Aging: working memory capacity and spatial strategies in a virtual orientation task

Heart rate variability modulates memory function in a virtual task

Heart rate variability (HRV) is considered one of the most relevant indicators of physical well-being and relevant biomarker for preventing cardiovascular risks. More recently, a growing amount of research has tracked an association between HRV and cognitive functions (i.e., attention). Research is still scarce on spatial orientation, a basic capability in our daily lives. It is also an important indicator of memory performance, and its malfunctioning working as an early sign of dementia. In this study, a total of 43 female students (M Age = 18.76; SD = 2.02) were measured in their lnRMSSD using the photoplethysmography technique with the Welltory smartphone app. They were also tested in their spatial memory with The Boxes Room, a virtual navigation test. Measures of physical activity were obtained with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Correlation analyses and repeated measures ANOVA were performed, comparing participants with high / low lnRMSSD in their spatial performance. Results showed that, at an equal level of physical activity, participants with a higher lnRMSSD were more effective in the early trials of The Boxes Room, being more precise in estimating the correct position of the stimuli. Moreover, a subsequent simple linear regression showed that a higher lnRMSSD was related to a smaller number of errors at the beginning of the spatial task. Overly, these results outline the relationship between HRV and navigation performance in early stages of processing, where the environment is still unknown and the situation is more demanding.

Adults' Visual Cue Preferences and Wayfinding Abilities in Healthcare Centers

OBJECTIVES

Physical and visual elements that help people find their way around an environment are called visual cues (VCs). The current study aims to evaluate adults' wayfinding abilities (navigation, orientation, spatial anxiety, and distance estimation) and VC (navigational color coding) preferences in terms of color and position; additionally, investigates their differences in adults' life span phases (young adults, early middle-aged adults, and late middle-aged adults).

BACKGROUND

Wayfinding in complex environments such as healthcare centers has been challenging for most people. Although VCs are being used increasingly to facilitate wayfinding, considering people's preferences regarding VCs, especially navigational color coding, are neglected.

METHODS

Obtained data from a survey of 375 healthcare center visitors with textual and photo questionnaires were analyzed by descriptive statics and one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Young adults preferred VCs with "mixed colors and positioned in the middle of the floor," early middle-aged adults preferred "warm color VCs in the middle of the wall," and late middle-aged adults preferred "warm color VCs at the bottom of the wall." Additionally, the results demonstrated that with aging, navigation and distance estimation abilities deteriorate, and spatial anxiety increases.

CONCLUSIONS

The outcomes of the present study increase our knowledge regarding the impact of adults' life span phases on their wayfinding abilities and VC preferences and offer suggestions for architects and healthcare center stakeholders to provide environments that improve adults' wayfinding.

Novel shaking exercises for hippocampal and medial prefrontal cortex functioning maintain spatial working memory

INTRODUCTION

The decline in spatial working memory is one of the earliest signs of normal brain aging.

OBJECTIVE

We developed a novel physical exercise method, termed the "shaking exercise," to slow down this process.

METHODS

The experimental protocol included administering the shaking exercise for 8-32 weeks in male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 10 (SAMP-10). They were subjected to the T-maze test, followed by immunohistochemical analysis, to assess the influence of the shaking exercise on the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRM1) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) of the dorsal hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (dHC-mPFC).

RESULTS

The T-maze test demonstrated that the shaking group had less hesitation in the face of selecting direction at week 24. In the immunohistochemical analysis, more CHRM1s were in the CA3 subregion and more AMPARs were in the subiculum. CHRM1s and AMPARs were maintained in the CA1 region and the mPFC. The CHRM1s seem to have a positive effect on the AMPAR in the dentate gyrus (DG) region and the CA3 region. In the CA1 region, CHRM1s were negatively correlated with AMPARs. In addition, high-density neurons were expressed in the shaking group in the upstream DG, the middle part and the distal part of CA3, the distal part of CA1, and the mPFC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results raise the possibility that maintenance of the spatial working memory effect observed with the shaking exercise is driven in part by the uneven affection of CHRM1s and AMPARs in the dHC-mPFC circuit system and significantly maintains the neuronal expression in the dHC-mPFC.