service de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, CHU de Caen Normandie, 27 rue des compagnons, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Francis Eustache
- grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076EPHE, INSERM, U1077, Pôle des Formations et de Recherche en Santé, CHU de Caen Normandie, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, 2 rue des Rochambelles, 14032 Caen Cedex CS, France
| | - Dermot M. Bowler
- grid.28577.3f0000 0004 1936 8497Autism Research Group, City University of London, DG04 Rhind Building, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB London, UK
| | - Fabian Guénolé
- grid.411149.80000 0004 0472 0160Service de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, CHU de Caen Normandie, 27 rue des compagnons, 14000 Caen, France ,grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076EPHE, INSERM, U1077, Pôle des Formations et de Recherche en Santé, CHU de Caen Normandie, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, 2 rue des Rochambelles, 14032 Caen Cedex CS, France ,grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076Faculté de Médecine, Pôle des Formation et de Recherche en Santé, Université de Caen Normandie, 2 rue des Rochambelles, 14032 Caen cedex CS, France
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The Episodic Memory Profile in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 32:316-351. [PMID: 33954915 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-021-09493-5] [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: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are commonly characterized by diminished episodic memory, the literature in this area is mixed. We address these inconsistent findings by employing multilevel Bayesian meta-analysis to quantify episodic memory differences between individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls. We used meta-regression to evaluate the effects of test modality (e.g., word list, story recall), delay interval (immediate vs. delayed), retrieval demands (recognition vs. recall), and sensory modality (auditory vs. visual) on episodic memory in ASD. A total of 338 effect sizes from 113 empirical articles, including 5,632 unique participants (ASD = 2,777, TD = 2,855), were included. Results show that the memory deficits associated with ASD were larger for recall (g = -0.52, se = 0.04, 95% CrI [-0.60, -0.43]) compared to recognition (g = -0.25, se = 0.05, 95% CrI [-0.35, -0.14]) and differed based on the testing modality. For example, effect sizes were smallest for words (g = -0.28, se = 0.05, 95% CrI [-0.38, -0.18]), pictures (g = -0.38, se = 0.07, 95% CrI [-0.52, -0.24]), and figure reproduction (g = -0.49, se = 0.11, 95% CrI [-0.70, -0.27]). However, effect sizes for sentences (g = -0.59, se = 0.20, 95% CrI [-1.00, -0.21]), stories (Hedges' g = -0.54, se = 0.08, 95% CrI [-0.69, -0.38]) and staged events (g = -0.75, se = 0.10, 95% CrI [-0.95, -0.55]) were much larger. These findings suggest that ASD is associated with a small to medium reduction in scores on episodic memory tests relative to TD controls.
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4
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Exploring the Event‐Related Potentials' Time Course of Associative Recognition in Autism. Autism Res 2020; 13:1998-2016. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Hyman SL, Levy SE, Myers SM. Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pediatrics 2020; 145:peds.2019-3447. [PMID: 31843864 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-3447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 479] [Impact Index Per Article: 119.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with reported prevalence in the United States of 1 in 59 children (approximately 1.7%). Core deficits are identified in 2 domains: social communication/interaction and restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior. Children and youth with ASD have service needs in behavioral, educational, health, leisure, family support, and other areas. Standardized screening for ASD at 18 and 24 months of age with ongoing developmental surveillance continues to be recommended in primary care (although it may be performed in other settings), because ASD is common, can be diagnosed as young as 18 months of age, and has evidenced-based interventions that may improve function. More accurate and culturally sensitive screening approaches are needed. Primary care providers should be familiar with the diagnostic criteria for ASD, appropriate etiologic evaluation, and co-occurring medical and behavioral conditions (such as disorders of sleep and feeding, gastrointestinal tract symptoms, obesity, seizures, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and wandering) that affect the child's function and quality of life. There is an increasing evidence base to support behavioral and other interventions to address specific skills and symptoms. Shared decision making calls for collaboration with families in evaluation and choice of interventions. This single clinical report updates the 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics clinical reports on the evaluation and treatment of ASD in one publication with an online table of contents and section view available through the American Academy of Pediatrics Gateway to help the reader identify topic areas within the report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan L Hyman
- Golisano Children's Hospital, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York;
| | - Susan E Levy
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - Scott M Myers
- Geisinger Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute, Danville, Pennsylvania
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6
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A Physiological Marker of Recognition Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder? ‐ The Pupil Old/New Effect. Autism Res 2019; 13:627-640. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that the subjective experience of recollection is diminished in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to neurotypical individuals. The neurocognitive basis of this difference in how past events are re-experienced has been debated and various theoretical accounts have been proposed to date. Although each existing theory may capture particular features of memory in ASD, recent research questions whether any of these explanations are alone sufficient or indeed fully supported. This review first briefly considers the cognitive neuroscience of how episodic recollection operates in the neurotypical population, informing predictions about the encoding and retrieval mechanisms that might function atypically in ASD. We then review existing research on recollection in ASD, which has often not distinguished between different theoretical explanations. Recent evidence suggests a distinct difficulty engaging recollective retrieval processes, specifically the ability to consciously reconstruct and monitor a past experience, which is likely underpinned by altered functional interactions between neurocognitive systems rather than brain region-specific or process-specific dysfunction. This integrative approach serves to highlight how memory research in ASD may enhance our understanding of memory processes and networks in the typical brain. We make suggestions for future research that are important for further specifying the neurocognitive basis of episodic recollection in ASD and linking such difficulties to social developmental and educational outcomes.
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Semino S, Ring M, Bowler DM, Gaigg SB. The Influence of task Demands, Verbal Ability and Executive Functions on Item and Source Memory in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:184-197. [PMID: 28921058 PMCID: PMC5760601 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3299-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is generally associated with difficulties in contextual source memory but not single item memory. There are surprising inconsistencies in the literature, however, that the current study seeks to address by examining item and source memory in age and ability matched groups of 22 ASD and 21 comparison adults. Results show that group differences in source memory are moderated by task demands but not by individual differences in verbal ability, executive function or item memory. By contrast, unexpected group differences in item memory could largely be explained by individual differences in source memory. These observations shed light on the factors underlying inconsistent findings in the memory literature in ASD, which has important implications for theory and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Semino
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso A. Podesta, 2, 16128, Genoa, Italy
| | - Melanie Ring
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of the Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dermot M Bowler
- Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
| | - Sebastian B Gaigg
- Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK.
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9
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Lau-Zhu A, Fritz A, McLoughlin G. Overlaps and distinctions between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in young adulthood: Systematic review and guiding framework for EEG-imaging research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 96:93-115. [PMID: 30367918 PMCID: PMC6331660 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently co-occur. However, we know little about the neural basis of the overlaps and distinctions between these disorders, particularly in young adulthood - a critical time window for brain plasticity across executive and socioemotional domains. Here, we systematically review 75 articles investigating ADHD and ASD in young adult samples (mean ages 16-26) using cognitive tasks, with neural activity concurrently measured via electroencephalography (EEG) - the most accessible neuroimaging technology. The majority of studies focused on event-related potentials (ERPs), with some beginning to capitalise on oscillatory approaches. Overlapping and specific profiles for ASD and ADHD were found mainly for four neurocognitive domains: attention processing, performance monitoring, face processing and sensory processing. No studies in this age group directly compared both disorders or considered dual diagnosis with both disorders. Moving forward, understanding of ADHD, ASD and their overlap in young adulthood would benefit from an increased focus on cross-disorder comparisons, using similar paradigms and in well-powered samples and longitudinal cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Lau-Zhu
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Anne Fritz
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gráinne McLoughlin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Cooper RA, Richter FR, Bays PM, Plaisted-Grant KC, Baron-Cohen S, Simons JS. Reduced Hippocampal Functional Connectivity During Episodic Memory Retrieval in Autism. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:888-902. [PMID: 28057726 PMCID: PMC5390398 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing recent research has sought to understand the recollection impairments experienced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we tested whether these memory deficits reflect a reduction in the probability of retrieval success or in the precision of memory representations. We also used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the neural mechanisms underlying memory encoding and retrieval in ASD, focusing particularly on the functional connectivity of core episodic memory networks. Adults with ASD and typical control participants completed a memory task that involved studying visual displays and subsequently using a continuous dial to recreate their appearance. The ASD group exhibited reduced retrieval success, but there was no evidence of a difference in retrieval precision. fMRI data revealed similar patterns of brain activity and functional connectivity during memory encoding in the 2 groups, though encoding-related lateral frontal activity predicted subsequent retrieval success only in the control group. During memory retrieval, the ASD group exhibited attenuated lateral frontal activity and substantially reduced hippocampal connectivity, particularly between hippocampus and regions of the fronto-parietal control network. These findings demonstrate notable differences in brain function during episodic memory retrieval in ASD and highlight the importance of functional connectivity to understanding recollection-related retrieval deficits in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose A Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | | | - Paul M Bays
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | | | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Jon S Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
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Paterson SJ, Parish-Morris J, Hirsh-Pasek K, Golinkoff RM. Considering Development in Developmental Disorders. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2016.1200047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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12
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Solomon M, McCauley JB, Iosif AM, Carter CS, Ragland JD. Cognitive control and episodic memory in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychologia 2016; 89:31-41. [PMID: 27184119 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION To further investigate manifestations of episodic memory impairments in adolescents, we examined the role of encoding on recognition of stimuli in conditions designed to emphasize their item-specific versus relational characteristics in a group of 12-18 year olds with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We also examined how strategic learning and memory processes, verbal abilities, attention, and age were associated with recognition in this group. MATERIALS AND METHOD Twenty two high functioning adolescents with ASD (mean age=15 years; SD=1.8; range=12.2-17.9), and 26 age, gender, and IQ-matched adolescents with typical development (TYP) (mean age=14.7 years; SD=1.9; range=12.3-17.8) completed the Relational and Item-Specific Encoding task (RiSE), the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C), the Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence, and the Connors' Parent Rating Scale-Revised. Univariate statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS The ASD group showed poorer performance on strategic memory assessed by the CVLT-C. Surprisingly, on the RiSE, ASD showed poorer discriminability for objects encoded in item-specific versus relational encoding conditions and were more impaired in familiarity (after relational encoding) than in recollection. ASD also did not show the hypothesized association between item and associative recognition and CVLT-C performance found in TYP. Instead, in the ASD group recognition was associated with increased age. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the RiSE task demonstrated that adolescents with ASD do not always exhibit impaired memory for relational information as commonly believed. Instead, memory was worse when cognitive control demands were high, when encoding focused on specific item features, and when familiarity was used to retrieve relational information. Recognition also was better in older participants. This suggests that learning and memory deficits in adolescents with ASD, may not be due primarily to failed relational binding processes in the hippocampus but, rather to disrupted strategic memory and familiarity processes associated with the prefrontal and perirhinal cortices. These findings demonstrate the importance and utility of using well-validated cognitive neuroscience tasks and of considering the ages of participants when comparing the neural underpinnings of different memory processes in both typical and atypical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817, United States; Imaging Research Center, University of California-Davis, 4701 X Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States; MIND Institute, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States.
| | - James B McCauley
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817, United States; MIND Institute, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States; Department of Human Ecology, University of California-Davis, 131 Hunt Hall, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95618, United States.
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California-Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, United States.
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817, United States; Imaging Research Center, University of California-Davis, 4701 X Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, 1544 Newton Ct, Davis, CA 95618, United States.
| | - J Daniel Ragland
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817, United States; Imaging Research Center, University of California-Davis, 4701 X Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States.
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ERP correlates of object recognition memory in Down syndrome: Do active and passive tasks measure the same thing? Neuropsychologia 2016; 82:39-53. [PMID: 26768123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Event related potentials (ERPs) can help to determine the cognitive and neural processes underlying memory functions and are often used to study populations with severe memory impairment. In healthy adults, memory is typically assessed with active tasks, while in patient studies passive memory paradigms are generally used. In this study we examined whether active and passive continuous object recognition tasks measure the same underlying memory process in typically developing (TD) adults and in individuals with Down syndrome (DS), a population with known hippocampal impairment. We further explored how ERPs in these tasks relate to behavioral measures of memory. Data-driven analysis techniques revealed large differences in old-new effects in the active versus passive task in TD adults, but no difference between these tasks in DS. The group with DS required additional processing in the active task in comparison to the TD group in two ways. First, the old-new effect started 150 ms later. Second, more repetitions were required to show the old-new effect. In the group with DS, performance on a behavioral measure of object-location memory was related to ERP measures across both tasks. In total, our results suggest that active and passive ERP memory measures do not differ in DS and likely reflect the use of implicit memory, but not explicit processing, on both tasks. Our findings highlight the need for a greater understanding of the comparison between active and passive ERP paradigms before they are inferred to measure similar functions across populations (e.g., infants or intellectual disability).
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Ullman MT, Pullman MY. A compensatory role for declarative memory in neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 51:205-22. [PMID: 25597655 PMCID: PMC4359651 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Most research on neurodevelopmental disorders has focused on their abnormalities. However, what remains intact may also be important. Increasing evidence suggests that declarative memory, a critical learning and memory system in the brain, remains largely functional in a number of neurodevelopmental disorders. Because declarative memory remains functional in these disorders, and because it can learn and retain numerous types of information, functions, and tasks, this system should be able to play compensatory roles for multiple types of impairments across the disorders. Here, we examine this hypothesis for specific language impairment, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, Tourette syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We lay out specific predictions for the hypothesis and review existing behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging evidence. Overall, the evidence suggests that declarative memory indeed plays compensatory roles for a range of impairments across all five disorders. Finally, we discuss diagnostic, therapeutic and other implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Ullman
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Box 571464, Washington, DC 20057-1464, United States.
| | - Mariel Y Pullman
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Box 571464, Washington, DC 20057-1464, United States
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Gaigg SB, Bowler DM, Ecker C, Calvo-Merino B, Murphy DG. Episodic Recollection Difficulties in ASD Result from Atypical Relational Encoding: Behavioral and Neural Evidence. Autism Res 2015; 8:317-27. [PMID: 25630307 PMCID: PMC4949632 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Memory functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in the encoding of relational but not item information and difficulties in the recollection of contextually rich episodic memories but not in the retrieval of relatively context‐free memories through processes of familiarity. The neural underpinnings of this profile and the extent to which encoding difficulties contribute to retrieval difficulties in ASD remain unclear. Using a paradigm developed by Addis and McAndrews [2006; Neuroimage, 33, 1194–1206] we asked adults with and without a diagnosis of ASD to study word‐triplets during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning that varied in the number of category relations amongst component words. Performance at test confirmed attenuated recollection in the context of preserved familiarity based retrieval in ASD. The results also showed that recollection but not familiarity based retrieval increases as a function of category relations in word triads for both groups, indicating a close link between the encoding of relational information and recollection. This link was further supported by the imaging results, where blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal responses in overlapping regions of the inferior prefrontal cortex were sensitive to the relational encoding manipulation as well as the contrast between recollection versus familiarity based retrieval. Interestingly, however, there was no evidence of prefrontal signal differentiation for this latter contrast in the ASD group for whom signal changes in a left hippocampal region were also marginally attenuated. Together, these observations suggest that attenuated levels of episodic recollection in ASD are, at least in part, attributable to anomalies in relational encoding processes. Autism Res2015, 8: 317–327. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian B Gaigg
- Department of Psychology, City University London, London, EC1V, 0HB, UK
| | - Dermot M Bowler
- Department of Psychology, City University London, London, EC1V, 0HB, UK
| | - Christine Ecker
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, SE5, 8AF, UK
| | | | - Declan G Murphy
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, SE5, 8AF, UK
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Meyer BJ, Gardiner JM, Bowler DM. Directed forgetting in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:2514-24. [PMID: 24722763 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2121-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Rehearsal strategies of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and demographically matched typically developed (TD) adults were strategically manipulated by cueing participants to either learn, or forget each list word prior to a recognition task. Participants were also asked to distinguish between autonoetic and noetic states of awareness using the Remember/Know paradigm. The ASD group recognised a similar number of to-be-forgotten words as the TD group, but significantly fewer to-be-learned words. This deficit was only evident in Remember responses that reflect autonoetic awareness, or episodic memory, and not Know responses. These findings support the elaborative encoding deficit hypothesis and provide a link between the previously established mild episodic memory impairments in adults with high functioning autism and the encoding strategies employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda J Meyer
- Developmental Brain-Behaviour Laboratory, Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK,
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Tenorio M, Campos R, Karmiloff-Smith A. What standardized tests ignore when assessing individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. STUDIES IN PSYCHOLOGY 2014; 35:426-437. [PMID: 26778874 DOI: 10.1080/02109395.2014.922264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this article we critique the use of traditional standardized tests for the cognitive assessment of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Limitations stem from the lack of integrating (a) results from research into the psychological functioning of these populations, and (b) the main arguments underlying models of human development. We identify four secondary issues in this discussion: (1) these instruments cannot be used with children who have particularly low cognitive functioning; (2) little or no variance in the scores obtained by individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, because all are at floor, prevent adequate interpretations; (3) measurements do not provide information useful for the design of intervention strategies; and (4) different cognitive and/or neural processes may underlie behavioural scores 'in the normal range'. Rethinking traditional assessment methods in favour of technologically-mediated games yields new cognitive assessment possibilities.
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Karmiloff-Smith A, Casey BJ, Massand E, Tomalski P, Thomas MSC. Environmental and Genetic Influences on Neurocognitive Development: The Importance of Multiple Methodologies and Time-Dependent Intervention. Clin Psychol Sci 2014; 2:628-637. [PMID: 26682092 DOI: 10.1177/2167702614521188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Genetic mutations and environmental factors dynamically influence gene expression and developmental trajectories at the neural, cognitive, and behavioral levels. The examples in this article cover different periods of neurocognitive development-early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood-and focus on studies in which researchers have used a variety of methodologies to illustrate the early effects of socioeconomic status and stress on brain function, as well as how allelic differences explain why some individuals respond to intervention and others do not. These studies highlight how similar behaviors can be driven by different underlying neural processes and show how a neurocomputational model of early development can account for neurodevelopmental syndromes, such as autism spectrum disorders, with novel implications for intervention. Finally, these studies illustrate the importance of the timing of environmental and genetic factors on development, consistent with our view that phenotypes are emergent, not predetermined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B J Casey
- Sackler Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College
| | - Esha Massand
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London
| | | | - Michael S C Thomas
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London
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Atypical Neurophysiology Underlying Episodic and Semantic Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 45:298-315. [PMID: 23754340 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1869-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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