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Henderson SE, Ryan AD, Atack LW, Campbell K. Model-based Mind Wandering in Older Adults: Age Differences in the Behavioral and Electrophysiological Correlates of Subjective and Objective Measures of Mind Wandering. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:2029-2044. [PMID: 38820559 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Mind wandering is typically characterized as a failure of attentional control, yet despite age-related executive function deficits, older adults typically report less mind wandering than younger adults during cognitive tasks and in daily life. Self-reported mind wandering episodes usually result in similar behavioral detriments in younger and older adults (e.g., greater RT variability, more task errors). However, the relatively few studies investigating the neural correlates of mind wandering and aging have revealed mixed findings, possibly because they typically rely on infrequent thought probes and, therefore, few trials for neural analyses. In the current study, we propose a method to recover more task data by categorizing trials from a commonly used sustained attention to response task according to RT variability. Behavioral data (n = 49 younger; n = 40 older) revealed that compared with younger adults, older adults reported fewer mind wandering episodes, but showed similar behavioral impacts thereof. Furthermore, in both age groups, subjective reports of mind wandering predicted the more objective sorting of trials into "on-" and "off-task" according to RT variability. Using these objectively sorted trials, we investigated two commonly reported EEG measures of mind wandering (diminished P1 and P3 amplitude) in 26 younger and 24 older adults. Although the P1 did not differ between on- and off-task trials for either group, the P3 was diminished for off-task trials in both age groups (albeit significantly less in older adults) suggesting preserved perceptual but reduced higher-order processing during off-task periods in both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Dawn Ryan
- Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Luke W Atack
- Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
- McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Aschenbrenner AJ, Welhaf MS, Hassenstab JJ, Jackson JJ. Antecedents of mind wandering states in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment. Neuropsychology 2024; 38:430-442. [PMID: 38330359 PMCID: PMC11176040 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Mind wandering refers to periods of internally directed attention and comprises up to 30% or more of our waking thoughts. Frequent mind wandering can be detrimental to ongoing task performance. We aim to determine whether rates of mind wandering change in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment and how differences in mind wandering contribute to differences in attention and working memory. METHOD We administered a standard behavioral task, the Sustained Attention to Response Test, to measure mind wandering in healthy younger adults (N = 66), healthy older adults (N = 51), and adults with cognitive impairment (N = 38), that was completed daily for 3 weeks. The N-back test was also administered at a reduced frequency as a measure of working memory performance. RESULTS Generally speaking, averaged across 3 weeks of testing, relative to healthy older adults, mind wandering was higher in younger adults and in cognitive impairment, although the specific patterns varied across mind wandering states. Multiple states of mind wandering also predicted working memory performance; however, reaction time variability tended to be the best predictor based on model comparisons. Each state was also modestly associated with different dispositional factors including mood and Agreeableness. CONCLUSIONS Patterns of mind wandering change across healthy aging and cognitive impairment and are related to individual differences in multiple dispositional factors and also working memory performance. These results suggest that different states of mind wandering should be measured and accounted for when modeling cognitive change in healthy and pathological aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Joshua J Jackson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
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Welhaf MS, Wilks H, Aschenbrenner AJ, Balota DA, Schindler SE, Benzinger TLS, Gordon BA, Cruchaga C, Xiong C, Morris JC, Hassenstab J. Naturalistic assessment of reaction time variability in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024; 30:428-438. [PMID: 38282413 PMCID: PMC11078617 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617723011475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Maintaining attention underlies many aspects of cognition and becomes compromised early in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). The consistency of maintaining attention can be measured with reaction time (RT) variability. Previous work has focused on measuring such fluctuations during in-clinic testing, but recent developments in remote, smartphone-based cognitive assessments can allow one to test if these fluctuations in attention are evident in naturalistic settings and if they are sensitive to traditional clinical and cognitive markers of AD. METHOD Three hundred and seventy older adults (aged 75.8 +/- 5.8 years) completed a week of remote daily testing on the Ambulatory Research in Cognition (ARC) smartphone platform and also completed clinical, genetic, and conventional in-clinic cognitive assessments. RT variability was assessed in a brief (20-40 seconds) processing speed task using two different measures of variability, the Coefficient of Variation (CoV) and the Root Mean Squared Successive Difference (RMSSD) of RTs on correct trials. RESULTS Symptomatic participants showed greater variability compared to cognitively normal participants. When restricted to cognitively normal participants, APOE ε4 carriers exhibited greater variability than noncarriers. Both CoV and RMSSD showed significant, and similar, correlations with several in-clinic cognitive composites. Finally, both RT variability measures significantly mediated the relationship between APOE ε4 status and several in-clinic cognition composites. CONCLUSIONS Attentional fluctuations over 20-40 seconds assessed in daily life, are sensitive to clinical status and genetic risk for AD. RT variability appears to be an important predictor of cognitive deficits during the preclinical disease stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Welhaf
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hannah Wilks
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrew J Aschenbrenner
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David A Balota
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Suzanne E Schindler
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tammie L S Benzinger
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Brian A Gordon
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chengjie Xiong
- Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - John C Morris
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jason Hassenstab
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Alexander JM, Hedrick T, Stark BC. Inner speech in the daily lives of people with aphasia. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1335425. [PMID: 38577124 PMCID: PMC10991845 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1335425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This exploratory, preliminary, feasibility study evaluated the extent to which adults with chronic aphasia (N = 23) report experiencing inner speech in their daily lives by leveraging experience sampling and survey methodology. Methods The presence of inner speech was assessed at 30 time-points and themes of inner speech at three time-points, over the course of three weeks. The relationship of inner speech to aphasia severity, demographic information (age, sex, years post-stroke), and insight into language impairment was evaluated. Results There was low attrition (<8%) and high compliance (>94%) for the study procedures, and inner speech was experienced in most sampled instances (>78%). The most common themes of inner speech experience across the weeks were 'when remembering', 'to plan', and 'to motivate oneself'. There was no significant relationship identified between inner speech and aphasia severity, insight into language impairment, or demographic information. In conclusion, adults with aphasia tend to report experiencing inner speech often, with some shared themes (e.g., remembering, planning), and use inner speech to explore themes that are uncommon in young adults in other studies (e.g., to talk to themselves about health). Discussion High compliance and low attrition suggest design feasibility, and results emphasize the importance of collecting data in age-similar, non-brain-damaged peers as well as in adults with other neurogenic communication disorders to fully understand the experience and use of inner speech in daily life. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne M. Alexander
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Tessa Hedrick
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Brielle C. Stark
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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Irish M. Deconstructing spontaneous expressions of memory in dementia. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e365. [PMID: 37961776 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x23000018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Dementia syndromes offer a unique opportunity to clarify some of the component processes of spontaneous expressions of memory proposed by the Barzykowski and Moulin model. By considering the model through the lens of memory disorders, I outline several important extensions to progress our understanding of these spontaneous cognitive phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muireann Irish
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia ://www.forefrontresearch.org/professor-muireann-irish/
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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Wereszczyński M, Śmigiel A, Tomaszewska I, Niedźwieńska A. Investigating the relationship between periodontitis and specific memory processes in the search for cognitive markers of Alzheimer's disease risk. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11555. [PMID: 37464028 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38674-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The spontaneous retrieval deficit (SRD) hypothesis argues that individuals in the preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are particularly impaired in spontaneous retrieval, which manifests in reduced mind-wandering. Our main purpose was to provide novel evidence to support the SRD hypothesis by investigating, for the first time, the relationship between mind-wandering and periodontitis, the latter being the risk factor for AD. The second objective was to address the lack of deeper understanding of the relationship between oral health and specific cognitive abilities by investigating whether periodontitis would be primarily associated with memory. Sixty community-dwelling dementia-free older adults completed neuropsychological tests that focused on various cognitive abilities and a computerised task, during which mind-wandering was evaluated. Periodontal health was assessed subjectively, and through an oral examination by a qualified dentist that focused on visible periodontitis-related changes in gingival tissues and the number of periodontitis bacteria. In line with our predictions, objective and subjective symptoms of poorer periodontal health were associated with less mind-wandering, providing further support for the SRD hypothesis. Again in line with predictions, poorer periodontal health was associated with worse episodic memory, with no relationship between periodontitis and the measure targeting various cognitive abilities, from which memory was excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Wereszczyński
- Department of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
- Doctoral School in the Social Sciences - Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
| | | | - Iwona Tomaszewska
- Centre of Innovative Medical Education, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Wong YS, Willoughby AR, Machado L. Reconceptualizing mind wandering from a switching perspective. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:357-372. [PMID: 35348846 PMCID: PMC9928802 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01676-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Mind wandering is a universal phenomenon in which our attention shifts away from the task at hand toward task-unrelated thoughts. Despite it inherently involving a shift in mental set, little is known about the role of cognitive flexibility in mind wandering. In this article we consider the potential of cognitive flexibility as a mechanism for mediating and/or regulating the occurrence of mind wandering. Our review begins with a brief introduction to the prominent theories of mind wandering-the executive failure hypothesis, the decoupling hypothesis, the process-occurrence framework, and the resource-control account of sustained attention. Then, after discussing their respective merits and weaknesses, we put forward a new perspective of mind wandering focused on cognitive flexibility, which provides an account more in line with the data to date, including why older populations experience a reduction in mind wandering. After summarizing initial evidence prompting this new perspective, drawn from several mind-wandering and task-switching studies, we recommend avenues for future research aimed at further understanding the importance of cognitive flexibility in mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Sheng Wong
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, William James Building, 275 Leith Walk, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand.
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Malaysia, Nusajaya, Malaysia.
| | - Adrian R Willoughby
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Malaysia, Nusajaya, Malaysia
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Liana Machado
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, William James Building, 275 Leith Walk, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
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8
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Irish M. Autobiographical memory in dementia syndromes—An integrative review. WIRES COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 14:e1630. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muireann Irish
- School of Psychology and Brain & Mind Centre The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
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9
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Spontaneous mind-wandering tendencies linked to cognitive flexibility in young adults. Conscious Cogn 2022; 102:103335. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Wereszczyński M, Niedźwieńska A. Deficits in spontaneous and stimulus-dependent retrieval as an early sign of abnormal aging. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9643. [PMID: 35688927 PMCID: PMC9187621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13745-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on early cognitive markers of Alzheimer’s disease is primarily focused on episodic memory tests that involve deliberate retrieval. Our purpose was to provide clear evidence to support a novel Spontaneous Retrieval Deficit hypothesis, which predicts that people at pre-clinical stages of dementia, including those with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), are particularly impaired on tasks based on spontaneous retrieval. We compared 27 aMCI individuals and 27 healthy controls on mind-wandering while performing a task during which there were exposed to either highly meaningful or unmeaningful pictures. The substantial reduction in mind-wandering among individuals with aMCI was found with exposure to highly meaningful stimuli, but not to unmeaningful pictures, and it was most pronounced for past-oriented thoughts, i.e., involuntary autobiographical memories. Those findings provide strong support for this novel hypothesis, and show that it is the spontaneous, but bottom-up and cue-driven processes, for which meaningful environmental stimuli are crucial, that are very promising early markers of the disease.
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Gbadeyan O, Teng J, Prakash RS. Predicting response time variability from task and resting-state functional connectivity in the aging brain. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118890. [PMID: 35007719 PMCID: PMC9063711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with declines in a host of cognitive functions, including attentional control, inhibitory control, episodic memory, processing speed, and executive functioning. Theoretical models attribute the age-related decline in cognitive functioning to deficits in goal maintenance and attentional inhibition. Despite these well-documented declines in executive control resources, older adults endorse fewer episodes of mind-wandering when assessed using task-embedded thought probes. Furthermore, previous work on the neural basis of mind-wandering has mostly focused on young adults with studies predominantly focusing on the activity and connectivity of a select few canonical networks. However, whole-brain functional networks associated with mind-wandering in aging have not yet been characterized. In this study, using response time variability-the trial-to-trial fluctuations in behavioral responses-as an indirect marker of mind-wandering or an "out-of-the-zone" attentional state representing suboptimal behavioral performance, we show that brain-based predictive models of response time variability can be derived from whole-brain task functional connectivity. In contrast, models derived from resting-state functional connectivity alone did not predict individual response time variability. Finally, we show that despite successful within-sample prediction of response time variability, our models did not generalize to predict response time variability in independent cohorts of older adults with resting-state connectivity. Overall, our findings provide evidence for the utility of task-based functional connectivity in predicting individual response time variability in aging. Future research is needed to derive more robust and generalizable models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oyetunde Gbadeyan
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 139 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - James Teng
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 139 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ruchika Shaurya Prakash
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 139 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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12
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Zamani A, Carhart-Harris R, Christoff K. Prefrontal contributions to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:329-348. [PMID: 34545195 PMCID: PMC8616944 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The human prefrontal cortex is a structurally and functionally heterogenous brain region, including multiple subregions that have been linked to different large-scale brain networks. It contributes to a broad range of mental phenomena, from goal-directed thought and executive functions to mind-wandering and psychedelic experience. Here we review what is known about the functions of different prefrontal subregions and their affiliations with large-scale brain networks to examine how they may differentially contribute to the diversity of mental phenomena associated with prefrontal function. An important dimension that distinguishes across different kinds of conscious experience is the stability or variability of mental states across time. This dimension is a central feature of two recently introduced theoretical frameworks-the dynamic framework of thought (DFT) and the relaxed beliefs under psychedelics (REBUS) model-that treat neurocognitive dynamics as central to understanding and distinguishing between different mental phenomena. Here, we bring these two frameworks together to provide a synthesis of how prefrontal subregions may differentially contribute to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience. We close by considering future directions for this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Zamani
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Robin Carhart-Harris
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kalina Christoff
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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13
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Wereszczyński M, Niedźwieńska A. Dementia-Free Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Impairment Show Lower Mood and No Deficits of Spontaneous Memory Retrieval. Int J Aging Hum Dev 2021; 95:372-394. [PMID: 34918550 DOI: 10.1177/00914150211066561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether spontaneous retrieval deficits could be found in individuals with Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI). The sample consisted of 52 participants over 65 years of age (mean age = 76.00; SD = 7.48) with 11 males. We asked 26 individuals with SCI and 26 individuals without SCI to perform a prospective memory (PM) task that had previously demonstrated spontaneous retrieval deficits in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment. The results did not demonstrate the expected differences in a PM task based on spontaneous retrieval [t(50) = -.05; p = .964, d = .01]. However, participants' mood did predict their subjective memory complaints (β = -.51; p < .001) and their subjective assessment of their future memory performance (r = -.38; p < .01). The findings are in line with numerous studies which have shown that SCI is more related to mood disturbance than to objective cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Wereszczyński
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, 37799Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Niedźwieńska
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, 37799Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
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14
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The effect of context on mind-wandering in younger and older adults. Conscious Cogn 2021; 97:103256. [PMID: 34902670 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103256] [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: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Older adults report less mind-wandering (MW) during tasks of sustained attention than younger adults. The control failure × current concerns account argues that this is due to age differences in how contexts cue personally relevant task-unrelated thoughts. For older adults, the university laboratory contains few reminders of their current concerns and unfinished goals. For younger adults, however, the university laboratory is more directly tied to their current concerns. Therefore, if the context for triggering current concerns is the critical difference between younger and older adults' reported MW frequencies, then testing the two groups in contexts that equate the salience of self-relevant cues (i.e., their homes) should result in an increase in older but not younger adults' MW rates. The present study directly compared rates of MW and involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) in the home versus in the lab for younger and older adults using a within-subjects manipulation of context. Inconsistent with the control failure × current concerns account, no significant reduction in the age-gap in MW was found. Suggesting a lack of cues rather than an abundance of cues elicits MW, participants in both age groups reported more MW in the lab than at home. The number of IAMs recalled did not differ across contexts but was lower in older than younger adults. These findings suggest that a cognitive rather than an environmental mechanism may be behind the reduction in spontaneous cognition in aging.
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Chen YC, Yeh SL, Huang TR, Chang YL, Goh JOS, Fu LC. Social Robots for Evaluating Attention State in Older Adults. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:7142. [PMID: 34770448 PMCID: PMC8586987 DOI: 10.3390/s21217142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Sustained attention is essential for older adults to maintain an active lifestyle, and the deficiency of this function is often associated with health-related risks such as falling and frailty. The present study examined whether the well-established age-effect on reducing mind-wandering, the drift to internal thoughts that are seen to be detrimental to attentional control, could be replicated by using a robotic experimenter for older adults who are not as familiar with online technologies. A total of 28 younger and 22 older adults performed a Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) by answering thought probes regarding their attention states and providing confidence ratings for their own task performances. The indices from the modified SART suggested a well-documented conservative response strategy endorsed by older adults, which were represented by slower responses and increased omission errors. Moreover, the slower responses and increased omissions were found to be associated with less self-reported mind-wandering, thus showing consistency with their higher subjective ratings of attentional control. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of constructing age-related cognitive profiles with attention evaluation instruction based on a social companion robot for older adults at home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chen Chen
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (T.-R.H.); (Y.-L.C.); (J.O.S.G.)
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Su-Ling Yeh
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (T.-R.H.); (Y.-L.C.); (J.O.S.G.)
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Ren Huang
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (T.-R.H.); (Y.-L.C.); (J.O.S.G.)
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ling Chang
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (T.-R.H.); (Y.-L.C.); (J.O.S.G.)
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10048, Taiwan
| | - Joshua O. S. Goh
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (T.-R.H.); (Y.-L.C.); (J.O.S.G.)
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Li-Chen Fu
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- MOST Joint Research Center for AI Technology and All Vista Healthcare, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Borella E, Zavagnin M, Ronconi L, De Beni R. Cognitive and non-cognitive variables influencing age-related effect of mind wandering across the adult life span. Eur J Ageing 2021; 19:277-292. [PMID: 35663916 PMCID: PMC9156641 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-021-00637-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the effects of aging on mind wandering (MW) using a sustained attention to response task (SART) with a low cognitive demand. All task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) and the subcategory of stimulus-independent thoughts (SITUTs) were examined across the adult life span. The relationship between MW, cognitive variables (attention, inhibition, working memory), and non-cognitive variables (mindfulness, psychological well-being, and anxiety) was investigated. The sample included 210 healthy participants from 20 to 89 years old. The overall results showed few or no age-related changes in both TUTs and SITUTs. Path analyses revealed that the effect of age on both TUTs and SITUTs was only indirect and mediated by attentional resources, as well as by some aspects of psychological well-being (i.e., emotional competence), which had a direct effect, however. These findings raise doubts about any age-related differences between young and older adults’ MW. Changes in MW across the adult life span are thus discussed along with the method and tasks used to assess it and different variables affecting it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Borella
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Michela Zavagnin
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Lucia Ronconi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Rossana De Beni
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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17
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Nicosia J, Balota D. Dispositional factors account for age differences in self-reported mind-wandering. Psychol Aging 2021; 36:421-432. [PMID: 34124919 PMCID: PMC8352371 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the contribution of dispositional factors in accounting for the perplexing negative relationship between aging and mind-wandering (MW). First, we sought to examine whether experimentally manipulating participants' motivation during a modified Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) would modulate sustained attention performance and MW reports for younger and older adults. Results indicated that a performance-based motivational incentive influenced self-reported motivation and objective measures of sustained attention performance for younger, but not older, adults as compared to a control block. However, the motivation manipulation did not significantly modulate either younger or older adults' MW reports. Second, we tested the unique contributions of conscientiousness, interest, and motivation in predicting state-level, trait-level, and SART MW reports along with a composite measure of all three predictors. The results from a series of mediation and regression analyses indicated (a) that conscientiousness and interest fully accounted for the relationship between age and four different self-reported MW estimates and (b) that self-reported motivation did not account for any unique variance in predicting MW reports above and beyond age. The dispositional factors also accounted for the observed differences in No-Go accuracy but did not fully account for the age differences in the coefficient of variation. Discussion focuses on distinctions between self-report and objective measures of MW and more general implications of considering dispositional factors in cognitive aging research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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18
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Puttaert D, Coquelet N, Wens V, Peigneux P, Fery P, Rovai A, Trotta N, Sadeghi N, Coolen T, Bier JC, Goldman S, De Tiège X. Alterations in resting-state network dynamics along the Alzheimer's disease continuum. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21990. [PMID: 33319785 PMCID: PMC7738511 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76201-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human brain activity is intrinsically organized into resting-state networks (RSNs) that transiently activate or deactivate at the sub-second timescale. Few neuroimaging studies have addressed how Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects these fast temporal brain dynamics, and how they relate to the cognitive, structural and metabolic abnormalities characterizing AD. We aimed at closing this gap by investigating both brain structure and function using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and hybrid positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance (PET/MR) in 10 healthy elders, 10 patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 10 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and 10 patients with typical Alzheimer's disease with dementia (AD). The fast activation/deactivation state dynamics of RSNs were assessed using hidden Markov modeling (HMM) of power envelope fluctuations at rest measured with MEG. Correlations were sought between temporal properties of HMM states and participants' cognitive test scores, whole hippocampal grey matter volume and regional brain glucose metabolism. The posterior default-mode network (DMN) was less often activated and for shorter durations in AD patients than matched healthy elders. No significant difference was found in patients with SCD or aMCI. The time spent by participants in the activated posterior DMN state did not correlate significantly with cognitive scores, nor with the whole hippocampal volume. However, it correlated positively with the regional glucose consumption in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). AD patients present alterations of posterior DMN power activation dynamics at rest that identify an additional electrophysiological correlate of AD-related synaptic and neural dysfunction. The right DLPFC may play a causal role in the activation of the posterior DMN, possibly linked to the occurrence of mind wandering episodes. As such, these data might suggest a neural correlate of the decrease in mind wandering episodes reported in pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Puttaert
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium. .,Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - N Coquelet
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - V Wens
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - P Peigneux
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - P Fery
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Service of Neuropsychology and Speech Therapy, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Rovai
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - N Trotta
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - N Sadeghi
- Department of Radiology, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Coolen
- Department of Radiology, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - J-C Bier
- Department of Neurology, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Goldman
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - X De Tiège
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau (LCFC), UNI-ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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19
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Phillips JR, Matar E, Martens KAE, Halliday GM, Moustafa AA, Lewis SJG. Evaluating the Sustained Attention Response Task to Quantify Cognitive Fluctuations in Dementia With Lewy Bodies. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2020; 33:333-339. [PMID: 31672077 DOI: 10.1177/0891988719882093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive fluctuations (CFs) are a core diagnostic feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Detection of CF is still mostly based on subjective reports from the patient or informant; more quantitative measures are likely to improve the accuracy for the diagnosis of DLB. The purpose of the current study is to test whether performance on the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART) could distinguish those patients with DLB with and without CF. Twenty-four patients with DLB were tested on the SART and performance was related to scores on the Clinical Assessment of Fluctuations (CAFs) and One Day Fluctuation Assessment Scale (ODFAS). The number of "misses" made was a significant predictor of their fluctuation severity, attentional performance, disorganized thinking, and language production ratings on the ODFAS. However, measures on the SART did not correlate with measures on the CAF scale. In conclusion, these findings suggest that SART is a feasible measure of sustained attention in this population and has clinical and diagnostic relevance to the measurement of CF, particularly those aspects measured by the ODFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Phillips
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, 4334University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.,School of Social Sciences and Psychology & Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, 6489Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Elie Matar
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, 4334University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.,Dementia and Movement Disorders Laboratory, Brain and Mind Centre, 4334University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kaylena A Ehgoetz Martens
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, 4334University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, 4334University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.,Dementia and Movement Disorders Laboratory, Brain and Mind Centre, 4334University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, 4334University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.,School of Social Sciences and Psychology & Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, 6489Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Simon J G Lewis
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, 4334University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia
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20
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Baojian W, Yanmei L, Chunyu L. Intelligent diagnostic technology in multi-party joint intervention to explore improvement of neurocognitive status. JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT & FUZZY SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3233/jifs-179976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Most of the current plans for Alzheimer’s interventions to improve nursing interventions for patients are designed by clinical nurses themselves, which lack a theoretical basis and are not professional enough. Moreover, cognitive training only addresses a single aspect of rehabilitation for patients with cognitive dysfunction, so it lacks integrity. This study combines MRI and image recognition segmentation technology, adopts multi-party combined interventions for nursing rehabilitation, and uses image recognition technology to conduct experimental research. In addition, this study uses a team of doctors, nurses, and rehabilitators to form a team therapy model, which actively echoes the concept of multidisciplinary cooperation and has a solid medical and theoretical basis. The results show that occupational therapy has a significant effect on slowing the deterioration of patients’ cognitive function, improving their daily living ability, and ultimately improving the quality of life of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Baojian
- Yanbian University, Yanji, China
- Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
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21
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El Haj M, Allain P, Antoine P, Gallouj K, Moustafa AA, Quaglino V, Roche J. The subjective experience of mind wandering in Alzheimer's disease. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2020; 25:201-214. [PMID: 32013715 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2020.1722085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Little is known about mind wandering in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we evaluated the subjective experience of mind wandering in AD.Methods: We invited AD patients and control participants to rate the occurrence, intentionality, emotionality, visual imagery, specificity, self-relatedness and temporal orientation of mind wandering.Results: Analysis showed that AD patients rated their mind wandering as more frequent, negative, and more oriented toward the past, but less vivid and specific than that of control participants. No significant differences were observed between AD patients and control participants regarding the intentionality or self-relatedness of mind wandering.Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the negative content in AD. Regarding the reduction of visual imagery and specificity during mind wandering, this reduction may mirror a diminished subjective experience of mind wandering in AD. Regarding temporality, our results may reflect a tendency of AD patients to reminisce over past experiences. Finally, mind wandering in AD seems to trigger significant self-related content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad El Haj
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL EA 4638), Nantes Université, Univ Angers, Nantes, France.,Unité de Gériatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Allain
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire, LPPL EA 4638, UNIV Angers, Nantes Université, Maison de la recherche Germaine Tillion, Angers, France
| | - Pascal Antoine
- UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Karim Gallouj
- Unité de Gériatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology & Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Jean Roche
- Unité de Psychogériatrie, Pôle de Gérontologie, CHU de Lille, Lille, France
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22
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Walpola IC, Muller AJ, Hall JM, Andrews-Hanna JR, Irish M, Lewis SJ, Shine JM, O'Callaghan C. Mind-wandering in Parkinson's disease hallucinations reflects primary visual and default network coupling. Cortex 2020; 125:233-245. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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23
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Kvavilashvili L, Niedźwieńska A, Gilbert SJ, Markostamou I. Deficits in Spontaneous Cognition as an Early Marker of Alzheimer's Disease. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:285-301. [PMID: 32160566 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In the absence of a pharmacological cure, finding the most sensitive early cognitive markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming increasingly important. In this article we review evidence showing that brain mechanisms of spontaneous, but stimulus-dependent, cognition overlap with key hubs of the default mode network (DMN) that become compromised by amyloid pathology years before the clinical symptoms of AD. This leads to the formulation of a novel hypothesis which predicts that spontaneous, but stimulus-dependent, conscious retrieval processes, that are generally intact in healthy aging, will be particularly compromised in people at the earliest stages of AD. Initial evidence for this hypothesis is presented across diverse experimental paradigms (e.g., prospective memory, mind-wandering), and new avenues for research in this area are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Kvavilashvili
- Department of Psychology and Sports Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
| | | | - Sam J Gilbert
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London (UCL), London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Ioanna Markostamou
- Department of Psychology and Sports Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
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24
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"All is not lost"-Rethinking the nature of memory and the self in dementia. Ageing Res Rev 2019; 54:100932. [PMID: 31238174 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2019.100932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Memory and the self have long been considered intertwined, leading to the assumption that without memory, there can be no self. This line of reasoning has led to the misconception that a loss of memory in dementia necessarily results in a diminished sense of self. Here, we challenge this assumption by considering discrete facets of self-referential memory, and their relative profiles of loss and sparing, across three neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, semantic dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. By exploring canonical expressions of the self across past, present, and future contexts in dementia, relative to healthy ageing, we reconcile previous accounts of loss of self in dementia, and propose a new framework for understanding and managing everyday functioning and behaviour. Notably, our approach highlights the multifaceted and dynamic nature in which the temporally-extended self is likely to change in healthy and pathological ageing, with important ramifications for development of person-centred care. Collectively, we aim to promote a cohesive sense of self in dementia across past, present, and future contexts, by demonstrating how, ultimately, 'All is not lost'.
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25
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El Haj M, Antoine P, Moustafa AA, Roche J, Quaglino V, Gallouj K. Off-track thoughts: Intentional and unintentional mind wandering in Alzheimer's disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19:342-346. [PMID: 30743318 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIM Despite the recent upsurge of interest in mind wandering (i.e. the occurrence of task-unrelated and stimulus-independent thoughts), little research has attempted to evaluate mind wandering in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We addressed this issue by evaluating intentional and unintentional mind wandering, as well as the relationship between both mind-wandering domains. We also investigated the relationship between mind wandering and depression and working memory. METHODS A total of 30 participants with AD and 33 control participants participated in the study. RESULTS The results showed higher intentional and unintentional mind wandering in AD participants than in controls. In AD participants and controls, both mind wandering domains were significantly correlated with depression, but not with working memory. CONCLUSIONS The present findings show a tendency of AD patients to shift from external stimuli to task-unrelated thoughts and concerns, a tendency that seems to be related with depression. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 342-346.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad El Haj
- Department of Psychology, Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (EA 4638), University of Nantes, Nantes, France.,Geriatric Unit, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Antoine
- Department of Psychology, University of Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, UMR 9193 - SCALab, Lille, France
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology & Marcs Institute for Brain and Behavior, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jean Roche
- Hospital of Lille, Geriatric Unit, Lille, France
| | - Véronique Quaglino
- Department of Psychology, CRP-CPO, EA 7273, University of Picardie, Amiens, France
| | - Karim Gallouj
- Geriatric Unit, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France
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26
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Hippocampal atrophy and intrinsic brain network dysfunction relate to alterations in mind wandering in neurodegeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3316-3321. [PMID: 30718430 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1818523116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mind wandering represents the human capacity for internally focused thought and relies upon the brain's default network and its interactions with attentional networks. Studies have characterized mind wandering in healthy people, yet there is limited understanding of how this capacity is affected in clinical populations. This paper used a validated thought-sampling task to probe mind wandering capacity in two neurodegenerative disorders: behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia [(bvFTD); n = 35] and Alzheimer's disease [(AD); n = 24], compared with older controls (n = 37). These patient groups were selected due to canonical structural and functional changes across sites of the default and frontoparietal networks and well-defined impairments in cognitive processes that support mind wandering. Relative to the controls, bvFTD patients displayed significantly reduced mind wandering capacity, offset by a significant increase in stimulus-bound thought. In contrast, AD patients demonstrated comparable levels of mind wandering to controls, in the context of a relatively subtle shift toward stimulus-/task-related forms of thought. In the patient groups, mind wandering was associated with gray matter integrity in the hippocampus/parahippocampus, striatum, insula, and orbitofrontal cortex. Resting-state functional connectivity revealed associations between mind wandering capacity and connectivity within and between regions of the frontoparietal and default networks with distinct patterns evident in patients vs. controls. These findings support a relationship between altered mind wandering capacity in neurodegenerative disorders and structural and functional integrity of the default and frontoparietal networks. This paper highlights a dimension of cognitive dysfunction not well documented in neurodegenerative disorders and validates current models of mind wandering in a clinical population.
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27
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Aging and Attentional Control: Examining the Roles of Mind-Wandering Propensity and Dispositional Mindfulness. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2018; 24:876-888. [PMID: 30153873 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617718000553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Aging is associated with declines in performance on certain laboratory tasks of attentional control. However, older adults tend to report greater mindful, present-moment attention and less mind-wandering (MW) than young adults. For older adults, high levels of these traits may be protective for attentional performance. This study examined age-related differences in global (i.e., full-task) and local (i.e., pre-MW) attentional control and explored the variance explained by MW and mindfulness. METHODS Cross-sectional comparisons were conducted on data from a previously reported sample of 75 older adults (ages, 60-75 years) and a new sample of 50 young adults (ages, 18-30 years). All participants completed a Go/No-Go task and a Continuous Performance Task with quasi-random MW probes. RESULTS There were few age-related differences in attentional control. Although MW was not associated with decrements in global performance, local performance measures revealed deleterious effects of MW, which were present across age groups. Older adults reported higher trait mindfulness and less MW than young adults, and these variables helped explain the lack of observed age-related differences in attentional control. CONCLUSIONS Individual differences in dispositional mindfulness and MW propensity explain important variance in attentional performance across age. Increasing present-moment focus and reducing lapses in attention represent important targets for cognitive rehabilitation interventions. (JINS, 2018, 24, 876-888).
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