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Heled E. Forward versus backward recall: Modality testing. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2024:1-7. [PMID: 38994814 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2024.2371422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES One of the most frequently applied paradigms in the clinical and experimental fields for assessing working memory is the simple span task, composed of forward and backward recall conditions. However, the utility of the simple span measures and their relation to working memory modalities has yet to be elucidated. The current study aimed to address which of the span measures is more sensitive to the differentiation between forward and backward recall in the tactile, verbal, and visuo-spatial modalities, and to test if working memory modalities differ in the disparity between the two conditions. METHODS 134 healthy young adults performed the Tactual, Digit, and Visuo-spatial Span tasks, producing Total Correct scores and Longest Sequence score measures. RESULTS There was an interaction effect for condition and modality type, showing better performance for the forward compared to the backward recall in both measures. However, the effect size of the Longest Sequence score was significantly higher than the Total Correct score in all tasks. Furthermore, the Visuo-spatial Span exhibited a larger difference between forward and backward recall compared to the Digit and Tactual Span, whereas no difference was found between the latter two. CONCLUSIONS Forward and backward recall are distinguished in all three modalities, and the Longest Sequence score is more sensitive to differentiate between storage and manipulation components of working memory than the Total Correct score. Additionally, the cognitive demand imposed by manipulation compared to storage is the greatest in the visuo-spatial modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Heled
- Department of Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Chen YL, Chang CC, Lin MP, Lin CC, Chen PY, Juan CH. Association between physical activity, body composition, and cognitive performance among female office workers. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2024; 286:67-87. [PMID: 38876579 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Regular physical activity can potentially prevent cognitive decline. While most studies focused on the general decline of the elderly and child and adolescent population, aging is a gradual process and cognitive decline can commence in middle age. Other than the middle-aged working population, gender-specific nuances are another overlooked area regarding the relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance. Therefore, this study examines the associations and benefits of maintaining regular physical activity habits with cognitive function and body composition in middle-aged female office workers. The results show that middle-aged females exhibited age-related declines in working memory, while no significant age-related changes are observed in reaction time and executive function. However, the regular exercise group demonstrates the ability to maintain their cognitive performance across age, unlike the sedentary group, who experiences declines in reaction time and executive function with age. Our findings highlight the significant impact of age on specific cognitive functions in middle-aged females and the positive influence of regular exercise on cognitive performance. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the potential of "the Brain Gym" App for efficient cognitive function assessment. The findings underscore the importance of regular exercise for cognitive well-being in middle-aged females and provide valuable insights into the relationship between body composition and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lun Chen
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Research Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
| | - Che-Chien Chang
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Research Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; Office of Physical Education, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Ping Lin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Research Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Chi Lin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yu Chen
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hung Juan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Research Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
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Piccardi L, Pecchinenda A, Palmiero M, Giancola M, Boccia M, Giannini AM, Guariglia C. The contribution of being physically active to successful aging. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1274151. [PMID: 38034073 PMCID: PMC10682790 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1274151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing old involves changes in physical, psychological, and cognitive functions. Promoting physical and mental health has become one of the priorities for an aging population. Studies have demonstrated the benefits of engaging in regular physical activity. Here, we aimed to understand the relationships between physical activity and working memory complaints in attention, memory storage, and executive functions. We hypothesized that physical activity was negatively associated with complaints in working memory domains after controlling for socio-demographics and distress factors, such as anxiety, stress, and depression. Two hundred and twenty-three individuals aged between 65 and 100 years (74.84; SD = 7.74; 133 males) without self-reported neurological and/or psychiatric disorders completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic, with questions on physical activity and the Italian version of the working memory questionnaire (WMQ) and the DASS-21 measuring anxiety, stress, and depression. Results from three linear regression models showed that low physical activity was associated with complaints in attention (R2 = 0.35) and executive functions (R2 = 0.37) but not in memory storage (R2 = 0.28). Notably, age, gender, and total emotional distress (DASS score) were significant in all regression models. Our results suggested regular physical activity, even just walking, is crucial for maintaining efficient cognitive function. Theoretical and practical implications for engaging in physical activity programs and social aggregation during exercise are considered. Limitations are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- San Raffaele Cassino Hospital, Cassino, Italy
| | - Anna Pecchinenda
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Giancola
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Cecilia Guariglia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Fargier R, Laganaro M. Referential and inferential production across the lifespan: different patterns and different predictive cognitive factors. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1237523. [PMID: 38022984 PMCID: PMC10643179 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The ability to speak is grounded in general memory and control processes and likely changes across the lifespan. However, our knowledge on how word production abilities naturally evolve from childhood to old age remains marginally investigated. Our aim was to shed further light on this issue by exploiting the contrast between two ways to elicit word production: referential picture naming and inferential naming from definition. Methods We collected accuracy and production latencies in a picture naming task and in a naming from definition task from 130 participants ranging from 10 to 80 years old. Measures of vocabulary size, digit span memory, semantic and phonemic fluencies and processing speed were also collected. We used multivariate adaptative regression splines and regression models to characterize lifespan patterns of the two tasks. Results Patterns of increase in performance were similar for picture naming and naming from definition only from childhood to young adulthood. In the second half of the lifespan, significant decrease of performance was found in older adults for picture naming (from around 60 years-old) but not for naming from definition. Clearly, word production elicited with an inferential task (naming from definition) yields different age-related patterns than usually described in the literature with a referential task (picture naming). Discussion We discuss how cognitive processes such as visual-conceptual processes and lexical prediction may explain the differential pattern of results in aging in referential and inferential production tasks. We argue for more lifespan studies and the need to investigate language production beyond picture naming, in particular with respect to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina Laganaro
- Neuropsycholinguistics Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Aging: working memory capacity and spatial strategies in a virtual orientation task. GeroScience 2022; 45:159-175. [PMID: 35690689 PMCID: PMC9886750 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00599-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain networks involved in working and spatial memory are closely intertwined, outlining a potential relation between these processes, which are also affected in non-pathological aging. Working memory is a pre-requisite for other complex cognitive processes. The main aim of this study is to explore how working memory capacity (WMC) can influence the asymmetrical decline in spatial orientation strategies in an older segment of population compared to young participants. Forty-eight older adults and twelve young students took part in the study. Working memory and spatial memory were assessed using the Change Localization Task and The Boxes Room Task, respectively. In The Boxes Room Task, two different configurations assessed the use of egocentric and allocentric reference frames. Results showed that older adults with better WMC outperformed those with lower WMC in several tasks. Independently of WMC capacity, older participants performed better in the allocentric condition of The Boxes Room. In addition, young participants outscored low WMC older participants, but did not differ from high WMC older adults. Overly, these findings support the important relationship between working memory capacity and spatial orientations abilities. Thus, basic cognitive mechanisms engaged in information processing could inform about other brain processes more complex in nature, like spatial orientation skills.
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GPS Digital Nudge to Limit Road Crashes in Non-Expert Drivers. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12060165. [PMID: 35735375 PMCID: PMC9220187 DOI: 10.3390/bs12060165] [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: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Many automotive industries are developing technologies to assist human drivers in suggesting wiser choices to improve drivers’ behaviour. The technology that makes use of this modality is defined as a “digital nudge”. An example of a digital nudge is the GPS that is installed on smartphones. Some studies have demonstrated that the use of GPS negatively affects environmental learning because of the transformation of some spatial skills. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the use of the GPS nudge and its relationship with spatial ability, together with its function in supporting the driving behaviour of non-expert drivers, in order to reduce the number of road crashes. A total of 88 non-expert drivers (M age = 21 years) filled in questionnaires and carried out tasks to measure spatial abilities, sense of direction, driver behaviour, and six different real-life driving scenarios. The results reveal that the higher the spatial skills are, the greater the GPS use is, and that drivers who use GPS improve their sense of direction. Moreover, people with high visuospatial abilities use GPS more extensively. Finally, young drivers do not consider the GPS aid to be useful when they have no time pressure. The results are discussed by taking into account the familiarity-and-spatial-ability model.
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Hilton C, Muffato V, Slattery TJ, Miellet S, Wiener J. Differences in Encoding Strategy as a Potential Explanation for Age-Related Decline in Place Recognition Ability. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2182. [PMID: 33013562 PMCID: PMC7511632 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to recognise places is known to deteriorate with advancing age. In this study, we investigated the contribution of age-related changes in spatial encoding strategies to declining place recognition ability. We recorded eye movements while younger and older adults completed a place recognition task first described by Muffato et al. (2019). Participants first learned places, which were defined by an array of four objects, and then decided whether the next place they were shown was the same or different to the one they learned. Places could be shown from the same spatial perspective as during learning or from a shifted perspective (30° or 60°). Places that were different to those during learning were changed either by substituting an object in the place with a novel object or by swapping the locations of two objects. We replicated the findings of Muffato et al. (2019) showing that sensitivity to detect changes in a place declined with advancing age and declined when the spatial perspective was shifted. Additionally, older adults were particularly impaired on trials in which object locations were swapped; however, they were not differentially affected by perspective changes compared to younger adults. During place encoding, older adults produced more fixations and saccades, shorter fixation durations, and spent less time looking at objects compared to younger adults. Further, we present an analysis of gaze chaining, designed to capture spatio-temporal aspects of gaze behaviour. The chaining measure was a significant predictor of place recognition performance. We found significant differences between age groups on the chaining measure and argue that these differences in gaze behaviour are indicative of differences in encoding strategy between age groups. In summary, we report a direct replication of Muffato et al. (2019) and provide evidence for age-related differences in spatial encoding strategies, which are related to place recognition performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hilton
- Psychology Department, Ageing and Dementia Research Centre, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.,Biological Psychology and Neuroergonomics, Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Veronica Muffato
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Timothy J Slattery
- Psychology Department, Ageing and Dementia Research Centre, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastien Miellet
- Active Vision Lab, School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jan Wiener
- Psychology Department, Ageing and Dementia Research Centre, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
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Palmiero M, Di Vita A, Teghil A, Piccardi L. The Verbal Judgement Task: Normative data of verbal abstract reasoning in a sample of 18- to 40-years old. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-ADULT 2020; 29:562-569. [PMID: 32654520 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2020.1789986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, normative data for the age-range 18-40 years have been provided for the Verbal Judgment Test (VJT), which underpins abstract reasoning on the basis of four subtests: "Differences", "Proverbs", "Absurdities" and "Classifications". 554 participants (280 males and 274 females) were recruited and the following data were provided: means and standard deviations divided by gender, educational level (8, 13 and 18 years) and age group (18-20 years, 21-25 years, 26-30 years, 31-35 years and 36-40 years) for each subtest and the total score; percentiles for each subtest, divided by age group, and, when appropriate, educational level and/or gender; Rho correlations between age group, gender, educational level, intelligence and VJT scores. Age-, education- and gender differences were also assessed carrying out non parametric tests. Results showed that age and education positively affected performance in the subtests of Differences, Proverbs and Classifications, which are mostly based on previous knowledge, experience, and crystallized intelligence, but did not affect performance in the Absurdities subtest, which encompasses to some extent fluid intelligence. In addition, males showed higher scores than females in the subtests of Differences and Proverbs and in the total VJT, probably reflecting higher knowledge acquisition. Implications for future research are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Palmiero
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.,Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, L'Aquila University, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Vita
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome, Italy.,Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Alice Teghil
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome, Italy.,Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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