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Lenzoni S, Sumich AL, Mograbi DC. Domain specificity of error monitoring: An ERP study in young and older adults. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14579. [PMID: 38557996 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14579] [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: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Metacognition refers to the ability to monitor and control one's cognitive processes, which plays an important role in decision-making throughout the lifespan. It is still debated whether metacognitive abilities decline with age. Neuroimaging evidence suggests that metacognition is served by domain-specific mechanisms. These domains may differentially decline with increasing age. The current investigates whether the error-related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe) which reflect error detection and error awareness, respectively, differ across perceptual and memory domains in young and older adults. In total, 38 young adults and 37 older adults completed a classic Flanker Task (perceptual) and an adapted memory-based version. No difference in ERN amplitude was found between young and older adults and across domains. Perceptual ERN peaked earlier than Memory ERN. Memory ΔERN was larger than Perceptual ΔERN. Pe was smaller in older adults and ΔPe was larger for perceptual than memory flanker. Memory Pe peaked earlier in young as compared to older adults. Multivariate analyses of whole scalp data supported cross-domain differences. During the task, ERN decreased in young but not in older adults. Memory Pe decreased in young adults but increased in older adults while no significant change in perceptual Pe was found. The study's findings suggest that neural correlates of error monitoring differ across cognitive domains. Moreover, it was shown that error awareness declines in old age but its within-task dynamics vary across cognitive domains. Possible mechanisms underlying metacognition impairments in aging are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Lenzoni
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alexander L Sumich
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Daniel C Mograbi
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Carlson EJ, Wilckens KA, Wheeler ME. The Interactive Role of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Episodic Memory in Older Adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023; 78:1844-1852. [PMID: 37167439 PMCID: PMC10562893 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad112] [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] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Adequate sleep is essential for healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning, including memory. However, sleep ability worsens with increasing age. Older adults on average have shorter sleep durations and more disrupted sleep compared with younger adults. Age-related sleep changes are thought to contribute to age-related deficits in episodic memory. Nonetheless, the nature of the relationship between sleep and episodic memory deficits in older adults is still unclear. Further complicating this relationship are age-related changes in circadian rhythms such as the shift in chronotype toward morningness and decreased circadian stability, which may influence memory abilities as well. Most sleep and cognitive aging studies do not account for circadian factors, making it unclear whether age-related and sleep-related episodic memory deficits are partly driven by interactions with circadian rhythms. This review will focus on age-related changes in sleep and circadian rhythms and evidence that these factors interact to affect episodic memory, specifically encoding and retrieval. Open questions, methodological considerations, and clinical implications for diagnosis and monitoring of age-related memory impairments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse J Carlson
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kristine A Wilckens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark E Wheeler
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Bampa G, Tsolaki M, Moraitou D, Metallidou P, Masoura E, Mintziviri M, Paparis K, Tsourou D, Papantoniou G, Sofologi M, Papaliagkas V, Kougioumtzis G, Papatzikis E. Metacognitive Differences in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Cognition: A Cross-Sectional Study Employing Online Measures. J Intell 2023; 11:184. [PMID: 37754914 PMCID: PMC10532837 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11090184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to examine metacognitive abilities in individuals diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) by using online metacognitive measures during cognitive tasks. A total of 100 participants were enrolled, all aged 50 or older (mean age = 61.98; SD = 6.27), and with a minimum of six years of education (mean = 14.95; SD = 2.94). The sample included 50 individuals with aMCI (34 females) and 50 healthy controls (HC) (33 females). Both groups underwent metacognitive versions of memory tasks (Doors and People) and executive functions tasks (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Metacognition was assessed through confidence ratings given after each answer (referred to as metacognitive monitoring) and the accuracy of the participants' decisions to include or exclude answers from their final scores (known as metacognitive control). The results showed that although individuals with aMCI were aware of their cognitive limitations-evidenced by their lower confidence ratings across all tasks-they still exhibited overconfidence relative to their actual performance. Moreover, they included a greater number of incorrect answers in their final scores compared to the healthy control group. These findings suggest that while individuals with aMCI retain some level of awareness, their self-evaluations appear to lack precision. This observation was consistent across both types of cognitive tasks. The results underscore the need for additional research to better understand metacognition in MCI as well as the interplay between metacognitive monitoring and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigoria Bampa
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Brain and Behavior, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.M.); (P.M.); (E.M.)
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI–AUTH), Balcan Center, Buildings A & B, 10th km Thessaloniki-Thermi, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Magdalini Tsolaki
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI–AUTH), Balcan Center, Buildings A & B, 10th km Thessaloniki-Thermi, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD), 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Despina Moraitou
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Brain and Behavior, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.M.); (P.M.); (E.M.)
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI–AUTH), Balcan Center, Buildings A & B, 10th km Thessaloniki-Thermi, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Panagiota Metallidou
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Brain and Behavior, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.M.); (P.M.); (E.M.)
| | - Elvira Masoura
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Brain and Behavior, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.M.); (P.M.); (E.M.)
| | - Maria Mintziviri
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Paparis
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dorothea Tsourou
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgia Papantoniou
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Early Childhood Education, School of Education, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (G.P.); (M.S.)
- Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University Research Centre of Ioannina (URCI), 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Maria Sofologi
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Early Childhood Education, School of Education, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (G.P.); (M.S.)
- Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University Research Centre of Ioannina (URCI), 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Vasileios Papaliagkas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Georgios Kougioumtzis
- Department of Turkish and Modern Asian Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece;
- Department of Psychology, Neapolis University Pafos, Pafos 8042, Cyprus
| | - Efthymios Papatzikis
- Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
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McWilliams A, Bibby H, Steinbeis N, David AS, Fleming SM. Age-related decreases in global metacognition are independent of local metacognition and task performance. Cognition 2023; 235:105389. [PMID: 36764048 PMCID: PMC10632679 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105389] [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] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Metacognition refers to a capacity to reflect on and control other cognitive processes, commonly quantified as the extent to which confidence tracks objective performance. There is conflicting evidence about how "local" metacognition (monitoring of individual judgments) and "global" metacognition (estimates of self-performance) change across the lifespan. Additionally, the degree to which metacognition generalises across cognitive domains may itself change with age due to increased experience with one's own abilities. Using a gamified suite of performance-controlled memory and visual perception tasks, we measured local and global metacognition in an age-stratified sample of 304 healthy volunteers (18-83 years; N = 50 in each of 6 age groups). We calculated both local and global metrics of metacognition and quantified how and whether domain-generality changes with age. First-order task performance was stable across the age range. People's global self-performance estimates and local metacognitive bias decreased with age, indicating overall lower confidence in performance. In contrast, local metacognitive efficiency was spared in older age and remained correlated across the two cognitive domains. A stability of local metacognition indicates distinct mechanisms contributing to local and global metacognition. Our study reveals how local and global metacognition change across the lifespan and provide a benchmark against which disease-related changes in metacognition can be compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew McWilliams
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK; Mental Health, Ethics and Law Research Group, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Room 3.21, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Hannah Bibby
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, Alexandra House, 17-19 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Nikolaus Steinbeis
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Anthony S David
- Institute of Mental Health, University College London, Wing A, 6th floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Stephen M Fleming
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK; Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
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Chapman S, Joyce JL, Barker MS, Sunderaraman P, Rizer S, Huey ED, Dworkin J, Gu Y, Cosentino S. Subjective Cognitive Decline Is More Accurate When Metamemory Is Better. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:787552. [PMID: 35370602 PMCID: PMC8965471 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.787552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) has emerged as one of the first manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, discrepancies in its relationship with tests of memory and other cognitive abilities have hindered SCD's diagnostic utility. Inter-individual heterogeneity in metamemory, or memory awareness, and the use of clinical measures of cognition lacking sensitivity to early cognitive dysfunction, may contribute to these discrepancies. We aimed to assess if the relationship between SCD and markers of early cognitive dysfunction is moderated by metamemory abilities. Methods The sample included 79 cognitively healthy older adults (77% female, 68% White, and 32% Black participants) with a mean age of 74.4 (SD = 6.1) and 15.9 (SD = 2.7) years of education. Metamemory was assessed using an episodic Feeling of Knowing test with four 5-item trials. Outcome measures included a resolution metric defined as a gamma correlation reflecting the accuracy of item-level predictions ("Will you know the correct answer?"). Early cognitive dysfunction was measured through the Loewenstein-Acevedo Scale for Semantic Interference and Learning (LASSI-L) and the Short-Term Memory Binding Test (STMB), measures sensitive to preclinical AD. SCD was assessed with a 20-item questionnaire that asked participants to compare themselves to others their age on a 7-point Likert scale. Regression analyses examined whether a potential relation between SCD and early cognitive dysfunction was moderated by metamemory. Results Subjective cognitive decline was associated with susceptibility to semantic proactive interference such that greater complaints were associated with increased susceptibility to semantic proactive interference (b = -0.30, p = 0.003) only. Metamemory moderated the association between SCD and susceptibility to and recovery of semantic proactive interference such that those with more accurate metamemory showed a stronger association between increased complaints and susceptibility to semantic proactive interference (b = -0.71, p = 0.005; b = -0.62, p = 0.034). Metamemory, however, did not moderate the association of SCD with retroactive semantic interference nor short term memory binding. Discussion The accuracy of an individual's metamemory, specifically their ability to adjust moment to moment predictions in line with their performance, can influence the extent to which SCD maps onto objective cognition. Such self-referential assessment should be considered when interpreting SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Chapman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jillian L. Joyce
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Megan S. Barker
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Preeti Sunderaraman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Brain Aging Program, Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, United States
| | - Sandra Rizer
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Edward D. Huey
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jordan Dworkin
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yian Gu
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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I remember it like it was yesterday: Age-related differences in the subjective experience of remembering. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 29:1223-1245. [PMID: 34918271 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-02048-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
It has been frequently described that older adults subjectively report the vividness of their memories as being as high, or even higher, than young adults, despite poorer objective memory performance. Here, we review studies that examined age-related differences in the subjective experience of memory vividness. By examining vividness calibration and resolution, studies using different types of approaches converge to suggest that older adults overestimate the intensity of their vividness ratings relative to young adults, and that they rely on retrieved memory details to a lesser extent to judge vividness. We discuss potential mechanisms underlying these observations. Inflation of memory vividness with regard to the richness of memory content may stem from age-differences in vividness criterion or scale interpretation and psycho-social factors. The reduced reliance on episodic memory details in older adults may stem from age-related differences in how they monitor these details to make their vividness ratings. Considered together, these findings emphasize the importance of examining age-differences in memory vividness using different analytical methods and they provide valuable evidence that the subjective experience of remembering is more than the reactivation of memory content. In this vein, we recommend that future studies explore the links between memory vividness and other subjective memory scales (e.g., ratings of details or memory confidence) in healthy aging and/or other populations, as it could be used as a window to better characterize the cognitive processes that underpin the subjective assessment of the quality of recollected events.
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Zakrzewski AC, Sanders EC, Berry JM. Evidence for Age-Equivalent and Task-Dissociative Metacognition in the Memory Domain. Front Psychol 2021; 12:630143. [PMID: 33633653 PMCID: PMC7901934 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.630143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research suggests that metacognitive monitoring ability does not decline with age. For example, judgments-of-learning (JOL) accuracy is roughly equivalent between younger and older adults. But few studies have asked whether younger and older adults' metacognitive ability varies across different types of memory processes (e.g., for items vs. pairs). The current study tested the relationship between memory and post-decision confidence ratings at the trial level on item (individual words) and associative (word pairs) memory recognition tests. As predicted, younger and older adults had similar metacognitive efficiency, when using meta-d'/d', a measure derived from Signal Detection Theory, despite a significant age effect favoring younger adults on memory performance. This result is consistent with previous work showing age-equivalent metacognitive efficiency in the memory domain. We also found that metacognitive efficiency was higher for associative memory than for item memory across age groups, even though associative and item recognition memory (d') were statistically equivalent. Higher accuracy on post-test decision confidence ratings for associative recognition relative to item recognition on resolution accuracy itself (meta-d') and when corrected for performance differences (meta-d'/d') are novel findings. Implications for associative metacognition are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edie C. Sanders
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Jane M. Berry
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
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