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Dennis NA, Carpenter CM, Becker A. Examining the neural basis of unitization: A review. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:389-401. [PMID: 38413465 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01170-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Associative memory refers to the ability to form and remember associations between individual pieces of information rather than memory for a single object or word. Encoding associations in memory tends to be a more difficult task than item (only) encoding, because associative memory requires encoding multiple items as well as the specific links amongst the items. Accordingly, researchers have worked to identify interventions and strategies to reduce the effort and neural resources required for successful associative memory processing. Unitization is one such strategy that has traditionally been defined as the process by which two or more discrete items are processed, or encoded, such that they are perceived as a single ensemble. The current review explores the neural research on unitization while considering the behavioral benefits that accompany the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A Dennis
- The Pennsylvania State University, 450 Moore Building, State College, PA, 16801, USA.
| | - Catherine M Carpenter
- The Pennsylvania State University, 450 Moore Building, State College, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Alexa Becker
- The Pennsylvania State University, 450 Moore Building, State College, PA, 16801, USA
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Liu Z, Wang Y, Zhu Y, Yuan J, Liu W. Improving associative memory in younger and older adults with unitization: evidence from meta-analysis and behavioral studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1389957. [PMID: 38846743 PMCID: PMC11153858 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1389957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The finding that familiarity can support associative memory by unitizing the to -be-learned items into a novel representation has been widely accepted, but its effects on overall performance of associative memory and recollection are still controversial. Methods The current study aims to elucidate these discrepancies by identifying potential moderating factors through a combined approach of meta-analysis and behavioral experiment. Results Results consistently showed that changes in the level of unitization and age groups were two important moderators. Specifically, unitization enhanced younger and older adults' associative memory and its supporting processes (i.e., familiarity and recollection) when the level of unitization between studied and rearranged pairs was changed. However, when this level remained constant, unitization exhibited no impact on associative memory and familiarity in younger adults, but showed an enhanced effect in older adults. Furthermore, results revealed a marked group difference between younger and older adults in associative memory when the unitization level of noncompound words remained unaltered. Upon breaking this condition, the group difference was reduced by enhancing familiarity or recollection. Discussion These findings not only clarify some of the inconsistencies in the literature concerning the impact of unitization on associative memory, but also suggest that unitization is a beneficial strategy for reducing group difference in associative memory, with its effectiveness varying according to the level of unitization changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zejun Liu
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Lab for Educational Big Data and Policymaking, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yujuan Wang
- Intellectual Property School, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Jing Yuan
- College of Nursing, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
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Zhou F, Jiang Y, Yue Y. Comparing two unitisation manipulations: effects on familiarity, recollection-based recognition, and semantic interference. Memory 2024; 32:308-319. [PMID: 38335303 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2024.2314516] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The recognition of associative memory can be significantly influenced by the use of an encoding strategy known as unitisation, which has been implemented through various manipulations. However, [Shao, H., Opitz, B., Yang, J., & Weng, X. (2016). Recollection reduces unitised familiarity effect. Memory (Hove, England), 24(4), 535-547. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2015.1021258] found intriguing distinctions between two common manipulations, the compound task and the imagery task, leading to a dispute. We propose that differences in levels of processing in the imagery task may account for these discrepancies. This study tested our hypothesis using two approaches. The first two experiments utilised the R/K paradigm to investigate the effects of these methods on familiarity-based and recollection-based recognition. The results demonstrated that familiarity was increased in the compound task, while recollection was increased in the imagery task. In the subsequent two experiments, an interference paradigm was employed to examine differences in semantic processing within the two tasks. The results showed that the compound task did not impact participants' inclination towards lures, while the imagery task led to a bias towards semantic lures over episodic lures, suggesting that the two encodings in the imagery task involve different levels of semantic processing. These results support our hypothesis and underscore the importance of carefully choosing comparisons that account for other variables in the study of unitisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhou
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingjie Jiang
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Yue
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
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Steinkrauss A, Carpenter C, Tarkenton M, Overman A, Dennis N. Neural distinctiveness and discriminability underlying unitization and associative memory in aging. AGING BRAIN 2023; 4:100097. [PMID: 37711400 PMCID: PMC10498304 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2023.100097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work has suggested unitized pairs behave as a single unit and more critically, are processed neurally different than those of associative memories. The current works examines the neural differences between unitization and non-unitized memory using fMRI and multivoxel analyses. Specifically, we examined the differences across face-occupation pairings as a function of whether the pairing was viewed as a person performing the given job (unitized binding) or a person saying they knew someone who had a particular job (non-unitized binding). The results show that at encoding and retrieval, the angular gyrus can discriminate between unitized and non-unitized target trials. Additionally, during encoding, the medial temporal lobe (hippocampus and perirhinal cortex), frontal parietal regions (angular gyrus and medial frontal gyrus) and visual regions (middle occipital cortex) exhibit distinct neural patterns to recollected unitized and non-unitized targets. Furthermore, the perirhinal cortex and medial frontal gyrus show greater neural similarity within subsequently recollected unitized trials compared to non-unitized trials. We conclude that an encoding based strategy to elicit unitization can produce greater associative memory compared to non-unitized trials in older adults. Additionally, when unitized trials are subsequently recollected in the perirhinal cortex older adults show greater neural similarity within unitized trials compared to non-unitized trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - N.A. Dennis
- The Pennsylvania State University, United States
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Zhao C, Chen Y, Han Z, Guo C. Chinese character unitization enhances item memory in addition to associative memory: Evidence from ERP and TFR. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108644. [PMID: 37467846 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108644] [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: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
While the effect of unitization on associative memory has been established, its effect on item memory remains debated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of unitization on item memory using Chinese characters to manipulate unitization and recording scalp EEG to elucidate the underlying neural mechanisms. In the learning phase, participants were asked to determine whether the character pairs presented could form a Chinese compound character. In the subsequent testing phase, participants performed item recognition and associative recognition tasks. Behavioral results revealed that unitization not only improved associative memory but also facilitated item memory. Event-related potential analysis indicated there were FN400 effect (related to familiarity) and LPC effect (related to recollection) during associative recognition after unitization, however, only the LPC effect was observed for the item recognition. More importantly, time-frequency analysis demonstrated stronger θ oscillations (associated with recollection) in the unitized condition compared to the non-unitized condition, which further partially mediated the reduction in RT during the item recognition. These results suggest that unitization enhances item memory through recollection, thereby leading to more confident recognition judgments, and that unitization does not impair item processing within an association but rather enables more precise and accurate processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Chen
- College of Elementary Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zaizhu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunyan Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
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The impact of context on pattern separation for objects among younger and older apolipoprotein ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2022; 29:439-449. [PMID: 36416211 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE On continuous recognition tasks, changing the context objects are embedded in impairs memory. Older adults are worse on pattern separation tasks requiring identification of similar objects compared to younger adults. However, how contexts impact pattern separation in aging is unclear. The apolipoprotein (APOE) ϵ4 allele may exacerbate possible age-related changes due to early, elevated neuropathology. The goal of this study is to determine how context and APOE status affect pattern separation among younger and older adults. METHOD Older and younger ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers were given a continuous object recognition task. Participants indicated if objects on a Repeated White background, Repeated Scene, or a Novel Scene were old, similar, or new. The proportions of correct responses and the types of errors made were calculated. RESULTS Novel scenes lowered recognition scores compared to all other contexts for everyone. Younger adults outperformed older adults on identifying similar objects. Older adults misidentified similar objects as old more than new, and the repeated scene exacerbated this error. APOE status interacted with scene and age such that in repeated scenes, younger carriers produced less false alarms, and this trend switched for older adults where carriers made more false alarms. CONCLUSIONS Context impacted recognition memory in the same way for both age groups. Older adults underutilized details and over relied on holistic information during pattern separation compared to younger adults. The triple interaction in false alarms may indicate an even greater reliance on holistic information among older adults with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.
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Rodríguez-Flores TC, Palomo-Briones GA, Robles F, Ramos F. Proposal for a computational model of incentive memory. COGN SYST RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Truong NCD, Wang X, Wanniarachchi H, Lang Y, Nerur S, Chen KY, Liu H. Mapping and understanding of correlated electroencephalogram (EEG) responses to the newsvendor problem. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13800. [PMID: 35963934 PMCID: PMC9376113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17970-x] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Decision-making is one of the most critical activities of human beings. To better understand the underlying neurocognitive mechanism while making decisions under an economic context, we designed a decision-making paradigm based on the newsvendor problem (NP) with two scenarios: low-profit margins as the more challenging scenario and high-profit margins as the less difficult one. The EEG signals were acquired from healthy humans while subjects were performing the task. We adopted the Correlated Component Analysis (CorrCA) method to identify linear combinations of EEG channels that maximize the correlation across subjects ([Formula: see text]) or trials ([Formula: see text]). The inter-subject or inter-trial correlation values (ISC or ITC) of the first three components were estimated to investigate the modulation of the task difficulty on subjects' EEG signals and respective correlations. We also calculated the alpha- and beta-band power of the projection components obtained by the CorrCA to assess the brain responses across multiple task periods. Finally, the CorrCA forward models, which represent the scalp projections of the brain activities by the maximally correlated components, were further translated into source distributions of underlying cortical activity using the exact Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography Algorithm (eLORETA). Our results revealed strong and significant correlations in EEG signals among multiple subjects and trials during the more difficult decision-making task than the easier one. We also observed that the NP decision-making and feedback tasks desynchronized the normalized alpha and beta powers of the CorrCA components, reflecting the engagement state of subjects. Source localization results furthermore suggested several sources of neural activities during the NP decision-making process, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior PFC, orbitofrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and somatosensory association cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nghi Cong Dung Truong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, 500 UTA Blvd, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Xinlong Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, 500 UTA Blvd, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Hashini Wanniarachchi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, 500 UTA Blvd, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Yan Lang
- Information Systems and Operations Management, University of Texas at Arlington, 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
- Department of Business, State University of New York at Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway Oneonta, New York, NY, 13820, USA
| | - Sridhar Nerur
- Information Systems and Operations Management, University of Texas at Arlington, 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Kay-Yut Chen
- Information Systems and Operations Management, University of Texas at Arlington, 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Hanli Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, 500 UTA Blvd, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
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9
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Nie A, Jiang G. Does stimulus emotionality influence associative memory? Insights from directed forgetting. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-019-00449-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Ruiz-Rizzo AL, Pruitt PJ, Finke K, Müller HJ, Damoiseaux JS. Lower-Resolution Retrieval of Scenes in Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2021; 37:408-422. [PMID: 34342647 PMCID: PMC8865194 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acab061] [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: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Scenes with more perceptual detail can help detect subtle memory deficits more than scenes with less detail. Here, we investigated whether older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) show less brain activation and more memory deficits to scenes with more (vs. scenes with less) perceptual detail compared to controls (CON). Method In 37 healthy older adults (SCD: 16), we measured blood oxygenation level-dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging during encoding and behavioral performance during retrieval. Results During encoding, higher activation to scenes with more (vs. less) perceptual detail in the parahippocampal place area predicted better memory performance in SCD and CON. During retrieval, superior performance for new scenes with more (vs. less) perceptual detail was significantly more pronounced in CON than inSCD. Conclusions Together, these results suggest a present, but attenuated benefit from perceptual detail for memory retrieval in SCD. Memory complaints in SCD might, thus, refer to a decreased availability of perceptual detail of previously encoded stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana L Ruiz-Rizzo
- Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology Unit, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Patrick J Pruitt
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kathrin Finke
- Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology Unit, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology Unit, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jessica S Damoiseaux
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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Srokova S, Hill PF, Elward RL, Rugg MD. Effects of age on goal-dependent modulation of episodic memory retrieval. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 102:73-88. [PMID: 33765433 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Retrieval gating refers to the ability to modulate the retrieval of features of a single memory episode according to behavioral goals. Recent findings demonstrate that younger adults engage retrieval gating by attenuating the representation of task-irrelevant features of an episode. Here, we examine whether retrieval gating varies with age. Younger and older adults incidentally encoded words superimposed over scenes or scrambled backgrounds that were displayed in one of three spatial locations. Participants subsequently underwent fMRI as they completed two memory tasks: the background task, which tested memory for the word's background, and the location task, testing memory for the word's location. Employing univariate and multivariate approaches, we demonstrated that younger, but not older adults, exhibited attenuated reinstatement of scene information when it was goal-irrelevant (during the location task). Additionally, in younger adults only, the strength of scene reinstatement in the parahippocampal place area during the background task was related to item and source memory performance. Together, these findings point to an age-related decline in the ability to engage retrieval gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Srokova
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
| | - Paul F Hill
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Rachael L Elward
- School of Applied Sciences, Division of Psychology, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Michael D Rugg
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA; School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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12
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Baumann O, McFadyen J, Humphreys MS. Behavioral and Neural Effects of Familiarization on Object-Background Associations. Front Psychol 2020; 11:591231. [PMID: 33365002 PMCID: PMC7750435 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591231] [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: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative memory is the ability to link together components of stimuli. Previous evidence suggests that prior familiarization with study items affects the nature of the association between stimuli. More specifically, novel stimuli are learned in a more context-dependent fashion than stimuli that have been encountered previously without the current context. In the current study, we first acquired behavioral data from 62 human participants to conceptually replicate this effect. Participants were instructed to memorize multiple object-scene pairs (study phase) and were then tested on their recognition memory for the objects (test phase). Importantly, 1 day prior, participants had been familiarized with half of the object stimuli. During the test phase, the objects were either matched to the same scene as during study (intact pair) or swapped with a different object’s scene (rearranged pair). Our results conceptually replicated the context-dependency effect by showing that breaking up a studied object-context pairing is more detrimental to object recognition performance for non-familiarized objects than for familiarized objects. Second, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine whether medial temporal lobe encoding-related activity patterns are reflective of this familiarity-related context effect. Data acquired from 25 human participants indicated a larger effect of familiarization on encoding-related hippocampal activity for objects presented within a scene context compared to objects presented alone. Our results showed that both retrieval-related accuracy patterns and hippocampal activation patterns were in line with a familiarization-mediated context-dependency effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Baumann
- School of Psychology & Interdisciplinary Centre for the Artificial Mind, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jessica McFadyen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael S Humphreys
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Lawrence AV, Cardoza J, Ryan L. Medial temporal lobe regions mediate complex visual discriminations for both objects and scenes: A process-based view. Hippocampus 2020; 30:879-891. [PMID: 32163223 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Debate continues regarding the role of medial temporal lobe regions in object and scene processing. Considerable evidence indicates that the perirhinal cortex (PRC) plays an important role in the perception of objects-namely, in disambiguating complex objects that share conjunctions of features. These findings support a content-specific view of medial temporal lobe functioning in which PRC is critically important for processing complex objects, while the parahippocampal cortex (PHC) and hippocampus (HC) may be selectively engaged during scene processing. However, emerging evidence from both animal and human studies suggest that the PRC is sensitive to spatial configural information as well as object information. In this fMRI study, we observed preliminary evidence for BOLD activation in the PRC during a complex visual discrimination task for objects and scenes, as well as robust activation for both stimulus types in PHC and HC. The results are discussed in light of a recent process-based model of medial temporal lobe functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley V Lawrence
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Jose Cardoza
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Lee Ryan
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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Silva JSCD, Barbosa FF, Fonsêca ÉKGD, Albuquerque FDS, Cheke LG, Fernández-Calvo B. Load effect on what-where-when memory in younger and older adults. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2019; 27:841-853. [PMID: 31809651 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2019.1700207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory (EM) is a subsystem responsible for storing and evoking information about the "What", "Where" and "When" elements of an event in an integrated way. This capacity depends of structures with hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The effect of aging on some capacities mediated by these areas, such as the influence of the number of objects on the coding of EM, remains unexplored. The present study examined the memory recall capacity of young and older adults in an EM task which used the number of 2, 4 and 6 items associated with specific space-temporal contexts. The young adults showed better performance coefficients than the older adults in all tasks, regardless of the load used, for all questions, except the "What" type. The group differences increase with load augmentation, stabilizing from the tasks with 4 items. In short, the EM efficiency, evaluated through What-Where-When Task, depends on the quantity information encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Flávio Freitas Barbosa
- Laboratory of memory and cognition studies, Department of Psychology, Federal University of Paraiba , João Pessoa, Brazil
| | | | - Fabíola Da Silva Albuquerque
- Laboratory of memory and cognition studies, Department of Physiology and Pathology, Federal University of Paraiba , João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Lucy G Cheke
- Cognition and Motivated Behaviour Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambrigde , Cambrigde, UK
| | - Bernardino Fernández-Calvo
- Laboratory of aging and neuropsychological disorder, Department of Psychology, Federal University of Paraiba , João Pessoa, Brazil
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15
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Dennis NA, Overman AA, Gerver CR, McGraw KE, Rowley MA, Salerno JM. Different types of associative encoding evoke differential processing in both younger and older adults: Evidence from univariate and multivariate analyses. Neuropsychologia 2019; 135:107240. [PMID: 31682927 PMCID: PMC6951809 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Age-related deficits in associative processing are well-documented (e.g., Naveh-Benjamin, 2000) and have been assumed to be the result of a general deficit that affects all types of binding. However, recent behavioral research has indicated that the visual configuration of the information that is presented to older adults influences the degree to which this binding deficit is exhibited by older adults (Overman, Dennis et al, 2019; Overman, Dennis, et al., 2018). The purpose of the present study was to further clarify the neural underpinnings of the associative deficit in aging and to examine whether functional activity at encoding differs with respect to the visual configuration and the type of associative being encoded. Using both univariate and multi-voxel pattern analysis, we found differences in both the magnitude of activation and pattern of neural responses associated with the type of association encoded (item-item and item-context). Specifically, our results suggest that, when controlling for stimuli composition, patterns of activation in sensory and frontal regions within the associative encoding network are able to distinguish between different types of associations. With respect to the MTL, multivariate results suggest that only patterns of activation in the PrC in older, but not younger adults, can distinguish between associations types. These findings extend prior work regarding the neural basis of associative memory in young and older adults, and extends the predictions of the binding of item and context model (BIC; Diana, Yonelinas, Ranganath, 2007) to older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A Dennis
- The Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Amy A Overman
- The Department of Psychology, Elon University, NC, USA
| | - Courtney R Gerver
- The Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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16
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Li B, Han M, Guo C, Tibon R. Unitization modulates recognition of within-domain and cross-domain associations: Evidence from event-related potentials. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13446. [PMID: 31369155 PMCID: PMC6852485 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Although it is often assumed that memory of episodic associations requires recollection, it has been suggested that, when stimuli are experienced as a unit, earlier memory processes might contribute to their subsequent associative recognition. We investigated the effects of associative relations and perceptual domain during episodic encoding on the ability to utilize early memory processes to retrieve associative information. During the study phase, participants encoded compound and noncompound words pairs, presented either to the same sensory modality (visual presentation) or to different sensory modalities (audiovisual presentation). At the test phase, they discriminated between old, rearranged, and new pairs while ERPs were recorded. In an early ERP component, differences related to associative memory emerged only for compounds, regardless of their encoding modality. These findings indicate that episodic retrieval of compound words can be supported by early-onset recognition processes regardless of whether both words were presented to the same or different sensory modalities, and suggests that unitization can operate at an abstract level, across a broad range of materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingcan Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of PsychologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Meng Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of PsychologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Chunyan Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of PsychologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Roni Tibon
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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Gaynor LS, Johnson SA, Mizell JM, Campos KT, Maurer AP, Bauer RM, Burke SN. Impaired discrimination with intact crossmodal association in aged rats: A dissociation of perirhinal cortical-dependent behaviors. Behav Neurosci 2018; 132:138-151. [PMID: 29809042 PMCID: PMC5975639 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The perirhinal cortex (PRC) supports associative memory and perception, and PRC dysfunction impairs animals' abilities to associate stimulus features across sensory modalities. PRC damage also leads to deficits in discriminating between stimuli that share features. Although PRC-dependent stimulus discrimination has been shown to be impaired with advanced age, data regarding the abilities of older adults and other animals to form PRC-dependent associations have been equivocal. Moreover, the extent to which similar neural computations within the PRC support associative memory versus discrimination abilities have not been directly examined. In the current study, young and aged rats were cross-characterized on two PRC-dependent crossmodal object recognition (CMOR) tasks to test associative memory, and a LEGO object discrimination task. In the CMOR tasks, rats were familiarized with an object with access to tactile input and then tested for recognition with visual input only. The relative exploration time of novel versus familiar objects indicated that aged rats showed preference for the novel over familiar object with and without an epoch of multimodal preexposure to the familiar object prior to the testing session. Furthermore, crossmodal recognition performance between young and aged rats was not significantly different. In contrast, for the LEGO object discrimination task, aged rats were impaired relative to young rats. Notably, aged rats that performed poorly on the LEGO object discrimination task had better performance on the CMOR tasks. The dissociation of discrimination and association abilities with age suggests that these behaviors rely on distinct neural computations within PRC-medial temporal lobe circuit. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Russell M Bauer
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida
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18
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Memel M, Ryan L. Visual integration of objects and scenes increases recollection-based responding despite differential MTL recruitment in young and older adults. Hippocampus 2018; 28:886-899. [PMID: 29999561 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Unitization, the process of encoding previously independent units as one coherent representation, improves associative memory in both young and older adults, or in some cases, differentially benefits older adults. Unitization of verbal associative pairs may reduce reliance on the hippocampus (HC) for successful encoding and recognition by shifting to familiarity-based processing mediated by perirhinal cortex (PRC). However, this shift was not observed in a recent study of visual associative memory, with equivalent activation in HC and PRC during encoding of visually integrated (unitized) and nonintegrated object and scene pairs. Furthermore, behavioral findings from this study suggested an increase in recollection rather than familiarity during recognition of visually integrated pairs. The present study extends our previous work by focusing on the influence of visual integration on fMRI activation during associative recognition, rather than encoding and these patterns between young and older adults. In contrast to our findings from encoding, visual integration reduced HC and PRC activation during retrieval of object and scene associative pairs across both age groups. However, visual integration increased the correlation between bilateral HC and left parahippocampal (PHC) activation and behavioral performance among older adults, consistent with an increased reliance on recollection. In contrast, visual integration reduced the correlation between HC activation and behavioral performance in young adults, more consistent with findings from the verbal unitization literature. Taken together, these results suggest that associative memory for visually integrated pairs may involve differential recruitment of medial temporal regions in young and older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lee Ryan
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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19
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Glavis-Bloom C, Bachevalier J. Neonatal hippocampal lesions facilitate biconditional contextual discrimination learning in monkeys. Behav Neurosci 2018; 132:480-496. [PMID: 30359064 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This study examined whether selective neonatal hippocampal lesions in monkeys (Macaca mulatta), which left the surrounding cortical areas (parahippocampal cortex) intact, affect contextual learning and memory compared with controls. Monkeys were tested with an automated touch-screen apparatus so that stimuli and contextual cues could be manipulated independently of one another. The data suggest that animals with neonatal hippocampal lesions have sparing of function with regard to contextual learning and memory when (a) contextual information is irrelevant or (b) relevant for good discrimination performance, and (c) when transferring a contextual rule to new discriminations. These findings are at odds with studies examining contextual learning and memory in monkeys with selective adult-onset hippocampal lesions, and those with nonselective neonatal hippocampal lesions, which have demonstrated impairment in contextual learning and memory. Therefore, the sparing of function seen in this study may be attributable to the early nature of the damage and the plastic nature of the infant brain, as well as the intact medial temporal lobe cortical areas as a result of the lesion methodology. Specifically, by removing the hippocampus early in life, before it has begun to function, the parahippocampal (TH/TF) and perirhinal cortices and its interactions with the lateral prefrontal cortex may be able to support context processing throughout life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Glavis-Bloom
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Psychology, Emory University
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Psychology, Emory University
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20
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Abstract
Unitization refers to the creation of a new unit from previously distinct items. The concept of unitization has been used to explain how novel pairings between items can be remembered without requiring recollection, by virtue of new, item-like representations that enable familiarity-based retrieval. We tested an alternative account of unitization - a schema account - which suggests that associations between items can be rapidly assimilated into a schema. We used a common operationalization of "unitization" as the difference between two unrelated words being linked by a definition, relative to two words being linked by a sentence, during an initial study phase. During the following relearning phase, a studied word was re-paired with a new word, either related or unrelated to the original associate from study. In a final test phase, memory for the relearned associations was tested. We hypothesized that, if unitized representations act like schemas, then we would observe some generalization to related words, such that memory would be better in the definition than sentence condition for related words, but not for unrelated words. Contrary to the schema hypothesis, evidence favored the null hypothesis of no difference between definition and sentence conditions for related words (Experiment 1), even when each cue was associated with multiple associates, indicating that the associations can be generalized (Experiment 2), or when the schematic information was explicitly re-activated during Relearning (Experiment 3). These results suggest that unitized associations do not generalize to accommodate new information, and therefore provide evidence against the schema account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roni Tibon
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 5 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK.
| | - Andrea Greve
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 5 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Richard Henson
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 5 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
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Memel M, Woolverton CB, Bourassa K, Glisky EL. Working memory predicts subsequent episodic memory decline during healthy cognitive aging: evidence from a cross-lagged panel design. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2018; 26:711-730. [DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2018.1521507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Molly Memel
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Kyle Bourassa
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Burke SN, Gaynor LS, Barnes CA, Bauer RM, Bizon JL, Roberson ED, Ryan L. Shared Functions of Perirhinal and Parahippocampal Cortices: Implications for Cognitive Aging. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:349-359. [PMID: 29555181 PMCID: PMC5970964 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
A predominant view of perirhinal cortex (PRC) and postrhinal/parahippocampal cortex (POR/PHC) function contends that these structures are tuned to represent objects and spatial information, respectively. However, known anatomical connectivity, together with recent electrophysiological, neuroimaging, and lesion data, indicate that both brain areas participate in spatial and nonspatial processing. Instead of content-based organization, the PRC and PHC/POR may participate in two computationally distinct cortical-hippocampal networks: one network that is tuned to process coarse information quickly, forming gist-like representations of scenes/environments, and a second network tuned to process information about the specific sensory details that are necessary for discrimination across sensory modalities. The available data suggest that the latter network may be more vulnerable in advanced age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara N Burke
- McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Leslie S Gaynor
- McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Carol A Barnes
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Division of Neural Systems Memory and Aging, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Russell M Bauer
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Erik D Roberson
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Lee Ryan
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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Overman AA, Dennis NA, McCormick-Huhn JM, Steinsiek AB, Cesar LB. Same face, same place, different memory: manner of presentation modulates the associative deficit in older adults. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2017; 26:44-57. [PMID: 29083261 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2017.1397097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
One of the more severe and consequential memory impairments experienced by older adults is the loss of the ability to form and remember associations. Although the associative deficit is often assumed to be unitary, memory episodes may contain different types of associations (e.g., item-item, item-context). Research in younger adults suggests that these different association types may involve different neural mechanisms. This raises the possibility that different association types are not equally affected by aging. In order to investigate this, the current study directly compared memory across item-item and item-context associations in younger and older adults by manipulating the manner of presentation of the associations. Results indicate that the associative deficit in aging is not uniform and that aging has a greater impact on item-context compared to item-item associations. The results have implications for theories of associative memory, age-related cognitive decline, and the functional organization of the medial temporal lobe in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy A Overman
- a Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program , Elon University Elon, USA
| | - Nancy A Dennis
- b Psychology Department , The Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Abigail B Steinsiek
- a Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program , Elon University Elon, USA
| | - Luisa B Cesar
- a Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program , Elon University Elon, USA
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