Executive Control on Memory Test Performance across Life: Test of Memory Strategies

Taking stock of the past: A psychometric evaluation of the Autobiographical Interview

Autobiographical memory (AM) involves a rich phenomenological re-experiencing of a spatio-temporal event from the past, which is challenging to objectively quantify. The Autobiographical Interview (AI; Levine et al. Psychology and Aging, 17(4), 677-689, 2002) is a manualized performance-based assessment designed to quantify episodic (internal) and semantic (external) features of recalled and verbally conveyed prior experiences. The AI has been widely adopted, yet has not undergone a comprehensive psychometric validation. We investigated the reliability, validity, association to individual differences measures, and factor structure in healthy younger and older adults (N = 352). Evidence for the AI's reliability was strong: the subjective scoring protocol showed high inter-rater reliability and previously identified age effects were replicated. Internal consistency across timepoints was robust, suggesting stability in recollection. Central to our validation, internal AI scores were positively correlated with standard, performance-based measures of episodic memory, demonstrating convergent validity. The two-factor structure for the AI was not well supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Adjusting internal and external detail scores for the number of words spoken (detail density) improved trait estimation of AM performance. Overall, the AI demonstrated sound psychometric properties for inquiry into the qualities of autobiographical remembering.

Understanding the Episodic Memory and Executive Functioning Axis Impairment in MCI Patients: A Multicenter Study in Comparison with CSF Biomarkers

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the association between a verbal learning task that evaluates the potential mutual dependency between memory and executive functions (i.e., the Test of Memory Strategies, TMS) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer's Disease (AD) biomarkers.

METHODS

A sample of 47 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) participants from Poland and Spain were classified according to the Erlangen Score Diagnostic Algorithm (ESA) into CSF- (n = 16) and CSF+ (n = 31) groups. Correlation analyses between TMS word-list conditions and CSF biomarkers were conducted. Additionally, an analysis of covariance was performed to define the effect on ESA classification in the sample, using as a covariable the country of origin of the participants.

RESULTS

Significant associations between the TMS-3 condition and Aβ42, t-tau, and p-tau were observed for the whole sample. In addition, the CSF- participants obtained higher cognitive performance in TMS-3 compared to the CSF+ group. This outcome persisted if the groups were based on Aβ42 scores, but not t-tau or p-tau values.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings could indicate that poor performance on verbal learning tests may be affected by executive dysfunctions. Therefore, future intervention plans focused on training executive functions would be of interest to improve the ability of MCI patients to encode and organize information.

The Effects of the Task Balance Training Program on the Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels, Cognitive Function, and Postural Balance in Old People

Exercise in the form of physical activity can provide neuroprotective benefits. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the task balance training program (TBT program) on the glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor levels, cognitive function, and postural balance in old people. The population of this study was the old people members of the Batara Hati Mulia Gowa Foundation who were willing to participate in the study (n = 66). The sample of this study was obtained through a random sampling technique to determine the treatment (n = 32) and control (n = 34) groups. Before and after implementing the TBT program, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) level measurement and cognitive function and postural balance assessment were performed. Cognitive function was measured by using Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Postural balance was measured in two ways by using the timed up and go (TUG) test and Tinetti performance-oriented mobility assessment (POMA). The treatment group showed significantly greater changes than the control group in GDNF levels (2.24 (±0.63) vs. 1.24 (±0.43), P = 0.001), cognitive function (24.66 (±3.42) vs. 19.18 (±2.67), P = 0.001), and postural balance (TUG [14.00 (±4.04) vs. 18.68 (±3.98)]; POMA [26.53 (±1.74) vs. 23.47 (±3.06)], P = 0.001) after training. The treatment group also showed a significant relationship between GDNF levels and cognitive function (r = 0.840, P = 0.001) and postural balance (TUG [r = 0.814, P = 0.001]; POMA [r = 0.630, P = 0.001]). The TBT program affects the levels of GDNF in old people. The TBT program involves cognitive function improvement and affects postural balance changes in old people.

Executive Functions Influence on Memory Process in Patients with Paranoid Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders with and without Psychotic Symptoms. A Pilot Study

The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether declarative memory deficits are related to executive function deficits (EF), since they could be a consequence of a poor organization of the material to memorize. This interaction between both cognitive processes can be studied simultaneously in a single task such as the Test of Memory Strategies (TSM). 23 patients with paranoid schizophrenic disorder, 11 with bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms, 13 with bipolar disorder without psychotic symptoms and 15 healthy subjects were evaluated with the TSM; with the memory test Texts A and B (subtest of the Barcelona neuropsychological assessment battery), which assesses short-term and immediate recall without the influence of EF; and with the Trail Making Test (TMT): Part A (sustained attention) and Part B (executive control). The patients groups and the control group showed an improvement in memory performance across each of the TSM conditions. However, this facilitating effect of the strategies differed among the groups (the patients with higher EF deficits showed less improvement). Regarding these results, we conclude that this cognitive process cannot be independent of EF. However, due to the pilot nature of this study, it would be recommended to replicate these findings in new studies.