Automaticity of Basic-Level Categorization Accounts for Labeling Effects in Visual Recognition Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richler, Jennifer J.; Gauthier, Isabel; Palmeri, Thomas J.

2011-01-01

Are there consequences of calling objects by their names? Lupyan (2008) suggested that overtly labeling objects impairs subsequent recognition memory because labeling shifts stored memory representations of objects toward the category prototype (representational shift hypothesis). In Experiment 1, we show that processing objects at the basic…

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Computers but Were Afraid to Ask.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiSpezio, Michael A.

1989-01-01

An overview of the basics of computers is presented. Definitions and discussions of processing, programs, memory, DOS, anatomy and design, central processing unit (CPU), disk drives, floppy disks, and peripherals are included. This article was designed to help teachers to understand basic computer terminology. (CW)

The Astrocentric Hypothesis: proposed role of astrocytes in consciousness and memory formation.

PubMed

Robertson, James M

2002-01-01

Consciousness is self-awareness. This process is closely associated with attention and working memory, a special form of short-term memory, which is vital when solving explicit task. Edelman has equated consciousness as the "remembered present" to highlight the importance of this form of memory (G.M. Edelman, Bright Air, Brilliant Fire, Basic Books, New York, 1992). The majority of other memories are recollections of past events that are encoded, stored, and brought back into consciousness if appropriate for solving new problems. Encoding prior experiences into memories is based on the salience of each event (A.R. Damasio, Descartes' Error, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1994; G.M. Edelman, Bright Air, Brilliant Fire, Basic Books, New York, 1992). It is proposed that protoplasmic astrocytes bind attended sensory information into consciousness and store encoded memories. This conclusion is supported by research conducted by gliobiologist over the past 15 years. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

How To Create and Conduct a Memory Enhancement Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Genevieve R.; Ober-Reynolds, Sharman

This report describes Memory Enhancement Group workshops which have been conducted at the Senior Health and Peer Counseling Center in Santa Monica, California and gives basic data regarding outcomes of the workshops. It provides a model of memory as a three-step process of registration or becoming aware, consolidation, and retrieval. It presents…

Depth, Spread, and Congruence of Encoding in Memory

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

Alternatively, Craik and Lockhart proposed a more parsimonious frame- work for research based on a levels -of- processing approach. They assumed that the...44. Craik , F. I. M., & Lockhart , R. S. Levels of processing : A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1972, 11...the basic concepts of the depth-of- processing or domains-of- processing ( Lockhart , Craik , & Jacoby, 1976) framework, suggesting that qualitative

The Neuroscience of Memory: Implications for the Courtroom

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Although memory can be hazy at times, it is often assumed that memories of violent or otherwise stressful events are so well-encoded that they are largely indelible and that confidently retrieved memories are likely to be accurate. However, findings from basic psychological research and neuroscience studies indicate that memory is a reconstructive process that is susceptible to distortion. In the courtroom, even minor memory distortions can have severe consequences that are in part driven by common misunderstandings about memory, e.g. expecting memory to be more veridical than it may actually be. PMID:23942467

Research on fast Fourier transforms algorithm of huge remote sensing image technology with GPU and partitioning technology.

PubMed

Yang, Xue; Li, Xue-You; Li, Jia-Guo; Ma, Jun; Zhang, Li; Yang, Jan; Du, Quan-Ye

2014-02-01

Fast Fourier transforms (FFT) is a basic approach to remote sensing image processing. With the improvement of capacity of remote sensing image capture with the features of hyperspectrum, high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution, how to use FFT technology to efficiently process huge remote sensing image becomes the critical step and research hot spot of current image processing technology. FFT algorithm, one of the basic algorithms of image processing, can be used for stripe noise removal, image compression, image registration, etc. in processing remote sensing image. CUFFT function library is the FFT algorithm library based on CPU and FFTW. FFTW is a FFT algorithm developed based on CPU in PC platform, and is currently the fastest CPU based FFT algorithm function library. However there is a common problem that once the available memory or memory is less than the capacity of image, there will be out of memory or memory overflow when using the above two methods to realize image FFT arithmetic. To address this problem, a CPU and partitioning technology based Huge Remote Fast Fourier Transform (HRFFT) algorithm is proposed in this paper. By improving the FFT algorithm in CUFFT function library, the problem of out of memory and memory overflow is solved. Moreover, this method is proved rational by experiment combined with the CCD image of HJ-1A satellite. When applied to practical image processing, it improves effect of the image processing, speeds up the processing, which saves the time of computation and achieves sound result.

Memory, Maternal Representations, and Internalizing Symptomatology among Abused, Neglected, and Nonmaltreated Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valentino, Kristin; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Toth, Sheree L.

2008-01-01

A depth-of-processing incidental recall task for maternal-referent stimuli was utilized to assess basic memory processes and the affective valence of maternal representations among abused (N = 63), neglected (N = 33), and nonmaltreated (N = 128) school-aged children (ages 8-13.5 years old). Self-reported and observer-rated indices of internalizing…

The Event Related Brain Potential as an Index of Information Processing, Cognitive Activity, and Skill Acquisition: A Program of Basic Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

representations in memory as multidimensional "traces" containing infqrmation on both semantic and nonsemantic attributes. Isolation in this study results...effect and induced amnesia : Production by manipulation of sound intensity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory , 1, 614-628...Thomson, D.M. (1973). Encoding specificity and retrieval processes in episodic memory . Psychological Review, 80, 352-373. .. -- "V- - ’. 4 -- .7 ’. ... . n

A Developmental Examination of Basic Perceptual Processes in Reading. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefton, Lester A.

This report summarizes four groups of experiments examining the nature of basic perceptual processes in reading. The first group examined the relationship of English orthography to reading, specifically the transfer of information from the icon to short-term memory. The second group of experiments examined the use of peripheral information…

Basic perceptual changes that alter meaning and neural correlates of recognition memory

PubMed Central

Gao, Chuanji; Hermiller, Molly S.; Voss, Joel L.; Guo, Chunyan

2015-01-01

It is difficult to pinpoint the border between perceptual and conceptual processing, despite their treatment as distinct entities in many studies of recognition memory. For instance, alteration of simple perceptual characteristics of a stimulus can radically change meaning, such as the color of bread changing from white to green. We sought to better understand the role of perceptual and conceptual processing in memory by identifying the effects of changing a basic perceptual feature (color) on behavioral and neural correlates of memory in circumstances when this change would be expected to either change the meaning of a stimulus or to have no effect on meaning (i.e., to influence conceptual processing or not). Abstract visual shapes (“squiggles”) were colorized during study and presented during test in either the same color or a different color. Those squiggles that subjects found to resemble meaningful objects supported behavioral measures of conceptual priming, whereas meaningless squiggles did not. Further, changing color from study to test had a selective effect on behavioral correlates of priming for meaningful squiggles, indicating that color change altered conceptual processing. During a recognition memory test, color change altered event-related brain potential (ERP) correlates of memory for meaningful squiggles but not for meaningless squiggles. Specifically, color change reduced the amplitude of frontally distributed N400 potentials (FN400), implying that these potentials indicated conceptual processing during recognition memory that was sensitive to color change. In contrast, color change had no effect on FN400 correlates of recognition for meaningless squiggles, which were overall smaller in amplitude than for meaningful squiggles (further indicating that these potentials signal conceptual processing during recognition). Thus, merely changing the color of abstract visual shapes can alter their meaning, changing behavioral and neural correlates of memory. These findings are relevant to understanding similarities and distinctions between perceptual and conceptual processing as well as the functional interpretation of neural correlates of recognition memory. PMID:25717298

Emotion-Memory Effects in Bilingual Speakers: A Levels-of-Close Processing Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aycicegi-Dinn, Ayse; Caldwell-Harris, Catherine L.

2009-01-01

Emotion-memory effects occur when emotion words are more frequently recalled than neutral words. Bilingual speakers report that taboo terms and emotional phrases generate a stronger emotional response when heard or spoken in their first language. This suggests that the basic emotion-memory will be stronger for words presented in a first language.…

The Event-Related Brain Potential as an Index of Information Processing and Cognitive Activity: A Program of Basic Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-29

reciprocity: An event- related brain potentials analysis. Acta Psychologica. Submitted for publication. 21. Stolar, N., Sparenborg, S., Donchin, E...in press) argued that it is a manifestation of a process related to the updating of models of the environment or context in working memory. Such an...suggemng " ees ud e may involve working memory, but they do am hold any privileged relation to working memory.u However, he immedi- ately proceeds to narrow

Retrieving autobiographical memories: How different retrieval strategies associated with different cues explain reaction time differences.

PubMed

Uzer, Tugba

2016-02-01

Previous research has shown that memories cued by concrete concepts, such as objects, are retrieved faster than those cued by more abstract concepts, such as emotions. This effect has been explained by the fact that more memories are directly retrieved from object versus emotion cues. In the present study, we tested whether RT differences between memories cued by emotion versus object terms occur not only because object cues elicit direct retrieval of more memories (Uzer, Lee, & Brown, 2012), but also because of differences in memory generation in response to emotions versus objects. One hundred university students retrieved memories in response to basic-level (e.g. orange), superordinate-level (e.g. plant), and emotion (e.g. surprised) cues. Retrieval speed was measured and participants reported whether memories were directly retrieved or generated on each trial. Results showed that memories were retrieved faster in response to basic-level versus superordinate-level and emotion cues because a) basic-level cues elicited more directly retrieved memories, and b) generating memories was more difficult when cues were abstract versus concrete. These results suggest that generative retrieval is a cue generation process in which additional cues that provide contextual information including the target event are produced. Memories are retrieved more slowly in response to emotion cues in part because emotion labels are less effective cues of appropriate contextual information. This particular finding is inconsistent with the idea that emotion is a primary organizational unit for autobiographical memories. In contrast, the difficulty of emotional memory generation implies that emotions represent low-level event information in the organization of autobiographical memory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Attention and working memory: two basic mechanisms for constructing temporal experiences

PubMed Central

Marchetti, Giorgio

2014-01-01

Various kinds of observations show that the ability of human beings to both consciously relive past events – episodic memory – and conceive future events, entails an active process of construction. This construction process also underpins many other important aspects of conscious human life, such as perceptions, language, and conscious thinking. This article provides an explanation of what makes the constructive process possible and how it works. The process mainly relies on attentional activity, which has a discrete and periodic nature, and working memory, which allows for the combination of discrete attentional operations. An explanation is also provided of how past and future events are constructed. PMID:25177305

Orthographic Structure and Reading Experience Affect the Transfer from Iconic to Short Term Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefton, Lester A.; Spragins, Anne B.

1974-01-01

The basic hypothesis of these experiments was that the processing strategy for the transfer of alphabetic material from iconic storage to short-term memory involves a sequential left-to-right factor that develops with increases in experience with reading. (Author)

The Development of Real-Time Stability Supports Visual Working Memory Performance: Young Children's Feature Binding Can Be Improved through Perceptual Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmering, Vanessa R.; Wood, Chelsey M.

2017-01-01

Working memory is a basic cognitive process that predicts higher-level skills. A central question in theories of working memory development is the generality of the mechanisms proposed to explain improvements in performance. Prior theories have been closely tied to particular tasks and/or age groups, limiting their generalizability. The cognitive…

Motivation, working memory, and decision making: a cognitive-motivational theory of personality vulnerability to alcoholism.

PubMed

Finn, Peter R

2002-09-01

This article presents a cognitive-motivational theory (CMT) of the mechanisms associated with three basic dimensions of personality vulnerability to alcoholism, impulsivity/novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and excitement seeking. CMT describes the interrelationships between activity in basic motivational systems and attentional, decision-making and working memory processes as the mechanisms associated with variation in each personality trait. Impulsivity/novelty seeking reflects activity in both appetitive and inhibitory motivational systems, greater attention to reward cues, and increased emotional reactivity to reward and frustration. Harm avoidance reflects individual differences in fearfulness and activity in specific inhibitory systems. Excitement seeking reflects the need to engage in appetitive behaviors in less predictable environments to experience positive affect. CMT also describes the impact of working memory and the specific motivational processes underlying each trait dimension on the dynamics of decision making from the perspective of decision field theory.

Blurriness in Live Forensics: An Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savoldi, Antonio; Gubian, Paolo

The Live Forensics discipline aims at answering basic questions related to a digital crime, which usually involves a computer-based system. The investigation should be carried out with the very goal to establish which processes were running, when they were started and by whom, what specific activities those processes were doing and the state of active network connections. Besides, a set of tools needs to be launched on the running system by altering, as a consequence of the Locard’s exchange principle [2], the system’s memory. All the methodologies for the live forensics field proposed until now have a basic, albeit important, weakness, which is the inability to quantify the perturbation, or blurriness, of the system’s memory of the investigated computer. This is the very last goal of this paper: to provide a set of guidelines which can be effectively used for measuring the uncertainty of the collected volatile memory on a live system being investigated.

Learning and memory: Steroids and epigenetics.

PubMed

Colciago, Alessandra; Casati, Lavinia; Negri-Cesi, Paola; Celotti, Fabio

2015-06-01

Memory formation and utilization is a complex process involving several brain structures in conjunction as the hippocampus, the amygdala and the adjacent cortical areas, usually defined as medial temporal lobe structures (MTL). The memory processes depend on the formation and modulation of synaptic connectivity affecting synaptic strength, synaptic plasticity and synaptic consolidation. The basic neurocognitive mechanisms of learning and memory are shortly recalled in the initial section of this paper. The effect of sex hormones (estrogens, androgens and progesterone) and of adrenocortical steroids on several aspects of memory processes are then analyzed on the basis of animal and human studies. A specific attention has been devoted to the different types of steroid receptors (membrane or nuclear) involved and on local metabolic transformations when required. The review is concluded by a short excursus on the steroid activated epigenetic mechanisms involved in memory formation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of the neurobiological aspects of memory in the aging process

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Eduardo Moreira; Kissaki, Priscilla Tiemi; Ordonez, Tiago Nascimento; Lima-Silva, Thaís Bento

2011-01-01

A systematic review of the neuroanatomical literature was performed to determine the neuropharmacological aspects most relevant to the study of memory processes. Articles were retrieved using the search terms "biology of memory", "memory and aging", "memory impairment", "elderly and memory," and their equivalents in Portuguese. Of the studies surveyed, five studies dealt with epidemiological and demographic issues, 12 were clinical trials i.e. were based on testing and implementation of instruments in human subjects, 33 studies were basic research involving studies of mice, rats and non-human primates, and biochemical and in vitro trials and finally, 52 studies were literature reviews or book chapters which in our view, fell into this category. Conclusions The work sought to highlight which neural networks are most involved in processing information, as well as their location within brain regions and the way in which neurotransmitters interact with each other for the formation of these memories. Moreover, it was shown how memory changes during the normal human aging process, both positively and negatively, by analyzing the morphological alterations that occur in the brain of aging individuals. PMID:29213758

Requirements and Recommendations for Learning Strategies in the U.S. Army Basic Skills Education Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-30

of processing , the greater the retention in long term memory (see Butter- field, Wambold, & Belmont, 1968; Craik and Lockhart , 1972). Interestingly...L.S., & Craik , F.I.M. (Eds.) Levels of processing in human memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1979. Chicago Board of Education. Chicago Mastery Learning...Child Psychology, 1973, 15, 169-186. Lockhart , R.S., Craik , F.I.M., & Jacoby, L. Depth of processing , recogni- tion, and recall. In J. Brown (Ed

Memory Errors in Alibi Generation: How an Alibi Can Turn Against Us.

PubMed

Crozier, William E; Strange, Deryn; Loftus, Elizabeth F

2017-01-01

Alibis play a critical role in the criminal justice system. Yet research on the process of alibi generation and evaluation is still nascent. Indeed, similar to other widely investigated psychological phenomena in the legal system - such as false confessions, historical claims of abuse, and eyewitness memory - the basic assumptions underlying alibi generation and evaluation require closer empirical scrutiny. To date, the majority of alibi research investigates the social psychological aspects of the process. We argue that applying our understanding of basic human memory is critical to a complete understanding of the alibi process. Specifically, we challenge the use of alibi inconsistency as an indication of guilt by outlining the "cascading effects" that can put innocents at risk for conviction. We discuss how normal encoding and storage processes can pose problems at retrieval, particularly for innocent suspects that can result in alibi inconsistencies over time. Those inconsistencies are typically misunderstood as intentional deception, first by law enforcement, affecting the investigation, then by prosecutors affecting prosecution decisions, and finally by juries, ultimately affecting guilt judgments. Put differently, despite the universal nature of memory inconsistencies, a single error can produce a cascading effect, rendering an innocent individual's alibi, ironically, proof of guilt. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Memory loss in Alzheimer's disease: implications for development of therapeutics

PubMed Central

Gold, Carl A; Budson, Andrew E

2009-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease marked by a constellation of cognitive disturbances, the earliest and most prominent being impaired episodic memory. Episodic memory refers to the memory system that allows an individual to consciously retrieve a previously experienced item or episode of life. Many recent studies have focused on characterizing how AD pathology impacts particular aspects of episodic memory and underlying mental and neural processes. This review summarizes the findings of those studies and discusses the effects of current and promising treatments for AD on episodic memory. The goal of this review is to raise awareness of the strides that cognitive neuroscientists have made in understanding intact and dysfunctional memory. Knowledge of the specific memorial processes that are impaired in AD may be of great value to basic scientists developing novel therapies and to clinical researchers assessing the efficacy of those therapies. PMID:19086882

On the Language Specificity of Basic Number Processing: Transcoding in a Language with Inversion and Its Relation to Working Memory Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuber, Julia; Pixner, Silvia; Moeller, Korbinian; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2009-01-01

Transcoding Arabic numbers from and into verbal number words is one of the most basic number processing tasks commonly used to index the verbal representation of numbers. The inversion property, which is an important feature of some number word systems (e.g., German "einundzwanzig" [one and twenty]), might represent a major difficulty in…

The Effects of Maltreatment and Neuroendocrine Regulation on Memory Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Howe, Mark L.; Toth, Sheree L.

2010-01-01

This investigation examined basic memory processes, cortisol, and dissociation in maltreated children. School-aged children (age range = 6-13), 143 maltreated and 174 nonmaltreated, were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-Children (D. C. Delis, J. H. Kramer, E. Kaplan, & B. A. Ober, 1994) in a week-long camp setting, daily…

Mapping the developmental constraints on working memory span performance.

PubMed

Bayliss, Donna M; Jarrold, Christopher; Baddeley, Alan D; Gunn, Deborah M; Leigh, Eleanor

2005-07-01

This study investigated the constraints underlying developmental improvements in complex working memory span performance among 120 children of between 6 and 10 years of age. Independent measures of processing efficiency, storage capacity, rehearsal speed, and basic speed of processing were assessed to determine their contribution to age-related variance in complex span. Results showed that developmental improvements in complex span were driven by 2 age-related but separable factors: 1 associated with general speed of processing and 1 associated with storage ability. In addition, there was an age-related contribution shared between working memory, processing speed, and storage ability that was important for higher level cognition. These results pose a challenge for models of complex span performance that emphasize the importance of processing speed alone.

Mechanisms of Memory Dysfunction during High Altitude Hypoxia Training in Military Aircrew.

PubMed

Nation, Daniel A; Bondi, Mark W; Gayles, Ellis; Delis, Dean C

2017-01-01

Cognitive dysfunction from high altitude exposure is a major cause of civilian and military air disasters. Pilot training improves recognition of the early symptoms of altitude exposure so that countermeasures may be taken before loss of consciousness. Little is known regarding the nature of cognitive impairments manifesting within this critical window when life-saving measures may still be taken. Prior studies evaluating cognition during high altitude simulation have predominantly focused on measures of reaction time and other basic attention or motor processes. Memory encoding, retention, and retrieval represent critical cognitive functions that may be vulnerable to acute hypoxic/ischemic events and could play a major role in survival of air emergencies, yet these processes have not been studied in the context of high altitude simulation training. In a series of experiments, military aircrew underwent neuropsychological testing before, during, and after brief (15 min) exposure to high altitude simulation (20,000 ft) in a pressure-controlled chamber. Acute exposure to high altitude simulation caused rapid impairment in learning and memory with relative preservation of basic visual and auditory attention. Memory dysfunction was predominantly characterized by deficiencies in memory encoding, as memory for information learned during high altitude exposure did not improve after washout at sea level. Retrieval and retention of memories learned shortly before altitude exposure were also impaired, suggesting further impairment in memory retention. Deficits in memory encoding and retention are rapidly induced upon exposure to high altitude, an effect that could impact life-saving situational awareness and response. (JINS, 2017, 23, 1-10).

Memory for conversation and the development of common ground.

PubMed

McKinley, Geoffrey L; Brown-Schmidt, Sarah; Benjamin, Aaron S

2017-11-01

Efficient conversation is guided by the mutual knowledge, or common ground, that interlocutors form as a conversation progresses. Characterized from the perspective of commonly used measures of memory, efficient conversation should be closely associated with item memory-what was said-and context memory-who said what to whom. However, few studies have explicitly probed memory to evaluate what type of information is maintained following a communicative exchange. The current study examined how item and context memory relate to the development of common ground over the course of a conversation, and how these forms of memory vary as a function of one's role in a conversation as speaker or listener. The process of developing common ground was positively related to both item and context memory. In addition, content that was spoken was remembered better than content that was heard. Our findings illustrate how memory assessments can complement language measures by revealing the impact that basic conversational processes have on memory for what has been discussed. By taking this approach, we show that not only does the process of forming common ground facilitate communication in the present, but it also promotes an enduring record of that event, facilitating conversation into the future.

Executive Functions Contribute Uniquely to Reading Competence in Minority Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Lisa A.; Koriakin, Taylor; Lipkin, Paul; Boada, Richard; Frijters, Jan C.; Lovett, Maureen W.; Hill, Dina; Willcutt, Erik; Gottwald, Stephanie; Wolf, Maryanne; Bosson-Heenan, Joan; Gruen, Jeffrey R.; Mahone, E. Mark

2017-01-01

Competent reading requires various skills beyond those for basic word reading (i.e., core language skills, rapid naming, phonological processing). Contributing "higher-level" or domain-general processes include information processing speed and executive functions (working memory, strategic problem solving, attentional switching).…

Prospective memory training in older adults and its relevance for successful aging.

PubMed

Hering, Alexandra; Rendell, Peter G; Rose, Nathan S; Schnitzspahn, Katharina M; Kliegel, Matthias

2014-11-01

In research on cognitive plasticity, two training approaches have been established: (1) training of strategies to improve performance in a given task (e.g., encoding strategies to improve episodic memory performance) and (2) training of basic cognitive processes (e.g., working memory, inhibition) that underlie a range of more complex cognitive tasks (e.g., planning) to improve both the training target and the complex transfer tasks. Strategy training aims to compensate or circumvent limitations in underlying processes, while process training attempts to augment or to restore these processes. Although research on both approaches has produced some promising findings, results are still heterogeneous and the impact of most training regimes for everyday life is unknown. We, therefore, discuss recent proposals of training regimes aiming to improve prospective memory (i.e., forming and realizing delayed intentions) as this type of complex cognition is highly relevant for independent living. Furthermore, prospective memory is associated with working memory and executive functions and age-related decline is widely reported. We review initial evidence suggesting that both training regimes (i.e., strategy and/or process training) can successfully be applied to improve prospective memory. Conceptual and methodological implications of the findings for research on age-related prospective memory and for training research in general are discussed.

Selective attention neutralizes the adverse effects of low socioeconomic status on memory in 9-month-old infants

PubMed Central

Markant, Julie; Ackerman, Laura K.; Nussenbaum, Kate; Amso, Dima

2015-01-01

Socioeconomic status (SES) has a documented impact on brain and cognitive development. We demonstrate that engaging spatial selective attention mechanisms may counteract this negative influence of impoverished environments on early learning. We previously used a spatial cueing task to compare target object encoding in the context of basic orienting (“facilitation”) versus a spatial selective attention orienting mechanism that engages distractor suppression (“IOR”). This work showed that object encoding in the context of IOR boosted 9-month-old infants’ recognition memory relative to facilitation (Markant and Amso, 2013). Here we asked whether this attention-memory links further interacted with SES in infancy. Results indicated that SES was related to memory but not attention orienting efficacy. However, the correlation between SES and memory performance was moderated by the attention mechanism engaged during encoding. SES predicted memory performance when objects were encoded with basic orienting processes, with infants from low-SES environments showing poorer memory than those from high-SES environments. However, SES did not predict memory performance among infants who engaged selective attention during encoding. Spatial selective attention engagement mitigated the effects of SES on memory and may offer an effective mechanism for promoting learning among infants at risk for poor cognitive outcomes related to SES. PMID:26597046

Design and Implementation of a Basic Cross-Compiler and Virtual Memory Management System for the TI-59 Programmable Calculator.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

previously stated requirements to construct the framework for a software soluticn. It is during this phase of design that lany cf the most critical...the linker would have to be deferred until the compiler was formalized and ir the implementation phase of design. The second problem involved...memory liait was encountered. At this point a segmentation occurred. The memory limits were reset and the combining process continued until another

Developmental Dyscalculia and Basic Numerical Capacities: A Study of 8--9-Year-Old Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landerl, Karin; Bevan, Anna; Butterworth, Brian

2004-01-01

Thirty-one 8- and 9-year-old children selected for dyscalculia, reading difficulties or both, were compared to controls on a range of basic number processing tasks. Children with dyscalculia only had impaired performance on the tasks despite high-average performance on tests of IQ, vocabulary and working memory tasks. Children with reading…

Long-term effects of cannabis on oculomotor function in humans.

PubMed

Huestegge, L; Radach, R; Kunert, H J

2009-08-01

Cannabis is known to affect human cognitive and visuomotor skills directly after consumption. Some studies even point to rather long-lasting effects, especially after chronic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) abuse. However, it is still unknown whether long-term effects on basic visual and oculomotor processing may exist. In the present study, the performance of 20 healthy long-term cannabis users without acute THC intoxication and 20 control subjects were examined in four basic visuomotor paradigms to search for specific long-term impairments. Subjects were asked to perform: 1) reflexive saccades to visual targets (prosaccades), including gap and overlap conditions, 2) voluntary antisaccades, 3) memory-guided saccades and 4) double-step saccades. Spatial and temporal parameters of the saccades were subsequently analysed. THC subjects exhibited a significant increase of latency in the prosaccade and antisaccade tasks, as well as prolonged saccade amplitudes in the antisaccade and memory-guided task, compared with the control subjects. The results point to substantial and specific long-term deficits in basic temporal processing of saccades and impaired visuo-spatial working memory. We suggest that these impairments are a major contributor to degraded performance of chronic users in a vital everyday task like visual search, and they might potentially also affect spatial navigation and reading.

Arousal Rather than Basic Emotions Influence Long-Term Recognition Memory in Humans

PubMed Central

Marchewka, Artur; Wypych, Marek; Moslehi, Abnoos; Riegel, Monika; Michałowski, Jarosław M.; Jednoróg, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

Emotion can influence various cognitive processes, however its impact on memory has been traditionally studied over relatively short retention periods and in line with dimensional models of affect. The present study aimed to investigate emotional effects on long-term recognition memory according to a combined framework of affective dimensions and basic emotions. Images selected from the Nencki Affective Picture System were rated on the scale of affective dimensions and basic emotions. After 6 months, subjects took part in a surprise recognition test during an fMRI session. The more negative the pictures the better they were remembered, but also the more false recognitions they provoked. Similar effects were found for the arousal dimension. Recognition success was greater for pictures with lower intensity of happiness and with higher intensity of surprise, sadness, fear, and disgust. Consecutive fMRI analyses showed a significant activation for remembered (recognized) vs. forgotten (not recognized) images in anterior cingulate and bilateral anterior insula as well as in bilateral caudate nuclei and right thalamus. Further, arousal was found to be the only subjective rating significantly modulating brain activation. Higher subjective arousal evoked higher activation associated with memory recognition in the right caudate and the left cingulate gyrus. Notably, no significant modulation was observed for other subjective ratings, including basic emotion intensities. These results emphasize the crucial role of arousal for long-term recognition memory and support the hypothesis that the memorized material, over time, becomes stored in a distributed cortical network including the core salience network and basal ganglia. PMID:27818626

Arousal Rather than Basic Emotions Influence Long-Term Recognition Memory in Humans.

PubMed

Marchewka, Artur; Wypych, Marek; Moslehi, Abnoos; Riegel, Monika; Michałowski, Jarosław M; Jednoróg, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

Emotion can influence various cognitive processes, however its impact on memory has been traditionally studied over relatively short retention periods and in line with dimensional models of affect. The present study aimed to investigate emotional effects on long-term recognition memory according to a combined framework of affective dimensions and basic emotions. Images selected from the Nencki Affective Picture System were rated on the scale of affective dimensions and basic emotions. After 6 months, subjects took part in a surprise recognition test during an fMRI session. The more negative the pictures the better they were remembered, but also the more false recognitions they provoked. Similar effects were found for the arousal dimension. Recognition success was greater for pictures with lower intensity of happiness and with higher intensity of surprise, sadness, fear, and disgust. Consecutive fMRI analyses showed a significant activation for remembered (recognized) vs. forgotten (not recognized) images in anterior cingulate and bilateral anterior insula as well as in bilateral caudate nuclei and right thalamus. Further, arousal was found to be the only subjective rating significantly modulating brain activation. Higher subjective arousal evoked higher activation associated with memory recognition in the right caudate and the left cingulate gyrus. Notably, no significant modulation was observed for other subjective ratings, including basic emotion intensities. These results emphasize the crucial role of arousal for long-term recognition memory and support the hypothesis that the memorized material, over time, becomes stored in a distributed cortical network including the core salience network and basal ganglia.

29 CFR 825.500 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... maintained and preserved on microfilm or other basic source document of an automated data processing memory... this section with respect to any primary employees, and must keep the records required by paragraph (c...

29 CFR 825.500 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... maintained and preserved on microfilm or other basic source document of an automated data processing memory... this section with respect to any primary employees, and must keep the records required by paragraph (c...

Modulatory mechanisms of cortisol effects on emotional learning and memory: novel perspectives.

PubMed

van Ast, Vanessa A; Cornelisse, Sandra; Marin, Marie-France; Ackermann, Sandra; Garfinkel, Sarah N; Abercrombie, Heather C

2013-09-01

It has long been known that cortisol affects learning and memory processes. Despite a wealth of research dedicated to cortisol effects on learning and memory, the strength or even directionality of the effects often vary. A number of the factors that alter cortisol's effects on learning and memory are well-known. For instance, effects of cortisol can be modulated by emotional arousal and the memory phase under study. Despite great advances in understanding factors that explain variability in cortisol's effects, additional modulators of cortisol effects on memory exist that are less widely acknowledged in current basic experimental research. The goal of the current review is to disseminate knowledge regarding less well-known modulators of cortisol effects on learning and memory. Since several models for the etiology of anxiety, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), incorporate stress and the concomitant release of cortisol as important vulnerability factors, enhanced understanding of mechanisms by which cortisol exerts beneficial as opposed to detrimental effects on memory is very important. Further elucidation of the factors that modulate (or alter) cortisol's effects on memory will allow reconciliation of seemingly inconsistent findings in the basic and clinical literatures. The present review is based on a symposium as part of the 42nd International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology Conference, New York, USA, that highlighted some of those modulators and their underlying mechanisms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selective attention neutralizes the adverse effects of low socioeconomic status on memory in 9-month-old infants.

PubMed

Markant, Julie; Ackerman, Laura K; Nussenbaum, Kate; Amso, Dima

2016-04-01

Socioeconomic status (SES) has a documented impact on brain and cognitive development. We demonstrate that engaging spatial selective attention mechanisms may counteract this negative influence of impoverished environments on early learning. We previously used a spatial cueing task to compare target object encoding in the context of basic orienting ("facilitation") versus a spatial selective attention orienting mechanism that engages distractor suppression ("IOR"). This work showed that object encoding in the context of IOR boosted 9-month-old infants' recognition memory relative to facilitation (Markant and Amso, 2013). Here we asked whether this attention-memory link further interacted with SES in infancy. Results indicated that SES was related to memory but not attention orienting efficacy. However, the correlation between SES and memory performance was moderated by the attention mechanism engaged during encoding. SES predicted memory performance when objects were encoded with basic orienting processes, with infants from low-SES environments showing poorer memory than those from high-SES environments. However, SES did not predict memory performance among infants who engaged selective attention during encoding. Spatial selective attention engagement mitigated the effects of SES on memory and may offer an effective mechanism for promoting learning among infants at risk for poor cognitive outcomes related to SES. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Nonvolatile GaAs Random-Access Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katti, Romney R.; Stadler, Henry L.; Wu, Jiin-Chuan

1994-01-01

Proposed random-access integrated-circuit electronic memory offers nonvolatile magnetic storage. Bits stored magnetically and read out with Hall-effect sensors. Advantages include short reading and writing times and high degree of immunity to both single-event upsets and permanent damage by ionizing radiation. Use of same basic material for both transistors and sensors simplifies fabrication process, with consequent benefits in increased yield and reduced cost.

[Learning and implicit memory: mechanisms and neuroplasticity].

PubMed

Machado, S; Portella, C E; Silva, J G; Velasques, B; Bastos, V H; Cunha, M; Basile, L; Cagy, M; Piedade, R A; Ribeiro, P

Learning and memory are complex processes that researchers have been attempting to unravel for over a century in order to gain a clear view of the underlying mechanisms. To review the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the process of procedural retention, to offer an overall view of the fundamental mechanisms involved in storing information by means of theories and models of memory, and to discuss the different types of memory and the role played by the cerebellum as a modulator of procedural memory. Experimental results from recent decades have opened up new areas of study regarding the participation of the biochemical and cellular processes related to the consolidation of information in the nervous system. The neuronal circuits involved in acquiring and consolidating memory are still not fully understood and the exact location of memory in the nervous system remains unknown. A number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors interfere in these processes, such as molecular (long-term potentiation and depression) and cellular mechanisms, which respond to communication and transmission between nerve cells. There are also factors that have their origin in the outside environment, which use the association of events to bring about the formation of new memories or may divert the subject from his or her main focus. Memory is not a singular occurrence; it is sub-divided into declarative and non-declarative or, when talking about the time it lasts, into short and long-term memory. Moreover, given its relation with neuronal mechanisms of learning, memory cannot be said to constitute an isolated process.

Advances in Special Education: Volume I. Basic Constructs and Theoretical Orientations. A Research Annual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keogh, Barbara K., Ed.

Intended for graduate students in special education, the text presents seven author contributed papers dealing with theoretical issues in the field. M. Faust and W. Faust ("Cognitive Constructing: Levels of Processing and Developmental Change") consider cognitive processing from a developmental perspective. In "Memory Processes in Exceptional…

29 CFR 825.500 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... maintained and preserved on microfilm or other basic source document of an automated data processing memory... paragraph (c) of this section with respect to any primary employees, and must keep the records required by...

29 CFR 825.500 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... maintained and preserved on microfilm or other basic source document of an automated data processing memory... paragraph (c) of this section with respect to any primary employees, and must keep the records required by...

Visual processing in reading disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and its contribution to basic reading ability

PubMed Central

Kibby, Michelle Y.; Dyer, Sarah M.; Vadnais, Sarah A.; Jagger, Audreyana C.; Casher, Gabriel A.; Stacy, Maria

2015-01-01

Whether visual processing deficits are common in reading disorders (RD), and related to reading ability in general, has been debated for decades. The type of visual processing affected also is debated, although visual discrimination and short-term memory (STM) may be more commonly related to reading ability. Reading disorders are frequently comorbid with ADHD, and children with ADHD often have subclinical reading problems. Hence, children with ADHD were used as a comparison group in this study. ADHD and RD may be dissociated in terms of visual processing. Whereas RD may be associated with deficits in visual discrimination and STM for order, ADHD is associated with deficits in visual-spatial processing. Thus, we hypothesized that children with RD would perform worse than controls and children with ADHD only on a measure of visual discrimination and a measure of visual STM that requires memory for order. We expected all groups would perform comparably on the measure of visual STM that does not require sequential processing. We found children with RD or ADHD were commensurate to controls on measures of visual discrimination and visual STM that do not require sequential processing. In contrast, both RD groups (RD, RD/ADHD) performed worse than controls on the measure of visual STM that requires memory for order, and children with comorbid RD/ADHD performed worse than those with ADHD. In addition, of the three visual measures, only sequential visual STM predicted reading ability. Hence, our findings suggest there is a deficit in visual sequential STM that is specific to RD and is related to basic reading ability. The source of this deficit is worthy of further research, but it may include both reduced memory for order and poorer verbal mediation. PMID:26579020

Visual processing in reading disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and its contribution to basic reading ability.

PubMed

Kibby, Michelle Y; Dyer, Sarah M; Vadnais, Sarah A; Jagger, Audreyana C; Casher, Gabriel A; Stacy, Maria

2015-01-01

Whether visual processing deficits are common in reading disorders (RD), and related to reading ability in general, has been debated for decades. The type of visual processing affected also is debated, although visual discrimination and short-term memory (STM) may be more commonly related to reading ability. Reading disorders are frequently comorbid with ADHD, and children with ADHD often have subclinical reading problems. Hence, children with ADHD were used as a comparison group in this study. ADHD and RD may be dissociated in terms of visual processing. Whereas RD may be associated with deficits in visual discrimination and STM for order, ADHD is associated with deficits in visual-spatial processing. Thus, we hypothesized that children with RD would perform worse than controls and children with ADHD only on a measure of visual discrimination and a measure of visual STM that requires memory for order. We expected all groups would perform comparably on the measure of visual STM that does not require sequential processing. We found children with RD or ADHD were commensurate to controls on measures of visual discrimination and visual STM that do not require sequential processing. In contrast, both RD groups (RD, RD/ADHD) performed worse than controls on the measure of visual STM that requires memory for order, and children with comorbid RD/ADHD performed worse than those with ADHD. In addition, of the three visual measures, only sequential visual STM predicted reading ability. Hence, our findings suggest there is a deficit in visual sequential STM that is specific to RD and is related to basic reading ability. The source of this deficit is worthy of further research, but it may include both reduced memory for order and poorer verbal mediation.

Thinking about Metacognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossland, John

2015-01-01

Learning depends on the effective use of basic cognitive processes such as memory and attention, but for optimal learning, learners also need to have awareness of, and control over, these cognitive processes. The literal meaning of metacognition is cognition about cognition or, more informally, thinking about your thinking: a good starting point…

Content addressable memory project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Josh; Levy, Saul; Smith, D.; Wei, S.; Miyake, K.; Murdocca, M.

1991-01-01

The progress on the Rutgers CAM (Content Addressable Memory) Project is described. The overall design of the system is completed at the architectural level and described. The machine is composed of two kinds of cells: (1) the CAM cells which include both memory and processor, and support local processing within each cell; and (2) the tree cells, which have smaller instruction set, and provide global processing over the CAM cells. A parameterized design of the basic CAM cell is completed. Progress was made on the final specification of the CPS. The machine architecture was driven by the design of algorithms whose requirements are reflected in the resulted instruction set(s). A few of these algorithms are described.

Processing Semblances Induced through Inter-Postsynaptic Functional LINKs, Presumed Biological Parallels of K-Lines Proposed for Building Artificial Intelligence

PubMed Central

Vadakkan, Kunjumon I.

2011-01-01

The internal sensation of memory, which is available only to the owner of an individual nervous system, is difficult to analyze for its basic elements of operation. We hypothesize that associative learning induces the formation of functional LINK between the postsynapses. During memory retrieval, the activation of either postsynapse re-activates the functional LINK evoking a semblance of sensory activity arriving at its opposite postsynapse, nature of which defines the basic unit of internal sensation – namely, the semblion. In neuronal networks that undergo continuous oscillatory activity at certain levels of their organization re-activation of functional LINKs is expected to induce semblions, enabling the system to continuously learn, self-organize, and demonstrate instantiation, features that can be utilized for developing artificial intelligence (AI). This paper also explains suitability of the inter-postsynaptic functional LINKs to meet the expectations of Minsky’s K-lines, basic elements of a memory theory generated to develop AI and methods to replicate semblances outside the nervous system. PMID:21845180

MULTI: a shared memory approach to cooperative molecular modeling.

PubMed

Darden, T; Johnson, P; Smith, H

1991-03-01

A general purpose molecular modeling system, MULTI, based on the UNIX shared memory and semaphore facilities for interprocess communication is described. In addition to the normal querying or monitoring of geometric data, MULTI also provides processes for manipulating conformations, and for displaying peptide or nucleic acid ribbons, Connolly surfaces, close nonbonded contacts, crystal-symmetry related images, least-squares superpositions, and so forth. This paper outlines the basic techniques used in MULTI to ensure cooperation among these specialized processes, and then describes how they can work together to provide a flexible modeling environment.

Attending to items in working memory: Evidence that refreshing and memory search are closely related

PubMed Central

Vergauwe, Evie; Cowan, Nelson

2014-01-01

Refreshing refers to the use of attention to reactivate items in working memory (WM). The current study aims at testing the hypothesis that refreshing is closely related to memory search. The assumption is that refreshing and memory search both rely on a basic covert memory process that quickly retrieves the memory items into the focus of attention, thereby reactivating the information (Cowan, 1992; Vergauwe & Cowan, 2014). Consistent with the idea that people use their attention to prevent loss from WM, previous research has shown that increasing the proportion of time during which attention is occupied by concurrent processing, thereby preventing refreshing, results in poorer recall performance in complex span tasks (Barrouillet, Portrat, & Camos, 2011). Here, we tested whether recall performance is differentially affected by prolonged attentional capture caused by memory search. If memory search and refreshing both rely on retrieval from WM, then prolonged attentional capture caused by memory search should not lead to forgetting because memory items are assumed to be reactivated during memory search, in the same way as they would if that period of time were to be used for refreshing. Consistent with this idea, prolonged attentional capture had a disruptive effect when it was caused by the need to retrieve knowledge from long-term memory but not when it was caused by the need to search through the content of WM. The current results support the idea that refreshing operates through a process of retrieval of information into the focus of attention. PMID:25361821

Hybrid quantum processors: molecular ensembles as quantum memory for solid state circuits.

PubMed

Rabl, P; DeMille, D; Doyle, J M; Lukin, M D; Schoelkopf, R J; Zoller, P

2006-07-21

We investigate a hybrid quantum circuit where ensembles of cold polar molecules serve as long-lived quantum memories and optical interfaces for solid state quantum processors. The quantum memory realized by collective spin states (ensemble qubit) is coupled to a high-Q stripline cavity via microwave Raman processes. We show that, for convenient trap-surface distances of a few microm, strong coupling between the cavity and ensemble qubit can be achieved. We discuss basic quantum information protocols, including a swap from the cavity photon bus to the molecular quantum memory, and a deterministic two qubit gate. Finally, we investigate coherence properties of molecular ensemble quantum bits.

Detailed Design and Implementation of a Multiprogramming Operating System for Sixteen-Bit Microprocessors.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

4 Multiuser Support ...... .......... 11-5 User Interface . .. .. ................ .. 11- 7 Inter -user Communications ................ 11- 7 Memory...user will greatly help facilitate the learning process. Inter -User Communication The inter -user communications of the operating system can be done using... inter -user communications would be met by using one or both of them. AMemory and File Management Memory and file management is concerned with four basic

Basic Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Self-Appraisals in PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

autobiographical memories associated with success and self- efficacy. In the Control condition, participants recalled any three personally significant memories ...less recruitment in areas associated with the construction of autobiographical memories . In particular, OEF/OIF veterans appears to show...AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-13-2-0021 TITLE: Basic Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Self-Appraisals in PTSD PRINCIPAL

Electrophysiological correlates of the retention of tones differing in timbre in auditory short-term memory.

PubMed

Nolden, Sophie; Bermudez, Patrick; Alunni-Menichini, Kristelle; Lefebvre, Christine; Grimault, Stephan; Jolicoeur, Pierre

2013-11-01

We examined the electrophysiological correlates of retention in auditory short-term memory (ASTM) for sequences of one, two, or three tones differing in timbre but having the same pitch. We focused on event-related potentials (ERPs) during the retention interval and revealed a sustained fronto-central ERP component (most likely a sustained anterior negativity; SAN) that became more negative as memory load increased. Our results are consistent with recent ERP studies on the retention of pitch and suggest that the SAN reflects brain activity mediating the low-level retention of basic acoustic features in ASTM. The present work shows that the retention of timbre shares common features with the retention of pitch, hence supporting the notion that the retention of basic sensory features is an active process that recruits modality-specific brain areas. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Working Memory in Students with Mathematical Difficulties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nur, I. R. D.; Herman, T.; Ningsih, S.

2018-04-01

Learning process is the activities that has important role because this process is one of the all factors that establish students success in learning. oftentimes we find so many students get the difficulties when they study mathematics. This condition is not only because of the outside factor but also it comes from the inside. The purpose of this research is to analyze and give the representation how students working memory happened in physical education students for basic statistics subjects which have mathematical difficulties. The subjects are 4 students which have a mathematical difficulties. The research method is case study and when the describe about students working memory are explanated deeply with naturalistic observation. Based on this research, it was founded that 4 students have a working memory deficit in three components. The components are phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, dan episodic buffer.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braiman, Yehuda; Neschke, Brendan; Nair, Niketh S.

Here, we study memory states of a circuit consisting of a small inductively coupled Josephson junction array and introduce basic (write, read, and reset) memory operations logics of the circuit. The presented memory operation paradigm is fundamentally different from conventional single quantum flux operation logics. We calculate stability diagrams of the zero-voltage states and outline memory states of the circuit. We also calculate access times and access energies for basic memory operations.

Genetic control of adult neurogenesis: interplay of differentiation, proliferation and survival modulates new neurons function, and memory circuits

PubMed Central

Tirone, Felice; Farioli-Vecchioli, Stefano; Micheli, Laura; Ceccarelli, Manuela; Leonardi, Luca

2013-01-01

Within the hippocampal circuitry, the basic function of the dentate gyrus is to transform the memory input coming from the enthorinal cortex into sparse and categorized outputs to CA3, in this way separating related memory information. New neurons generated in the dentate gyrus during adulthood appear to facilitate this process, allowing a better separation between closely spaced memories (pattern separation). The evidence underlying this model has been gathered essentially by ablating the newly adult-generated neurons. This approach, however, does not allow monitoring of the integration of new neurons into memory circuits and is likely to set in motion compensatory circuits, possibly leading to an underestimation of the role of new neurons. Here we review the background of the basic function of the hippocampus and of the known properties of new adult-generated neurons. In this context, we analyze the cognitive performance in mouse models generated by us and others, with modified expression of the genes Btg2 (PC3/Tis21), Btg1, Pten, BMP4, etc., where new neurons underwent a change in their differentiation rate or a partial decrease of their proliferation or survival rate rather than ablation. The effects of these modifications are equal or greater than full ablation, suggesting that the architecture of circuits, as it unfolds from the interaction between existing and new neurons, can have a greater functional impact than the sheer number of new neurons. We propose a model which attempts to measure and correlate the set of cellular changes in the process of neurogenesis with the memory function. PMID:23734097

Neuroanatomy of episodic and semantic memory in humans: a brief review of neuroimaging studies.

PubMed

García-Lázaro, Haydée G; Ramirez-Carmona, Rocio; Lara-Romero, Ruben; Roldan-Valadez, Ernesto

2012-01-01

One of the most basic functions in every individual and species is memory. Memory is the process by which information is saved as knowledge and retained for further use as needed. Learning is a neurobiological phenomenon by which we acquire certain information from the outside world and is a precursor to memory. Memory consists of the capacity to encode, store, consolidate, and retrieve information. Recently, memory has been defined as a network of connections whose function is primarily to facilitate the long-lasting persistence of learned environmental cues. In this review, we present a brief description of the current classifications of memory networks with a focus on episodic memory and its anatomical substrate. We also present a brief review of the anatomical basis of memory systems and the most commonly used neuroimaging methods to assess memory, illustrated with magnetic resonance imaging images depicting the hippocampus, temporal lobe, and hippocampal formation, which are the main brain structures participating in memory networks.

Preliminary basic performance analysis of the Cedar multiprocessor memory system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallivan, K.; Jalby, W.; Turner, S.; Veidenbaum, A.; Wijshoff, H.

1991-01-01

Some preliminary basic results on the performance of the Cedar multiprocessor memory system are presented. Empirical results are presented and used to calibrate a memory system simulator which is then used to discuss the scalability of the system.

Revisiting the Relations between the WJ-IV Measures of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Cognitive Abilities and Reading Achievement during the School-Age Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cormier, Damien C.; McGrew, Kevin S.; Bulut, Okan; Funamoto, Allyson

2017-01-01

This study examined associations between broad cognitive abilities (Fluid Reasoning [Gf], Short-Term Working Memory [Gwm], Long-Term Storage and Retrieval [Glr], Processing Speed [Gs], Comprehension-Knowledge [Gc], Visual Processing [Gv], and Auditory Processing [Ga]) and reading achievement (Basic Reading Skills, Reading Rate, Reading Fluency,…

Memory as the "whole brain work": a large-scale model based on "oscillations in super-synergy".

PubMed

Başar, Erol

2005-01-01

According to recent trends, memory depends on several brain structures working in concert across many levels of neural organization; "memory is a constant work-in progress." The proposition of a brain theory based on super-synergy in neural populations is most pertinent for the understanding of this constant work in progress. This report introduces a new model on memory basing on the processes of EEG oscillations and Brain Dynamics. This model is shaped by the following conceptual and experimental steps: 1. The machineries of super-synergy in the whole brain are responsible for formation of sensory-cognitive percepts. 2. The expression "dynamic memory" is used for memory processes that evoke relevant changes in alpha, gamma, theta and delta activities. The concerted action of distributed multiple oscillatory processes provides a major key for understanding of distributed memory. It comprehends also the phyletic memory and reflexes. 3. The evolving memory, which incorporates reciprocal actions or reverberations in the APLR alliance and during working memory processes, is especially emphasized. 4. A new model related to "hierarchy of memories as a continuum" is introduced. 5. The notions of "longer activated memory" and "persistent memory" are proposed instead of long-term memory. 6. The new analysis to recognize faces emphasizes the importance of EEG oscillations in neurophysiology and Gestalt analysis. 7. The proposed basic framework called "Memory in the Whole Brain Work" emphasizes that memory and all brain functions are inseparable and are acting as a "whole" in the whole brain. 8. The role of genetic factors is fundamental in living system settings and oscillations and accordingly in memory, according to recent publications. 9. A link from the "whole brain" to "whole body," and incorporation of vegetative and neurological system, is proposed, EEG oscillations and ultraslow oscillations being a control parameter.

Ensemble coding remains accurate under object and spatial visual working memory load.

PubMed

Epstein, Michael L; Emmanouil, Tatiana A

2017-10-01

A number of studies have provided evidence that the visual system statistically summarizes large amounts of information that would exceed the limitations of attention and working memory (ensemble coding). However the necessity of working memory resources for ensemble coding has not yet been tested directly. In the current study, we used a dual task design to test the effect of object and spatial visual working memory load on size averaging accuracy. In Experiment 1, we tested participants' accuracy in comparing the mean size of two sets under various levels of object visual working memory load. Although the accuracy of average size judgments depended on the difference in mean size between the two sets, we found no effect of working memory load. In Experiment 2, we tested the same average size judgment while participants were under spatial visual working memory load, again finding no effect of load on averaging accuracy. Overall our results reveal that ensemble coding can proceed unimpeded and highly accurately under both object and spatial visual working memory load, providing further evidence that ensemble coding reflects a basic perceptual process distinct from that of individual object processing.

Individual Differences in Algebraic Cognition: Relation to the Approximate Number and Sematic Memory Systems

PubMed Central

Geary, David C.; Hoard, Mary K.; Nugent, Lara; Rouder, Jeffrey N.

2015-01-01

The relation between performance on measures of algebraic cognition and acuity of the approximate number system (ANS) and memory for addition facts was assessed for 171 (92 girls) 9th graders, controlling parental education, sex, reading achievement, speed of numeral processing, fluency of symbolic number processing, intelligence, and the central executive component of working memory. The algebraic tasks assessed accuracy in placing x,y pairs in the coordinate plane, speed and accuracy of expression evaluation, and schema memory for algebra equations. ANS acuity was related to accuracy of placements in the coordinate plane and expression evaluation, but not schema memory. Frequency of fact-retrieval errors was related to schema memory but not coordinate plane or expression evaluation accuracy. The results suggest the ANS may contribute to or is influenced by spatial-numerical and numerical only quantity judgments in algebraic contexts, whereas difficulties in committing addition facts to long-term memory may presage slow formation of memories for the basic structure of algebra equations. More generally, the results suggest different brain and cognitive systems are engaged during the learning of different components of algebraic competence, controlling demographic and domain general abilities. PMID:26255604

Mood, motivation, and misinformation: aging and affective state influences on memory.

PubMed

Hess, Thomas M; Popham, Lauren E; Emery, Lisa; Elliott, Tonya

2012-01-01

Normative age differences in memory have typically been attributed to declines in basic cognitive and cortical mechanisms. The present study examined the degree to which dominant everyday affect might also be associated with age-related memory errors using the misinformation paradigm. Younger and older adults viewed a positive and a negative event, and then were exposed to misinformation about each event. Older adults exhibited a higher likelihood than young adults of falsely identifying misinformation as having occurred in the events. Consistent with expectations, strength of the misinformation effect was positively associated with dominant mood, and controlling for mood eliminated any age effects. Also, motivation to engage in complex cognitive activity was negatively associated with susceptibility to misinformation, and susceptibility was stronger for negative than for positive events. We argue that motivational processes underlie all of the observed effects, and that such processes are useful in understanding age differences in memory performance.

Mood, motivation, and misinformation: Aging and affective state influences on memory

PubMed Central

Hess, Thomas M.; Popham, Lauren E.; Emery, Lisa; Elliott, Tonya

2014-01-01

Normative age differences in memory have typically been attributed to declines in basic cognitive and cortical mechanisms. The present study examined the degree to which dominant everyday affect might also be associated with age-related memory errors using the misinformation paradigm. Younger and older adults viewed a positive and a negative event, and then were exposed to misinformation about each event. Older adults exhibited a higher likelihood than young adults of falsely identifying misinformation as having occurred in the events. Consistent with expectations, strength of the misinformation effect was positively associated with dominant mood, and controlling for mood eliminated any age effects. Also, motivation to engage in complex cognitive activity was negatively associated with susceptibility to misinformation, and susceptibility was stronger for negative than for positive events. We argue that motivational processes underlie all of the observed effects, and that such processes are useful in understanding age differences in memory performance. PMID:22059441

Emotional Intelligence: A Theoretical Framework for Individual Differences in Affective Forecasting

PubMed Central

Hoerger, Michael; Chapman, Benjamin P.; Epstein, Ronald M.; Duberstein, Paul R.

2011-01-01

Only recently have researchers begun to examine individual differences in affective forecasting. The present investigation was designed to make a theoretical contribution to this emerging literature by examining the role of emotional intelligence in affective forecasting. Emotional intelligence was hypothesized to be associated with affective forecasting accuracy, memory for emotional reactions, and subsequent improvement on an affective forecasting task involving emotionally-evocative pictures. Results from two studies (N = 511) supported our hypotheses. Emotional intelligence was associated with accuracy in predicting, encoding, and consolidating emotional reactions. Furthermore, emotional intelligence was associated with greater improvement on a second affective forecasting task, with the relationship explained by basic memory processes. Implications for future research on basic and applied decision making are discussed. PMID:22251053

Emotional intelligence: a theoretical framework for individual differences in affective forecasting.

PubMed

Hoerger, Michael; Chapman, Benjamin P; Epstein, Ronald M; Duberstein, Paul R

2012-08-01

Only recently have researchers begun to examine individual differences in affective forecasting. The present investigation was designed to make a theoretical contribution to this emerging literature by examining the role of emotional intelligence in affective forecasting. Emotional intelligence was hypothesized to be associated with affective forecasting accuracy, memory for emotional reactions, and subsequent improvement on an affective forecasting task involving emotionally evocative pictures. Results from two studies (N = 511) supported our hypotheses. Emotional intelligence was associated with accuracy in predicting, encoding, and consolidating emotional reactions. Furthermore, emotional intelligence was associated with greater improvement on a second affective forecasting task, with the relationship explained by basic memory processes. Implications for future research on basic and applied decision making are discussed.

Neuroanatomic organization of sound memory in humans.

PubMed

Kraut, Michael A; Pitcock, Jeffery A; Calhoun, Vince; Li, Juan; Freeman, Thomas; Hart, John

2006-11-01

The neural interface between sensory perception and memory is a central issue in neuroscience, particularly initial memory organization following perceptual analyses. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify anatomic regions extracting initial auditory semantic memory information related to environmental sounds. Two distinct anatomic foci were detected in the right superior temporal gyrus when subjects identified sounds representing either animals or threatening items. Threatening animal stimuli elicited signal changes in both foci, suggesting a distributed neural representation. Our results demonstrate both category- and feature-specific responses to nonverbal sounds in early stages of extracting semantic memory information from these sounds. This organization allows for these category-feature detection nodes to extract early, semantic memory information for efficient processing of transient sound stimuli. Neural regions selective for threatening sounds are similar to those of nonhuman primates, demonstrating semantic memory organization for basic biological/survival primitives are present across species.

Mathematics anxiety affects counting but not subitizing during visual enumeration.

PubMed

Maloney, Erin A; Risko, Evan F; Ansari, Daniel; Fugelsang, Jonathan

2010-02-01

Individuals with mathematics anxiety have been found to differ from their non-anxious peers on measures of higher-level mathematical processes, but not simple arithmetic. The current paper examines differences between mathematics anxious and non-mathematics anxious individuals in more basic numerical processing using a visual enumeration task. This task allows for the assessment of two systems of basic number processing: subitizing and counting. Mathematics anxious individuals, relative to non-mathematics anxious individuals, showed a deficit in the counting but not in the subitizing range. Furthermore, working memory was found to mediate this group difference. These findings demonstrate that the problems associated with mathematics anxiety exist at a level more basic than would be predicted from the extant literature. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cell-assembly coding in several memory processes.

PubMed

Sakurai, Y

1998-01-01

The present paper discusses why the cell assembly, i.e., an ensemble population of neurons with flexible functional connections, is a tenable view of the basic code for information processes in the brain. The main properties indicating the reality of cell-assembly coding are neurons overlaps among different assemblies and connection dynamics within and among the assemblies. The former can be detected as multiple functions of individual neurons in processing different kinds of information. Individual neurons appear to be involved in multiple information processes. The latter can be detected as changes of functional synaptic connections in processing different kinds of information. Correlations of activity among some of the recorded neurons appear to change in multiple information processes. Recent experiments have compared several different memory processes (tasks) and detected these two main properties, indicating cell-assembly coding of memory in the working brain. The first experiment compared different types of processing of identical stimuli, i.e., working memory and reference memory of auditory stimuli. The second experiment compared identical processes of different types of stimuli, i.e., discriminations of simple auditory, simple visual, and configural auditory-visual stimuli. The third experiment compared identical processes of different types of stimuli with or without temporal processing of stimuli, i.e., discriminations of elemental auditory, configural auditory-visual, and sequential auditory-visual stimuli. Some possible features of the cell-assembly coding, especially "dual coding" by individual neurons and cell assemblies, are discussed for future experimental approaches. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Basic Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Self-Appraisals in PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

Control condition. In the High Self Efficacy condition, individuals were asked to recall three autobiographical memories associated with success and......DATE 2. REPORT TYPE Annual 3. DATES COVERED 15 JAN 2013-14 JAN 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Basic Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Self

Working Memory: Maintenance, Updating, and the Realization of Intentions

PubMed Central

Nyberg, Lars; Eriksson, Johan

2016-01-01

“Working memory” refers to a vast set of mnemonic processes and associated brain networks, relates to basic intellectual abilities, and underlies many real-world functions. Working-memory maintenance involves frontoparietal regions and distributed representational areas, and can be based on persistent activity in reentrant loops, synchronous oscillations, or changes in synaptic strength. Manipulation of content of working memory depends on the dorsofrontal cortex, and updating is realized by a frontostriatal ‘“gating” function. Goals and intentions are represented as cognitive and motivational contexts in the rostrofrontal cortex. Different working-memory networks are linked via associative reinforcement-learning mechanisms into a self-organizing system. Normal capacity variation, as well as working-memory deficits, can largely be accounted for by the effectiveness and integrity of the basal ganglia and dopaminergic neurotransmission. PMID:26637287

The many faces of amnesia.

PubMed

Gold, Paul E

2006-01-01

Results from studies of retrograde amnesia provide much of the evidence for theories of memory consolidation. Retrograde amnesia gradients are often interpreted as revealing the time needed for the formation of long-term memories. The rapid forgetting observed after many amnestic treatments, including protein synthesis inhibitors, and the parallel decay seen in long-term potentiation experiments are presumed to reveal the duration of short-term memory processing. However, there is clear and consistent evidence that the time courses obtained in these amnesia experiments are highly variable within and across experiments and treatments. The evidence is inconsistent with identification of basic temporal properties of memory consolidation. Alternative views include modulation of memory and emphasize the roles that hormones and neurotransmitters have in regulating memory formation. Of related interest, converging lines of evidence suggest that inhibitors of protein synthesis and of other biochemical processes act on modulators of memory formation rather than on mechanisms of memory formation. Based on these findings, memory consolidation and reconsolidation studies might better be identified as memory modulation and "remodulation" studies. Beyond a missing and perhaps unattainable time constant of memory consolidation, some current views of memory consolidation assume that memories, once formed, are generally unmodifiable. It is this perspective that appears to have led to the recent interest in memory reconsolidation. But the view adopted here is that memories are continually malleable, being updated by new experiences and, at the same time, altering the memories of later experiences. Studies of memory remodulation offer promise of understanding the neurobiological bases by which new memories are altered by prior experiences and by which old memories are altered by new experiences.

A Nexus Model of the Temporal-Parietal Junction

PubMed Central

Carter, R. McKell; Huettel, Scott A.

2013-01-01

The temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) has been proposed to support either specifically social functions or non-specific processes of cognition like memory and attention. To account for diverse prior findings, we propose a Nexus Model for TPJ function: overlap of basic processes produces novel secondary functions at their convergence. We present meta-analytic evidence that is consistent with the anatomical convergence of attention, memory, language, and social processing in the TPJ – leading to a higher-order role in the creation of a social context for behavior. The Nexus Model accounts for recent examples of TPJ contributions specifically to decision making in a social context, and it provides a potential reconciliation for competing claims about TPJ function. PMID:23790322

Why Narrating Changes Memory: A Contribution to an Integrative Model of Memory and Narrative Processes.

PubMed

Smorti, Andrea; Fioretti, Chiara

2016-06-01

This paper aims to reflect on the relation between autobiographical memory (ME) and autobiographical narrative (NA), examining studies on the effects of narrating on the narrator and showing how studying these relations can make more comprehensible both memory's and narrating's way of working. Studies that address explicitly on ME and NA are scarce and touch this issue indirectly. Authors consider different trends of studies of ME and NA: congruency vs incongruency hypotheses on retrieving, the way of organizing memories according to gist or verbatim format and their role in organizing positive and negative emotional experiences, the social roots of ME and NA, the rules of conversation based on narrating. Analysis of investigations leads the Authors to point out three basic results of their research. Firstly, NA transforms ME because it narrativizes memories according to a narrative format. This means that memories, when are narrated, are transformed in stories (verbal language) and socialised. Secondly, the narrativization process is determined by the act of telling something within a communicative situation. Thus, relational situation of narrating act, by modifying the story, modifies also memories. The Authors propose the RE.NA.ME model (RElation, NArration, MEmory) to understand and study ME and NA. Finally, this study claims that ME and NA refer to two different types of processes having a wide area of overlapping. This is due to common social, developmental and cultural roots that make NA to include part of ME (narrative of memory) and ME to include part of NA (memory of personal events that have been narrated).

A Distributed Operating System for BMD Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

Defense) applications executing on distributed hardware with local and shared memories. The objective was to develop real - time operating system functions...make the Basic Real - Time Operating System , and the set of new EPL language primitives that provide BMD application processes with efficient mechanisms

Interactions between spontaneous instantiations to the basic level and post-event suggestions.

PubMed

Pansky, Ainat; Tenenboim, Einat

2011-11-01

Extensive research shows that post-event suggestions can distort the memory for a target event. In this study we examined the effect of such suggestions as they interact with the products of a spontaneous memory process: instantiation of abstract information to an intermediate level of abstractness, the basic level (Pansky & Koriat, 2004 ). Participants read a narrative containing items presented at the superordinate level (e.g., FRUIT), were exposed to suggestions that referred to these items at the basic level (e.g., APPLE), and were finally asked to recall the original items. We found that the tendency to instantiate spontaneously in the control (non-misleading) condition, particularly over time, increased following exposure to suggestions that were likely to coincide with those instantiations. Exposure to such suggestions, either immediately or following a 24-hour delay, reduced subsequent correct recall of the original items only if the suggested information coincided with the information one tends to instantiate spontaneously in a given context. Suggestibility, in this case, was particularly pronounced and phenomenologically compelling in terms of remember/know judgements. The findings are taken to imply that effects of post-event suggestions can be understood in terms of the constructive processes that set the stage for their occurrence.

Reprint of: Semantic impairment disrupts perception, memory, and naming of secondary but not primary colours.

PubMed

Rogers, Timothy T; Graham, Kim S; Patterson, Karalyn

2015-09-01

To investigate how basic aspects of perception are shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, we assessed colour perception and cognition in patients with semantic dementia (SD), a disorder that progressively erodes conceptual knowledge. We observed a previously undocumented pattern of impairment to colour perception and cognition characterized by: (i) a normal ability to discriminate between only subtly different colours but an impaired ability to group different colours into categories, (ii) normal perception and memory for the colours red, green, and blue but impaired perception and memory for colours lying between these regions of a fully-saturated and luminant spectrum, and (iii) normal naming of polar colours in the opponent-process colour system (red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black) but impaired naming of other basic colours (brown, gray, pink, and orange). The results suggest that fundamental aspects of perception can be shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, but only within limits. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Semantic impairment disrupts perception, memory, and naming of secondary but not primary colours.

PubMed Central

Rogers, Timothy T.; Graham, Kim S.; Patterson, Karalyn

2015-01-01

To investigate how basic aspects of perception are shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, we assessed colour perception and cognition in patients with semantic dementia (SD), a disorder that progressively erodes conceptual knowledge. We observed a previously undocumented pattern of impairment to colour perception and cognition characterized by: (i) a normal ability to discriminate between only subtly different colours but an impaired ability to group different colours into categories, (ii) normal perception and memory for the colours red, green, and blue but impaired perception and memory for colours lying between these regions of a fully-saturated and luminant spectrum, and (iii) normal naming of polar colours in the opponent-process colour system (red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black) but impaired naming of other basic colours (brown, gray, pink, and orange). The results suggest that fundamental aspects of perception can be shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, but only within limits. PMID:25637227

Semantic impairment disrupts perception, memory, and naming of secondary but not primary colours.

PubMed

Rogers, Timothy T; Graham, Kim S; Patterson, Karalyn

2015-04-01

To investigate how basic aspects of perception are shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, we assessed colour perception and cognition in patients with semantic dementia (SD), a disorder that progressively erodes conceptual knowledge. We observed a previously undocumented pattern of impairment to colour perception and cognition characterized by: (i) a normal ability to discriminate between only subtly different colours but an impaired ability to group different colours into categories, (ii) normal perception and memory for the colours red, green, and blue but impaired perception and memory for colours lying between these regions of a fully-saturated and luminant spectrum, and (iii) normal naming of polar colours in the opponent-process colour system (red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black) but impaired naming of other basic colours (brown, gray, pink, and orange). The results suggest that fundamental aspects of perception can be shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, but only within limits. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Developmental dyscalculia and basic numerical capacities: a study of 8-9-year-old students.

PubMed

Landerl, Karin; Bevan, Anna; Butterworth, Brian

2004-09-01

Thirty-one 8- and 9-year-old children selected for dyscalculia, reading difficulties or both, were compared to controls on a range of basic number processing tasks. Children with dyscalculia only had impaired performance on the tasks despite high-average performance on tests of IQ, vocabulary and working memory tasks. Children with reading disability were mildly impaired only on tasks that involved articulation, while children with both disorders showed a pattern of numerical disability similar to that of the dyscalculic group, with no special features consequent on their reading or language deficits. We conclude that dyscalculia is the result of specific disabilities in basic numerical processing, rather than the consequence of deficits in other cognitive abilities.

Working memory deficits in developmental dyscalculia: The importance of serial order.

PubMed

Attout, Lucie; Majerus, Steve

2015-01-01

Although a number of studies suggests a link between working memory (WM) storage capacity of short-term memory and calculation abilities, the nature of verbal WM deficits in children with developmental dyscalculia (DD) remains poorly understood. We explored verbal WM capacity in DD by focusing on the distinction between memory for item information (the items to be retained) and memory for order information (the order of the items within a list). We hypothesized that WM for order could be specifically related to impaired numerical abilities given that recent studies suggest close interactions between the representation of order information in WM and ordinal numerical processing. We investigated item and order WM abilities as well as basic numerical processing abilities in 16 children with DD (age: 8-11 years) and 16 typically developing children matched on age, IQ, and reading abilities. The DD group performed significantly poorer than controls in the order WM condition but not in the item WM condition. In addition, the DD group performed significantly slower than the control group on a numerical order judgment task. The present results show significantly reduced serial order WM abilities in DD coupled with less efficient numerical ordinal processing abilities, reflecting more general difficulties in explicit processing of ordinal information.

What kind of memory has evolution wrought? Introductory article for the special issue of memory: adaptive memory: the emergence and nature of proximate mechanisms.

PubMed

Otgaar, Henry; Howe, Mark L

2014-01-01

It is without question that our memory system evolved through a process of natural selection. However, basic research into the evolutionary foundations of memory has begun in earnest only recently. This is quite peculiar as the majority, perhaps even all, of memory research relates to whether memory is adaptive or not. In this Special Issue of Memory we have assembled a variety of papers that represent the cutting edge in research on the evolution of memory. These papers are centred on issues about the ultimate and proximate explanations of memory, the development of the adaptive functions of memory, as well as the positive consequences that arise from the current evolutionary form that our memory has taken. In this introductory article we briefly outline these different areas and indicate why they are vital for a more complete theory of memory. Further we argue that, by adopting a more applied stance in the area of the evolution of memory, one of the many future directions in this field could be a new branch of psychology that addresses questions in evolutionary legal psychology.

Individual differences in algebraic cognition: Relation to the approximate number and semantic memory systems.

PubMed

Geary, David C; Hoard, Mary K; Nugent, Lara; Rouder, Jeffrey N

2015-12-01

The relation between performance on measures of algebraic cognition and acuity of the approximate number system (ANS) and memory for addition facts was assessed for 171 ninth graders (92 girls) while controlling for parental education, sex, reading achievement, speed of numeral processing, fluency of symbolic number processing, intelligence, and the central executive component of working memory. The algebraic tasks assessed accuracy in placing x,y pairs in the coordinate plane, speed and accuracy of expression evaluation, and schema memory for algebra equations. ANS acuity was related to accuracy of placements in the coordinate plane and expression evaluation but not to schema memory. Frequency of fact retrieval errors was related to schema memory but not to coordinate plane or expression evaluation accuracy. The results suggest that the ANS may contribute to or be influenced by spatial-numerical and numerical-only quantity judgments in algebraic contexts, whereas difficulties in committing addition facts to long-term memory may presage slow formation of memories for the basic structure of algebra equations. More generally, the results suggest that different brain and cognitive systems are engaged during the learning of different components of algebraic competence while controlling for demographic and domain general abilities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of basic and social cognition between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

PubMed

Fiszdon, Joanna M; Richardson, Randall; Greig, Tamasine; Bell, Morris D

2007-03-01

We compared basic and social cognition in individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. 199 individuals with schizophrenia and 73 with schizoaffective disorder were compared on measures of executive function, verbal and nonverbal memory, and processing speed, as well as two measures of social cognition, the Hinting Task and the Bell Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task. The samples did not differ significantly on the basic cognitive measures, however individuals with schizoaffective disorder performed significantly better than those with schizophrenia on the Hinting Task, a measure of Theory of Mind. Results provide limited support for a taxonomic distinction between the two disorders.

Short-Term Free Recall and Sequential Memory for Pictures and Words: A Simultaneous-Successive Processing Interpretation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randhawa, Bikkar S.; And Others

1982-01-01

Replications of two basic experiments in support of the dual-coding processing model with grade 10 and college subjects used pictures, concrete words, and abstract words as stimuli presented at fast and slow rates for immediate and sequential recall. Results seem to be consistent with predictions of simultaneous-successive cognitive theory. (MBR)

Differential Effects of Alcohol on Working Memory: Distinguishing Multiple Processes

PubMed Central

Saults, J. Scott; Cowan, Nelson; Sher, Kenneth J.; Moreno, Matthew V.

2008-01-01

We assessed effects of alcohol consumption on different types of working memory (WM) tasks in an attempt to characterize the nature of alcohol effects on cognition. The WM tasks varied in two properties of materials to be retained in a two-stimulus comparison procedure. Conditions included (1) spatial arrays of colors, (2) temporal sequences of colors, (3) spatial arrays of spoken digits, and (4) temporal sequences of spoken digits. Alcohol consumption impaired memory for auditory and visual sequences, but not memory for simultaneous arrays of auditory or visual stimuli. These results suggest that processes needed to encode and maintain stimulus sequences, such as rehearsal, are more sensitive to alcohol intoxication than other WM mechanisms needed to maintain multiple concurrent items, such as focusing attention on them. These findings help to resolve disparate findings from prior research into alcohol’s effect on WM and on divided attention. The results suggest that moderate doses of alcohol impair WM by affecting certain mnemonic strategies and executive processes rather than by shrinking the basic holding capacity of WM. PMID:18179311

Differential contributions of executive and episodic memory functions to problem solving in younger and older adults.

PubMed

Vandermorris, Susan; Sheldon, Signy; Winocur, Gordon; Moscovitch, Morris

2013-11-01

The relationship of higher order problem solving to basic neuropsychological processes likely depends on the type of problems to be solved. Well-defined problems (e.g., completing a series of errands) may rely primarily on executive functions. Conversely, ill-defined problems (e.g., navigating socially awkward situations) may, in addition, rely on medial temporal lobe (MTL) mediated episodic memory processes. Healthy young (N = 18; M = 19; SD = 1.3) and old (N = 18; M = 73; SD = 5.0) adults completed a battery of neuropsychological tests of executive and episodic memory function, and experimental tests of problem solving. Correlation analyses and age group comparisons demonstrated differential contributions of executive and autobiographical episodic memory function to well-defined and ill-defined problem solving and evidence for an episodic simulation mechanism underlying ill-defined problem solving efficacy. Findings are consistent with the emerging idea that MTL-mediated episodic simulation processes support the effective solution of ill-defined problems, over and above the contribution of frontally mediated executive functions. Implications for the development of intervention strategies that target preservation of functional independence in older adults are discussed.

Differential effects of alcohol on working memory: distinguishing multiple processes.

PubMed

Saults, J Scott; Cowan, Nelson; Sher, Kenneth J; Moreno, Matthew V

2007-12-01

The authors assessed effects of alcohol consumption on different types of working memory (WM) tasks in an attempt to characterize the nature of alcohol effects on cognition. The WM tasks varied in 2 properties of materials to be retained in a 2-stimulus comparison procedure. Conditions included (a) spatial arrays of colors, (b) temporal sequences of colors, (c) spatial arrays of spoken digits, and (d) temporal sequences of spoken digits. Alcohol consumption impaired memory for auditory and visual sequences but not memory for simultaneous arrays of auditory or visual stimuli. These results suggest that processes needed to encode and maintain stimulus sequences, such as rehearsal, are more sensitive to alcohol intoxication than other WM mechanisms needed to maintain multiple concurrent items, such as focusing attention on them. These findings help to resolve disparate findings from prior research on alcohol's effect on WM and on divided attention. The results suggest that moderate doses of alcohol impair WM by affecting certain mnemonic strategies and executive processes rather than by shrinking the basic holding capacity of WM. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

[Formula: see text]Working memory and attention in pediatric brain tumor patients treated with and without radiation therapy.

PubMed

Raghubar, Kimberly P; Mahone, E Mark; Yeates, Keith Owen; Cecil, Kim M; Makola, Monwabisi; Ris, M Douglas

2017-08-01

Children are at risk for cognitive difficulties following the diagnosis and treatment of a brain tumor. Longitudinal studies have consistently demonstrated declines on measures of intellectual functioning, and recently it has been proposed that specific neurocognitive processes underlie these changes, including working memory, processing speed, and attention. However, a fine-grained examination of the affected neurocognitive processes is required to inform intervention efforts. Radiation therapy (RT) impacts white matter integrity, likely affecting those cognitive processes supported by distributed neural networks. This study examined working memory and attention in children during the early delayed stages of recovery following surgical resection and RT. The participants included 27 children diagnosed with pediatric brain tumor, treated with (n = 12) or without (n = 15) RT, who completed experimental and standardized measures of working memory and attention (n-back and digit span tasks). Children treated with radiation performed less well than those who did not receive radiation on the n-back measure, though performance at the 0-back level was considerably poorer than would be expected for both groups, perhaps suggesting difficulties with more basic processes such as vigilance. Along these lines, marginal differences were noted on digit span forward. The findings are discussed with respect to models of attention and working memory, and the interplay between the two.

Enhancing exposure therapy for anxiety disorders with glucocorticoids: from basic mechanisms of emotional learning to clinical applications.

PubMed

Bentz, Dorothée; Michael, Tanja; de Quervain, Dominique J-F; Wilhelm, Frank H

2010-03-01

Current neurophysiological and psychological accounts view exposure therapy as the clinical analog of extinction learning that results in persistent modifications of the fear memory involved in the pathogenesis, symptomatology, and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Evidence from studies in animals and humans indicate that glucocorticoids have the potential to facilitate the processes that underlie extinction learning during exposure therapy. Particularly, glucocorticoids can restrict retrieval of previous aversive learning episodes and enhance consolidation of memory traces relating to non-fearful responding in feared situations. Thus, glucocorticoid treatment especially in combination with exposure therapy might be a promising approach to optimize treatment of anxiety disorders. This review examines the processes involved in aversive conditioning, fear learning and fear extinction, and how glucocorticoids might enhance restructuring of fear memories during therapy. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory

PubMed Central

Tyng, Chai M.; Amin, Hafeez U.; Saad, Mohamad N. M.; Malik, Aamir S.

2017-01-01

Emotion has a substantial influence on the cognitive processes in humans, including perception, attention, learning, memory, reasoning, and problem solving. Emotion has a particularly strong influence on attention, especially modulating the selectivity of attention as well as motivating action and behavior. This attentional and executive control is intimately linked to learning processes, as intrinsically limited attentional capacities are better focused on relevant information. Emotion also facilitates encoding and helps retrieval of information efficiently. However, the effects of emotion on learning and memory are not always univalent, as studies have reported that emotion either enhances or impairs learning and long-term memory (LTM) retention, depending on a range of factors. Recent neuroimaging findings have indicated that the amygdala and prefrontal cortex cooperate with the medial temporal lobe in an integrated manner that affords (i) the amygdala modulating memory consolidation; (ii) the prefrontal cortex mediating memory encoding and formation; and (iii) the hippocampus for successful learning and LTM retention. We also review the nested hierarchies of circular emotional control and cognitive regulation (bottom-up and top-down influences) within the brain to achieve optimal integration of emotional and cognitive processing. This review highlights a basic evolutionary approach to emotion to understand the effects of emotion on learning and memory and the functional roles played by various brain regions and their mutual interactions in relation to emotional processing. We also summarize the current state of knowledge on the impact of emotion on memory and map implications for educational settings. In addition to elucidating the memory-enhancing effects of emotion, neuroimaging findings extend our understanding of emotional influences on learning and memory processes; this knowledge may be useful for the design of effective educational curricula to provide a conducive learning environment for both traditional “live” learning in classrooms and “virtual” learning through online-based educational technologies. PMID:28883804

Retrieval Interference in Sentence Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Dyke, Julie A.; McElree, Brian

2006-01-01

The role of interference effects in sentence processing has recently begun to receive attention, however whether these effects arise during encoding or retrieval remains unclear. This paper draws on basic memory research to help distinguish these explanations and reports data from an experiment that manipulates the possibility for retrieval…

Information-Processing Correlates of Computer-Assisted Word Learning by Mentally Retarded Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conners, Frances A.; Detterman, Douglas K.

1987-01-01

Nineteen moderately/severely retarded students (ages 9-22) completed ten 15-minute computer-assisted instruction sessions and seven basic cognitive tasks measuring simple learning, choice reaction time, relearning, probed recall, stimulus discrimination, tachictoscopic threshold, and recognition memory. Stimulus discrimination, probed recall, and…

In search of memory tests equivalent for experiments on animals and humans.

PubMed

Brodziak, Andrzej; Kołat, Estera; Różyk-Myrta, Alicja

2014-12-19

Older people often exhibit memory impairments. Contemporary demographic trends cause aging of the society. In this situation, it is important to conduct clinical trials of drugs and use training methods to improve memory capacity. Development of new memory tests requires experiments on animals and then clinical trials in humans. Therefore, we decided to review the assessment methods and search for tests that evaluate analogous cognitive processes in animals and humans. This review has enabled us to propose 2 pairs of tests of the efficiency of working memory capacity in animals and humans. We propose a basic set of methods for complex clinical trials of drugs and training methods to improve memory, consisting of 2 pairs of tests: 1) the Novel Object Recognition Test - Sternberg Item Recognition Test and 2) the Object-Location Test - Visuospatial Memory Test. We postulate that further investigations of methods that are equivalent in animals experiments and observations performed on humans are necessary.

The illusion of the positive: the impact of natural and induced mood on older adults' false recall.

PubMed

Emery, Lisa; Hess, Thomas M; Elliot, Tonya

2012-11-01

Recent research suggests that affective and motivational processes can influence age differences in memory. In the current study, we examine the impact of both natural and induced mood state on age differences in false recall. Older and younger adults performed a version of the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM; Roediger & McDermott, 1995 , Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 21, 803) false memory paradigm in either their natural mood state or after a positive or negative mood induction. Results indicated that, after accounting for age differences in basic cognitive function, age-related differences in positive mood during the testing session were related to increased false recall in older adults. Inducing older adults into a positive mood also exacerbated age differences in false memory. In contrast, veridical recall did not appear to be systematically influenced by mood. Together, these results suggest that positive mood states can impact older adults' information processing and potentially increase underlying cognitive age differences.

Familiarity Breeds Attempts: A Critical Review of Dual-Process Theories of Recognition.

PubMed

Mandler, George

2008-09-01

Recognition memory and recall/recollection are the major divisions of the psychology of human memory. Theories of recognition have shifted from a "strength" approach to a dual-process view, which distinguishes between knowing that one has experienced an object before and knowing what it was. In this article, I discuss the history of this approach and the two processes of familiarity and recollection and locate their origin in pattern matching and organization. I evaluate various theories in terms of their basic requirements and their defining research and propose the extension of the original two process theory to domains such as pictorial recognition. Finally, I present the main phenomena that a dual-process theory of recognition must account for and discuss future needs and directions of research and development. © 2008 Association for Psychological Science.

Processes of Skill Performance: A Foundation for the Design and Use of Training Equipment

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

F. I. M., & Lockhart , R. S. Levels of processing : A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1972, 11. 671-784...knowledge regarding the basic processes , the kinds and levels of information to be sought in examining individual skills can be Identified. Analysis of...explaining what is involved In even the simple compass example would require analyses of cognitive processes that go far beyond the level of

Memory of Gender and Gait Direction from Biological Motion: Gender Fades Away but Directions Stay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poom, Leo

2012-01-01

The delayed discrimination methodology has been used to demonstrate a high-fidelity nondecaying visual short-term memory (VSTM) for so-called preattentive basic features. In the current Study, I show that the nondecaying high VSTM precision is not restricted to basic features by using the same method to measure memory precision for gait direction…

Neuropsychological basic deficits in preschoolers at risk for ADHD: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pauli-Pott, Ursula; Becker, Katja

2011-06-01

Widely accepted neuropsychological theories on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assume that the complex symptoms of the disease arise from developmentally preceding neuropsychological basic deficits. These deficits in executive functions and delay aversion are presumed to emerge in the preschool period. The corresponding normative developmental processes include phases of relative stability and rapid change. These non-linear developmental processes might have implications for concurrent and predictive associations between basic deficits and ADHD symptoms. To derive a description of the nature and strength of these associations, a meta-analysis was conducted. It is assumed that weighted mean effect sizes differ between basic deficits and depend on age. The meta-analysis included 25 articles (n=3005 children) in which associations between assessments of basic deficits (i.e. response inhibition, interference control, delay aversion, working memory, flexibility, and vigilance/arousal) in the preschool period and concurrent or subsequent ADHD symptoms or diagnosis of ADHD had been analyzed. For response inhibition and delay aversion, mean effect sizes were of medium to large magnitude while the mean effect size for working memory was small. Meta-regression analyses revealed that effect sizes of delay aversion tasks significantly decreased with increasing age while effect sizes of interference control tasks and Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) significantly increased. Depending on the normative maturational course of each skill, time windows might exist that allow for a more or less valid assessment of a specific deficit. In future research these time windows might help to describe early developing forms of ADHD and to identify children at risk. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mental Objects in Working Memory: Development of Basic Capacity or of Cognitive Completion?

PubMed Central

Cowan, Nelson

2018-01-01

Working memory is the small amount of information that we hold in mind and use to carry out cognitive processes such as language comprehension and production, problem-solving, and decision-making. In order to understand cognitive development, it would be helpful to know whether working memory increases in capacity with development and, if so, how and why. I will focus on two major stumbling blocks toward understanding working memory development, namely that (1) many potentially relevant aspects of the mind change in parallel during development, obscuring the role of any one change; and (2) one cannot use the same test procedure from infancy to adulthood, complicating comparisons across age groups. With regard to the first stumbling block, the parallel development of different aspects of the mind, we discuss research in which attempts were made to hold constant some factors (knowledge, strategies, direction of attention) to investigate whether developmental differences remain. With regard to the second stumbling block, procedural differences in tests at different age groups, I suggest ways in which the results might be reconciled across procedures. I highlight the value of pursuing research that could distinguish between two different key hypotheses that emerge: that there is a developmental increase in the number of working memory slots (or in a basic resource that holds items in working memory), and that there is a developmental increase in the amount of detail that each of these slots can hold. PMID:28215289

Mental Objects in Working Memory: Development of Basic Capacity or of Cognitive Completion?

PubMed

Cowan, N

2017-01-01

Working memory is the small amount of information that we hold in mind and use to carry out cognitive processes such as language comprehension and production, problem solving, and decision making. In order to understand cognitive development, it would be helpful to know whether working memory increases in capacity with development and, if so, how and why. I will focus on two major stumbling blocks toward understanding working memory development, namely that (1) many potentially relevant aspects of the mind change in parallel during development, obscuring the role of any one change; and (2) one cannot use the same test procedure from infancy to adulthood, complicating comparisons across age groups. With regard to the first stumbling block, the parallel development of different aspects of the mind, we discuss research in which attempts were made to hold constant some factors (knowledge, strategies, direction of attention) to investigate whether developmental differences remain. With regard to the second stumbling block, procedural differences in tests for different age groups, I suggest ways in which the results might be reconciled across procedures. I highlight the value of pursuing research that could distinguish between two different key hypotheses that emerge: that there is a developmental increase in the number of working memory slots (or in a basic resource that holds items in working memory), and that there is a developmental increase in the amount of detail that each of these slots can hold. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

29 CFR 825.500 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recordkeeping requirements. 825.500 Section 825.500 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OTHER LAWS THE FAMILY... maintained and preserved on microfilm or other basic source document of an automated data processing memory...

Contributions of Phonological Processing Skills to Reading Skills in Arabic Speaking Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taibah, Nadia J.; Haynes, Charles W.

2011-01-01

This cross-sectional study investigated contributions of phonological awareness (Elision and blending), rapid naming (object, color, letter, and digit), and phonological memory (nonword repetition and Digit Span) to basic decoding and fluency skills in Arabic. Participants were 237 Arabic speaking children from Grades K-3. Dependent measures…

Enhancing Student Learning with Brain-Based Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonnema, Ted R.

2009-01-01

This paper discusses brain-based learning and its relation to classroom instruction. A rapidly growing quantity of research currently exists regarding how the brain perceives, processes, and ultimately learns new information. In order to maximize their teaching efficacy, educators should have a basic understanding of key memory functions in the…

U.S. Army Research Institute Program in Basic Research FY 2005 and FY 2006

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

designed to tap different levels of processing-from visual attention (measured via eye-tracking) and interpretation through memory and decision-making (e.g...Test ( EFT ; Witkin, 1950; Witkin, Dyk, Faterson, Goodenough, & Karp, 1962) modified for group administration. It measures competence in perceptual field

Individual Differences in Dual Task Performance. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lansman, Marcy; Hunt, Earl

This report summarizes the research results and provides a reference. The basic question addressed was, "Is performance on multi-component tasks predicted by performance on the individual components performed separately?" In the first series of experiments, a dual task involving memory and verbal processing components to predict a…

Attention Performance in Young Adults with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterr, Annette M.

2004-01-01

Attention acts as the mind's "gatekeeper" by regulating and prioritizing the stimuli processed by the central nervous system. It is essential for cognitive performance, memory, and behavior, and we know that even slight deficiencies in attention compromise learning. Basic neuroscience research further indicates that attention consists of (fairly)…

Core neuropsychological characteristics of children and adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion.

PubMed

Jacobson, C; Shearer, J; Habel, A; Kane, F; Tsakanikos, E; Kravariti, E

2010-08-01

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS) confers high risk for intellectual disability and neuropsychological/academic impairment, although a minority of patients show average intelligence. Intellectual heterogeneity and the high prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses in earlier studies may have obscured the prototypical neuropsychological profile in 22qDS. We examined intelligence, memory, reading and mathematical processes in 31 children/adolescents with 22qDS, selected for educational underachievement and an absence of psychiatric diagnoses, using standardised, psychometrically matched instruments that specify how typical a score is for a given intelligence quotient (IQ). Corroborating earlier findings, verbal IQ was significantly superior to performance IQ; verbal memory and basic reading were relative strengths; and visual/spatial memory was a relative weakness. All four findings transcended performance characteristics that are typical of low-IQ individuals. Rote learning yielded the highest score; reading comprehension, numerical operations and mathematical reasoning were among the lowest-performed academic domains. Albeit in the expected direction, performance in the respective components could not be clearly differentiated from what is IQ-appropriate. A superiority of verbal intelligence over non-verbal intelligence, relative strengths in verbal memory and basic reading, and a relative weakness in visual/spatial memory are likely to be core characteristics of children/adolescents with 22qDS, transcending performance features that are typical of individuals with low IQ.

Effects of sleep on memory for conditioned fear and fear extinction

PubMed Central

Pace-Schott, Edward F.; Germain, Anne; Milad, Mohammed R.

2015-01-01

Learning and memory for extinction of conditioned fear is a basic mammalian mechanism for regulating negative emotion. Sleep promotes both the consolidation of memory and the regulation of emotion. Sleep can influence consolidation and modification of memories associated with both fear and its extinction. After brief overviews of the behavior and neural circuitry associated with fear conditioning, extinction learning and extinction memory in the rodent and human, interactions of sleep with these processes will be examined. Animal and human studies suggest that sleep can serve to consolidate both fear and extinction memory. In humans, sleep also promotes generalization of extinction memory. Time-of-day effects on extinction learning and generalization are also seen. REM may be a sleep stage of particular importance for the consolidation of both fear and extinction memory as evidenced by selective REM deprivation experiments. REM sleep is accompanied by selective activation of the same limbic structures implicated in the learning and memory of fear and extinction. Preliminary evidence also suggests extinction learning can take place during slow wave sleep. Study of low-level processes such as conditioning, extinction and habituation may allow sleep effects on emotional memory to be identified and inform study of sleep’s effects on more complex, emotionally salient declarative memories. Anxiety disorders are marked by impairments of both sleep and extinction memory. Improving sleep quality may ameliorate anxiety disorders by strengthening naturally acquired extinction. Strategically timed sleep may be used to enhance treatment of anxiety by strengthening therapeutic extinction learned via exposure therapy. PMID:25894546

Effects of sleep on memory for conditioned fear and fear extinction.

PubMed

Pace-Schott, Edward F; Germain, Anne; Milad, Mohammed R

2015-07-01

Learning and memory for extinction of conditioned fear is a basic mammalian mechanism for regulating negative emotion. Sleep promotes both the consolidation of memory and the regulation of emotion. Sleep can influence consolidation and modification of memories associated with both fear and its extinction. After brief overviews of the behavior and neural circuitry associated with fear conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction memory in the rodent and human, interactions of sleep with these processes will be examined. Animal and human studies suggest that sleep can serve to consolidate both fear and extinction memory. In humans, sleep also promotes generalization of extinction memory. Time-of-day effects on extinction learning and generalization are also seen. Rapid eye movement (REM) may be a sleep stage of particular importance for the consolidation of both fear and extinction memory as evidenced by selective REM deprivation experiments. REM sleep is accompanied by selective activation of the same limbic structures implicated in the learning and memory of fear and extinction. Preliminary evidence also suggests extinction learning can take place during slow wave sleep. Study of low-level processes such as conditioning, extinction, and habituation may allow sleep effects on emotional memory to be identified and inform study of sleep's effects on more complex, emotionally salient declarative memories. Anxiety disorders are marked by impairments of both sleep and extinction memory. Improving sleep quality may ameliorate anxiety disorders by strengthening naturally acquired extinction. Strategically timed sleep may be used to enhance treatment of anxiety by strengthening therapeutic extinction learned via exposure therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The posterior parietal cortex in recognition memory: a neuropsychological study.

PubMed

Haramati, Sharon; Soroker, Nachum; Dudai, Yadin; Levy, Daniel A

2008-01-01

Several recent functional neuroimaging studies have reported robust bilateral activation (L>R) in lateral posterior parietal cortex and precuneus during recognition memory retrieval tasks. It has not yet been determined what cognitive processes are represented by those activations. In order to examine whether parietal lobe-based processes are necessary for basic episodic recognition abilities, we tested a group of 17 first-incident CVA patients whose cortical damage included (but was not limited to) extensive unilateral posterior parietal lesions. These patients performed a series of tasks that yielded parietal activations in previous fMRI studies: yes/no recognition judgments on visual words and on colored object pictures and identifiable environmental sounds. We found that patients with left hemisphere lesions were not impaired compared to controls in any of the tasks. Patients with right hemisphere lesions were not significantly impaired in memory for visual words, but were impaired in recognition of object pictures and sounds. Two lesion--behavior analyses--area-based correlations and voxel-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM)---indicate that these impairments resulted from extra-parietal damage, specifically to frontal and lateral temporal areas. These findings suggest that extensive parietal damage does not impair recognition performance. We suggest that parietal activations recorded during recognition memory tasks might reflect peri-retrieval processes, such as the storage of retrieved memoranda in a working memory buffer for further cognitive processing.

More emotional facial expressions during episodic than during semantic autobiographical retrieval.

PubMed

El Haj, Mohamad; Antoine, Pascal; Nandrino, Jean Louis

2016-04-01

There is a substantial body of research on the relationship between emotion and autobiographical memory. Using facial analysis software, our study addressed this relationship by investigating basic emotional facial expressions that may be detected during autobiographical recall. Participants were asked to retrieve 3 autobiographical memories, each of which was triggered by one of the following cue words: happy, sad, and city. The autobiographical recall was analyzed by a software for facial analysis that detects and classifies basic emotional expressions. Analyses showed that emotional cues triggered the corresponding basic facial expressions (i.e., happy facial expression for memories cued by happy). Furthermore, we dissociated episodic and semantic retrieval, observing more emotional facial expressions during episodic than during semantic retrieval, regardless of the emotional valence of cues. Our study provides insight into facial expressions that are associated with emotional autobiographical memory. It also highlights an ecological tool to reveal physiological changes that are associated with emotion and memory.

[The Biology of Learning].

PubMed

Campo-Cabal, Gerardo

2012-01-01

The effort to relate mental and biological functioning has fluctuated between two doctrines: 1) an attempt to explain mental functioning as a collective property of the brain and 2) as one relatied to other mental processes associated with specific regions of the brain. The article reviews the main theories developed over the last 200 years: phrenology, the psuedo study of the brain, mass action, cellular connectionism and distributed processing among others. In addition, approaches have emerged in recent years that allows for an understanding of the biological determinants and individual differences in complex mental processes through what is called cognitive neuroscience. Knowing the definition of neuroscience, the learning of memory, the ways in which learning occurs, the principles of the neural basis of memory and learning and its effects on brain function, among other things, allows us the basic understanding of the processes of memory and learning and is an important requirement to address the best manner to commit to the of training future specialists in Psychiatry. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Pain-relief learning in flies, rats, and man: basic research and applied perspectives

PubMed Central

Gerber, Bertram; Yarali, Ayse; Diegelmann, Sören; Wotjak, Carsten T.; Pauli, Paul; Fendt, Markus

2014-01-01

Memories relating to a painful, negative event are adaptive and can be stored for a lifetime to support preemptive avoidance, escape, or attack behavior. However, under unfavorable circumstances such memories can become overwhelmingly powerful. They may trigger excessively negative psychological states and uncontrollable avoidance of locations, objects, or social interactions. It is therefore obvious that any process to counteract such effects will be of value. In this context, we stress from a basic-research perspective that painful, negative events are “Janus-faced” in the sense that there are actually two aspects about them that are worth remembering: What made them happen and what made them cease. We review published findings from fruit flies, rats, and man showing that both aspects, respectively related to the onset and the offset of the negative event, induce distinct and oppositely valenced memories: Stimuli experienced before an electric shock acquire negative valence as they signal upcoming punishment, whereas stimuli experienced after an electric shock acquire positive valence because of their association with the relieving cessation of pain. We discuss how memories for such punishment- and relief-learning are organized, how this organization fits into the threat-imminence model of defensive behavior, and what perspectives these considerations offer for applied psychology in the context of trauma, panic, and nonsuicidal self-injury. PMID:24643725

29 CFR 516.1 - Form of records; scope of regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Form of records; scope of regulations. 516.1 Section 516.1 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REGULATIONS... other basic source document of an automatic word or data processing memory provided that adequate...

Information-Theoretic Properties of Auditory Sequences Dynamically Influence Expectation and Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agres, Kat; Abdallah, Samer; Pearce, Marcus

2018-01-01

A basic function of cognition is to detect regularities in sensory input to facilitate the prediction and recognition of future events. It has been proposed that these implicit expectations arise from an internal predictive coding model, based on knowledge acquired through processes such as statistical learning, but it is unclear how different…

The role of rostral prefrontal cortex in prospective memory: a voxel-based lesion study.

PubMed

Volle, Emmanuelle; Gonen-Yaacovi, Gil; Costello, Angela de Lacy; Gilbert, Sam J; Burgess, Paul W

2011-07-01

Patients with lesions in rostral prefrontal cortex (PFC) often experience problems in everyday-life situations requiring multitasking. A key cognitive component that is critical in multitasking situations is prospective memory, defined as the ability to carry out an intended action after a delay period filled with unrelated activity. The few functional imaging studies investigating prospective memory have shown consistent activation in both medial and lateral rostral PFC but also in more posterior prefrontal regions and non-frontal regions. The aim of this study was to determine regions that are necessary for prospective memory performance, using the human lesion approach. We designed an experimental paradigm allowing us to assess time-based (remembering to do something at a particular time) and event-based (remembering to do something in a particular situation) prospective memory, using two types of material, words and pictures. Time estimation tasks and tasks controlling for basic attention, inhibition and multiple instructions processing were also administered. We examined brain-behaviour relationships with a voxelwise lesion method in 45 patients with focal brain lesions and 107 control subjects using this paradigm. The results showed that lesions in the right polar prefrontal region (in Brodmann area 10) were specifically associated with a deficit in time-based prospective memory tasks for both words and pictures. This deficit could not be explained by impairments in basic attention, detection, inhibition or multiple instruction processing, and there was also no deficit in event-based prospective memory conditions. In addition to their prospective memory difficulties, these polar prefrontal patients were significantly impaired in time estimation ability compared to other patients. The same region was found to be involved using both words and pictures, suggesting that right rostral PFC plays a material nonspecific role in prospective memory. This is the first lesion study showing that rostral PFC is crucial for time-based prospective memory. The findings suggest that time-based and event-based prospective memory might be supported at least in part by distinct brain regions. Two particularly plausible explanations for the deficit rest upon a possible role for polar prefrontal structures in supporting in time estimation, and/or in retrieving an intention to act. More broadly, the results are consistent with the view that the deficit of rostral patients in multitasking situations might at least in part be explained by a deficit in prospective memory. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slow-Theta-to-Gamma Phase–Amplitude Coupling in Human Hippocampus Supports the Formation of New Episodic Memories

PubMed Central

Lega, Bradley; Burke, John; Jacobs, Joshua; Kahana, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Phase–amplitude coupling (PAC) has been proposed as a neural mechanism for coordinating information processing across brain regions. Here we sought to characterize PAC in the human hippocampus, and in temporal and frontal cortices, during the formation of new episodic memories. Intracranial recordings taken as 56 neurosurgical patients studied and recalled lists of words revealed significant hippocampal PAC, with slow-theta activity (2.5–5 Hz) modulating gamma band activity (34–130 Hz). Furthermore, a significant number of hippocampal electrodes exhibited greater PAC during successful than unsuccessful encoding, with the gamma activity at these sites coupled to the trough of the slow-theta oscillation. These same conditions facilitate LTP in animal models, providing a possible mechanism of action for this effect in human memory. Uniquely in the hippocampus, phase preference during item encoding exhibited a biphasic pattern. Overall, our findings help translate between the patterns identified during basic memory tasks in animals and those present during complex human memory encoding. We discuss the unique properties of human hippocampal PAC and how our findings relate to influential theories of information processing based on theta–gamma interactions. PMID:25316340

Cancer 'survivor-care': II. Disruption of prefrontal brain activation top-down control of working memory capacity as possible mechanism for chemo-fog/brain (chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment).

PubMed

Raffa, R B

2013-08-01

Cancer chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairments (termed 'chemo-fog' or 'chemo-brain'), particularly in memory, have been self-reported or identified in cancer survivors previously treated with chemotherapy. Although a variety of deficits have been detected, a consistent theme is a detriment in visuospatial working memory. The parietal cortex, a major site of storage of such memory, is implicated in chemotherapy-induced damage. However, if the findings of two recent publications are combined, the (pre)frontal cortex might be an equally viable target. Two recent studies, one postulating a mechanism for 'top-down control' of working memory capacity and another visualizing chemotherapy-induced alterations in brain activation during working memory processing, are reviewed and integrated. A computational model and the proposal that the prefrontal cortex plays a role in working memory via top-down control of parietal working memory capacity is consistent with a recent demonstration of decreased frontal hyperactivation following chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-associated impairment of visuospatial working memory might include the (pre)frontal cortex in addition to the parietal cortex. This provides new opportunity for basic science and clinical investigation. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A model of individualized canonical microcircuits supporting cognitive operations

PubMed Central

Peterson, Andre D. H.; Haueisen, Jens; Knösche, Thomas R.

2017-01-01

Major cognitive functions such as language, memory, and decision-making are thought to rely on distributed networks of a large number of basic elements, called canonical microcircuits. In this theoretical study we propose a novel canonical microcircuit model and find that it supports two basic computational operations: a gating mechanism and working memory. By means of bifurcation analysis we systematically investigate the dynamical behavior of the canonical microcircuit with respect to parameters that govern the local network balance, that is, the relationship between excitation and inhibition, and key intrinsic feedback architectures of canonical microcircuits. We relate the local behavior of the canonical microcircuit to cognitive processing and demonstrate how a network of interacting canonical microcircuits enables the establishment of spatiotemporal sequences in the context of syntax parsing during sentence comprehension. This study provides a framework for using individualized canonical microcircuits for the construction of biologically realistic networks supporting cognitive operations. PMID:29200435

Pinpointing the deficit in executive functions in adolescents with dyslexia performing the Wisconsin card sorting test: an ERP study.

PubMed

Horowitz-Kraus, Tzipi

2014-01-01

Adolescents with dyslexia exhibit well-established impairments in executive abilities. The Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) is an executive test that yields surprisingly inconsistent results with this population. The current study aimed to shed light on the contradictory findings in the literature regarding the performance levels by individuals with dyslexia in WCST. We used a computerized-WCST (named the 'Madrid-Card Sorting Test') assessing executive functions using the Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) methodology. Adolescents with dyslexia exhibited a higher error rate and slower reaction times. This was most evident in the later trials of the series. However, differences in ERPs between the two groups were found only in the "target-locked" conditions, where individuals with dyslexia displayed decreased ERP components (N100, P300) compared to skilled readers. The changes between the groups in the "shift" compared to the "stay" conditions suggest the central role of working memory both in basic (e.g., shifting) and higher order (e.g., reading) processes in individuals with dyslexia. These findings suggest the central role of working memory both in basic (e.g., shifting) and higher order (e.g., reading) processes in individuals with dyslexia. The intact shifting mechanism and the working memory deficit may guide the building of more efficient intervention programs for individuals with dyslexia in the future.

Soft errors in commercial off-the-shelf static random access memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilillo, L.; Tsiligiannis, G.; Gupta, V.; Bosser, A.; Saigne, F.; Wrobel, F.

2017-01-01

This article reviews state-of-the-art techniques for the evaluation of the effect of radiation on static random access memory (SRAM). We detailed irradiation test techniques and results from irradiation experiments with several types of particles. Two commercial SRAMs, in 90 and 65 nm technology nodes, were considered as case studies. Besides the basic static and dynamic test modes, advanced stimuli for the irradiation tests were introduced, as well as statistical post-processing techniques allowing for deeper analysis of the correlations between bit-flip cross-sections and design/architectural characteristics of the memory device. Further insight is provided on the response of irradiated stacked layer devices and on the use of characterized SRAM devices as particle detectors.

Using Neuroplasticity-Based Auditory Training to Improve Verbal Memory in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Fisher, Melissa; Holland, Christine; Merzenich, Michael M.; Vinogradov, Sophia

2009-01-01

Objective Impaired verbal memory in schizophrenia is a key rate-limiting factor for functional outcome, does not respond to currently available medications, and shows only modest improvement after conventional behavioral remediation. The authors investigated an innovative approach to the remediation of verbal memory in schizophrenia, based on principles derived from the basic neuroscience of learning-induced neuroplasticity. The authors report interim findings in this ongoing study. Method Fifty-five clinically stable schizophrenia subjects were randomly assigned to either 50 hours of computerized auditory training or a control condition using computer games. Those receiving auditory training engaged in daily computerized exercises that placed implicit, increasing demands on auditory perception through progressively more difficult auditory-verbal working memory and verbal learning tasks. Results Relative to the control group, subjects who received active training showed significant gains in global cognition, verbal working memory, and verbal learning and memory. They also showed reliable and significant improvement in auditory psychophysical performance; this improvement was significantly correlated with gains in verbal working memory and global cognition. Conclusions Intensive training in early auditory processes and auditory-verbal learning results in substantial gains in verbal cognitive processes relevant to psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia. These gains may be due to a training method that addresses the early perceptual impairments in the illness, that exploits intact mechanisms of repetitive practice in schizophrenia, and that uses an intensive, adaptive training approach. PMID:19448187

The relationship between memory and inductive reasoning: does it develop?

PubMed

Hayes, Brett K; Fritz, Kristina; Heit, Evan

2013-05-01

In 2 studies, the authors examined the development of the relationship between inductive reasoning and visual recognition memory. In both studies, 5- to 6-year-old children and adults were shown instances of a basic-level category (dogs) followed by a test set containing old and new category members that varied in their similarity to study items. Participants were given either recognition instructions (memorize study items and discriminate between old and new test items) or induction instructions (learn about a novel property shared by the study items and decide whether it generalizes to test items). Across both tasks, children made a greater number of positive responses than did adults. Across both age groups, a greater number of positive responses were made in induction than in recognition. The application of a mathematical model, called GEN-EX for generalization from examples, showed that both memory and reasoning data could be explained by a single exemplar-based process that assumes task and age differences in generalization gradients. These results show considerable developmental continuity in the cognitive processes that underlie memory and inductive reasoning.

Fluctuations and Noise in Stochastic Spread of Respiratory Infection Epidemics in Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulmetyev, Renat; Emelyanova, Natalya; Demin, Sergey; Gafarov, Fail; Hänggi, Peter; Yulmetyeva, Dinara

2003-05-01

For the analysis of epidemic and disease dynamics complexity, it is necessary to understand the basic principles and notions of its spreading in long-time memory media. Here we considering the problem from a theoretical and practical viewpoint, presenting the quantitative evidence confirming the existence of stochastic long-range memory and robust chaos in a real time series of respiratory infections of human upper respiratory track. In this work we present a new statistical method of analyzing the spread of grippe and acute respiratory track infections epidemic process of human upper respiratory track by means of the theory of discrete non-Markov stochastic processes. We use the results of our recent theory (Phys. Rev. E 65, 046107 (2002)) for the study of statistical effects of memory in real data series, describing the epidemic dynamics of human acute respiratory track infections and grippe. The obtained results testify to an opportunity of the strict quantitative description of the regular and stochastic components in epidemic dynamics of social networks with a view to time discreteness and effects of statistical memory.

Using process groups to implement failure detection in asynchronous environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricciardi, Aleta M.; Birman, Kenneth P.

1991-01-01

Agreement on the membership of a group of processes in a distributed system is a basic problem that arises in a wide range of applications. Such groups occur when a set of processes cooperate to perform some task, share memory, monitor one another, subdivide a computation, and so forth. The group membership problems is discussed as it relates to failure detection in asynchronous, distributed systems. A rigorous, formal specification for group membership is presented under this interpretation. A solution is then presented for this problem.

Memory, maternal representations and internalizing symptomatology among abused, neglected and nonmaltreated children

PubMed Central

Valentino, Kristin; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Toth, Sheree L.

2009-01-01

A depth-of-processing incidental recall task for maternal referent stimuli was utilized to assess basic memory processes and the affective valence of maternal-representations among abused (N = 63), neglected (N= 33) and nonmaltreated (N = 128) school-aged children. Self-reported and observer-rated indices of internalizing symptoms were also assessed. Abused children demonstrated impairments in recall compared to neglected and nonmaltreated children. Although abused, neglected, and nonmaltreated children did not differ in valence of maternal representations, positive- and negative-maternal schemas related to internalizing symptoms differently among subgroups of maltreated children. Valence of maternal schema was critical in differentiating those with high and low internalizing symptomatology among the neglected children only. Implications for clinical intervention and prevention efforts are underscored. PMID:18489422

Neuropsychological impairments on the NEPSY-II among children with FASD.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Carmen; Tamana, Sukhpreet; Baugh, Lauren; Andrew, Gail; Tough, Suzanne; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie

2013-01-01

We examined the pattern of neuropsychological impairments of children with FASD (compared to controls) on NEPSY-II measures of attention and executive functioning, language, memory, visuospatial processing, and social perception. Participants included 32 children with FASD and 30 typically developing control children, ranging in age from 6 to 16 years. Children were tested on the following subtests of the NEPSY-II: Attention and Executive Functioning (animal sorting, auditory attention/response set, and inhibition), Language (comprehension of instructions and speeded naming), Memory (memory for names/delayed memory for names), Visual-Spatial Processing (arrows), and Social Perception (theory of mind). Groups were compared using MANOVA. Children with FASD were impaired relative to controls on the following subtests: animal sorting, response set, inhibition (naming and switching conditions), comprehension of instructions, speeded naming, and memory for names total and delayed, but group differences were not significant on auditory attention, inhibition (inhibition condition), arrows, and theory of mind. Among the FASD group, IQ scores were not correlated with performance on the NEPSY-II subtests, and there were no significant differences between those with and without comorbid ADHD. The NEPSY-II is an effective and useful tool for measuring a variety of neuropsychological impairments among children with FASD. Children with FASD displayed a pattern of results with impairments (relative to controls) on measures of executive functioning (set shifting, concept formation, and inhibition), language, and memory, and relative strengths on measures of basic attention, visual spatial processing, and social perception.

On Productive Knowledge and Levels of Questions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andre, Thomas

A model is proposed for memory that stresses a distinction between episodic memory for encoded personal experience and semantic memory for abstractors and generalizations. Basically, the model holds that questions influence the nature of memory representations formed during instruction, and that memory representation controls the way in which…

Information processing as a paradigm for decision making.

PubMed

Oppenheimer, Daniel M; Kelso, Evan

2015-01-03

For decades, the dominant paradigm for studying decision making--the expected utility framework--has been burdened by an increasing number of empirical findings that question its validity as a model of human cognition and behavior. However, as Kuhn (1962) argued in his seminal discussion of paradigm shifts, an old paradigm cannot be abandoned until a new paradigm emerges to replace it. In this article, we argue that the recent shift in researcher attention toward basic cognitive processes that give rise to decision phenomena constitutes the beginning of that replacement paradigm. Models grounded in basic perceptual, attentional, memory, and aggregation processes have begun to proliferate. The development of this new approach closely aligns with Kuhn's notion of paradigm shift, suggesting that this is a particularly generative and revolutionary time to be studying decision science.

The challenge of understanding the brain: where we stand in 2015

PubMed Central

Lisman, John

2015-01-01

Starting with the work of Cajal more than 100 years ago, neuroscience has sought to understand how the cells of the brain give rise to cognitive functions. How far has neuroscience progressed in this endeavor? This Perspective assesses progress in elucidating five basic brain processes: visual recognition, long-term memory, short-term memory, action selection, and motor control. Each of these processes entails several levels of analysis: the behavioral properties, the underlying computational algorithm, and the cellular/network mechanisms that implement that algorithm. At this juncture, while many questions remain unanswered, achievements in several areas of research have made it possible to relate specific properties of brain networks to cognitive functions. What has been learned reveals, at least in rough outline, how cognitive processes can be an emergent property of neurons and their connections. PMID:25996132

Reactivated Memories Compete for Expression After Pavlovian Extinction

PubMed Central

Laborda, Mario A.; Miller, Ralph R.

2012-01-01

We view the response decrement resulting from extinction treatment as an interference effect, in which the reactivated memory from acquisition competes with the reactivated memory from extinction for behavioral expression. For each of these memories, reactivation is proportional to both the strength of the stimulus-outcome association and the quality of the facilitatory cues for that association which are present at test. Here we review basic extinction and recovery-from-extinction phenomena, showing how these effects are explicable in this associative interference framework. Moreover, this orientation has and continues to dictate efficient manipulations for minimizing recovery from extinction. This in turn suggests procedures that might reduce relapse from exposure therapy for a number of psychological disorders. Some of these manipulations enhance the facilitatory cues from extinction that are present at test, others strengthen the extinction association (i.e., CS-no outcome), and yet others seem to work by a combination of these two processes. PMID:22326812

Colloquium on Selected Topics in Behavioral Science Basic Research. (Alexandria, Virginia, April 23-25, 1980).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nogami, Glenda Y., Ed.; And Others

The 21 summaries of research programs, funded by the United States Army Research Institute (ARI) for the Behavioral and Social Sciences which are presented are grouped in five broad topic areas: computer-based systems; information processing; learning, memory and transfer; human relations; and related issues and trends. Papers presented include:…

Cognitive Processes and Math Performance: A Study with Children at Third Grade of Basic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campos, Isabel S.; Almeida, Leandro S.; Ferreira, Aristides I.; Martinez, Luis F.; Ramalho, Gloria

2013-01-01

The present study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive factors and mathematical achievement in primary education. Participants were 103 Portuguese third grade students, aged 8 and 9. All participants completed a battery for working memory (WMTB-C), a test of general intelligence (Raven's Progressive Color Matrices), a selective…

The Misinformation Effect Revisited: Interactions between Spontaneous Memory Processes and Misleading Suggestions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pansky, Ainat; Tenenboim, Einat; Bar, Sarah Kate

2011-01-01

Recent findings indicate that retained information tends to converge at the basic level (BL). The aim of the present study was to apply these findings to the investigation of misinformation phenomena. In three experiments, we examined the extent to which the contaminating effects of misinformation are influenced by its consistency with the…

The Role of Emotion in Word Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doan, S. N.

2010-01-01

The way in which emotion interacts with cognition has been of great interest to researchers for hundreds of years. Emotion has been shown to play an important role in attention, learning and memory. However, the way in which emotion influences the basic process of word learning in infancy has largely been ignored. In the current paper, the…

An Information Theoretic Analysis of Classification Sorting and Cognition by Ninth Grade Children within a Piagetian Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlop, David Livingston

The purpose of this study was to use an information theoretic memory model to quantitatively investigate classification sorting and recall behaviors of various groups of students. The model provided theorems for the determination of information theoretic measures from which inferences concerning mental processing were made. The basic procedure…

The Event-Related Brain Potential as an Index of Information Processing and Cognitive Activity: A Program of Basic Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-20

related brain potential at the Joint EEG Society/ ohp hysioogical Society (ERP) and measures of the electromyogram Meeting. Bristol (England), 1983. and...proving the memory representation of the task ( mem - manipulations of primary-task difficulty attenuated ory data limits). If the P300 amplitude does in

Video game experience and its influence on visual attention parameters: an investigation using the framework of the Theory of Visual Attention (TVA).

PubMed

Schubert, Torsten; Finke, Kathrin; Redel, Petra; Kluckow, Steffen; Müller, Hermann; Strobach, Tilo

2015-05-01

Experts with video game experience, in contrast to non-experienced persons, are superior in multiple domains of visual attention. However, it is an open question which basic aspects of attention underlie this superiority. We approached this question using the framework of Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) with tools that allowed us to assess various parameters that are related to different visual attention aspects (e.g., perception threshold, processing speed, visual short-term memory storage capacity, top-down control, spatial distribution of attention) and that are measurable on the same experimental basis. In Experiment 1, we found advantages of video game experts in perception threshold and visual processing speed; the latter being restricted to the lower positions of the used computer display. The observed advantages were not significantly moderated by general person-related characteristics such as personality traits, sensation seeking, intelligence, social anxiety, or health status. Experiment 2 tested a potential causal link between the expert advantages and video game practice with an intervention protocol. It found no effects of action video gaming on perception threshold, visual short-term memory storage capacity, iconic memory storage, top-down control, and spatial distribution of attention after 15 days of training. However, observations of a selected improvement of processing speed at the lower positions of the computer screen after video game training and of retest effects are suggestive for limited possibilities to improve basic aspects of visual attention (TVA) with practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved Writing-Conductor Designs For Magnetic Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Jiin-Chuan; Stadler, Henry L.; Katti, Romney R.

1994-01-01

Writing currents reduced to practical levels. Improved conceptual designs for writing conductors in micromagnet/Hall-effect random-access integrated-circuit memory reduces electrical current needed to magnetize micromagnet in each memory cell. Basic concept of micromagnet/Hall-effect random-access memory presented in "Magnetic Analog Random-Access Memory" (NPO-17999).

Improving Memory Span in Children with Down Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conners, F. A.; Rosenquist, C. J.; Arnett, L.; Moore, M. S.; Hume, L. E.

2008-01-01

Background: Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by impaired memory span, particularly auditory verbal memory span. Memory span is linked developmentally to several language capabilities, and may be a basic capacity that enables language learning. If children with DS had better memory span, they might benefit more from language intervention. The…

The mysteries of remote memory.

PubMed

Albo, Zimbul; Gräff, Johannes

2018-03-19

Long-lasting memories form the basis of our identity as individuals and lie central in shaping future behaviours that guide survival. Surprisingly, however, our current knowledge of how such memories are stored in the brain and retrieved, as well as the dynamics of the circuits involved, remains scarce despite seminal technical and experimental breakthroughs in recent years. Traditionally, it has been proposed that, over time, information initially learnt in the hippocampus is stored in distributed cortical networks. This process-the standard theory of memory consolidation-would stabilize the newly encoded information into a lasting memory, become independent of the hippocampus, and remain essentially unmodifiable throughout the lifetime of the individual. In recent years, several pieces of evidence have started to challenge this view and indicate that long-lasting memories might already ab ovo be encoded, and subsequently stored in distributed cortical networks, akin to the multiple trace theory of memory consolidation. In this review, we summarize these recent findings and attempt to identify the biologically plausible mechanisms based on which a contextual memory becomes remote by integrating different levels of analysis: from neural circuits to cell ensembles across synaptic remodelling and epigenetic modifications. From these studies, remote memory formation and maintenance appear to occur through a multi-trace, dynamic and integrative cellular process ranging from the synapse to the nucleus, and represent an exciting field of research primed to change quickly as new experimental evidence emerges.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Of mice and mental health: facilitating dialogue between basic and clinical neuroscientists'. © 2018 The Authors.

Option generation in decision making: ideation beyond memory retrieval

PubMed Central

Del Missier, Fabio; Visentini, Mimì; Mäntylä, Timo

2015-01-01

According to prescriptive decision theories, the generation of options for choice is a central aspect of decision making. A too narrow representation of the problem may indeed limit the opportunity to evaluate promising options. However, despite the theoretical and applied significance of this topic, the cognitive processes underlying option generation are still unclear. In particular, while a cued recall account of option generation emphasizes the role of memory and executive control, other theoretical proposals stress the importance of ideation processes based on various search and thinking processes. Unfortunately, relevant behavioral evidence on the cognitive processes underlying option generation is scattered and inconclusive. In order to reach a better understanding, we carried out an individual-differences study employing a wide array of cognitive predictors, including measures of episodic memory, semantic memory, cognitive control, and ideation fluency. The criterion tasks consisted of three different poorly-structured decision-making scenarios, and the participants were asked to generate options to solve these problems. The main criterion variable of the study was the number of valid options generated, but also the diversity and the quality of generated options were examined. The results showed that option generation fluency and diversity in the context of ill-structured decision making are supported by ideation ability even after taking into account the effects of individual differences in several other aspects of cognitive functioning. Thus, ideation processes, possibly supported by search and thinking processes, seem to contribute to option generation beyond basic associative memory retrieval. The findings of the study also indicate that generating more options may have multifaceted consequences for choice, increasing the quality of the best option generated but decreasing the mean quality of the options in the generated set. PMID:25657628

Option generation in decision making: ideation beyond memory retrieval.

PubMed

Del Missier, Fabio; Visentini, Mimì; Mäntylä, Timo

2014-01-01

According to prescriptive decision theories, the generation of options for choice is a central aspect of decision making. A too narrow representation of the problem may indeed limit the opportunity to evaluate promising options. However, despite the theoretical and applied significance of this topic, the cognitive processes underlying option generation are still unclear. In particular, while a cued recall account of option generation emphasizes the role of memory and executive control, other theoretical proposals stress the importance of ideation processes based on various search and thinking processes. Unfortunately, relevant behavioral evidence on the cognitive processes underlying option generation is scattered and inconclusive. In order to reach a better understanding, we carried out an individual-differences study employing a wide array of cognitive predictors, including measures of episodic memory, semantic memory, cognitive control, and ideation fluency. The criterion tasks consisted of three different poorly-structured decision-making scenarios, and the participants were asked to generate options to solve these problems. The main criterion variable of the study was the number of valid options generated, but also the diversity and the quality of generated options were examined. The results showed that option generation fluency and diversity in the context of ill-structured decision making are supported by ideation ability even after taking into account the effects of individual differences in several other aspects of cognitive functioning. Thus, ideation processes, possibly supported by search and thinking processes, seem to contribute to option generation beyond basic associative memory retrieval. The findings of the study also indicate that generating more options may have multifaceted consequences for choice, increasing the quality of the best option generated but decreasing the mean quality of the options in the generated set.

Veridical and false recall in adults who stutter.

PubMed

Byrd, Courtney T; Sheng, Li; Ratner, Nan Bernstein; Gkalitsiou, Zoi

2015-02-01

This study used a false memory paradigm to explore the veridical and false recall of adults who stutter. Twelve adults who stutter and 12 age-matched typically fluent peers listened to and then verbally recalled lists of words that consisted of either semantic or phonological associates or an equal number of semantic and phonological associates (i.e., hybrid condition) of a single, unpresented critical "lure" word. Three parameters of recall performance were measured across these 3 conditions: (a) number of accurately recalled words, (b) order of recall (primacy vs. recency effect), and (c) number of critical lures produced (i.e., false memories). Significant group differences were noted in recall accuracy specific to list type and also list position as well as relative to critical lure productions. Results suggest that certain basic memory processes (i.e., recency effect) and the processing of gist semantic information are largely intact in adults who stutter, but recall of verbatim phonological information and subvocal rehearsal may be deficient.

Plasticity in the Interoceptive System.

PubMed

Torrealba, Fernando; Madrid, Carlos; Contreras, Marco; Gómez, Karina

2017-01-01

The most outstanding manifestations of the plastic capacities of brain circuits and their neuronal and synaptic components in the adult CNS are learning and memory. A reduced number of basic plastic mechanisms underlie learning capacities at many levels and regions of the brain. The interoceptive system is no exception, and some of the most studied behavioral changes that involve learning and memory engage the interoceptive pathways at many levels of their anatomical and functional organization.In this chapter, we will review four examples of learning, mostly in rats, where the interoceptive system has a role. In the case of conditioned taste aversion, the interoceptive system is of outstanding importance. In drug addiction, the role of the insular cortex - the highest level of the interoceptive system- is unusual and complex, as many forebrain regions are engaged by the process of addiction. In the third example, neophobia, the gustatory region of the insular cortex plays a major role. Finally, the role of different areas of the insular cortex in different processes of aversive memory, particularly fear conditioning, will be reviewed.

The Illusion of the Positive: The impact of natural and induced mood on older adults’ false recall

PubMed Central

Emery, Lisa; Hess, Thomas M.; Elliot, Tonya

2012-01-01

Recent research suggests that affective and motivational processes can influence age differences in memory. In the current study, we examine the impact of both natural and induced mood state on age differences in false recall. Older and younger adults performed a version of the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM; Roediger & McDermott, 1995) false memory paradigm in either their natural mood state or after a positive or negative mood induction. Results indicated that, after accounting for age differences in basic cognitive function, age-related differences in positive mood during the testing session were related to increased false recall in older adults. Inducing older adults into a positive mood also exacerbated age differences in false memory. In contrast, veridical recall did not appear to be systematically influenced by mood. Together, these results suggest that positive mood states can impact older adults’ information processing and potentially increase underlying cognitive age differences. PMID:22292431

Improvement of Allocentric Spatial Memory Resolution in Children from 2 to 4 Years of Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Farfalla Ribordy; Lavenex, Pierre; Lavenex, Pamela Banta

2015-01-01

Allocentric spatial memory, the memory for locations coded in relation to objects comprising our environment, is a fundamental component of episodic memory and is dependent on the integrity of the hippocampal formation in adulthood. Previous research from different laboratories reported that basic allocentric spatial memory abilities are reliably…

PORTABLE LISP; a list-processing interpreter. [CDC7600; PASCAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor, W.P.

The program constitutes a complete, basic LISP (LIST-Processing language) interpreter. LISP expressions are evaluated one by one with both the input expression and the resulting evaluated expression printed. Expressions are evaluated until a FIN card is encountered. Between expression evaluations a garbage-collection algorithm is invoked to recover list space used in the previous evaluation.CDC7600; PASCAL; SCOPE; The sample problem was executed in 7000 (octal) words of memory on a CDC7600.

Visual dot interaction with short-term memory.

PubMed

Etindele Sosso, Faustin Armel

2017-06-01

Many neurodegenerative diseases have a memory component. Brain structures related to memory are affected by environmental stimuli, and it is difficult to dissociate effects of all behavior of neurons. Here, visual cortex of mice was stimulated with gratings and dot, and an observation of neuronal activity before and after was made. Bandwidth, firing rate and orientation selectivity index were evaluated. A primary communication between primary visual cortex and short-term memory appeared to show an interesting path to train cognitive circuitry and investigate the basics mechanisms of the neuronal learning. The findings also suggested the interplay between primary visual cortex and short-term plasticity. The properties inside a visual target shape the perception and affect the basic encoding. Using visual cortex, it may be possible to train the memory and improve the recovery of people with cognitive disabilities or memory deficit.

Memory Reconsolidation Interference as an Emerging Treatment for Emotional Disorders: Strengths, Limitations, Challenges and Opportunities

PubMed Central

Beckers, Tom; Kindt, Merel

2016-01-01

Experimental research on emotional memory reconsolidation interference, or the induction of amnesia for previously established emotional memory, has a long tradition, but the potential of that research for the development of novel interventions to treat psychological disorders has been recognized only recently. Here we provide an overview of basic research and clinical studies on emotional memory reconsolidation interference. We point out specific advantages of interventions based on memory reconsolidation interference over traditional treatment for emotional disorders. We also explain how findings from basic research suggest limitations and challenges to clinical translation that may help to understand why clinical trials have met with mixed success so far and how their success can be increased. In closing, we preview new intervention approaches beyond the induction of amnesia that the phenomenon of memory reconsolidation may afford for alleviating the burden imposed by emotional memories and comment on theoretical controversies regarding the nature of memory reconsolidation. PMID:28375725

Temporal context and the organisational impairment of memory search in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Polyn, Sean M; McCluey, Joshua D; Morton, Neal W; Woolard, Austin A; Luksik, Andrew S; Heckers, Stephan

2015-01-01

An influential theory of schizophrenic deficits in executive function suggests that patients have difficulty maintaining and utilising an internal contextual representation, whose function is to ensure that stimuli are processed in a task-appropriate manner. In basic research on episodic memory, retrieved-context theories propose that an internal contextual representation is critically involved in memory search, facilitating the retrieval of task-appropriate memories. This contextual machinery is thought to give rise to temporal organisation during free recall: the tendency for successive recall responses to correspond to items from nearby positions on the study list. If patients with schizophrenia have a generalised contextual deficit, then this leads to the prediction that these patients will exhibit reduced temporal organisation in free recall. Using a combination of classic and recently developed organisational measures, we characterised recall organisation in 75 patients with schizophrenia and 72 nondisordered control participants performing a multi-trial free-recall task. Patients with schizophrenia showed diminished temporal organisation, as well as diminished subjective organisation of their recall sequences relative to control participants. The two groups showed similar amounts of semantic organisation during recall. The observation of reduced temporal organisation in the patient group is consistent with the proposal that the memory deficit in schizophrenia can be characterised as a deficit in contextual processing.

High-Dimensional Brain: A Tool for Encoding and Rapid Learning of Memories by Single Neurons.

PubMed

Tyukin, Ivan; Gorban, Alexander N; Calvo, Carlos; Makarova, Julia; Makarov, Valeri A

2018-03-19

Codifying memories is one of the fundamental problems of modern Neuroscience. The functional mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain largely unknown. Experimental evidence suggests that some of the memory functions are performed by stratified brain structures such as the hippocampus. In this particular case, single neurons in the CA1 region receive a highly multidimensional input from the CA3 area, which is a hub for information processing. We thus assess the implication of the abundance of neuronal signalling routes converging onto single cells on the information processing. We show that single neurons can selectively detect and learn arbitrary information items, given that they operate in high dimensions. The argument is based on stochastic separation theorems and the concentration of measure phenomena. We demonstrate that a simple enough functional neuronal model is capable of explaining: (i) the extreme selectivity of single neurons to the information content, (ii) simultaneous separation of several uncorrelated stimuli or informational items from a large set, and (iii) dynamic learning of new items by associating them with already "known" ones. These results constitute a basis for organization of complex memories in ensembles of single neurons. Moreover, they show that no a priori assumptions on the structural organization of neuronal ensembles are necessary for explaining basic concepts of static and dynamic memories.

Memory, maternal representations, and internalizing symptomatology among abused, neglected, and nonmaltreated children.

PubMed

Valentino, Kristin; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A; Toth, Sheree L

2008-01-01

A depth-of-processing incidental recall task for maternal-referent stimuli was utilized to assess basic memory processes and the affective valence of maternal representations among abused (N = 63), neglected (N = 33), and nonmaltreated (N = 128) school-aged children (ages 8-13.5 years old). Self-reported and observer-rated indices of internalizing symptoms were also assessed. Abused children demonstrated impairments in recall compared to neglected and nonmaltreated children. Although abused, neglected, and nonmaltreated children did not differ in valence of maternal representations, positive and negative maternal schemas related to internalizing symptoms differently among subgroups of maltreated children. Valence of maternal schema was critical in differentiating those with high and low internalizing symptomatology among the neglected children only. Implications for clinical intervention and prevention efforts are underscored.

The development of real-time stability supports visual working memory performance: Young children's feature binding can be improved through perceptual structure.

PubMed

Simmering, Vanessa R; Wood, Chelsey M

2017-08-01

Working memory is a basic cognitive process that predicts higher-level skills. A central question in theories of working memory development is the generality of the mechanisms proposed to explain improvements in performance. Prior theories have been closely tied to particular tasks and/or age groups, limiting their generalizability. The cognitive dynamics theory of visual working memory development has been proposed to overcome this limitation. From this perspective, developmental improvements arise through the coordination of cognitive processes to meet demands of different behavioral tasks. This notion is described as real-time stability, and can be probed through experiments that assess how changing task demands impact children's performance. The current studies test this account by probing visual working memory for colors and shapes in a change detection task that compares detection of changes to new features versus swaps in color-shape binding. In Experiment 1, 3- to 4-year-old children showed impairments specific to binding swaps, as predicted by decreased real-time stability early in development; 5- to 6-year-old children showed a slight advantage on binding swaps, but 7- to 8-year-old children and adults showed no difference across trial types. Experiment 2 tested the proposed explanation of young children's binding impairment through added perceptual structure, which supported the stability and precision of feature localization in memory-a process key to detecting binding swaps. This additional structure improved young children's binding swap detection, but not new-feature detection or adults' performance. These results provide further evidence for the cognitive dynamics and real-time stability explanation of visual working memory development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Neuroscience and Learning: Lessons from Studying the Involvement of a Region of Cerebellar Cortex in Eyeblink Classical Conditioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villarreal, Ronald P.; Steinmetz, Joseph E.

2005-01-01

How the nervous system encodes learning and memory processes has interested researchers for 100 years. Over this span of time, a number of basic neuroscience methods has been developed to explore the relationship between learning and the brain, including brain lesion, stimulation, pharmacology, anatomy, imaging, and recording techniques. In this…

Basic Information Processing Abilities at 11 years Account for Deficits in IQ Associated with Preterm Birth.

PubMed

Rose, Susan A; Feldman, Judith F; Jankowski, Jeffery J; Van Rossem, Ronan

2011-07-01

Although it is well established that preterms as a group do poorly relative to their full-term peers on tests of global cognitive functioning, the basis for this relative deficiency is less understood. The present paper examines preterm deficits in core cognitive abilities and determines their role in mediating preterm/full-term differences in IQ. The performance of 11-year-old children born preterm (birth weight <1750g) and their full-term controls were compared on a large battery of 15 tasks, covering four basic cognitive domains -- memory, attention, speed of processing and representational competence. The validity of these four domains was established using latent variables and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Preterms showed pervasive deficits within and across domains. Additionally, preterm deficits in IQ were completely mediated by these four cognitive domains in a structural equation model involving a cascade from elementary abilities (attention and speed), to more complex abilities (memory and representational competence), to IQ. The similarity of findings to those obtained with this cohort in infancy and toddlerhood suggest that preterm deficits persist - across time, across task, and from the non-verbal to the verbal period.

Basic Information Processing Abilities at 11 years Account for Deficits in IQ Associated with Preterm Birth

PubMed Central

Rose, Susan A.; Feldman, Judith F.; Jankowski, Jeffery J.; Van Rossem, Ronan

2011-01-01

Although it is well established that preterms as a group do poorly relative to their full-term peers on tests of global cognitive functioning, the basis for this relative deficiency is less understood. The present paper examines preterm deficits in core cognitive abilities and determines their role in mediating preterm/full-term differences in IQ. The performance of 11-year-old children born preterm (birth weight <1750g) and their full-term controls were compared on a large battery of 15 tasks, covering four basic cognitive domains -- memory, attention, speed of processing and representational competence. The validity of these four domains was established using latent variables and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Preterms showed pervasive deficits within and across domains. Additionally, preterm deficits in IQ were completely mediated by these four cognitive domains in a structural equation model involving a cascade from elementary abilities (attention and speed), to more complex abilities (memory and representational competence), to IQ. The similarity of findings to those obtained with this cohort in infancy and toddlerhood suggest that preterm deficits persist – across time, across task, and from the non-verbal to the verbal period. PMID:21643482

Prior Learning of Relevant Nonaversive Information Is a Boundary Condition for Avoidance Memory Reconsolidation in the Rat Hippocampus.

PubMed

Radiske, Andressa; Gonzalez, Maria Carolina; Conde-Ocazionez, Sergio A; Feitosa, Anatildes; Köhler, Cristiano A; Bevilaqua, Lia R; Cammarota, Martín

2017-10-04

Reactivated memories can be modified during reconsolidation, making this process a potential therapeutic target for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental illness characterized by the recurring avoidance of situations that evoke trauma-related fears. However, avoidance memory reconsolidation depends on a set of still loosely defined boundary conditions, limiting the translational value of basic research. In particular, the involvement of the hippocampus in fear-motivated avoidance memory reconsolidation remains controversial. Combining behavioral and electrophysiological analyses in male Wistar rats, we found that previous learning of relevant nonaversive information is essential to elicit the participation of the hippocampus in avoidance memory reconsolidation, which is associated with an increase in theta- and gamma-oscillation power and cross-frequency coupling in dorsal CA1 during reactivation of the avoidance response. Our results indicate that the hippocampus is involved in memory reconsolidation only when reactivation results in contradictory representations regarding the consequences of avoidance and suggest that robust nesting of hippocampal theta-gamma rhythms at the time of retrieval is a specific reconsolidation marker. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by maladaptive avoidance responses to stimuli or behaviors that represent or bear resemblance to some aspect of a traumatic experience. Disruption of reconsolidation, the process by which reactivated memories become susceptible to modifications, is a promising approach for treating PTSD patients. However, much of what is known about fear-motivated avoidance memory reconsolidation derives from studies based on fear conditioning instead of avoidance-learning paradigms. Using a step-down inhibitory avoidance task in rats, we found that the hippocampus is involved in memory reconsolidation only when the animals acquired the avoidance response in an environment that they had previously learned as safe and showed that increased theta- and gamma-oscillation coupling during reactivation is an electrophysiological signature of this process. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/379675-11$15.00/0.

Multiple memory systems, multiple time points: how science can inform treatment to control the expression of unwanted emotional memories

PubMed Central

Lau-Zhu, Alex; Henson, Richard N.; Holmes, Emily A.

2018-01-01

Memories that have strong emotions associated with them are particularly resilient to forgetting. This is not necessarily problematic, however some aspects of memory can be. In particular, the involuntary expression of those memories, e.g. intrusive memories after trauma, are core to certain psychological disorders. Since the beginning of this century, research using animal models shows that it is possible to change the underlying memory, for example by interfering with its consolidation or reconsolidation. While the idea of targeting maladaptive memories is promising for the treatment of stress and anxiety disorders, a direct application of the procedures used in non-human animals to humans in clinical settings is not straightforward. In translational research, more attention needs to be paid to specifying what aspect of memory (i) can be modified and (ii) should be modified. This requires a clear conceptualization of what aspect of memory is being targeted, and how different memory expressions may map onto clinical symptoms. Furthermore, memory processes are dynamic, so procedural details concerning timing are crucial when implementing a treatment and when assessing its effectiveness. To target emotional memory in its full complexity, including its malleability, science cannot rely on a single method, species or paradigm. Rather, a constructive dialogue is needed between multiple levels of research, all the way ‘from mice to mental health’. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Of mice and mental health: facilitating dialogue between basic and clinical neuroscientists'. PMID:29352036

Attentional Imbalances Following Head Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-30

on recent memory , the patient’s basic fund of knowledge ( semantic memory ) and remote memory for events ( episodic memory ) were both impaired. For e...are notable for problems caused by poor memory , inflexibility, and concreteness. These problems are most severe when they interact with linguistic...demands. It is worth noting that memory problems were accompanied by confabulation (hen the patient first entered the program. In addition to the effects

Learning and Memory Processes Following Cochlear Implantation: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle.

PubMed

Pisoni, David B; Kronenberger, William G; Chandramouli, Suyog H; Conway, Christopher M

2016-01-01

At the present time, there is no question that cochlear implants (CIs) work and often work very well in quiet listening conditions for many profoundly deaf children and adults. The speech and language outcomes data published over the last two decades document quite extensively the clinically significant benefits of CIs. Although there now is a large body of evidence supporting the "efficacy" of CIs as a medical intervention for profound hearing loss in both children and adults, there still remain a number of challenging unresolved clinical and theoretical issues that deal with the "effectiveness" of CIs in individual patients that have not yet been successfully resolved. In this paper, we review recent findings on learning and memory, two central topics in the field of cognition that have been seriously neglected in research on CIs. Our research findings on sequence learning, memory and organization processes, and retrieval strategies used in verbal learning and memory of categorized word lists suggests that basic domain-general learning abilities may be the missing piece of the puzzle in terms of understanding the cognitive factors that underlie the enormous individual differences and variability routinely observed in speech and language outcomes following cochlear implantation.

Keeping it together: Semantic coherence stabilizes phonological sequences in short-term memory.

PubMed

Savill, Nicola; Ellis, Rachel; Brooke, Emma; Koa, Tiffany; Ferguson, Suzie; Rojas-Rodriguez, Elena; Arnold, Dominic; Smallwood, Jonathan; Jefferies, Elizabeth

2018-04-01

Our ability to hold a sequence of speech sounds in mind, in the correct configuration, supports many aspects of communication, but the contribution of conceptual information to this basic phonological capacity remains controversial. Previous research has shown modest and inconsistent benefits of meaning on phonological stability in short-term memory, but these studies were based on sets of unrelated words. Using a novel design, we examined the immediate recall of sentence-like sequences with coherent meaning, alongside both standard word lists and mixed lists containing words and nonwords. We found, and replicated, substantial effects of coherent meaning on phoneme-level accuracy: The phonemes of both words and nonwords within conceptually coherent sequences were more likely to be produced together and in the correct order. Since nonwords do not exist as items in long-term memory, the semantic enhancement of phoneme-level recall for both item types cannot be explained by a lexically based item reconstruction process employed at the point of retrieval ("redintegration"). Instead, our data show, for naturalistic input, that when meaning emerges from the combination of words, the phonological traces that support language are reinforced by a semantic-binding process that has been largely overlooked by past short-term memory research.

Learning and Memory Processes Following Cochlear Implantation: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

PubMed Central

Pisoni, David B.; Kronenberger, William G.; Chandramouli, Suyog H.; Conway, Christopher M.

2016-01-01

At the present time, there is no question that cochlear implants (CIs) work and often work very well in quiet listening conditions for many profoundly deaf children and adults. The speech and language outcomes data published over the last two decades document quite extensively the clinically significant benefits of CIs. Although there now is a large body of evidence supporting the “efficacy” of CIs as a medical intervention for profound hearing loss in both children and adults, there still remain a number of challenging unresolved clinical and theoretical issues that deal with the “effectiveness” of CIs in individual patients that have not yet been successfully resolved. In this paper, we review recent findings on learning and memory, two central topics in the field of cognition that have been seriously neglected in research on CIs. Our research findings on sequence learning, memory and organization processes, and retrieval strategies used in verbal learning and memory of categorized word lists suggests that basic domain-general learning abilities may be the missing piece of the puzzle in terms of understanding the cognitive factors that underlie the enormous individual differences and variability routinely observed in speech and language outcomes following cochlear implantation. PMID:27092098

Coding and decoding with dendrites.

PubMed

Papoutsi, Athanasia; Kastellakis, George; Psarrou, Maria; Anastasakis, Stelios; Poirazi, Panayiota

2014-02-01

Since the discovery of complex, voltage dependent mechanisms in the dendrites of multiple neuron types, great effort has been devoted in search of a direct link between dendritic properties and specific neuronal functions. Over the last few years, new experimental techniques have allowed the visualization and probing of dendritic anatomy, plasticity and integrative schemes with unprecedented detail. This vast amount of information has caused a paradigm shift in the study of memory, one of the most important pursuits in Neuroscience, and calls for the development of novel theories and models that will unify the available data according to some basic principles. Traditional models of memory considered neural cells as the fundamental processing units in the brain. Recent studies however are proposing new theories in which memory is not only formed by modifying the synaptic connections between neurons, but also by modifications of intrinsic and anatomical dendritic properties as well as fine tuning of the wiring diagram. In this review paper we present previous studies along with recent findings from our group that support a key role of dendrites in information processing, including the encoding and decoding of new memories, both at the single cell and the network level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive correlates of verbal memory and verbal fluency in schizophrenia, and differential effects of various clinical symptoms between male and female patients.

PubMed

Brébion, Gildas; Villalta-Gil, Victoria; Autonell, Jaume; Cervilla, Jorge; Dolz, Montserrat; Foix, Alexandrina; Haro, Josep Maria; Usall, Judith; Vilaplana, Miriam; Ochoa, Susana

2013-06-01

Impairment of higher cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia might stem from perturbation of more basic functions, such as processing speed. Various clinical symptoms might affect cognitive efficiency as well. Notably, previous research has revealed the role of affective symptoms on memory performance in this population, and suggested sex-specific effects. We conducted a post-hoc analysis of an extensive neuropsychological study of 88 patients with schizophrenia. Regression analyses were conducted on verbal memory and verbal fluency data to investigate the contribution of semantic organisation and processing speed to performance. The role of negative and affective symptoms and of attention disorders in verbal memory and verbal fluency was investigated separately in male and female patients. Semantic clustering contributed to verbal recall, and a measure of reading speed contributed to verbal recall as well as to phonological and semantic fluency. Negative symptoms affected verbal recall and verbal fluency in the male patients, whereas attention disorders affected these abilities in the female patients. Furthermore, depression affected verbal recall in women, whereas anxiety affected it in men. These results confirm the association of processing speed with cognitive efficiency in patients with schizophrenia. They also confirm the previously observed sex-specific associations of depression and anxiety with memory performance in these patients, and suggest that negative symptoms and attention disorders likewise are related to cognitive efficiency differently in men and women. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular Mechanisms of Neuroplasticity: An Expanding Universe.

PubMed

Gulyaeva, N V

2017-03-01

Biochemical processes in synapses and other neuronal compartments underlie neuroplasticity (functional and structural alterations in the brain enabling adaptation to the environment, learning, memory, as well as rehabilitation after brain injury). This basic molecular level of brain plasticity covers numerous specific proteins (enzymes, receptors, structural proteins, etc.) participating in many coordinated and interacting signal and metabolic processes, their modulation forming a molecular basis for brain plasticity. The articles in this issue are focused on different "hot points" in the research area of biochemical mechanisms supporting neuroplasticity.

Iconic memory for the gist of natural scenes.

PubMed

Clarke, Jason; Mack, Arien

2014-11-01

Does iconic memory contain the gist of multiple scenes? Three experiments were conducted. In the first, four scenes from different basic-level categories were briefly presented in one of two conditions: a cue or a no-cue condition. The cue condition was designed to provide an index of the contents of iconic memory of the display. Subjects were more sensitive to scene gist in the cue condition than in the no-cue condition. In the second, the scenes came from the same basic-level category. We found no difference in sensitivity between the two conditions. In the third, six scenes from different basic level categories were presented in the visual periphery. Subjects were more sensitive to scene gist in the cue condition. These results suggest that scene gist is contained in iconic memory even in the visual periphery; however, iconic representations are not sufficiently detailed to distinguish between scenes coming from the same category. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A model of the human in a cognitive prediction task.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rouse, W. B.

1973-01-01

The human decision maker's behavior when predicting future states of discrete linear dynamic systems driven by zero-mean Gaussian processes is modeled. The task is on a slow enough time scale that physiological constraints are insignificant compared with cognitive limitations. The model is basically a linear regression system identifier with a limited memory and noisy observations. Experimental data are presented and compared to the model.

The Role of Comprehension Monitoring, Theory of Mind, and Vocabulary Depth in Predicting Story Comprehension and Recall of Kindergarten Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strasser, Katherine; del Río, Francisca

2014-01-01

Recent studies have revealed that preschoolers' story comprehension is influenced by several basic as well as complex cognitive and linguistic processes. Among the abilities known to be relevant for young children's understanding of stories are the size of their vocabulary, their inference-making ability, and their working memory. In this study,…

Cluster analysis of cognitive performance in elderly and demented subjects.

PubMed

Giaquinto, S; Nolfe, G; Calvani, M

1985-06-01

48 elderly normals, 14 demented subjects and 76 young controls were tested for basic cognitive functions. All the tests were quantified and could therefore be subjected to statistical analysis. The results show a difference in the speed of information processing and in memory load between the young controls and elderly normals but the age groups differed in quantitative terms only. Cluster analysis showed that the elderly and the demented formed two distinctly separate groups at the qualitative level, the basic cognitive processes being damaged in the demented group. Age thus appears to be only a risk factor for dementia and not its cause. It is concluded that batteries based on precise and measurable tasks are the most appropriate not only for the study of dementia but for rehabilitation purposes too.

[Basic symptoms in schizophrenia, their clinical study and relevance in research].

PubMed

Miret, Salvador; Fatjó-Vilas, Mar; Peralta, Víctor; Fañanás, Lourdes

2016-01-01

Basic symptoms consist of subtle sub-clinical disturbances subjectively experienced by schizophrenia patients. These are mainly related to drive, affect, thinking and language, perception, memory, motor action, central vegetative functions, control of cognitive processes, and stress tolerance. Initially described by Huber, from a phenomenological approach, basic symptoms are part of the earliest features of schizophrenia, and they can evolve along the course of the disorder. Their assessment during the prodromal phase of the disease (together with ultra-high risk criteria) is one of the 2 main approaches that allow the definition of states of clinical risk for the development of psychosis. The present review provides an updated view of the concept of basic symptoms, highlighting its potential value in establishing neurobiological correlates of interest in aetiopathogenic research. Copyright © 2015 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Avalanches and generalized memory associativity in a network model for conscious and unconscious mental functioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddiqui, Maheen; Wedemann, Roseli S.; Jensen, Henrik Jeldtoft

2018-01-01

We explore statistical characteristics of avalanches associated with the dynamics of a complex-network model, where two modules corresponding to sensorial and symbolic memories interact, representing unconscious and conscious mental processes. The model illustrates Freud's ideas regarding the neuroses and that consciousness is related with symbolic and linguistic memory activity in the brain. It incorporates the Stariolo-Tsallis generalization of the Boltzmann Machine in order to model memory retrieval and associativity. In the present work, we define and measure avalanche size distributions during memory retrieval, in order to gain insight regarding basic aspects of the functioning of these complex networks. The avalanche sizes defined for our model should be related to the time consumed and also to the size of the neuronal region which is activated, during memory retrieval. This allows the qualitative comparison of the behaviour of the distribution of cluster sizes, obtained during fMRI measurements of the propagation of signals in the brain, with the distribution of avalanche sizes obtained in our simulation experiments. This comparison corroborates the indication that the Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics formalism may indeed be more well suited to model the complex networks which constitute brain and mental structure.

[Influence of stimulation and blockade of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on learning of female rats in basic phases of ovary cycle].

PubMed

Fedotova, Iu O

2014-03-01

The present work was devoted to the comparative analysis of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in learning/memory processes during ovary cycle in the adult female rats. RJR-2403 (1.0 mg/kg, i. p.), α4β2 nAChRs agonist and mecamylamine (1.0 mg/kg, i. p.), α4β2 nAChRs antagonist were injected chronically during 14 days. The processes of learning/memory were assessed in different models of learning: passive avoidance performance and Morris water maze. Chronic RJR-2403 administration to females improved the passive avoidance performance in proestrous and estrous as compared to the control animals. Also, RJR-2403 restored spatial learning of rats during proestrous phases in Morris water maze, and stimulated the dynamics of spatial learning during estrous phases. On the contrary, the chronic mecamylamine administration impaired non-spatial, and especially, spatial learning in females during key phases of ovary cycle. The results of the study suggest positive effect of α4β2 nAChRs stimulation in learning/memory processes during ovary cycle in the adult female rats.

Effect of Thermomechanical Processing on the Microstructure, Properties, and Work Behavior of a Ti50.5 Ni29.5 Pt20 High-Temperature Shape Memory Alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noebe, Ronald; Draper, Susan; Gaydosh, Darrell; Garga, Anita; Lerch, Brad; Penney, Nicholas; Begelow, Glen; Padula, Santo, II; Brown, Jeff

2006-01-01

TiNiPt shape memory alloys are particularly promising for use as solid state actuators in environments up to 300 C, due to a reasonable balance of properties, including acceptable work output. However, one of the challenges to commercializing a viable high-temperature shape memory alloy (HTSMA) is to establish the appropriate primary and secondary processing techniques for fabrication of the material in a required product form such as rod and wire. Consequently, a Ti(50.5)Ni(29.5)Pt20 alloy was processed using several techniques including single-pass high-temperature extrusion, multiple-pass high-temperature extrusion, and cold drawing to produce bar stock, thin rod, and fine wire, respectively. The effects of heat treatment on the hardness, grain size, room temperature tensile properties, and transformation temperatures of hot- and cold-worked material were examined. Basic tensile properties as a function of temperature and the strain-temperature response of the alloy under constant load, for the determination of work output, were also investigated for various forms of the Ti(50.5)Ni(29.5)Pt20 alloy, including fine wire.

Questioning short-term memory and its measurement: Why digit span measures long-term associative learning.

PubMed

Jones, Gary; Macken, Bill

2015-11-01

Traditional accounts of verbal short-term memory explain differences in performance for different types of verbal material by reference to inherent characteristics of the verbal items making up memory sequences. The role of previous experience with sequences of different types is ostensibly controlled for either by deliberate exclusion or by presenting multiple trials constructed from different random permutations. We cast doubt on this general approach in a detailed analysis of the basis for the robust finding that short-term memory for digit sequences is superior to that for other sequences of verbal material. Specifically, we show across four experiments that this advantage is not due to inherent characteristics of digits as verbal items, nor are individual digits within sequences better remembered than other types of individual verbal items. Rather, the advantage for digit sequences stems from the increased frequency, compared to other verbal material, with which digits appear in random sequences in natural language, and furthermore, relatively frequent digit sequences support better short-term serial recall than less frequent ones. We also provide corpus-based computational support for the argument that performance in a short-term memory setting is a function of basic associative learning processes operating on the linguistic experience of the rememberer. The experimental and computational results raise questions not only about the role played by measurement of digit span in cognition generally, but also about the way in which long-term memory processes impact on short-term memory functioning. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The irrelevant speech effect and working memory load.

PubMed

Gisselgård, Jens; Petersson, Karl Magnus; Ingvar, Martin

2004-07-01

Irrelevant speech impairs the immediate serial recall of visually presented material. Previously, we have shown that the irrelevant speech effect (ISE) was associated with a relative decrease of regional blood flow in cortical regions subserving the verbal working memory, in particular the superior temporal cortex. In this extension of the previous study, the working memory load was increased and an increased activity as a response to irrelevant speech was noted in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We suggest that the two studies together provide some basic insights as to the nature of the irrelevant speech effect. Firstly, no area in the brain can be ascribed as the single locus of the irrelevant speech effect. Instead, the functional neuroanatomical substrate to the effect can be characterized in terms of changes in networks of functionally interrelated areas. Secondly, the areas that are sensitive to the irrelevant speech effect are also generically activated by the verbal working memory task itself. Finally, the impact of irrelevant speech and related brain activity depends on working memory load as indicated by the differences between the present and the previous study. From a brain perspective, the irrelevant speech effect may represent a complex phenomenon that is a composite of several underlying mechanisms, which depending on the working memory load, include top-down inhibition as well as recruitment of compensatory support and control processes. We suggest that, in the low-load condition, a selection process by an inhibitory top-down modulation is sufficient, whereas in the high-load condition, at or above working memory span, auxiliary adaptive cognitive resources are recruited as compensation. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.

Contextual consistency facilitates long-term memory of perceptual detail in barely seen images.

PubMed

Gronau, Nurit; Shachar, Meytal

2015-08-01

It is long known that contextual information affects memory for an object's identity (e.g., its basic level category), yet it is unclear whether schematic knowledge additionally enhances memory for the precise visual appearance of an item. Here we investigated memory for visual detail of merely glimpsed objects. Participants viewed pairs of contextually related and unrelated stimuli, presented for an extremely brief duration (24 ms, masked). They then performed a forced-choice memory-recognition test for the precise perceptual appearance of 1 of 2 objects within each pair (i.e., the "memory-target" item). In 3 experiments, we show that memory-target stimuli originally appearing within contextually related pairs are remembered better than targets appearing within unrelated pairs. These effects are obtained whether the target is presented at test with its counterpart pair object (i.e., when reiterating the original context at encoding) or whether the target is presented alone, implying that the contextual consistency effects are mediated predominantly by processes occurring during stimulus encoding, rather than during stimulus retrieval. Furthermore, visual detail encoding is improved whether object relations involve implied action or not, suggesting that, contrary to some prior suggestions, action is not a necessary component for object-to-object associative "grouping" processes. Our findings suggest that during a brief glimpse, but not under long viewing conditions, contextual associations may play a critical role in reducing stimulus competition for attention selection and in facilitating rapid encoding of sensory details. Theoretical implications with respect to classic frame theories are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Sam2bam: High-Performance Framework for NGS Data Preprocessing Tools

PubMed Central

Cheng, Yinhe; Tzeng, Tzy-Hwa Kathy

2016-01-01

This paper introduces a high-throughput software tool framework called sam2bam that enables users to significantly speed up pre-processing for next-generation sequencing data. The sam2bam is especially efficient on single-node multi-core large-memory systems. It can reduce the runtime of data pre-processing in marking duplicate reads on a single node system by 156–186x compared with de facto standard tools. The sam2bam consists of parallel software components that can fully utilize multiple processors, available memory, high-bandwidth storage, and hardware compression accelerators, if available. The sam2bam provides file format conversion between well-known genome file formats, from SAM to BAM, as a basic feature. Additional features such as analyzing, filtering, and converting input data are provided by using plug-in tools, e.g., duplicate marking, which can be attached to sam2bam at runtime. We demonstrated that sam2bam could significantly reduce the runtime of next generation sequencing (NGS) data pre-processing from about two hours to about one minute for a whole-exome data set on a 16-core single-node system using up to 130 GB of memory. The sam2bam could reduce the runtime of NGS data pre-processing from about 20 hours to about nine minutes for a whole-genome sequencing data set on the same system using up to 711 GB of memory. PMID:27861637

Tone Language Speakers and Musicians Share Enhanced Perceptual and Cognitive Abilities for Musical Pitch: Evidence for Bidirectionality between the Domains of Language and Music

PubMed Central

Bidelman, Gavin M.; Hutka, Stefanie; Moreno, Sylvain

2013-01-01

Psychophysiological evidence suggests that music and language are intimately coupled such that experience/training in one domain can influence processing required in the other domain. While the influence of music on language processing is now well-documented, evidence of language-to-music effects have yet to be firmly established. Here, using a cross-sectional design, we compared the performance of musicians to that of tone-language (Cantonese) speakers on tasks of auditory pitch acuity, music perception, and general cognitive ability (e.g., fluid intelligence, working memory). While musicians demonstrated superior performance on all auditory measures, comparable perceptual enhancements were observed for Cantonese participants, relative to English-speaking nonmusicians. These results provide evidence that tone-language background is associated with higher auditory perceptual performance for music listening. Musicians and Cantonese speakers also showed superior working memory capacity relative to nonmusician controls, suggesting that in addition to basic perceptual enhancements, tone-language background and music training might also be associated with enhanced general cognitive abilities. Our findings support the notion that tone language speakers and musically trained individuals have higher performance than English-speaking listeners for the perceptual-cognitive processing necessary for basic auditory as well as complex music perception. These results illustrate bidirectional influences between the domains of music and language. PMID:23565267

Not only … but also: REM sleep creates and NREM Stage 2 instantiates landmark junctions in cortical memory networks.

PubMed

Llewellyn, Sue; Hobson, J Allan

2015-07-01

This article argues both rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep contribute to overnight episodic memory processes but their roles differ. Episodic memory may have evolved from memory for spatial navigation in animals and humans. Equally, mnemonic navigation in world and mental space may rely on fundamentally equivalent processes. Consequently, the basic spatial network characteristics of pathways which meet at omnidirectional nodes or junctions may be conserved in episodic brain networks. A pathway is formally identified with the unidirectional, sequential phases of an episodic memory. In contrast, the function of omnidirectional junctions is not well understood. In evolutionary terms, both animals and early humans undertook tours to a series of landmark junctions, to take advantage of resources (food, water and shelter), whilst trying to avoid predators. Such tours required memory for emotionally significant landmark resource-place-danger associations and the spatial relationships amongst these landmarks. In consequence, these tours may have driven the evolution of both spatial and episodic memory. The environment is dynamic. Resource-place associations are liable to shift and new resource-rich landmarks may be discovered, these changes may require re-wiring in neural networks. To realise these changes, REM may perform an associative, emotional encoding function between memory networks, engendering an omnidirectional landmark junction which is instantiated in the cortex during NREM Stage 2. In sum, REM may preplay associated elements of past episodes (rather than replay individual episodes), to engender an unconscious representation which can be used by the animal on approach to a landmark junction in wake. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Word repetition in amnesia. Electrophysiological measures of impaired and spared memory.

PubMed

Olichney, J M; Van Petten, C; Paller, K A; Salmon, D P; Iragui, V J; Kutas, M

2000-09-01

Amnesic patients often show improved performance when stimuli are repeated, even in the absence of conscious memory for those stimuli. Although these performance changes are typically attributed to perceptual or motor systems, in some cases they may be related to basic language processing. We examined two neurophysiological measures that vary with word repetition in 12 amnesic patients and 12 control subjects: (i) a late positive component of the event-related potential (ERP) linked to conscious memory and (ii) the N400 component that varies with language comprehension. In each trial, the subject heard a category name, then viewed a word, and then decided whether the word was semantically congruous or incongruous (e.g. 'yes' for 'baby animal: cub'; 'no' for 'water sport: kitchen'). Recall and recognition testing at the end of the experiment showed that control subjects had better memory for congruous than for incongruous words, as did the amnesic patients, who performed less well overall. In contrast, amnesic patients were unimpaired on the category decisions required in each trial and, like the control subjects, showed a large N400 for incongruous relative to congruous words. Similarly, when incongruous trials were repeated after 0-13 intervening trials, N400s were reduced in both groups. When congruous trials were repeated, a late positive repetition effect was observed, but only in the control group. Furthermore, the amplitude of the late positive repetition effect was highly correlated with later word recall in both patients and controls. In the patients, the correlation was also observed with memory scores from standardized neuropsychological tests. These data are consistent with a proposed link between the late positive repetition effect and conscious memory. On the other hand, the N400 repetition effect was not correlated with episodic memory abilities, but instead indexed an aspect of memory that was intact in the amnesic patients. The preserved N400 repetition effect is an example of preserved memory in amnesia that does not easily fit into the categories of low-level perceptual processing or of motor learning. Instead, the sensitivity of the N400 to both semantic context and repetition may reflect a short-term memory process that serves language comprehension in realtime.

The Royal Road to Time: How Understanding of the Evolution of Time in the Brain Addresses Memory, Dreaming, Flow, and Other Psychological Phenomena.

PubMed

Hancock, Peter A

2015-01-01

It has been claimed that dreams are the royal road to the unconscious mind. The present work argues that dreams and associated brain states such as memory, attention, flow, and perhaps even consciousness itself arise from diverse conflicts over control of time in the brain. Dreams are the brain's offline efforts to distill projections of the future, while memory represents the vestiges of the past successes and survived failures of those and other conscious projections. Memory thus acts to inform and improve the prediction of possible future states through the use of conscious prospects (planning) and unconscious prospective memory (dreams). When successful, these prospects result in states of flow for conscious planning and déjà vu for its unconscious comparator. In consequence, and contrary to normal expectation, memory is overwhelmingly oriented to deal with the future. Consciousness is the comparable process operating in the present moment. Thus past, present, and future are homeomorphic with the parts of memory (episodic and autobiographical) that recall a personal past, consciousness, and the differing dimensions of prospective memory to plan for future circumstances, respectively. Dreaming (i.e., unconscious prospective memory), has the luxury to run multiple "what if" simulations of many possible futures, essentially offline. I explicate these propositions and their relations to allied constructs such as déjà vu and flow. More generally, I propose that what appear to us as a range of normal psychological experiences are actually manifestations of an ongoing pathological battle for control within the brain. The landscape of this conflict is time. I suggest that there are at least 3 general systems bidding for this control, and in the process of evolution, each system has individually conferred a sequentially increasing survival advantage, but only at the expense of a still incomplete functional integration. Through juxtaposition of these respective brain systems, I endeavor to resolve some fundamental paradoxes and conundrums expressed in the basic psychological and behavioral processes of sleep, consciousness, and memory. The implication of this conceptual framework for the overall conception of time is then briefly adumbrated.

Sex differences in stress effects on emotional learning.

PubMed

Merz, Christian J; Wolf, Oliver T

2017-01-02

Stress influences emotional learning and memory processes. These effects are thought to underlie stress-associated mental disorders. Sex differences in stress reactivity and in central nervous system stress sensitivity illustrate the important modulatory role of sex hormones. This Review outlines how stress hormones influence different stages of the fear conditioning process, such as fear acquisition, extinction, and retrieval. Results will be compared with findings on the impact of stress on episodic memory. The focus is on the available human data on sex differences and the impact sex hormones have on the stress effects on emotional learning and memory. It will become apparent that the menstrual cycle but also the intake of hormonal contraceptives modulates the impact of stress on brain and behavior. Additional basic research is needed for a deeper insight regarding the interplay between stress and sex hormones in emotion and cognition. In addition, new treatment options might be derived to optimize existing strategies such as exposure therapy, which relies on the principles of fear conditioning. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How to Study: The Neglected Basic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Wayne C.; Wilson, Brent G.

This paper examines knowledge of studying--knowing how and when to apply study strategies. Study strategies may be classified into three categories: memory strategies, comprehension strategies, and problem-solving strategies. Memory-study strategies help students remember what they study. Five attributes often characterize memory strategies:…

Garnet Random-Access Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katti, Romney R.

1995-01-01

Random-access memory (RAM) devices of proposed type exploit magneto-optical properties of magnetic garnets exhibiting perpendicular anisotropy. Magnetic writing and optical readout used. Provides nonvolatile storage and resists damage by ionizing radiation. Because of basic architecture and pinout requirements, most likely useful as small-capacity memory devices.

Integration of basic sciences and clinical sciences in oral radiology education for dental students.

PubMed

Baghdady, Mariam T; Carnahan, Heather; Lam, Ernest W N; Woods, Nicole N

2013-06-01

Educational research suggests that cognitive processing in diagnostic radiology requires a solid foundation in the basic sciences and knowledge of the radiological changes associated with disease. Although it is generally assumed that dental students must acquire both sets of knowledge, little is known about the most effective way to teach them. Currently, the basic and clinical sciences are taught separately. This study was conducted to compare the diagnostic accuracy of students when taught basic sciences segregated or integrated with clinical features. Predoctoral dental students (n=51) were taught four confusable intrabony abnormalities using basic science descriptions integrated with the radiographic features or taught segregated from the radiographic features. The students were tested with diagnostic images, and memory tests were performed immediately after learning and one week later. On immediate and delayed testing, participants in the integrated basic science group outperformed those from the segregated group. A main effect of learning condition was found to be significant (p<0.05). The results of this study support the critical role of integrating biomedical knowledge in diagnostic radiology and shows that teaching basic sciences integrated with clinical features produces higher diagnostic accuracy in novices than teaching basic sciences segregated from clinical features.

Technical support for digital systems technology development. Task order 1: ISP contention analysis and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stehle, Roy H.; Ogier, Richard G.

1993-01-01

Alternatives for realizing a packet-based network switch for use on a frequency division multiple access/time division multiplexed (FDMA/TDM) geostationary communication satellite were investigated. Each of the eight downlink beams supports eight directed dwells. The design needed to accommodate multicast packets with very low probability of loss due to contention. Three switch architectures were designed and analyzed. An output-queued, shared bus system yielded a functionally simple system, utilizing a first-in, first-out (FIFO) memory per downlink dwell, but at the expense of a large total memory requirement. A shared memory architecture offered the most efficiency in memory requirements, requiring about half the memory of the shared bus design. The processing requirement for the shared-memory system adds system complexity that may offset the benefits of the smaller memory. An alternative design using a shared memory buffer per downlink beam decreases circuit complexity through a distributed design, and requires at most 1000 packets of memory more than the completely shared memory design. Modifications to the basic packet switch designs were proposed to accommodate circuit-switched traffic, which must be served on a periodic basis with minimal delay. Methods for dynamically controlling the downlink dwell lengths were developed and analyzed. These methods adapt quickly to changing traffic demands, and do not add significant complexity or cost to the satellite and ground station designs. Methods for reducing the memory requirement by not requiring the satellite to store full packets were also proposed and analyzed. In addition, optimal packet and dwell lengths were computed as functions of memory size for the three switch architectures.

Multinode reconfigurable pipeline computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nosenchuck, Daniel M. (Inventor); Littman, Michael G. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

A multinode parallel-processing computer is made up of a plurality of innerconnected, large capacity nodes each including a reconfigurable pipeline of functional units such as Integer Arithmetic Logic Processors, Floating Point Arithmetic Processors, Special Purpose Processors, etc. The reconfigurable pipeline of each node is connected to a multiplane memory by a Memory-ALU switch NETwork (MASNET). The reconfigurable pipeline includes three (3) basic substructures formed from functional units which have been found to be sufficient to perform the bulk of all calculations. The MASNET controls the flow of signals from the memory planes to the reconfigurable pipeline and vice versa. the nodes are connectable together by an internode data router (hyperspace router) so as to form a hypercube configuration. The capability of the nodes to conditionally configure the pipeline at each tick of the clock, without requiring a pipeline flush, permits many powerful algorithms to be implemented directly.

Information Processing in Cognition Process and New Artificial Intelligent Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Nanning; Xue, Jianru

In this chapter, we discuss, in depth, visual information processing and a new artificial intelligent (AI) system that is based upon cognitive mechanisms. The relationship between a general model of intelligent systems and cognitive mechanisms is described, and in particular we explore visual information processing with selective attention. We also discuss a methodology for studying the new AI system and propose some important basic research issues that have emerged in the intersecting fields of cognitive science and information science. To this end, a new scheme for associative memory and a new architecture for an AI system with attractors of chaos are addressed.

Perspectives on fear generalization and its implications for emotional disorders.

PubMed

Jasnow, Aaron M; Lynch, Joseph F; Gilman, T Lee; Riccio, David C

2017-03-01

Although generalization to conditioned stimuli is not a new phenomenon, renewed interest in understanding its biological underpinning has stemmed from its association with a number of anxiety disorders. Generalization as it relates to fear processing is a temporally dynamic process in which animals, including humans, display fear in response to similar yet distinct cues or contexts as the time between training and testing increases. This Review surveys the literature on contextual fear generalization and its relation to several views of memory, including systems consolidation, forgetting, and transformation hypothesis, which differentially implicate roles of the hippocampus and neocortex in memory consolidation and retrieval. We discuss recent evidence on the neurobiological mechanisms contributing to the increase in fear generalization over time and how generalized responding may be modulated by acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval mechanisms. Whereas clinical perspectives of generalization emphasize a lack of fear inhibition to CS - cues or fear toward intermediate CS cues, the time-dependent nature of generalization and its relation to traditional views on memory consolidation and retrieval are often overlooked. Understanding the time-dependent increase in fear generalization has important implications not only for understanding how generalization contributes to anxiety disorders but also for understanding basic long-term memory function. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preliminary cognitive scale of basic and instrumental activities of daily living for dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Bailón, María; Montoro-Membila, Nuria; Garcia-Morán, Tamara; Arnedo-Montoro, María Luisa; Funes Molina, María Jesús

2015-01-01

In the present study we explored cognitive and functional deficits in patients with multidomain mild cognitive impairment (MCI), patients with dementia, and healthy age-matched control participants using the Cognitive Scale for Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, a new preliminary informant-based assessment tool. This tool allowed us to evaluate four key cognitive abilities-task memory schema, error detection, problem solving, and task self-initiation-in a range of basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADL and IADL, respectively). The first part of the present study was devoted to testing the psychometric adequateness of this new informant-based tool and its convergent validity with other global functioning and neuropsychological measures. The second part of the study was aimed at finding the patterns of everyday cognitive factors that best discriminate between the three groups. We found that patients with dementia exhibited impairment in all cognitive abilities in both basic and instrumental activities. By contrast, patients with MCI were found to have preserved task memory schema in both types of ADL; however, such patients exhibited deficits in error detection and task self-initiation but only in IADL. Finally, patients with MCI also showed a generalized problem solving deficit that affected even BADL. Studying various cognitive processes instantiated in specific ADL differing in complexity seems a promising strategy to further understand the specific relationships between cognition and function in these and other cognitively impaired populations.

Semantic memory is impaired in patients with unilateral anterior temporal lobe resection for temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Lambon Ralph, Matthew A; Ehsan, Sheeba; Baker, Gus A; Rogers, Timothy T

2012-01-01

Contemporary clinical and basic neuroscience studies have increasingly implicated the anterior temporal lobe regions, bilaterally, in the formation of coherent concepts. Mounting convergent evidence for the importance of the anterior temporal lobe in semantic memory is found in patients with bilateral anterior temporal lobe damage (e.g. semantic dementia), functional neuroimaging and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation studies. If this proposal is correct, then one might expect patients with anterior temporal lobe resection for long-standing temporal lobe epilepsy to be semantically impaired. Such patients, however, do not present clinically with striking comprehension deficits but with amnesia and variable anomia, leading some to conclude that semantic memory is intact in resection for temporal lobe epilepsy and thus casting doubt over the conclusions drawn from semantic dementia and linked basic neuroscience studies. Whilst there is a considerable neuropsychological literature on temporal lobe epilepsy, few studies have probed semantic memory directly, with mixed results, and none have undertaken the same type of systematic investigation of semantic processing that has been conducted with other patient groups. In this study, therefore, we investigated the semantic performance of 20 patients with resection for chronic temporal lobe epilepsy with a full battery of semantic assessments, including more sensitive measures of semantic processing. The results provide a bridge between the current clinical observations about resection for temporal lobe epilepsy and the expectations from semantic dementia and other neuroscience findings. Specifically, we found that on simple semantic tasks, the patients' accuracy fell in the normal range, with the exception that some patients with left resection for temporal lobe epilepsy had measurable anomia. Once the semantic assessments were made more challenging, by probing specific-level concepts, lower frequency/more abstract items or measuring reaction times on semantic tasks versus those on difficulty-matched non-semantic assessments, evidence of a semantic impairment was found in all individuals. We conclude by describing a unified, computationally inspired framework for capturing the variable degrees of semantic impairment found across different patient groups (semantic dementia, temporal lobe epilepsy, glioma and stroke) as well as semantic processing in neurologically intact participants.

Semantic memory is impaired in patients with unilateral anterior temporal lobe resection for temporal lobe epilepsy

PubMed Central

Ehsan, Sheeba; Baker, Gus A.; Rogers, Timothy T.

2012-01-01

Contemporary clinical and basic neuroscience studies have increasingly implicated the anterior temporal lobe regions, bilaterally, in the formation of coherent concepts. Mounting convergent evidence for the importance of the anterior temporal lobe in semantic memory is found in patients with bilateral anterior temporal lobe damage (e.g. semantic dementia), functional neuroimaging and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation studies. If this proposal is correct, then one might expect patients with anterior temporal lobe resection for long-standing temporal lobe epilepsy to be semantically impaired. Such patients, however, do not present clinically with striking comprehension deficits but with amnesia and variable anomia, leading some to conclude that semantic memory is intact in resection for temporal lobe epilepsy and thus casting doubt over the conclusions drawn from semantic dementia and linked basic neuroscience studies. Whilst there is a considerable neuropsychological literature on temporal lobe epilepsy, few studies have probed semantic memory directly, with mixed results, and none have undertaken the same type of systematic investigation of semantic processing that has been conducted with other patient groups. In this study, therefore, we investigated the semantic performance of 20 patients with resection for chronic temporal lobe epilepsy with a full battery of semantic assessments, including more sensitive measures of semantic processing. The results provide a bridge between the current clinical observations about resection for temporal lobe epilepsy and the expectations from semantic dementia and other neuroscience findings. Specifically, we found that on simple semantic tasks, the patients’ accuracy fell in the normal range, with the exception that some patients with left resection for temporal lobe epilepsy had measurable anomia. Once the semantic assessments were made more challenging, by probing specific-level concepts, lower frequency/more abstract items or measuring reaction times on semantic tasks versus those on difficulty-matched non-semantic assessments, evidence of a semantic impairment was found in all individuals. We conclude by describing a unified, computationally inspired framework for capturing the variable degrees of semantic impairment found across different patient groups (semantic dementia, temporal lobe epilepsy, glioma and stroke) as well as semantic processing in neurologically intact participants. PMID:22287382

Expert Systems on Multiprocessor Architectures. Volume 2. Technical Reports

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

Report RC 12936 (#58037). IBM T. J. Wartson Reiearch Center. July 1987. � Alan Jay Smith. Cache memories. Coniputing Sitrry., 1.1(3): I.3-5:30...basic-shared is an instrument for ashared memory design. The components panels are processor- qload-scrolling-bar-panel, memory-qload-scrolling-bar-panel

The Effects of Acute Stress on Episodic Memory: A Meta-Analysis and Integrative Review

PubMed Central

Shields, Grant S.; Sazma, Matthew A.; McCullough, Andrew M.; Yonelinas, Andrew P.

2017-01-01

A growing body of research has indicated that acute stress can critically impact memory. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in the literature, and important questions remain regarding the conditions under which stress effects emerge as well as basic questions about how stress impacts different phases of memory. In this meta-analysis, we examined 113 independent studies in humans with 6,216 participants that explored effects of stress on encoding, post-encoding, retrieval, or post-reactivation phases of episodic memory. The results indicated that when stress occurred prior to or during encoding it impaired memory, unless both the delay between the stressor and encoding was very short and the study materials were directly related to the stressor, in which case stress improved encoding. In contrast, post-encoding stress improved memory unless the stressor occurred in a different physical context than the study materials. When stress occurred just prior to or during retrieval, memory was impaired, and these effects were larger for emotionally valenced materials than neutral materials. Although stress consistently increased cortisol, the magnitude of the cortisol response was not related to the effects of stress on memory. Nonetheless, the effects of stress on memory were generally reduced in magnitude for women taking hormonal contraceptives. These analyses indicate that stress disrupts some episodic memory processes while enhancing others, and that the effects of stress are modulated by a number of critical factors. These results provide important constraints on current theories of stress and memory, and point to new questions for future research. PMID:28368148

The effects of acute stress on episodic memory: A meta-analysis and integrative review.

PubMed

Shields, Grant S; Sazma, Matthew A; McCullough, Andrew M; Yonelinas, Andrew P

2017-06-01

A growing body of research has indicated that acute stress can critically impact memory. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in the literature, and important questions remain regarding the conditions under which stress effects emerge as well as basic questions about how stress impacts different phases of memory. In this meta-analysis, we examined 113 independent studies in humans with 6,216 participants that explored effects of stress on encoding, postencoding, retrieval, or postreactivation phases of episodic memory. The results indicated that when stress occurred prior to or during encoding it impaired memory, unless both the delay between the stressor and encoding was very short and the study materials were directly related to the stressor, in which case stress improved encoding. In contrast, postencoding stress improved memory unless the stressor occurred in a different physical context than the study materials. When stress occurred just prior to or during retrieval, memory was impaired, and these effects were larger for emotionally valenced materials than neutral materials. Although stress consistently increased cortisol, the magnitude of the cortisol response was not related to the effects of stress on memory. Nonetheless, the effects of stress on memory were generally reduced in magnitude for women taking hormonal contraceptives. These analyses indicate that stress disrupts some episodic memory processes while enhancing others, and that the effects of stress are modulated by a number of critical factors. These results provide important constraints on current theories of stress and memory, and point to new questions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Triple representation of language, working memory, social and emotion processing in the cerebellum: convergent evidence from task and seed-based resting-state fMRI analyses in a single large cohort.

PubMed

Guell, Xavier; Gabrieli, John D E; Schmahmann, Jeremy D

2018-05-15

Delineation of functional topography is critical to the evolving understanding of the cerebellum's role in a wide range of nervous system functions. We used data from the Human Connectome Project (n = 787) to analyze cerebellar fMRI task activation (motor, working memory, language, social and emotion processing) and resting-state functional connectivity calculated from cerebral cortical seeds corresponding to the peak Cohen's d of each task contrast. The combination of exceptional statistical power, activation from both motor and multiple non-motor tasks in the same participants, and convergent resting-state networks in the same participants revealed novel aspects of the functional topography of the human cerebellum. Consistent with prior studies there were two distinct representations of motor activation. Newly revealed were three distinct representations each for working memory, language, social, and emotional task processing that were largely separate for these four cognitive and affective domains. In most cases, the task-based activations and the corresponding resting-network correlations were congruent in identifying the two motor representations and the three non-motor representations that were unique to working memory, language, social cognition, and emotion. The definitive localization and characterization of distinct triple representations for cognition and emotion task processing in the cerebellum opens up new basic science questions as to why there are triple representations (what different functions are enabled by the different representations?) and new clinical questions (what are the differing consequences of lesions to the different representations?). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ERP evaluation of auditory sensory memory systems in adults with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Ikeda, Kazunari; Hashimoto, Souichi; Hayashi, Akiko; Kanno, Atsushi

2009-01-01

Auditory sensory memory stage can be functionally divided into two subsystems; transient-detector system and permanent feature-detector system (Naatanen, 1992). We assessed these systems in persons with intellectual disability by measuring event-related potentials (ERPs) N1 and mismatch negativity (MMN), which reflect the two auditory subsystems, respectively. Added to these, P3a (an ERP reflecting stage after sensory memory) was evaluated. Either synthesized vowels or simple tones were delivered during a passive oddball paradigm to adults with and without intellectual disability. ERPs were recorded from midline scalp sites (Fz, Cz, and Pz). Relative to control group, participants with the disability exhibited greater N1 latency and less MMN amplitude. The results for N1 amplitude and MMN latency were basically comparable between both groups. IQ scores in participants with the disability revealed no significant relation with N1 and MMN measures, whereas the IQ scores tended to increase significantly as P3a latency reduced. These outcomes suggest that persons with intellectual disability might own discrete malfunctions for the two detector systems in auditory sensory-memory stage. Moreover, the processes following sensory memory might be partly related to a determinant of mental development.

Generalization Through the Recurrent Interaction of Episodic Memories

PubMed Central

Kumaran, Dharshan; McClelland, James L.

2012-01-01

In this article, we present a perspective on the role of the hippocampal system in generalization, instantiated in a computational model called REMERGE (recurrency and episodic memory results in generalization). We expose a fundamental, but neglected, tension between prevailing computational theories that emphasize the function of the hippocampus in pattern separation (Marr, 1971; McClelland, McNaughton, & O'Reilly, 1995), and empirical support for its role in generalization and flexible relational memory (Cohen & Eichenbaum, 1993; Eichenbaum, 1999). Our account provides a means by which to resolve this conflict, by demonstrating that the basic representational scheme envisioned by complementary learning systems theory (McClelland et al., 1995), which relies upon orthogonalized codes in the hippocampus, is compatible with efficient generalization—as long as there is recurrence rather than unidirectional flow within the hippocampal circuit or, more widely, between the hippocampus and neocortex. We propose that recurrent similarity computation, a process that facilitates the discovery of higher-order relationships between a set of related experiences, expands the scope of classical exemplar-based models of memory (e.g., Nosofsky, 1984) and allows the hippocampus to support generalization through interactions that unfold within a dynamically created memory space. PMID:22775499

Event boundaries and anaphoric reference.

PubMed

Thompson, Alexis N; Radvansky, Gabriel A

2016-06-01

The current study explored the finding that parsing a narrative into separate events impairs anaphor resolution. According to the Event Horizon Model, when a narrative event boundary is encountered, a new event model is created. Information associated with the prior event model is removed from working memory. So long as the event model containing the anaphor referent is currently being processed, this information should still be available when there is no narrative event boundary, even if reading has been disrupted by a working-memory-clearing distractor task. In those cases, readers may reactivate their prior event model, and anaphor resolution would not be affected. Alternatively, comprehension may not be as event oriented as this account suggests. Instead, any disruption of the contents of working memory during comprehension, event related or not, may be sufficient to disrupt anaphor resolution. In this case, reading comprehension would be more strongly guided by other, more basic language processing mechanisms and the event structure of the described events would play a more minor role. In the current experiments, participants were given stories to read in which we included, between the anaphor and its referent, either the presence of a narrative event boundary (Experiment 1) or a narrative event boundary along with a working-memory-clearing distractor task (Experiment 2). The results showed that anaphor resolution was affected by narrative event boundaries but not by a working-memory-clearing distractor task. This is interpreted as being consistent with the Event Horizon Model of event cognition.

Development of an HL7 interface engine, based on tree structure and streaming algorithm, for large-size messages which include image data.

PubMed

Um, Ki Sung; Kwak, Yun Sik; Cho, Hune; Kim, Il Kon

2005-11-01

A basic assumption of Health Level Seven (HL7) protocol is 'No limitation of message length'. However, most existing commercial HL7 interface engines do limit message length because they use the string array method, which is run in the main memory for the HL7 message parsing process. Specifically, messages with image and multi-media data create a long string array and thus cause the computer system to raise critical and fatal problem. Consequently, HL7 messages cannot handle the image and multi-media data necessary in modern medical records. This study aims to solve this problem with the 'streaming algorithm' method. This new method for HL7 message parsing applies the character-stream object which process character by character between the main memory and hard disk device with the consequence that the processing load on main memory could be alleviated. The main functions of this new engine are generating, parsing, validating, browsing, sending, and receiving HL7 messages. Also, the engine can parse and generate XML-formatted HL7 messages. This new HL7 engine successfully exchanged HL7 messages with 10 megabyte size images and discharge summary information between two university hospitals.

Crystallographic and general use programs for the XDS Sigma 5 computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, R. L.

1973-01-01

Programs in basic FORTRAN 4 are described, which fall into three catagories: (1) interactive programs to be executed under time sharing (BTM); (2) non interactive programs which are executed in batch processing mode (BPM); and (3) large non interactive programs which require more memory than is available in the normal BPM/BTM operating system and must be run overnight on a special system called XRAY which releases about 45,000 words of memory to the user. Programs in catagories (1) and (2) are stored as FORTRAN source files in the account FSNYDER. Programs in catagory (3) are stored in the XRAY system as load modules. The type of file in account FSNYDER is identified by the first two letters in the name.

Exposure to a fearful context during periods of memory plasticity impairs extinction via hyperactivation of frontal-amygdalar circuits

PubMed Central

Stafford, James M.; Maughan, DeeAnna K.; Ilioi, Elena C.; Lattal, K. Matthew

2013-01-01

An issue of increasing theoretical and translational importance is to understand the conditions under which learned fear can be suppressed, or even eliminated. Basic research has pointed to extinction, in which an organism is exposed to a fearful stimulus (such as a context) in the absence of an expected aversive outcome (such as a shock). This extinction process results in the suppression of fear responses, but is generally thought to leave the original fearful memory intact. Here, we investigate the effects of extinction during periods of memory lability on behavioral responses and on expression of the immediate–early gene c-Fos within fear conditioning and extinction circuits. Our results show that long-term extinction is impaired when it occurs during time periods during which the memory should be most vulnerable to disruption (soon after conditioning or retrieval). These behavioral effects are correlated with hyperactivation of medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala subregions associated with fear expression rather than fear extinction. These findings demonstrate that behavioral experiences during periods of heightened fear prevent extinction and prolong the conditioned fear response. PMID:23422280

Visuospatial bootstrapping: implicit binding of verbal working memory to visuospatial representations in children and adults.

PubMed

Darling, Stephen; Parker, Mary-Jane; Goodall, Karen E; Havelka, Jelena; Allen, Richard J

2014-03-01

When participants carry out visually presented digit serial recall, their performance is better if they are given the opportunity to encode extra visuospatial information at encoding-a phenomenon that has been termed visuospatial bootstrapping. This bootstrapping is the result of integration of information from different modality-specific short-term memory systems and visuospatial knowledge in long term memory, and it can be understood in the context of recent models of working memory that address multimodal binding (e.g., models incorporating an episodic buffer). Here we report a cross-sectional developmental study that demonstrated visuospatial bootstrapping in adults (n=18) and 9-year-old children (n=15) but not in 6-year-old children (n=18). This is the first developmental study addressing visuospatial bootstrapping, and results demonstrate that the developmental trajectory of bootstrapping is different from that of basic verbal and visuospatial working memory. This pattern suggests that bootstrapping (and hence integrative functions such as those associated with the episodic buffer) emerge independent of the development of basic working memory slave systems during childhood. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GaAs Supercomputing: Architecture, Language, And Algorithms For Image Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johl, John T.; Baker, Nick C.

1988-10-01

The application of high-speed GaAs processors in a parallel system matches the demanding computational requirements of image processing. The architecture of the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company (MDAC) vector processor is described along with the algorithms and language translator. Most image and signal processing algorithms can utilize parallel processing and show a significant performance improvement over sequential versions. The parallelization performed by this system is within each vector instruction. Since each vector has many elements, each requiring some computation, useful concurrent arithmetic operations can easily be performed. Balancing the memory bandwidth with the computation rate of the processors is an important design consideration for high efficiency and utilization. The architecture features a bus-based execution unit consisting of four to eight 32-bit GaAs RISC microprocessors running at a 200 MHz clock rate for a peak performance of 1.6 BOPS. The execution unit is connected to a vector memory with three buses capable of transferring two input words and one output word every 10 nsec. The address generators inside the vector memory perform different vector addressing modes and feed the data to the execution unit. The functions discussed in this paper include basic MATRIX OPERATIONS, 2-D SPATIAL CONVOLUTION, HISTOGRAM, and FFT. For each of these algorithms, assembly language programs were run on a behavioral model of the system to obtain performance figures.

Post-traumatic stress symptoms are associated with better performance on a delayed match-to-position task

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Many individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report experiencing frequent intrusive memories of the original traumatic event (e.g., flashbacks). These memories can be triggered by situations or stimuli that reflect aspects of the trauma and may reflect basic processes in learning and memory, such as generalization. It is possible that, through increased generalization, non-threatening stimuli that once evoked normal memories become associated with traumatic memories. Previous research has reported increased generalization in PTSD, but the role of visual discrimination processes has not been examined. To investigate visual discrimination in PTSD, 143 participants (Veterans and civilians) self-assessed for symptom severity were grouped according to the presence of severe PTSD symptoms (PTSS) vs. few/no symptoms (noPTSS). Participants were given a visual match-to-sample pattern separation task that varied trials by spatial separation (Low, Medium, High) and temporal delays (5, 10, 20, 30 s). Unexpectedly, the PTSS group demonstrated better discrimination performance than the noPTSS group at the most difficult spatial trials (Low spatial separation). Further assessment of accuracy and reaction time using diffusion drift modeling indicated that the better performance by the PTSS group on the hardest trials was not explained by slower reaction times, but rather a faster accumulation of evidence during decision making in conjunction with a reduced threshold, indicating a tendency in the PTSS group to decide quickly rather than waiting for additional evidence to support the decision. This result supports the need for future studies examining the precise role of discrimination and generalization in PTSD, and how these cognitive processes might contribute to expression and maintenance of PTSD symptoms. PMID:29736339

The Design of a High Performance Earth Imagery and Raster Data Management and Processing Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Qingyun

2016-06-01

This paper summarizes the general requirements and specific characteristics of both geospatial raster database management system and raster data processing platform from a domain-specific perspective as well as from a computing point of view. It also discusses the need of tight integration between the database system and the processing system. These requirements resulted in Oracle Spatial GeoRaster, a global scale and high performance earth imagery and raster data management and processing platform. The rationale, design, implementation, and benefits of Oracle Spatial GeoRaster are described. Basically, as a database management system, GeoRaster defines an integrated raster data model, supports image compression, data manipulation, general and spatial indices, content and context based queries and updates, versioning, concurrency, security, replication, standby, backup and recovery, multitenancy, and ETL. It provides high scalability using computer and storage clustering. As a raster data processing platform, GeoRaster provides basic operations, image processing, raster analytics, and data distribution featuring high performance computing (HPC). Specifically, HPC features include locality computing, concurrent processing, parallel processing, and in-memory computing. In addition, the APIs and the plug-in architecture are discussed.

Memory-Augmented Cellular Automata for Image Analysis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-11-01

case in which each cell has memory size proportional to the logarithm of the input size, showing the increased capabilities of these machines for executing a variety of basic image analysis and recognition tasks. (Author)

Consciousness: a unique way of processing information.

PubMed

Marchetti, Giorgio

2018-02-08

In this article, I argue that consciousness is a unique way of processing information, in that: it produces information, rather than purely transmitting it; the information it produces is meaningful for us; the meaning it has is always individuated. This uniqueness allows us to process information on the basis of our personal needs and ever-changing interactions with the environment, and consequently to act autonomously. Three main basic cognitive processes contribute to realize this unique way of information processing: the self, attention and working memory. The self, which is primarily expressed via the central and peripheral nervous systems, maps our body, the environment, and our relations with the environment. It is the primary means by which the complexity inherent to our composite structure is reduced into the "single voice" of a unique individual. It provides a reference system that (albeit evolving) is sufficiently stable to define the variations that will be used as the raw material for the construction of conscious information. Attention allows for the selection of those variations in the state of the self that are most relevant in the given situation. Attention originates and is deployed from a single locus inside our body, which represents the center of the self, around which all our conscious experiences are organized. Whatever is focused by attention appears in our consciousness as possessing a spatial quality defined by this center and the direction toward which attention is focused. In addition, attention determines two other features of conscious experience: periodicity and phenomenal quality. Self and attention are necessary but not sufficient for conscious information to be produced. Complex forms of conscious experiences, such as the various modes of givenness of conscious experience and the stream of consciousness, need a working memory mechanism to assemble the basic pieces of information selected by attention.

Automatic Generation of Cycle-Approximate TLMs with Timed RTOS Model Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Yonghyun; Schirner, Gunar; Abdi, Samar

This paper presents a technique for automatically generating cycle-approximate transaction level models (TLMs) for multi-process applications mapped to embedded platforms. It incorporates three key features: (a) basic block level timing annotation, (b) RTOS model integration, and (c) RTOS overhead delay modeling. The inputs to TLM generation are application C processes and their mapping to processors in the platform. A processor data model, including pipelined datapath, memory hierarchy and branch delay model is used to estimate basic block execution delays. The delays are annotated to the C code, which is then integrated with a generated SystemC RTOS model. Our abstract RTOS provides dynamic scheduling and inter-process communication (IPC) with processor- and RTOS-specific pre-characterized timing. Our experiments using a MP3 decoder and a JPEG encoder show that timed TLMs, with integrated RTOS models, can be automatically generated in less than a minute. Our generated TLMs simulated three times faster than real-time and showed less than 10% timing error compared to board measurements.

Reservoir Computing Beyond Memory-Nonlinearity Trade-off.

PubMed

Inubushi, Masanobu; Yoshimura, Kazuyuki

2017-08-31

Reservoir computing is a brain-inspired machine learning framework that employs a signal-driven dynamical system, in particular harnessing common-signal-induced synchronization which is a widely observed nonlinear phenomenon. Basic understanding of a working principle in reservoir computing can be expected to shed light on how information is stored and processed in nonlinear dynamical systems, potentially leading to progress in a broad range of nonlinear sciences. As a first step toward this goal, from the viewpoint of nonlinear physics and information theory, we study the memory-nonlinearity trade-off uncovered by Dambre et al. (2012). Focusing on a variational equation, we clarify a dynamical mechanism behind the trade-off, which illustrates why nonlinear dynamics degrades memory stored in dynamical system in general. Moreover, based on the trade-off, we propose a mixture reservoir endowed with both linear and nonlinear dynamics and show that it improves the performance of information processing. Interestingly, for some tasks, significant improvements are observed by adding a few linear dynamics to the nonlinear dynamical system. By employing the echo state network model, the effect of the mixture reservoir is numerically verified for a simple function approximation task and for more complex tasks.

From Chair to "Chair": A Representational Shift Account of Object Labeling Effects on Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lupyan, Gary

2008-01-01

What are the consequences of calling things by their names? Six experiments investigated how classifying familiar objects with basic-level names (chairs, tables, and lamps) affected recognition memory. Memory was found to be worse for items that were overtly classified with the category name--as reflected by lower hit rates--compared with items…

Human Memory: The Basics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Michael E.

2010-01-01

The human mind has two types of memory: short-term and long-term. In all types of learning, it is best to use that structure rather than to fight against it. One way to do that is to ensure that learners can fit new information into patterns that can be stored in and more easily retrieved from long-term memory.

An empirical investigation of sparse distributed memory using discrete speech recognition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danforth, Douglas G.

1990-01-01

Presented here is a step by step analysis of how the basic Sparse Distributed Memory (SDM) model can be modified to enhance its generalization capabilities for classification tasks. Data is taken from speech generated by a single talker. Experiments are used to investigate the theory of associative memories and the question of generalization from specific instances.

Study of the modifications needed for efficient operation of NASTRAN on the Control Data Corporation STAR-100 computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

NASA structural analysis (NASTRAN) computer program is operational on three series of third generation computers. The problem and difficulties involved in adapting NASTRAN to a fourth generation computer, namely, the Control Data STAR-100, are discussed. The salient features which distinguish Control Data STAR-100 from third generation computers are hardware vector processing capability and virtual memory. A feasible method is presented for transferring NASTRAN to Control Data STAR-100 system while retaining much of the machine-independent code. Basic matrix operations are noted for optimization for vector processing.

Mesoscopic coherence in light scattering from cold, optically dense and disordered atomic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupriyanov, D. V.; Sokolov, I. M.; Havey, M. D.

2017-02-01

Coherent effects manifested in light scattering from cold, optically dense and disordered atomic systems are reviewed from a primarily theoretical point of view. Development of the basic theoretical tools is then elaborated through several physical atomic physics based processes which have been at least partly explored experimentally. These include illustrations drawn from the coherent backscattering effect, random lasing in atomic gases, quantum memories and light-atoms interface assisted by the light trapping mechanism. Current understanding and challenges associated with the transition to high atomic densities and cooperativity in the scattering process are also discussed in some detail.

Acoustical holographic recording with coherent optical read-out and image processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H. K.

1980-10-01

New acoustic holographic wave memory devices have been designed for real-time in-situ recording applications. The basic operating principles of these devices and experimental results through the use of some of the prototypes of the devices are presented. Recording media used in the device include thermoplastic resin, Crisco vegetable oil, and Wilson corn oil. In addition, nonlinear coherent optical image processing techniques including equidensitometry, A-D conversion, and pseudo-color, all based on the new contact screen technique, are discussed with regard to the enhancement of the normally poor-resolved acoustical holographic images.

A Simulation System Based on the Actor Paradigm

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-01

of the protocol. Shared memory communication requires the programmer to wait and signal semaphores explicitly to synchronize the communicating parties...wide range of possibilities within the same basic protocol. - The simplicity of the primitive operation set affords those creating new operations...more flexibility (Ada has a large and complicated primitive set). -3- II I I I B A I -I I I I I . 0 1 2 3 4 5 Time 0: Both processes A and B are

The mysteries of remote memory

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Long-lasting memories form the basis of our identity as individuals and lie central in shaping future behaviours that guide survival. Surprisingly, however, our current knowledge of how such memories are stored in the brain and retrieved, as well as the dynamics of the circuits involved, remains scarce despite seminal technical and experimental breakthroughs in recent years. Traditionally, it has been proposed that, over time, information initially learnt in the hippocampus is stored in distributed cortical networks. This process—the standard theory of memory consolidation—would stabilize the newly encoded information into a lasting memory, become independent of the hippocampus, and remain essentially unmodifiable throughout the lifetime of the individual. In recent years, several pieces of evidence have started to challenge this view and indicate that long-lasting memories might already ab ovo be encoded, and subsequently stored in distributed cortical networks, akin to the multiple trace theory of memory consolidation. In this review, we summarize these recent findings and attempt to identify the biologically plausible mechanisms based on which a contextual memory becomes remote by integrating different levels of analysis: from neural circuits to cell ensembles across synaptic remodelling and epigenetic modifications. From these studies, remote memory formation and maintenance appear to occur through a multi-trace, dynamic and integrative cellular process ranging from the synapse to the nucleus, and represent an exciting field of research primed to change quickly as new experimental evidence emerges. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Of mice and mental health: facilitating dialogue between basic and clinical neuroscientists’. PMID:29352028

Dependency-based Siamese long short-term memory network for learning sentence representations

PubMed Central

Zhu, Wenhao; Ni, Jianyue; Wei, Baogang; Lu, Zhiguo

2018-01-01

Textual representations play an important role in the field of natural language processing (NLP). The efficiency of NLP tasks, such as text comprehension and information extraction, can be significantly improved with proper textual representations. As neural networks are gradually applied to learn the representation of words and phrases, fairly efficient models of learning short text representations have been developed, such as the continuous bag of words (CBOW) and skip-gram models, and they have been extensively employed in a variety of NLP tasks. Because of the complex structure generated by the longer text lengths, such as sentences, algorithms appropriate for learning short textual representations are not applicable for learning long textual representations. One method of learning long textual representations is the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network, which is suitable for processing sequences. However, the standard LSTM does not adequately address the primary sentence structure (subject, predicate and object), which is an important factor for producing appropriate sentence representations. To resolve this issue, this paper proposes the dependency-based LSTM model (D-LSTM). The D-LSTM divides a sentence representation into two parts: a basic component and a supporting component. The D-LSTM uses a pre-trained dependency parser to obtain the primary sentence information and generate supporting components, and it also uses a standard LSTM model to generate the basic sentence components. A weight factor that can adjust the ratio of the basic and supporting components in a sentence is introduced to generate the sentence representation. Compared with the representation learned by the standard LSTM, the sentence representation learned by the D-LSTM contains a greater amount of useful information. The experimental results show that the D-LSTM is superior to the standard LSTM for sentences involving compositional knowledge (SICK) data. PMID:29513748

Left ventricular mass, blood pressure, and lowered cognitive performance in the Framingham offspring.

PubMed

Elias, Merrill F; Sullivan, Lisa M; Elias, Penelope K; D'Agostino, Ralph B; Wolf, Philip A; Seshadri, Sudha; Au, Rhoda; Benjamin, Emelia J; Vasan, Ramachandran S

2007-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether echocardiographic left ventricular mass is related to cognitive performance beyond casual blood pressure adjusting for the influence of other vascular risk factors. We used multivariable regression analyses to relate left ventricular mass assessed at a routine examination (1995-1998) to measures of cognitive ability obtained routinely (1998-2001) in 1673 Framingham Offspring Study participants (56% women; mean age: 57 years) free from stroke, transient ischemic attack, and dementia. We adjusted for the following covariates hierarchically: (1) age, education, sex, body weight, height, interval between left ventricular mass measurement and neuropsychological testing (basic model); (2) basic model+blood pressure+treatment for hypertension; and (3) basic model+blood pressure+treatment for hypertension+vascular risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease. For the basic model, left ventricular mass was inversely associated with abstract reasoning (similarities), visual-spatial memory and organization, and verbal memory. For the basic model+blood pressure+treatment for hypertension, left ventricular mass was inversely associated with similarities and visual-spatial memory and organization. For the basic+blood pressure+treatment for hypertension+risk factors+cardiovascular disease model, no significant associations were observed. Echocardiographic left ventricular mass is associated with cognitive performance beyond casual and time-averaged systolic blood pressure, but this association is attenuated and rendered nonsignificant with additional adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease, thus suggesting that these variables play an important role in mediating the association between left ventricular mass and cognition.

A Comparative Study : Microprogrammed Vs Risc Architectures For Symbolic Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heudin, J. C.; Metivier, C.; Demigny, D.; Maurin, T.; Zavidovique, B.; Devos, F.

1987-05-01

It is oftenclaimed that conventional computers are not well suited for human-like tasks : Vision (Image Processing), Intelligence (Symbolic Processing) ... In the particular case of Artificial Intelligence, dynamic type-checking is one example of basic task that must be improved. The solution implemented in most Lisp work-stations consists in a microprogrammed architecture with a tagged memory. Another way to gain efficiency is to design a well suited instruction set for symbolic processing, which reduces the semantic gap between the high level language and the machine code. In this framework, the RISC concept provides a convenient approach to study new architectures for symbolic processing. This paper compares both approaches and describes our projectof designing a compact symbolic processor for Artificial Intelligence applications.

Differential binding of colors to objects in memory: red and yellow stick better than blue and green

PubMed Central

Kuhbandner, Christof; Spitzer, Bernhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Pekrun, Reinhard

2015-01-01

Both evolutionary considerations and recent research suggest that the color red serves as a signal indicating an object’s importance. However, until now, there is no evidence that this signaling function of red is also reflected in human memory. To examine the effect of red on memory, we conducted four experiments in which we presented objects colored in four different colors (red, green, blue, and yellow) and measured later memory for the presence of an object and for the color of an object. Across experiments, we varied the type of objects (words vs. pictures), task complexity (single objects vs. multiple objects in visual scenes), and intentionality of encoding (intentional vs. incidental learning). Memory for the presence of an object was not influenced by color. However, in all four experiments, memory for the color of an object depended on color type and was particularly high for red and yellow-colored objects and particularly low for green-colored objects, indicating that the binding of colors into object memory representations varies as a function of color type. Analyzing the observers’ confidence in their color memories revealed that color not only influenced objective memory performance but also subjective confidence. Subjective confidence judgments differentiated well between correct and incorrect color memories for red-colored objects, but poorly for green-colored objects. Our findings reveal a previously unknown color effect which may be of considerable interest for both basic color research and applied settings like eyewitness testimony in which memory for color features is relevant. Furthermore, our results indicate that feature binding in memory is not a uniform process by which any attended feature is automatically bound into unitary memory representations. Rather, memory binding seems to vary across different subtypes of features, a finding that supports recent research showing that object features are stored in memory rather independently from each other. PMID:25784892

Differential binding of colors to objects in memory: red and yellow stick better than blue and green.

PubMed

Kuhbandner, Christof; Spitzer, Bernhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Pekrun, Reinhard

2015-01-01

Both evolutionary considerations and recent research suggest that the color red serves as a signal indicating an object's importance. However, until now, there is no evidence that this signaling function of red is also reflected in human memory. To examine the effect of red on memory, we conducted four experiments in which we presented objects colored in four different colors (red, green, blue, and yellow) and measured later memory for the presence of an object and for the color of an object. Across experiments, we varied the type of objects (words vs. pictures), task complexity (single objects vs. multiple objects in visual scenes), and intentionality of encoding (intentional vs. incidental learning). Memory for the presence of an object was not influenced by color. However, in all four experiments, memory for the color of an object depended on color type and was particularly high for red and yellow-colored objects and particularly low for green-colored objects, indicating that the binding of colors into object memory representations varies as a function of color type. Analyzing the observers' confidence in their color memories revealed that color not only influenced objective memory performance but also subjective confidence. Subjective confidence judgments differentiated well between correct and incorrect color memories for red-colored objects, but poorly for green-colored objects. Our findings reveal a previously unknown color effect which may be of considerable interest for both basic color research and applied settings like eyewitness testimony in which memory for color features is relevant. Furthermore, our results indicate that feature binding in memory is not a uniform process by which any attended feature is automatically bound into unitary memory representations. Rather, memory binding seems to vary across different subtypes of features, a finding that supports recent research showing that object features are stored in memory rather independently from each other.

Mediationism and the obfuscation of memory

PubMed Central

Watkins, Michael J.

1996-01-01

Memory theorizing is going nowhere. The reason is that it is rooted in mediationism, the doctrine that memory is mediated by some sort of memory trace. Mediationism is the basic tenet of those who seek the substrate of memory; for students of memory per se it is merely a metaphor, and moreover an unfruitful one, for it cannot be penetrated by the methods of psychology. The rejection of mediationism would serve both to replace mechanistic theories with laws or other modes of explanation and to focus research on the actual experience of memory and on the context in which it occurs. The ensuing advantages are discussed and illustrated. PMID:22478247

A program for mass spectrometer control and data processing analyses in isotope geology; written in BASIC for an 8K Nova 1120 computer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stacey, J.S.; Hope, J.

1975-01-01

A system is described which uses a minicomputer to control a surface ionization mass spectrometer in the peak switching mode, with the object of computing isotopic abundance ratios of elements of geologic interest. The program uses the BASIC language and is sufficiently flexible to be used for multiblock analyses of any spectrum containing from two to five peaks. In the case of strontium analyses, ratios are corrected for rubidium content and normalized for mass spectrometer fractionation. Although almost any minicomputer would be suitable, the model used was the Data General Nova 1210 with 8K memory. Assembly language driver program and interface hardware-descriptions for the Nova 1210 are included.

Light-Gated Memristor with Integrated Logic and Memory Functions.

PubMed

Tan, Hongwei; Liu, Gang; Yang, Huali; Yi, Xiaohui; Pan, Liang; Shang, Jie; Long, Shibing; Liu, Ming; Wu, Yihong; Li, Run-Wei

2017-11-28

Memristive devices are able to store and process information, which offers several key advantages over the transistor-based architectures. However, most of the two-terminal memristive devices have fixed functions once made and cannot be reconfigured for other situations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a memristive device "memlogic" (memory logic) as a nonvolatile switch of logic operations integrated with memory function in a single light-gated memristor. Based on nonvolatile light-modulated memristive switching behavior, a single memlogic cell is able to achieve optical and electrical mixed basic Boolean logic of reconfigurable "AND", "OR", and "NOT" operations. Furthermore, the single memlogic cell is also capable of functioning as an optical adder and digital-to-analog converter. All the memlogic outputs are memristive for in situ data storage due to the nonvolatile resistive switching and persistent photoconductivity effects. Thus, as a memdevice, the memlogic has potential for not only simplifying the programmable logic circuits but also building memristive multifunctional optoelectronics.

Logic gates realized by nonvolatile GeTe/Sb2Te3 super lattice phase-change memory with a magnetic field input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Bin; Cheng, Xiaomin; Feng, Jinlong; Guan, Xiawei; Miao, Xiangshui

2016-07-01

Nonvolatile memory devices or circuits that can implement both storage and calculation are a crucial requirement for the efficiency improvement of modern computer. In this work, we realize logic functions by using [GeTe/Sb2Te3]n super lattice phase change memory (PCM) cell in which higher threshold voltage is needed for phase change with a magnetic field applied. First, the [GeTe/Sb2Te3]n super lattice cells were fabricated and the R-V curve was measured. Then we designed the logic circuits with the super lattice PCM cell verified by HSPICE simulation and experiments. Seven basic logic functions are first demonstrated in this letter; then several multi-input logic gates are presented. The proposed logic devices offer the advantages of simple structures and low power consumption, indicating that the super lattice PCM has the potential in the future nonvolatile central processing unit design, facilitating the development of massive parallel computing architecture.

Working memory training in old age: an examination of transfer and maintenance effects.

PubMed

Borella, Erika; Carretti, Barbara; Zanoni, Giulia; Zavagnin, Michela; De Beni, Rossana

2013-06-01

The present study examined the efficacy of a verbal working memory (WM) training program in old-old individuals (over 75 years of age). Thirty-six adults aged 75-87 took part in the study: 18 were randomly assigned to receive training and the remainder served as active controls. Specific training gains in a verbal WM task (criterion task), and transfer effects on measures of visuospatial WM, short-term memory, inhibition, processing speed, and fluid intelligence were examined. The trained old-old adults performed better than the controls in the criterion task, and this benefit persisted after 8 months; they also showed an increase in the efficiency of inhibitory mechanisms at follow-up compared with pretest. The results of this study suggest that the present WM training program produces benefits maintained over time even in old-old adults. These findings confirm that there is still room for plasticity in the basic mechanisms of cognition in advance old age.

Self-reference enhances relational memory in young and older adults.

PubMed

Hou, Mingzhu; Grilli, Matthew D; Glisky, Elizabeth L

2017-11-27

The present study investigated the influence of self-reference on two kinds of relational memory, internal source memory and associative memory, in young and older adults. Participants encoded object-location word pairs using the strategies of imagination and sentence generation, either with reference to themselves or to a famous other (i.e., George Clooney or Oprah Winfrey). Both young and older adults showed memory benefits in the self-reference conditions compared to other-reference conditions on both tests, and the self-referential effects in older adults were not limited by low memory or executive functioning. These results suggest that self-reference can benefit relational memory in older adults relatively independently of basic memory and executive functions.

Neuroanatomic overlap between intelligence and cognitive factors: morphometry methods provide support for the key role of the frontal lobes.

PubMed

Colom, Roberto; Burgaleta, Miguel; Román, Francisco J; Karama, Sherif; Alvarez-Linera, Juan; Abad, Francisco J; Martínez, Kenia; Quiroga, Ma Ángeles; Haier, Richard J

2013-05-15

Evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests that intelligence differences may be supported by a parieto-frontal network. Research shows that this network is also relevant for cognitive functions such as working memory and attention. However, previous studies have not explicitly analyzed the commonality of brain areas between a broad array of intelligence factors and cognitive functions tested in the same sample. Here fluid, crystallized, and spatial intelligence, along with working memory, executive updating, attention, and processing speed were each measured by three diverse tests or tasks. These twenty-one measures were completed by a group of one hundred and four healthy young adults. Three cortical measures (cortical gray matter volume, cortical surface area, and cortical thickness) were regressed against psychological latent scores obtained from a confirmatory factor analysis for removing test and task specific variance. For cortical gray matter volume and cortical surface area, the main overlapping clusters were observed in the middle frontal gyrus and involved fluid intelligence and working memory. Crystallized intelligence showed an overlapping cluster with fluid intelligence and working memory in the middle frontal gyrus. The inferior frontal gyrus showed overlap for crystallized intelligence, spatial intelligence, attention, and processing speed. The fusiform gyrus in temporal cortex showed overlap for spatial intelligence and attention. Parietal and occipital areas did not show any overlap across intelligence and cognitive factors. Taken together, these findings underscore that structural features of gray matter in the frontal lobes support those aspects of intelligence related to basic cognitive processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recall memory in children with Down syndrome and typically developing peers matched on developmental age.

PubMed

Milojevich, H; Lukowski, A

2016-01-01

Whereas research has indicated that children with Down syndrome (DS) imitate demonstrated actions over short delays, it is presently unknown whether children with DS recall information over lengthy delays at levels comparable with typically developing (TD) children matched on developmental age. In the present research, 10 children with DS and 10 TD children participated in a two-session study to examine basic processes associated with hippocampus-dependent recall memory. At the first session, the researcher demonstrated how to complete a three-step action sequence with novel stimuli; immediate imitation was permitted as an index of encoding. At the second session, recall memory was assessed for previously modelled sequences; children were also presented with two novel three-step control sequences. The results indicated that group differences were not apparent in the encoding of the events or the forgetting of information over time. Group differences were also not observed when considering the recall of individual target actions at the 1-month delay, although TD children produced more target actions overall at the second session relative to children with DS. Group differences were found when considering memory for temporal order information, such that TD children evidenced recall relative to novel control sequences, whereas children with DS did not. These findings suggest that children with DS may have difficulty with mnemonic processes associated with consolidation/storage and/or retrieval processes relative to TD children. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Asymmetric programming: a highly reliable metadata allocation strategy for MLC NAND flash memory-based sensor systems.

PubMed

Huang, Min; Liu, Zhaoqing; Qiao, Liyan

2014-10-10

While the NAND flash memory is widely used as the storage medium in modern sensor systems, the aggressive shrinking of process geometry and an increase in the number of bits stored in each memory cell will inevitably degrade the reliability of NAND flash memory. In particular, it's critical to enhance metadata reliability, which occupies only a small portion of the storage space, but maintains the critical information of the file system and the address translations of the storage system. Metadata damage will cause the system to crash or a large amount of data to be lost. This paper presents Asymmetric Programming, a highly reliable metadata allocation strategy for MLC NAND flash memory storage systems. Our technique exploits for the first time the property of the multi-page architecture of MLC NAND flash memory to improve the reliability of metadata. The basic idea is to keep metadata in most significant bit (MSB) pages which are more reliable than least significant bit (LSB) pages. Thus, we can achieve relatively low bit error rates for metadata. Based on this idea, we propose two strategies to optimize address mapping and garbage collection. We have implemented Asymmetric Programming on a real hardware platform. The experimental results show that Asymmetric Programming can achieve a reduction in the number of page errors of up to 99.05% with the baseline error correction scheme.

Declarative virtual water maze learning and emotional fear conditioning in primary insomnia.

PubMed

Kuhn, Marion; Hertenstein, Elisabeth; Feige, Bernd; Landmann, Nina; Spiegelhalder, Kai; Baglioni, Chiara; Hemmerling, Johanna; Durand, Diana; Frase, Lukas; Klöppel, Stefan; Riemann, Dieter; Nissen, Christoph

2018-05-02

Healthy sleep restores the brain's ability to adapt to novel input through memory formation based on activity-dependent refinements of the strength of neural transmission across synapses (synaptic plasticity). In line with this framework, patients with primary insomnia often report subjective memory impairment. However, investigations of memory performance did not produce conclusive results. The aim of this study was to further investigate memory performance in patients with primary insomnia in comparison to healthy controls, using two well-characterized learning tasks, a declarative virtual water maze task and emotional fear conditioning. Twenty patients with primary insomnia according to DSM-IV criteria (17 females, three males, 43.5 ± 13.0 years) and 20 good sleeper controls (17 females, three males, 41.7 ± 12.8 years) were investigated in a parallel-group study. All participants completed a hippocampus-dependent virtual Morris water maze task and amygdala-dependent classical fear conditioning. Patients with insomnia showed significantly delayed memory acquisition in the virtual water maze task, but no significant difference in fear acquisition compared with controls. These findings are consistent with the notion that memory processes that emerge from synaptic refinements in a hippocampal-neocortical network are particularly sensitive to chronic disruptions of sleep, while those in a basic emotional amygdala-dependent network may be more resilient. © 2018 European Sleep Research Society.

Attenuating fearful memories: effect of cued extinction on intrusions.

PubMed

Marks, Elizabeth H; Zoellner, Lori A

2014-12-01

Exposure-based therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder are thought to reduce intrusive memories through extinction processes. Methods that enhance extinction may translate to improved treatment. Rat research suggests retrieving a memory via a conditioned stimulus (CS) cue, and then modifying the retrieved memory within a specific reconsolidation window may enhance extinction. In humans, studies (e.g., Kindt & Soeter, 2013; Schiller et al., 2010) using basic learning paradigms show discrepant findings. Using a distressing film paradigm, participants (N = 148) completed fear acquisition and extinction. At extinction, they were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: CS cue within reconsolidation window, CS cue outside window, or non-CS cue within window. Intrusions were assessed 24 hr after extinction. Participants receiving the CS cue and completing extinction within the reconsolidation window had more intrusions (M = 2.40, SD = 2.54) than those cued outside (M = 1.65, SD = 1.70) or those receiving a non-CS cue (M = 1.24, SD = 1.26), F(2, 145) = 4.52, p = .01, d = 0.55. Consistent with the reconsolidation hypothesis, presenting a CS cue does appear to activate a specific period of time during which a memory can be updated. However, the CS cue caused increased, rather than decreased, frequency of intrusions. Understanding parameters of preextinction cueing may help us better understand reconsolidation as a potential memory updating mechanism.

Asymmetric Programming: A Highly Reliable Metadata Allocation Strategy for MLC NAND Flash Memory-Based Sensor Systems

PubMed Central

Huang, Min; Liu, Zhaoqing; Qiao, Liyan

2014-01-01

While the NAND flash memory is widely used as the storage medium in modern sensor systems, the aggressive shrinking of process geometry and an increase in the number of bits stored in each memory cell will inevitably degrade the reliability of NAND flash memory. In particular, it's critical to enhance metadata reliability, which occupies only a small portion of the storage space, but maintains the critical information of the file system and the address translations of the storage system. Metadata damage will cause the system to crash or a large amount of data to be lost. This paper presents Asymmetric Programming, a highly reliable metadata allocation strategy for MLC NAND flash memory storage systems. Our technique exploits for the first time the property of the multi-page architecture of MLC NAND flash memory to improve the reliability of metadata. The basic idea is to keep metadata in most significant bit (MSB) pages which are more reliable than least significant bit (LSB) pages. Thus, we can achieve relatively low bit error rates for metadata. Based on this idea, we propose two strategies to optimize address mapping and garbage collection. We have implemented Asymmetric Programming on a real hardware platform. The experimental results show that Asymmetric Programming can achieve a reduction in the number of page errors of up to 99.05% with the baseline error correction scheme. PMID:25310473

Age Differences in Visual Working Memory Capacity: Not Based on Encoding Limitations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Nelson; AuBuchon, Angela M.; Gilchrist, Amanda L.; Ricker, Timothy J.; Saults, J. Scott

2011-01-01

Why does visual working memory performance increase with age in childhood? One recent study (Cowan et al., 2010b) ruled out the possibility that the basic cause is a tendency in young children to clutter working memory with less-relevant items (within a concurrent array, colored items presented in one of two shapes). The age differences in memory…

The downside of strong emotional memories: how human memory-related genes influence the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder--a selective review.

PubMed

Wilker, Sarah; Elbert, Thomas; Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana

2014-07-01

A good memory for emotionally arousing experiences may be intrinsically adaptive, as it helps the organisms to predict safety and danger and to choose appropriate responses to prevent potential harm. However, under conditions of repeated exposure to traumatic stressors, strong emotional memories of these experiences can lead to the development of trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This syndrome is characterized by distressing intrusive memories that can be so intense that the survivor is unable to discriminate past from present experiences. This selective review on the role of memory-related genes in PTSD etiology is divided in three sections. First, we summarize studies indicating that the likelihood to develop PTSD depends on the cumulative exposure to traumatic stressors and on individual predisposing risk factors, including a substantial genetic contribution to PTSD risk. Second, we focus on memory processes supposed to be involved in PTSD etiology and present evidence for PTSD-associated alterations in both implicit (fear conditioning, fear extinction) and explicit memory for emotional material. This is supplemented by a brief description of structural and functional alterations in memory-relevant brain regions in PTSD. Finally, we summarize a selection of studies indicating that genetic variations found to be associated with enhanced fear conditioning, reduced fear extinction or better episodic memory in human experimental studies can have clinical implications in the case of trauma exposure and influence the risk of PTSD development. Here, we focus on genes involved in noradrenergic (ADRA2B), serotonergic (SLC6A4), and dopaminergic signaling (COMT) as well as in the molecular cascades of memory formation (PRKCA and WWC1). This is supplemented by initial evidence that such memory-related genes might also influence the response rates of exposure-based psychotherapy or pharmacological treatment of PTSD, which underscores the relevance of basic memory research for disorders of altered memory functioning such as PTSD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Words, shape, visual search and visual working memory in 3-year-old children.

PubMed

Vales, Catarina; Smith, Linda B

2015-01-01

Do words cue children's visual attention, and if so, what are the relevant mechanisms? Across four experiments, 3-year-old children (N = 163) were tested in visual search tasks in which targets were cued with only a visual preview versus a visual preview and a spoken name. The experiments were designed to determine whether labels facilitated search times and to examine one route through which labels could have their effect: By influencing the visual working memory representation of the target. The targets and distractors were pictures of instances of basic-level known categories and the labels were the common name for the target category. We predicted that the label would enhance the visual working memory representation of the target object, guiding attention to objects that better matched the target representation. Experiments 1 and 2 used conjunctive search tasks, and Experiment 3 varied shape discriminability between targets and distractors. Experiment 4 compared the effects of labels to repeated presentations of the visual target, which should also influence the working memory representation of the target. The overall pattern fits contemporary theories of how the contents of visual working memory interact with visual search and attention, and shows that even in very young children heard words affect the processing of visual information. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reduced-Density-Matrix Description of Decoherence and Relaxation Processes for Electron-Spin Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, Verne

2017-04-01

Electron-spin systems are investigated using a reduced-density-matrix description. Applications of interest include trapped atomic systems in optical lattices, semiconductor quantum dots, and vacancy defect centers in solids. Complimentary time-domain (equation-of-motion) and frequency-domain (resolvent-operator) formulations are self-consistently developed. The general non-perturbative and non-Markovian formulations provide a fundamental framework for systematic evaluations of corrections to the standard Born (lowest-order-perturbation) and Markov (short-memory-time) approximations. Particular attention is given to decoherence and relaxation processes, as well as spectral-line broadening phenomena, that are induced by interactions with photons, phonons, nuclear spins, and external electric and magnetic fields. These processes are treated either as coherent interactions or as environmental interactions. The environmental interactions are incorporated by means of the general expressions derived for the time-domain and frequency-domain Liouville-space self-energy operators, for which the tetradic-matrix elements are explicitly evaluated in the diagonal-resolvent, lowest-order, and Markov (short-memory time) approximations. Work supported by the Office of Naval Research through the Basic Research Program at The Naval Research Laboratory.

Vicarious extinction learning during reconsolidation neutralizes fear memory.

PubMed

Golkar, Armita; Tjaden, Cathelijn; Kindt, Merel

2017-05-01

Previous studies have suggested that fear memories can be updated when recalled, a process referred to as reconsolidation. Given the beneficial effects of model-based safety learning (i.e. vicarious extinction) in preventing the recovery of short-term fear memory, we examined whether consolidated long-term fear memories could be updated with safety learning accomplished through vicarious extinction learning initiated within the reconsolidation time-window. We assessed this in a final sample of 19 participants that underwent a three-day within-subject fear-conditioning design, using fear-potentiated startle as our primary index of fear learning. On day 1, two fear-relevant stimuli (reinforced CSs) were paired with shock (US) and a third stimulus served as a control (CS). On day 2, one of the two previously reinforced stimuli (the reminded CS) was presented once in order to reactivate the fear memory 10 min before vicarious extinction training was initiated for all CSs. The recovery of the fear memory was tested 24 h later. Vicarious extinction training conducted within the reconsolidation time window specifically prevented the recovery of the reactivated fear memory (p = 0.03), while leaving fear-potentiated startle responses to the non-reactivated cue intact (p = 0.62). These findings are relevant to both basic and clinical research, suggesting that a safe, non-invasive model-based exposure technique has the potential to enhance the efficiency and durability of anxiolytic therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microcontroller for automation application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, H. W.

1975-01-01

The description of a microcontroller currently being developed for automation application was given. It is basically an 8-bit microcomputer with a 40K byte random access memory/read only memory, and can control a maximum of 12 devices through standard 15-line interface ports.

Energy consumption estimation of an OMAP-based Android operating system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Gabriel; Juárez, Eduardo; Castro, Juan José; Sanz, César

2011-05-01

System-level energy optimization of battery-powered multimedia embedded systems has recently become a design goal. The poor operational time of multimedia terminals makes computationally demanding applications impractical in real scenarios. For instance, the so-called smart-phones are currently unable to remain in operation longer than several hours. The OMAP3530 processor basically consists of two processing cores, a General Purpose Processor (GPP) and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The former, an ARM Cortex-A8 processor, is aimed to run a generic Operating System (OS) while the latter, a DSP core based on the C64x+, has architecture optimized for video processing. The BeagleBoard, a commercial prototyping board based on the OMAP processor, has been used to test the Android Operating System and measure its performance. The board has 128 MB of SDRAM external memory, 256 MB of Flash external memory and several interfaces. Note that the clock frequency of the ARM and DSP OMAP cores is 600 MHz and 430 MHz, respectively. This paper describes the energy consumption estimation of the processes and multimedia applications of an Android v1.6 (Donut) OS on the OMAP3530-Based BeagleBoard. In addition, tools to communicate the two processing cores have been employed. A test-bench to profile the OS resource usage has been developed. As far as the energy estimates concern, the OMAP processor energy consumption model provided by the manufacturer has been used. The model is basically divided in two energy components. The former, the baseline core energy, describes the energy consumption that is independent of any chip activity. The latter, the module active energy, describes the energy consumed by the active modules depending on resource usage.

Training 21st-century workers: Facts, fiction and memory illusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadzi, Helen

2016-06-01

Technological achievements require complex skills for the workplace, along with creativity, communication, and critical thinking. To compete effectively in the global economy, governments must provide their citizens with relevant education and training. To help close the skills gap, international agencies often advise governments of developing countries to de-emphasise basic knowledge and focus instead on complex cognition and systemic improvements. However, the donors' advice may be due to memory biases of highly educated people. Such training strategies would fail most students, because complex skills are built by combining and automatising shorter chains of thoughts or behaviours. An effective training process requires much practice, feedback and rearrangement of subcomponents over time. Execution of various tasks must become automatic and effortless to avoid using up too much of the very limited capacity of what is termed the "working memory". Marketable skills are those skills which are fluently performed without excessive cognitive load. To provide complex skills for all, including non-cognitive skills, curricula should therefore first ensure detailed instruction and practice of basic components which can then be strung together and applied to new tasks. Policy advisers seem unaware of these scientific insights, so they are not taken into account. The article reviews the essential neurocognitive functions involved in the acquisition and execution of skills chains. The author concludes that to improve the skills of economically disadvantaged populations, donors and governments must acquire expertise and offer advice on the basis of cognitive science.

The role of the left anterior temporal lobe in semantic composition vs. semantic memory.

PubMed

Westerlund, Masha; Pylkkänen, Liina

2014-05-01

The left anterior temporal lobe (LATL) is robustly implicated in semantic processing by a growing body of literature. However, these results have emerged from two distinct bodies of work, addressing two different processing levels. On the one hand, the LATL has been characterized as a 'semantic hub׳ that binds features of concepts across a distributed network, based on results from semantic dementia and hemodynamic findings on the categorization of specific compared to basic exemplars. On the other, the LATL has been implicated in combinatorial operations in language, as shown by increased activity in this region associated with the processing of sentences and of basic phrases. The present work aimed to reconcile these two literatures by independently manipulating combination and concept specificity within a minimal MEG paradigm. Participants viewed simple nouns that denoted either low specificity (fish) or high specificity categories (trout) presented in either combinatorial (spotted fish/trout) or non-combinatorial contexts (xhsl fish/trout). By combining these paradigms from the two literatures, we directly compared the engagement of the LATL in semantic memory vs. semantic composition. Our results indicate that although noun specificity subtly modulates the LATL activity elicited by single nouns, it most robustly affects the size of the composition effect when these nouns are adjectivally modified, with low specificity nouns eliciting a much larger effect. We conclude that these findings are compatible with an account in which the specificity and composition effects arise from a shared mechanism of meaning specification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of image processing algorithms on mobile platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poudel, Pramod; Shirvaikar, Mukul

2011-03-01

This work presents a technique to optimize popular image processing algorithms on mobile platforms such as cell phones, net-books and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The increasing demand for video applications like context-aware computing on mobile embedded systems requires the use of computationally intensive image processing algorithms. The system engineer has a mandate to optimize them so as to meet real-time deadlines. A methodology to take advantage of the asymmetric dual-core processor, which includes an ARM and a DSP core supported by shared memory, is presented with implementation details. The target platform chosen is the popular OMAP 3530 processor for embedded media systems. It has an asymmetric dual-core architecture with an ARM Cortex-A8 and a TMS320C64x Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The development platform was the BeagleBoard with 256 MB of NAND RAM and 256 MB SDRAM memory. The basic image correlation algorithm is chosen for benchmarking as it finds widespread application for various template matching tasks such as face-recognition. The basic algorithm prototypes conform to OpenCV, a popular computer vision library. OpenCV algorithms can be easily ported to the ARM core which runs a popular operating system such as Linux or Windows CE. However, the DSP is architecturally more efficient at handling DFT algorithms. The algorithms are tested on a variety of images and performance results are presented measuring the speedup obtained due to dual-core implementation. A major advantage of this approach is that it allows the ARM processor to perform important real-time tasks, while the DSP addresses performance-hungry algorithms.

The auditory processing battery: survey of common practices.

PubMed

Emanuel, Diana C

2002-02-01

A survey of auditory processing (AP) diagnostic practices was mailed to all licensed audiologists in the State of Maryland and sent as an electronic mail attachment to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Educational Audiology Association Internet forums. Common AP protocols (25 from the Internet, 28 from audiologists in Maryland) included requiring basic audiologic testing, using questionnaires, and administering dichotic listening, monaural low-redundancy speech, temporal processing, and electrophysiologic tests. Some audiologists also administer binaural interaction, attention, memory, and speech-language/psychological/educational tests and incorporate a classroom observation. The various AP batteries presently administered appear to be based on the availability of AP tests with well-documented normative data. Resources for obtaining AP tests are listed.

Reviews, Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 1988

1988-01-01

Reviews two software programs for Apple series computers. Includes "Orbital Mech," a basic planetary orbital simulation for the Macintosh, and "START: Stimulus and Response Tools for Experiments in Memory, Learning, Cognition, and Perception," a program that demonstrates basic psychological principles and experiments. (CW)

JSC Wireless Sensor Network Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, Robert

2010-01-01

Sensor nodes composed of three basic components... radio module: COTS radio module implementing standardized WSN protocol; treated as WSN modem by main board main board: contains application processor (TI MSP430 microcontroller), memory, power supply; responsible for sensor data acquisition, pre-processing, and task scheduling; re-used in every application with growing library of embedded C code sensor card: contains application-specific sensors, data conditioning hardware, and any advanced hardware not built into main board (DSPs, faster A/D, etc.); requires (re-) development for each application.

Auditory Cortical Plasticity Drives Training-Induced Cognitive Changes in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Dale, Corby L.; Brown, Ethan G.; Fisher, Melissa; Herman, Alexander B.; Dowling, Anne F.; Hinkley, Leighton B.; Subramaniam, Karuna; Nagarajan, Srikantan S.; Vinogradov, Sophia

2016-01-01

Schizophrenia is characterized by dysfunction in basic auditory processing, as well as higher-order operations of verbal learning and executive functions. We investigated whether targeted cognitive training of auditory processing improves neural responses to speech stimuli, and how these changes relate to higher-order cognitive functions. Patients with schizophrenia performed an auditory syllable identification task during magnetoencephalography before and after 50 hours of either targeted cognitive training or a computer games control. Healthy comparison subjects were assessed at baseline and after a 10 week no-contact interval. Prior to training, patients (N = 34) showed reduced M100 response in primary auditory cortex relative to healthy participants (N = 13). At reassessment, only the targeted cognitive training patient group (N = 18) exhibited increased M100 responses. Additionally, this group showed increased induced high gamma band activity within left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex immediately after stimulus presentation, and later in bilateral temporal cortices. Training-related changes in neural activity correlated with changes in executive function scores but not verbal learning and memory. These data suggest that computerized cognitive training that targets auditory and verbal learning operations enhances both sensory responses in auditory cortex as well as engagement of prefrontal regions, as indexed during an auditory processing task with low demands on working memory. This neural circuit enhancement is in turn associated with better executive function but not verbal memory. PMID:26152668

Evaluation of the Cedar memory system: Configuration of 16 by 16

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallivan, K.; Jalby, W.; Wijshoff, H.

1991-01-01

Some basic results on the performance of the Cedar multiprocessor system are presented. Empirical results on the 16 processor 16 memory bank system configuration, which show the behavior of the Cedar system under different modes of operation are presented.

Memory-Intensive Benchmarks: IRAM vs. Cache-Based Machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biswas, Rupak; Gaeke, Brian R.; Husbands, Parry; Li, Xiaoye S.; Oliker, Leonid; Yelick, Katherine A.; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The increasing gap between processor and memory performance has lead to new architectural models for memory-intensive applications. In this paper, we explore the performance of a set of memory-intensive benchmarks and use them to compare the performance of conventional cache-based microprocessors to a mixed logic and DRAM processor called VIRAM. The benchmarks are based on problem statements, rather than specific implementations, and in each case we explore the fundamental hardware requirements of the problem, as well as alternative algorithms and data structures that can help expose fine-grained parallelism or simplify memory access patterns. The benchmarks are characterized by their memory access patterns, their basic control structures, and the ratio of computation to memory operation.

Heralded entanglement of two remote atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krug, Michael; Hofmann, Julian; Ortegel, Norbert; Gerard, Lea; Redeker, Kai; Henkel, Florian; Rosenfeld, Wenjamin; Weber, Markus; Weinfurter, Harald

2012-06-01

Entanglement between atomic quantum memories at remote locations will be a key resource for future applications in quantum communication. One possibility to generate such entanglement over large distances is entanglement swapping starting from two quantum memories each entangled with a photon. The photons can be transported to a Bell-state measurement where after the atomic quantum memories are projected onto an entangled state. We have set up two independently operated single atom experiments separated by 20 m. Via a spontaneous decay process each quantum memory, in our case a single Rb-87 atom, emits a single photon whose polarization is entangled with the atomic spin. The photons one emitted from each atom are collected into single-mode optical fibers guided to a non-polarizing 50-50 beam-splitter and detected by avalanche photodetectors. Bunching of indistinguishable photons allows to perform a Bell-state measurement on the photons. Conditioned on the registration of particular two-photon coincidences the spin states of both atoms are measured. The observed correlations clearly prove the entanglement of the two atoms. This is a first step towards creating a basic node of a quantum network as well as a key prerequisite for a future loophole-free test of Bell's inequality.

Quality Assurance By Laser Scanning And Imaging Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SchmalfuB, Harald J.; Schinner, Karl Ludwig

1989-03-01

Laser scanning systems are well established in the world of fast industrial in-process quality inspection systems. The materials inspected by laser scanning systems are e.g. "endless" sheets of steel, paper, textile, film or foils. The web width varies from 50 mm up to 5000 mm or more. The web speed depends strongly on the production process and can reach several hundred meters per minute. The continuous data flow in one of different channels of the optical receiving system exceeds ten Megapixels/sec. Therefore it is clear that the electronic evaluation system has to process these data streams in real time and no image storage is possible. But sometimes (e.g. first installation of the system, change of the defect classification) it would be very helpful to have the possibility for a visual look on the original, i.e. not processed sensor data. At first we show the principle set up of a standard laser scanning system. Then we will introduce a large image memory especially designed for the needs of high-speed inspection sensors. This image memory co-operates with the standard on-line evaluation electronics and provides therefore an easy comparison between processed and non-processed data. We will discuss the basic system structure and we will show the first industrial results.

The influence of propofol anesthesia exposure on nonaversive memory retrieval and expression of molecules involved in memory process in the dorsal hippocampus in peripubertal rats.

PubMed

Pavković, Željko; Milanović, Desanka; Ruždijić, Sabera; Kanazir, Selma; Pešić, Vesna

2018-06-01

The effects of anesthetic drugs on postoperative cognitive function in children are not well defined and have not been experimentally addressed. The present study aimed to examine the influence of propofol anesthesia exposure on nonaversive hippocampus-dependent learning and biochemical changes involved in memory process in the dorsal hippocampus, in peripubertal rats as the rodent model of periadolescence. The intersession spatial habituation and the novel object recognition tasks were used to assess spatial and nonspatial, nonaversive hippocampus-dependent learning. The exposure to anesthesia was performed after comparably long acquisition phases in both tasks. Behavioral testing lasted for 2 consecutive days (24-hour retention period). Changes in the expression of molecules involved in memory retrieval/reconsolidation were examined in the dorsal hippocampus by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, at the time of behavioral testing. Exposure to propofol anesthesia resulted in inappropriate assessment of spatial novelty at the beginning of the test session and affected continuation of acquisition in the spatial habituation test. The treatment did not affect recognition of the novel object at the beginning of the test session but it attenuated overall preference to novelty, reflecting retrieval of a weak memory. The expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (involved in memory retrieval) was decreased while the level of phosphorylated Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα and early growth response protein 1 (involved in memory reconsolidation) was increased in the dorsal hippocampus. The level of Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (neuronal activity indicator) was increased in the dorsal dentate gyrus. Enhanced exploratory activity was still evident in the propofol anesthesia exposure (PAE) group 48 hour after the treatment in both tasks. In peripubertal rats, propofol anesthesia exposure affects memory retrieval and acquisition of new learning in the spatial and nonspatial, nonaversive learning tasks 24 hour after the treatment, along with the expression of molecules that participate in memory retrieval/reconsolidation in the dorsal hippocampus. These results may have clinical implications, favoring control of basic cognitive functions in older children after the propofol exposure. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modelling memory colour region for preference colour reproduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Huanzhao; Luo, Ronnier

2010-01-01

Colour preference adjustment is an essential step for colour image enhancement and perceptual gamut mapping. In colour reproduction for pictorial images, properly shifting colours away from their colorimetric originals may produce more preferred colour reproduction result. Memory colours, as a portion of the colour regions for colour preference adjustment, are especially important for preference colour reproduction. Identifying memory colours or modelling the memory colour region is a basic step to study preferred memory colour enhancement. In this study, we first created gamut for each memory colour region represented as a convex hull, and then used the convex hull to guide mathematical modelling to formulate the colour region for colour enhancement.

Many roads to synchrony: natural time scales and their algorithms.

PubMed

James, Ryan G; Mahoney, John R; Ellison, Christopher J; Crutchfield, James P

2014-04-01

We consider two important time scales-the Markov and cryptic orders-that monitor how an observer synchronizes to a finitary stochastic process. We show how to compute these orders exactly and that they are most efficiently calculated from the ε-machine, a process's minimal unifilar model. Surprisingly, though the Markov order is a basic concept from stochastic process theory, it is not a probabilistic property of a process. Rather, it is a topological property and, moreover, it is not computable from any finite-state model other than the ε-machine. Via an exhaustive survey, we close by demonstrating that infinite Markov and infinite cryptic orders are a dominant feature in the space of finite-memory processes. We draw out the roles played in statistical mechanical spin systems by these two complementary length scales.

Auditory dysfunction in schizophrenia: integrating clinical and basic features

PubMed Central

Javitt, Daniel C.; Sweet, Robert A.

2015-01-01

Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder that is associated with persistent psychosocial disability in affected individuals. Although studies of schizophrenia have traditionally focused on deficits in higher-order processes such as working memory and executive function, there is an increasing realization that, in this disorder, deficits can be found throughout the cortex and are manifest even at the level of early sensory processing. These deficits are highly amenable to translational investigation and represent potential novel targets for clinical intervention. Deficits, moreover, have been linked to specific structural abnormalities in post-mortem auditory cortex tissue from individuals with schizophrenia, providing unique insights into underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. PMID:26289573

The cognitive neuroscience of time perception: how psychological studies might help to dissect the timing system.

PubMed

Wearden, John H

2013-01-01

It is argued that the cognitive neuroscience of time perception does not make sufficient use of a range of experimental techniques and theoretical approaches which might be useful in "dissecting" the human timing system, and thus helping to uncover its neural basis. These techniques are mostly inspired by scalar expectancy theory, but do not depend on acceptance of that model. Most of the methods result in the same physical stimuli giving rise to systematically different time judgements, thus they avoid problems of control which have haunted some areas of the cognitive neuroscience of timing. Among the possibilities are (a) changing the basic duration judgement of stimuli and events, (b) manipulating working memory and reference memories for duration, and (c) changing temporal decision processes. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Optimization of an organic memristor as an adaptive memory element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berzina, Tatiana; Smerieri, Anteo; Bernabò, Marco; Pucci, Andrea; Ruggeri, Giacomo; Erokhin, Victor; Fontana, M. P.

2009-06-01

The combination of memory and signal handling characteristics of a memristor makes it a promising candidate for adaptive bioinspired information processing systems. This poses stringent requirements on the basic device, such as stability and reproducibility over a large number of training/learning cycles, and a large anisotropy in the fundamental control material parameter, in our case the electrical conductivity. In this work we report results on the improved performance of electrochemically controlled polymeric memristors, where optimization of a conducting polymer (polyaniline) in the active channel and better environmental control of fabrication methods led to a large increase both in the absolute values of the conductivity in the partially oxydized state of polyaniline and of the on-off conductivity ratio. These improvements are crucial for the application of the organic memristor to adaptive complex signal handling networks.

Accurate reactions open up the way for more cooperative societies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vukov, Jeromos

2014-09-01

We consider a prisoner's dilemma model where the interaction neighborhood is defined by a square lattice. Players are equipped with basic cognitive abilities such as being able to distinguish their partners, remember their actions, and react to their strategy. By means of their short-term memory, they can remember not only the last action of their partner but the way they reacted to it themselves. This additional accuracy in the memory enables the handling of different interaction patterns in a more appropriate way and this results in a cooperative community with a strikingly high cooperation level for any temptation value. However, the more developed cognitive abilities can only be effective if the copying process of the strategies is accurate enough. The excessive extent of faulty decisions can deal a fatal blow to the possibility of stable cooperative relations.

[On-line processing mechanisms in text comprehension: a theoretical review on constructing situation models].

PubMed

Iseki, Ryuta

2004-12-01

This article reviewed research on construction of situation models during reading. To position variety of research in overall process appropriately, an unitary framework was devised in terms of three theories for on-line processing: resonance process, event-indexing model, and constructionist theory. Resonance process was treated as a basic activation mechanism in the framework. Event-indexing model was regarded as a screening system which selected and encoded activated information in situation models along with situational dimensions. Constructionist theory was considered to have a supervisory role based on coherence and explanation. From a view of the unitary framework, some problems concerning each theory were examined and possible interpretations were given. Finally, it was pointed out that there were little theoretical arguments on associative processing at global level and encoding text- and inference-information into long-term memory.

Thinking as the control of imagination: a conceptual framework for goal-directed systems.

PubMed

Pezzulo, Giovanni; Castelfranchi, Cristiano

2009-07-01

This paper offers a conceptual framework which (re)integrates goal-directed control, motivational processes, and executive functions, and suggests a developmental pathway from situated action to higher level cognition. We first illustrate a basic computational (control-theoretic) model of goal-directed action that makes use of internal modeling. We then show that by adding the problem of selection among multiple action alternatives motivation enters the scene, and that the basic mechanisms of executive functions such as inhibition, the monitoring of progresses, and working memory, are required for this system to work. Further, we elaborate on the idea that the off-line re-enactment of anticipatory mechanisms used for action control gives rise to (embodied) mental simulations, and propose that thinking consists essentially in controlling mental simulations rather than directly controlling behavior and perceptions. We conclude by sketching an evolutionary perspective of this process, proposing that anticipation leveraged cognition, and by highlighting specific predictions of our model.

Compact modeling of CRS devices based on ECM cells for memory, logic and neuromorphic applications.

PubMed

Linn, E; Menzel, S; Ferch, S; Waser, R

2013-09-27

Dynamic physics-based models of resistive switching devices are of great interest for the realization of complex circuits required for memory, logic and neuromorphic applications. Here, we apply such a model of an electrochemical metallization (ECM) cell to complementary resistive switches (CRSs), which are favorable devices to realize ultra-dense passive crossbar arrays. Since a CRS consists of two resistive switching devices, it is straightforward to apply the dynamic ECM model for CRS simulation with MATLAB and SPICE, enabling study of the device behavior in terms of sweep rate and series resistance variations. Furthermore, typical memory access operations as well as basic implication logic operations can be analyzed, revealing requirements for proper spike and level read operations. This basic understanding facilitates applications of massively parallel computing paradigms required for neuromorphic applications.

The Salience of the Self: Self-referential Processing and Internalizing Problems in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Burrows, Catherine A.; Usher, Lauren V.; Mundy, Peter C.; Henderson, Heather A.

2016-01-01

Scientific Abstract Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate atypical processing of, and memory for, self-referenced information, which may contribute to the heightened rates of co-occurring internalizing problems. We assessed affective and cognitive aspects of self-referential processing in verbally-fluent children with ASD (N=79), and an age-matched comparison sample (COM, N=73) of children without an autism diagnosis. We examined group differences in these two aspects of the self-system, and their joint contributions to individual differnces in internalizing problems. Using a self-referenced memory (SRM) task, participants indicated whether a series of positive and negative trait adjectives described themselves and a well-known fictional character. Participants were then surprised with a recognition memory test on the same adjectives. Overall, individuals with ASD showed a reduction in the extent to which they preferentially endorsed positive over negative trait adjectives about themselves, and a reduction in their preferential memory for self- over other-referenced information. Across the full sample, these two aspects of self-referential processing jointly predicted self-reported internalizing problems. Specifically, self-evaluations were strongly and inversely associated with internalizing problems but only for children with relatively high self-referenced memory. These findings suggest that the salience of the self influences the extent to which affective self-evaluations impact emotional functioning for youth both with and without ASD. Implications for basic (e.g., developmental) and translational (e.g., intervention) research are discussed. Lay Abstract Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) think about themselves differently than typically developing children do. Specifically, children with ASD think less positively of themselves than is typical, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Their system for remembering information about themselves is also altered. Usually, individuals relate new information to things they know about themselves to aid memory. However, individuals with ASD do not show better memory when they think about themselves, compared to when they think about another person, which is called preferential self-referenced memory (SRM). We examined what children with ASD (N=79), and an age-matched comparison sample (COM, N=73) think of themselves, and how well they remember information about themselves. Participants answered whether trait adjectives described themselves, and later were surprised with a memory test on those same adjectives. Overall, youth with ASD viewed themselves less positively than COM participants. Children with ASD also remembered fewer self-relevant relative to other-relevant adjectives. For all children, having strong memory for self-referenced information meant that positive self-evaluations were highly protective against symptoms of anxiety and depression. Self-referenced memory might tell us how much an individual focuses on what they think of themselves, for better or for worse. These differences could influence social skills and mental health in children with ASD. Differences in how individuals with ASD think about themselves may be important to address in treatment. PMID:27868365

Amnesia and crime: a neuropsychiatric response.

PubMed

Wortzel, Hal S; Arciniegas, David B

2008-01-01

Bourget and Whitehurst's "Amnesia and Crime," published in a prior issue of the Journal, addresses a conceptually complex and clinically challenging subject. Their treatment emphasizes psychiatric conditions in which memory disturbances may arise that are relevant to criminal proceedings. However, their consideration of the neurobiology of memory, memory disturbances, and the neurobiological bases of interactions between psychiatric symptoms and memory merit further elaboration. The relevance of memory impairment to criminal matters requires forensic psychiatric experts to possess a basic understanding of the phenomenology and neurobiology of memory. The present authors describe briefly the phenomenology and neuroanatomy of memory, emphasizing first that memory is not a unitary cognitive domain, clinically or neurobiologically. The assertion that psychotic delusions produce memory impairment is challenged, and the description of "organic" amnesia, both semantically and in terms of its clinical features, is reframed. Resources on which to build a neuropsychiatric foundation for forensic psychiatric opinions on memory impairment surrounding criminal behavior are offered.

Quantum reading of a classical digital memory.

PubMed

Pirandola, Stefano

2011-03-04

We consider a basic model of digital memory where each cell is composed of a reflecting medium with two possible reflectivities. By fixing the mean number of photons irradiated over each memory cell, we show that a nonclassical source of light can retrieve more information than any classical source. This improvement is shown in the regime of few photons and high reflectivities, where the gain of information can be surprising. As a result, the use of quantum light can have nontrivial applications in the technology of digital memories, such as optical disks and barcodes.

zorder-lib: Library API for Z-Order Memory Layout

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nowell, Lucy; Edward W. Bethel

2015-04-01

This document describes the motivation for, elements of, and use of the zorder-lib, a library API that implements organization of and access to data in memory using either a-order (also known as "row-major" order) or z-order memory layouts. The primary motivation for this work is to improve the performance of many types of data- intensive codes by increasing both spatial and temporal locality of memory accesses. The basic idea is that the cost associated with accessing a datum is less when it is nearby in either space or time.

Music-based memory enhancement in Alzheimer's disease: promise and limitations.

PubMed

Simmons-Stern, Nicholas R; Deason, Rebecca G; Brandler, Brian J; Frustace, Bruno S; O'Connor, Maureen K; Ally, Brandon A; Budson, Andrew E

2012-12-01

In a previous study (Simmons-Stern, Budson & Ally, 2010), we found that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) better recognized visually presented lyrics when the lyrics were also sung rather than spoken at encoding. The present study sought to further investigate the effects of music on memory in patients with AD by making the content of the song lyrics relevant for the daily life of an older adult and by examining how musical encoding alters several different aspects of episodic memory. Patients with AD and healthy older adults studied visually presented novel song lyrics related to instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) that were accompanied by either a sung or a spoken recording. Overall, participants performed better on a memory test of general lyric content for lyrics that were studied sung as compared to spoken. However, on a memory test of specific lyric content, participants performed equally well for sung and spoken lyrics. We interpret these results in terms of a dual-process model of recognition memory such that the general content questions represent a familiarity-based representation that is preferentially sensitive to enhancement via music, while the specific content questions represent a recollection-based representation unaided by musical encoding. Additionally, in a test of basic recognition memory for the audio stimuli, patients with AD demonstrated equal discrimination for sung and spoken stimuli. We propose that the perceptual distinctiveness of musical stimuli enhanced metamemorial awareness in AD patients via a non-selective distinctiveness heuristic, thereby reducing false recognition while at the same time reducing true recognition and eliminating the mnemonic benefit of music. These results are discussed in the context of potential music-based memory enhancement interventions for the care of patients with AD. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Music-Based Memory Enhancement in Alzheimer’s Disease: Promise and Limitations

PubMed Central

Simmons-Stern, Nicholas R.; Deason, Rebecca G.; Brandler, Brian J.; Frustace, Bruno S.; O’Connor, Maureen K.; Ally, Brandon A.; Budson, Andrew E.

2012-01-01

In a previous study (Simmons-Stern, Budson, & Ally 2010), we found that patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) better recognized visually presented lyrics when the lyrics were also sung rather than spoken at encoding. The present study sought to further investigate the effects of music on memory in patients with AD by making the content of the song lyrics relevant for the daily life of an older adult and by examining how musical encoding alters several different aspects of episodic memory. Patients with AD and healthy older adults studied visually presented novel song lyrics related to instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) that were accompanied by either a sung or a spoken recording. Overall, participants performed better on a memory test of general lyric content for lyrics that were studied sung as compared to spoken. However, on a memory test of specific lyric content, participants performed equally well for sung and spoken lyrics. We interpret these results in terms of a dual-process model of recognition memory such that the general content questions represent a familiarity-based representation that is preferentially sensitive to enhancement via music, while the specific content questions represent a recollection-based representation unaided by musical encoding. Additionally, in a test of basic recognition memory for the audio stimuli, patients with AD demonstrated equal discrimination for sung and spoken stimuli. We propose that the perceptual distinctiveness of musical stimuli enhanced metamemorial awareness in AD patients via a non-selective distinctiveness heuristic, thereby reducing false recognition while at the same time reducing true recognition and eliminating the mnemonic benefit of music. These results are discussed in the context of potential music-based memory enhancement interventions for the care of patients with AD. PMID:23000133

Scaling dependence of memory windows and different carrier charging behaviors in Si nanocrystal nonvolatile memory devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jie; Chen, Kun-ji; Ma, Zhong-yuan; Zhang, Xin-xin; Jiang, Xiao-fan; Wu, Yang-qing; Huang, Xin-fan; Oda, Shunri

2016-09-01

Based on the charge storage mode, it is important to investigate the scaling dependence of memory performance in silicon nanocrystal (Si-NC) nonvolatile memory (NVM) devices for its scaling down limit. In this work, we made eight kinds of test key cells with different gate widths and lengths by 0.13-μm node complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. It is found that the memory windows of eight kinds of test key cells are almost the same of about 1.64 V @ ± 7 V/1 ms, which are independent of the gate area, but mainly determined by the average size (12 nm) and areal density (1.8 × 1011/cm2) of Si-NCs. The program/erase (P/E) speed characteristics are almost independent of gate widths and lengths. However, the erase speed is faster than the program speed of test key cells, which is due to the different charging behaviors between electrons and holes during the operation processes. Furthermore, the data retention characteristic is also independent of the gate area. Our findings are useful for further scaling down of Si-NC NVM devices to improve the performance and on-chip integration. Project supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Grant No. 2010CB934402) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11374153, 61571221, and 61071008).

A comparison of laboratory, clinical, and self-report measures of prospective memory in healthy adults and individuals with brain injury.

PubMed

Raskin, Sarah A; Shum, David H K; Ellis, Judi; Pereira, Antonia; Mills, Ginger

2018-06-01

Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have demonstrated deficits in prospective memory (PM) functioning when compared to healthy adults. These deficits have been measured using laboratory measures, clinical measures, and self-report questionnaires. However, PM has been shown to involve multiple cognitive processes and have a variety of stages. Thus, it is not known whether these measures all assess the same aspects of PM. Thus, this study was designed to measure the convergent validity of the three types of PM measures in both healthy adults and individuals with TBI. We aimed to investigate the convergent validity of the three types of tasks in two ways. First, we sought to investigate whether the PM deficits experienced by people with TBI are consistent across tasks. Second, we sought to examine the relationship between the three types of tasks. Results demonstrated that while all three types of measures were sensitive to PM deficits in TBI, there were differences in the aspects/processes of PM being measured. Data from the laboratory measure suggested a specific difficulty with detecting the correct cue. Data from the clinical measure suggested that TBI has a greater effect on time-based cues than event-based cues and that the primary deficit is a prospective intention retrieval deficit rather than the retrospective memory component. In addition, those with TBI did not differ from healthy adults when the time delay was short enough, suggesting that PM is not universally impaired. Data from the self-report questionnaire suggested that those with TBI are more sensitive to difficulties with basic activities of daily living rather than instrumental activities on daily living. These results are discussed in terms of rehabilitation techniques that could focus first on cue detection and use basic activities of daily living as outcome measures.

Conductance Quantization in Resistive Random Access Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Long, Shibing; Liu, Yang; Hu, Chen; Teng, Jiao; Liu, Qi; Lv, Hangbing; Suñé, Jordi; Liu, Ming

2015-10-01

The intrinsic scaling-down ability, simple metal-insulator-metal (MIM) sandwich structure, excellent performances, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology-compatible fabrication processes make resistive random access memory (RRAM) one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation memory. The RRAM device also exhibits rich electrical, thermal, magnetic, and optical effects, in close correlation with the abundant resistive switching (RS) materials, metal-oxide interface, and multiple RS mechanisms including the formation/rupture of nanoscale to atomic-sized conductive filament (CF) incorporated in RS layer. Conductance quantization effect has been observed in the atomic-sized CF in RRAM, which provides a good opportunity to deeply investigate the RS mechanism in mesoscopic dimension. In this review paper, the operating principles of RRAM are introduced first, followed by the summarization of the basic conductance quantization phenomenon in RRAM and the related RS mechanisms, device structures, and material system. Then, we discuss the theory and modeling of quantum transport in RRAM. Finally, we present the opportunities and challenges in quantized RRAM devices and our views on the future prospects.

Conductance Quantization in Resistive Random Access Memory.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Long, Shibing; Liu, Yang; Hu, Chen; Teng, Jiao; Liu, Qi; Lv, Hangbing; Suñé, Jordi; Liu, Ming

2015-12-01

The intrinsic scaling-down ability, simple metal-insulator-metal (MIM) sandwich structure, excellent performances, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology-compatible fabrication processes make resistive random access memory (RRAM) one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation memory. The RRAM device also exhibits rich electrical, thermal, magnetic, and optical effects, in close correlation with the abundant resistive switching (RS) materials, metal-oxide interface, and multiple RS mechanisms including the formation/rupture of nanoscale to atomic-sized conductive filament (CF) incorporated in RS layer. Conductance quantization effect has been observed in the atomic-sized CF in RRAM, which provides a good opportunity to deeply investigate the RS mechanism in mesoscopic dimension. In this review paper, the operating principles of RRAM are introduced first, followed by the summarization of the basic conductance quantization phenomenon in RRAM and the related RS mechanisms, device structures, and material system. Then, we discuss the theory and modeling of quantum transport in RRAM. Finally, we present the opportunities and challenges in quantized RRAM devices and our views on the future prospects.

Use of general purpose graphics processing units with MODFLOW

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hughes, Joseph D.; White, Jeremy T.

2013-01-01

To evaluate the use of general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs) to improve the performance of MODFLOW, an unstructured preconditioned conjugate gradient (UPCG) solver has been developed. The UPCG solver uses a compressed sparse row storage scheme and includes Jacobi, zero fill-in incomplete, and modified-incomplete lower-upper (LU) factorization, and generalized least-squares polynomial preconditioners. The UPCG solver also includes options for sequential and parallel solution on the central processing unit (CPU) using OpenMP. For simulations utilizing the GPGPU, all basic linear algebra operations are performed on the GPGPU; memory copies between the central processing unit CPU and GPCPU occur prior to the first iteration of the UPCG solver and after satisfying head and flow criteria or exceeding a maximum number of iterations. The efficiency of the UPCG solver for GPGPU and CPU solutions is benchmarked using simulations of a synthetic, heterogeneous unconfined aquifer with tens of thousands to millions of active grid cells. Testing indicates GPGPU speedups on the order of 2 to 8, relative to the standard MODFLOW preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) solver, can be achieved when (1) memory copies between the CPU and GPGPU are optimized, (2) the percentage of time performing memory copies between the CPU and GPGPU is small relative to the calculation time, (3) high-performance GPGPU cards are utilized, and (4) CPU-GPGPU combinations are used to execute sequential operations that are difficult to parallelize. Furthermore, UPCG solver testing indicates GPGPU speedups exceed parallel CPU speedups achieved using OpenMP on multicore CPUs for preconditioners that can be easily parallelized.

Exploiting graphics processing units for computational biology and bioinformatics.

PubMed

Payne, Joshua L; Sinnott-Armstrong, Nicholas A; Moore, Jason H

2010-09-01

Advances in the video gaming industry have led to the production of low-cost, high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) that possess more memory bandwidth and computational capability than central processing units (CPUs), the standard workhorses of scientific computing. With the recent release of generalpurpose GPUs and NVIDIA's GPU programming language, CUDA, graphics engines are being adopted widely in scientific computing applications, particularly in the fields of computational biology and bioinformatics. The goal of this article is to concisely present an introduction to GPU hardware and programming, aimed at the computational biologist or bioinformaticist. To this end, we discuss the primary differences between GPU and CPU architecture, introduce the basics of the CUDA programming language, and discuss important CUDA programming practices, such as the proper use of coalesced reads, data types, and memory hierarchies. We highlight each of these topics in the context of computing the all-pairs distance between instances in a dataset, a common procedure in numerous disciplines of scientific computing. We conclude with a runtime analysis of the GPU and CPU implementations of the all-pairs distance calculation. We show our final GPU implementation to outperform the CPU implementation by a factor of 1700.

The Gestalt Principle of Similarity Benefits Visual Working Memory

PubMed Central

Peterson, Dwight J.; Berryhill, Marian E.

2013-01-01

Visual working memory (VWM) is essential for many cognitive processes yet it is notably limited in capacity. Visual perception processing is facilitated by Gestalt principles of grouping, such as connectedness, similarity, and proximity. This introduces the question: do these perceptual benefits extend to VWM? If so, can this be an approach to enhance VWM function by optimizing the processing of information? Previous findings demonstrate that several Gestalt principles (connectedness, common region, and spatial proximity) do facilitate VWM performance in change detection tasks (Woodman, Vecera, & Luck, 2003; Xu, 2002a, 2006; Xu & Chun, 2007; Jiang, Olson & Chun, 2000). One prevalent Gestalt principle, similarity, has not been examined with regard to facilitating VWM. Here, we investigated whether grouping by similarity benefits VWM. Experiment 1 established the basic finding that VWM performance could benefit from grouping. Experiment 2 replicated and extended this finding by showing that similarity was only effective when the similar stimuli were proximal. In short, the VWM performance benefit derived from similarity was constrained by spatial proximity such that similar items need to be near each other. Thus, the Gestalt principle of similarity benefits visual perception, but it can provide benefits to VWM as well. PMID:23702981

The Gestalt principle of similarity benefits visual working memory.

PubMed

Peterson, Dwight J; Berryhill, Marian E

2013-12-01

Visual working memory (VWM) is essential for many cognitive processes, yet it is notably limited in capacity. Visual perception processing is facilitated by Gestalt principles of grouping, such as connectedness, similarity, and proximity. This introduces the question, do these perceptual benefits extend to VWM? If so, can this be an approach to enhance VWM function by optimizing the processing of information? Previous findings have demonstrated that several Gestalt principles (connectedness, common region, and spatial proximity) do facilitate VWM performance in change detection tasks (Jiang, Olson, & Chun, 2000; Woodman, Vecera, & Luck, 2003; Xu, 2002, 2006; Xu & Chun, 2007). However, one prevalent Gestalt principle, similarity, has not been examined with regard to facilitating VWM. Here, we investigated whether grouping by similarity benefits VWM. Experiment 1 established the basic finding that VWM performance could benefit from grouping. Experiment 2 replicated and extended this finding by showing that similarity was only effective when the similar stimuli were proximal. In short, the VWM performance benefit derived from similarity was constrained by spatial proximity, such that similar items need to be near each other. Thus, the Gestalt principle of similarity benefits visual perception, but it can provide benefits to VWM as well.

Executive Functions Contribute Uniquely to Reading Competence in Minority Youth.

PubMed

Jacobson, Lisa A; Koriakin, Taylor; Lipkin, Paul; Boada, Richard; Frijters, Jan C; Lovett, Maureen W; Hill, Dina; Willcutt, Erik; Gottwald, Stephanie; Wolf, Maryanne; Bosson-Heenan, Joan; Gruen, Jeffrey R; Mahone, E Mark

Competent reading requires various skills beyond those for basic word reading (i.e., core language skills, rapid naming, phonological processing). Contributing "higher-level" or domain-general processes include information processing speed and executive functions (working memory, strategic problem solving, attentional switching). Research in this area has relied on largely Caucasian samples, with limited representation of children from racial or ethnic minority groups. This study examined contributions of executive skills to reading competence in 761 children of minority backgrounds. Hierarchical linear regressions examined unique contributions of executive functions (EF) to word reading, fluency, and comprehension. EF contributed uniquely to reading performance, over and above reading-related language skills; working memory contributed uniquely to all components of reading; while attentional switching, but not problem solving, contributed to isolated and contextual word reading and reading fluency. Problem solving uniquely predicted comprehension, suggesting that this skill may be especially important for reading comprehension in minority youth. Attentional switching may play a unique role in development of reading fluency in minority youth, perhaps as a result of the increased demand for switching between spoken versus written dialects. Findings have implications for educational and clinical practice with regard to reading instruction, remedial reading intervention, and assessment of individuals with reading difficulty.

Qualitative similarities in the visual short-term memory of pigeons and people.

PubMed

Gibson, Brett; Wasserman, Edward; Luck, Steven J

2011-10-01

Visual short-term memory plays a key role in guiding behavior, and individual differences in visual short-term memory capacity are strongly predictive of higher cognitive abilities. To provide a broader evolutionary context for understanding this memory system, we directly compared the behavior of pigeons and humans on a change detection task. Although pigeons had a lower storage capacity and a higher lapse rate than humans, both species stored multiple items in short-term memory and conformed to the same basic performance model. Thus, despite their very different evolutionary histories and neural architectures, pigeons and humans have functionally similar visual short-term memory systems, suggesting that the functional properties of visual short-term memory are subject to similar selective pressures across these distant species.

Relations between the functions of autobiographical memory and psychological wellbeing.

PubMed

Waters, Theodore E A

2014-01-01

Researchers have proposed that autobiographical memory serves three basic functions in everyday life: self-definition, social connection, and directing behaviour (e.g., Bluck, Alea, Habermas, & Rubin, 2005). However, no research has examined relations between the functions of autobiographical memory and healthy functioning (i.e., psychological wellbeing). The present research examined the relations between the self, social, and directive functions of autobiographical memory and three factors of psychological wellbeing in single and recurring autobiographical memories. A total of 103 undergraduate students were recruited and provided ratings of each function for four autobiographical memories (two single, two recurring events). Results found that individuals who use their autobiographical memories to serve self, social, and directive functions reported higher levels of Purpose and Communion and Positive Relationships, and that these relations differ slightly by event type.

Improvement and speed optimization of numerical tsunami modelling program using OpenMP technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernov, A.; Zaytsev, A.; Yalciner, A.; Kurkin, A.

2009-04-01

Currently, the basic problem of tsunami modeling is low speed of calculations which is unacceptable for services of the operative notification. Existing algorithms of numerical modeling of hydrodynamic processes of tsunami waves are developed without taking the opportunities of modern computer facilities. There is an opportunity to have considerable acceleration of process of calculations by using parallel algorithms. We discuss here new approach to parallelization tsunami modeling code using OpenMP Technology (for multiprocessing systems with the general memory). Nowadays, multiprocessing systems are easily accessible for everyone. The cost of the use of such systems becomes much lower comparing to the costs of clusters. This opportunity also benefits all programmers to apply multithreading algorithms on desktop computers of researchers. Other important advantage of the given approach is the mechanism of the general memory - there is no necessity to send data on slow networks (for example Ethernet). All memory is the common for all computing processes; it causes almost linear scalability of the program and processes. In the new version of NAMI DANCE using OpenMP technology and multi-threading algorithm provide 80% gain in speed in comparison with the one-thread version for dual-processor unit. The speed increased and 320% gain was attained for four core processor unit of PCs. Thus, it was possible to reduce considerably time of performance of calculations on the scientific workstations (desktops) without complete change of the program and user interfaces. The further modernization of algorithms of preparation of initial data and processing of results using OpenMP looks reasonable. The final version of NAMI DANCE with the increased computational speed can be used not only for research purposes but also in real time Tsunami Warning Systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pin, F.G.; Bender, S.R.

Most fuzzy logic-based reasoning schemes developed for robot control are fully reactive, i.e., the reasoning modules consist of fuzzy rule bases that represent direct mappings from the stimuli provided by the perception systems to the responses implemented by the motion controllers. Due to their totally reactive nature, such reasoning systems can encounter problems such as infinite loops and limit cycles. In this paper, we proposed an approach to remedy these problems by adding a memory and memory-related behaviors to basic reactive systems. Three major types of memory behaviors are addressed: memory creation, memory management, and memory utilization. These are firstmore » presented, and examples of their implementation for the recognition of limit cycles during the navigation of an autonomous robot in a priori unknown environments are then discussed.« less

Plastic Synaptic Networks of the Amygdala for the Acquisition, Expression, and Extinction of Conditioned Fear

PubMed Central

Pape, Hans-Christian; Pare, Denis

2009-01-01

The last ten years have witnessed a surge of interest for the mechanisms underlying the acquisition and extinction of classically conditioned fear responses. In part, this results from the realization that abnormalities in fear learning mechanisms likely participate to the development and/or maintenance of human anxiety disorders. The simplicity and robustness of this learning paradigm, coupled to the fact that the underlying circuitry is evolutionarily well conserved makes it an ideal model to study the basic biology of memory and identify genetic factors and neuronal systems that regulate the normal and pathological expressions of learned fear. Critical advances have been made in determining how modified neuronal functions upon fear acquisition become stabilized during fear memory consolidation and how these processes are controlled in the course of fear memory extinction. With these advances, came the realization that activity in remote neuronal networks must be coordinated for these events to take place. In this paper, we review these mechanisms of coordinated network activity and the molecular cascades leading to enduring fear memory, and allowing for their extinction. We will focus on Pavlovian fear conditioning as a model and the amygdala as a key component for the acquisition and extinction of fear responses. PMID:20393190

Alzheimer's disease can spare local metacognition despite global anosognosia: revisiting the confidence-accuracy relationship in episodic memory.

PubMed

Gallo, David A; Cramer, Stefanie J; Wong, Jessica T; Bennett, David A

2012-07-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) can impair metacognition in addition to more basic cognitive functions like memory. However, while global metacognitive inaccuracies are well documented (i.e., low deficit awareness, or anosognosia), the evidence is mixed regarding the effects of AD on local or task-based metacognitive judgments. Here we investigated local metacognition with respect to the confidence-accuracy relationship in episodic memory (i.e., metamemory). AD and control participants studied pictures of common objects and their verbal labels, and then took forced-choice picture recollection tests using the verbal labels as retrieval cues. We found that item-based confidence judgments discriminated between accurate and inaccurate recollection responses in both groups, implicating relatively spared metamemory in AD. By contrast, there was evidence for global metacognitive deficiencies, as AD participants underestimated the severity of their everyday problems compared to an informant's assessment. Within the AD group, individual differences in global metacognition were related to recollection accuracy, and global metacognition for everyday memory problems was related to task-based metacognitive accuracy. These findings suggest that AD can spare the confidence-accuracy relationship in recollection tasks, and that global and local metacognition measures tap overlapping neuropsychological processes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Schizophrenia - A disturbance of signal interaction between the entorhinal cortex and the dentate gyrus? The contribution of experimental dibenamine psychosis to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia: A hypothesis.

PubMed

Arnold, O H

1999-01-01

In addition to the existence of complex memory (similar to the implicit nondeclarative memory of Squire), the existence of a phylogenetically old apparatus of a memory of situations (SMA) is supposed, which is to some extent comparable with the declarative memory of Squire. During actual sensory information the SMA generates a general frame and forms a general 'mark', indicating whether a given information has its origin inside or outside the body, and whether it is new or known. The procedure of this marking process can be explained as the time-depending arrest of a copy of the actual original information-transporting signal 'shower'; this copy must last until the feedback from thalamocortical centers indicates the termination of the processing of the original signal showers. The arrest of the shower copies is the performance of neuronal networks of the entorhinal cortex (EC) and the gyrus dentatus (GD). The psychopathological and biochemical analyses of experimental dibenamine psychosis show a different effect of dibenamine on the noradrenaline (NA) receptors of the EC and GD, respectively: these effects are responsible for the repeated perception cycles of a single situation. N,N-Dibencylamine blocks the postsynaptic alpha(1)-receptors of the EC without influencing the beta-receptors of the GD. Thus the interaction between EC and GD is changed: instead of new scenes, perceptions that have just been experienced get repeated presence and the quality of familiarity. The prolonged arrest of shower copies simultaneously blocks the entrance of new signal showers from the EC to the GD. No information-transporting signal showers can come in as long as the arrest lasts. In case of a disturbance in NA-dependent actions within the EC and the GD, the duration of arrest of information-transporting signal showers is shortened. Thus the formal frame of experience receives the quality of novelty instead of familiarity, and in addition the qualities of uncertainty, vagueness, and alienity. These very changes in perception and experience represent the basic disturbance of schizophrenia. All the symptoms of schizophrenia may be explained by this basic disturbance. The analysis of biochemical aspects turns attention to the energetic situation of NA and N-methyl-D-aspartate systems. These considerations suggest a genetic background of the basic disturbance of schizophrenia: transmitter effects on membranes of neurons and possibly also on glial cells, and energy supply of these effects may be predetermined genetically. It may be assumed that the compensation of such membrane-dependent disturbances will be possible within wide areas of the neural network, except for the 'bottleneck' of the overlapping region of the iso- and allocortex.

Up-to-date state of storage techniques used for large numerical data files

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chlouba, V.

1975-01-01

Methods for data storage and output in data banks and memory files are discussed along with a survey of equipment available for this. Topics discussed include magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, Terabit magnetic tape memory, Unicon 690 laser memory, IBM 1360 photostore, microfilm recording equipment, holographic recording, film readers, optical character readers, digital data storage techniques, and photographic recording. The individual types of equipment are summarized in tables giving the basic technical parameters.

Towards reversible basic linear algebra subprograms: A performance study

DOE PAGES

Perumalla, Kalyan S.; Yoginath, Srikanth B.

2014-12-06

Problems such as fault tolerance and scalable synchronization can be efficiently solved using reversibility of applications. Making applications reversible by relying on computation rather than on memory is ideal for large scale parallel computing, especially for the next generation of supercomputers in which memory is expensive in terms of latency, energy, and price. In this direction, a case study is presented here in reversing a computational core, namely, Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms, which is widely used in scientific applications. A new Reversible BLAS (RBLAS) library interface has been designed, and a prototype has been implemented with two modes: (1) amore » memory-mode in which reversibility is obtained by checkpointing to memory in forward and restoring from memory in reverse, and (2) a computational-mode in which nothing is saved in the forward, but restoration is done entirely via inverse computation in reverse. The article is focused on detailed performance benchmarking to evaluate the runtime dynamics and performance effects, comparing reversible computation with checkpointing on both traditional CPU platforms and recent GPU accelerator platforms. For BLAS Level-1 subprograms, data indicates over an order of magnitude better speed of reversible computation compared to checkpointing. For BLAS Level-2 and Level-3, a more complex tradeoff is observed between reversible computation and checkpointing, depending on computational and memory complexities of the subprograms.« less

Analysis of the Encoding Factors That Produce the Negative Repetition Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulligan, Neil W.; Peterson, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

Perhaps the most basic finding in memory research is the repetition effect--the fact that repetition enhances memory. Peterson and Mulligan (2012) recently documented a surprising "negative repetition effect," in which participants who studied a list of cue-target pairs twice recalled "fewer" targets than a group who studied…

Memory Destabilization Is Critical for the Success of the Reactivation-Extinction Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piñeyro, Marcelo E.; Monti, Roque I. Ferrer; Alfei, Joaquín M.; Bueno, Adrián M.; Urcelay, Gonzalo P.

2014-01-01

It has been suggested that, unlike pure extinction which typically results in the return of the fear response under a variety of circumstances, memory reactivation followed by extinction can attenuate the reemergence of conditioned fear. The reactivation-extinction procedure has attracted the attention of basic and clinical researchers due to its…

[Memory Checking Tests].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Joseph T.

Two basic tests for checking memory skills are included in these appendices. The first, the General Information Test, uses the same 150 items for each of its two versions. One version is a completion-type test which measures recall by requiring the examinee to supply a specific response. The other version supplements each of the 150 items with…

Pain-Relief Learning in Flies, Rats, and Man: Basic Research and Applied Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerber, Bertram; Yarali, Ayse; Diegelmann, Sören; Wotjak, Carsten T.; Pauli, Paul; Fendt, Marcus

2014-01-01

Memories relating to a painful, negative event are adaptive and can be stored for a lifetime to support preemptive avoidance, escape, or attack behavior. However, under unfavorable circumstances such memories can become overwhelmingly powerful. They may trigger excessively negative psychological states and uncontrollable avoidance of locations,…

Fundamentals handbook of electrical and computer engineering. Volume 1 Circuits fields and electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, S. S. L.

State of the art technology in circuits, fields, and electronics is discussed. The principles and applications of these technologies to industry, digital processing, microwave semiconductors, and computer-aided design are explained. Important concepts and methodologies in mathematics and physics are reviewed, and basic engineering sciences and associated design methods are dealt with, including: circuit theory and the design of magnetic circuits and active filter synthesis; digital signal processing, including FIR and IIR digital filter design; transmission lines, electromagnetic wave propagation and surface acoustic wave devices. Also considered are: electronics technologies, including power electronics, microwave semiconductors, GaAs devices, and magnetic bubble memories; digital circuits and logic design.

Photonic single nonlinear-delay dynamical node for information processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortín, Silvia; San-Martín, Daniel; Pesquera, Luis; Gutiérrez, José Manuel

2012-06-01

An electro-optical system with a delay loop based on semiconductor lasers is investigated for information processing by performing numerical simulations. This system can replace a complex network of many nonlinear elements for the implementation of Reservoir Computing. We show that a single nonlinear-delay dynamical system has the basic properties to perform as reservoir: short-term memory and separation property. The computing performance of this system is evaluated for two prediction tasks: Lorenz chaotic time series and nonlinear auto-regressive moving average (NARMA) model. We sweep the parameters of the system to find the best performance. The results achieved for the Lorenz and the NARMA-10 tasks are comparable to those obtained by other machine learning methods.

CFD code evaluation for internal flow modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, T. J.

1990-01-01

Research on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code evaluation with emphasis on supercomputing in reacting flows is discussed. Advantages of unstructured grids, multigrids, adaptive methods, improved flow solvers, vector processing, parallel processing, and reduction of memory requirements are discussed. As examples, researchers include applications of supercomputing to reacting flow Navier-Stokes equations including shock waves and turbulence and combustion instability problems associated with solid and liquid propellants. Evaluation of codes developed by other organizations are not included. Instead, the basic criteria for accuracy and efficiency have been established, and some applications on rocket combustion have been made. Research toward an ultimate goal, the most accurate and efficient CFD code, is in progress and will continue for years to come.

PROCRU: A model for analyzing crew procedures in approach to landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baron, S.; Muralidharan, R.; Lancraft, R.; Zacharias, G.

1980-01-01

A model for analyzing crew procedures in approach to landing is developed. The model employs the information processing structure used in the optimal control model and in recent models for monitoring and failure detection. Mechanisms are added to this basic structure to model crew decision making in this multi task environment. Decisions are based on probability assessments and potential mission impact (or gain). Sub models for procedural activities are included. The model distinguishes among external visual, instrument visual, and auditory sources of information. The external visual scene perception models incorporate limitations in obtaining information. The auditory information channel contains a buffer to allow for storage in memory until that information can be processed.

A programming framework for data streaming on the Xeon Phi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapeland, S.; ALICE Collaboration

2017-10-01

ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is the dedicated heavy-ion detector studying the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma at the CERN LHC (Large Hadron Collider). After the second long shut-down of the LHC, the ALICE detector will be upgraded to cope with an interaction rate of 50 kHz in Pb-Pb collisions, producing in the online computing system (O2) a sustained throughput of 3.4 TB/s. This data will be processed on the fly so that the stream to permanent storage does not exceed 90 GB/s peak, the raw data being discarded. In the context of assessing different computing platforms for the O2 system, we have developed a framework for the Intel Xeon Phi processors (MIC). It provides the components to build a processing pipeline streaming the data from the PC memory to a pool of permanent threads running on the MIC, and back to the host after processing. It is based on explicit offloading mechanisms (data transfer, asynchronous tasks) and basic building blocks (FIFOs, memory pools, C++11 threads). The user only needs to implement the processing method to be run on the MIC. We present in this paper the architecture, implementation, and performance of this system.

Basic mathematical rules are encoded by primate prefrontal cortex neurons

PubMed Central

Bongard, Sylvia; Nieder, Andreas

2010-01-01

Mathematics is based on highly abstract principles, or rules, of how to structure, process, and evaluate numerical information. If and how mathematical rules can be represented by single neurons, however, has remained elusive. We therefore recorded the activity of individual prefrontal cortex (PFC) neurons in rhesus monkeys required to switch flexibly between “greater than” and “less than” rules. The monkeys performed this task with different numerical quantities and generalized to set sizes that had not been presented previously, indicating that they had learned an abstract mathematical principle. The most prevalent activity recorded from randomly selected PFC neurons reflected the mathematical rules; purely sensory- and memory-related activity was almost absent. These data show that single PFC neurons have the capacity to represent flexible operations on most abstract numerical quantities. Our findings support PFC network models implementing specific “rule-coding” units that control the flow of information between segregated input, memory, and output layers. We speculate that these neuronal circuits in the monkey lateral PFC could readily have been adopted in the course of primate evolution for syntactic processing of numbers in formalized mathematical systems. PMID:20133872

All-optical clocked flip-flops and random access memory cells using the nonlinear polarization rotation effect of low-polarization-dependent semiconductor optical amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongjun; Liu, Xinyu; Tian, Qinghua; Wang, Lina; Xin, Xiangjun

2018-03-01

Basic configurations of various all-optical clocked flip-flops (FFs) and optical random access memory (RAM) based on the nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) effect of low-polarization-dependent semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) are proposed. As the constituent elements, all-optical logic gates and all-optical SR latches are constructed by taking advantage of the SOA's NPR switch. Different all-optical FFs (AOFFs), including SR-, D-, T-, and JK-types as well as an optical RAM cell were obtained by the combination of the proposed all-optical SR latches and logic gates. The effectiveness of the proposed schemes were verified by simulation results and demonstrated by a D-FF and 1-bit RAM cell experimental system. The proposed all-optical clocked FFs and RAM cell are significant to all-optical signal processing.

A pervasive parallel framework for visualization: final report for FWP 10-014707

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moreland, Kenneth D.

2014-01-01

We are on the threshold of a transformative change in the basic architecture of highperformance computing. The use of accelerator processors, characterized by large core counts, shared but asymmetrical memory, and heavy thread loading, is quickly becoming the norm in high performance computing. These accelerators represent significant challenges in updating our existing base of software. An intrinsic problem with this transition is a fundamental programming shift from message passing processes to much more fine thread scheduling with memory sharing. Another problem is the lack of stability in accelerator implementation; processor and compiler technology is currently changing rapidly. This report documentsmore » the results of our three-year ASCR project to address these challenges. Our project includes the development of the Dax toolkit, which contains the beginnings of new algorithms for a new generation of computers and the underlying infrastructure to rapidly prototype and build further algorithms as necessary.« less

Goal Management Training and Mindfulness Meditation improve executive functions and transfer to ecological tasks of daily life in polysubstance users enrolled in therapeutic community treatment.

PubMed

Valls-Serrano, Carlos; Caracuel, Alfonso; Verdejo-Garcia, Antonio

2016-08-01

We have previously shown that Goal Management Training+Mindfulness Meditation (GMT+MM) improves executive functions in polysubstance users enrolled in outpatient treatment. The aim of this study was to establish if GMT+MM has similar positive effects on executive functions in polysubstance users in residential treatment, and if executive functions' gains transfer to more ecologically valid goal-oriented tasks. Thirty-two polysbustance users were randomly allocated to eight weeks of GMT+MM (n=16) or control, i.e., no-intervention (n=16); both groups received treatment as usual. Outcome measures included performance in laboratory tasks of basic and complex executive functions (i.e., basic: working memory and inhibition; complex: planning and self-regulation) and in an ecological task of goal-directed behavior (the Multiple Errands Test - contextualized version, MET-CV) measured post-interventions. Results showed that GMT+MM was superior to control in improving basic measures of working memory (Letter-number sequencing; F=4.516, p=0.049) and reflection impulsivity (Information Sampling Test; F=6.217, p=0.018), along with initial thinking times during planning (Zoo Map Test; F=8.143, p=0.008). In addition, GMT+MM was superior to control in improving performance in the MET-CV (task failures; F=8.485, p=0.007). Our findings demonstrate that GMT+MM increases reflective processes and the achievement of goals in daily activities, furthermore ecological test can detects changes easily than laboratory tasks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Waiting for an Aristotle": A Moment in the History of the Basic Writing Movement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Paul

1992-01-01

Demonstrates how an issue of the "Journal of Basic Writing," published in 1980 as a memorial for theorist Mina Shaughnessy, resembles structurally the funeral orations of Ancient Greece. Divides the issue into three parts: praise, lament, and consolation. Discusses political implications of the issue. (HB)

SUMC fault tolerant computer system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The results of the trade studies are presented. These trades cover: establishing the basic configuration, establishing the CPU/memory configuration, establishing an approach to crosstrapping interfaces, defining the requirements of the redundancy management unit (RMU), establishing a spare plane switching strategy for the fault-tolerant memory (FTM), and identifying the most cost effective way of extending the memory addressing capability beyond the 64 K-bytes (K=1024) of SUMC-II B. The results of the design are compiled in Contract End Item (CEI) Specification for the NASA Standard Spacecraft Computer II (NSSC-II), IBM 7934507. The implementation of the FTM and memory address expansion.

Automatic ground control point recognition with parallel associative memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Al-Tahir, Raid; Toth, Charles K.; Schenck, Anton F.

1990-01-01

The basic principle of the associative memory is to match the unknown input pattern against a stored training set, and responding with the 'closest match' and the corresponding label. Generally, an associative memory system requires two preparatory steps: selecting attributes of the pattern class, and training the system by associating patterns with labels. Experimental results gained from using Parallel Associative Memory are presented. The primary concern is an automatic search for ground control points in aerial photographs. Synthetic patterns are tested followed by real data. The results are encouraging as a relatively high level of correct matches is reached.

Stereotype Threat Alters the Subjective Experience of Memory.

PubMed

Mazerolle, Marie; Régner, Isabelle; Rigalleau, François; Huguet, Pascal

2015-01-01

There is now evidence that negative age-related stereotypes about memory reduce older adults' memory performance, and inflate age differences in this domain. Here, we examine whether stereotype threat may also influence the basic feeling that one is more or less able to remember. Using the Remember/Know paradigm, we demonstrated that stereotype threat conducted older adults to a greater feeling of familiarity with events, while failing to retrieve any contextual detail. This finding indicates that stereotype threat alters older adults' subjective experience of memory, and strengthens our understanding of the mechanisms underlying stereotype threat effects.

Immune memory: the basics and how to trigger an efficient long-term immune memory.

PubMed

Beverley, P C L

2010-01-01

Immunological memory consists of expanded clones of T and B lymphocytes that show an increased rate of cell division and shortened telomeres compared with naïve cells. However, exhaustion of clones is delayed by kinetic heterogeneity within clones and altered survival and up-regulation of telomerase. Prolonged maintenance of protective B-cell immunity is T-cell dependent and requires a balance between plasma cells and memory B cells. Protective T-cell immunity also requires correct quality of T cells and that they are located appropriately. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fault tolerant function of dynamic refreshing holographic memory with shutter-less optical feedback circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Atsushi; Ito, Terumasa; Bunsen, Masatoshi; Takayama, Yoshihisa

2005-11-01

The optical system, consisting of two photorefractive memories and a shutter-less optical feedback circuit, will be demonstrated to function as data mirroring. This function is known to automatically detect the data dropout and restore data, using unimpaired data in another memory, in the event that part or all of the data in either of them were lost for some reason. This memory system also can cope with a damaged hologram, a result of reading beams, which is a disadvantage of rewritable photorefractive memory, to ensure non-destructive holographic reading. It can be achieved by using no electronic circuits or mechanical structures; our optical experimental method in particular obtains this basic action.

A History and Overview of the Behavioral Neuroscience of Learning and Memory.

PubMed

Clark, Robert E

2018-01-01

Here, I provide a basic history of important milestones in the development of theories for how the brain accomplishes the phenomenon of learning and memory. Included are the ideas of Plato, René Descartes, Théodule Ribot, William James, Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, Karl Lashley, and others. The modern era of learning and memory research begins with the description of H.M. by Brenda Milner and the gradual discovery that the brain contains multiple learning and memory systems that are supported by anatomically discrete brain structures. Finally, a brief overview is provided for the chapters that are included in current topics in Behavioral Neuroscience-Learning and Memory.

A History and Overview of the Behavioral Neuroscience of Learning and Memory.

PubMed

Clark, Robert E

2018-01-05

Here, I provide a basic history of important milestones in the development of theories for how the brain accomplishes the phenomenon of learning and memory. Included are the ideas of Plato, René Descartes, Théodule Ribot, William James, Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, Karl Lashley, and others. The modern era of learning and memory research begins with the description of H.M. by Brenda Milner and the gradual discovery that the brain contains multiple learning and memory systems that are supported by anatomically discrete brain structures. Finally, a brief overview is provided for the chapters that are included in current topics in Behavioral Neuroscience-Learning and Memory.

Genes and signaling pathways involved in memory enhancement in mutant mice

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Mutant mice have been used successfully as a tool for investigating the mechanisms of memory at multiple levels, from genes to behavior. In most cases, manipulating a gene expressed in the brain impairs cognitive functions such as memory and their underlying cellular mechanisms, including synaptic plasticity. However, a remarkable number of mutations have been shown to enhance memory in mice. Understanding how to improve a system provides valuable insights into how the system works under normal conditions, because this involves understanding what the crucial components are. Therefore, more can be learned about the basic mechanisms of memory by studying mutant mice with enhanced memory. This review will summarize the genes and signaling pathways that are altered in the mutants with enhanced memory, as well as their roles in synaptic plasticity. Finally, I will discuss how knowledge of memory-enhancing mechanisms could be used to develop treatments for cognitive disorders associated with impaired plasticity. PMID:24894914

The effects of emotion on memory for music and vocalisations.

PubMed

Aubé, William; Peretz, Isabelle; Armony, Jorge L

2013-01-01

Music is a powerful tool for communicating emotions which can elicit memories through associative mechanisms. However, it is currently unknown whether emotion can modulate memory for music without reference to a context or personal event. We conducted three experiments to investigate the effect of basic emotions (fear, happiness, and sadness) on recognition memory for music, using short, novel stimuli explicitly created for research purposes, and compared them with nonlinguistic vocalisations. Results showed better memory accuracy for musical clips expressing fear and, to some extent, happiness. In the case of nonlinguistic vocalisations we confirmed a memory advantage for all emotions tested. A correlation between memory accuracy for music and vocalisations was also found, particularly in the case of fearful expressions. These results confirm that emotional expressions, particularly fearful ones, conveyed by music can influence memory as has been previously shown for other forms of expressions, such as faces and vocalisations.

Anatomical Coupling between Distinct Metacognitive Systems for Memory and Visual Perception

PubMed Central

McCurdy, Li Yan; Maniscalco, Brian; Metcalfe, Janet; Liu, Ka Yuet; de Lange, Floris P.; Lau, Hakwan

2015-01-01

A recent study found that, across individuals, gray matter volume in the frontal polar region was correlated with visual metacognition capacity (i.e., how well one’s confidence ratings distinguish between correct and incorrect judgments). A question arises as to whether the putative metacognitive mechanisms in this region are also used in other metacognitive tasks involving, for example, memory. A novel psychophysical measure allowed us to assess metacognitive efficiency separately in a visual and a memory task, while taking variations in basic task performance capacity into account. We found that, across individuals, metacognitive efficiencies positively correlated between the two tasks. However, voxel-based morphometry analysis revealed distinct brain structures for the two kinds of metacognition. Replicating a previous finding, variation in visual metacognitive efficiency was correlated with volume of frontal polar regions. However, variation in memory metacognitive efficiency was correlated with volume of the precuneus. There was also a weak correlation between visual metacognitive efficiency and precuneus volume, which may account for the behavioral correlation between visual and memory metacognition (i.e., the precuneus may contain common mechanisms for both types of metacognition). However, we also found that gray matter volumes of the frontal polar and precuneus regions themselves correlated across individuals, and a formal model comparison analysis suggested that this structural covariation was sufficient to account for the behavioral correlation of metacognition in the two tasks. These results highlight the importance of the precuneus in higher-order memory processing and suggest that there may be functionally distinct metacognitive systems in the human brain. PMID:23365229

[Memory and brain--neurobiological correlates of memory disturbances].

PubMed

Calabrese, P; Markowitsch, H J

2003-04-01

A differentiation of memory is possible on the basis of chronological and contents-related aspects. Furthermore, it is possible to make process-specific subdivisions (encoding, transfer, consolidation, retrieval). The time-related division on the one hand refers to the general differentiation into short-term and long-term memory, and, on the other, to that between anterograde and retrograde memory ("new" and "old memory"; measured from a given time point, usually that when brain damage occurred). Anterograde memory means the successful encoding and storing of new information; retrograde the ability to retrieve successfully acquired and/or stored information. On the contents-based level, memory can be divided into five basic long-term systems--episodic memory, the knowledge system, perceptual, procedural and the priming form of memory. Neural correlates for these divisions are discussed with special emphasis of the episodic and the knowledge systems, based both on normal individuals and brain-damaged subjects. It is argued that structures of the limbic system are important for encoding of information and for its transfer into long-term memory. For this, two independent, but interacting memory circuits are proposed--one of them controlling and integrating primarily the emotional, and the other primarily the cognitive components of newly incoming information. For information storage principally neocortical structures are regarded as important and for the recall of information from the episodic and semantic memory systems the combined action of portions of prefrontal and anterior temporal regions is regarded as essential. Within this fronto-temporal agglomerate, a moderate hemispheric-specificity is assumed to exist with the right-hemispheric combination being mainly engaged in episodic memory retrieval and the left-hemispheric in that of semantic information. Evidence for this specialization comes from the results from focally brain-damaged patients as well as from that functional brain imaging in normal human subjects. Comparing results from imaging studies in memory disturbed patients with brain damage and from patients with a psychiatric diagnosis (e. g., psychogenic amnesia) revealed that both patient groups demonstrate comparable metabolic changes on the brain level. It can therefore be concluded that in neurological patients distinct, identifiable tissue damage is existent, while in psychiatric patients changes in the brain's biochemistry (release of stress hormones, and transmitters) constitute the physiological bases for the memory disturbances.

The general/specific breakdown of semantic memory and the nature of superordinate knowledge: insights from superordinate and basic-level feature norms.

PubMed

Marques, J Frederico

2007-12-01

The deterioration of semantic memory usually proceeds from more specific to more general superordinate categories, although rarer cases of superordinate knowledge impairment have also been reported. The nature of superordinate knowledge and the explanation of these two semantic impairments were evaluated from the analysis of superordinate and basic-level feature norms. The results show that, in comparison to basic-level concepts, superordinate concepts are not generally less informative and have similar feature distinctiveness and proportion of individual sensory features, but their features are less shared by their members. Results are in accord with explanations based on feature connection weights and/or concept confusability for the superordinate advantage cases. Results especially support an explanation for superordinate impairments in terms of higher semantic control requirements as related to features being less shared between concept members. Implications for patients with semantic impairments are also discussed.

Systemic lupus erythematosus with organic brain syndrome: serial electroencephalograms accurately evaluate therapeutic efficacy.

PubMed

Kato, Takashi; Shiratori, Kyoji; Kobashigawa, Tsuyoshi; Hidaka, Yuji

2006-01-01

A 48-year-old man with systemic lupus erythematosus developed organic brain syndrome. High-dose prednisolone was ineffective, and somnolence without focal signs rapidly developed. Electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstrated a slow basic rhythm (3 Hz), but brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal. Somnolence resolved soon after performing plasma exchange (two sessions). However, memory dysfunction persisted, with EEG demonstrating mild abnormalities (7-8 Hz basic rhythm). Double-filtration plasmapheresis (three sessions) was done, followed by intravenous cyclophosphamide. Immediately after the first plasmapheresis session, memory dysfunction began to improve. After the second dose of cyclophosphamide, intellectual function resolved completely and EEG findings also normalized (basic rhythm of 10 Hz waves). Serial EEG findings precisely reflected the neurological condition and therapeutic efficacy in this patient. In contrast, protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid remained high and did not seem to appropriately reflect the neurological condition in this patient.

Alterations in visual cortical activation and connectivity with prefrontal cortex during working memory updating in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Le, Thang M; Borghi, John A; Kujawa, Autumn J; Klein, Daniel N; Leung, Hoi-Chung

2017-01-01

The present study examined the impacts of major depressive disorder (MDD) on visual and prefrontal cortical activity as well as their connectivity during visual working memory updating and related them to the core clinical features of the disorder. Impairment in working memory updating is typically associated with the retention of irrelevant negative information which can lead to persistent depressive mood and abnormal affect. However, performance deficits have been observed in MDD on tasks involving little or no demand on emotion processing, suggesting dysfunctions may also occur at the more basic level of information processing. Yet, it is unclear how various regions in the visual working memory circuit contribute to behavioral changes in MDD. We acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 18 unmedicated participants with MDD and 21 age-matched healthy controls (CTL) while they performed a visual delayed recognition task with neutral faces and scenes as task stimuli. Selective working memory updating was manipulated by inserting a cue in the delay period to indicate which one or both of the two memorized stimuli (a face and a scene) would remain relevant for the recognition test. Our results revealed several key findings. Relative to the CTL group, the MDD group showed weaker postcue activations in visual association areas during selective maintenance of face and scene working memory. Across the MDD subjects, greater rumination and depressive symptoms were associated with more persistent activation and connectivity related to no-longer-relevant task information. Classification of postcue spatial activation patterns of the scene-related areas was also less consistent in the MDD subjects compared to the healthy controls. Such abnormalities appeared to result from a lack of updating effects in postcue functional connectivity between prefrontal and scene-related areas in the MDD group. In sum, disrupted working memory updating in MDD was revealed by alterations in activity patterns of the visual association areas, their connectivity with the prefrontal cortex, and their relationship with core clinical characteristics. These results highlight the role of information updating deficits in the cognitive control and symptomatology of depression.

A new selective developmental deficit: Impaired object recognition with normal face recognition.

PubMed

Germine, Laura; Cashdollar, Nathan; Düzel, Emrah; Duchaine, Bradley

2011-05-01

Studies of developmental deficits in face recognition, or developmental prosopagnosia, have shown that individuals who have not suffered brain damage can show face recognition impairments coupled with normal object recognition (Duchaine and Nakayama, 2005; Duchaine et al., 2006; Nunn et al., 2001). However, no developmental cases with the opposite dissociation - normal face recognition with impaired object recognition - have been reported. The existence of a case of non-face developmental visual agnosia would indicate that the development of normal face recognition mechanisms does not rely on the development of normal object recognition mechanisms. To see whether a developmental variant of non-face visual object agnosia exists, we conducted a series of web-based object and face recognition tests to screen for individuals showing object recognition memory impairments but not face recognition impairments. Through this screening process, we identified AW, an otherwise normal 19-year-old female, who was then tested in the lab on face and object recognition tests. AW's performance was impaired in within-class visual recognition memory across six different visual categories (guns, horses, scenes, tools, doors, and cars). In contrast, she scored normally on seven tests of face recognition, tests of memory for two other object categories (houses and glasses), and tests of recall memory for visual shapes. Testing confirmed that her impairment was not related to a general deficit in lower-level perception, object perception, basic-level recognition, or memory. AW's results provide the first neuropsychological evidence that recognition memory for non-face visual object categories can be selectively impaired in individuals without brain damage or other memory impairment. These results indicate that the development of recognition memory for faces does not depend on intact object recognition memory and provide further evidence for category-specific dissociations in visual recognition. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Memory Retrieval Given Two Independent Cues: Cue Selection or Parallel Access?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rickard, Timothy C.; Bajic, Daniel

2004-01-01

A basic but unresolved issue in the study of memory retrieval is whether multiple independent cues can be used concurrently (i.e., in parallel) to recall a single, common response. A number of empirical results, as well as potentially applicable theories, suggest that retrieval can proceed in parallel, though Rickard (1997) set forth a model that…

Alzheimer's Disease Can Spare Local Metacognition Despite Global Anosognosia: Revisiting the Confidence-Accuracy Relationship in Episodic Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallo, David A.; Cramer, Stefanie J.; Wong, Jessica T.; Bennett, David A.

2012-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) can impair metacognition in addition to more basic cognitive functions like memory. However, while global metacognitive inaccuracies are well documented (i.e., low deficit awareness, or anosognosia), the evidence is mixed regarding the effects of AD on local or task-based metacognitive judgments. Here we investigated local…

The Effects of Organization and Instructional Set on Story Memory. Technical Report No. 68.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Nancy L.; Nezworski, Teresa

Sixty four college students participated in a study which sought to validate a set of predictions about story memory, derived from a story-grammar approach to comprehension. The grammar describes the higher-order structures regulating the organization and retrieval of incoming story information. These structures, defined by a basic set of rewrite…

Materials for optical memory: Resolved hyperfine structure in KY3F10:Ho3+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popova, M. N.

2013-08-01

Basic principles of creating a quantum optical memory (QOM) and requirements for relevant materials, in particular, for crystals doped with rare-earth ions, are briefly reviewed. A combined approach to studying the hyperfine structure, which is essential for QOM applications, is presented on the example of KY3F10:Ho3+.

The CA3 Network as a Memory Store for Spatial Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papp, Gergely; Witter, Menno P.; Treves, Alessandro

2007-01-01

Comparative neuroanatomy suggests that the CA3 region of the mammalian hippocampus is directly homologous with the medio-dorsal pallium in birds and reptiles, with which it largely shares the basic organization of primitive cortex. Autoassociative memory models, which are generically applicable to cortical networks, then help assess how well CA3…

The Precategorical Nature of Visual Short-Term Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinlan, Philip T.; Cohen, Dale J.

2016-01-01

We conducted a series of recognition experiments that assessed whether visual short-term memory (VSTM) is sensitive to shared category membership of to-be-remembered (tbr) images of common objects. In Experiment 1 some of the tbr items shared the same basic level category (e.g., hand axe): Such items were no better retained than others. In the…

The Relationship between Expertise in Sports, Visuospatial, and Basic Cognitive Skills

PubMed Central

Heppe, Holger; Kohler, Axel; Fleddermann, Marie-Therese; Zentgraf, Karen

2016-01-01

Team sports place high demands on visuospatial and other cognitive skills. However, there is a lack of research on visuospatial skills of elite athletes and there are heterogeneous results on basic cognitive skills of this population. Therefore, this series of studies tested different cognitive skills in elite team sports athletes. In Experiment 1, elite athletes were compared to recreational athletes, but no differences were observed between the groups in choice response time (CRT) and mental rotation (MR). To see if differences could be observed when the tested groups had a greater difference in expertise and more representative stimuli, in Experiment 2, we tested CRT and MR of elite athletes who had higher level of expertise, and we also used three-dimensional human stimuli. Overall, we still found no differences in MR; however, elite athletes did have shorter CRTs. In Experiment 3, instead of testing MR, we compared elite athletes’ and recreational athletes’ basic cognitive skills, such as processing speed, letter readout speed, memory span, and sustained attention. We found that elite athletes only performed better in sustained attention. Building on this data, in a supplementary analysis (Experiment 4) we tested whether MR and CRTs are correlated with basic cognitive skills. Results show that processing speed is the best predictor for MR, whereas letter readout speed explains most of the variance in CRTs. Finally, we discuss these findings against the backdrop of expertise and offer implications for future studies on mental rotation. PMID:27378994

GENASIS Basics: Object-oriented utilitarian functionality for large-scale physics simulations (Version 2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardall, Christian Y.; Budiardja, Reuben D.

2017-05-01

GenASiS Basics provides Fortran 2003 classes furnishing extensible object-oriented utilitarian functionality for large-scale physics simulations on distributed memory supercomputers. This functionality includes physical units and constants; display to the screen or standard output device; message passing; I/O to disk; and runtime parameter management and usage statistics. This revision -Version 2 of Basics - makes mostly minor additions to functionality and includes some simplifying name changes.

78. Augmenting NMDA Receptor Signaling Enhances Working Memory and Alters Gamma Oscillations in Patients With Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Forsyth, Jennifer; Bachman, Peter; Asarnow, Robert

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Gamma band oscillations (30–80 Hz) are associated with numerous sensory and higher cognitive functions and are abnormal in patients with schizophrenia. Glutamate signaling at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is theorized to play a key role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and NMDAR antagonists disrupt working memory and gamma oscillations in healthy individuals. It has therefore been suggested that NMDAR dysfunction may contribute to abnormalities in gamma oscillations and working memory in schizophrenia. In the current study, we examined the effects of acutely augmenting NMDAR signaling using the NMDAR agonist, d-cycloserine (DCS), on working memory and gamma power in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: In a double-blind design, patients with schizophrenia were randomized to receive a single dose of 100 mg DCS (SZ-DCS; n = 24) or Placebo (SZ-PLC; n = 21). Patients completed a spatial n-back task involving a 0-back control condition and 1-back and 2-back working memory loads while undergoing EEG recording. Gamma power (30–80 Hz) during the 0-back condition assessed gamma power associated with basic perceptual, motor, and attentive processes. Change in gamma power for correct working memory trials relative to the 0-back condition assessed gamma power associated with working memory function. Results: Among patients who performed above chance (SZ-DCS = 17, SZ-PLC = 16), patients who received DCS showed superior working memory performance compared to patients who received Placebo. Gamma power during the 0-back control condition was similar between SZ-DCS and SZ-PLC who performed above chance. However, gamma power associated with working memory function was significantly suppressed in SZ-DCS compared to SZ-PLC, particularly over frontal right channels. In addition, whereas higher working memory gamma power over frontal right channels was associated with better working memory performance in SZ-PLC, this relationship was not evident in SZ-DCS. Conclusion: Results suggest that augmenting NMDAR signaling enhanced working memory performance and suppressed gamma activity associated with working memory function in patients with schizophrenia. Given prior reports that schizophrenia patients may utilize excessive gamma power for successful working memory performance, these findings suggest that augmenting NMDAR signaling may improve the efficiency of neural encoding for successful working memory function in schizophrenia.

Hydrocortisone accelerates the decay of iconic memory traces: on the modulation of executive and stimulus-driven constituents of sensory information maintenance.

PubMed

Miller, Robert; Weckesser, Lisa J; Smolka, Michael N; Kirschbaum, Clemens; Plessow, Franziska

2015-03-01

A substantial amount of research documents the impact of glucocorticoids on higher-order cognitive functioning. By contrast, surprisingly little is known about the susceptibility of basic sensory processes to glucocorticoid exposure given that the glucocorticoid receptor density in the human visual cortex exceeds those observed in prefrontal and most hippocampal brain regions. As executive tasks also rely on these sensory processes, the present study investigates the impact of glucocorticoid exposure on different performance parameters characterizing the maintenance and transfer of sensory information from iconic memory (IM; the sensory buffer of the visual system) to working memory (WM). Using a crossover factorial design, we administered one out of three doses of hydrocortisone (0.06, 0.12, or 0.24mg/kg bodyweight) and a placebo to 18 healthy young men. Thereafter participants performed a partial report task, which was used to assess their individual ability to process sensory information. Blood samples were concurrently drawn to determine free and total cortisol concentrations. The compiled pharmacokinetic and psychophysical data demonstrates that free cortisol specifically accelerated the decay of sensory information (r=0.46) without significantly affecting the selective information transfer from IM to WM or the capacity limit of WM. Specifically, nonparametric regression revealed a sigmoid dose-response relationship between free cortisol levels during the testing period and the IM decay rates. Our findings highlight that glucocorticoid exposure may not only impact on the recruitment of top-down control for an active maintenance of sensory information, but alter their passive (stimulus-driven) maintenance thereby changing the availability of information prior to subsequent executive processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain substrates of implicit and explicit memory: the importance of concurrently acquired neural signals of both memory types.

PubMed

Voss, Joel L; Paller, Ken A

2008-11-01

A comprehensive understanding of human memory requires cognitive and neural descriptions of memory processes along with a conception of how memory processing drives behavioral responses and subjective experiences. One serious challenge to this endeavor is that an individual memory process is typically operative within a mix of other contemporaneous memory processes. This challenge is particularly disquieting in the context of implicit memory, which, unlike explicit memory, transpires without the subject necessarily being aware of memory retrieval. Neural correlates of implicit memory and neural correlates of explicit memory are often investigated in different experiments using very different memory tests and procedures. This strategy poses difficulties for elucidating the interactions between the two types of memory process that may result in explicit remembering, and for determining the extent to which certain neural processing events uniquely contribute to only one type of memory. We review recent studies that have succeeded in separately assessing neural correlates of both implicit memory and explicit memory within the same paradigm using event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), with an emphasis on studies from our laboratory. The strategies we describe provide a methodological framework for achieving valid assessments of memory processing, and the findings support an emerging conceptualization of the distinct neurocognitive events responsible for implicit and explicit memory.

Processing speed and working memory span: their differential role in superficial and deep memory processes in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Brébion, Gildas; Bressan, Rodrigo A; Pilowsky, Lyn S; David, Anthony S

2011-05-01

Previous work has suggested that decrement in both processing speed and working memory span plays a role in the memory impairment observed in patients with schizophrenia. We undertook a study to examine simultaneously the effect of these two factors. A sample of 49 patients with schizophrenia and 43 healthy controls underwent a battery of verbal and visual memory tasks. Superficial and deep encoding memory measures were tallied. We conducted regression analyses on the various memory measures, using processing speed and working memory span as independent variables. In the patient group, processing speed was a significant predictor of superficial and deep memory measures in verbal and visual memory. Working memory span was an additional significant predictor of the deep memory measures only. Regression analyses involving all participants revealed that the effect of diagnosis on all the deep encoding memory measures was reduced to non-significance when processing speed was entered in the regression. Decreased processing speed is involved in verbal and visual memory deficit in patients, whether the task require superficial or deep encoding. Working memory is involved only insofar as the task requires a certain amount of effort.

Event segmentation ability uniquely predicts event memory.

PubMed

Sargent, Jesse Q; Zacks, Jeffrey M; Hambrick, David Z; Zacks, Rose T; Kurby, Christopher A; Bailey, Heather R; Eisenberg, Michelle L; Beck, Taylor M

2013-11-01

Memory for everyday events plays a central role in tasks of daily living, autobiographical memory, and planning. Event memory depends in part on segmenting ongoing activity into meaningful units. This study examined the relationship between event segmentation and memory in a lifespan sample to answer the following question: Is the ability to segment activity into meaningful events a unique predictor of subsequent memory, or is the relationship between event perception and memory accounted for by general cognitive abilities? Two hundred and eight adults ranging from 20 to 79years old segmented movies of everyday events and attempted to remember the events afterwards. They also completed psychometric ability tests and tests measuring script knowledge for everyday events. Event segmentation and script knowledge both explained unique variance in event memory above and beyond the psychometric measures, and did so as strongly in older as in younger adults. These results suggest that event segmentation is a basic cognitive mechanism, important for memory across the lifespan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Event Segmentation Ability Uniquely Predicts Event Memory

PubMed Central

Sargent, Jesse Q.; Zacks, Jeffrey M.; Hambrick, David Z.; Zacks, Rose T.; Kurby, Christopher A.; Bailey, Heather R.; Eisenberg, Michelle L.; Beck, Taylor M.

2013-01-01

Memory for everyday events plays a central role in tasks of daily living, autobiographical memory, and planning. Event memory depends in part on segmenting ongoing activity into meaningful units. This study examined the relationship between event segmentation and memory in a lifespan sample to answer the following question: Is the ability to segment activity into meaningful events a unique predictor of subsequent memory, or is the relationship between event perception and memory accounted for by general cognitive abilities? Two hundred and eight adults ranging from 20 to 79 years old segmented movies of everyday events and attempted to remember the events afterwards. They also completed psychometric ability tests and tests measuring script knowledge for everyday events. Event segmentation and script knowledge both explained unique variance in event memory above and beyond the psychometric measures, and did so as strongly in older as in younger adults. These results suggest that event segmentation is a basic cognitive mechanism, important for memory across the lifespan. PMID:23942350

Operant conditioning of autobiographical memory retrieval.

PubMed

Debeer, Elise; Raes, Filip; Williams, J Mark G; Craeynest, Miet; Hermans, Dirk

2014-01-01

Functional avoidance is considered as one of the key mechanisms underlying overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM). According to this view OGM is regarded as a learned cognitive avoidance strategy, based on principles of operant conditioning; i.e., individuals learn to avoid the emotionally painful consequences associated with the retrieval of specific negative memories. The aim of the present study was to test one of the basic assumptions of the functional avoidance account, namely that autobiographical memory retrieval can be brought under operant control. Here 41 students were instructed to retrieve personal memories in response to 60 emotional cue words. Depending on the condition, they were punished with an aversive sound for the retrieval of specific or nonspecific memories in an operant conditioning procedure. Analyzes showed that the course of memory specificity significantly differed between conditions. After the procedure participants punished for nonspecific memories retrieved significantly more specific memories compared to participants punished for specific memories. However, whereas memory specificity significantly increased in participants punished for specific memories, it did not significantly decrease in participants punished for nonspecific memories. Thus, while our findings indicate that autobiographical memory retrieval can be brought under operant control, they do not support a functional avoidance view on OGM.

Electronic device aspects of neural network memories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambe, J.; Moopenn, A.; Thakoor, A. P.

1985-01-01

The basic issues related to the electronic implementation of the neural network model (NNM) for content addressable memories are examined. A brief introduction to the principles of the NNM is followed by an analysis of the information storage of the neural network in the form of a binary connection matrix and the recall capability of such matrix memories based on a hardware simulation study. In addition, materials and device architecture issues involved in the future realization of such networks in VLSI-compatible ultrahigh-density memories are considered. A possible space application of such devices would be in the area of large-scale information storage without mechanical devices.

Parts, cavities, and object representation in infancy.

PubMed

Hayden, Angela; Bhatt, Ramesh S; Kangas, Ashley; Zieber, Nicole

2011-02-01

Part representation is not only critical to object perception but also plays a key role in a number of basic visual cognition functions, such as figure-ground segregation, allocation of attention, and memory for shapes. Yet, virtually nothing is known about the development of part representation. If parts are fundamental components of object shape representation early in life, then the infant visual system should give priority to parts over other aspects of objects. We tested this hypothesis by examining whether part shapes are more salient than cavity shapes to infants. Five-month-olds were habituated to a stimulus that contained a part and a cavity. In a subsequent novelty preference test, 5-month-olds exhibited a preference for the cavity shape, indicating that part shapes were more salient than cavity shapes during habituation. The differential processing of part versus cavity contours in infancy is consistent with theory and empirical findings in the literature on adult figure-ground perception and indicates that basic aspects of part-based object processing are evident early in life. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

The Raptor Real-Time Processing Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galassi, M.; Starr, D.; Wozniak, P.; Brozdin, K.

The primary goal of Raptor is ambitious: to identify interesting optical transients from very wide field of view telescopes in real time, and then to quickly point the higher resolution Raptor ``fovea'' cameras and spectrometer to the location of the optical transient. The most interesting of Raptor's many applications is the real-time search for orphan optical counterparts of Gamma Ray Bursts. The sequence of steps (data acquisition, basic calibration, source extraction, astrometry, relative photometry, the smarts of transient identification and elimination of false positives, telescope pointing feedback, etc.) is implemented with a ``component'' approach. All basic elements of the pipeline functionality have been written from scratch or adapted (as in the case of SExtractor for source extraction) to form a consistent modern API operating on memory resident images and source lists. The result is a pipeline which meets our real-time requirements and which can easily operate as a monolithic or distributed processing system. Finally, the Raptor architecture is entirely based on free software (sometimes referred to as ``open source'' software). In this paper we also discuss the interplay between various free software technologies in this type of astronomical problem.

Ten-year longitudinal trajectories of older adults' basic and everyday cognitive abilities.

PubMed

Yam, Anna; Gross, Alden L; Prindle, John J; Marsiske, Michael

2014-11-01

To examine the longitudinal trajectories of everyday cognition and longitudinal associations with basic (i.e., laboratory and experimentally measured) cognitive abilities, including verbal memory, inductive reasoning, visual processing speed, and vocabulary. Participants were healthy older adults drawn from the no-treatment control group (N = 698) of the Advanced Cognitive Training for the Independent and Vital Elderly (Willis et al., 2006) randomized trial and were assessed at baseline and 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 years later. Analyses were conducted using latent growth models. Modeling revealed an overall inverted-U shape (quadratic) trajectory across cognitive domains. Among basic cognitive predictors, level and slope in reasoning demonstrated the closest association to level and slope of everyday cognition, and accounted for most of the individual differences in linear gain in everyday cognition. Everyday cognition is not buffered against decline, and is most closely related to inductive reasoning in healthy older adults. To establish the clinical utility of everyday cognitive measures, future research should examine these associations in samples with more cognitive impairment. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Reading, Writing, and Reserve: Literacy Activities are linked to Hippocampal Volume and Memory in Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Sumowski, James F.; Rocca, Maria A.; Leavitt, Victoria M.; Riccitelli, Gianna; Meani, Alessandro; Comi, Giancarlo; Filippi, Massimo

2016-01-01

Consistent with basic research on enriched environments and the cognitive reserve literature, greater engagement in cognitive leisure activities during early adulthood has been linked to preserved memory and larger hippocampal volume in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Herein we investigated which specific types of cognitive leisure activities contribute to reserve. Reading-writing activities were positively linked to (a) hippocampal volume within independent samples of Italian (n=187) and American (n=55) MS patients, and (b) memory in subsamples of Italian (n=97) and American (n=53) patients with memory data. Art-music and games-hobbies did not contribute. Findings directly inform the development of targeted evidence-based enrichment programs aiming to bolster reserve against memory decline. PMID:26920377

The Relationship between Memory and Inductive Reasoning: Does It Develop?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Brett K.; Fritz, Kristina; Heit, Evan

2013-01-01

In 2 studies, the authors examined the development of the relationship between inductive reasoning and visual recognition memory. In both studies, 5- to 6-year-old children and adults were shown instances of a basic-level category (dogs) followed by a test set containing old and new category members that varied in their similarity to study items.…

The Effects of Multiple Exemplar Training on a Working Memory Task Involving Sequential Responding in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baltruschat, Lisa; Hasselhorn, Marcus; Tarbox, Jonathan; Dixon, Dennis R.; Najdowski, Adel; Mullins, Ryan David; Gould, Evelyn

2012-01-01

This study is part of a programmatic line of research into the use of basic positive reinforcement procedures for improving working memory in children with autism spectrum disorders. The authors evaluated the effects of multiple exemplar training, utilizing positive reinforcement, on performance of a "digit span backwards" task--a test of working…

Color Memory of University Students: Influence of Color Experience and Color Characteristic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bynum, Carlisle; Epps, Helen H.; Kaya, Naz

2006-01-01

The ability to select a previously viewed color specimen from an array of specimens that differ in hue, value, or chroma varies among individuals, and may be related to one's basic color discrimination ability or to prior experience with color. This study investigated short-term color memory of 40 college students, 20 of whom were interior design…

Phonological and Executive Working Memory in L2 Task-Based Speech Planning and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wen, Zhisheng

2016-01-01

The present study sets out to explore the distinctive roles played by two working memory (WM) components in various aspects of L2 task-based speech planning and performance. A group of 40 post-intermediate proficiency level Chinese EFL learners took part in the empirical study. Following the tenets and basic principles of the…

Reading comprehension in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Murray, Laura L; Rutledge, Stefanie

2014-05-01

Although individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) self-report reading problems and experience difficulties in cognitive-linguistic functions that support discourse-level reading, prior research has primarily focused on sentence-level processing and auditory comprehension. Accordingly, the authors investigated the presence and nature of reading comprehension in PD, hypothesizing that (a) individuals with PD would display impaired accuracy and/or speed on reading comprehension tests and (b) reading performances would be correlated with cognitive test results. Eleven adults with PD and 9 age- and education-matched control participants completed tests that evaluated reading comprehension; general language and cognitive abilities; and aspects of attention, memory, and executive functioning. The PD group obtained significantly lower scores on several, but not all, reading comprehension, language, and cognitive measures. Memory, language, and disease severity were significantly correlated with reading comprehension for the PD group. Individuals in the early stages of PD without dementia or broad cognitive deficits can display reading comprehension difficulties, particularly for high- versus basic-level reading tasks. These reading difficulties are most closely related to memory, high-level language, and PD symptom severity status. The findings warrant additional research to delineate further the types and nature of reading comprehension impairments experienced by individuals with PD.

Mood congruity and episodic memory in young children.

PubMed

Christodoulou, Joan; Burke, Deborah M

2016-02-01

Although mood congruity effects on episodic memory have been reported extensively in adults, they have not been reported for children younger than 10 years. The current research investigated mood congruity effects in story recall using an embodied approach to mood induction involving a facial manipulation task with 3- and 4-year-old children. Participants held a chopstick or a popsicle stick in their mouths in a way to either produce or inhibit a smile while they listened to a story featuring happy events for a happy character and sad events for a sad character. Children's mood ratings before and after mood induction indicated that mood became more positive in the smile condition, with no change in the no smile condition. Children in the smile condition, but not in the no smile condition, remembered more about the happy character than the sad character in the story. These results extend mood congruity effects to 3- and 4-year olds, suggesting that at this age representations of emotion interact with basic memory processes. Moreover, the efficacy of reenactment of sensorimotor components of emotion in modifying mood is consistent with embodied representation of emotion during early childhood. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cause and Effect: Testing a Mechanism and Method for the Cognitive Integration of Basic Science.

PubMed

Kulasegaram, Kulamakan; Manzone, Julian C; Ku, Cheryl; Skye, Aimee; Wadey, Veronica; Woods, Nicole N

2015-11-01

Methods of integrating basic science with clinical knowledge are still debated in medical training. One possibility is increasing the spatial and temporal proximity of clinical content to basic science. An alternative model argues that teaching must purposefully expose relationships between the domains. The authors compared different methods of integrating basic science: causal explanations linking basic science to clinical features, presenting both domains separately but in proximity, and simply presenting clinical features First-year undergraduate health professions students were randomized to four conditions: (1) science-causal explanations (SC), (2) basic science before clinical concepts (BC), (3) clinical concepts before basic science (CB), and (4) clinical features list only (FL). Based on assigned conditions, participants were given explanations for four disorders in neurology or rheumatology followed by a memory quiz and diagnostic test consisting of 12 cases which were repeated after one week. Ninety-four participants completed the study. No difference was found on memory test performance, but on the diagnostic test, a condition by time interaction was found (F[3,88] = 3.05, P < .03, ηp = 0.10). Although all groups had similar immediate performance, the SC group had a minimal decrease in performance on delayed testing; the CB and FL groups had the greatest decreases. These results suggest that creating proximity between basic science and clinical concepts may not guarantee cognitive integration. Although cause-and-effect explanations may not be possible for all domains, making explicit and specific connections between domains will likely facilitate the benefits of integration for learners.

Executive Functions Contribute Uniquely to Reading Competence in Minority Youth

PubMed Central

Jacobson, Lisa A.; Koriakin, Taylor; Lipkin, Paul; Boada, Richard; Frijters, Jan; Lovett, Maureen; Hill, Dina; Willcutt, Erik; Gottwald, Stephanie; Wolf, Maryanne; Bosson-Heenan, Joan; Gruen, Jeffrey R.; Mahone, E. Mark

2018-01-01

Competent reading requires various skills beyond those for basic word reading (i.e., core language skills, rapid naming, phonological processing). Contributing “higher-level” or domain-general processes include information processing speed and executive functions (working memory, strategic problem solving, attentional switching). Research in this area has relied on largely Caucasian samples, with limited representation of children from racial or ethnic minority groups. This study examined contributions of executive skills to reading competence in 761 children of minority backgrounds. Hierarchical linear regressions examined unique contributions of executive functions (EF) to word reading, fluency, and comprehension. EF contributed uniquely to reading performance, over and above reading-related language skills; working memory contributed uniquely to all components of reading; while attentional switching, but not problem solving, contributed to isolated and contextual word reading and reading fluency. Problem solving uniquely predicted comprehension, suggesting that this skill may be especially important for reading comprehension in minority youth. Attentional switching may play a unique role in development of reading fluency in minority youth, perhaps as a result of the increased demand for switching between spoken versus written dialects. Findings have implications for educational and clinical practice with regard to reading instruction, remedial reading intervention, and assessment of individuals with reading difficulty. PMID:26755569

Patterns of effective connectivity during memory encoding and retrieval differ between patients with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults.

PubMed

Hampstead, B M; Khoshnoodi, M; Yan, W; Deshpande, G; Sathian, K

2016-01-01

Previous research has shown that there is considerable overlap in the neural networks mediating successful memory encoding and retrieval. However, little is known about how the relevant human brain regions interact during these distinct phases of memory or how such interactions are affected by memory deficits that characterize mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition that often precedes dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Here we employed multivariate Granger causality analysis using autoregressive modeling of inferred neuronal time series obtained by deconvolving the hemodynamic response function from measured blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) time series data, in order to examine the effective connectivity between brain regions during successful encoding and/or retrieval of object location associations in MCI patients and comparable healthy older adults. During encoding, healthy older adults demonstrated a left hemisphere dominant pattern where the inferior frontal junction, anterior intraparietal sulcus (likely involving the parietal eye fields), and posterior cingulate cortex drove activation in most left hemisphere regions and virtually every right hemisphere region tested. These regions are part of a frontoparietal network that mediates top-down cognitive control and is implicated in successful memory formation. In contrast, in the MCI patients, the right frontal eye field drove activation in every left hemisphere region examined, suggesting reliance on more basic visual search processes. Retrieval in the healthy older adults was primarily driven by the right hippocampus with lesser contributions of the right anterior thalamic nuclei and right inferior frontal sulcus, consistent with theoretical models holding the hippocampus as critical for the successful retrieval of memories. The pattern differed in MCI patients, in whom the right inferior frontal junction and right anterior thalamus drove successful memory retrieval, reflecting the characteristic hippocampal dysfunction of these patients. These findings demonstrate that neural network interactions differ markedly between MCI patients and healthy older adults. Future efforts will investigate the impact of cognitive rehabilitation of memory on these connectivity patterns. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Vienna FORTRAN: A FORTRAN language extension for distributed memory multiprocessors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, Barbara; Mehrotra, Piyush; Zima, Hans

1991-01-01

Exploiting the performance potential of distributed memory machines requires a careful distribution of data across the processors. Vienna FORTRAN is a language extension of FORTRAN which provides the user with a wide range of facilities for such mapping of data structures. However, programs in Vienna FORTRAN are written using global data references. Thus, the user has the advantage of a shared memory programming paradigm while explicitly controlling the placement of data. The basic features of Vienna FORTRAN are presented along with a set of examples illustrating the use of these features.

Holographic Associative Memory System Using A Thresholding Microchannel Spatial Light Modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Q. W.; Yu, Francis T.

1989-05-01

Experimental implementation of a holographic optical associative memory system using a thresholding microchannel spatial light modulator (MSLM) is presented. The first part of the system is basically a joint transform correlator, in which a liquid crystal light valve is used as a square-law converter for the inner product of the addressing and input memories. The MSLM is used as an active element to recall the associated data. If the device is properly thresholded, the system is capable of improving the quality of the output image.

The ferromagnetic shape-memory effect in Ni Mn Ga

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marioni, M. A.; O'Handley, R. C.; Allen, S. M.; Hall, S. R.; Paul, D. I.; Richard, M. L.; Feuchtwanger, J.; Peterson, B. W.; Chambers, J. M.; Techapiesancharoenkij, R.

2005-04-01

Active materials have long been used in the construction of sensors and devices. Examples are piezo-electric ceramics and shape memory alloys. The more recently developed ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys (FSMAs) have received considerable attention due to their large magnetic field-induced, reversible strains (up to 10%). In this article, we review the basic physical characteristics of the FSMA Ni-Mn-Ga (crystallography, thermal, mechanical and magnetic behavior). Also, we present some of the works currently under way in the areas of pulse-field and acoustic-assisted actuation, and vibration energy absorption.

Modeling of a bubble-memory organization with self-checking translators to achieve high reliability.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouricius, W. G.; Carter, W. C.; Hsieh, E. P.; Wadia, A. B.; Jessep, D. C., Jr.

1973-01-01

Study of the design and modeling of a highly reliable bubble-memory system that has the capabilities of: (1) correcting a single 16-adjacent bit-group error resulting from failures in a single basic storage module (BSM), and (2) detecting with a probability greater than 0.99 any double errors resulting from failures in BSM's. The results of the study justify the design philosophy adopted of employing memory data encoding and a translator to correct single group errors and detect double group errors to enhance the overall system reliability.

Teaching Facts of Addition to Brazilian Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costa, Adriana Corrêa; Rohde, Luis Augusto; Dorneles, Beatriz Vargas

2015-01-01

Storage and/or automatic retrieval of the basic facts of addition from the long-term memory seems to be impaired in children with ADHD presenting arithmetical difficulties. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention model designed to teach basic facts of addition as a means of advancing from…

Effects of children's working memory capacity and processing speed on their sentence imitation performance.

PubMed

Poll, Gerard H; Miller, Carol A; Mainela-Arnold, Elina; Adams, Katharine Donnelly; Misra, Maya; Park, Ji Sook

2013-01-01

More limited working memory capacity and slower processing for language and cognitive tasks are characteristics of many children with language difficulties. Individual differences in processing speed have not consistently been found to predict language ability or severity of language impairment. There are conflicting views on whether working memory and processing speed are integrated or separable abilities. To evaluate four models for the relations of individual differences in children's processing speed and working memory capacity in sentence imitation. The models considered whether working memory and processing speed are integrated or separable, as well as the effect of the number of operations required per sentence. The role of working memory as a mediator of the effect of processing speed on sentence imitation was also evaluated. Forty-six children with varied language and reading abilities imitated sentences. Working memory was measured with the Competing Language Processing Task (CLPT), and processing speed was measured with a composite of truth-value judgment and rapid automatized naming tasks. Mixed-effects ordinal regression models evaluated the CLPT and processing speed as predictors of sentence imitation item scores. A single mediator model evaluated working memory as a mediator of the effect of processing speed on sentence imitation total scores. Working memory was a reliable predictor of sentence imitation accuracy, but processing speed predicted sentence imitation only as a component of a processing speed by number of operations interaction. Processing speed predicted working memory capacity, and there was evidence that working memory acted as a mediator of the effect of processing speed on sentence imitation accuracy. The findings support a refined view of working memory and processing speed as separable factors in children's sentence imitation performance. Processing speed does not independently explain sentence imitation accuracy for all sentence types, but contributes when the task requires more mental operations. Processing speed also has an indirect effect on sentence imitation by contributing to working memory capacity. © 2013 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Effects of Palladium Content, Quaternary Alloying, and Thermomechanical Processing on the Behavior of Ni-Ti-Pd Shape Memory Alloys for Actuator Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bigelow, Glen

2008-01-01

The need for compact, solid-state actuation systems for use in the aerospace, automotive, and other transportation industries is currently driving research in high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMA) having transformation temperatures above 100 C. One of the basic high temperature systems under investigation to fill this need is NiTiPd. Prior work on this alloy system has focused on phase transformations and respective temperatures, no-load shape memory behavior (strain recovery), and tensile behavior for selected alloys. In addition, a few tests have been done to determine the effect of boron additions and thermomechanical treatment on the aforementioned properties. The main properties that affect the performance of a solid state actuator, namely work output, transformation strain, and permanent deformation during thermal cycling under load have mainly been neglected. There is also no consistent data representing the mechanical behavior of this alloy system over a broad range of compositions. For this thesis, ternary NiTiPd alloys containing 15 to 46 at.% palladium were processed and the transformation temperatures, basic tensile properties, and work characteristics determined. However, testing reveals that at higher levels of alloying addition, the benefit of increased transformation temperature begins to be offset by lowered work output and permanent deformation or "walking" of the alloy during thermal cycling under load. In response to this dilemma, NiTiPd alloys have been further alloyed with gold, platinum, and hafnium additions to solid solution strengthen the martensite and parent austenite phases in order to improve the thermomechanical behavior of these materials. The tensile properties, work behavior, and dimensional stability during repeated thermal cycling under load for the ternary and quaternary alloys were compared and discussed. In addition, the benefits of more advanced thermomechanical processing or training on the dimensional stability of these alloys during repeated actuation were investigated. Finally, the effect of quaternary alloying on the thermal stability of NiTiPdX alloys is determined via thermal cycling of the materials to increasing temperatures under load. It was found that solid solution additions of platinum and gold resulted in about a 30 C increase in upper use temperature compared to the baseline NiTiPd alloy, providing an added measure of over-temperature protection.

Optical memory development. Volume 1: prototype memory system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cosentino, L. S.; Mezrich, R. S.; Nagle, E. M.; Stewart, W. C.; Wendt, F. S.

1972-01-01

The design, development, and implementation of a prototype, partially populated, million bit read-write holographic memory system using state-of-the-art components are described. The system employs an argon ion laser, acoustooptic beam deflectors, a holographic beam splitter (hololens), a nematic liquid crystal page composer, a photoconductor-thermoplastic erasable storage medium, a silicon P-I-N photodiode array, with lenses and electronics of both conventional and custom design. Operation of the prototype memory system was successfully demonstrated. Careful attention is given to the analysis from which the design criteria were developed. Specifications for the major components are listed, along with the details of their construction and performance. The primary conclusion resulting from this program is that the basic principles of read-write holographic memory system are well understood and are reducible to practice.

Vertical Launch System Loadout Planner

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

United States Navy USS United States’ Ship VBA Visual Basic for Applications VLP VLS Loadout Planner VLS Vertical Launch System...with 32 gigabytes of random access memory and eight processors, General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) CPLEX version 24 (GAMS, 2015) solves this...problem in ten minutes to an integer tolerance of 10%. The GAMS interpreter and CPLEX solver require 75 Megabytes of random access memory for this

Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Program Opens New Avenues for Effective Technology Integration into Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paoletti, Franco; Carlucci, Lisa Marie

2006-04-01

Technology is increasingly playing a major role in today's education often integrated into instruction to become one of the teacher's most effective and often indispensable tools used in the classroom. It can be said that the use of technology at the beginning of this new millennium is affecting the instructional process and it is changing some of its basic connotations. The presented work analyzes the impact of various technologies on education emphasizing the advantages provided by a successful integration, the obstacles encountered along the way, and the methodologies currently used in the process. ``Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations'' (Senator J.M. Fulbright). Technology of this modern era is providing the indispensable tool to achieve this superior level of communication overcoming historical, cultural, and language barriers. In the context of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program, we analyze the impact of technology on educational cross-cultural exchanges to raise awareness and interest of the scientific/educational community on the need of establishing stronger international relations promoting world peace and global prosperity.

Psychopathic Personality Traits Associated with Abnormal Selective Attention and Impaired Cognitive Control

PubMed Central

Sadeh, Naomi; Verona, Edelyn

2008-01-01

The current study investigated how mechanisms of attention that have been well-characterized in the cognitive psychology literature (Lavie, Hirst, De Fockert, & Viding, 2004; Maylor & Lavie, 1998) may be differentially associated with psychopathic traits in non-incarcerated men. Previous research on cognition and psychopathy indicates that primary psychopathic traits are associated with over-focused attention and/or reduced processing of information peripheral to the focus of attention. Conversely, deficits in executive functioning, such as working memory and cognitive control, are implicated in secondary psychopathic traits. Results revealed a significant relationship between traits typically associated with primary psychopathy (e.g., low anxiety, social dominance, fearlessness, callousness) and reduced processing of task-irrelevant distractors, suggesting diminished basic attentional capacity among individuals high on these traits. In contrast, some characteristics linked to secondary psychopathy (e.g., social alienation, cynicism) showed a positive relationship with impaired working memory functioning, indicative of deficits in cognitive control, whereas other traits (i.e., self-centeredness, antagonism) did not. These results suggest that psychopathic traits are differentially related to selective impairments in attentional functioning, which may help explain the observed heterogeneity in psychopathic manifestations. PMID:18763886

Increased resting-state functional connectivity of visual- and cognitive-control brain networks after training in children with reading difficulties

PubMed Central

Horowitz-Kraus, Tzipi; DiFrancesco, Mark; Kay, Benjamin; Wang, Yingying; Holland, Scott K.

2015-01-01

The Reading Acceleration Program, a computerized reading-training program, increases activation in neural circuits related to reading. We examined the effect of the training on the functional connectivity between independent components related to visual processing, executive functions, attention, memory, and language during rest after the training. Children 8–12 years old with reading difficulties and typical readers participated in the study. Behavioral testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging were performed before and after the training. Imaging data were analyzed using an independent component analysis approach. After training, both reading groups showed increased single-word contextual reading and reading comprehension scores. Greater positive correlations between the visual-processing component and the executive functions, attention, memory, or language components were found after training in children with reading difficulties. Training-related increases in connectivity between the visual and attention components and between the visual and executive function components were positively correlated with increased word reading and reading comprehension, respectively. Our findings suggest that the effect of the Reading Acceleration Program on basic cognitive domains can be detected even in the absence of an ongoing reading task. PMID:26199874

Increased resting-state functional connectivity of visual- and cognitive-control brain networks after training in children with reading difficulties.

PubMed

Horowitz-Kraus, Tzipi; DiFrancesco, Mark; Kay, Benjamin; Wang, Yingying; Holland, Scott K

2015-01-01

The Reading Acceleration Program, a computerized reading-training program, increases activation in neural circuits related to reading. We examined the effect of the training on the functional connectivity between independent components related to visual processing, executive functions, attention, memory, and language during rest after the training. Children 8-12 years old with reading difficulties and typical readers participated in the study. Behavioral testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging were performed before and after the training. Imaging data were analyzed using an independent component analysis approach. After training, both reading groups showed increased single-word contextual reading and reading comprehension scores. Greater positive correlations between the visual-processing component and the executive functions, attention, memory, or language components were found after training in children with reading difficulties. Training-related increases in connectivity between the visual and attention components and between the visual and executive function components were positively correlated with increased word reading and reading comprehension, respectively. Our findings suggest that the effect of the Reading Acceleration Program on basic cognitive domains can be detected even in the absence of an ongoing reading task.

Music and speech listening enhance the recovery of early sensory processing after stroke.

PubMed

Särkämö, Teppo; Pihko, Elina; Laitinen, Sari; Forsblom, Anita; Soinila, Seppo; Mikkonen, Mikko; Autti, Taina; Silvennoinen, Heli M; Erkkilä, Jaakko; Laine, Matti; Peretz, Isabelle; Hietanen, Marja; Tervaniemi, Mari

2010-12-01

Our surrounding auditory environment has a dramatic influence on the development of basic auditory and cognitive skills, but little is known about how it influences the recovery of these skills after neural damage. Here, we studied the long-term effects of daily music and speech listening on auditory sensory memory after middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. In the acute recovery phase, 60 patients who had middle cerebral artery stroke were randomly assigned to a music listening group, an audio book listening group, or a control group. Auditory sensory memory, as indexed by the magnetic MMN (MMNm) response to changes in sound frequency and duration, was measured 1 week (baseline), 3 months, and 6 months after the stroke with whole-head magnetoencephalography recordings. Fifty-four patients completed the study. Results showed that the amplitude of the frequency MMNm increased significantly more in both music and audio book groups than in the control group during the 6-month poststroke period. In contrast, the duration MMNm amplitude increased more in the audio book group than in the other groups. Moreover, changes in the frequency MMNm amplitude correlated significantly with the behavioral improvement of verbal memory and focused attention induced by music listening. These findings demonstrate that merely listening to music and speech after neural damage can induce long-term plastic changes in early sensory processing, which, in turn, may facilitate the recovery of higher cognitive functions. The neural mechanisms potentially underlying this effect are discussed.

False memory for context and true memory for context similarly activate the parahippocampal cortex.

PubMed

Karanian, Jessica M; Slotnick, Scott D

2017-06-01

The role of the parahippocampal cortex is currently a topic of debate. One view posits that the parahippocampal cortex specifically processes spatial layouts and sensory details (i.e., the visual-spatial processing view). In contrast, the other view posits that the parahippocampal cortex more generally processes spatial and non-spatial contexts (i.e., the general contextual processing view). A large number of studies have found that true memories activate the parahippocampal cortex to a greater degree than false memories, which would appear to support the visual-spatial processing view as true memories are typically associated with greater visual-spatial detail than false memories. However, in previous studies, contextual details were also greater for true memories than false memories. Thus, such differential activity in the parahippocampal cortex may have reflected differences in contextual processing, which would challenge the visual-spatial processing view. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we employed a source memory paradigm to investigate the functional role of the parahippocampal cortex during true memory and false memory for contextual information to distinguish between the visual-spatial processing view and the general contextual processing view. During encoding, abstract shapes were presented to the left or right of fixation. During retrieval, old shapes were presented at fixation and participants indicated whether each shape was previously on the "left" or "right" followed by an "unsure", "sure", or "very sure" confidence rating. The conjunction of confident true memories for context and confident false memories for context produced activity in the parahippocampal cortex, which indicates that this region is associated with contextual processing. Furthermore, the direct contrast of true memory and false memory produced activity in the visual cortex but did not produce activity in the parahippocampal cortex. The present evidence suggests that the parahippocampal cortex is associated with general contextual processing rather than only being associated with visual-spatial processing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioral model of visual perception and recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rybak, Ilya A.; Golovan, Alexander V.; Gusakova, Valentina I.

1993-09-01

In the processes of visual perception and recognition human eyes actively select essential information by way of successive fixations at the most informative points of the image. A behavioral program defining a scanpath of the image is formed at the stage of learning (object memorizing) and consists of sequential motor actions, which are shifts of attention from one to another point of fixation, and sensory signals expected to arrive in response to each shift of attention. In the modern view of the problem, invariant object recognition is provided by the following: (1) separated processing of `what' (object features) and `where' (spatial features) information at high levels of the visual system; (2) mechanisms of visual attention using `where' information; (3) representation of `what' information in an object-based frame of reference (OFR). However, most recent models of vision based on OFR have demonstrated the ability of invariant recognition of only simple objects like letters or binary objects without background, i.e. objects to which a frame of reference is easily attached. In contrast, we use not OFR, but a feature-based frame of reference (FFR), connected with the basic feature (edge) at the fixation point. This has provided for our model, the ability for invariant representation of complex objects in gray-level images, but demands realization of behavioral aspects of vision described above. The developed model contains a neural network subsystem of low-level vision which extracts a set of primary features (edges) in each fixation, and high- level subsystem consisting of `what' (Sensory Memory) and `where' (Motor Memory) modules. The resolution of primary features extraction decreases with distances from the point of fixation. FFR provides both the invariant representation of object features in Sensor Memory and shifts of attention in Motor Memory. Object recognition consists in successive recall (from Motor Memory) and execution of shifts of attention and successive verification of the expected sets of features (stored in Sensory Memory). The model shows the ability of recognition of complex objects (such as faces) in gray-level images invariant with respect to shift, rotation, and scale.

Sparse distributed memory and related models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kanerva, Pentti

1992-01-01

Described here is sparse distributed memory (SDM) as a neural-net associative memory. It is characterized by two weight matrices and by a large internal dimension - the number of hidden units is much larger than the number of input or output units. The first matrix, A, is fixed and possibly random, and the second matrix, C, is modifiable. The SDM is compared and contrasted to (1) computer memory, (2) correlation-matrix memory, (3) feet-forward artificial neural network, (4) cortex of the cerebellum, (5) Marr and Albus models of the cerebellum, and (6) Albus' cerebellar model arithmetic computer (CMAC). Several variations of the basic SDM design are discussed: the selected-coordinate and hyperplane designs of Jaeckel, the pseudorandom associative neural memory of Hassoun, and SDM with real-valued input variables by Prager and Fallside. SDM research conducted mainly at the Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) in 1986-1991 is highlighted.

Lock-and-key mechanisms of cerebellar memory recall based on rebound currents.

PubMed

Wetmore, Daniel Z; Mukamel, Eran A; Schnitzer, Mark J

2008-10-01

A basic question for theories of learning and memory is whether neuronal plasticity suffices to guide proper memory recall. Alternatively, information processing that is additional to readout of stored memories might occur during recall. We formulate a "lock-and-key" hypothesis regarding cerebellum-dependent motor memory in which successful learning shapes neural activity to match a temporal filter that prevents expression of stored but inappropriate motor responses. Thus, neuronal plasticity by itself is necessary but not sufficient to modify motor behavior. We explored this idea through computational studies of two cerebellar behaviors and examined whether deep cerebellar and vestibular nuclei neurons can filter signals from Purkinje cells that would otherwise drive inappropriate motor responses. In eyeblink conditioning, reflex acquisition requires the conditioned stimulus (CS) to precede the unconditioned stimulus (US) by >100 ms. In our biophysical models of cerebellar nuclei neurons this requirement arises through the phenomenon of postinhibitory rebound depolarization and matches longstanding behavioral data on conditioned reflex timing and reliability. Although CS-US intervals<100 ms may induce Purkinje cell plasticity, cerebellar nuclei neurons drive conditioned responses only if the CS-US training interval was >100 ms. This bound reflects the minimum time for deinactivation of rebound currents such as T-type Ca2+. In vestibulo-ocular reflex adaptation, hyperpolarization-activated currents in vestibular nuclei neurons may underlie analogous dependence of adaptation magnitude on the timing of visual and vestibular stimuli. Thus, the proposed lock-and-key mechanisms link channel kinetics to recall performance and yield specific predictions of how perturbations to rebound depolarization affect motor expression.

Clinical application of eye movement tasks as an aid to understanding Parkinson's disease pathophysiology.

PubMed

Fukushima, Kikuro; Fukushima, Junko; Barnes, Graham R

2017-05-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the basal ganglia. Most PD patients suffer from somatomotor and oculomotor disorders. The oculomotor system facilitates obtaining accurate information from the visual world. If a target moves slowly in the fronto-parallel plane, tracking eye movements occur that consist primarily of smooth-pursuit interspersed with corrective saccades. Efficient smooth-pursuit requires appropriate target selection and predictive compensation for inherent processing delays. Although pursuit impairment, e.g. as latency prolongation or low gain (eye velocity/target velocity), is well known in PD, normal aging alone results in such changes. In this article, we first briefly review some basic features of smooth-pursuit, then review recent results showing the specific nature of impaired pursuit in PD using a cue-dependent memory-based smooth-pursuit task. This task was initially used for monkeys to separate two major components of prediction (image-motion direction memory and movement preparation), and neural correlates were examined in major pursuit pathways. Most PD patients possessed normal cue-information memory but extra-retinal mechanisms for pursuit preparation and execution were dysfunctional. A minority of PD patients had abnormal cue-information memory or difficulty in understanding the task. Some PD patients with normal cue-information memory changed strategy to initiate smooth tracking. Strategy changes were also observed to compensate for impaired pursuit during whole body rotation while the target moved with the head. We discuss PD pathophysiology by comparing eye movement task results with neuropsychological and motor symptom evaluations of individual patients and further with monkey results, and suggest possible neural circuits for these functions/dysfunctions.

Deformation and Failure Mechanisms of Shape Memory Alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daly, Samantha Hayes

2015-04-15

The goal of this research was to understand the fundamental mechanics that drive the deformation and failure of shape memory alloys (SMAs). SMAs are difficult materials to characterize because of the complex phase transformations that give rise to their unique properties, including shape memory and superelasticity. These phase transformations occur across multiple length scales (one example being the martensite-austenite twinning that underlies macroscopic strain localization) and result in a large hysteresis. In order to optimize the use of this hysteretic behavior in energy storage and damping applications, we must first have a quantitative understanding of this transformation behavior. Prior resultsmore » on shape memory alloys have been largely qualitative (i.e., mapping phase transformations through cracked oxide coatings or surface morphology). The PI developed and utilized new approaches to provide a quantitative, full-field characterization of phase transformation, conducting a comprehensive suite of experiments across multiple length scales and tying these results to theoretical and computational analysis. The research funded by this award utilized new combinations of scanning electron microscopy, diffraction, digital image correlation, and custom testing equipment and procedures to study phase transformation processes at a wide range of length scales, with a focus at small length scales with spatial resolution on the order of 1 nanometer. These experiments probe the basic connections between length scales during phase transformation. In addition to the insights gained on the fundamental mechanisms driving transformations in shape memory alloys, the unique experimental methodologies developed under this award are applicable to a wide range of solid-to-solid phase transformations and other strain localization mechanisms.« less

An overview of the neuro-cognitive processes involved in the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of true and false memories

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Perception and memory are imperfect reconstructions of reality. These reconstructions are prone to be influenced by several factors, which may result in false memories. A false memory is the recollection of an event, or details of an episode, that did not actually occur. Memory formation comprises at least three different sub-processes: encoding, consolidation and the retrieval of the learned material. All of these sub-processes are vulnerable for specific errors and consequently may result in false memories. Whereas, processes like imagery, self-referential encoding or spreading activation can lead to the formation of false memories at encoding, semantic generalization during sleep and updating processes due to misleading post event information, in particular, are relevant at the consolidation stage. Finally at the retrieval stage, monitoring processes, which are assumed to be essential to reject false memories, are of specific importance. Different neuro-cognitive processes have been linked to the formation of true and false memories. Most consistently the medial temporal lobe and the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex have been reported with regard to the formation of true and false memories. Despite the fact that all phases entailing memory formation, consolidation of stored information and retrieval processes, are relevant for the forming of false memories, most studies focused on either memory encoding or retrieval. Thus, future studies should try to integrate data from all phases to give a more comprehensive view on systematic memory distortions. An initial outline is developed within this review to connect the different memory stages and research strategies. PMID:22827854

An overview of the neuro-cognitive processes involved in the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of true and false memories.

PubMed

Straube, Benjamin

2012-07-24

Perception and memory are imperfect reconstructions of reality. These reconstructions are prone to be influenced by several factors, which may result in false memories. A false memory is the recollection of an event, or details of an episode, that did not actually occur. Memory formation comprises at least three different sub-processes: encoding, consolidation and the retrieval of the learned material. All of these sub-processes are vulnerable for specific errors and consequently may result in false memories. Whereas, processes like imagery, self-referential encoding or spreading activation can lead to the formation of false memories at encoding, semantic generalization during sleep and updating processes due to misleading post event information, in particular, are relevant at the consolidation stage. Finally at the retrieval stage, monitoring processes, which are assumed to be essential to reject false memories, are of specific importance. Different neuro-cognitive processes have been linked to the formation of true and false memories. Most consistently the medial temporal lobe and the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex have been reported with regard to the formation of true and false memories. Despite the fact that all phases entailing memory formation, consolidation of stored information and retrieval processes, are relevant for the forming of false memories, most studies focused on either memory encoding or retrieval. Thus, future studies should try to integrate data from all phases to give a more comprehensive view on systematic memory distortions. An initial outline is developed within this review to connect the different memory stages and research strategies.

Cytomegalovirus Reinfections Stimulate CD8 T-Memory Inflation.

PubMed

Trgovcich, Joanne; Kincaid, Michelle; Thomas, Alicia; Griessl, Marion; Zimmerman, Peter; Dwivedi, Varun; Bergdall, Valerie; Klenerman, Paul; Cook, Charles H

2016-01-01

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been shown to induce large populations of CD8 T-effector memory cells that unlike central memory persist in large quantities following infection, a phenomenon commonly termed "memory inflation". Although murine models to date have shown very large and persistent CMV-specific T-cell expansions following infection, there is considerable variability in CMV-specific T-memory responses in humans. Historically such memory inflation in humans has been assumed a consequence of reactivation events during the life of the host. Because basic information about CMV infection/re-infection and reactivation in immune competent humans is not available, we used a murine model to test how primary infection, reinfection, and reactivation stimuli influence memory inflation. We show that low titer infections induce "partial" memory inflation of both mCMV specific CD8 T-cells and antibody. We show further that reinfection with different strains can boost partial memory inflation. Finally, we show preliminary results suggesting that a single strong reactivation stimulus does not stimulate memory inflation. Altogether, our results suggest that while high titer primary infections can induce memory inflation, reinfections during the life of a host may be more important than previously appreciated.

Contrasting patterns of comprehension for superordinate, basic-level, and subordinate names in semantic dementia and aphasic stroke patients.

PubMed

Crutch, Sebastian J; Warrington, Elizabeth K

2008-06-01

It is well established that patients with semantic memory impairment show a relative sparing of general superordinate information as compared with more detailed item-specific information. The objective of the current study was to examine whether or not this superordinate superiority effect is also reliably observed in individuals with stroke. The participants were 3 patients with a diagnosis of semantic dementia (SD) and 4 left middle cerebral artery stroke patients. In the first experiment, participants were administered a series of spoken-word-picture matching tasks, in which picture identity was probed under two conditions: item name (e.g., goose, beetle, shark, hedgehog) and superordinate name (e.g., bird, insect, fish, mammal). The SD patients showed the predicted pattern of performance, identifying stimuli significantly more accurately by their superordinate term than by their specific name. By contrast, the stroke patients showed the reverse pattern of inferior performance in the superordinate condition in all versions of the experimental task. In a second experiment comparing comprehension ofbasic-level names (e.g., dog, bird, fish) and subordinate-level names (e.g., Dalmatian, sparrow, trout), stroke patients also showed a reversal of the normal basic-level effect, showing less accurate comprehension of basic-level names. The pattern of results documented among the stroke patients cannot be accommodated obviously or readily by existing models of conceptual knowledge. These contrasting abilities of SD patients, stroke patients, and normal healthy participants to process subordinate, basic-level, and superordinate names are considered in relation to disorders of executive processing and taxonomic categorization.

Do Different Types of School Mathematics Development Depend on Different Constellations of Numerical versus General Cognitive Abilities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuchs, Lynn S.; Geary, David C.; Compton, Donald L.; Fuchs, Douglas; Hamlett, Carol L.; Seethaler, Pamela M.; Bryant, Joan D.; Schatschneider, Christopher

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the interplay between basic numerical cognition and domain-general abilities (such as working memory) in explaining school mathematics learning. First graders (N = 280; mean age = 5.77 years) were assessed on 2 types of basic numerical cognition, 8 domain-general abilities, procedural calculations, and word…

Sources of Group and Individual Differences in Emerging Fraction Skills

PubMed Central

Hecht, Steven A.; Vagi, Kevin J.

2010-01-01

Results from a two year longitudinal study of 181 children from fourth through fifth grade are reported. Levels of growth in children’s computation, word problem, and estimation skills using common fractions were predicted by working memory, attentive classroom behavior, conceptual knowledge about fractions, and simple arithmetic fluency. Comparisons of 55 participants identified as having mathematical difficulties to those without mathematical difficulties revealed that group differences in emerging fraction skills were consistently mediated by attentive classroom behavior and conceptual knowledge about fractions. Neither working memory nor arithmetic fluency mediated group differences in growth in fraction skills. It was also found that the development of basic fraction skills and conceptual knowledge are bidirectional in that conceptual knowledge exerted strong influences on all three types of basic fraction skills, and basic fraction skills exerted a more modest influence on subsequent conceptual knowledge. Results are discussed with reference to how the identification of potentially malleable student characteristics that contribute to the difficulties that some students have with fractions informs interventions and also will contribute to a future theoretical account concerning how domain general and domain specific factors influence the development of basic fraction skills. PMID:21170171

Complex dynamics of selection and cellular memory in adaptation to a changing environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kussell, Edo; Lin, Wei-Hsiang

We study a synthetic evolutionary system in bacteria in which an antibiotic resistance gene is controlled by a stochastic on/off switching promoter. At the population level, this system displays all the basic ingredients for evolutionary selection, including diversity, fitness differences, and heritability. At the single cell level, physiological processes can modulate the ability of selection to act. We expose the stochastic switching strains to pulses of antibiotics of different durations in periodically changing environments using microfluidics. Small populations are tracked over a large number of periods at single cell resolution, allowing the visualization and quantification of selective sweeps and counter-sweeps at the population level, as well as detailed single cell analysis. A simple model is introduced to predict long-term population growth rates from single cell measurements, and reveals unexpected aspects of population dynamics, including cellular memory that acts on a fast timescale to modulate growth rates. This work is supported by NIH Grant No. R01-GM097356.

What can robots tell us about brains? A synthetic approach towards the study of learning and problem solving.

PubMed

Voegtlin, T; Verschure, P F

1999-01-01

This paper argues for the development of synthetic approaches towards the study of brain and behavior as a complement to the more traditional empirical mode of research. As an example we present our own work on learning and problem solving which relates to the behavioral paradigms of classical and operant conditioning. We define the concept of learning in the context of behavior and lay out the basic methodological requirements a model needs to satisfy, which includes evaluations using robots. In addition, we define a number of design principles neuronal models should obey to be considered relevant. We present in detail the construction of a neural model of short- and long-term memory which can be applied to an artificial behaving system. The presented model (DAC4) provides a novel self-consistent implementation of these processes, which satisfies our principles. This model will be interpreted towards the present understanding of the neuronal substrate of memory.

False memory for context activates the parahippocampal cortex.

PubMed

Karanian, Jessica M; Slotnick, Scott D

2014-01-01

Previous studies have reported greater activity in the parahippocampal cortex during true memory than false memory, which has been interpreted as reflecting greater sensory processing during true memory. However, in these studies, sensory detail and contextual information were confounded. In the present fMRI study, we employed a novel paradigm to dissociate these factors. During encoding, abstract shapes were presented in one of two contexts (i.e., moving or stationary). During retrieval, participants classified shapes as previously "moving" or "stationary." Critically, contextual processing was relatively greater during false memory ("moving" responses to stationary items), while sensory processing was relatively greater during true memory ("moving" responses to moving items). Within the medial temporal lobe, false memory versus true memory produced greater activity in the parahippocampal cortex, whereas true memory versus false memory produced greater activity in the hippocampus. The present results indicate that the parahippocampal cortex mediates contextual processing rather than sensory processing.

Method of up-front load balancing for local memory parallel processors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baffes, Paul Thomas (Inventor)

1990-01-01

In a parallel processing computer system with multiple processing units and shared memory, a method is disclosed for uniformly balancing the aggregate computational load in, and utilizing minimal memory by, a network having identical computations to be executed at each connection therein. Read-only and read-write memory are subdivided into a plurality of process sets, which function like artificial processing units. Said plurality of process sets is iteratively merged and reduced to the number of processing units without exceeding the balance load. Said merger is based upon the value of a partition threshold, which is a measure of the memory utilization. The turnaround time and memory savings of the instant method are functions of the number of processing units available and the number of partitions into which the memory is subdivided. Typical results of the preferred embodiment yielded memory savings of from sixty to seventy five percent.

Improving Outcome for Mental Disorders by Enhancing Memory for Treatment

PubMed Central

Harvey, Allison G.; Lee, Jason; Smith, Rita L.; Gumport, Nicole B.; Hollon, Steven D.; Rabe-Hesketh, Sophia; Hein, Kerrie; Dolsen, Michael R.; Hamen, Kristen; Kanady, Jennifer C.; Thompson, Monique A.; Abrons, Deidre

2017-01-01

Summary Patients exhibit poor memory for treatment. A novel Memory Support Intervention, derived from basic science in cognitive psychology and education, is tested with the goal of improving patient memory for treatment and treatment outcome. Adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) were randomized to 14 sessions of cognitive therapy (CT)+Memory Support (n = 25) or CT-as-usual (CTMS; n = 23). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and 6 months later. Memory support was greater in CT+Memory Support compared to the CT-as-usual. Compared to CT-as-usual, small to medium effect sizes were observed for recall of treatment points at post-treatment. There was no difference between the treatment arms on depression severity (primary outcome). However, the odds of meeting criteria for ‘response’ and ‘remission’ were higher in CT+Memory Support compared with CT-as-usual. CT+Memory Support also showed an advantage on functional impairment. While some decline was observed, the advantage of CT+Memory Support was evident through 6-month follow-up. Patients with less than 16 years of education experience greater benefits from memory support than those with 16 or more years of education. Memory support can be manipulated, may improve patient memory for treatment and may be associated with an improved outcome. PMID:27089159

Rethinking a Negative Event: The Affective Impact of Ruminative versus Imagery-Based Processing of Aversive Autobiographical Memories.

PubMed

Slofstra, Christien; Eisma, Maarten C; Holmes, Emily A; Bockting, Claudi L H; Nauta, Maaike H

2017-01-01

Ruminative (abstract verbal) processing during recall of aversive autobiographical memories may serve to dampen their short-term affective impact. Experimental studies indeed demonstrate that verbal processing of non-autobiographical material and positive autobiographical memories evokes weaker affective responses than imagery-based processing. In the current study, we hypothesized that abstract verbal or concrete verbal processing of an aversive autobiographical memory would result in weaker affective responses than imagery-based processing. The affective impact of abstract verbal versus concrete verbal versus imagery-based processing during recall of an aversive autobiographical memory was investigated in a non-clinical sample ( n  = 99) using both an observational and an experimental design. Observationally, it was examined whether spontaneous use of processing modes (both state and trait measures) was associated with impact of aversive autobiographical memory recall on negative and positive affect. Experimentally, the causal relation between processing modes and affective impact was investigated by manipulating the processing mode during retrieval of the same aversive autobiographical memory. Main findings were that higher levels of trait (but not state) measures of both ruminative and imagery-based processing and depressive symptomatology were positively correlated with higher levels of negative affective impact in the observational part of the study. In the experimental part, no main effect of processing modes on affective impact of autobiographical memories was found. However, a significant moderating effect of depressive symptomatology was found. Only for individuals with low levels of depressive symptomatology, concrete verbal (but not abstract verbal) processing of the aversive autobiographical memory did result in weaker affective responses, compared to imagery-based processing. These results cast doubt on the hypothesis that ruminative processing of aversive autobiographical memories serves to avoid the negative emotions evoked by such memories. Furthermore, findings suggest that depressive symptomatology is associated with the spontaneous use and the affective impact of processing modes during recall of aversive autobiographical memories. Clinical studies are needed that examine the role of processing modes during aversive autobiographical memory recall in depression, including the potential effectiveness of targeting processing modes in therapy.

Latent constructs model explaining the attachment-linked variation in autobiographical remembering.

PubMed

Öner, Sezin; Gülgöz, Sami

2016-01-01

In the current study, we proposed a latent constructs model to characterise the qualitative aspects of autobiographical remembering and investigated the structural relations in the model that may vary across individuals. Primarily, we focused on the memories of romantic relationships and argued that attachment anxiety and avoidance would be reflected in the ways that individuals encode, rehearse, or remember autobiographical memories in close relationships. Participants reported two positive and two negative relationship-specific memories and rated the characteristics for each memory. As predicted, the basic memory model yielded appropriate fit, indicating that event characteristics (EC) predicted the frequency of rehearsal (RC) and phenomenology at retrieval (PC). When attachment variables were integrated, the model showed that rehearsal mediated the link between anxiety and PC, especially for negative memories. On the other hand, for avoidance EC was the key factor mediating the link between avoidance and RC, as well as PC. Findings were discussed with respect to autobiographical memory functions emphasising a systematically, integrated framework.

Strengthening a consolidated memory: the key role of the reconsolidation process.

PubMed

Forcato, Cecilia; Fernandez, Rodrigo S; Pedreira, María E

2014-01-01

The reconsolidation hypothesis posits that the presentation of a specific cue, previously associated with a life event, makes the stored memory pass from a stable to a reactivated state. In this state, memory is again labile and susceptible to different agents, which may either damage or improve the original memory. Such susceptibility decreases over time and leads to a re-stabilization phase known as reconsolidation process. This process has been assigned two biological roles: memory updating, which suggests that destabilization of the original memory allows the integration of new information into the background of the original memory; and memory strengthening, which postulates that the labilization-reconsolidation process strengthens the original memory. The aim of this review is to analyze the strengthening as an improvement obtained only by triggering such process without any other treatment. In our lab, we have demonstrated that when triggering the labilization-reconsolidation process at least once the original memory becomes strengthened and increases its persistence. We have also shown that repeated labilization-reconsolidation processes strengthened the original memory by enlarging its precision, and said reinforced memories were more resistant to interference. Finally, we have shown that the strengthening function is not operative in older memories. We present and discuss both our findings and those of others, trying to reveal the central role of reconsolidation in the modification of stored information. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A simplified computational memory model from information processing.

PubMed

Zhang, Lanhua; Zhang, Dongsheng; Deng, Yuqin; Ding, Xiaoqian; Wang, Yan; Tang, Yiyuan; Sun, Baoliang

2016-11-23

This paper is intended to propose a computational model for memory from the view of information processing. The model, called simplified memory information retrieval network (SMIRN), is a bi-modular hierarchical functional memory network by abstracting memory function and simulating memory information processing. At first meta-memory is defined to express the neuron or brain cortices based on the biology and graph theories, and we develop an intra-modular network with the modeling algorithm by mapping the node and edge, and then the bi-modular network is delineated with intra-modular and inter-modular. At last a polynomial retrieval algorithm is introduced. In this paper we simulate the memory phenomena and functions of memorization and strengthening by information processing algorithms. The theoretical analysis and the simulation results show that the model is in accordance with the memory phenomena from information processing view.

Increased functional connectivity between dorsal posterior parietal and ventral occipitotemporal cortex during uncertain memory decisions.

PubMed

Hutchinson, J Benjamin; Uncapher, Melina R; Wagner, Anthony D

2015-01-01

Retrieval of episodic memories is a multi-component act that relies on numerous operations ranging from processing the retrieval cue, evaluating retrieved information, and selecting the appropriate response given the demands of the task. Motivated by a rich functional neuroimaging literature, recent theorizing about various computations at retrieval has focused on the role of posterior parietal cortex (PPC). In a potentially promising line of research, recent neuroimaging findings suggest that different subregions of dorsal PPC respond distinctly to different aspects of retrieval decisions, suggesting that better understanding of their contributions might shed light on the component processes of retrieval. In an attempt to understand the basic operations performed by dorsal PPC, we used functional MRI and functional connectivity analyses to examine how activation in, and connectivity between, dorsal PPC and ventral temporal regions representing retrieval cues varies as a function of retrieval decision uncertainty. Specifically, participants made a five-point recognition confidence judgment for a series of old and new visually presented words. Consistent with prior studies, memory-related activity patterns dissociated across left dorsal PPC subregions, with activity in the lateral IPS tracking the degree to which participants perceived an item to be old, whereas activity in the SPL increased as a function of decision uncertainty. Importantly, whole-brain functional connectivity analyses further revealed that SPL activity was more strongly correlated with that in the visual word-form area during uncertain relative to certain decisions. These data suggest that the involvement of SPL during episodic retrieval reflects, at least in part, the processing of the retrieval cue, perhaps in service of attempts to increase the mnemonic evidence elicited by the cue. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infant motor and cognitive abilities and subsequent executive function.

PubMed

Wu, Meng; Liang, Xi; Lu, Shan; Wang, Zhengyan

2017-11-01

Although executive function (EF) is widely considered crucial to several aspects of life, the mechanisms underlying EF development remain largely unexplored, especially for infants. From a behavioral or neurodevelopmental perspective, motor and general cognitive abilities are linked with EF. EF development is a multistage process that starts with sensorimotor interactive behaviors, which become basic cognitive abilities and, in turn, mature EF. This study aims to examine how infant motor and general cognitive abilities are linked with their EF at 3 years of age. This work also aims to explore the potential processes of EF development from early movement. A longitudinal study was conducted with 96 infants (55 girls and 41 boys). The infants' motor and general cognitive abilities were assessed at 1 and 2 years of age with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Second and Third Editions, respectively. Infants' EFs were assessed at 3 years of age with Working Memory Span task, Day-Night task, Wrapped Gift task, and modified Gift-in-Bag task. Children with higher scores for cognitive ability at 2 years of age performed better in working memory, and children with higher scores for gross motor ability at 2 years performed better in cognitive inhibitory control (IC). Motor ability at 1 year and fine/gross motor ability at 2 years indirectly affected cognitive IC via general cognitive ability at 2 years and working memory. EF development is a multistage process that originates from physical movement to simple cognitive function, and then to complex cognitive function. Infants and toddlers can undergo targeted motor training to promote EF development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

More than a feeling: Pervasive influences of memory without awareness of retrieval

PubMed Central

Voss, Joel L.; Lucas, Heather D.; Paller, Ken A.

2015-01-01

The subjective experiences of recollection and familiarity have featured prominently in the search for neurocognitive mechanisms of memory. However, these two explicit expressions of memory, which involve conscious awareness of memory retrieval, are distinct from an entire category of implicit expressions of memory that do not entail such awareness. This review summarizes recent evidence showing that neurocognitive processing related to implicit memory can powerfully influence the behavioral and neural measures typically associated with explicit memory. Although there are striking distinctions between the neurocognitive processing responsible for implicit versus explicit memory, tests designed to measure only explicit memory nonetheless often capture implicit memory processing as well. In particular, the evidence described here suggests that investigations of familiarity memory are prone to the accidental capture of implicit memory processing. These findings have considerable implications for neurocognitive accounts of memory, as they suggest that many neural and behavioral measures often accepted as signals of explicit memory instead reflect the distinct operation of implicit memory mechanisms that are only sometimes related to explicit memory expressions. Proper identification of the explicit and implicit mechanisms for memory is vital to understanding the normal operation of memory, in addition to the disrupted memory capabilities associated with many neurological disorders and mental illnesses. We suggest that future progress requires utilizing neural, behavioral, and subjective evidence to dissociate implicit and explicit memory processing so as to better understand their distinct mechanisms as well as their potential relationships. When searching for the neurocognitive mechanisms of memory, it is important to keep in mind that memory involves more than a feeling. PMID:24171735

Organization and Memory in Adulthood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hultsch, David F.

This paper discusses organizational processes and memory in general and organizational processes and adult age differences in memory in particular. The simplest analysis of memory is to divide the process into two parts: storage and retrieval. Studies show that the limitation of memory lies primarily in retrieval rather than storage. Organization…

Basic pharmacology of NMDA receptors.

PubMed

Gonda, Xenia

2012-01-01

NMDA receptors are ionotropic receptors mediating glutamatergic neurotransmission and play a role in several basic functions in the central nervous system, from regulating neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity, learning and memory formation, cognitive processes, rhythm generation necessary for locomotor activity and breathing, and excitotoxicity. Due to their complex involvement in the above processes, NMDA receptors have been established to play a role in the etiopathology of several neuropsychiatric disorders such as ischaemia and traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative disorders, pain syndromes, addiction, affective disorders and such neurodevelopmental disorders as autism or schizophrenia. NMDA receptors contain multiple types of subunits with distinct functional and pharmacological properties making the picture more complex. These receptors also offer multiple binding sites to be targeted with pharmacons, however, early broad-spectrum NMDA receptor antagonists had limited clinical use due to their intolerable adverse effect profile. The discovery of several types of subunit selective NMDA receptor antagonists may offer valuable therapeutic possibilities for several disorders, with improved clinical efficacy and decreased side effects. However, in spite of our increasing knowledge concerning the involvement of NMDA receptors in pathological processes, molecules with a selective action, tolerable side effect profile and good clinical efficacy are still only in clinical development in the majority of cases. Nevertheless, NMDA receptors offer a novel opportunity in the treatment of various neuropsychiatric conditions.

The Role and Dynamic of Strengthening in the Reconsolidation Process in a Human Declarative Memory: What Decides the Fate of Recent and Older Memories?

PubMed Central

Pedreira, María E.

2013-01-01

Several reports have shown that after specific reminders are presented, consolidated memories pass from a stable state to one in which the memory is reactivated. This reactivation implies that memories are labile and susceptible to amnesic agents. This susceptibility decreases over time and leads to a re-stabilization phase usually known as reconsolidation. With respect to the biological role of reconsolidation, two functions have been proposed. First, the reconsolidation process allows new information to be integrated into the background of the original memory; second, it strengthens the original memory. We have previously demonstrated that both of these functions occur in the reconsolidation of human declarative memories. Our paradigm consisted of learning verbal material (lists of five pairs of nonsense syllables) acquired by a training process (L1-training) on Day 1 of our experiment. After this declarative memory is consolidated, it can be made labile by presenting a specific reminder. After this, the memory passes through a subsequent stabilization process. Strengthening creates a new scenario for the reconsolidation process; this function represents a new factor that may transform the dynamic of memories. First, we analyzed whether the repeated labilization-reconsolidation processes maintained the memory for longer periods of time. We showed that at least one labilization-reconsolidation process strengthens a memory via evaluation 5 days after its re-stabilization. We also demonstrated that this effect is not triggered by retrieval only. We then analyzed the way strengthening modified the effect of an amnesic agent that was presented immediately after repeated labilizations. The repeated labilization-reconsolidation processes made the memory more resistant to interference during re-stabilization. Finally, we evaluated whether the effect of strengthening may depend on the age of the memory. We found that the effect of strengthening did depend on the age of the memory. Forgetting may represent a process that weakens the effect of strengthening. PMID:23658614

The role and dynamic of strengthening in the reconsolidation process in a human declarative memory: what decides the fate of recent and older memories?

PubMed

Forcato, Cecilia; Fernandez, Rodrigo S; Pedreira, María E

2013-01-01

Several reports have shown that after specific reminders are presented, consolidated memories pass from a stable state to one in which the memory is reactivated. This reactivation implies that memories are labile and susceptible to amnesic agents. This susceptibility decreases over time and leads to a re-stabilization phase usually known as reconsolidation. With respect to the biological role of reconsolidation, two functions have been proposed. First, the reconsolidation process allows new information to be integrated into the background of the original memory; second, it strengthens the original memory. We have previously demonstrated that both of these functions occur in the reconsolidation of human declarative memories. Our paradigm consisted of learning verbal material (lists of five pairs of nonsense syllables) acquired by a training process (L1-training) on Day 1 of our experiment. After this declarative memory is consolidated, it can be made labile by presenting a specific reminder. After this, the memory passes through a subsequent stabilization process. Strengthening creates a new scenario for the reconsolidation process; this function represents a new factor that may transform the dynamic of memories. First, we analyzed whether the repeated labilization-reconsolidation processes maintained the memory for longer periods of time. We showed that at least one labilization-reconsolidation process strengthens a memory via evaluation 5 days after its re-stabilization. We also demonstrated that this effect is not triggered by retrieval only. We then analyzed the way strengthening modified the effect of an amnesic agent that was presented immediately after repeated labilizations. The repeated labilization-reconsolidation processes made the memory more resistant to interference during re-stabilization. Finally, we evaluated whether the effect of strengthening may depend on the age of the memory. We found that the effect of strengthening did depend on the age of the memory. Forgetting may represent a process that weakens the effect of strengthening.

Integrated Circuit For Simulation Of Neural Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakoor, Anilkumar P.; Moopenn, Alexander W.; Khanna, Satish K.

1988-01-01

Ballast resistors deposited on top of circuit structure. Cascadable, programmable binary connection matrix fabricated in VLSI form as basic building block for assembly of like units into content-addressable electronic memory matrices operating somewhat like networks of neurons. Connections formed during storage of data, and data recalled from memory by prompting matrix with approximate or partly erroneous signals. Redundancy in pattern of connections causes matrix to respond with correct stored data.

LAVA: Large scale Automated Vulnerability Addition

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-23

memory copy, e.g., are reasonable attack points. If the goal is to inject divide- by-zero, then arithmetic operations involving division will be...ways. First, it introduces deterministic record and replay , which can be used for iterated and expensive analyses that cannot be performed online... memory . Since our approach records the correspondence between source lines and program basic block execution, it would be just as easy to figure out

Spin torque switching of 20 nm magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajek, M.; Nowak, J. J.; Sun, J. Z.; Trouilloud, P. L.; O'Sullivan, E. J.; Abraham, D. W.; Gaidis, M. C.; Hu, G.; Brown, S.; Zhu, Y.; Robertazzi, R. P.; Gallagher, W. J.; Worledge, D. C.

2012-03-01

Spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) is one of the most promising emerging non-volatile memory technologies. MRAM has so far been demonstrated with a unique combination of density, speed, and non-volatility in a single chip, however, without the capability to replace any single mainstream memory. In this paper, we demonstrate the basic physics of spin torque switching in 20 nm diameter magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy materials. This deep scaling capability clearly indicates the STT MRAM device itself may be suitable for integration at much higher densities than previously proven.

Comparing barrier algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arenstorf, Norbert S.; Jordan, Harry F.

1987-01-01

A barrier is a method for synchronizing a large number of concurrent computer processes. After considering some basic synchronization mechanisms, a collection of barrier algorithms with either linear or logarithmic depth are presented. A graphical model is described that profiles the execution of the barriers and other parallel programming constructs. This model shows how the interaction between the barrier algorithms and the work that they synchronize can impact their performance. One result is that logarithmic tree structured barriers show good performance when synchronizing fixed length work, while linear self-scheduled barriers show better performance when synchronizing fixed length work with an imbedded critical section. The linear barriers are better able to exploit the process skew associated with critical sections. Timing experiments, performed on an eighteen processor Flex/32 shared memory multiprocessor, that support these conclusions are detailed.

Low-cost optical data acquisition system for blade vibration measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posta, Stephen J.

1988-01-01

A low cost optical data acquisition system was designed to measure deflection of vibrating rotor blade tips. The basic principle of the new design is to record raw data, which is a set of blade arrival times, in memory and to perform all processing by software following a run. This approach yields a simple and inexpensive system with the least possible hardware. Functional elements of the system were breadboarded and operated satisfactorily during rotor simulations on the bench, and during a data collection run with a two-bladed rotor in the Lewis Research Center Spin Rig. Software was written to demonstrate the sorting and processing of data stored in the system control computer, after retrieval from the data acquisition system. The demonstration produced an accurate graphical display of deflection versus time.

Working memory and arithmetic calculation in children: the contributory roles of processing speed, short-term memory, and reading.

PubMed

Berg, Derek H

2008-04-01

The cognitive underpinnings of arithmetic calculation in children are noted to involve working memory; however, cognitive processes related to arithmetic calculation and working memory suggest that this relationship is more complex than stated previously. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relative contributions of processing speed, short-term memory, working memory, and reading to arithmetic calculation in children. Results suggested four important findings. First, processing speed emerged as a significant contributor of arithmetic calculation only in relation to age-related differences in the general sample. Second, processing speed and short-term memory did not eliminate the contribution of working memory to arithmetic calculation. Third, individual working memory components--verbal working memory and visual-spatial working memory--each contributed unique variance to arithmetic calculation in the presence of all other variables. Fourth, a full model indicated that chronological age remained a significant contributor to arithmetic calculation in the presence of significant contributions from all other variables. Results are discussed in terms of directions for future research on working memory in arithmetic calculation.

Neuroanatomical and Cognitive Mediators of Age-Related Differences in Episodic Memory

PubMed Central

Head, Denise; Rodrigue, Karen M.; Kennedy, Kristen M.; Raz, Naftali

2009-01-01

Aging is associated with declines in episodic memory. In this study, the authors used a path analysis framework to explore the mediating role of differences in brain structure, executive functions, and processing speed in age-related differences in episodic memory. Measures of regional brain volume (prefrontal gray and white matter, caudate, hippocampus, visual cortex), executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control, task switching, temporal processing), processing speed, and episodic memory were obtained in a sample of young and older adults. As expected, age was linked to reduction in regional brain volumes and cognitive performance. Moreover, neural and cognitive factors completely mediated age differences in episodic memory. Whereas hippocampal shrinkage directly affected episodic memory, prefrontal volumetric reductions influenced episodic memory via limitations in working memory and inhibitory control. Age-related slowing predicted reduced efficiency in temporal processing, working memory, and inhibitory control. Lastly, poorer temporal processing directly affected episodic memory. No direct effects of age on episodic memory remained once these factors were taken into account. These analyses highlight the value of a multivariate approach with the understanding of complex relationships in cognitive and brain aging. PMID:18590361

The effects of refreshing and elaboration on working memory performance, and their contributions to long-term memory formation.

PubMed

Bartsch, Lea M; Singmann, Henrik; Oberauer, Klaus

2018-03-19

Refreshing and elaboration are cognitive processes assumed to underlie verbal working-memory maintenance and assumed to support long-term memory formation. Whereas refreshing refers to the attentional focussing on representations, elaboration refers to linking representations in working memory into existing semantic networks. We measured the impact of instructed refreshing and elaboration on working and long-term memory separately, and investigated to what extent both processes are distinct in their contributions to working as well as long-term memory. Compared with a no-processing baseline, immediate memory was improved by repeating the items, but not by refreshing them. There was no credible effect of elaboration on working memory, except when items were repeated at the same time. Long-term memory benefited from elaboration, but not from refreshing the words. The results replicate the long-term memory benefit for elaboration, but do not support its beneficial role for working memory. Further, refreshing preserves immediate memory, but does not improve it beyond the level achieved without any processing.

Cue-independent memory impairment by reactivation-coupled interference in human declarative memory.

PubMed

Zhu, Zijian; Wang, Yingying; Cao, Zhijun; Chen, Biqing; Cai, Huaqian; Wu, Yanhong; Rao, Yi

2016-10-01

Memory is a dynamic process. While memory becomes increasingly resistant to interference after consolidation, a brief reactivation renders it unstable again. Previous studies have shown that interference, when applied upon reactivation, impairs the consolidated memory, presumably by disrupting the reconsolidation of the memory. However, attempts have failed in disrupting human declarative memory, raising a question about whether declarative memory becomes unstable upon reactivation. Here, we used a double-cue/one-target paradigm, which associated the same target with two different cues in initial memory formation. Only one cue/target association was later reactivated and treated with behavioral interference. Our results showed, for the first time, that reactivation-coupled interference caused cue-independent memory impairment that generalized to other cues associated with the memory. Critically, such memory impairment appeared immediately after interference, before the reconsolidation process was completed, suggesting that common manipulations of reactivation-coupled interference procedures might disrupt other processes in addition to the reconsolidation process in human declarative memory. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Monuments and Memorials: Geoscience and the Historic Record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, E.; Smith, B. L.

2009-05-01

Many communities have a cemetery, war memorial, public sculpture or old historic buildings that are an important part of the historic record of that community. Such monuments celebrate achievements, commemorate people who died serving their country, or a prominent former member of the local community. Monuments and memorials can trace the histiry of settlement within a community. After a number of years researching cemeteries and memorials, primarily in western Canada my research partner, a historian, and I, a geoscience educator,have documented many monuments and memorials that are succumbing to basic weathering processes. Original design choices can be dictated by cost, material availability, access to transportation and emotions. Climate, type of material, construction methods, technology used and long-term maintenance can all have significant impacts on the sustainability of that material record. Over the last five years we have given many lectures and workshops on the nature of cemeteries to family historians, historical societies and classroom educators. These workshops and lectures focus on developing a better ommunity understanding of the fragility of the record. Field trips by students of all ages can contextualize both geology and history. Seeing local monumanets can facilitate the development of a sense of time and place as well as an appreciation of the environmental impacts and the longevity of the record. For the earth science student documentation of the installation enable comparisons of weathering rates of different materials, the effects of local climate or impacts of pollution. Being able to go to a local memorial or cemetery to compare diffrent structures brings a powerful local context to the learning. However we both have concerns that modern techniques that enable the creation of more elaborate memorials are actually setting the stage for more rapid deterioration. I will illustrate a cross section of our reseacrh and the impact it has had on awareness in our local community.

Quantum memory Quantum memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Gouët, Jean-Louis; Moiseev, Sergey

2012-06-01

Interaction of quantum radiation with multi-particle ensembles has sparked off intense research efforts during the past decade. Emblematic of this field is the quantum memory scheme, where a quantum state of light is mapped onto an ensemble of atoms and then recovered in its original shape. While opening new access to the basics of light-atom interaction, quantum memory also appears as a key element for information processing applications, such as linear optics quantum computation and long-distance quantum communication via quantum repeaters. Not surprisingly, it is far from trivial to practically recover a stored quantum state of light and, although impressive progress has already been accomplished, researchers are still struggling to reach this ambitious objective. This special issue provides an account of the state-of-the-art in a fast-moving research area that makes physicists, engineers and chemists work together at the forefront of their discipline, involving quantum fields and atoms in different media, magnetic resonance techniques and material science. Various strategies have been considered to store and retrieve quantum light. The explored designs belong to three main—while still overlapping—classes. In architectures derived from photon echo, information is mapped over the spectral components of inhomogeneously broadened absorption bands, such as those encountered in rare earth ion doped crystals and atomic gases in external gradient magnetic field. Protocols based on electromagnetic induced transparency also rely on resonant excitation and are ideally suited to the homogeneous absorption lines offered by laser cooled atomic clouds or ion Coulomb crystals. Finally off-resonance approaches are illustrated by Faraday and Raman processes. Coupling with an optical cavity may enhance the storage process, even for negligibly small atom number. Multiple scattering is also proposed as a way to enlarge the quantum interaction distance of light with matter. The quest for higher efficiency, better fidelity, broader bandwidth, multimode capacity and longer storage lifetime is pursued in all those approaches, as shown in this special issue. The improvement of quantum memory operation specifically requires in-depth study and control of numerous physical processes leading to atomic decoherence. The present issue reflects the development of rare earth ion doped matrices offering long lifetime superposition states, either as bulk crystals or as optical waveguides. The need for quantum sources and high efficiency detectors at the single photon level is also illustrated. Several papers address the networking of quantum memories either in long-haul cryptography or in the prospect of quantum processing. In this context, much attention has been paid recently to interfacing quantum light with superconducting qubits and with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Finally, the quantum interfacing of light with matter raises questions on entanglement. The last two papers are devoted to the generation of entanglement by dissipative processes. It is shown that long lifetime entanglement may be built in this way. We hope this special issue will help readers to become familiar with the exciting field of ensemble-based quantum memories and will stimulate them to bring deeper insights and new ideas to this area.

Defect in IgV gene somatic hypermutation in common variable immuno-deficiency syndrome.

PubMed

Levy, Y; Gupta, N; Le Deist, F; Garcia, C; Fischer, A; Weill, J C; Reynaud, C A

1998-10-27

Common Variable Immuno-Deficiency (CVID) is the most common symptomatic primary antibody-deficiency syndrome, but the basic immunologic defects underlying this syndrome are not well defined. We report here that among eight patients studied (six CVID and two hypogammaglobulinemic patients with recurrent infections), there is in two CVID patients a dramatic reduction in Ig V gene somatic hypermutation with 40-75% of IgG transcripts totally devoid of mutations in the circulating memory B cell compartment. Functional assays of the T cell compartment point to an intrinsic B cell defect in the process of antibody affinity maturation in these two cases.

Analysis of space radiation data of semiconductor memories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stassinopoulos, E. G.; Brucker, G. J.; Stauffer, C. A.

1996-01-01

This article presents an analysis of radiation effects for several select device types and technologies aboard the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) satellite. These space-flight measurements covered a period of about 14 months of mission lifetime. Single Event Upset (SEU) data of the investigated devices from the Microelectronics Package (MEP) were processed and analyzed. Valid upset measurements were determined by correcting for invalid readings, hard failures, missing data tapes (thus voids in data), and periods over which devices were disabled from interrogation. The basic resolution time of the measurement system was confirmed to be 2 s. Lessons learned, important findings, and recommendations are presented.

A universal quantum module for quantum communication, computation, and metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanks, Michael; Lo Piparo, Nicolò; Trupke, Michael; Schmiedmayer, Jorg; Munro, William J.; Nemoto, Kae

2017-08-01

In this work, we describe a simple module that could be ubiquitous for quantum information based applications. The basic modules comprises a single NV- center in diamond embedded in an optical cavity, where the cavity mediates interactions between photons and the electron spin (enabling entanglement distribution and efficient readout), while the nuclear spins constitutes a long-lived quantum memories capable of storing and processing quantum information. We discuss how a network of connected modules can be used for distributed metrology, communication and computation applications. Finally, we investigate the possible use of alternative diamond centers (SiV/GeV) within the module and illustrate potential advantages.

Development in the organization of episodic memories in middle childhood and adolescence.

PubMed

Chen, Yan; McAnally, Helena Margaret; Reese, Elaine

2013-01-01

The basic elements of autobiographical or episodic memory are established in early childhood, although the exact age at which memories gain episodic status is still under contention. The self-memory system proposed that adults use "lifetime periods" to group episodic memories together into chapters of the life story - an evolving and internalized account of significant life events that are self-defining. Two studies examined at what point in development children or adolescents begin to take advantage of lifetime-period chapters to organize their episodic memories. The results of Study 1 with 8- to 12-year-olds revealed that the ability to provide life story chapters began to emerge as early as 8 years of age. In Study 2 with adolescents aged 12-21, this ability continued to develop into late adolescence among New Zealand European (NZE) and New Zealand Chinese (NZC) adolescents; however, cultural differences also existed in the specificity of memories. NZC adolescents narrated fewer life story chapters containing specific memories than NZE adolescents. These findings support and extend current theories of episodic memory by specifying that pre-adolescents are starting to organize their episodic memories into lifetime periods, but this achievement is not fully realized until later in adolescence.

How should we measure nutrition-induced improvements in memory?

PubMed

Benton, David; Kallus, K Wolfgang; Schmitt, Jeroen A J

2005-12-01

There is a basic distinction between declarative memories, which can be stated verbally, and non-declarative memory, such as how to ride a bicycle, which cannot be expressed in words. With age it is the performance of declarative memory, particularly episodic memory that requires recall of events placed in time, that declines. As memory is not a unitary phenomenon, it should be ideally monitored using a range of tests that reflect theoretical conceptions of the topic. If circumstances demand the use of a single test then a measure of episodic memory is suggested. When it proves only possible to use a rating scale it should be ensured that memory is distinguished from other aspects of cognition and that different types of memory are not confused. The tests used, and the form in which they are used, need to be chosen to be of appropriate difficulty for the sample studied. A major conclusion is that the selection of the measure of memory used in the study of a dietary intervention should never be routine. It is inevitable that the form of the test used will need to be chosen carefully for the population being studied.

Vortex-Core Reversal Dynamics: Towards Vortex Random Access Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang-Koog

2011-03-01

An energy-efficient, ultrahigh-density, ultrafast, and nonvolatile solid-state universal memory is a long-held dream in the field of information-storage technology. The magnetic random access memory (MRAM) along with a spin-transfer-torque switching mechanism is a strong candidate-means of realizing that dream, given its nonvolatility, infinite endurance, and fast random access. Magnetic vortices in patterned soft magnetic dots promise ground-breaking applications in information-storage devices, owing to the very stable twofold ground states of either their upward or downward core magnetization orientation and plausible core switching by in-plane alternating magnetic fields or spin-polarized currents. However, two technologically most important but very challenging issues --- low-power recording and reliable selection of each memory cell with already existing cross-point architectures --- have not yet been resolved for the basic operations in information storage, that is, writing (recording) and readout. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a magnetic vortex random access memory (VRAM) in the basic cross-point architecture. This unique VRAM offers reliable cell selection and low-power-consumption control of switching of out-of-plane core magnetizations using specially designed rotating magnetic fields generated by two orthogonal and unipolar Gaussian-pulse currents along with optimized pulse width and time delay. Our achievement of a new device based on a new material, that is, a medium composed of patterned vortex-state disks, together with the new physics on ultrafast vortex-core switching dynamics, can stimulate further fruitful research on MRAMs that are based on vortex-state dot arrays.

Working Memory in Children With Neurocognitive Effects From Sickle Cell Disease: Contributions of the Central Executive and Processing Speed

PubMed Central

Smith, Kelsey E.; Schatz, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for working memory deficits due to multiple disease processes. We assessed working memory abilities and related functions in 32 school-age children with SCD and 85 matched comparison children using Baddeley’s working memory model as a framework. Children with SCD performed worse than controls for working memory, central executive function, and processing/rehearsal speed. Central executive function was found to mediate the relationship between SCD status and working memory, but processing speed did not. Cognitive remediation strategies that focus on central executive processes may be important for remediating working memory deficits in SCD. PMID:27759435

A simplified computational memory model from information processing

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lanhua; Zhang, Dongsheng; Deng, Yuqin; Ding, Xiaoqian; Wang, Yan; Tang, Yiyuan; Sun, Baoliang

2016-01-01

This paper is intended to propose a computational model for memory from the view of information processing. The model, called simplified memory information retrieval network (SMIRN), is a bi-modular hierarchical functional memory network by abstracting memory function and simulating memory information processing. At first meta-memory is defined to express the neuron or brain cortices based on the biology and graph theories, and we develop an intra-modular network with the modeling algorithm by mapping the node and edge, and then the bi-modular network is delineated with intra-modular and inter-modular. At last a polynomial retrieval algorithm is introduced. In this paper we simulate the memory phenomena and functions of memorization and strengthening by information processing algorithms. The theoretical analysis and the simulation results show that the model is in accordance with the memory phenomena from information processing view. PMID:27876847

Locality-Conscious Lock-Free Linked Lists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braginsky, Anastasia; Petrank, Erez

We extend state-of-the-art lock-free linked lists by building linked lists with special care for locality of traversals. These linked lists are built of sequences of entries that reside on consecutive chunks of memory. When traversing such lists, subsequent entries typically reside on the same chunk and are thus close to each other, e.g., in same cache line or on the same virtual memory page. Such cache-conscious implementations of linked lists are frequently used in practice, but making them lock-free requires care. The basic component of this construction is a chunk of entries in the list that maintains a minimum and a maximum number of entries. This basic chunk component is an interesting tool on its own and may be used to build other lock-free data structures as well.

Effects of Attention and Levels of Processing on Explicit and Implicit Memory Function with Interesting and Uninteresting Tasks in University Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahdavian, Alireza; Kormi-Nouri, Reza

This study aims to investigate the effect of attention and levels of processing on memory function and recalling words in two situations when students are interested in the subject and when they are not. This is an experimental study of 160 students conducted individually using a computer software. Results reveal focused attention, interest in the subject and deep processing caused the explicit memory to be at its highest level of functionality. On the contrary, shallow processing, divided attention and lack of interest in the subject plunged memory function into its lowest levels. Variables have different effects on attention, explicit and implicit memory. That is, interesting tasks with focused attention and deep processing have the highest effect on explicit memory in order. Also, interesting tasks, focused attention, respectively affect implicit memory. But level of processing does not affect implicit memory significantly.

Get the gist? The effects of processing depth on false recognition in short-term and long-term memory.

PubMed

Flegal, Kristin E; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia A

2014-07-01

Gist-based processing has been proposed to account for robust false memories in the converging-associates task. The deep-encoding processes known to enhance verbatim memory also strengthen gist memory and increase distortions of long-term memory (LTM). Recent research has demonstrated that compelling false memory illusions are relatively delay-invariant, also occurring under canonical short-term memory (STM) conditions. To investigate the contributions of gist to false memory at short and long delays, processing depth was manipulated as participants encoded lists of four semantically related words and were probed immediately, following a filled 3- to 4-s retention interval, or approximately 20 min later, in a surprise recognition test. In two experiments, the encoding manipulation dissociated STM and LTM on the frequency, but not the phenomenology, of false memory. Deep encoding at STM increases false recognition rates at LTM, but confidence ratings and remember/know judgments are similar across delays and do not differ as a function of processing depth. These results suggest that some shared and some unique processes underlie false memory illusions at short and long delays.

On the susceptibility of adaptive memory to false memory illusions.

PubMed

Howe, Mark L; Derbish, Mary H

2010-05-01

Previous research has shown that survival-related processing of word lists enhances retention for that material. However, the claim that survival-related memories are more accurate has only been examined when true recall and recognition of neutral material has been measured. In the current experiments, we examined the adaptive memory superiority effect for different types of processing and material, measuring accuracy more directly by comparing true and false recollection rates. Survival-related information and processing was examined using word lists containing backward associates of neutral, negative, and survival-related critical lures and type of processing (pleasantness, moving, survival) was varied using an incidental memory paradigm. Across four experiments, results showed that survival-related words were more susceptible than negative and neutral words to the false memory illusion and that processing information in terms of its relevance to survival independently increased this susceptibility to the false memory illusion. Overall, although survival-related processing and survival-related information resulted in poorer, not more accurate, memory, such inaccuracies may have adaptive significance. These findings are discussed in the context of false memory research and recent theories concerning the importance of survival processing and the nature of adaptive memory. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression

PubMed Central

Dillon, Daniel G.

2015-01-01

Adults with unipolar depression typically show poor episodic memory for positive material, but the neuroscientific mechanisms responsible for this deficit have not been characterized. I suggest a simple hypothesis: weak memory for positive material in depression reflects disrupted communication between the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory systems during encoding. This proposal draws on basic research showing that dopamine release in the hippocampus is critical for the transition from early- to late-phase long-term potentiation (LTP) that marks the conversion of labile, short-term memories into stable, long-term memories. Neuroimaging and pharmacological data from healthy humans paint a similar picture: activation of the mesolimbic reward circuit enhances encoding and boosts retention. Unipolar depression is characterized by anhedonia–loss of pleasure–and reward circuit dysfunction, which is believed to reflect negative effects of stress on the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. Thus, I propose that the MTL is deprived of strengthening reward signals in depressed adults and memory for positive events suffers accordingly. Although other mechanisms are important, this hypothesis holds promise as an explanation for positive memory deficits in depression. PMID:26441703

Transmodal comparison of auditory, motor, and visual post-processing with and without intentional short-term memory maintenance.

PubMed

Bender, Stephan; Behringer, Stephanie; Freitag, Christine M; Resch, Franz; Weisbrod, Matthias

2010-12-01

To elucidate the contributions of modality-dependent post-processing in auditory, motor and visual cortical areas to short-term memory. We compared late negative waves (N700) during the post-processing of single lateralized stimuli which were separated by long intertrial intervals across the auditory, motor and visual modalities. Tasks either required or competed with attention to post-processing of preceding events, i.e. active short-term memory maintenance. N700 indicated that cortical post-processing exceeded short movements as well as short auditory or visual stimuli for over half a second without intentional short-term memory maintenance. Modality-specific topographies pointed towards sensory (respectively motor) generators with comparable time-courses across the different modalities. Lateralization and amplitude of auditory/motor/visual N700 were enhanced by active short-term memory maintenance compared to attention to current perceptions or passive stimulation. The memory-related N700 increase followed the characteristic time-course and modality-specific topography of the N700 without intentional memory-maintenance. Memory-maintenance-related lateralized negative potentials may be related to a less lateralised modality-dependent post-processing N700 component which occurs also without intentional memory maintenance (automatic memory trace or effortless attraction of attention). Encoding to short-term memory may involve controlled attention to modality-dependent post-processing. Similar short-term memory processes may exist in the auditory, motor and visual systems. Copyright © 2010 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Levels of processing and language modality specificity in working memory.

PubMed

Rudner, Mary; Karlsson, Thomas; Gunnarsson, Johan; Rönnberg, Jerker

2013-03-01

Neural networks underpinning working memory demonstrate sign language specific components possibly related to differences in temporary storage mechanisms. A processing approach to memory systems suggests that the organisation of memory storage is related to type of memory processing as well. In the present study, we investigated for the first time semantic, phonological and orthographic processing in working memory for sign- and speech-based language. During fMRI we administered a picture-based 2-back working memory task with Semantic, Phonological, Orthographic and Baseline conditions to 11 deaf signers and 20 hearing non-signers. Behavioural data showed poorer and slower performance for both groups in Phonological and Orthographic conditions than in the Semantic condition, in line with depth-of-processing theory. An exclusive masking procedure revealed distinct sign-specific neural networks supporting working memory components at all three levels of processing. The overall pattern of sign-specific activations may reflect a relative intermodality difference in the relationship between phonology and semantics influencing working memory storage and processing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clarification process: Resolution of decision-problem conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dieterly, D. L.

1980-01-01

A model of a general process which occurs in both decisionmaking and problem-solving tasks is presented. It is called the clarification model and is highly dependent on information flow. The model addresses the possible constraints of individual indifferences and experience in achieving success in resolving decision-problem conditions. As indicated, the application of the clarification process model is only necessary for certain classes of the basic decision-problem condition. With less complex decision problem conditions, certain phases of the model may be omitted. The model may be applied across a wide range of decision problem conditions. The model consists of two major components: (1) the five-phase prescriptive sequence (based on previous approaches to both concepts) and (2) the information manipulation function (which draws upon current ideas in the areas of information processing, computer programming, memory, and thinking). The two components are linked together to provide a structure that assists in understanding the process of resolving problems and making decisions.

Cognitive and Linguistic Predictors of Basic Arithmetic Skills: Evidence from First-Language and Second-Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleemans, Tijs; Segers, Eliane; Verhoeven, Ludo

2014-01-01

The present study investigated the role of both cognitive and linguistic predictors in basic arithmetic skills (i.e., addition and subtraction) in 69 first-language (L1) learners and 60 second-language (L2) learners from the second grade of primary schools in the Netherlands. All children were tested on non-verbal intelligence, working memory,…

Cognitive processing in the primary visual cortex: from perception to memory.

PubMed

Supèr, Hans

2002-01-01

The primary visual cortex is the first cortical area of the visual system that receives information from the external visual world. Based on the receptive field characteristics of the neurons in this area, it has been assumed that the primary visual cortex is a pure sensory area extracting basic elements of the visual scene. This information is then subsequently further processed upstream in the higher-order visual areas and provides us with perception and storage of the visual environment. However, recent findings show that such neural implementations are observed in the primary visual cortex. These neural correlates are expressed by the modulated activity of the late response of a neuron to a stimulus, and most likely depend on recurrent interactions between several areas of the visual system. This favors the concept of a distributed nature of visual processing in perceptual organization.

Selective attention supports working memory maintenance by modulating perceptual processing of distractors.

PubMed

Sreenivasan, Kartik K; Jha, Amishi P

2007-01-01

Selective attention has been shown to bias sensory processing in favor of relevant stimuli and against irrelevant or distracting stimuli in perceptual tasks. Increasing evidence suggests that selective attention plays an important role during working memory maintenance, possibly by biasing sensory processing in favor of to-be-remembered items. In the current study, we investigated whether selective attention may also support working memory by biasing processing against irrelevant and potentially distracting information. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while subjects (n = 22) performed a delayed-recognition task for faces and shoes. The delay period was filled with face or shoe distractors. Behavioral performance was impaired when distractors were congruent with the working memory domain (e.g., face distractor during working memory for faces) relative to when distractors were incongruent with the working memory domain (e.g., face distractor during shoe working memory). If attentional biasing against distractor processing is indeed functionally relevant in supporting working memory maintenance, perceptual processing of distractors is predicted to be attenuated when distractors are more behaviorally intrusive relative to when they are nonintrusive. As such, we predicted that perceptual processing of distracting faces, as measured by the face-sensitive N170 ERP component, would be reduced in the context of congruent (face) working memory relative to incongruent (shoe) working memory. The N170 elicited by distracting faces demonstrated reduced amplitude during congruent versus incongruent working memory. These results suggest that perceptual processing of distracting faces may be attenuated due to attentional biasing against sensory processing of distractors that are most behaviorally intrusive during working memory maintenance.

Prefrontal and medial temporal contributions to episodic memory-based reasoning.

PubMed

Suzuki, Chisato; Tsukiura, Takashi; Mochizuki-Kawai, Hiroko; Shigemune, Yayoi; Iijima, Toshio

2009-03-01

Episodic memory retrieval and reasoning are fundamental psychological components of our daily lives. Although previous studies have investigated the brain regions associated with these processes separately, the neural mechanisms of reasoning based on episodic memory retrieval are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the neural correlates underlying episodic memory-based reasoning using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During fMRI scanning, subjects performed three tasks: reasoning, episodic memory retrieval, and episodic memory-based reasoning. We identified dissociable activations related to reasoning, episodic memory retrieval, and linking processes between the two. Regions related to reasoning were identified in the left ventral prefrontal cortices (PFC), and those related to episodic memory retrieval were found in the right medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions. In addition, activations predominant in the linking process between the two were found in the left dorsal and right ventral PFC. These findings suggest that episodic memory-based reasoning is composed of at least three processes, i.e., reasoning, episodic memory retrieval, and linking processes between the two, and that activation of both the PFC and MTL is crucial in episodic memory-based reasoning. These findings are the first to demonstrate that PFC and MTL regions contribute differentially to each process in episodic memory-based reasoning.

Perspectives on Episodic-Like and Episodic Memory

PubMed Central

Pause, Bettina M.; Zlomuzica, Armin; Kinugawa, Kiyoka; Mariani, Jean; Pietrowsky, Reinhard; Dere, Ekrem

2013-01-01

Episodic memory refers to the conscious recollection of a personal experience that contains information on what has happened and also where and when it happened. Recollection from episodic memory also implies a kind of first-person subjectivity that has been termed autonoetic consciousness. Episodic memory is extremely sensitive to cerebral aging and neurodegenerative diseases. In Alzheimer’s disease deficits in episodic memory function are among the first cognitive symptoms observed. Furthermore, impaired episodic memory function is also observed in a variety of other neuropsychiatric diseases including dissociative disorders, schizophrenia, and Parkinson disease. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to induce and measure episodic memories in the laboratory and it is even more difficult to measure it in clinical populations. Presently, the tests used to assess episodic memory function do not comply with even down-sized definitions of episodic-like memory as a memory for what happened, where, and when. They also require sophisticated verbal competences and are difficult to apply to patient populations. In this review, we will summarize the progress made in defining behavioral criteria of episodic-like memory in animals (and humans) as well as the perspectives in developing novel tests of human episodic memory which can also account for phenomenological aspects of episodic memory such as autonoetic awareness. We will also define basic behavioral, procedural, and phenomenological criteria which might be helpful for the development of a valid and reliable clinical test of human episodic memory. PMID:23616754

Semantic processes leading to true and false memory formation in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Paz-Alonso, Pedro M; Ghetti, Simona; Ramsay, Ian; Solomon, Marjorie; Yoon, Jong; Carter, Cameron S; Ragland, J Daniel

2013-07-01

Encoding semantic relationships between items on word lists (semantic processing) enhances true memories, but also increases memory distortions. Episodic memory impairments in schizophrenia (SZ) are strongly driven by failures to process semantic relations, but the exact nature of these relational semantic processing deficits is not well understood. Here, we used a false memory paradigm to investigate the impact of implicit and explicit semantic processing manipulations on episodic memory in SZ. Thirty SZ and 30 demographically matched healthy controls (HC) studied Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) lists of semantically associated words. Half of the lists had strong implicit semantic associations and the remainder had low strength associations. Similarly, half of the lists were presented under "standard" instructions and the other half under explicit "relational processing" instructions. After study, participants performed recall and old/new recognition tests composed of targets, critical lures, and unrelated lures. HC exhibited higher true memories and better discriminability between true and false memory compared to SZ. High, versus low, associative strength increased false memory rates in both groups. However, explicit "relational processing" instructions positively improved true memory rates only in HC. Finally, true and false memory rates were associated with severity of disorganized and negative symptoms in SZ. These results suggest that reduced processing of semantic relationships during encoding in SZ may stem from an inability to implement explicit relational processing strategies rather than a fundamental deficit in the implicit activation and retrieval of word meanings from patients' semantic lexicon. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of speed versus working memory in predicting learning new information in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Chiaravalloti, Nancy D; Stojanovic-Radic, Jelena; DeLuca, John

2013-01-01

The most common cognitive impairments in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been documented in specific domains, including new learning and memory, working memory, and information processing speed. However, little attempt has been made to increase our understanding of their relationship to one another. While recent studies have shown that processing speed impacts new learning and memory abilities in MS, the role of working memory in this relationship has received less attention. The present study examines the relative contribution of impaired working memory versus processing speed in new learning and memory functions in MS. Participants consisted of 51 individuals with clinically definite MS. Participants completed two measures of processing speed, two measures of working memory, and two measures of episodic memory. Data were analyzed via correlational and multiple regression analysis. Results indicate that the variance in new learning abilities in this sample was primarily associated with processing speed, with working memory exerting much less of an influence. Results are discussed in terms of the role of cognitive rehabilitation of new learning and memory abilities in persons with MS.

The roles of protein expression in synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation

PubMed Central

Rosenberg, Tali; Gal-Ben-Ari, Shunit; Dieterich, Daniela C.; Kreutz, Michael R.; Ziv, Noam E.; Gundelfinger, Eckart D.; Rosenblum, Kobi

2014-01-01

The amount and availability of proteins are regulated by their synthesis, degradation, and transport. These processes can specifically, locally, and temporally regulate a protein or a population of proteins, thus affecting numerous biological processes in health and disease states. Accordingly, malfunction in the processes of protein turnover and localization underlies different neuronal diseases. However, as early as a century ago, it was recognized that there is a specific need for normal macromolecular synthesis in a specific fragment of the learning process, memory consolidation, which takes place minutes to hours following acquisition. Memory consolidation is the process by which fragile short-term memory is converted into stable long-term memory. It is accepted today that synaptic plasticity is a cellular mechanism of learning and memory processes. Interestingly, similar molecular mechanisms subserve both memory and synaptic plasticity consolidation. In this review, we survey the current view on the connection between memory consolidation processes and proteostasis, i.e., maintaining the protein contents at the neuron and the synapse. In addition, we describe the technical obstacles and possible new methods to determine neuronal proteostasis of synaptic function and better explain the process of memory and synaptic plasticity consolidation. PMID:25429258

Plastic modulation of episodic memory networks in the aging brain with cognitive decline.

PubMed

Bai, Feng; Yuan, Yonggui; Yu, Hui; Zhang, Zhijun

2016-07-15

Social-cognitive processing has been posited to underlie general functions such as episodic memory. Episodic memory impairment is a recognized hallmark of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who is at a high risk for dementia. Three canonical networks, self-referential processing, executive control processing and salience processing, have distinct roles in episodic memory retrieval processing. It remains unclear whether and how these sub-networks of the episodic memory retrieval system would be affected in aMCI. This task-state fMRI study constructed systems-level episodic memory retrieval sub-networks in 28 aMCI and 23 controls using two computational approaches: a multiple region-of-interest based approach and a voxel-level functional connectivity-based approach, respectively. These approaches produced the remarkably similar findings that the self-referential processing network made critical contributions to episodic memory retrieval in aMCI. More conspicuous alterations in self-referential processing of the episodic memory retrieval network were identified in aMCI. In order to complete a given episodic memory retrieval task, increases in cooperation between the self-referential processing network and other sub-networks were mobilized in aMCI. Self-referential processing mediate the cooperation of the episodic memory retrieval sub-networks as it may help to achieve neural plasticity and may contribute to the prevention and treatment of dementia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Artificial Intelligence and Information Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukumura, Teruo

After reviewing the recent popularization of the information transmission and processing technologies, which are supported by the progress of electronics, the authors describe that by the introduction of the opto-electronics into the information technology, the possibility of applying the artificial intelligence (AI) technique to the mechanization of the information management has emerged. It is pointed out that althuogh AI deals with problems in the mental world, its basic methodology relies upon the verification by evidence, so the experiment on computers become indispensable for the study of AI. The authors also describe that as computers operate by the program, the basic intelligence which is concerned in AI is that expressed by languages. This results in the fact that the main tool of AI is the logical proof and it involves an intrinsic limitation. To answer a question “Why do you employ AI in your problem solving”, one must have ill-structured problems and intend to conduct deep studies on the thinking and the inference, and the memory and the knowledge-representation. Finally the authors discuss the application of AI technique to the information management. The possibility of the expert-system, processing of the query, and the necessity of document knowledge-base are stated.

How Math Anxiety Relates to Number-Space Associations.

PubMed

Georges, Carrie; Hoffmann, Danielle; Schiltz, Christine

2016-01-01

Given the considerable prevalence of math anxiety, it is important to identify the factors contributing to it in order to improve mathematical learning. Research on math anxiety typically focusses on the effects of more complex arithmetic skills. Recent evidence, however, suggests that deficits in basic numerical processing and spatial skills also constitute potential risk factors of math anxiety. Given these observations, we determined whether math anxiety also depends on the quality of spatial-numerical associations. Behavioral evidence for a tight link between numerical and spatial representations is given by the SNARC (spatial-numerical association of response codes) effect, characterized by faster left-/right-sided responses for small/large digits respectively in binary classification tasks. We compared the strength of the SNARC effect between high and low math anxious individuals using the classical parity judgment task in addition to evaluating their spatial skills, arithmetic performance, working memory and inhibitory control. Greater math anxiety was significantly associated with stronger spatio-numerical interactions. This finding adds to the recent evidence supporting a link between math anxiety and basic numerical abilities and strengthens the idea that certain characteristics of low-level number processing such as stronger number-space associations constitute a potential risk factor of math anxiety.

How Math Anxiety Relates to Number–Space Associations

PubMed Central

Georges, Carrie; Hoffmann, Danielle; Schiltz, Christine

2016-01-01

Given the considerable prevalence of math anxiety, it is important to identify the factors contributing to it in order to improve mathematical learning. Research on math anxiety typically focusses on the effects of more complex arithmetic skills. Recent evidence, however, suggests that deficits in basic numerical processing and spatial skills also constitute potential risk factors of math anxiety. Given these observations, we determined whether math anxiety also depends on the quality of spatial-numerical associations. Behavioral evidence for a tight link between numerical and spatial representations is given by the SNARC (spatial-numerical association of response codes) effect, characterized by faster left-/right-sided responses for small/large digits respectively in binary classification tasks. We compared the strength of the SNARC effect between high and low math anxious individuals using the classical parity judgment task in addition to evaluating their spatial skills, arithmetic performance, working memory and inhibitory control. Greater math anxiety was significantly associated with stronger spatio-numerical interactions. This finding adds to the recent evidence supporting a link between math anxiety and basic numerical abilities and strengthens the idea that certain characteristics of low-level number processing such as stronger number–space associations constitute a potential risk factor of math anxiety. PMID:27683570

Can fear extinction be enhanced? A review of pharmacological and behavioral findings

PubMed Central

Fitzgerald, Paul J.; Seemann, Jocelyn R.; Maren, Stephen

2014-01-01

There is considerable interest, from both a basic and clinical standpoint, in gaining a greater understanding of how pharmaceutical or behavioral manipulations alter fear extinction in animals. Not only does fear extinction in rodents model exposure therapy in humans, where the latter is a cornerstone of behavioral intervention for anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and specific phobias, but also understanding more about extinction provides basic information into learning and memory processes and their underlying circuitry. In this paper, we briefly review three principal approaches that have been used to modulate extinction processes in animals and humans: a purely pharmacological approach, the more widespread approach of combining pharmacology with behavior, and a purely behavioral approach. The pharmacological studies comprise modulation by: brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), d-cycloserine, serotonergic and noradrenergic drugs, neuropeptides, endocannabinoids, glucocorticoids, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, and others. These studies strongly suggest that extinction can be modulated by drugs, behavioral interventions, or their combination, although not always in a lasting manner. We suggest that pharmacotherapeutic manipulations provide considerable promise for promoting effective and lasting fear reduction in individuals with anxiety disorders. PMID:24374101

Intentionality as a link between the neuropsychology and the symptoms of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Kaiser, Stefan; Weisbrod, Matthias

2007-01-01

Cognitive deficits are an important feature of schizophrenia, particularly in the areas of working memory and executive function. However, their relationship to other clinical dimensions of the illness has remained elusive. We suggest that a phenomenological exploration of disordered intentionality in schizophrenia symptoms might provide us with a framework for understanding the role of cognitive deficits. We propose an understanding of intentionality as having a layered structure, which facilitates a mapping onto neuropsychological concepts. A disturbance of basic intentional processes can explain some of the 'positive' symptoms of schizophrenia. We focus on the temporal aspect of intentionality, which will be related to recent conceptions of prefrontal cortical function as the temporal organization of thought and behavior. A compensation of these basic disturbances leads to a 'minimization of change', which can explain some of the 'negative' symptoms. The compensatory strategies are thought to rely on the higher-order executive functions of the prefrontal cortex. These are also disturbed in schizophrenia, which often renders the process of compensation ineffective, leading to a fragmentation of thought and behavior. Thus the concept of intentionality might help us relate different aspects of prefrontal dysfunction to specific schizophrenic symptom clusters. (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cajal and the Conceptual Weakness of Neural Sciences

PubMed Central

Delgado-García, José M.

2015-01-01

The experimental and conceptual contributions of Santiago Ramón y Cajal remain almost as fresh and valuable as when his original proposals were published more than a century ago—a rare example, contrasting with other related sciences. His basic concepts on the neuron as the main building block of the central nervous system, the dynamic polarization principle as a way to understand how neurons deal with ongoing active processes, and brain local structural arrangements as a result of the functional specialization of selected neural circuits are concepts still surviving in present research papers dealing with brain function during the performance of cognitive and/or behavioral activities. What is more, the central dogma of the Neuroscience of today, i.e., brain plasticity as the morpho-functional substrate of memory and learning processes, was already proposed and documented with notable insights by Ramón y Cajal. From this background, I will try to discuss in this chapter which new functional and structural concepts have been introduced in contemporary Neuroscience and how we will be able to construct a set of basic principles underlying brain functions for the twenty-first century. PMID:26483644

The dynamic nature of the reconsolidation process and its boundary conditions: Evidence based on human tests.

PubMed

Fernández, Rodrigo S; Bavassi, Luz; Forcato, Cecilia; Pedreira, María E

2016-04-01

The reconsolidation process is the mechanism by which the strength and/or content of consolidated memories are updated. This process is triggered by the presentation of a reminder (training cues). It is not always possible to trigger the reconsolidation process. For example, memory age and strength are boundary conditions for the reconsolidation process. Here, we investigated the dynamic changes in these conditions. We propose that the boundary conditions of the reconsolidation process are not fixed and vary as a consequence of the interaction between memory features and reminder characteristics. To modify memory properties, participants received a threatening social protocol that improves memory acquisition or a control condition (fake, without social interaction) prior to learning pairs of meaningless syllables. To determine whether a strong young or old declarative memory undergoes the reconsolidation process, we used an interference task (a second list of pairs of meaningless syllables) to disrupt memory re-stabilization. To assess whether the older memory could be strengthened, we repeated the triggering of reconsolidation. Strong young or old memories modulated by a threatening experience could be interfered during reconsolidation and updated (strengthened) by reconsolidation. Rather than being fixed, boundary conditions vary according to the memory features (strong memory), which indicates the dynamic nature of the reconsolidation process. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to modify these limits by recruiting the reconsolidation process and making it functionally operative again. This novel scenario opens the possibility to new therapeutically approaches that take into account the reconsolidation process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An intrinsic poperty of memory of the Cellular automaton infrastructure of Nature leading to the organization of the physical world as an Internet o things; TOE = IOT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkovich, Simon

2015-04-01

The undamental advantage of a Cellular automaton construction foris that it can be viewed as an undetectable absolute frame o reference, in accordance with Lorentz-Poincare's interpretation.. The cellular automaton model for physical poblems comes upon two basic hurdles: (1) How to find the Elemental Rule that, and how to get non-locality from local transformations. Both problems are resolved considering the transfomation rule of mutual distributed synchronization Actually any information proessing device starts with a clocking system. and it turns out that ``All physical phenomena are different aspects of the high-level description of distributed mutual synchronization in a network of digital clocks''. Non-locality comes from two hugely different time-scales of signaling.. The universe is acombinines information and matter processes, These fast spreading diffusion wave solutions create the mechanism of the Holographic Universe. And thirdly Disengaged from synchronization, circular counters can perform memory functions by retaining phases of their oscillations, an idea of Von Neumann'. Thus, the suggested model generates the necessary constructs for the physical world as an Internet of Things. Life emerges due to the specifics of macromolecules that serve as communication means, with the holographic memory...

Approaches to the mechanisms of song memorization and singing provide evidence for a procedural memory.

PubMed

Hultsch, Henrike; Todt, Dietmar

2004-06-01

There is growing evidence that, during song learning, birds do not only acquire 'what to sing' (the inventory of behavior), but also 'how to sing' (the singing program), including order-features of song sequencing. Common Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos acquire such serial information by segmenting long strings of heard songs into smaller subsets or packages, by a process reminiscent of the chunking of information as a coding mechanism in short term memory. Here we report three tutoring experiments on nightingales that examined whether such 'chunking' was susceptible to experimental cueing. The experiments tested whether (1) 'temporal phrasing' (silent intersong intervals spaced out at particular positions of a tutored string), or (2) 'stimulus novelty' (groups of novel song-types added to a basic string), or (3) 'pattern similarity' in the phonetic structure of songs (here: sharing of song initials) would induce package boundaries (or chunking) at the manipulated sequential positions. The results revealed cueing effects in experiments (1) and (2) but not in experiment (3). The finding that birds used temporal variables as cues for chunking does not require the assumption that package formation is a cognitive strategy. Rather, it points towards a mechanism of procedural memory operating in the song acquisition of birds.

Mobile Thread Task Manager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Bradley J.; Estlin, Tara A.; Bornstein, Benjamin J.

2013-01-01

The Mobile Thread Task Manager (MTTM) is being applied to parallelizing existing flight software to understand the benefits and to develop new techniques and architectural concepts for adapting software to multicore architectures. It allocates and load-balances tasks for a group of threads that migrate across processors to improve cache performance. In order to balance-load across threads, the MTTM augments a basic map-reduce strategy to draw jobs from a global queue. In a multicore processor, memory may be "homed" to the cache of a specific processor and must be accessed from that processor. The MTTB architecture wraps access to data with thread management to move threads to the home processor for that data so that the computation follows the data in an attempt to avoid L2 cache misses. Cache homing is also handled by a memory manager that translates identifiers to processor IDs where the data will be homed (according to rules defined by the user). The user can also specify the number of threads and processors separately, which is important for tuning performance for different patterns of computation and memory access. MTTM efficiently processes tasks in parallel on a multiprocessor computer. It also provides an interface to make it easier to adapt existing software to a multiprocessor environment.

The trauma film paradigm as an experimental psychopathology model of psychological trauma: intrusive memories and beyond.

PubMed

James, Ella L; Lau-Zhu, Alex; Clark, Ian A; Visser, Renée M; Hagenaars, Muriel A; Holmes, Emily A

2016-07-01

A better understanding of psychological trauma is fundamental to clinical psychology. Following traumatic event(s), a clinically significant number of people develop symptoms, including those of Acute Stress Disorder and/or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The trauma film paradigm offers an experimental psychopathology model to study both exposure and reactions to psychological trauma, including the hallmark symptom of intrusive memories. We reviewed 74 articles that have used this paradigm since the earliest review (Holmes & Bourne, 2008) until July 2014. Highlighting the different stages of trauma processing, i.e. pre-, peri- and post-trauma, the studies are divided according to manipulations before, during and after film viewing, for experimental as well as correlational designs. While the majority of studies focussed on the frequency of intrusive memories, other reactions to trauma were also modelled. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the trauma film paradigm as an experimental psychopathology model of trauma, consider ethical issues, and suggest future directions. By understanding the basic mechanisms underlying trauma symptom development, we can begin to translate findings from the laboratory to the clinic, test innovative science-driven interventions, and in the future reduce the debilitating effects of psychopathology following stressful and/or traumatic events. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allada, Veerendra, Benjegerdes, Troy; Bode, Brett

Commodity clusters augmented with application accelerators are evolving as competitive high performance computing systems. The Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) with a very high arithmetic density and performance per price ratio is a good platform for the scientific application acceleration. In addition to the interconnect bottlenecks among the cluster compute nodes, the cost of memory copies between the host and the GPU device have to be carefully amortized to improve the overall efficiency of the application. Scientific applications also rely on efficient implementation of the BAsic Linear Algebra Subroutines (BLAS), among which the General Matrix Multiply (GEMM) is considered as themore » workhorse subroutine. In this paper, they study the performance of the memory copies and GEMM subroutines that are critical to port the computational chemistry algorithms to the GPU clusters. To that end, a benchmark based on the NetPIPE framework is developed to evaluate the latency and bandwidth of the memory copies between the host and the GPU device. The performance of the single and double precision GEMM subroutines from the NVIDIA CUBLAS 2.0 library are studied. The results have been compared with that of the BLAS routines from the Intel Math Kernel Library (MKL) to understand the computational trade-offs. The test bed is a Intel Xeon cluster equipped with NVIDIA Tesla GPUs.« less

The Relationship between Processing and Storage in Working Memory Span: Not Two Sides of the Same Coin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maehara, Yukio; Saito, Satoru

2007-01-01

In working memory (WM) span tests, participants maintain memory items while performing processing tasks. In this study, we examined the impact of task processing requirements on memory-storage activities, looking at the stimulus order effect and the impact of storage requirements on processing activities, testing the processing time effect in WM…

Fractionation of visuo-spatial memory processes in bipolar depression: a cognitive scaffolding account.

PubMed

Gallagher, P; Gray, J M; Kessels, R P C

2015-02-01

Previous studies of neurocognitive performance in bipolar disorder (BD) have demonstrated impairments in visuo-spatial memory. The aim of the present study was to use an object-location memory (OLM) paradigm to assess specific, dissociable processes in visuo-spatial memory and examine their relationship with broader neurocognitive performance. Fifty participants (25 patients with BD in a current depressive episode and 25 matched healthy controls) completed the OLM paradigm which assessed three different aspects of visuo-spatial memory: positional memory, object-location binding, and a combined process. Secondary neurocognitive measures of visuo-spatial memory, verbal memory, attention and executive function were also administered. BD patients were significantly impaired on all three OLM processes, with the largest effect in exact positional memory (d = 1.18, p < 0.0001). General deficits were also found across the secondary neurocognitive measures. Using hierarchical regression, verbal learning was found to explain significant variance on the OLM measures where object-identity was present (the object-location binding and combined processes) and accounted for the group difference. The group difference in precise positional memory remained intact. This study demonstrates that patients with bipolar depression manifest deficits in visuo-spatial memory, with substantial impairment in fine-grain, positional memory. The differential profile of processes underpinning the visuo-spatial memory impairment suggests a form of 'cognitive scaffolding', whereby performance on some measures can be supported by verbal memory. These results have important implications for our understanding of the functional cognitive architecture of mood disorder.

Expertise for upright faces improves the precision but not the capacity of visual working memory.

PubMed

Lorenc, Elizabeth S; Pratte, Michael S; Angeloni, Christopher F; Tong, Frank

2014-10-01

Considerable research has focused on how basic visual features are maintained in working memory, but little is currently known about the precision or capacity of visual working memory for complex objects. How precisely can an object be remembered, and to what extent might familiarity or perceptual expertise contribute to working memory performance? To address these questions, we developed a set of computer-generated face stimuli that varied continuously along the dimensions of age and gender, and we probed participants' memories using a method-of-adjustment reporting procedure. This paradigm allowed us to separately estimate the precision and capacity of working memory for individual faces, on the basis of the assumptions of a discrete capacity model, and to assess the impact of face inversion on memory performance. We found that observers could maintain up to four to five items on average, with equally good memory capacity for upright and upside-down faces. In contrast, memory precision was significantly impaired by face inversion at every set size tested. Our results demonstrate that the precision of visual working memory for a complex stimulus is not strictly fixed but, instead, can be modified by learning and experience. We find that perceptual expertise for upright faces leads to significant improvements in visual precision, without modifying the capacity of working memory.

Awake, Offline Processing during Associative Learning

PubMed Central

Nestor, Adrian; Tarr, Michael J.; Creswell, J. David

2016-01-01

Offline processing has been shown to strengthen memory traces and enhance learning in the absence of conscious rehearsal or awareness. Here we evaluate whether a brief, two-minute offline processing period can boost associative learning and test a memory reactivation account for these offline processing effects. After encoding paired associates, subjects either completed a distractor task for two minutes or were immediately tested for memory of the pairs in a counterbalanced, within-subjects functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Results showed that brief, awake, offline processing improves memory for associate pairs. Moreover, multi-voxel pattern analysis of the neuroimaging data suggested reactivation of encoded memory representations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during offline processing. These results signify the first demonstration of awake, active, offline enhancement of associative memory and suggest that such enhancement is accompanied by the offline reactivation of encoded memory representations. PMID:27119345

Awake, Offline Processing during Associative Learning.

PubMed

Bursley, James K; Nestor, Adrian; Tarr, Michael J; Creswell, J David

2016-01-01

Offline processing has been shown to strengthen memory traces and enhance learning in the absence of conscious rehearsal or awareness. Here we evaluate whether a brief, two-minute offline processing period can boost associative learning and test a memory reactivation account for these offline processing effects. After encoding paired associates, subjects either completed a distractor task for two minutes or were immediately tested for memory of the pairs in a counterbalanced, within-subjects functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Results showed that brief, awake, offline processing improves memory for associate pairs. Moreover, multi-voxel pattern analysis of the neuroimaging data suggested reactivation of encoded memory representations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during offline processing. These results signify the first demonstration of awake, active, offline enhancement of associative memory and suggest that such enhancement is accompanied by the offline reactivation of encoded memory representations.

Say It to Play It.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarvis, William C.

1980-01-01

Author discusses the importance of vocalization in the development of basic musicianship. He cites studies demonstrating that vocal teaching strategies, such as singing tonal patterns, aids music reading, memory, and instrumental performance. (SJL)

The specificity of the effects of stimulant medication on classroom learning-related measures of cognitive processing for attention deficit disorder children.

PubMed

Balthazor, M J; Wagner, R K; Pelham, W E

1991-02-01

There appear to be beneficial effects of stimulant medication on daily classroom measures of cognitive functioning for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) children, but the specificity and origin of such effects is unclear. Consistent with previous results, 0.3 mg/kg methylphenidate improved ADD children's performance on a classroom reading comprehension measure. Using the Posner letting-matching task and four additional measures of phonological processing, we attempted to isolate the effects of methylphenidate to parameter estimates of (a) selective attention, (b) the basic cognitive process of retrieving name codes from permanent memory, and (c) a constant term that represented nonspecific aspects of information processing. Responses to the letter-matching stimuli were faster and more accurate with medication compared to placebo. The improvement in performance was isolated to the parameter estimate that reflected nonspecific aspects of information processing. A lack of medication effect on the other measures of phonological processing supported the Posner task findings in indicating that methylphenidate appears to exert beneficial effects on academic processing through general rather than specific aspects of information processing.

Near-memory data reorganization engine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gokhale, Maya; Lloyd, G. Scott

A memory subsystem package is provided that has processing logic for data reorganization within the memory subsystem package. The processing logic is adapted to reorganize data stored within the memory subsystem package. In some embodiments, the memory subsystem package includes memory units, a memory interconnect, and a data reorganization engine ("DRE"). The data reorganization engine includes a stream interconnect and DRE units including a control processor and a load-store unit. The control processor is adapted to execute instructions to control a data reorganization. The load-store unit is adapted to process data move commands received from the control processor via themore » stream interconnect for loading data from a load memory address of a memory unit and storing data to a store memory address of a memory unit.« less

Memory. Engram cells retain memory under retrograde amnesia.

PubMed

Ryan, Tomás J; Roy, Dheeraj S; Pignatelli, Michele; Arons, Autumn; Tonegawa, Susumu

2015-05-29

Memory consolidation is the process by which a newly formed and unstable memory transforms into a stable long-term memory. It is unknown whether the process of memory consolidation occurs exclusively through the stabilization of memory engrams. By using learning-dependent cell labeling, we identified an increase of synaptic strength and dendritic spine density specifically in consolidated memory engram cells. Although these properties are lacking in engram cells under protein synthesis inhibitor-induced amnesia, direct optogenetic activation of these cells results in memory retrieval, and this correlates with retained engram cell-specific connectivity. We propose that a specific pattern of connectivity of engram cells may be crucial for memory information storage and that strengthened synapses in these cells critically contribute to the memory retrieval process. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

MEMORY MODULATION

PubMed Central

Roozendaal, Benno; McGaugh, James L.

2011-01-01

Our memories are not all created equally strong: Some experiences are well remembered while others are remembered poorly, if at all. Research on memory modulation investigates the neurobiological processes and systems that contribute to such differences in the strength of our memories. Extensive evidence from both animal and human research indicates that emotionally significant experiences activate hormonal and brain systems that regulate the consolidation of newly acquired memories. These effects are integrated through noradrenergic activation of the basolateral amygdala which regulates memory consolidation via interactions with many other brain regions involved in consolidating memories of recent experiences. Modulatory systems not only influence neurobiological processes underlying the consolidation of new information, but also affect other mnemonic processes, including memory extinction, memory recall and working memory. In contrast to their enhancing effects on consolidation, adrenal stress hormones impair memory retrieval and working memory. Such effects, as with memory consolidation, require noradrenergic activation of the basolateral amygdala and interactions with other brain regions. PMID:22122145

Processing and memory for emotional and neutral material in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

PubMed Central

Cuddy, Marion; Papps, Benjamin J.; Thambisetty, Madhav; Leigh, P. Nigel; Goldstein, Laura H.

2018-01-01

Several studies have reported changes in emotional memory and processing in people with ALS (pwALS). In this study, we sought to analyse differences in emotional processing and memory between pwALS and healthy controls and to investigate the relationship between emotional memory and self-reported depression. Nineteen pwALS and 19 healthy controls were assessed on measures of emotional processing, emotional memory, verbal memory and depression. Although pwALS and controls did not differ significantly on measures of emotional memory, a subgroup of patients performed poorly on an emotional recognition task. With regard to emotional processing, pwALS gave significantly stronger ratings of emotional valence to positive words than to negative words. Higher ratings of emotional words were associated with better recall in controls but not pwALS. Self-reported depression and emotional processing or memory variables were not associated in either group. In conclusion, the results from this small study suggest that a subgroup of pwALS may show weakened ‘emotional enhancement’, although in the current sample this may reflect general memory impairment rather than specific changes in emotional memory. Nonetheless, different patterns of processing of emotionally-salient material by pwALS may have care and management-related implications. PMID:22873560

A Positive Generation Effect on Memory for Auditory Context.

PubMed

Overman, Amy A; Richard, Alison G; Stephens, Joseph D W

2017-06-01

Self-generation of information during memory encoding has large positive effects on subsequent memory for items, but mixed effects on memory for contextual information associated with items. A processing account of generation effects on context memory (Mulligan in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 30(4), 838-855, 2004; Mulligan, Lozito, & Rosner in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 32(4), 836-846, 2006) proposes that these effects depend on whether the generation task causes any shift in processing of the type of context features for which memory is being tested. Mulligan and colleagues have used this account to predict various negative effects of generation on context memory, but the account also predicts positive generation effects under certain circumstances. The present experiment provided a critical test of the processing account by examining how generation affected memory for auditory rather than visual context. Based on the processing account, we predicted that generation of rhyme words should enhance processing of auditory information associated with the words (i.e., voice gender), whereas generation of antonym words should have no effect. These predictions were confirmed, providing support to the processing account.

Improving Memory Error Handling Using Linux

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlton, Michael Andrew; Blanchard, Sean P.; Debardeleben, Nathan A.

As supercomputers continue to get faster and more powerful in the future, they will also have more nodes. If nothing is done, then the amount of memory in supercomputer clusters will soon grow large enough that memory failures will be unmanageable to deal with by manually replacing memory DIMMs. "Improving Memory Error Handling Using Linux" is a process oriented method to solve this problem by using the Linux kernel to disable (offline) faulty memory pages containing bad addresses, preventing them from being used again by a process. The process of offlining memory pages simplifies error handling and results in reducingmore » both hardware and manpower costs required to run Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) clusters. This process will be necessary for the future of supercomputing to allow the development of exascale computers. It will not be feasible without memory error handling to manually replace the number of DIMMs that will fail daily on a machine consisting of 32-128 petabytes of memory. Testing reveals the process of offlining memory pages works and is relatively simple to use. As more and more testing is conducted, the entire process will be automated within the high-performance computing (HPC) monitoring software, Zenoss, at LANL.« less

Synthesizing a novel genetic sequential logic circuit: a push-on push-off switch

PubMed Central

Lou, Chunbo; Liu, Xili; Ni, Ming; Huang, Yiqi; Huang, Qiushi; Huang, Longwen; Jiang, Lingli; Lu, Dan; Wang, Mingcong; Liu, Chang; Chen, Daizhuo; Chen, Chongyi; Chen, Xiaoyue; Yang, Le; Ma, Haisu; Chen, Jianguo; Ouyang, Qi

2010-01-01

Design and synthesis of basic functional circuits are the fundamental tasks of synthetic biologists. Before it is possible to engineer higher-order genetic networks that can perform complex functions, a toolkit of basic devices must be developed. Among those devices, sequential logic circuits are expected to be the foundation of the genetic information-processing systems. In this study, we report the design and construction of a genetic sequential logic circuit in Escherichia coli. It can generate different outputs in response to the same input signal on the basis of its internal state, and ‘memorize' the output. The circuit is composed of two parts: (1) a bistable switch memory module and (2) a double-repressed promoter NOR gate module. The two modules were individually rationally designed, and they were coupled together by fine-tuning the interconnecting parts through directed evolution. After fine-tuning, the circuit could be repeatedly, alternatively triggered by the same input signal; it functions as a push-on push-off switch. PMID:20212522

Synthesizing a novel genetic sequential logic circuit: a push-on push-off switch.

PubMed

Lou, Chunbo; Liu, Xili; Ni, Ming; Huang, Yiqi; Huang, Qiushi; Huang, Longwen; Jiang, Lingli; Lu, Dan; Wang, Mingcong; Liu, Chang; Chen, Daizhuo; Chen, Chongyi; Chen, Xiaoyue; Yang, Le; Ma, Haisu; Chen, Jianguo; Ouyang, Qi

2010-01-01

Design and synthesis of basic functional circuits are the fundamental tasks of synthetic biologists. Before it is possible to engineer higher-order genetic networks that can perform complex functions, a toolkit of basic devices must be developed. Among those devices, sequential logic circuits are expected to be the foundation of the genetic information-processing systems. In this study, we report the design and construction of a genetic sequential logic circuit in Escherichia coli. It can generate different outputs in response to the same input signal on the basis of its internal state, and 'memorize' the output. The circuit is composed of two parts: (1) a bistable switch memory module and (2) a double-repressed promoter NOR gate module. The two modules were individually rationally designed, and they were coupled together by fine-tuning the interconnecting parts through directed evolution. After fine-tuning, the circuit could be repeatedly, alternatively triggered by the same input signal; it functions as a push-on push-off switch.

Initiating Young Children into Basic Astronomical Concepts and Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallery, M.

2010-07-01

In the present study we developed and implemented three units of activities aiming at acquainting very young children with basic astronomical concepts and phenomena such as the sphericity of the earth, the earth’s movements and the day/night cycle. The activities were developed by a group composed of a researcher/facilitator and six early-years teachers. In the activities children were presented with appropriate for their age scientific information along with conceptual tools such as a globe and an instructional video. Action research processes were used to optimize classroom practices and to gather useful information for the final shaping of the activities and the instruction materials. In these activities the adopted approach to learning can be characterized as socially constructed. The results indicated awareness of concepts and phenomena that the activities dealt with in high percentages of children, storage of the new knowledge in the long term memory and easy retrieval of it, and children’s enthusiasm for the subject.

Similarities and Differences between Working Memory and Long-Term Memory: Evidence from the Levels-of-Processing Span Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Nathan S.; Myerson, Joel; Roediger, Henry L., III; Hale, Sandra

2010-01-01

Two experiments compared the effects of depth of processing on working memory (WM) and long-term memory (LTM) using a levels-of-processing (LOP) span task, a newly developed WM span procedure that involves processing to-be-remembered words based on their visual, phonological, or semantic characteristics. Depth of processing had minimal effect on…

Neurophysiological evidence for transfer appropriate processing of memory: processing versus feature similarity.

PubMed

Schendan, Haune E; Kutas, Malra

2007-08-01

Transfer appropriate processing (TAP) accounts propose that memory is a function of the degree to which the same neural processes transfer appropriately from the study experience to the memory test. However, in prior research, study and test stimuli were often similar physically. In two experiments, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded to fragmented objects during an indirect memory test to isolate transfer of a specific perceptual process from overlap of physical features between experiences. An occipitotemporoparietal P2(00) at 200 msec showed implicit memory effects only when similar perceptual grouping processes of good continuation were repeatedly engaged-despite physical feature differences--as TAP accounts hypothesize. This result provides direct neurophysiological evidence for the critical role of process transfer across experiences for memory.

Evaluation methodology for comparing memory and communication of analytic processes in visual analytics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ragan, Eric D; Goodall, John R

2014-01-01

Provenance tools can help capture and represent the history of analytic processes. In addition to supporting analytic performance, provenance tools can be used to support memory of the process and communication of the steps to others. Objective evaluation methods are needed to evaluate how well provenance tools support analyst s memory and communication of analytic processes. In this paper, we present several methods for the evaluation of process memory, and we discuss the advantages and limitations of each. We discuss methods for determining a baseline process for comparison, and we describe various methods that can be used to elicit processmore » recall, step ordering, and time estimations. Additionally, we discuss methods for conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of process memory. By organizing possible memory evaluation methods and providing a meta-analysis of the potential benefits and drawbacks of different approaches, this paper can inform study design and encourage objective evaluation of process memory and communication.« less

Differentiating location- and distance-based processes in memory for time: an ERP study.

PubMed

Curran, Tim; Friedman, William J

2003-09-01

Memory for the time of events may benefit from reconstructive, location-based, and distance-based processes, but these processes are difficult to dissociate with behavioral methods. Neuropsychological research has emphasized the contribution of prefrontal brain mechanisms to memory for time but has not clearly differentiated location- from distance-based processing. The present experiment recorded event-related brain potentials (ERPs) while subjects completed two different temporal memory tests, designed to emphasize either location- or distance-based processing. The subjects' reports of location-based versus distance-based strategies and the reaction time pattern validated our experimental manipulation. Late (800-1,800 msec) frontal ERP effects were related to location-based processing. The results provide support for a two-process theory of memory for time and suggest that frontal memory mechanisms are specifically related to reconstructive, location-based processing.

Epigenetic regulation and chromatin remodeling in learning and memory.

PubMed

Kim, Somi; Kaang, Bong-Kiun

2017-01-13

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of memory formation and maintenance has been a major goal in the field of neuroscience. Memory formation and maintenance are tightly controlled complex processes. Among the various processes occurring at different levels, gene expression regulation is especially crucial for proper memory processing, as some genes need to be activated while some genes must be suppressed. Epigenetic regulation of the genome involves processes such as DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications. These processes edit genomic properties or the interactions between the genome and histone cores. They then induce structural changes in the chromatin and lead to transcriptional changes of different genes. Recent studies have focused on the concept of chromatin remodeling, which consists of 3D structural changes in chromatin in relation to gene regulation, and is an important process in learning and memory. In this review, we will introduce three major epigenetic processes involved in memory regulation: DNA methylation, histone methylation and histone acetylation. We will also discuss general mechanisms of long-term memory storage and relate the epigenetic control of learning and memory to chromatin remodeling. Finally, we will discuss how epigenetic mechanisms can contribute to the pathologies of neurological disorders and cause memory-related symptoms.

Memory expression is independent of memory labilization/reconsolidation.

PubMed

Barreiro, Karina A; Suárez, Luis D; Lynch, Victoria M; Molina, Víctor A; Delorenzi, Alejandro

2013-11-01

There is growing evidence that certain reactivation conditions restrict the onset of both the destabilization phase and the restabilization process or reconsolidation. However, it is not yet clear how changes in memory expression during the retrieval experience can influence the emergence of the labilization/reconsolidation process. To address this issue, we used the context-signal memory model of Chasmagnathus. In this paradigm a short reminder that does not include reinforcement allows us to evaluate memory labilization and reconsolidation, whereas a short but reinforced reminder restricts the onset of such a process. The current study investigated the effects of the glutamate antagonists, APV (0.6 or 1.5 μg/g) and CNQX (1 μg/g), prior to the reminder session on both behavioral expression and the reconsolidation process. Under conditions where the reminder does not initiate the labilization/reconsolidation process, APV prevented memory expression without affecting long-term memory retention. In contrast, APV induced amnesic effects in the long-term when administered before a reminder session that triggers reconsolidation. Under the present parametric conditions, the administration of CNQX prior to the reminder that allows memory to enter reconsolidation impairs this process without disrupting memory expression. Overall, the present findings suggest that memory reactivation--but not memory expression--is necessary for labilization and reconsolidation. Retrieval and memory expression therefore appear not to be interchangeable concepts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Updating Procedures Can Reorganize the Neural Circuit Supporting a Fear Memory.

PubMed

Kwapis, Janine L; Jarome, Timothy J; Ferrara, Nicole C; Helmstetter, Fred J

2017-07-01

Established memories undergo a period of vulnerability following retrieval, a process termed 'reconsolidation.' Recent work has shown that the hypothetical process of reconsolidation is only triggered when new information is presented during retrieval, suggesting that this process may allow existing memories to be modified. Reconsolidation has received increasing attention as a possible therapeutic target for treating disorders that stem from traumatic memories, yet little is known about how this process changes the original memory. In particular, it is unknown whether reconsolidation can reorganize the neural circuit supporting an existing memory after that memory is modified with new information. Here, we show that trace fear memory undergoes a protein synthesis-dependent reconsolidation process following exposure to a single updating trial of delay conditioning. Further, this reconsolidation-dependent updating process appears to reorganize the neural circuit supporting the trace-trained memory, so that it better reflects the circuit supporting delay fear. Specifically, after a trace-to-delay update session, the amygdala is now required for extinction of the updated memory but the retrosplenial cortex is no longer required for retrieval. These results suggest that updating procedures could be used to force a complex, poorly defined memory circuit to rely on a better-defined neural circuit that may be more amenable to behavioral or pharmacological manipulation. This is the first evidence that exposure to new information can fundamentally reorganize the neural circuit supporting an existing memory.

A Positive Generation Effect on Memory for Auditory Context

PubMed Central

Overman, Amy A.; Richard, Alison G.; Stephens, Joseph D. W.

2016-01-01

Self-generation of information during memory encoding has large positive effects on subsequent memory for items, but mixed effects on memory for contextual information associated with items. A processing account of generation effects on context memory (Mulligan, 2004; Mulligan, Lozito, & Rosner, 2006) proposes that these effects depend on whether the generation task causes any shift in processing of the type of context features for which memory is being tested. Mulligan and colleagues have used this account to predict various negative effects of generation on context memory, but the account also predicts positive generation effects under certain circumstances. The present experiment provided a critical test of the processing account by examining how generation affected memory for auditory rather than visual context. Based on the processing account, we predicted that generation of rhyme words should enhance processing of auditory information associated with the words (i.e., voice gender) whereas generation of antonym words should have no effect. These predictions were confirmed, providing support to the processing account. PMID:27696145

Transfer of Old ‘Reactivated’ Memory Retrieval Cues in Rats

PubMed Central

Briggs, James F.; Riccio, David C.

2008-01-01

The present studies examined whether the retrieval of an old ‘reactivated’ memory could be brought under the control of new contextual cues. In Experiment 1 rats trained in one context were exposed to different contextual cues either immediately, 60 min, or 120 min after a cued reactivation of the training memory. When tested in the shifted context, subjects exposed shortly after reactivation treated the shifted context as the original context. This transfer diminished with longer post-reactivation delays. Experiment 2 replicated the basic finding and demonstrated that the transfer of the old retrieval cues was specific to the contextual cues present during exposure. These findings are consistent with previous research (i.e., Briggs, Fitz, & Riccio, in press) showing the transfer of retrieval cues for a new memory, and demonstrating a similarity (in this case) between newly acquired and old reactivated memories. PMID:19190707

Parameter optimization for transitions between memory states in small arrays of Josephson junctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rezac, Jacob D.; Imam, Neena; Braiman, Yehuda

Coupled arrays of Josephson junctions possess multiple stable zero voltage states. Such states can store information and consequently can be utilized for cryogenic memory applications. Basic memory operations can be implemented by sending a pulse to one of the junctions and studying transitions between the states. In order to be suitable for memory operations, such transitions between the states have to be fast and energy efficient. Here in this article we employed simulated annealing, a stochastic optimization algorithm, to study parameter optimization of array parameters which minimizes times and energies of transitions between specifically chosen states that can be utilizedmore » for memory operations (Read, Write, and Reset). Simulation results show that such transitions occur with access times on the order of 10–100 ps and access energies on the order of 10 -19–5×10 -18 J. Numerical simulations are validated with approximate analytical results.« less

Extreme Quantum Memory Advantage for Rare-Event Sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghamohammadi, Cina; Loomis, Samuel P.; Mahoney, John R.; Crutchfield, James P.

2018-02-01

We introduce a quantum algorithm for memory-efficient biased sampling of rare events generated by classical memoryful stochastic processes. Two efficiency metrics are used to compare quantum and classical resources for rare-event sampling. For a fixed stochastic process, the first is the classical-to-quantum ratio of required memory. We show for two example processes that there exists an infinite number of rare-event classes for which the memory ratio for sampling is larger than r , for any large real number r . Then, for a sequence of processes each labeled by an integer size N , we compare how the classical and quantum required memories scale with N . In this setting, since both memories can diverge as N →∞ , the efficiency metric tracks how fast they diverge. An extreme quantum memory advantage exists when the classical memory diverges in the limit N →∞ , but the quantum memory has a finite bound. We then show that finite-state Markov processes and spin chains exhibit memory advantage for sampling of almost all of their rare-event classes.

A shared resource between declarative memory and motor memory.

PubMed

Keisler, Aysha; Shadmehr, Reza

2010-11-03

The neural systems that support motor adaptation in humans are thought to be distinct from those that support the declarative system. Yet, during motor adaptation changes in motor commands are supported by a fast adaptive process that has important properties (rapid learning, fast decay) that are usually associated with the declarative system. The fast process can be contrasted to a slow adaptive process that also supports motor memory, but learns gradually and shows resistance to forgetting. Here we show that after people stop performing a motor task, the fast motor memory can be disrupted by a task that engages declarative memory, but the slow motor memory is immune from this interference. Furthermore, we find that the fast/declarative component plays a major role in the consolidation of the slow motor memory. Because of the competitive nature of declarative and nondeclarative memory during consolidation, impairment of the fast/declarative component leads to improvements in the slow/nondeclarative component. Therefore, the fast process that supports formation of motor memory is not only neurally distinct from the slow process, but it shares critical resources with the declarative memory system.

A shared resource between declarative memory and motor memory

PubMed Central

Keisler, Aysha; Shadmehr, Reza

2010-01-01

The neural systems that support motor adaptation in humans are thought to be distinct from those that support the declarative system. Yet, during motor adaptation changes in motor commands are supported by a fast adaptive process that has important properties (rapid learning, fast decay) that are usually associated with the declarative system. The fast process can be contrasted to a slow adaptive process that also supports motor memory, but learns gradually and shows resistance to forgetting. Here we show that after people stop performing a motor task, the fast motor memory can be disrupted by a task that engages declarative memory, but the slow motor memory is immune from this interference. Furthermore, we find that the fast/declarative component plays a major role in the consolidation of the slow motor memory. Because of the competitive nature of declarative and non-declarative memory during consolidation, impairment of the fast/declarative component leads to improvements in the slow/non-declarative component. Therefore, the fast process that supports formation of motor memory is not only neurally distinct from the slow process, but it shares critical resources with the declarative memory system. PMID:21048140

Do neuropsychological test norms from African Americans in the United States generalize to a Zambian population?

PubMed

Hestad, Knut A; Menon, J Anitha; Serpell, Robert; Kalungwana, Lisa; Mwaba, Sidney O C; Kabuba, Norma; Franklin, Donald R; Umlauf, Anya; Letendre, Scott; Heaton, Robert K

2016-01-01

Healthy Zambian adults (N = 324) were evaluated to determine to what degree a Western neuropsychological (NP) test battery, with African American norms adjusted for age, gender, and education could be used in healthy Zambians, including 157 men (48.46%) and 167 women (51.54%) with an average age of 38.48 (SD = 12.80) years and an average education level of 11.02 (SD = 2.58) years. The NP battery included tests of attention/working memory, executive function, verbal fluency, processing speed, verbal and visual episodic memory, and fine motor skills. The Zambian Achievement Test (ZAT) and the U.S. Wide Range Achievement Test-4 (WRAT-4) reading subtest also were administered to assess literacy and quality of education. Similar to findings in Western countries, the Zambian results show substantial age and education effects on most tests and smaller, less consistent effects of gender. Beyond the basic demographic effects, urban/rural background had small effects on some cognitive variables, and the ZAT (but not WRAT-4) reading level was a robust predictor of performance on many NP tests, even when other background characteristics were controlled. Women in the United States tend to outperform men on tests of processing speed and episodic memory. However, Zambian women showed modest but statistically significant disadvantages versus their male counterparts. The results show that tests developed in the United States may be used in Zambia. Nevertheless, development and use of local cultural norms remains very important and is a must. New demographically corrected norms were developed for the cohort that was examined. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Object-based benefits without object-based representations.

PubMed

Fougnie, Daryl; Cormiea, Sarah M; Alvarez, George A

2013-08-01

Influential theories of visual working memory have proposed that the basic units of memory are integrated object representations. Key support for this proposal is provided by the same object benefit: It is easier to remember multiple features of a single object than the same set of features distributed across multiple objects. Here, we replicate the object benefit but demonstrate that features are not stored as single, integrated representations. Specifically, participants could remember 10 features better when arranged in 5 objects compared to 10 objects, yet memory for one object feature was largely independent of memory for the other object feature. These results rule out the possibility that integrated representations drive the object benefit and require a revision of the concept of object-based memory representations. We propose that working memory is object-based in regard to the factors that enhance performance but feature based in regard to the level of representational failure. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

SpaceCube 2.0: An Advanced Hybrid Onboard Data Processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Michael; Flatley, Thomas; Godfrey, John; Geist, Alessandro; Espinosa, Daniel; Petrick, David

2011-01-01

The SpaceCube 2.0 is a compact, high performance, low-power onboard processing system that takes advantage of cutting-edge hybrid (CPU/FPGA/DSP) processing elements. The SpaceCube 2.0 design concept includes two commercial Virtex-5 field-programmable gate array (FPGA) parts protected by gradiation hardened by software" technology, and possesses exceptional size, weight, and power characteristics [5x5x7 in., 3.5 lb (approximately equal to 12.7 x 12.7 x 17.8 cm, 1.6 kg) 5-25 W, depending on the application fs required clock rate]. The two Virtex-5 FPGA parts are implemented in a unique back-toback configuration to maximize data transfer and computing performance. Draft computing power specifications for the SpaceCube 2.0 unit include four PowerPC 440s (1100 DMIPS each), 500+ DSP48Es (2x580 GMACS), 100+ LVDS high-speed serial I/Os (1.25 Gbps each), and 2x190 GFLOPS single-precision (65 GFLOPS double-precision) floating point performance. The SpaceCube 2.0 includes PROM memory for CPU boot, health and safety, and basic command and telemetry functionality; RAM memory for program execution; and FLASH/EEPROM memory to store algorithms and application code for the CPU, FPGA, and DSP processing elements. Program execution can be reconfigured in real time and algorithms can be updated, modified, and/or replaced at any point during the mission. Gigabit Ethernet, Spacewire, SATA and highspeed LVDS serial/parallel I/O channels are available for instrument/sensor data ingest, and mission-unique instrument interfaces can be accommodated using a compact PCI (cPCI) expansion card interface. The SpaceCube 2.0 can be utilized in NASA Earth Science, Helio/Astrophysics and Exploration missions, and Department of Defense satellites for onboard data processing. It can also be used in commercial communication and mapping satellites.

The Metamemory Approach to Confidence: A Test Using Semantic Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, William F.; Sampaio, Cristina

2012-01-01

The metamemory approach to memory confidence was extended and elaborated to deal with semantic memory tasks. The metamemory approach assumes that memory confidence is based on the products and processes of a completed memory task, as well as metamemory beliefs that individuals have about how their memory products and processes relate to memory…

The influence of levels of processing on recall from working memory and delayed recall tasks.

PubMed

Loaiza, Vanessa M; McCabe, David P; Youngblood, Jessie L; Rose, Nathan S; Myerson, Joel

2011-09-01

Recent research in working memory has highlighted the similarities involved in retrieval from complex span tasks and episodic memory tasks, suggesting that these tasks are influenced by similar memory processes. In the present article, the authors manipulated the level of processing engaged when studying to-be-remembered words during a reading span task (Experiment 1) and an operation span task (Experiment 2) in order to assess the role of retrieval from secondary memory during complex span tasks. Immediate recall from both span tasks was greater for items studied under deep processing instructions compared with items studied under shallow processing instructions regardless of trial length. Recall was better for deep than for shallow levels of processing on delayed recall tests as well. These data are consistent with the primary-secondary memory framework, which suggests that to-be-remembered items are displaced from primary memory (i.e., the focus of attention) during the processing phases of complex span tasks and therefore must be retrieved from secondary memory. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

A review of visual memory capacity: Beyond individual items and towards structured representations

PubMed Central

Brady, Timothy F.; Konkle, Talia; Alvarez, George A.

2012-01-01

Traditional memory research has focused on identifying separate memory systems and exploring different stages of memory processing. This approach has been valuable for establishing a taxonomy of memory systems and characterizing their function, but has been less informative about the nature of stored memory representations. Recent research on visual memory has shifted towards a representation-based emphasis, focusing on the contents of memory, and attempting to determine the format and structure of remembered information. The main thesis of this review will be that one cannot fully understand memory systems or memory processes without also determining the nature of memory representations. Nowhere is this connection more obvious than in research that attempts to measure the capacity of visual memory. We will review research on the capacity of visual working memory and visual long-term memory, highlighting recent work that emphasizes the contents of memory. This focus impacts not only how we estimate the capacity of the system - going beyond quantifying how many items can be remembered, and moving towards structured representations - but how we model memory systems and memory processes. PMID:21617025

Assessment of learning, memory and attention in developmental neurotoxicity regulatory studies: Introduction.

PubMed

Makris, Susan L; Vorhees, Charles V

2015-01-01

There are a variety of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, that alter neurobehavior following developmental exposure and guidelines for the conduct of studies to detect such effects by statute in the United States and Europe. Guidelines for Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing (DNT) studies issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under prevailing law and European Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recommendations to member countries provide that such studies include a series of neurobehavioral and neuropathological assessments. Among these are assessment of cognitive function, specifically learning and memory. After reviewing 69 DNT studies submitted to the EPA, tests of learning and memory were noted to have detected the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAELs) less frequently than behavioral tests of locomotor activity and acoustic/auditory startle, but slightly more than for the developmental Functional Observational Battery (devFOB; which is less extensive than the full FOB), but the reasons for the lower LOAEL detection rate for learning and memory assessment could not be determined. A major concern identified in the review, however, was the adequacy of the methods employed in these studies rather than on the importance of learning and memory to the proper assessment of brain function. Accordingly, a symposium was conducted to consider how the guidelines for tests of learning and memory might be improved. Four laboratories with established histories investigating the effects of chemical exposures during development on learning, memory, and attention, were invited to review the topic and offer recommendations, both theoretical and practical, on approaches to improve the assessment of these vital CNS functions. Reviewers were asked to recommend methods that are grounded in functional importance to CNS integrity, well-validated, reliable, and amenable to the context of regulatory studies as well as to basic research on the underlying processes they measure. This Introduction sets the stage for the reviews by providing the background and regulatory context for improved tests for learning and memory in DNT and other regulatory studies, such as single- or multi-generational studies where similar methods are incorporated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implicit memory in music and language.

PubMed

Ettlinger, Marc; Margulis, Elizabeth H; Wong, Patrick C M

2011-01-01

Research on music and language in recent decades has focused on their overlapping neurophysiological, perceptual, and cognitive underpinnings, ranging from the mechanism for encoding basic auditory cues to the mechanism for detecting violations in phrase structure. These overlaps have most often been identified in musicians with musical knowledge that was acquired explicitly, through formal training. In this paper, we review independent bodies of work in music and language that suggest an important role for implicitly acquired knowledge, implicit memory, and their associated neural structures in the acquisition of linguistic or musical grammar. These findings motivate potential new work that examines music and language comparatively in the context of the implicit memory system.

Disinhibition, an emerging pharmacology of learning and memory.

PubMed

Möhler, Hanns; Rudolph, Uwe

2017-01-01

Learning and memory are dependent on interactive excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms. In this review, we discuss a mechanism called disinhibition, which is the release of an inhibitory constraint that effectively results in an increased activity in the target neurons (for example, principal or projection neurons). We focus on discussing the role of disinhibition in learning and memory at a basic level and in disease models with cognitive deficits and highlight a strategy to reverse cognitive deficits caused by excess inhibition, through disinhibition of α5-containing GABA A receptors mediating tonic inhibition in the hippocampus, based on subtype-selective negative allosteric modulators as a novel class of drugs.

Likelihood ratio decisions in memory: three implied regularities.

PubMed

Glanzer, Murray; Hilford, Andrew; Maloney, Laurence T

2009-06-01

We analyze four general signal detection models for recognition memory that differ in their distributional assumptions. Our analyses show that a basic assumption of signal detection theory, the likelihood ratio decision axis, implies three regularities in recognition memory: (1) the mirror effect, (2) the variance effect, and (3) the z-ROC length effect. For each model, we present the equations that produce the three regularities and show, in computed examples, how they do so. We then show that the regularities appear in data from a range of recognition studies. The analyses and data in our study support the following generalization: Individuals make efficient recognition decisions on the basis of likelihood ratios.