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Wiedemann L, Trumm S, Bajbouj M, Grimm S, Aust S. The influence of electroconvulsive therapy on reconsolidation of autobiographical memories: A retrospective quasi-experimental study in patients with depression. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100412. [PMID: 37780809 PMCID: PMC10534256 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/Objective Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective for treatment-resistant and psychotic depression. One previously reported side effect of ECT is the disruption of memory reconsolidation. This study examines whether this disruption induced by ECT can be detected in routine neuropsychological assessments. Methods In this retrospective study, the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) was applied before and after ECT. Memories of the same events and facts were tested pre and post ECT treatments. 38 patients, receiving ECT for the treatment of unipolar or bipolar depression, were matched for age, sex, and stimulus intensity and divided into two groups: Group A was tested on the day before the first ECT treatment, whereas group B two or more days before. Results Patients who were tested by AMI on the day before ECT and thus reactivated memorie shortly before the first ECT treatment deteriorated in AMI score. Patients who had at least two days between memory activation and treatment improved regarding the number of recalled memories. Memory impairment was not associated with depression severity. Conclusion This finding suggests that ECT might be capable of impairing reconsolidation. The study demonstrates that memories of personal events can potentially be affected by ECT within a time interval of 24 h of memory vulnerability after reactivation. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Wiedemann
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
- Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Str. 50, 14197 Berlin, Germany
| | - Samuel Trumm
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Grimm
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
- Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Str. 50, 14197 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Aust
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
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Barry TJ, Takano K, Hallford DJ, Roberts JE, Salmon K, Raes F. Autobiographical memory and psychopathology: Is memory specificity as important as we make it seem? WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1624. [PMID: 36178082 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Several decades of research have established reduced autobiographical memory specificity, or overgeneral memory, as an important cognitive factor associated with the risk for and maintenance of a range of psychiatric diagnoses. In measuring this construct, experimenters code autobiographical memories for the presence or absence of a single temporal detail that indicates that the remembered event took place on a single, specific, day (Last Thursday when I rode bikes with my son), or multiple days (When I rode bikes with my son). Studies indicate that the specificity of memories and the amount of other episodic detail that they include (e.g., who, what, and where) are related and may rely on the same neural processes to elicit their retrieval. However, specificity and detailedness are nonetheless separable constructs: imperfectly correlated and differentially associated with current and future depressive symptoms and other associated intrapersonal (e.g., rumination) and interpersonal (e.g., social support) outcomes. The ways in which the details of our memories align with narrative themes (i.e., agency, communion, identity) and the coherence with which these details are presented, are also emerging as important factors associated with psychopathology. The temporal specificity of autobiographical memories may be important, but other memory constructs warrant further attention in research and theory, especially given the associations, and dependencies, between each of these constructs. Researchers in this area must consider carefully whether their research questions necessitate a focus on autobiographical memory specificity or whether a more inclusive analysis of other autobiographical memory features is necessary and more fruitful. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J Barry
- Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
- Department of Psychology, The University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Keisuke Takano
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - John E Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Karen Salmon
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Filip Raes
- Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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3
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Effects of the use of autobiographical photographs on emotional induction in older adults: a systematic review. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 87:988-1011. [PMID: 35859072 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01712-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence to support the positive contribution of autobiographical recall based techniques on individuals' quality of life, mood and cognitive functioning. In this review, we analyzed the effects of the use of personal photographs in interventions based on autobiographical memory in older people with and without cognitive impairment. The PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. The search was carried out in the electronic databases Web of Sciences (WOS), Medline (PubMed), SCIELO and PsycInfo (American Psychological Association). The articles based on clinical trials selected were evaluated using the PEDRo scale, which is specific to this type of article. Of the 1098 articles initially found, 6 met the inclusion criteria. The final articles focused their intervention on the use of autobiographical photographs as a means of stimulation. The results show that the use of photographs in different autobiographical recall stimulation techniques is associated with higher scores on well-being and quality of life, as well as with improvements in personal identity and cognitive functioning. This suggests that using personal photographs shows promise in enhancing the effect of these types of interventions in healthy or cognitively impaired older adults.
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Lam K, Barry TJ, Hallford DJ, Jimeno MV, Solano Pinto N, Ricarte JJ. Autobiographical Memory Specificity and Detailedness and Their Association with Depression in Early Adolescence. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2083138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom J. Barry
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK
| | | | - Maria V. Jimeno
- School of Law, Applied Cognitive Psychology Unit, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
| | | | - Jorge J. Ricarte
- School of Education, Applied Cognitive Psychology Unit, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
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Altan-Atalay A, Kaya-Kızılöz B, İlkmen YS, Kozol E. Impact of abstract vs. concrete processing on state rumination: An exploration of the role of cognitive flexibility. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2022; 74:101691. [PMID: 34563794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2021.101691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Abstract and concrete modes of rumination may be associated with different mental health outcomes; whereby concrete rumination strategies increase the individual's tendency to seek solutions to problems and thus leading to significant improvements in the mood state as well as reductions in the intensity of ruminative thoughts. However, related studies also are suggestive of other variables that are potentially effective in the outcome of abstract and concrete processing. The current study aimed to examine how abstract and concrete processing are associated with state rumination and explore the role of cognitive flexibility in this relationship. METHOD A total of 111 (78 female) participants were assessed for state rumination prior and post induction of abstract versus concrete processing. RESULTS Although all participants reported higher levels of state rumination following both processing inductions, participants that were instructed to engage in abstract processing reported higher levels of state rumination as opposed to concrete processing group. Moreover, participants with lower levels of cognitive flexibility reported significant increases in state rumination following the manipulation, independent of type of processing induction. LIMITATIONS The impact of the manipulation was assessed only via the BSRI and lacks physiological assessment of arousal levels of participants. CONCLUSIONS Clinical implications that involve concrete processing and CF ability trainings may be beneficial for the management of state rumination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Eylül Kozol
- Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Department of Psychology, The Nederlands
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6
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Ruffell SGD, Netzband N, Tsang W, Davies M, Inserra A, Butler M, Rucker JJH, Tófoli LF, Dempster EL, Young AH, Morgan CJA. Ceremonial Ayahuasca in Amazonian Retreats-Mental Health and Epigenetic Outcomes From a Six-Month Naturalistic Study. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:687615. [PMID: 34177670 PMCID: PMC8221532 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.687615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a natural psychoactive brew, used in traditional ceremonies in the Amazon basin. Recent research has indicated that ayahuasca is pharmacologically safe and its use may be positively associated with improvements in psychiatric symptoms. The mechanistic effects of ayahuasca are yet to be fully established. In this prospective naturalistic study, 63 self-selected participants took part in ayahuasca ceremonies at a retreat centre in the Peruvian Amazon. Participants undertook the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Self-compassion Scale (SCS), Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), as well as secondary measures, pre- and post-retreat and at 6-months. Participants also provided saliva samples for pre/post epigenetic analysis. Overall, a statistically significant decrease in BDI-II (13.9 vs. 6.1, p < 0.001), STAI (44.4 vs. 34.3 p < 0.001) scores, and CORE-OM scores were observed (37.3 vs. 22.3 p < 0.001) at post-retreat, as well as a concurrent increase in SCS (3.1 vs. 3.6, p < 0.001). Psychometric improvements were sustained, and on some measures values further decreased at 6-month follow-up, suggesting a potential for lasting therapeutic effects. Changes in memory valence were linked to the observed psychometric improvements. Epigenetic findings were equivocal, but indicated that further research in candidate genes, such as sigma non-opioid intracellular receptor 1 (SIGMAR1), is warranted. This data adds to the literature supporting ayahuasca's possible positive impact on mental health when conducted in a ceremonial context. Further investigation into clinical samples, as well as greater analyses into the mechanistic action of ayahuasca is advised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon G. D. Ruffell
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London & South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, United Kingdom
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Nige Netzband
- Department of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - WaiFung Tsang
- Kings College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Merlin Davies
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Inserra
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Matthew Butler
- Kings College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - James J. H. Rucker
- Kings College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luís Fernando Tófoli
- Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach (ICARO), University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emma Louise Dempster
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Allan H. Young
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London & South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, United Kingdom
| | - Celia J. A. Morgan
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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Barry TJ, Gregory JD, Latorre JM, Ros L, Nieto M, Ricarte JJ. A multi-method comparison of autobiographical memory impairments amongst younger and older adults. Aging Ment Health 2021; 25:856-863. [PMID: 32162531 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2020.1729338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Research indicates that, compared to younger adults, older adults have difficulty recalling memories of specific past events (those lasting less than 24 h) and this difficulty is associated with depression. These studies are largely confined to a single measure of specific memory recall and there are conflicting findings when alternative measures are used. This investigation provides the first comparison of memory specificity between younger and older adults using several different measures.Method: Older (n = 105) and younger (n = 88) adults completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) and Sentence Completion for Events from the Past Test (SCEPT) and the number of specific memories was quantified for each measure. Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory Version II (BDI-II).Results: Compared to younger adults, older adults recalled fewer specific memories in the AMT and more specific memories in the AMI. This latter effect was particularly pronounced for memories related to childhood. There was no group difference in responses in the SCEPT. There was no evidence of an association between memory specificity and depression for any of the measures.Conclusion: Older adults have difficulty retrieving specific memories after cuing by nouns and adjectives, as in the AMT, but they have enhanced recall of specific memories after cuing by life periods, as in the AMI, and this is particularly true of memories related to childhood. Individual differences in memory specificity are not related to depression symptoms in healthy samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J Barry
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Department of Psychology, The Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James D Gregory
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Jose M Latorre
- Department of Psychology, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain.,School of Medicine, Applied Cognitive Research Unit, Albacete, Spain
| | - Laura Ros
- Department of Psychology, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain.,School of Medicine, Applied Cognitive Research Unit, Albacete, Spain
| | - Marta Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain.,School of Medicine, Applied Cognitive Research Unit, Albacete, Spain
| | - Jorge J Ricarte
- Department of Psychology, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain.,School of Medicine, Applied Cognitive Research Unit, Albacete, Spain
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8
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Barry TJ, Sewart AR, Adam EK, Zinbarg RE, Mineka S, Craske MG. The longitudinal association between individual differences in recall of positive specific autobiographical memories and daily cortisol. Biol Psychol 2021; 162:108086. [PMID: 33775736 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The present study examines the longitudinal association between cortisol (dys)regulation - mean cortisol awakening response (CAR) and area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) for total daily cortisol - and autobiographical memory. 135 participants (mean age at baseline = 16.1; Females = 78.5 %) provided cortisol samples (T1). Seven months later participants retrieved autobiographical memories cued by positive and negative words (T2). Four years subsequently, participants provided cortisol samples again (T3). The retrieval of more specific memories cued by positive words, but not negative words, was associated with higher AUCg four years later, independent of sex, recent life stressors and self-reported negative self-related cognitions. There were no associations between CAR and autobiographical memory. Neither AUC nor CAR at T1 predicted subsequent autobiographical memory abilities. People who retrieve more positive specific memories may be more likely to imagine and seek out positive experiences and this may be associated with higher cortisol levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J Barry
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Researching Emotional Disorders and Development Lab, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy R Sewart
- UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Emma K Adam
- School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Richard E Zinbarg
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Sue Mineka
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Michelle G Craske
- UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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9
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Hallford DJ, Barry TJ, Belmans E, Raes F, Dax S, Nishiguchi Y, Takano K. Specificity and detail in autobiographical memory retrieval: a multi-site (re)investigation. Memory 2020; 29:1-10. [PMID: 33135956 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2020.1838548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This investigation examined conflicting suggestions regarding the association between problems retrieving specific autobiographical memories and the tendency to retrieve the details of these memories. We also examined whether these tendencies are differentially related to depression symptoms. U.S., Belgian, Hong Kong and Japanese participants retrieved memories related to cue words. Responses were coded for if they referred to a specific event (i.e., an event lasting less than 24 h) and their details (What? Where? Who?). Across sites, and in meta-analyses, the retrieval of more specific memories was associated with retrieval of more details. Memories that were specific included more detail than non-specific memories. Across sites, retrieval of more specific memories and more detail was associated with less severe depression symptoms. Episodic specificity and detailedness are related but separable constructs. Future investigations of autobiographical memory specificity, and methods for alleviating problematic specificity, should consider measures of episodic detailedness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom J Barry
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Department of Psychology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eline Belmans
- Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Filip Raes
- Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Samantha Dax
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yuki Nishiguchi
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Takano
- Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
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10
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Martens K, Takano K, Barry TJ, Holmes EA, Wyckaert S, Raes F. Remediating reduced memory specificity in bipolar disorder: A case study using a Computerized Memory Specificity Training. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01468. [PMID: 31747124 PMCID: PMC6908894 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Reduced autobiographical memory specificity (rAMS) is a vulnerability factor found across unipolar depression (UD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder (BD). A group delivered psychological therapy training called Memory Specificity Training (MeST) remediates rAMS in UD and PTSD, with additional downstream effects on related psychological processes and symptoms. Its impact in BD is unknown. In this case study, we examined the impact of a computerized version of MeST (c-MeST) on improving AMS and related symptoms and processes in participant with rapid cycling type I BD. METHOD An experimental case study with an ABA design was used. During baseline (14 days, Phase A), the training phase (nine sessions across 17 days, Phase B), and a 1-month follow-up (Phase A), memory specificity, depressive symptoms, and related processes and symptoms were repeatedly measured. RESULTS Memory specificity increased significantly after the participant completed c-MeST. Session-to-session scores indicated that AMS improved most from the in-person baseline assessment to the first online session. All other measures of processes and symptoms deteriorated during the training phase but regressed to baseline during follow-up. CONCLUSION Memory specificity was improved as indicated by increased AMS from pre-intervention measurement to 1-month follow-up. Other improvements in symptoms were not observed. Rather, some related maladaptive psychological processes and symptoms worsened during the training phase and regressed to baseline during follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris Martens
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational SciencesKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Tom J. Barry
- Department of PsychologyThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Department of PsychologyThe Institute of PsychiatryKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Sabine Wyckaert
- University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Campus KortenbergKortenbergBelgium
| | - Filip Raes
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational SciencesKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
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11
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Chiu CHM, Ma HW, Boddez Y, Raes F, Barry TJ. Social support from friends predicts changes in memory specificity following a stressful life event. Memory 2019; 27:1263-1272. [PMID: 31368849 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1648687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to negative life stress has been associated with difficulty retrieving memories for specific autobiographical events, with important consequences for the emergence of emotional disorders. We examined whether social support can protect against the effects of negative events on memory specificity. University students (N = 143) were assigned to groups based on whether or not they experienced a negative stressor, operationalised as whether or not their recent exam performance was in line with their expectations. After receiving their exam results (T1), and one month later (T2), participants completed measures of memory specificity, their attitudes towards themselves and the occurrence of other stress-related events. Participants also completed a general measure of perceived social support from friends, family, and significant others, and an equivalent measure for social support related to performance. For participants who experienced an exam-related stressor, reduced performance-specific social support from friends was associated with reduced memory specificity at T2, even when accounting for T1 memory specificity, individual differences in attitudes towards self, the experience of additional stressors, and gender. No such relation was present for participants who did not experience a stressor. These findings provide new understanding of the influence of social variables on autobiographical memory specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine H M Chiu
- a Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong , People's Republic of China
| | - Hon Wing Ma
- a Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong , People's Republic of China
| | - Yannick Boddez
- b Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands.,c Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Filip Raes
- c Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Tom J Barry
- a Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong , People's Republic of China.,d Researching Emotional Disorders and Development Lab, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London , London , United Kingdom
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12
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Barry TJ, Vinograd M, Boddez Y, Raes F, Zinbarg R, Mineka S, Craske MG. Reduced autobiographical memory specificity affects general distress through poor social support. Memory 2019; 27:916-923. [PMID: 31092144 PMCID: PMC10948046 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1607876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Sharing specific autobiographical events is likely to influence the support people give us; a person who shares little detail of their lives may be unlikely to attract social support and this may in turn contribute towards anxious and depressive symptoms. Participants (N = 142) reported memories evoked by negative and positive cue words and these memories were coded for whether or not they referred to a specific event lasting less than 24 h. At this time (T1) and one year later (T2), participants also completed the UCLA Life Stress Interview (LSI), which includes a measure of social support, and measures of depression and anxiety comprising a general distress latent construct. The tendency to recall fewer specific memories was associated with lower social support given by friends and romantic partners and this was in turn associated with elevated general distress at T2, even when accounting for T1 social support and general distress. Our findings contribute to the literature regarding the social function of memory and suggest another route via which reduced specificity contributes to emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J Barry
- a Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology , The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong
- b Researching Emotional Disorders and Development Lab , The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London , London , UK
| | - Meghan Vinograd
- c Department of Psychology , UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Centre, University of California , Los Angeles , USA
| | - Yannick Boddez
- d Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands
- e Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology , University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Filip Raes
- e Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology , University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Richard Zinbarg
- f Department of Psychology , Northwestern University , Evanston , IL , USA
- g The Family Institute at Northwestern University , Evanston , IL , USA
| | - Susan Mineka
- f Department of Psychology , Northwestern University , Evanston , IL , USA
- g The Family Institute at Northwestern University , Evanston , IL , USA
| | - Michelle G Craske
- c Department of Psychology , UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Centre, University of California , Los Angeles , USA
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