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Li B, Pastötter B, Zhong Y, Su N, Huang T, Zhao W, Hu X, Luo L, Yang C. Judgments of Learning Reactively Improve Memory by Enhancing Learning Engagement and Inducing Elaborative Processing: Evidence from an EEG Study. J Intell 2024; 12:44. [PMID: 38667711 PMCID: PMC11050784 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12040044] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Making judgments of learning (JOLs) can reactively alter memory itself, a phenomenon termed the reactivity effect. The current study recorded electroencephalography (EEG) signals during the encoding phase of a word list learning task to explore the neurocognitive features associated with JOL reactivity. The behavioral results show that making JOLs reactively enhances recognition performance. The EEG results reveal that, compared with not making JOLs, making JOLs increases P200 and LPC amplitudes and decreases alpha and beta power. Additionally, the signals of event-related potentials (ERPs) and event-related desynchronizations (ERDs) partially mediate the reactivity effect. These findings support the enhanced learning engagement theory and the elaborative processing explanation to account for the JOL reactivity effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baike Li
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China;
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Bernhard Pastötter
- Department of Cognitive Psychology and Methodology, Trier University, D-54296 Trier, Germany;
| | - Yongen Zhong
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ningxin Su
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ting Huang
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wenbo Zhao
- School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;
| | - Xiao Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Liang Luo
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunliang Yang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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2
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Springer SD, Okelberry HJ, Willett MP, Johnson HJ, Meehan CE, Schantell M, Embury CM, Rempe MP, Wilson TW. Age-related alterations in the oscillatory dynamics serving verbal working memory processing. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:14574-14590. [PMID: 38154102 PMCID: PMC10781444 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205403] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is a foundational cognitive function involving the temporary storage of information. Unfortunately, WM is also one of the most sensitive cognitive functions to the detrimental effects of aging. Expanding the field's understanding of age-related WM changes is critical to advancing the development of strategies to mitigate age-related WM declines. In the current study, we investigated the neural mechanisms serving WM function in seventy-eight healthy aging adults (range: 20.2-65.2 years) using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and a Sternberg WM task with letter stimuli. Neural activity during the different phases of the WM task (i.e., encoding, maintenance, and retrieval) were imaged using a time-frequency resolved beamformer and whole-brain statistics were performed. We found stronger increases in theta activity and stronger decreases in alpha and beta activity (i.e., more negative relative to baseline) as a function of healthy aging. Specifically, age-related increases in theta activity were detected during the encoding period in the primary visual and left prefrontal cortices. Additionally, alpha and beta oscillations were stronger (i.e., more negative) during both encoding and maintenance in the left prefrontal cortex in older individuals. Finally, alpha and beta oscillations during the retrieval phase were stronger (i.e., more negative) in older participants within the prefrontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. Together, these results indicate that healthy aging strongly modulates the neural oscillatory dynamics serving WM function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth D. Springer
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Hannah J. Okelberry
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Madelyn P. Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Hallie J. Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Chloe E. Meehan
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Mikki Schantell
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Christine M. Embury
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Maggie P. Rempe
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68131, USA
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3
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Pastötter B, Frings C. Prestimulus alpha power signals attention to retrieval. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4328-4340. [PMID: 37936521 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16181] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The human brain is in distinct processing modes at different times. Specifically, a distinction can be made between encoding and retrieval modes, which refer to the brain's state when it is storing new information or searching for old information, respectively. Recent research proposed the idea of a "ready-to-encode" mode, which describes a prestimulus effect in brain activity that signals (external) attention to encoding and predicts subsequent memory performance. Whether there is also a corresponding "ready-to-retrieve" mode in human brain activity is currently unclear. In this study, we examined whether prestimulus oscillations can be linked to (internal) attention to retrieval. We show that task cues to prepare for retrieval (or testing) in comparison with restudy of previously studied vocabulary word pairs led to a significant decrease of prestimulus alpha power just before the onset of word stimuli. Beamformer analysis localized this effect in the right secondary visual cortex (Brodmann area 18). Correlation analysis showed that the task cue-induced, prestimulus alpha power effect is positively related to stimulus-induced alpha/beta power, which in turn predicted participants' memory performance. The results are consistent with the idea that prestimulus alpha power signals internal attention to retrieval, which promotes the elaborative processing of episodic memories. Future research on brain-computer interfaces may find the findings interesting regarding the potential of using online measures of fluctuating alpha oscillations to trigger the presentation and sequencing of restudy and testing trials, ultimately enhancing instructional learning strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Pastötter
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ICAN), University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Christian Frings
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ICAN), University of Trier, Trier, Germany
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Ferreira CS, Wimber M. The testing effect for visual materials depends on preexisting knowledge. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 2023; 49:1557-1571. [PMID: 37289510 PMCID: PMC10519161 DOI: 10.1037/xlm0001248] [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: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Remembering facilitates future remembering. This benefit of practicing by active retrieval, as compared to more passive relearning, is known as the testing effect and is one of the most robust findings in the memory literature. It has typically been assessed using verbal materials such as word pairs, sentences, or educational texts. We here investigate if memory for visual materials equally benefits from retrieval-mediated learning. Based on cognitive and neuroscientific theories, we hypothesize that testing effects will be limited to meaningful visual images that can be related to preexisting knowledge. In a series of four experiments, we systematically varied the type of material (meaningless "squiggle" shapes vs. meaningful object images) and the format of the test used to probe memory (a visually driven alternative forced-choice test vs. a remember/know recognition test). Within each experiment, we assessed the effects of practice type (retrieval or restudy) and the delay of the final test (immediate vs. 1 week) on the resulting practice benefits. Abstract shapes never showed a significant testing benefit, irrespective of test format. Meaningful object images did benefit from testing, particularly at long delays, and with a test format probing the recollective component of recognition memory. Together, our results indicate that retrieval can facilitate the recollection of visual images when they represent meaningful semantic units. This pattern of results is predicted by cognitive and neurobiologically motivated theories proposing that retrieval's benefits emerge through spreading activation in semantic networks, producing more easily accessible and longer-lasting memory traces. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Plaza-Rosales I, Brunetti E, Montefusco-Siegmund R, Madariaga S, Hafelin R, Ponce DP, Behrens MI, Maldonado PE, Paula-Lima A. Visual-spatial processing impairment in the occipital-frontal connectivity network at early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1097577. [PMID: 36845655 PMCID: PMC9947357 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1097577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, but its pathophysiological phenomena are not fully elucidated. Many neurophysiological markers have been suggested to identify early cognitive impairments of AD. However, the diagnosis of this disease remains a challenge for specialists. In the present cross-sectional study, our objective was to evaluate the manifestations and mechanisms underlying visual-spatial deficits at the early stages of AD. Methods We combined behavioral, electroencephalography (EEG), and eye movement recordings during the performance of a spatial navigation task (a virtual version of the Morris Water Maze adapted to humans). Participants (69-88 years old) with amnesic mild cognitive impairment-Clinical Dementia Rating scale (aMCI-CDR 0.5) were selected as probable early AD (eAD) by a neurologist specialized in dementia. All patients included in this study were evaluated at the CDR 0.5 stage but progressed to probable AD during clinical follow-up. An equal number of matching healthy controls (HCs) were evaluated while performing the navigation task. Data were collected at the Department of Neurology of the Clinical Hospital of the Universidad de Chile and the Department of Neuroscience of the Faculty of Universidad de Chile. Results Participants with aMCI preceding AD (eAD) showed impaired spatial learning and their visual exploration differed from the control group. eAD group did not clearly prefer regions of interest that could guide solving the task, while controls did. The eAD group showed decreased visual occipital evoked potentials associated with eye fixations, recorded at occipital electrodes. They also showed an alteration of the spatial spread of activity to parietal and frontal regions at the end of the task. The control group presented marked occipital activity in the beta band (15-20 Hz) at early visual processing time. The eAD group showed a reduction in beta band functional connectivity in the prefrontal cortices reflecting poor planning of navigation strategies. Discussion We found that EEG signals combined with visual-spatial navigation analysis, yielded early and specific features that may underlie the basis for understanding the loss of functional connectivity in AD. Still, our results are clinically promising for early diagnosis required to improve quality of life and decrease healthcare costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Plaza-Rosales
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enzo Brunetti
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Institute of Neurosurgery and Brain Research Dr. Alfonso Asenjo, Santiago, Chile,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Montefusco-Siegmund
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Locomotor System and Rehabilitation, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Samuel Madariaga
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Hafelin
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela P. Ponce
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, Center for Advanced Clinical Research, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - María Isabel Behrens
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, Center for Advanced Clinical Research, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pedro E. Maldonado
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Pedro E. Maldonado,
| | - Andrea Paula-Lima
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile,*Correspondence: Andrea Paula-Lima,
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6
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Peters JO, Steiger TK, Sobczak A, Bunzeck N. Set Size of Information in Long-Term Memory Similarly Modulates Retrieval Dynamics in Young and Older Adults. Front Psychol 2022; 13:817929. [PMID: 35310276 PMCID: PMC8924055 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.817929] [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: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to rapidly distinguish new from already stored (old) information is important for behavior and decision making, but the underlying processes remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that contextual cues lead to a preselection of information and, therefore, faster recognition. Specifically, on the basis of previous modeling work, we hypothesized that recognition time depends on the amount of relevant content stored in long-term memory, i.e., set size, and we explored possible age-related changes of this relationship in older humans. In our paradigm, subjects learned by heart four different word lists (24, 48, 72, and 96 words) written in different colors (green, red, orange, and blue). On the day of testing, a color cue (e.g., green) indicated with a probability of 50% that a subsequent word might be from the corresponding list or from a list of new words. The old/new status of the word had to be distinguished via button press. As a main finding, we can show in a sample of n = 49 subjects, including 26 younger and 23 older humans, that response times increased linearly and logarithmically as a function of set size in both age groups. Conversely, corrected hit rates decreased as a function of set size with no statistically significant differences between both age groups. As such, our findings provide empirical evidence that contextual information can lead to a preselection of relevant information stored in long-term memory to promote efficient recognition, possibly by cyclical top-down and bottom-up processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan O Peters
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | | | - Nico Bunzeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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7
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Shaffer RA, McDermott KB. The dual-process perspective and the benefits of retrieval practice in younger and older adults. Memory 2022; 30:554-572. [PMID: 35139761 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2022.2027986] [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: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The testing effect is often considered a recollection-related phenomenon. However, recent work has observed a benefit of testing to both recollection and familiarity on immediate and delayed final tests. Further, although aging populations show marked declines in recollection, older and younger adults often benefit similarly from testing. This finding suggests that the testing effect in older adults may function via relatively preserved familiarity and lends further support to the hypothesis that the testing effect does not function solely via recollection-related processes. The current study builds on this work to better understand the mechanisms from the dual-process perspective that underlie the testing effect in both younger and older adults. To this end, younger (18-22 year old) and older (65-82 year old) adults studied words, took cued-recall tests on half of the words, and took a final Remember-Know recognition test on all words immediately or after a 1-day delay. At both delays, older and younger adults exhibited a testing effect in both recollection and familiarity, although the magnitude of the testing effect in recollection was reduced for older relative to younger adults. Implications for theories of the testing effect and its application in older adult populations are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth A Shaffer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kathleen B McDermott
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.,Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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8
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Guran CNA, Deuker L, Göttlich M, Axmacher N, Bunzeck N. OUP accepted manuscript. Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 3:tgac009. [PMID: 35372838 PMCID: PMC8966694 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac009] [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] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrieval practice improves retention of information in long-term memory more than restudy, but the underlying neural mechanisms of this “retrieval practice effect” (RPE) remain poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the behavioral and neural differences between previously retrieved versus restudied items at final retrieval. Thirty younger (20–30 years old) and twenty-five older (50+ years old) adults learned familiar and new picture stimuli either through retrieval or restudy. At final recognition, hemodynamic activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Behaviorally, younger and older adults showed similar benefits of retrieval practice, with higher recollection, but unchanged familiarity rates. In a univariate analysis of the fMRI data, activation in medial prefrontal cortex and left temporal regions correlated with an individual’s amount of behavioral benefit from retrieval practice, irrespective of age. Compatible with this observation, in a multivariate representational similarity analysis (RSA), retrieval practice led to an increase in pattern similarity for retested items in a priori defined regions of interest, including the medial temporal lobe, as well as prefrontal and parietal cortex. Our findings demonstrate that retrieval practice leads to enhanced long-term memories in younger and older adults alike, and this effect may be driven by fast consolidation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorena Deuker
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Martin Göttlich
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Lübeck 23538, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Lübeck 23562, Germany
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Nico Bunzeck
- Department of Psychology I, University of Lübeck, Maria-Goeppert-Straße 9a, Lübeck 23562, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Lübeck 23562, Germany
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Jia X, Gao C, Li B, Shinkareva SV, Guo C. Effects of retrieval and emotion on within-item associative memory - Evidence from ERP and oscillatory subsequent memory effects. Biol Psychol 2021; 166:108222. [PMID: 34758371 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108222] [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: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown the effects of retrieval practice and emotion on associative memory separately. However, it is yet not clear what are the related neural mechanisms and how the two factors together influence associative memory? We examined this question by instructing participants to memorize emotional or neutral words using different ways of learning. Behaviorally, the source memory was enhanced by the retrieval practice compared to the restudy condition, and impaired by the negative compared to the neutral condition without an interaction. Consistent neural effects of retrieval practice were also found, in which subsequent memory effects (SME) of 500-700 ms parietal ERPs and alpha desynchronization were found for the retrieval practice but not for the restudy. No significant difference of SME for ERPs and time-frequency analyses regarding the emotion effect was found. These results demonstrated the neural mechanism for the effects of emotion and retrieval practice on subsequent memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Jia
- School of Psychology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Capital Normal University, 10080 Beijing, PR China; Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, 311100 Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Chuanji Gao
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Baoming Li
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, 311100 Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Svetlana V Shinkareva
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29201, SC, USA
| | - Chunyan Guo
- School of Psychology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Capital Normal University, 10080 Beijing, PR China.
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10
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Borhani S, Zhao X, Kelly MR, Gottschalk KE, Yuan F, Jicha GA, Jiang Y. Gauging Working Memory Capacity From Differential Resting Brain Oscillations in Older Individuals With A Wearable Device. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:625006. [PMID: 33716711 PMCID: PMC7944100 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.625006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory is a core cognitive function and its deficits is one of the most common cognitive impairments. Reduced working memory capacity manifests as reduced accuracy in memory recall and prolonged speed of memory retrieval in older adults. Currently, the relationship between healthy older individuals’ age-related changes in resting brain oscillations and their working memory capacity is not clear. Eyes-closed resting electroencephalogram (rEEG) is gaining momentum as a potential neuromarker of mild cognitive impairments. Wearable and wireless EEG headset measuring key electrophysiological brain signals during rest and a working memory task was utilized. This research’s central hypothesis is that rEEG (e.g., eyes closed for 90 s) frequency and network features are surrogate markers for working memory capacity in healthy older adults. Forty-three older adults’ memory performance (accuracy and reaction times), brain oscillations during rest, and inter-channel magnitude-squared coherence during rest were analyzed. We report that individuals with a lower memory retrieval accuracy showed significantly increased alpha and beta oscillations over the right parietal site. Yet, faster working memory retrieval was significantly correlated with increased delta and theta band powers over the left parietal sites. In addition, significantly increased coherence between the left parietal site and the right frontal area is correlated with the faster speed in memory retrieval. The frontal and parietal dynamics of resting EEG is associated with the “accuracy and speed trade-off” during working memory in healthy older adults. Our results suggest that rEEG brain oscillations at local and distant neural circuits are surrogates of working memory retrieval’s accuracy and processing speed. Our current findings further indicate that rEEG frequency and coherence features recorded by wearable headsets and a brief resting and task protocol are potential biomarkers for working memory capacity. Additionally, wearable headsets are useful for fast screening of cognitive impairment risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheil Borhani
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Xiaopeng Zhao
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Margaret R Kelly
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Karah E Gottschalk
- Center on Gerontology, School of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Department of Audiology, Nova Southeastern University, Florida, FL, United States
| | - Fengpei Yuan
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Gregory A Jicha
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Yang Jiang
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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11
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Guran CNA, Lehmann-Grube J, Bunzeck N. Retrieval Practice Improves Recollection-Based Memory Over a Seven-Day Period in Younger and Older Adults. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2997. [PMID: 32038382 PMCID: PMC6990689 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrieving information improves subsequent memory performance more strongly than restudying. However, despite recent evidence for this retrieval practice effect (RPE), the temporal dynamics, age-related changes, and their possible interactions remain unclear. Therefore, we tested 45 young (18–30 years) and 41 older (50 + years) participants with a previously established RP paradigm. Specifically, subjects retrieved and restudied scene images on Day 1; subsequently, their recognition memory for the presented items was tested on the same day of learning and 7 days later using a remember/know paradigm. As main findings we can show that both young and older adults benefited from RP, however, the older participants benefited to a lesser extent. Importantly, the RPE was present immediately after learning on Day 1 and 7 days later, with no significant differences between time points. Finally, RP improved recollection rates more strongly than familiarity rates, independent of age and retrieval interval. Together, our results provide evidence that the RPE is reduced but still existing in older adults, it is stable over a period of seven days and relies more strongly on hippocampus-based recollection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nico Bunzeck
- Institute of Psychology I, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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12
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Age-related differences in the temporal dynamics of spectral power during memory encoding. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227274. [PMID: 31945080 PMCID: PMC6964832 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined oscillatory power in electroencephalographic recordings obtained while younger (18-30 years) and older (60+ years) adults studied lists of words for later recall. Power changed in a highly consistent way from word-to-word across the study period. Above 14 Hz, there were virtually no age differences in these neural gradients. But gradients below 14 Hz reliably discriminated between age groups. Older adults with the best memory performance showed the largest departures from the younger adult pattern of neural activity. These results suggest that age differences in the dynamics of neural activity across an encoding period reflect changes in cognitive processing that may compensate for age-related decline.
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