Cognitive Architectures for Multimedia Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Stephen K.

2006-01-01

This article provides a tutorial overview of cognitive architectures that can form a theoretical foundation for designing multimedia instruction. Cognitive architectures include a description of memory stores, memory codes, and cognitive operations. Architectures that are relevant to multimedia learning include Paivio's dual coding theory,…

The Ontogeny of Learned Inhibition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Heidi C.; Bucci, David J.

2014-01-01

Previous studies have examined the maturation of learning and memory abilities during early stages of development. By comparison, much less is known about the ontogeny of learning and memory during later stages of development, including adolescence. In Experiment 1, we tested the ability of adolescent and adult rats to learn a Pavlovian negative…

Learning and Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gr ver Aukrust, Vibeke, Ed.

2011-01-01

This collection of 58 articles from the recently-published third edition of the International Encyclopedia of Education focuses on learning, memory, attention, problem solving, concept formation, and language. Learning and cognition is the foundation of cognitive psychology and encompasses many topics including attention, memory, categorization,…

Working memory and reward association learning impairments in obesity.

PubMed

Coppin, Géraldine; Nolan-Poupart, Sarah; Jones-Gotman, Marilyn; Small, Dana M

2014-12-01

Obesity has been associated with impaired executive functions including working memory. Less explored is the influence of obesity on learning and memory. In the current study we assessed stimulus reward association learning, explicit learning and memory and working memory in healthy weight, overweight and obese individuals. Explicit learning and memory did not differ as a function of group. In contrast, working memory was significantly and similarly impaired in both overweight and obese individuals compared to the healthy weight group. In the first reward association learning task the obese, but not healthy weight or overweight participants consistently formed paradoxical preferences for a pattern associated with a negative outcome (fewer food rewards). To determine if the deficit was specific to food reward a second experiment was conducted using money. Consistent with Experiment 1, obese individuals selected the pattern associated with a negative outcome (fewer monetary rewards) more frequently than healthy weight individuals and thus failed to develop a significant preference for the most rewarded patterns as was observed in the healthy weight group. Finally, on a probabilistic learning task, obese compared to healthy weight individuals showed deficits in negative, but not positive outcome learning. Taken together, our results demonstrate deficits in working memory and stimulus reward learning in obesity and suggest that obese individuals are impaired in learning to avoid negative outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning and serial effects on verbal memory in mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Campos-Magdaleno, María; Díaz-Bóveda, Rosalía; Juncos-Rabadán, Onésimo; Facal, David; Pereiro, Arturo X

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine different patterns of learning and episodic memory in 3 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) groups and a control group by administering the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and using serial position effect as a principal variable. The study sample included 3 groups of patients with MCI (n = 90) divided into single-domain amnestic, multiple-domain amnestic, and multiple-domain nonamnestic MCI and a group of healthy controls (n = 60). We compared the performance of each group on several CVLT measures used in previous research, and we included a new measure that provides specific information about the serial effect. Data showed a similar pattern of learning and memory impairment in both amnestic MCI groups (i.e., no differences between the multiple-domain and single-domain subtypes); the recency effect was significantly higher in both amnestic MCI groups than in all other groups, and the primacy effect was only lower in the multiple-domain amnestic MCI subtype. Verbal learning and memory profiles of patients with amnestic MCI were very similar, independent of the presence of deficits in cognitive domains other than episodic memory. Results are discussed in light of the unitary-store model of memory.

Focalised stimulation using high definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to investigate declarative verbal learning and memory functioning.

PubMed

Nikolin, Stevan; Loo, Colleen K; Bai, Siwei; Dokos, Socrates; Martin, Donel M

2015-08-15

Declarative verbal learning and memory are known to be lateralised to the dominant hemisphere and to be subserved by a network of structures, including those located in frontal and temporal regions. These structures support critical components of verbal memory, including working memory, encoding, and retrieval. Their relative functional importance in facilitating declarative verbal learning and memory, however, remains unclear. To investigate the different functional roles of these structures in subserving declarative verbal learning and memory performance by applying a more focal form of transcranial direct current stimulation, "High Definition tDCS" (HD-tDCS). Additionally, we sought to examine HD-tDCS effects and electrical field intensity distributions using computer modelling. HD-tDCS was administered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC), planum temporale (PT), and left medial temporal lobe (LMTL) to stimulate the hippocampus, during learning on a declarative verbal memory task. Sixteen healthy participants completed a single blind, intra-individual cross-over, sham-controlled study which used a Latin Square experimental design. Cognitive effects on working memory and sustained attention were additionally examined. HD-tDCS to the LDLPFC significantly improved the rate of verbal learning (p=0.03, η(2)=0.29) and speed of responding during working memory performance (p=0.02, η(2)=0.35), but not accuracy (p=0.12, η(2)=0.16). No effect of tDCS on verbal learning, retention, or retrieval was found for stimulation targeted to the LMTL or the PT. Secondary analyses revealed that LMTL stimulation resulted in increased recency (p=0.02, η(2)=0.31) and reduced mid-list learning effects (p=0.01, η(2)=0.39), suggesting an inhibitory effect on learning. HD-tDCS to the LDLPFC facilitates the rate of verbal learning and improved efficiency of working memory may underlie performance effects. This focal method of administrating tDCS has potential for probing and enhancing cognitive functioning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interfering with theories of sleep and memory: sleep, declarative memory, and associative interference.

PubMed

Ellenbogen, Jeffrey M; Hulbert, Justin C; Stickgold, Robert; Dinges, David F; Thompson-Schill, Sharon L

2006-07-11

Mounting behavioral evidence in humans supports the claim that sleep leads to improvements in recently acquired, nondeclarative memories. Examples include motor-sequence learning; visual-discrimination learning; and perceptual learning of a synthetic language. In contrast, there are limited human data supporting a benefit of sleep for declarative (hippocampus-mediated) memory in humans (for review, see). This is particularly surprising given that animal models (e.g.,) and neuroimaging studies (e.g.,) predict that sleep facilitates hippocampus-based memory consolidation. We hypothesized that we could unmask the benefits of sleep by challenging the declarative memory system with competing information (interference). This is the first study to demonstrate that sleep protects declarative memories from subsequent associative interference, and it has important implications for understanding the neurobiology of memory consolidation.

Sleep stages, memory and learning.

PubMed Central

Dotto, L

1996-01-01

Learning and memory can be impaired by sleep loss during specific vulnerable "windows" for several days after new tasks have been learned. Different types of tasks are differentially vulnerable to the loss of different stages of sleep. Memory required to perform cognitive procedural tasks is affected by the loss of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep on the first night after learning occurs and again on the third night after learning. REM-sleep deprivation on the second night after learning does not produce memory deficits. Declarative memory, which is used for the recall of specific facts, is not similarly affected by REM-sleep loss. The learning of procedural motor tasks, including those required in many sports, is impaired by the loss of stage 2 sleep, which occurs primarily in the early hours of the morning. These findings have implications for the academic and athletic performance of students and for anyone whose work involves ongoing learning and demands high standards of performance. Images p1194-a PMID:8612256

Imaging evidence for disturbances in multiple learning and memory systems in persons with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Goh, Suzanne; Peterson, Bradley S

2012-03-01

The aim of this article is to review neuroimaging studies of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that examine declarative, socio-emotional, and procedural learning and memory systems. We conducted a search of PubMed from 1996 to 2010 using the terms 'autism,''learning,''memory,' and 'neuroimaging.' We limited our review to studies correlating learning and memory function with neuroimaging features of the brain. The early literature supports the following preliminary hypotheses: (1) abnormalities of hippocampal subregions may contribute to autistic deficits in episodic and relational memory; (2) disturbances to an amygdala-based network (which may include the fusiform gyrus, superior temporal cortex, and mirror neuron system) may contribute to autistic deficits in socio-emotional learning and memory; and (3) abnormalities of the striatum may contribute to developmental dyspraxia in individuals with ASD. Characterizing the disturbances to learning and memory systems in ASD can inform our understanding of the neural bases of autistic behaviors and the phenotypic heterogeneity of ASD. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2012 Mac Keith Press.

Memory and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Wallace, Anna; Bucks, Romola S.

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: To examine episodic memory performance in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Design Meta-analysis was used to synthesize results from individual studies examining the impact of OSA on episodic memory performance. The performance of individuals with OSA was compared to healthy controls or normative data. Participants Forty-two studies were included, comprising 2,294 adults with untreated OSA and 1,364 healthy controls. Studies that recorded information about participants at baseline prior to treatment interventions were included in the analysis. Measurements Participants were assessed with tasks that included a measure of episodic memory: immediate recall, delayed recall, learning, and/or recognition memory. Results: The results of the meta-analyses provide evidence that individuals with OSA are significantly impaired when compared to healthy controls on verbal episodic memory (immediate recall, delayed recall, learning, and recognition) and visuo-spatial episodic memory (immediate and delayed recall), but not visual immediate recall or visuo-spatial learning. When patients were compared to norms, negative effects of OSA were found only in verbal immediate and delayed recall. Conclusions: This meta-analysis contributes to understanding of the nature of episodic memory deficits in individuals with OSA. Impairments to episodic memory are likely to affect the daily functioning of individuals with OSA. Citation Wallace A; Bucks RS. Memory and obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis. SLEEP 2013;36(2):203-220. PMID:23372268

Cholesterol and Copper Affect Learning and Memory in the Rabbit

PubMed Central

Schreurs, Bernard G.

2013-01-01

A rabbit model of Alzheimer's disease based on feeding a cholesterol diet for eight weeks shows sixteen hallmarks of the disease including beta amyloid accumulation and learning and memory changes. Although we have shown that feeding 2% cholesterol and adding copper to the drinking water can retard learning, other studies have shown that feeding dietary cholesterol before learning can improve acquisition and feeding cholesterol after learning can degrade long-term memory. We explore the development of this model, the issues surrounding the role of copper, and the particular contributions of the late D. Larry Sparks. PMID:24073355

Prefrontal cortical volume loss is associated with stress-related deficits in verbal learning and memory in HIV-infected women.

PubMed

Rubin, Leah H; Meyer, Vanessa J; J Conant, Rhoda; Sundermann, Erin E; Wu, Minjie; Weber, Kathleen M; Cohen, Mardge H; Little, Deborah M; Maki, Pauline M

2016-08-01

Deficits in verbal learning and memory are a prominent feature of neurocognitive function in HIV-infected women, and are associated with high levels of perceived stress. To understand the neurobiological factors contributing to this stress-related memory impairment, we examined the association between stress, verbal memory, and brain volumes in HIV-infected women. Participants included 38 HIV-infected women (Mean age=43.9years) from the Chicago Consortium of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). Participants underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and completed standardized measures of verbal learning and memory and stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10; PSS-10). Brain volumes were evaluated in a priori regions of interest, including the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Compared to HIV-infected women with lower stress (PSS-10 scores in lower two tertiles), HIV-infected women with higher stress (scores in the top tertile), performed worse on measures of verbal learning and memory and showed smaller volumes bilaterally in the parahippocampal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus (p's<0.05). Reduced volumes in the inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus (all right hemisphere) were negatively associated with verbal learning and memory performance. Prefrontal cortical atrophy is associated with stress-related deficits in verbal learning and memory in HIV-infected women. The time course of these volume losses in relation to memory deficits has yet to be elucidated, but the magnitude of the volumetric differences between women with higher versus lower stress suggests a prolonged vulnerability due to chronic stress and/or early life trauma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Myosin II Motor Activity in the Lateral Amygdala Is Required for Fear Memory Consolidation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gavin, Cristin F.; Rubio, Maria D.; Young, Erica; Miller, Courtney; Rumbaugh, Gavin

2012-01-01

Learning induces dynamic changes to the actin cytoskeleton that are required to support memory formation. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate filamentous actin (F-actin) dynamics during learning and memory are poorly understood. Myosin II motors are highly expressed in actin-rich growth structures including dendritic spines, and we have…

A process-based approach to characterizing the effect of acute alprazolam challenge on visual paired associate learning and memory in healthy older adults.

PubMed

Pietrzak, Robert H; Scott, James Cobb; Harel, Brian T; Lim, Yen Ying; Snyder, Peter J; Maruff, Paul

2012-11-01

Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine that, when administered acutely, results in impairments in several aspects of cognition, including attention, learning, and memory. However, the profile (i.e., component processes) that underlie alprazolam-related decrements in visual paired associate learning has not been fully explored. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over study of healthy older adults, we used a novel, "process-based" computerized measure of visual paired associate learning to examine the effect of a single, acute 1-mg dose of alprazolam on component processes of visual paired associate learning and memory. Acute alprazolam challenge was associated with a large magnitude reduction in visual paired associate learning and memory performance (d = 1.05). Process-based analyses revealed significant increases in distractor, exploratory, between-search, and within-search error types. Analyses of percentages of each error type suggested that, relative to placebo, alprazolam challenge resulted in a decrease in the percentage of exploratory errors and an increase in the percentage of distractor errors, both of which reflect memory processes. Results of this study suggest that acute alprazolam challenge decreases visual paired associate learning and memory performance by reducing the strength of the association between pattern and location, which may reflect a general breakdown in memory consolidation, with less evidence of reductions in executive processes (e.g., working memory) that facilitate visual paired associate learning and memory. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Acute genistein treatment mimics the effects of estradiol by enhancing place learning and impairing response learning in young adult female rats

PubMed Central

Pisani, Samantha L.; Neese, Steven L.; Doerge, Daniel R.; Helferich, William G.; Schantz, Susan L.; Korol, Donna L.

2012-01-01

Endogenous estrogens have bidirectional effects on learning and memory, enhancing or impairing cognition depending on many variables, including the task and the memory systems that are engaged. Moderate increases in estradiol enhance hippocampus-sensitive place learning, yet impair response learning that taps dorsal striatum function. This memory modulation likely occurs via activation of estrogen receptors, resulting in altered neural function. Supplements containing estrogenic compounds from plants are widely consumed despite limited information about their effects on brain function, including learning and memory. Phytoestrogens can enter the brain and signal through estrogen receptors to affect cognition. Enhancements in spatial memory and impairments in executive function have been found following treatment with soy phytoestrogens, but no tests of actions on striatum-sensitive tasks have been made to date. The present study compared the effects of acute exposure to the isoflavone genistein with the effects of estradiol on performance in place and response learning tasks. Long-Evans rats were ovariectomized, treated with 17β-estradiol benzoate, genistein-containing sucrose pellets, or vehicle (oil or plain sucrose pellets) for two days prior to behavioral training. Compared to vehicle controls, estradiol treatment enhanced place learning at a low (4.5 μg/kg) but not high dose (45 μg/kg), indicating an inverted pattern of spatial memory facilitation. Treatment with 4.4 mg of genistein over two days also significantly enhanced place learning over vehicle controls. For the response task, treatment with estradiol impaired learning at both the low and high doses; likewise, genistein treatment impaired response learning compared to rats receiving vehicle. Overall, genistein was found to mimic estradiol-induced shifts in place and response learning, facilitating hippocampus-sensitive learning and slowing striatum-sensitive learning. These results suggest signaling through estrogen receptor β and membrane-associated estrogen receptors in learning enhancements and impairments given the preferential binding of genistein to the ERβ subtype and affinity for GPER. PMID:22944517

The chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel selectively impairs reversal learning while sparing prior learning, new learning and episodic memory.

PubMed

Panoz-Brown, Danielle; Carey, Lawrence M; Smith, Alexandra E; Gentry, Meredith; Sluka, Christina M; Corbin, Hannah E; Wu, Jie-En; Hohmann, Andrea G; Crystal, Jonathon D

2017-10-01

Chemotherapy is widely used to treat patients with systemic cancer. The efficacy of cancer therapies is frequently undermined by adverse side effects that have a negative impact on the quality of life of cancer survivors. Cancer patients who receive chemotherapy often experience chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment across a variety of domains including memory, learning, and attention. In the current study, the impact of paclitaxel, a taxane derived chemotherapeutic agent, on episodic memory, prior learning, new learning, and reversal learning were evaluated in rats. Neurogenesis was quantified post-treatment in the dentate gyrus of the same rats using immunostaining for 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and Ki67. Paclitaxel treatment selectively impaired reversal learning while sparing episodic memory, prior learning, and new learning. Furthermore, paclitaxel-treated rats showed decreases in markers of hippocampal cell proliferation, as measured by markers of cell proliferation assessed using immunostaining for Ki67 and BrdU. This work highlights the importance of using multiple measures of learning and memory to identify the pattern of impaired and spared aspects of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Verbal learning on depressive pseudodementia: accentuate impairment of free recall, moderate on learning processes, and spared short-term and recognition memory.

PubMed

Paula, Jonas Jardim de; Miranda, Débora Marques; Nicolato, Rodrigo; Moraes, Edgar Nunes de; Bicalho, Maria Aparecida Camargos; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro Fernandes

2013-09-01

Depressive pseudodementia (DPD) is a clinical condition characterized by depressive symptoms followed by cognitive and functional impairment characteristics of dementia. Memory complaints are one of the most related cognitive symptoms in DPD. The present study aims to assess the verbal learning profile of elderly patients with DPD. Ninety-six older adults (34 DPD and 62 controls) were assessed by neuropsychological tests including the Rey auditory-verbal learning test (RAVLT). A multivariate general linear model was used to assess group differences and controlled for demographic factors. Moderate or large effects were found on all RAVLT components, except for short-term and recognition memory. DPD impairs verbal memory, with large effect size on free recall and moderate effect size on the learning. Short-term storage and recognition memory are useful in clinical contexts when the differential diagnosis is required.

Vocabulary learning in primary school children: working memory and long-term memory components.

PubMed

Morra, Sergio; Camba, Roberta

2009-10-01

The goal of this study was to investigate which working memory and long-term memory components predict vocabulary learning. We used a nonword learning paradigm in which 8- to 10-year-olds learned picture-nonword pairs. The nonwords varied in length (two vs. four syllables) and phonology (native sounding vs. including one Russian phoneme). Short, phonologically native nonwords were learned best, whereas learning long nonwords leveled off after a few presentation cycles. Linear structural equation analyses showed an influence of three constructs-phonological sensitivity, vocabulary knowledge, and central attentional resources (M capacity)-on nonword learning, but the extent of their contributions depended on specific characteristics of the nonwords to be learned. Phonological sensitivity predicted learning of all nonword types except short native nonwords, vocabulary predicted learning of only short native nonwords, and M capacity predicted learning of short nonwords but not long nonwords. The discussion considers three learning processes-effortful activation of phonological representations, lexical mediation, and passive associative learning-that use different cognitive resources and could be involved in learning different nonword types.

Recovery of components of memory in post-traumatic amnesia.

PubMed

Leach, Kathleen; Kinsella, Glynda; Jackson, Martin; Matyas, Tom

2006-11-01

Post-traumatic amnesia by definition indicates significant impairment of new learning ability, however very few studies have, examined the natural history and resolution of memory and new learning during PTA. Those studies which have, tended to examine orientation separately from the memory processes required to achieve orientation. Analysis of the order of recovery of the items of the Westmead PTA scale was used to examine recovery of memory and new learning capacity. The results of daily assessment of 34 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) on the Westmead PTA scale were analysed for order of recovery. The pattern of rank order of item recovery indicated that Date of Birth recovered consistently first. There was variability in the remaining items, however items reflecting long-term memory tended to recover second and items reflecting simple new learning followed. Recall of all three pictures reflecting complex new learning recovered last. The pattern of recovery of memory and new learning during PTA reflects a number of complex, inter-related variables including; the familiarity with the information, amount of rehearsal both before and since the accident and the number of cues available in the environment.

The functional neuroanatomy of verbal memory in Alzheimer's disease: [18F]-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) correlates of recency and recognition memory.

PubMed

Staffaroni, Adam M; Melrose, Rebecca J; Leskin, Lorraine P; Riskin-Jones, Hannah; Harwood, Dylan; Mandelkern, Mark; Sultzer, David L

2017-09-01

The objective of this study was to distinguish the functional neuroanatomy of verbal learning and recognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD) using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) Word Learning task. In 81 Veterans diagnosed with dementia due to AD, we conducted a cluster-based correlation analysis to assess the relationships between recency and recognition memory scores from the CERAD Word Learning Task and cortical metabolic activity measured using [ 18 F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). AD patients (Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE mean = 20.2) performed significantly better on the recall of recency items during learning trials than of primacy and middle items. Recency memory was associated with cerebral metabolism in the left middle and inferior temporal gyri and left fusiform gyrus (p < .05 at the corrected cluster level). In contrast, recognition memory was correlated with metabolic activity in two clusters: (a) a large cluster that included the left hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, entorhinal cortex, anterior temporal lobe, and inferior and middle temporal gyri; (b) the bilateral orbitofrontal cortices (OFC). The present study further informs our understanding of the disparate functional neuroanatomy of recency memory and recognition memory in AD. We anticipated that the recency effect would be relatively preserved and associated with temporoparietal brain regions implicated in short-term verbal memory, while recognition memory would be associated with the medial temporal lobe and possibly the OFC. Consistent with our a priori hypotheses, list learning in our AD sample was characterized by a reduced primacy effect and a relatively spared recency effect; however, recency memory was associated with cerebral metabolism in inferior and lateral temporal regions associated with the semantic memory network, rather than regions associated with short-term verbal memory. The correlates of recognition memory included the medial temporal lobe and OFC, replicating prior studies.

Toxin-Induced Experimental Models of Learning and Memory Impairment

PubMed Central

More, Sandeep Vasant; Kumar, Hemant; Cho, Duk-Yeon; Yun, Yo-Sep; Choi, Dong-Kug

2016-01-01

Animal models for learning and memory have significantly contributed to novel strategies for drug development and hence are an imperative part in the assessment of therapeutics. Learning and memory involve different stages including acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval and each stage can be characterized using specific toxin. Recent studies have postulated the molecular basis of these processes and have also demonstrated many signaling molecules that are involved in several stages of memory. Most insights into learning and memory impairment and to develop a novel compound stems from the investigations performed in experimental models, especially those produced by neurotoxins models. Several toxins have been utilized based on their mechanism of action for learning and memory impairment such as scopolamine, streptozotocin, quinolinic acid, and domoic acid. Further, some toxins like 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA), 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and amyloid-β are known to cause specific learning and memory impairment which imitate the disease pathology of Parkinson’s disease dementia and Alzheimer’s disease dementia. Apart from these toxins, several other toxins come under a miscellaneous category like an environmental pollutant, snake venoms, botulinum, and lipopolysaccharide. This review will focus on the various classes of neurotoxin models for learning and memory impairment with their specific mechanism of action that could assist the process of drug discovery and development for dementia and cognitive disorders. PMID:27598124

Toxin-Induced Experimental Models of Learning and Memory Impairment.

PubMed

More, Sandeep Vasant; Kumar, Hemant; Cho, Duk-Yeon; Yun, Yo-Sep; Choi, Dong-Kug

2016-09-01

Animal models for learning and memory have significantly contributed to novel strategies for drug development and hence are an imperative part in the assessment of therapeutics. Learning and memory involve different stages including acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval and each stage can be characterized using specific toxin. Recent studies have postulated the molecular basis of these processes and have also demonstrated many signaling molecules that are involved in several stages of memory. Most insights into learning and memory impairment and to develop a novel compound stems from the investigations performed in experimental models, especially those produced by neurotoxins models. Several toxins have been utilized based on their mechanism of action for learning and memory impairment such as scopolamine, streptozotocin, quinolinic acid, and domoic acid. Further, some toxins like 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA), 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and amyloid-β are known to cause specific learning and memory impairment which imitate the disease pathology of Parkinson's disease dementia and Alzheimer's disease dementia. Apart from these toxins, several other toxins come under a miscellaneous category like an environmental pollutant, snake venoms, botulinum, and lipopolysaccharide. This review will focus on the various classes of neurotoxin models for learning and memory impairment with their specific mechanism of action that could assist the process of drug discovery and development for dementia and cognitive disorders.

What's statistical about learning? Insights from modelling statistical learning as a set of memory processes

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Statistical learning has been studied in a variety of different tasks, including word segmentation, object identification, category learning, artificial grammar learning and serial reaction time tasks (e.g. Saffran et al. 1996 Science 274, 1926–1928; Orban et al. 2008 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105, 2745–2750; Thiessen & Yee 2010 Child Development 81, 1287–1303; Saffran 2002 Journal of Memory and Language 47, 172–196; Misyak & Christiansen 2012 Language Learning 62, 302–331). The difference among these tasks raises questions about whether they all depend on the same kinds of underlying processes and computations, or whether they are tapping into different underlying mechanisms. Prior theoretical approaches to statistical learning have often tried to explain or model learning in a single task. However, in many cases these approaches appear inadequate to explain performance in multiple tasks. For example, explaining word segmentation via the computation of sequential statistics (such as transitional probability) provides little insight into the nature of sensitivity to regularities among simultaneously presented features. In this article, we will present a formal computational approach that we believe is a good candidate to provide a unifying framework to explore and explain learning in a wide variety of statistical learning tasks. This framework suggests that statistical learning arises from a set of processes that are inherent in memory systems, including activation, interference, integration of information and forgetting (e.g. Perruchet & Vinter 1998 Journal of Memory and Language 39, 246–263; Thiessen et al. 2013 Psychological Bulletin 139, 792–814). From this perspective, statistical learning does not involve explicit computation of statistics, but rather the extraction of elements of the input into memory traces, and subsequent integration across those memory traces that emphasize consistent information (Thiessen and Pavlik 2013 Cognitive Science 37, 310–343). This article is part of the themed issue ‘New frontiers for statistical learning in the cognitive sciences'. PMID:27872374

What's statistical about learning? Insights from modelling statistical learning as a set of memory processes.

PubMed

Thiessen, Erik D

2017-01-05

Statistical learning has been studied in a variety of different tasks, including word segmentation, object identification, category learning, artificial grammar learning and serial reaction time tasks (e.g. Saffran et al. 1996 Science 274: , 1926-1928; Orban et al. 2008 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105: , 2745-2750; Thiessen & Yee 2010 Child Development 81: , 1287-1303; Saffran 2002 Journal of Memory and Language 47: , 172-196; Misyak & Christiansen 2012 Language Learning 62: , 302-331). The difference among these tasks raises questions about whether they all depend on the same kinds of underlying processes and computations, or whether they are tapping into different underlying mechanisms. Prior theoretical approaches to statistical learning have often tried to explain or model learning in a single task. However, in many cases these approaches appear inadequate to explain performance in multiple tasks. For example, explaining word segmentation via the computation of sequential statistics (such as transitional probability) provides little insight into the nature of sensitivity to regularities among simultaneously presented features. In this article, we will present a formal computational approach that we believe is a good candidate to provide a unifying framework to explore and explain learning in a wide variety of statistical learning tasks. This framework suggests that statistical learning arises from a set of processes that are inherent in memory systems, including activation, interference, integration of information and forgetting (e.g. Perruchet & Vinter 1998 Journal of Memory and Language 39: , 246-263; Thiessen et al. 2013 Psychological Bulletin 139: , 792-814). From this perspective, statistical learning does not involve explicit computation of statistics, but rather the extraction of elements of the input into memory traces, and subsequent integration across those memory traces that emphasize consistent information (Thiessen and Pavlik 2013 Cognitive Science 37: , 310-343).This article is part of the themed issue 'New frontiers for statistical learning in the cognitive sciences'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Molecular mechanisms underlying formation of long-term reward memories and extinction memories in the honeybee (Apis mellifera)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The honeybee (Apis mellifera) has long served as an invertebrate model organism for reward learning and memory research. Its capacity for learning and memory formation is rooted in the ecological need to efficiently collect nectar and pollen during summer to ensure survival of the hive during winter. Foraging bees learn to associate a flower's characteristic features with a reward in a way that resembles olfactory appetitive classical conditioning, a learning paradigm that is used to study mechanisms underlying learning and memory formation in the honeybee. Due to a plethora of studies on appetitive classical conditioning and phenomena related to it, the honeybee is one of the best characterized invertebrate model organisms from a learning psychological point of view. Moreover, classical conditioning and associated behavioral phenomena are surprisingly similar in honeybees and vertebrates, suggesting a convergence of underlying neuronal processes, including the molecular mechanisms that contribute to them. Here I review current thinking on the molecular mechanisms underlying long-term memory (LTM) formation in honeybees following classical conditioning and extinction, demonstrating that an in-depth analysis of the molecular mechanisms of classical conditioning in honeybees might add to our understanding of associative learning in honeybees and vertebrates. PMID:25225299

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

The chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel selectively impairs learning while sparing source memory and spatial memory.

PubMed

Smith, Alexandra E; Slivicki, Richard A; Hohmann, Andrea G; Crystal, Jonathon D

2017-03-01

Chemotherapeutic agents are widely used to treat patients with systemic cancer. The efficacy of these therapies is undermined by their adverse side-effect profiles such as cognitive deficits that have a negative impact on the quality of life of cancer survivors. Cognitive side effects occur across a variety of domains, including memory, executive function, and processing speed. Such impairments are exacerbated under cognitive challenges and a subgroup of patients experience long-term impairments. Episodic memory in rats can be examined using a source memory task. In the current study, rats received paclitaxel, a taxane-derived chemotherapeutic agent, and learning and memory functioning was examined using the source memory task. Treatment with paclitaxel did not impair spatial and episodic memory, and paclitaxel treated rats were not more susceptible to cognitive challenges. Under conditions in which memory was not impaired, paclitaxel treatment impaired learning of new rules, documenting a decreased sensitivity to changes in experimental contingencies. These findings provide new information on the nature of cancer chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments, particularly regarding the incongruent vulnerability of episodic memory and new learning following treatment with paclitaxel. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in verbal learning and memory in schizophrenia and non-psychotic controls in midlife: A nine-year follow-up in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort study 1966.

PubMed

Rannikko, Irina; Haapea, Marianne; Miettunen, Jouko; Veijola, Juha; Murray, Graham K; Barnett, Jennifer H; Husa, Anja P; Jones, Peter B; Isohanni, Matti; Jääskeläinen, Erika

2015-08-30

Findings on longitudinal change of cognitive performance in schizophrenia are extremely variable in the case of verbal learning and memory, and it is still unclear which dimensions of verbal learning and memory exhibit possible deterioration over the long-term. Our aim was to compare the change in verbal learning and memory in individuals with schizophrenia 10-20 years after the illness onset and healthy controls during a nine-year follow-up in a general population sample. Our sample included 41 schizophrenia spectrum subjects and 73 controls from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort study 1966. The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) was used to estimate the degree of change in verbal learning and memory during a nine-year follow-up from age 34-years to 43- years. Both cases and controls deteriorated. There was statistically significant decline in two out of 20 CVLT items among cases and in 13 out of 20 CVLT items among controls. With the exception of two variables, the decline in verbal learning and memory over nine years was not significantly larger in cases. We conclude that during midlife verbal learning and memory in schizophrenia mostly declines in a normative fashion with aging at the same rate as the general population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning and memory functions of the Basal Ganglia.

PubMed

Packard, Mark G; Knowlton, Barbara J

2002-01-01

Although the mammalian basal ganglia have long been implicated in motor behavior, it is generally recognized that the behavioral functions of this subcortical group of structures are not exclusively motoric in nature. Extensive evidence now indicates a role for the basal ganglia, in particular the dorsal striatum, in learning and memory. One prominent hypothesis is that this brain region mediates a form of learning in which stimulus-response (S-R) associations or habits are incrementally acquired. Support for this hypothesis is provided by numerous neurobehavioral studies in different mammalian species, including rats, monkeys, and humans. In rats and monkeys, localized brain lesion and pharmacological approaches have been used to examine the role of the basal ganglia in S-R learning. In humans, study of patients with neurodegenerative diseases that compromise the basal ganglia, as well as research using brain neuroimaging techniques, also provide evidence of a role for the basal ganglia in habit learning. Several of these studies have dissociated the role of the basal ganglia in S-R learning from those of a cognitive or declarative medial temporal lobe memory system that includes the hippocampus as a primary component. Evidence suggests that during learning, basal ganglia and medial temporal lobe memory systems are activated simultaneously and that in some learning situations competitive interference exists between these two systems.

Memorizing Is Not a Dirty Word: What Should a Mathematics Teacher Know to Use It Effectively in Teaching and Learning Mathematics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Mahesh C.

1985-01-01

This bulletin concerns the role of memorization in mathematics instruction. Sections of the bulletin are devoted to discussions of: old math vs. new math; the importance of memorization ability on mathematics learning; misconceptions about memory; how to enhance the memory, including short-term vs. long-term memory systems, attention, interest,…

[Learning and memory in Drosophila: physiologic and genetic bases].

PubMed

Zhuravlev, A V; Nikitina, E A; Savvateeva-Popova, E V

2015-01-01

Elucidation of molecular mechanisms of cognitive functions is one of the major achievements in neurobiology. At most, this is due to the studies on the simple nervous systems, such as the CNS in Drosophila melanogaster. Many of its functional characteristics are pretty similar to higher vertebrates. Among these are: 1) evolutionary conservation of genes and molecular systems involved in the regulation of learning acquisition and memory formation; 2) presence of highly specialized and differentiated sensory, associative and motor centers; 3) utilization of similar modes of informational coding and analysis; 4) availability of major learning forms including non-associative, as well as associative learning; 5) diversity of different memories, including short-term- and protein synthesis- dependent long-term memory; 6) presence of aminergic reinforcement systems in the brain; 7) feed-back loops of circadian clocks, current organism experience and individual organism characters affecting cognitive process per se. In this review the main attention is paid to the two mostly studied Drosophila learning forms, namely to olfactory Iearning and courtship suppression conditioning (CCS). A separate consideration is given to the impacts of kynurenins and metabolite of actin remodeling signal cascade.

Insulin signaling is acutely required for long-term memory in Drosophila.

PubMed

Chambers, Daniel B; Androschuk, Alaura; Rosenfelt, Cory; Langer, Steven; Harding, Mark; Bolduc, Francois V

2015-01-01

Memory formation has been shown recently to be dependent on energy status in Drosophila. A well-established energy sensor is the insulin signaling (InS) pathway. Previous studies in various animal models including human have revealed the role of insulin levels in short-term memory but its role in long-term memory remains less clear. We therefore investigated genetically the spatial and temporal role of InS using the olfactory learning and long-term memory model in Drosophila. We found that InS is involved in both learning and memory. InS in the mushroom body is required for learning and long-term memory whereas long-term memory specifically is impaired after InS signaling disruption in the ellipsoid body, where it regulates the level of p70s6k, a downstream target of InS and a marker of protein synthesis. Finally, we show also that InS is acutely required for long-term memory formation in adult flies.

Toward cognitive robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laird, John E.

2009-05-01

Our long-term goal is to develop autonomous robotic systems that have the cognitive abilities of humans, including communication, coordination, adapting to novel situations, and learning through experience. Our approach rests on the recent integration of the Soar cognitive architecture with both virtual and physical robotic systems. Soar has been used to develop a wide variety of knowledge-rich agents for complex virtual environments, including distributed training environments and interactive computer games. For development and testing in robotic virtual environments, Soar interfaces to a variety of robotic simulators and a simple mobile robot. We have recently made significant extensions to Soar that add new memories and new non-symbolic reasoning to Soar's original symbolic processing, which should significantly improve Soar abilities for control of robots. These extensions include episodic memory, semantic memory, reinforcement learning, and mental imagery. Episodic memory and semantic memory support the learning and recalling of prior events and situations as well as facts about the world. Reinforcement learning provides the ability of the system to tune its procedural knowledge - knowledge about how to do things. Mental imagery supports the use of diagrammatic and visual representations that are critical to support spatial reasoning. We speculate on the future of unmanned systems and the need for cognitive robotics to support dynamic instruction and taskability.

Using visual lateralization to model learning and memory in zebrafish larvae

PubMed Central

Andersson, Madelene Åberg; Ek, Fredrik; Olsson, Roger

2015-01-01

Impaired learning and memory are common symptoms of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Present, there are several behavioural test employed to assess cognitive functions in animal models, including the frequently used novel object recognition (NOR) test. However, although atypical functional brain lateralization has been associated with neuropsychiatric conditions, spanning from schizophrenia to autism, few animal models are available to study this phenomenon in learning and memory deficits. Here we present a visual lateralization NOR model (VLNOR) in zebrafish larvae as an assay that combines brain lateralization and NOR. In zebrafish larvae, learning and memory are generally assessed by habituation, sensitization, or conditioning paradigms, which are all representatives of nondeclarative memory. The VLNOR is the first model for zebrafish larvae that studies a memory similar to the declarative memory described for mammals. We demonstrate that VLNOR can be used to study memory formation, storage, and recall of novel objects, both short and long term, in 10-day-old zebrafish. Furthermore we show that the VLNOR model can be used to study chemical modulation of memory formation and maintenance using dizocilpine (MK-801), a frequently used non-competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptor, used to test putative antipsychotics in animal models. PMID:25727677

How does a specific learning and memory system in the mammalian brain gain control of behavior?

PubMed

McDonald, Robert J; Hong, Nancy S

2013-11-01

This review addresses a fundamental, yet poorly understood set of issues in systems neuroscience. The issues revolve around conceptualizations of the organization of learning and memory in the mammalian brain. One intriguing, and somewhat popular, conceptualization is the idea that there are multiple learning and memory systems in the mammalian brain and they interact in different ways to influence and/or control behavior. This approach has generated interesting empirical and theoretical work supporting this view. One issue that needs to be addressed is how these systems influence or gain control of voluntary behavior. To address this issue, we clearly specify what we mean by a learning and memory system. We then review two types of processes that might influence which memory system gains control of behavior. One set of processes are external factors that can affect which system controls behavior in a given situation including task parameters like the kind of information available to the subject, types of training experience, and amount of training. The second set of processes are brain mechanisms that might influence what memory system controls behavior in a given situation including executive functions mediated by the prefrontal cortex; switching mechanisms mediated by ascending neurotransmitter systems, the unique role of the hippocampus during learning. The issue of trait differences in control of different learning and memory systems will also be considered in which trait differences in learning and memory function are thought to potentially emerge from differences in level of prefrontal influence, differences in plasticity processes, differences in ascending neurotransmitter control, differential access to effector systems like motivational and motor systems. Finally, we present scenarios in which different mechanisms might interact. This review was conceived to become a jumping off point for new work directed at understanding these issues. The outcome of this work, in combination with other approaches, might improve understanding of the mechanisms of volition in human and non-human animals. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Learning disabled and average readers' working memory and comprehension: does metacognition play a role?

PubMed

Swanson, H L; Trahan, M

1996-09-01

The present study investigates (a) whether learning disabled readers' working memory deficits that underlie poor reading comprehension are related to a general system, and (b) whether metacognition contributes to comprehension beyond what is predicted by working memory and word knowledge. To this end, performance between learning and disabled (N = 60) and average readers (N = 60) was compared on the reading comprehension, reading rate, and vocabulary subtests of the Nelson Skills Reading Test, Sentence Span test composed of high and low imagery words, and a Metacognitive Questionnaire. As expected, differences between groups in working memory, vocabulary, and reading measures emerged, whereas ability groups were statistically comparable on the Metacognitive Questionnaire. A within-group analysis indicated that the correlation patterns between working memory, vocabulary, metacognition, and reading comprehension were not the same between ability groups. For predicting reading comprehension, the metacognitive questionnaire best predicted learning disabled readers' performance, whereas the working memory span measure that included low-imagery words best predicted average achieving readers' comprehension. Overall, the results suggest that the relationship between learning disabled readers' generalised working memory deficits and poor reading comprehension may be mediated by metacognition.

Complex multicellular functions at a unicellular eukaryote level: Learning, memory, and immunity.

PubMed

Csaba, György

2017-06-01

According to experimental data, eukaryote unicellulars are able to learn, have immunity and memory. Learning is carried out in a very primitive form, and the memory is not neural but an epigenetic one. However, this epigenetic memory, which is well justified by the presence and manifestation of hormonal imprinting, is strong and permanent in the life of cell and also in its progenies. This memory is epigenetically executed by the alteration and fixation of methylation pattern of genes without changes in base sequences. The immunity of unicellulars is based on self/non-self discrimination, which leads to the destruction of non-self invaders and utilization of them as nourishment (by phagocytosis). The tools of learning, memory, and immunity of unicellulars are uniformly found in plasma membrane receptors, which formed under the effect of dynamic receptor pattern generation, suggested by Koch et al., and this is the basis of hormonal imprinting, by which the encounter between a chemical substance and the cell is specifically memorized. The receptors and imprinting are also used in the later steps of evolution up to mammals (including man) in each mentioned functions. This means that learning, memory, and immunity can be deduced to a unicellular eukaryote level.

The Type 3 Adenylyl Cyclase is Required for Novel Object Learning and Extinction of Contextual Memory: Role of cAMP Signaling in Primary Cilia

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhenshan; Phan, Trongha; Storm, Daniel R.

2011-01-01

Although primary cilia are found on neurons throughout the brain, their physiological function remains elusive. Human ciliopathies are associated with cognition defects and transgenic mice lacking proteins expressed in primary cilia exhibit defects in learning and memory. Recently, it was reported that mice lacking the G-protein coupling receptor somatostatin receptor-3 (SSTR3), a protein expressed predominately in the primary cilia of neurons, have defective memory for novel object recognition and lower cAMP levels in the brain. Since SSTR3 is coupled to regulation of adenylyl cyclase this suggests that adenylyl cyclase activity in primary cilia of CNS neurons may be critical for some forms of learning and memory. Because the type 3 adenylyl cyclase (AC3) is expressed in primary cilia of hippocampal neurons, we examined AC3−/− mice for several forms of learning and memory. Here, we report that AC3−/− mice show no short-term memory for novel objects and fail to exhibit extinction of contextual fear conditioning. They also show impaired learning and memory for temporally dissociated passive avoidance (TDPA). Since AC3 is exclusively expressed in primary cilia we conclude that cAMP signals generated within primary cilia contribute to some forms of learning and memory including extinction of contextual fear conditioning. PMID:21490195

The type 3 adenylyl cyclase is required for novel object learning and extinction of contextual memory: role of cAMP signaling in primary cilia.

PubMed

Wang, Zhenshan; Phan, Trongha; Storm, Daniel R

2011-04-13

Although primary cilia are found on neurons throughout the brain, their physiological function remains elusive. Human ciliopathies are associated with cognition defects, and transgenic mice lacking proteins expressed in primary cilia exhibit defects in learning and memory. Recently, it was reported that mice lacking the G-protein-coupling receptor somatostatin receptor-3 (SSTR3), a protein expressed predominately in the primary cilia of neurons, have defective memory for novel object recognition and lower cAMP levels in the brain. Since SSTR3 is coupled to regulation of adenylyl cyclase, this suggests that adenylyl cyclase activity in primary cilia of CNS neurons may be critical for some forms of learning and memory. Because the type 3 adenylyl cyclase (AC3) is expressed in primary cilia of hippocampal neurons, we examined AC3(-/-) mice for several forms of learning and memory. Here, we report that AC3(-/-) mice show no short-term memory for novel objects and fail to exhibit extinction of contextual fear conditioning. They also show impaired learning and memory for temporally dissociative passive avoidance. Since AC3 is exclusively expressed in primary cilia, we conclude that cAMP signals generated within primary cilia contribute to some forms of learning and memory, including extinction of contextual fear conditioning.

An instance theory of associative learning.

PubMed

Jamieson, Randall K; Crump, Matthew J C; Hannah, Samuel D

2012-03-01

We present and test an instance model of associative learning. The model, Minerva-AL, treats associative learning as cued recall. Memory preserves the events of individual trials in separate traces. A probe presented to memory contacts all traces in parallel and retrieves a weighted sum of the traces, a structure called the echo. Learning of a cue-outcome relationship is measured by the cue's ability to retrieve a target outcome. The theory predicts a number of associative learning phenomena, including acquisition, extinction, reacquisition, conditioned inhibition, external inhibition, latent inhibition, discrimination, generalization, blocking, overshadowing, overexpectation, superconditioning, recovery from blocking, recovery from overshadowing, recovery from overexpectation, backward blocking, backward conditioned inhibition, and second-order retrospective revaluation. We argue that associative learning is consistent with an instance-based approach to learning and memory.

(-)Epigallocatechin-3-gallate decreases the stress-induced impairment of learning and memory in rats.

PubMed

Soung, Hung-Sheng; Wang, Mao-Hsien; Tseng, Hsiang-Chien; Fang, Hsu-Wei; Chang, Kuo-Chi

2015-08-18

Stress induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and causes alterations in brain cytoarchitecture and cognition. Green tea has potent antioxidative properties especially the tea catechin (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). These powerful antioxidative properties are able to protect against various oxidative damages. In this study we investigated the impact of stress on rats' locomotor activity, learning and memory. Many tea catechins, including EGCG, were examined for their possible therapeutic effects in treating stress-induced impairment. Our results indicated that locomotor activity was decreased, and the learning and memory were impaired in stressed rats (SRs). EGCG treatment was able to prevent the decreased locomotor activity as well as improve the learning and memory in SRs. EGCG treatment was also able to reduce the increased oxidative status in SRs' hippocampi. The above results suggest a therapeutic effect of EGCG in treating stress-induced impairment of learning and memory, most likely by means of its powerful antioxidative properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Positive and negative sources of emotional arousal enhance long-term word-list retention when induced as long as 30 min after learning.

PubMed

Nielson, Kristy A; Powless, Mark

2007-07-01

The consolidation of newly formed memories occurs slowly, allowing memories to be altered by experience for some time after their formation. Various treatments, including arousal, can modulate memory consolidation when given soon after learning, but the degree of time-dependency of these treatments in humans has not been studied. Thus, 212 participants learned a word list, which was followed by either a positively or negatively valenced arousing video clip (i.e., comedy or surgery, respectively) after delays of 0, 10, 30 or 45 min. Arousal of either valence induced up to 30 min after learning, but not after 45 min, significantly enhanced one-week retrieval. The findings support (1) the time-dependency of memory modulation in humans and (2) other studies that suggest that it is the degree of arousal, rather than valence that modulates memory. Important implications for developing memory intervention strategies and for preserving and validating witness testimony are discussed.

Medicinal Herbs in Iranian Traditional Medicine for Learning and Memory.

PubMed

Shojaii, Asie; Ghods, Roshanak; Fard, Mehri Abdollahi

2016-05-01

A few factors such as age, stress, and emotions may lead to impaired learning, memory loss, amnesia, and dementia or threats like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) recommends some herbs and herbal preparations for the treatment or prevention of CNS problems. In this study, scientific evidence related to the effectiveness of ITM herbal medicine on memory, learning and AD is reviewed. The scientific evidence of plant efficacy was searched in electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, SID, Science Direct, and Google Scholar by keywords such as memory, Alzheimer, amnesia, learning and scientific plant names from 1969 to 2014. The findings of this study confirmed the effectiveness of certain ITM medicinal plants on enhancing memory and learning or in the treatment/prevention of amnesia and AD. Some ITM plants like Melissa officinalis, Crocus sativus and Nigella sativa showed improving effects on memory and the treatment of AD in clinical trials. In some cases, active principles responsible for the efficacy of these plants on memory were also determined. Most of the studies on ITM plants were designed in animal models and a few herbs were evaluated in clinical trials on AD. Furthermore, there are insufficient or no investigations on certain herbal medicines used in ITM to confirm their effectiveness on memory and learning. Therefore, further experimental and clinical studies are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these plants on memory and AD as well as determining their active components.

Verbal memory in drug-naive, newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease. The retrieval deficit hypothesis revisited.

PubMed

Brønnick, Kolbjørn; Alves, Guido; Aarsland, Dag; Tysnes, Ole-Bjørn; Larsen, Jan Petter

2011-01-01

The retrieval deficit hypothesis on memory impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) implies a selective impairment in recall of learned material with normal encoding, retention, and recognition. This hypothesis has been challenged by new data. We have therefore investigated verbal memory and learning in a large sample of newly diagnosed, drug naïve, non-demented patients with PD. From a sample of patients with PD from the Norwegian ParkWest study, 133 PD patients and 133 controls matched on sex, age, and education were included. The California Verbal Learning Test-2 (CVLT-2) was used to assess verbal memory. Patients performed significantly worse than controls on free and cued recall as well as on recognition memory. Patients used the semantic clustering learning strategy significantly less extensively than the controls and the learning slope of the PD patients was significantly less steep. There was no difference in retention when controlling for encoding. Patients did not perform better on the recognition measure or on cued recall (d-prime), as compared to free recall. Executive functions explained a substantial part of the memory deficits. This study suggests that memory impairment in drug naïve early PD to a large degree is a deficit of learning/ encoding and not of retention or retrieval. An implication is that the retrieval deficit hypothesis should be moderated in its general form. Executive deficits and less extensive use of the efficient semantic clustering learning strategy had a strong impact on learning and memory. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

A comparison of progestins within three classes: Differential effects on learning and memory in the aging surgically menopausal rat.

PubMed

Braden, B Blair; Andrews, Madeline G; Acosta, Jazmin I; Mennenga, Sarah E; Lavery, Courtney; Bimonte-Nelson, Heather A

2017-03-30

For decades, progestins have been included in hormone therapies (HT) prescribed to women to offset the risk of unopposed estrogen-induced endometrial hyperplasia. However, the potential effects on cognition of subcategories of clinically used progestins have been largely unexplored. In two studies, the present investigation evaluated the cognitive effects of norethindrone acetate (NETA), levonorgestrel (LEVO), and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on the water radial-arm maze (WRAM) and Morris water maze (MM) in middle-aged ovariectomized rats. In Study 1, six-weeks of a high-dose NETA treatment impaired learning and delayed retention on the WRAM, and impaired reference memory on the MM. Low-dose NETA treatment impaired delayed retention on the WRAM. In Study 2, high-dose NETA treatment was reduced to four-weeks and compared to MPA and LEVO. As previously shown, MPA impaired working memory performance during the lattermost portion of testing, at the highest working memory load, impaired delayed retention on the WRAM, and impaired reference memory on the MM. NETA also impaired performance on these WRAM and MM measures. Interestingly, LEVO did not impair performance, but instead enhanced learning on the WRAM. The current study corroborates previous evidence that the most commonly prescribed FDA-approved progestin for HT, MPA, impairs learning and memory in the ovariectomized middle-aged rat. When progestins from two different additional subcategories were investigated, NETA impaired learning and memory similarly to MPA, but LEVO enhanced learning. Future research is warranted to determine LEVO's potential as an ideal progestin for optimal health in women, including for cognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term memory biases auditory spatial attention.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Jacqueline F; Moscovitch, Morris; Alain, Claude

2017-10-01

Long-term memory (LTM) has been shown to bias attention to a previously learned visual target location. Here, we examined whether memory-predicted spatial location can facilitate the detection of a faint pure tone target embedded in real world audio clips (e.g., soundtrack of a restaurant). During an initial familiarization task, participants heard audio clips, some of which included a lateralized target (p = 50%). On each trial participants indicated whether the target was presented from the left, right, or was absent. Following a 1 hr retention interval, participants were presented with the same audio clips, which now all included a target. In Experiment 1, participants showed memory-based gains in response time and d'. Experiment 2 showed that temporal expectations modulate attention, with greater memory-guided attention effects on performance when temporal context was reinstated from learning (i.e., when timing of the target within audio clips was not changed from initially learned timing). Experiment 3 showed that while conscious recall of target locations was modulated by exposure to target-context associations during learning (i.e., better recall with higher number of learning blocks), the influence of LTM associations on spatial attention was not reduced (i.e., number of learning blocks did not affect memory-guided attention). Both Experiments 2 and 3 showed gains in performance related to target-context associations, even for associations that were not explicitly remembered. Together, these findings indicate that memory for audio clips is acquired quickly and is surprisingly robust; both implicit and explicit LTM for the location of a faint target tone modulated auditory spatial attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Imaging learning and memory: classical conditioning.

PubMed

Schreurs, B G; Alkon, D L

2001-12-15

The search for the biological basis of learning and memory has, until recently, been constrained by the limits of technology to classic anatomic and electrophysiologic studies. With the advent of functional imaging, we have begun to delve into what, for many, was a "black box." We review several different types of imaging experiments, including steady state animal experiments that image the functional labeling of fixed tissues, and dynamic human studies based on functional imaging of the intact brain during learning. The data suggest that learning and memory involve a surprising conservation of mechanisms and the integrated networking of a number of structures and processes. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Multiple memory systems as substrates for multiple decision systems

PubMed Central

Doll, Bradley B.; Shohamy, Daphna; Daw, Nathaniel D.

2014-01-01

It has recently become widely appreciated that value-based decision making is supported by multiple computational strategies. In particular, animal and human behavior in learning tasks appears to include habitual responses described by prominent model-free reinforcement learning (RL) theories, but also more deliberative or goal-directed actions that can be characterized by a different class of theories, model-based RL. The latter theories evaluate actions by using a representation of the contingencies of the task (as with a learned map of a spatial maze), called an “internal model.” Given the evidence of behavioral and neural dissociations between these approaches, they are often characterized as dissociable learning systems, though they likely interact and share common mechanisms. In many respects, this division parallels a longstanding dissociation in cognitive neuroscience between multiple memory systems, describing, at the broadest level, separate systems for declarative and procedural learning. Procedural learning has notable parallels with model-free RL: both involve learning of habits and both are known to depend on parts of the striatum. Declarative memory, by contrast, supports memory for single events or episodes and depends on the hippocampus. The hippocampus is thought to support declarative memory by encoding temporal and spatial relations among stimuli and thus is often referred to as a relational memory system. Such relational encoding is likely to play an important role in learning an internal model, the representation that is central to model-based RL. Thus, insofar as the memory systems represent more general-purpose cognitive mechanisms that might subserve performance on many sorts of tasks including decision making, these parallels raise the question whether the multiple decision systems are served by multiple memory systems, such that one dissociation is grounded in the other. Here we investigated the relationship between model-based RL and relational memory by comparing individual differences across behavioral tasks designed to measure either capacity. Human subjects performed two tasks, a learning and generalization task (acquired equivalence) which involves relational encoding and depends on the hippocampus; and a sequential RL task that could be solved by either a model-based or model-free strategy. We assessed the correlation between subjects’ use of flexible, relational memory, as measured by generalization in the acquired equivalence task, and their differential reliance on either RL strategy in the decision task. We observed a significant positive relationship between generalization and model-based, but not model-free, choice strategies. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that model-based RL, like acquired equivalence, relies on a more general-purpose relational memory system. PMID:24846190

Levosimendan enhances memory through antioxidant effect in rat model: behavioral and molecular study.

PubMed

Rababa'h, Abeer M; Alzoubi, Karem H; Atmeh, Ala'a

2018-06-01

Impairment of learning and memory has been associated with accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the body. It has also been found that antioxidants enhance learning and memory. Levosimendan is a cardiac inotropic and vasodilator agent that has pleotropic effects including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and smooth muscle vasodilatory actions. In this study, we investigated the effect of levosimendan on learning and memory in rats. Levosimendan (12 µg/kg, intraperitoneally) or vehicle was administered once a week for 8 weeks. The radial arm water maze was used to assess spatial learning and memory. In addition, hippocampus levels of antioxidant biomarkers/enzyme - reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), GSH/GSSG ratio, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance - were assessed. Levosimendan significantly enhanced short-term (30 min) and long-term (5 h) memory. Levosimendan also significantly increased levels of glutathione peroxidase and GSH and decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substance. There were no significant effects on the level of other oxidative stress biomarkers. In conclusion, levosimendan enhanced short-term and long-term memory by potentiating antioxidant defense mechanism in the hippocampus.

Memory and cognitive control circuits in mathematical cognition and learning.

PubMed

Menon, V

2016-01-01

Numerical cognition relies on interactions within and between multiple functional brain systems, including those subserving quantity processing, working memory, declarative memory, and cognitive control. This chapter describes recent advances in our understanding of memory and control circuits in mathematical cognition and learning. The working memory system involves multiple parietal-frontal circuits which create short-term representations that allow manipulation of discrete quantities over several seconds. In contrast, hippocampal-frontal circuits underlying the declarative memory system play an important role in formation of associative memories and binding of new and old information, leading to the formation of long-term memories that allow generalization beyond individual problem attributes. The flow of information across these systems is regulated by flexible cognitive control systems which facilitate the integration and manipulation of quantity and mnemonic information. The implications of recent research for formulating a more comprehensive systems neuroscience view of the neural basis of mathematical learning and knowledge acquisition in both children and adults are discussed. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Memory and cognitive control circuits in mathematical cognition and learning

PubMed Central

Menon, V.

2018-01-01

Numerical cognition relies on interactions within and between multiple functional brain systems, including those subserving quantity processing, working memory, declarative memory, and cognitive control. This chapter describes recent advances in our understanding of memory and control circuits in mathematical cognition and learning. The working memory system involves multiple parietal–frontal circuits which create short-term representations that allow manipulation of discrete quantities over several seconds. In contrast, hippocampal–frontal circuits underlying the declarative memory system play an important role in formation of associative memories and binding of new and old information, leading to the formation of long-term memories that allow generalization beyond individual problem attributes. The flow of information across these systems is regulated by flexible cognitive control systems which facilitate the integration and manipulation of quantity and mnemonic information. The implications of recent research for formulating a more comprehensive systems neuroscience view of the neural basis of mathematical learning and knowledge acquisition in both children and adults are discussed. PMID:27339012

Contributions of the hippocampus to feedback learning

PubMed Central

Dickerson, Kathryn C.; Delgado, Mauricio R.

2015-01-01

Humans learn about the world in a variety of manners, including by observation, by associating cues in the environment, and via feedback. Across species, two brain structures have been predominantly involved in these learning processes: the hippocampus—supporting learning via observation and paired association—and the striatum—critical for feedback learning. This simple dichotomy, however, has recently been challenged by reports of hippocampal engagement in feedback learning, although the role of the hippocampus is not fully understood. The purpose of this experiment was to characterize the hippocampal response during feedback learning by manipulating varying levels of memory interference. Consistent with prior reports, feedback learning recruited the striatum and midbrain. Notably, feedback learning also engaged the hippocampus. The level of activity in these regions was modulated by the degree of memory interference, such that the greatest activation occurred during the highest level of memory interference. Importantly, the accuracy of information learned via feedback correlated with hippocampal activation and was reduced by the presence of high memory interference. Taken together, these findings provide evidence of hippocampal involvement in feedback learning by demonstrating both its relevance for the accuracy of information learned via feedback and its susceptibility to interference. PMID:26055632

Cognitive effects of methylphenidate and levodopa in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Linssen, A M W; Sambeth, A; Vuurman, E F P M; Riedel, W J

2014-02-01

Our previous study showed enhanced declarative memory consolidation after acute methylphenidate (MPH) administration. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the duration of this effect. Secondary, the dopaminergic contribution of MPH effects, the electrophysiological correlates of declarative memory, and the specificity of memory enhancing effects of MPH to declarative memory were assessed. Effects of 40 mg of MPH on memory performance were compared to 100mg of levodopa (LEV) in a placebo-controlled crossover study with 30 healthy volunteers. Memory performance testing included a word learning test, the Sternberg memory scanning task, a paired associates learning task, and a spatial working memory task. During the word learning test, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were measured. MPH failed to enhance retention of words at a 30 min delay, but it improved 24 h delayed memory recall relative to PLA and LEV. Furthermore, during encoding, the P3b and P600 ERP latencies were prolonged and the P600 amplitude was larger after LEV compared to PLA and MPH. MPH speeded response times on the Sternberg Memory Scanning task and improved performance on the Paired Associates Learning task, relative to LEV, but not PLA. Performance on the Spatial working memory task was not affected by the treatments. These findings suggest that MPH and LEV might have opposite effects on memory. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V. and ECNP.

Does Tracing Worked Examples Enhance Geometry Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Fang-Tzu; Ginns, Paul; Bobis, Janette

2014-01-01

Cognitive load theory seeks to generate novel instructional designs through a focus on human cognitive architecture including a limited working memory; however, the potential for enhancing learning through non-visual or non-auditory working memory channels is yet to be evaluated. This exploratory experiment tested whether explicit instructions to…

Stewardship, Learning, and Memory in Disaster Resilience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tidball, Keith G.; Krasny, Marianne E.; Svendsen, Erika; Campbell, Lindsay; Helphand, Kenneth

2010-01-01

In this contribution, we propose and explore the following hypothesis: civic ecology practices, including urban community forestry, community gardening, and other self-organized forms of stewardship of green spaces in cities, are manifestations of how memories of the role of greening in healing can be instrumentalized through social learning to…

From brain synapses to systems for learning and memory: Object recognition, spatial navigation, timed conditioning, and movement control.

PubMed

Grossberg, Stephen

2015-09-24

This article provides an overview of neural models of synaptic learning and memory whose expression in adaptive behavior depends critically on the circuits and systems in which the synapses are embedded. It reviews Adaptive Resonance Theory, or ART, models that use excitatory matching and match-based learning to achieve fast category learning and whose learned memories are dynamically stabilized by top-down expectations, attentional focusing, and memory search. ART clarifies mechanistic relationships between consciousness, learning, expectation, attention, resonance, and synchrony. ART models are embedded in ARTSCAN architectures that unify processes of invariant object category learning, recognition, spatial and object attention, predictive remapping, and eye movement search, and that clarify how conscious object vision and recognition may fail during perceptual crowding and parietal neglect. The generality of learned categories depends upon a vigilance process that is regulated by acetylcholine via the nucleus basalis. Vigilance can get stuck at too high or too low values, thereby causing learning problems in autism and medial temporal amnesia. Similar synaptic learning laws support qualitatively different behaviors: Invariant object category learning in the inferotemporal cortex; learning of grid cells and place cells in the entorhinal and hippocampal cortices during spatial navigation; and learning of time cells in the entorhinal-hippocampal system during adaptively timed conditioning, including trace conditioning. Spatial and temporal processes through the medial and lateral entorhinal-hippocampal system seem to be carried out with homologous circuit designs. Variations of a shared laminar neocortical circuit design have modeled 3D vision, speech perception, and cognitive working memory and learning. A complementary kind of inhibitory matching and mismatch learning controls movement. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Brain and Memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cognitive and psychomotor effects of risperidone in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

PubMed

Houthoofd, Sofie A M K; Morrens, Manuel; Sabbe, Bernard G C

2008-09-01

The aim of this review was to discuss data from double-blind, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have investigated the effects of oral and long-acting injectable risperidone on cognitive and psychomotor functioning in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. PubMed/MEDLINE and the Institute of Scientific Information Web of Science database were searched for relevant English-language double-blind RCTs published between March 2000 and July 2008, using the terms schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, cognition, risperidone, psychomotor, processing speed, attention, vigilance, working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, reasoning, problem solving, social cognition, MATRICS, and long-acting. Relevant studies included patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Cognitive domains were delineated at the Consensus Conferences of the National Institute of Mental Health-Measurement And Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (NIMH-MATRICS). The tests employed to assess each domain and psychomotor functioning, and the within-group and between-group comparisons of risperidone with haloperidol and other atypical antipsychotics, are presented. The results of individual tests were included when they were individually presented and interpretable for either drug; outcomes that were presented as cluster scores or factor structures were excluded. A total of 12 articles were included in this review. Results suggested that the use of oral risperidone appeared to be associated with within-group improvements on the cognitive domains of processing speed, attention/vigilance, verbal and visual learning and memory, and reasoning and problem solving in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Risperidone and haloperidol seemed to generate similar beneficial effects (on the domains of processing speed, attention/vigilance, [verbal and nonverbal] working memory, and visual learning and memory, as well as psychomotor functioning), although the results for verbal fluency, verbal learning and memory, and reasoning and problem solving were not unanimous, and no comparative data on social cognition were available. Similar cognitive effects were found with risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine on the domains of verbal working memory and reasoning and problem solving, as well as verbal fluency. More research is needed on the domains in which study results were contradictory. For olanzapine versus risperidone, these were verbal and visual learning and memory and psychomotor functioning. No comparative data for olanzapine and risperidone were available for the social cognition domain. For quetiapine versus risperidone, the domains in which no unanimity was found were processing speed, attention/vigilance, nonverbal working memory, and verbal learning and memory. The limited available reports on risperidone versus clozapine suggest that: risperidone was associated with improved, and clozapine with worsened, performance on the nonverbal working memory domain; risperidone improved and clozapine did not improve reasoning and problem-solving performance; clozapine improved, and risperidone did not improve, social cognition performance. Use of long-acting injectable risperidone seemed to be associated with improved performance in the domains of attention/vigilance, verbal learning and memory, and reasoning and problem solving, as well as psychomotor functioning. The results for the nonverbal working memory domain were indeterminate, and no clear improvement was seen in the social cognition domain. The domains of processing speed, verbal working memory, and visual learning and memory, as well as verbal fluency, were not assessed. The results of this review of within-group comparisons of oral risperidone suggest that the agent appeared to be associated with improved functioning in the cognitive domains of processing speed, attention/vigilance, verbal and visual learning and memory, and reasoning and problem solving in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Long-acting injectable risperidone seemed to be associated with improved functioning in the domains of attention/vigilance, verbal learning and memory, and reasoning and problem solving, as well as psychomotor functioning, in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

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.

Memory reactivation and consolidation during sleep

PubMed Central

Paller, Ken A.; Voss, Joel L.

2004-01-01

Do our memories remain static during sleep, or do they change? We argue here that memory change is not only a natural result of sleep cognition, but further, that such change constitutes a fundamental characteristic of declarative memories. In general, declarative memories change due to retrieval events at various times after initial learning and due to the formation and elaboration of associations with other memories, including memories formed after the initial learning episode. We propose that declarative memories change both during waking and during sleep, and that such change contributes to enhancing binding of the distinct representational components of some memories, and thus to a gradual process of cross-cortical consolidation. As a result of this special form of consolidation, declarative memories can become more cohesive and also more thoroughly integrated with other stored information. Further benefits of this memory reprocessing can include developing complex networks of interrelated memories, aligning memories with long-term strategies and goals, and generating insights based on novel combinations of memory fragments. A variety of research findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cross-cortical consolidation can progress during sleep, although further support is needed, and we suggest some potentially fruitful research directions. Determining how processing during sleep can facilitate memory storage will be an exciting focus of research in the coming years. PMID:15576883

Pharmacologic inhibition of phospholipase C in the brain attenuates early memory formation in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)

PubMed Central

Iino, Shiori; Kubo, Takeo

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Although the molecular mechanisms involved in learning and memory in insects have been studied intensively, the intracellular signaling mechanisms involved in early memory formation are not fully understood. We previously demonstrated that phospholipase C epsilon (PLCe), whose product is involved in calcium signaling, is almost selectively expressed in the mushroom bodies, a brain structure important for learning and memory in the honeybee. Here, we pharmacologically examined the role of phospholipase C (PLC) in learning and memory in the honeybee. First, we identified four genes for PLC subtypes in the honeybee genome database. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that, among these four genes, three, including PLCe, were expressed higher in the brain than in sensory organs in worker honeybees, suggesting their main roles in the brain. Edelfosine and neomycin, pan-PLC inhibitors, significantly decreased PLC activities in homogenates of the brain tissues. These drugs injected into the head of foragers significantly attenuated memory acquisition in comparison with the control groups, whereas memory retention was not affected. These findings suggest that PLC in the brain is involved in early memory formation in the honeybee. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a role for PLC in learning and memory in an insect. PMID:29330349

Arginine vasopressin prevents against Abeta(25-35)-induced impairment of spatial learning and memory in rats.

PubMed

Pan, Yan-Fang; Chen, Xiao-Rong; Wu, Mei-Na; Ma, Cun-Gen; Qi, Jin-Shun

2010-04-01

Amyloid beta protein (Abeta) is thought to be responsible for loss of memory in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A significant decrease in [Arg(8)]-vasopressin (AVP) has been found in the AD brain and in plasma; however, it is unclear whether this decrease in AVP is involved in Abeta-induced impairment of spatial cognition and whether AVP can protect against Abeta-induced deficits in cognitive function. The present study examined the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of AVP on spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze test and investigated the potential protective function of AVP against Abeta-induced impairment in spatial cognition. The results were as follows: (1) i.c.v. injection of 25 nmol Abeta(25-35) resulted in a significant decline in spatial learning and memory; (2) 1 nmol and 10 nmol, but not 0.1 nmol, AVP injections markedly improved learning and memory; (3) pretreatment with 1 nmol or 10 nmol, but not 0.1 nmol, AVP effectively reversed the impairment in spatial learning and memory induced by Abeta(25-35); and (4) none of the drugs, including Abeta(25-35) and different concentrations of AVP, affected the vision or swimming speed of the rats. These results indicate that Abeta(25-35) could significantly impair spatial learning and memory in rats, and pretreatment with AVP centrally can enhance spatial learning and effectively prevent the behavioral impairment induced by neurotoxic Abeta(25-35). Thus, the present study provides further insight into the mechanisms by which Abeta impairs spatial learning and memory, suggesting that up-regulation of central AVP might be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of AD. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expression of VGLUTs contributes to degeneration and acquisition of learning and memory.

PubMed

Cheng, Xiao-Rui; Yang, Yong; Zhou, Wen-Xia; Zhang, Yong-Xiang

2011-03-01

Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs), which include VGLUT1, VGLUT2 and VGLUT3, are responsible for the uploading of L-glutamate into synaptic vesicles. The expression pattern of VGLUTs determines the level of synaptic vesicle filling (i.e., glutamate quantal size) and directly influences glutamate receptors and glutamatergic synaptic transmission; thus, VGLUTs may play a key role in learning and memory in the central nervous system. To determine whether VGLUTs contribute to the degeneration or acquisition of learning and memory, we used an animal model for the age-related impairment of learning and memory, senescence-accelerated mouse/prone 8 (SAMP8). KM mice were divided into groups based on their learning and memory performance in a shuttle-box test. The expression of VGLUTs and synaptophysin (Syp) mRNA and protein in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were investigated with real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and western blot, respectively. Our results demonstrate that, in the cerebral cortex, protein expression of VGLUT1, VGLUT2, VGLUT3 and Syp was decreased in SAMP8 with age and increased in KM mice, which displayed an enhanced capacity for learning and memory. The protein expression of VGLUT2 and Syp was decreased in the hippocampus of SAMP8 with aging. The expression level of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 proteins were highest in KM mouse group with a 76-100% avoidance score in the shuttle-box test. These data demonstrate that protein expression of VGLUT1, VGLUT2 and Syp decreases age-dependently in SAMP8 and increases in a learning- and memory-dependent manner in KM mice. Correlation analysis indicated the protein expression of VGLUT1, VGLUT2 and Syp has a positive correlation with the capacity of learning and memory. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anxiety, cognition, and habit: a multiple memory systems perspective.

PubMed

Packard, Mark G

2009-10-13

Consistent with a multiple systems approach to memory organization in the mammalian brain, numerous studies have differentiated the roles of the hippocampus and dorsal striatum in "cognitive" and "habit" learning and memory, respectively. Additional research indicates that activation of efferent projections of the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region implicated in mammalian emotion, modulates memory processes occurring in other brain structures. The present brief review describes research designed to link these general concepts by examining the manner in which emotional state may influence the relative use of multiple memory systems. In a dual-solution plus-maze task that can be acquired using either hippocampus-dependent or dorsal striatal-dependent learning, acute pre-training or pre-retrieval emotional arousal (restraint stress/inescapable foot shock, exposure to the predator odor TMT, or peripheral injection of anixogenic drugs) biases rats towards the use of habit memory. Moreover, intra-BLA injection of anxiogenic drugs is sufficient to bias rats towards the use of dorsal striatal-dependent habit memory. In single-solution plus-maze tasks that require the use of either cognitive or habit learning, intra-BLA infusions of anxiogenic drugs result in a behavioral profile indicating an impairing effect on hippocampus-dependent memory that effectively produces enhanced habit learning by eliminating competitive interference between cognitive and habit memory systems. It is speculated that the predominant use of habit memory that can be produced by anxious and/or stressful emotional states may have implications for understanding the role of learning and memory processes in various human psychopathologies, including for example post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction.

[Progress on metaplasticity and its role in learning and memory].

PubMed

Wang, Shao-Li; Lu, Wei

2016-08-25

Long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) are two major forms of synaptic plasticity that are widely considered as important cellular models of learning and memory. Metaplasticity is defined as the plasticity of synaptic plasticity and thus is an advanced form of plasticity. The history of synaptic activity can affect the subsequent synaptic plasticity induction. Therefore, it is important to study metaplasticity to explore new mechanisms underlying various brain functions including learning and memory. Since the concept of metaplasticity was proposed, it has aroused widespread concerns and attracted numerous researchers to dig more details on this topic. These new-found experimental phenomena and cellular mechanisms have established the basis of theoretical studies on metaplasticity. In recent years, researchers have found that metaplasticity can not only affect the synaptic plasticity, but also regulate the neural network to encode specific content and enhance the learning and memory. These findings have greatly enriched our knowledge on plasticity and opened a new route to study the mechanism of learning and memory. In this review, we discuss the recent progress on metaplasticity on following three aspects: (1) the molecular mechanisms of metaplasticity; (2) the role of metaplasticity in learning and memory; and (3) the outlook of future study on metaplasticity.

Stewardship, learning, and memory in disaster resilience

Treesearch

Keith G. Tidball; Marianne E. Krasny; Erika Svendsen; Lindsay Campbell; Kenneth Helphand

2010-01-01

In this contribution, we propose and explore the following hypothesis: civic ecology practices, including urban community forestry, community gardening, and other self-organized forms of stewardship of green spaces in cities, are manifestations of how memories of the role of greening in healing can be instrumentalized through social learning to foster social-ecological...

Aversive Olfactory Learning and Associative Long-Term Memory in "Caenorhabditis elegans"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amano, Hisayuki; Maruyama, Ichiro N.

2011-01-01

The nematode "Caenorhabditis elegans" ("C. elegans") adult hermaphrodite has 302 invariant neurons and is suited for cellular and molecular studies on complex behaviors including learning and memory. Here, we have developed protocols for classical conditioning of worms with 1-propanol, as a conditioned stimulus (CS), and hydrochloride (HCl) (pH…

Unconscious Learning versus Visual Perception: Dissociable Roles for Gamma Oscillations Revealed in MEG

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaumon, Maximilien; Schwartz, Denis; Tallon-Baudry, Catherine

2009-01-01

Oscillatory synchrony in the gamma band (30-120 Hz) has been involved in various cognitive functions including conscious perception and learning. Explicit memory encoding, in particular, relies on enhanced gamma oscillations. Does this finding extend to unconscious memory encoding? Can we dissociate gamma oscillations related to unconscious…

Honeybees consolidate navigation memory during sleep.

PubMed

Beyaert, Lisa; Greggers, Uwe; Menzel, Randolf

2012-11-15

Sleep is known to support memory consolidation in animals, including humans. Here we ask whether consolidation of novel navigation memory in honeybees depends on sleep. Foragers were exposed to a forced navigation task in which they learned to home more efficiently from an unexpected release site by acquiring navigational memory during the successful homing flight. This task was quantified using harmonic radar tracking and applied to bees that were equipped with a radio frequency identification device (RFID). The RFID was used to record their outbound and inbound flights and continuously monitor their behavior inside the colony, including their rest during the day and sleep at night. Bees marked with the RFID behaved normally inside and outside the hive. Bees slept longer during the night following forced navigation tasks, but foraging flights of different lengths did not lead to different rest times during the day or total sleep time during the night. Sleep deprivation before the forced navigation task did not alter learning and memory acquired during the task. However, sleep deprivation during the night after forced navigation learning reduced the probability of returning successfully to the hive from the same release site. It is concluded that consolidation of novel navigation memory is facilitated by night sleep in bees.

Learning to learn – intrinsic plasticity as a metaplasticity mechanism for memory formation

PubMed Central

Sehgal, Megha; Song, Chenghui; Ehlers, Vanessa L.; Moyer, James R.

2013-01-01

“Use it or lose it” is a popular adage often associated with use-dependent enhancement of cognitive abilities. Much research has focused on understanding exactly how the brain changes as a function of experience. Such experience-dependent plasticity involves both structural and functional alterations that contribute to adaptive behaviors, such as learning and memory, as well as maladaptive behaviors, including anxiety disorders, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. With the advancing age of our population, understanding how use-dependent plasticity changes across the lifespan may also help to promote healthy brain aging. A common misconception is that such experience-dependent plasticity (e.g., associative learning) is synonymous with synaptic plasticity. Other forms of plasticity also play a critical role in shaping adaptive changes within the nervous system, including intrinsic plasticity – a change in the intrinsic excitability of a neuron. Intrinsic plasticity can result from a change in the number, distribution or activity of various ion channels located throughout the neuron. Here, we review evidence that intrinsic plasticity is an important and evolutionarily conserved neural correlate of learning. Intrinsic plasticity acts as a metaplasticity mechanism by lowering the threshold for synaptic changes. Thus, learning-related intrinsic changes can facilitate future synaptic plasticity and learning. Such intrinsic changes can impact the allocation of a memory trace within a brain structure, and when compromised, can contribute to cognitive decline during the aging process. This unique role of intrinsic excitability can provide insight into how memories are formed and, more interestingly, how neurons that participate in a memory trace are selected. Most importantly, modulation of intrinsic excitability can allow for regulation of learning ability – this can prevent or provide treatment for cognitive decline not only in patients with clinical disorders but also in the aging population. PMID:23871744

Reduced tonic inhibition in the dentate gyrus contributes to chronic stress-induced impairments in learning and memory.

PubMed

Lee, Vallent; MacKenzie, Georgina; Hooper, Andrew; Maguire, Jamie

2016-10-01

It is well established that stress impacts the underlying processes of learning and memory. The effects of stress on memory are thought to involve, at least in part, effects on the hippocampus, which is particularly vulnerable to stress. Chronic stress induces hippocampal alterations, including but not limited to dendritic atrophy and decreased neurogenesis, which are thought to contribute to chronic stress-induced hippocampal dysfunction and deficits in learning and memory. Changes in synaptic transmission, including changes in GABAergic inhibition, have been documented following chronic stress. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated shifts in EGABA in CA1 pyramidal neurons following chronic stress, compromising GABAergic transmission and increasing excitability of these neurons. Interestingly, here we demonstrate that these alterations are unique to CA1 pyramidal neurons, since we do not observe shifts in EGABA following chronic stress in dentate gyrus granule cells. Following chronic stress, there is a decrease in the expression of the GABAA receptor (GABAA R) δ subunit and tonic GABAergic inhibition in dentate gyrus granule cells, whereas there is an increase in the phasic component of GABAergic inhibition, evident by an increase in the peak amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). Given the numerous changes observed in the hippocampus following stress, it is difficult to pinpoint the pertinent contributing pathophysiological factors. Here we directly assess the impact of a reduction in tonic GABAergic inhibition of dentate gyrus granule cells on learning and memory using a mouse model with a decrease in GABAA R δ subunit expression specifically in dentate gyrus granule cells (Gabrd/Pomc mice). Reduced GABAA R δ subunit expression and function in dentate gyrus granule cells is sufficient to induce deficits in learning and memory. Collectively, these findings suggest that the reduction in GABAA R δ subunit-mediated tonic inhibition in dentate gyrus granule cells contributes, at least in part, to deficits in learning and memory associated with chronic stress. These findings have significant implications regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying impairments in learning and memory associated with stress and suggest a role for GABAA R δ subunit containing receptors in dentate gyrus granule cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

English Orthographic Learning in Chinese-L1 Young EFL Beginners.

PubMed

Cheng, Yu-Lin

2017-12-01

English orthographic learning, among Chinese-L1 children who were beginning to learn English as a foreign language, was documented when: (1) only visual memory was at their disposal, (2) visual memory and either some letter-sound knowledge or some semantic information was available, and (3) visual memory, some letter-sound knowledge and some semantic information were all available. When only visual memory was available, orthographic learning (measured via an orthographic choice test) was meagre. Orthographic learning was significant when either semantic information or letter-sound knowledge supplemented visual memory, with letter-sound knowledge generating greater significance. Although the results suggest that letter-sound knowledge plays a more important role than semantic information, letter-sound knowledge alone does not suffice to achieve perfect orthographic learning, as orthographic learning was greatest when letter-sound knowledge and semantic information were both available. The present findings are congruent with a view that the orthography of a foreign language drives its orthographic learning more than L1 orthographic learning experience, thus extending Share's (Cognition 55:151-218, 1995) self-teaching hypothesis to include non-alphabetic L1 children's orthographic learning of an alphabetic foreign language. The little letter-sound knowledge development observed in the experiment-I control group indicates that very little letter-sound knowledge develops in the absence of dedicated letter-sound training. Given the important role of letter-sound knowledge in English orthographic learning, dedicated letter-sound instruction is highly recommended.

[Effects of false memories on the Concealed Information Test].

PubMed

Zaitsu, Wataru

2012-10-01

The effects of false memories on polygraph examinations with the Concealed Information Test (CIT) were investigated by using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, which allows participants to evoke false memories. Physiological responses to questions consisting of learned, lure, and unlearned items were measured and recorded. The results indicated that responses to lure questions showed critical responses to questions about learned items. These responses included repression of respiration, an increase in electrodermal activity, and a drop in heart rate. These results suggest that critical response patterns are generated in the peripheral nervous system by true and false memories.

Out with the old and in with the new: Synaptic mechanisms of extinction in the amygdala

PubMed Central

Maren, Stephen

2014-01-01

Considerable research indicates that long-term synaptic plasticity in the amygdala underlies the acquisition of emotional memories, including those learned during Pavlovian fear conditioning. Much less is known about the synaptic mechanisms involved in other forms of associative learning, including extinction, that update fear memories. Extinction learning might reverse conditioning-related changes (e.g., depotentiation) or induce plasticity at inhibitory synapses (e.g., long-term potentiation) to suppress conditioned fear responses. Either mechanism must account for fear recovery phenomena after extinction, as well as savings of extinction after fear recovery. PMID:25312830

Prolonged rote learning produces delayed memory facilitation and metabolic changes in the hippocampus of the ageing human brain.

PubMed

Roche, Richard Ap; Mullally, Sinéad L; McNulty, Jonathan P; Hayden, Judy; Brennan, Paul; Doherty, Colin P; Fitzsimons, Mary; McMackin, Deirdre; Prendergast, Julie; Sukumaran, Sunita; Mangaoang, Maeve A; Robertson, Ian H; O'Mara, Shane M

2009-11-20

Repeated rehearsal is one method by which verbal material may be transferred from short- to long-term memory. We hypothesised that extended engagement of memory structures through prolonged rehearsal would result in enhanced efficacy of recall and also of brain structures implicated in new learning. Twenty-four normal participants aged 55-70 (mean = 60.1) engaged in six weeks of rote learning, during which they learned 500 words per week every week (prose, poetry etc.). An extensive battery of memory tests was administered on three occasions, each six weeks apart. In addition, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was used to measure metabolite levels in seven voxels of interest (VOIs) (including hippocampus) before and after learning. Results indicate a facilitation of new learning that was evident six weeks after rote learning ceased. This facilitation occurred for verbal/episodic material only, and was mirrored by a metabolic change in left posterior hippocampus, specifically an increase in NAA/(Cr+Cho) ratio. Results suggest that repeated activation of memory structures facilitates anamnesis and may promote neuronal plasticity in the ageing brain, and that compliance is a key factor in such facilitation as the effect was confined to those who engaged fully with the training.

Should I trust you? Learning and memory of social interactions in dementia.

PubMed

Wong, Stephanie; Irish, Muireann; O'Callaghan, Claire; Kumfor, Fiona; Savage, Greg; Hodges, John R; Piguet, Olivier; Hornberger, Michael

2017-09-01

Social relevance has an enhancing effect on learning and subsequent memory retrieval. The ability to learn from and remember social interactions may impact on susceptibility to financial exploitation, which is elevated in individuals with dementia. The current study aimed to investigate learning and memory of social interactions, the relationship between performance and financial vulnerability and the neural substrates underpinning performance in 14 Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 20 behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls. On a "trust game" task, participants invested virtual money with counterparts who acted either in a trustworthy or untrustworthy manner over repeated interactions. A non-social "lottery" condition was also included. Participants' learning of trust/distrust responses and subsequent memory for the counterparts and nature of the interactions was assessed. Carer-rated profiles of financial vulnerability were also collected. Relative to controls, both patient groups showed attenuated learning of trust/distrust responses, and lower overall memory for social interactions. Despite poor learning performance, both AD and bvFTD patients showed better memory of social compared to non-social interactions. Importantly, better memory for social interactions was associated with lower financial vulnerability in AD, but not bvFTD. Learning and memory of social interactions was associated with medial temporal and temporoparietal atrophy in AD, whereas a wider network of frontostriatal, insular, fusiform and medial temporal regions was implicated in bvFTD. Our findings suggest that although social relevance influences memory to an extent in both AD and bvFTD, this is associated with vulnerability to financial exploitation in AD only, and is underpinned by changes to different neural substrates. Theoretically, these findings provide novel insights into potential mechanisms that give rise to vulnerability in people with dementia, and open avenues for possible interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colour in Learning: Its Effect on the Retention Rate of Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olurinola, Oluwakemi; Tayo, Omoniyi

2015-01-01

Cognitive psychologists have discovered different design principles to enhance memory performance. It has been said that retrieving process depends on many variables and one of them is colour. This paper provides an overview of research on colour and learning. It includes the effect of colour on attention, retention and memory performance, and…

The role of α-synuclein and tau hyperphosphorylation-mediated autophagy and apoptosis in lead-induced learning and memory injury.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianbin; Cai, Tongjian; Zhao, Fang; Yao, Ting; Chen, Yaoming; Liu, Xinqin; Luo, Wenjing; Chen, Jingyuan

2012-01-01

Lead (Pb) is a well-known heavy metal in nature. Pb can cause pathophysiological changes in several organ systems including central nervous system. Especially, Pb can affect intelligence development and the ability of learning and memory of children. However, the toxic effects and mechanisms of Pb on learning and memory are still unclear. To clarify the mechanisms of Pb-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampus, and its effect on learning and memory, we chose Sprague-Dawley rats (SD-rats) as experimental subjects. We used Morris water maze to verify the ability of learning and memory after Pb treatment. We used immunohistofluorescence and Western blotting to detect the level of tau phosphorylation, accumulation of α-synuclein, autophagy and related signaling molecules in hippocampus. We demonstrated that Pb can cause abnormally hyperphosphorylation of tau and accumulation of α-synuclein, and these can induce hippocampal injury and the ability of learning and memory damage. To provide the new insight into the underlying mechanisms, we showed that Grp78, ATF4, caspase-3, autophagy-related proteins were induced and highly expressed following Pb-exposure. But mTOR signaling pathway was suppressed in Pb-exposed groups. Our results showed that Pb could cause hyperphosphorylation of tau and accumulation of α-synuclein, which could induce ER stress and suppress mTOR signal pathway. These can enhance type II program death (autophgy) and type I program death (apoptosis) in hippocampus, and impair the ability of learning and memory of rats. This is the first evidence showing the novel role of autophagy in the neurotoxicity of Pb.

Living Design Memory: Framework, Implementation, Lessons Learned.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terveen, Loren G.; And Others

1995-01-01

Discusses large-scale software development and describes the development of the Designer Assistant to improve software development effectiveness. Highlights include the knowledge management problem; related work, including artificial intelligence and expert systems, software process modeling research, and other approaches to organizational memory;…

The interplay of BDNF-TrkB with NMDA receptor in propofol-induced cognition dysfunction : Mechanism for the effects of propofol on cognitive function.

PubMed

Zhou, Junfei; Wang, Fang; Zhang, Jun; Li, Jianfeng; Ma, Li; Dong, Tieli; Zhuang, Zhigang

2018-04-05

The aim of the present study was to verify whether propofol impaired learning and memory through the interplay of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) signaling pathway. 120 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into eight groups. Experimental drugs including saline, intralipid, propofol, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), K252a and MK-801. Spatial learning and memory of rats were tested by the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The mRNA and protein expression were determined by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and western blot. Finally, hippocampus cells proliferation and apoptosis were examined by PCNA immunohistochemistry and TUNEL respectively. The memory and learning was diminished in the propofol exposure group, however, the impaired memory and learning of rats were improved with the addition of NMDA and 7,8-DHF, while the improvement of memory and learning of rats were reversed with the addition of K252a and MK-801. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels and hippocampus cells proliferation were the same trend with the results of the MWM test, while apoptosis in hippocampus was reversed. The propofol can impair memory and learning of rats and induce cognition dysfunction through the interplay of NMDA receptor and BDNF-TrkB-CREB signaling pathway.

Spatial short-term memory in children with nonverbal learning disabilities: impairment in encoding spatial configuration.

PubMed

Narimoto, Tadamasa; Matsuura, Naomi; Takezawa, Tomohiro; Mitsuhashi, Yoshinori; Hiratani, Michio

2013-01-01

The authors investigated whether impaired spatial short-term memory exhibited by children with nonverbal learning disabilities is due to a problem in the encoding process. Children with or without nonverbal learning disabilities performed a simple spatial test that required them to remember 3, 5, or 7 spatial items presented simultaneously in random positions (i.e., spatial configuration) and to decide if a target item was changed or all items including the target were in the same position. The results showed that, even when the spatial positions in the encoding and probe phases were similar, the mean proportion correct of children with nonverbal learning disabilities was 0.58 while that of children without nonverbal learning disabilities was 0.84. The authors argue with the results that children with nonverbal learning disabilities have difficulty encoding relational information between spatial items, and that this difficulty is responsible for their impaired spatial short-term memory.

38 CFR 4.130 - Schedule of ratings-mental disorders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to... (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names... or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions...

Emotional false memories in children with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Mirandola, Chiara; Losito, Nunzia; Ghetti, Simona; Cornoldi, Cesare

2014-02-01

Research has shown that children with learning disabilities (LD) are less prone to evince associative illusions of memory as a result of impairments in their ability to engage in semantic processing. However, it is unclear whether this observation is true for scripted life events, especially if they include emotional content, or across a broad spectrum of learning disabilities. The present study addressed these issues by assessing recognition memory for script-like information in children with nonverbal learning disability (NLD), children with dyslexia, and typically developing children (N=51). Participants viewed photographs about 8 common events (e.g., family dinner), and embedded in each episode was either a negative or a neutral consequence of an unseen action. Children's memory was then tested on a yes/no recognition task that included old and new photographs. Results showed that the three groups performed similarly in recognizing target photographs, but exhibited differences in memory errors. Compared to other groups, children with NLD were more likely to falsely recognize photographs that depicted an unseen cause of an emotional seen event and associated more "Remember" responses to these errors. Children with dyslexia were equally likely to falsely recognize both unseen causes of seen photographs and photographs generally consistent with the script, whereas the other participant groups were more likely to falsely recognize unseen causes rather than script-consistent distractors. Results are interpreted in terms of mechanisms underlying false memories' formation in different clinical populations of children with LD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opioid Modulation of Fos Protein Expression and Olfactory Circuitry Plays a Pivotal Role in What Neonates Remember

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Tania L.; Moriceau, Stephanie; Sullivan, Regina M.

2006-01-01

Paradoxically, fear conditioning (odor-0.5 mA shock) yields a learned odor preference in the neonate, presumably due to a unique learning and memory circuit that does not include apparent amygdala participation. Post-training opioid antagonism with naltrexone (NTX) blocks consolidation of this odor preference and instead yields memory of a learned…

Aerobic fitness relates to learning on a virtual Morris Water Task and hippocampal volume in adolescents.

PubMed

Herting, Megan M; Nagel, Bonnie J

2012-08-01

In rodents, exercise increases hippocampal neurogenesis and allows for better learning and memory performance on water maze tasks. While exercise has also been shown to be beneficial for the brain and behavior in humans, no study has examined how exercise impacts spatial learning using a directly translational water maze task, or if these relationships exist during adolescence--a developmental period which the animal literature has shown to be especially vulnerable to exercise effects. In this study, we investigated the influence of aerobic fitness on hippocampal size and subsequent learning and memory, including visuospatial memory using a human analogue of the Morris Water Task, in 34 adolescents. Results showed that higher aerobic fitness predicted better learning on the virtual Morris Water Task and larger hippocampal volumes. No relationship between virtual Morris Water Task memory recall and aerobic fitness was detected. Aerobic fitness, however, did not relate to global brain volume or verbal learning, which might suggest some specificity of the influence of aerobic fitness on the adolescent brain. This study provides a direct translational approach to the existing animal literature on exercise, as well as adds to the sparse research that exists on how aerobic exercise impacts the developing human brain and memory. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Aerobic fitness relates to learning on a virtual morris water task and hippocampal volume in adolescents

PubMed Central

Herting, Megan M.; Nagel, Bonnie J.

2012-01-01

In rodents, exercise increases hippocampal neurogenesis and allows for better learning and memory performance on water maze tasks. While exercise has also been shown to be beneficial for the brain and behavior in humans, no study has examined how exercise impacts spatial learning using a directly translational water maze task, or if these relationships exist during adolescence – a developmental period which the animal literature has shown to be especially vulnerable to exercise effects. In this study, we investigated the influence of aerobic fitness on hippocampal size and subsequent learning and memory, including visuospatial memory using a human analogue of the Morris Water Task, in 34 adolescents. Results showed that higher aerobic fitness predicted better learning on the virtual Morris Water Task and larger hippocampal volumes. No relationship between virtual Morris Water Task memory recall and aerobic fitness was detected. Aerobic fitness, however, did not relate to global brain volume, or verbal learning, which might suggest some specificity of the influence of aerobic fitness on the adolescent brain. This study provides a direct translational approach to the existing animal literature on exercise, as well as adds to the sparse research that exists on how aerobic exercise impacts the developing human brain and memory. PMID:22610054

Adult Learning: A Reader.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Peter, Ed.

This book on adult learning is divided into six sections. Section 1, Cognitive Processes, includes the following chapters: "Cognitive Processes: Contemporary Paradigms of Learning" (Jack Mezirow); "Information Processing, Memory, Age and Adult Learning" (Gillian Boulton-Lewis); "Adult Learners' Metacognitive Behaviour in Higher Education" (Barry…

Working Memory Weaknesses in Students with ADHD: Implications for Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinussen, Rhonda; Major, Ashley

2011-01-01

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for academic underachievement. Children and youth with ADHD have been found to exhibit impairments on neuropsychological measures of executive functions, including working memory. Working memory is important to attentional control and learning. This article defines working…

Dissociation of long-term verbal memory and fronto-executive impairment in first-episode psychosis

PubMed Central

Leeson, V. C.; Robbins, T. W.; Franklin, C.; Harrison, M.; Harrison, I.; Ron, M. A.; Barnes, T. R. E.; Joyce, E. M.

2009-01-01

Background Verbal memory is frequently and severely affected in schizophrenia and has been implicated as a mediator of poor clinical outcome. Whereas encoding deficits are well demonstrated, it is unclear whether retention is impaired. This distinction is important because accelerated forgetting implies impaired consolidation attributable to medial temporal lobe (MTL) dysfunction whereas impaired encoding and retrieval implicates involvement of prefrontal cortex. Method We assessed a group of healthy volunteers (n=97) and pre-morbid IQ- and sex-matched first-episode psychosis patients (n=97), the majority of whom developed schizophrenia. We compared performance of verbal learning and recall with measures of visuospatial working memory, planning and attentional set-shifting, and also current IQ. Results All measures of performance, including verbal memory retention, a memory savings score that accounted for learning impairments, were significantly impaired in the schizophrenia group. The difference between groups for delayed recall remained even after the influence of learning and recall was accounted for. Factor analyses showed that, in patients, all variables except verbal memory retention loaded on a single factor, whereas in controls verbal memory and fronto-executive measures were separable. Conclusions The results suggest that IQ, executive function and verbal learning deficits in schizophrenia may reflect a common abnormality of information processing in prefrontal cortex rather than specific impairments in different cognitive domains. Verbal memory retention impairments, however, may have a different aetiology. PMID:19419594

The relationships between trait anxiety, place recognition memory, and learning strategy.

PubMed

Hawley, Wayne R; Grissom, Elin M; Dohanich, Gary P

2011-01-20

Rodents learn to navigate mazes using various strategies that are governed by specific regions of the brain. The type of strategy used when learning to navigate a spatial environment is moderated by a number of factors including emotional states. Heightened anxiety states, induced by exposure to stressors or administration of anxiogenic agents, have been found to bias male rats toward the use of a striatum-based stimulus-response strategy rather than a hippocampus-based place strategy. However, no study has yet examined the relationship between natural anxiety levels, or trait anxiety, and the type of learning strategy used by rats on a dual-solution task. In the current experiment, levels of inherent anxiety were measured in an open field and compared to performance on two separate cognitive tasks, a Y-maze task that assessed place recognition memory, and a visible platform water maze task that assessed learning strategy. Results indicated that place recognition memory on the Y-maze correlated with the use of place learning strategy on the water maze. Furthermore, lower levels of trait anxiety correlated positively with better place recognition memory and with the preferred use of place learning strategy. Therefore, competency in place memory and bias in place strategy are linked to the levels of inherent anxiety in male rats. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isoflurane anesthesia exacerbates learning and memory impairment in zinc-deficient APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

PubMed

Feng, Chunsheng; Liu, Ya; Yuan, Ye; Cui, Weiwei; Zheng, Feng; Ma, Yuan; Piao, Meihua

2016-12-01

Zinc (Zn) is known to play crucial roles in numerous brain functions including learning and memory. Zn deficiency is believed to be widespread throughout the world, particularly in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). A number of studies have shown that volatile anesthetics, such as isoflurane, might be potential risk factors for the development of AD. However, whether isoflurane exposure accelerates the process of AD and cognitive impairment in AD patients with Zn deficiency is yet to be documented. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of 1.4% isoflurane exposure for 2 h on learning and memory function, and neuropathogenesis in 10-month-old Zn-adequate, Zn-deficient, and Zn-treated APP/PS1 mice with the following parameters: behavioral tests, neuronal apoptosis, Aβ, and tau pathology. The results demonstrated that isoflurane exposure showed no impact on learning and memory function, but induced transient elevation of neuroapoptosis in Zn-adequate APP/PS1 mice. Exposure of isoflurane exhibited significant neuroapoptosis, Aβ generation, tau phosphorylation, and learning and memory impairment in APP/PS1 mice in the presence of Zn deficiency. Appropriate Zn treatment improved learning and memory function, and prevented isoflurane-induced neuroapoptosis in APP/PS1 mice. Isoflurane exposure may cause potential neurotoxicity, which is tolerated to some extent in Zn-adequate APP/PS1 mice. When this tolerance is limited, like in AD with Zn deficiency, isoflurane exposure markedly exacerbated learning and memory impairment, and neuropathology, indicating that AD patients with certain conditions such as Zn deficiency may be vulnerable to volatile anesthetic isoflurane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Real-time learning of predictive recognition categories that chunk sequences of items stored in working memory

PubMed Central

Kazerounian, Sohrob; Grossberg, Stephen

2014-01-01

How are sequences of events that are temporarily stored in a cognitive working memory unitized, or chunked, through learning? Such sequential learning is needed by the brain in order to enable language, spatial understanding, and motor skills to develop. In particular, how does the brain learn categories, or list chunks, that become selectively tuned to different temporal sequences of items in lists of variable length as they are stored in working memory, and how does this learning process occur in real time? The present article introduces a neural model that simulates learning of such list chunks. In this model, sequences of items are temporarily stored in an Item-and-Order, or competitive queuing, working memory before learning categorizes them using a categorization network, called a Masking Field, which is a self-similar, multiple-scale, recurrent on-center off-surround network that can weigh the evidence for variable-length sequences of items as they are stored in the working memory through time. A Masking Field hereby activates the learned list chunks that represent the most predictive item groupings at any time, while suppressing less predictive chunks. In a network with a given number of input items, all possible ordered sets of these item sequences, up to a fixed length, can be learned with unsupervised or supervised learning. The self-similar multiple-scale properties of Masking Fields interacting with an Item-and-Order working memory provide a natural explanation of George Miller's Magical Number Seven and Nelson Cowan's Magical Number Four. The article explains why linguistic, spatial, and action event sequences may all be stored by Item-and-Order working memories that obey similar design principles, and thus how the current results may apply across modalities. Item-and-Order properties may readily be extended to Item-Order-Rank working memories in which the same item can be stored in multiple list positions, or ranks, as in the list ABADBD. Comparisons with other models, including TRACE, MERGE, and TISK, are made. PMID:25339918

Computerized working memory training has positive long-term effect in very low birthweight preschool children.

PubMed

Grunewaldt, Kristine Hermansen; Skranes, Jon; Brubakk, Ann-Mari; Lähaugen, Gro C C

2016-02-01

Working memory deficits are frequently found in children born preterm and have been linked to learning disabilities, and cognitive and behavioural problems. Our aim was to evaluate if a computerized working memory training program has long-term positive effects on memory, learning, and behaviour in very-low-birthweight (VLBW) children at age 5 to 6 years. This prospective, intervention study included 20 VLBW preschool children in the intervention group and 17 age-matched, non-training VLBW children in the comparison group. The intervention group trained with the Cogmed JM working memory training program daily for 5 weeks (25 training sessions). Extensive neuropsychological assessment and parental questionnaires were performed 4 weeks after intervention and at follow-up 7 months later. For most of the statistical analyses, general linear models were applied. At follow-up, higher scores and increased or equal performance gain were found in the intervention group than the comparison group on memory for faces (p=0.012), narrative memory (p=0.002), and spatial span (p=0.003). No group differences in performance gain were found for attention and behaviour. Computerized working memory training seems to have positive and persisting effects on working memory, and visual and verbal learning, at 7-month follow-up in VLBW preschool children. We speculate that such training is beneficial by improving the ability to learn from the teaching at school and for further cognitive development. © 2015 Mac Keith Press.

A Pharmacological Analysis of an Associative Learning Task: 5-HT1 to 5-HT7 Receptor Subtypes Function on a Pavlovian/Instrumental Autoshaped Memory

PubMed Central

Meneses, Alfredo

2003-01-01

Recent studies using both invertebrates and mammals have revealed that endogenous serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) modulates plasticity processes, including learning and memory. However, little is currently known about the mechanisms, loci, or time window of the actions of 5-HT. The aim of this review is to discuss some recent results on the effects of systemic administration of selective agonists and antagonists of 5-HT on associative learning in a Pavlovian/instrumental autoshaping (P/I-A) task in rats. The results indicate that pharmacological manipulation of 5-HT1-7 receptors or 5-HT reuptake sites might modulate memory consolidation, which is consistent with the emerging notion that 5-HT plays a key role in memory formation. PMID:14557609

Projection specificity in heterogeneous locus coeruleus cell populations: implications for learning and memory

PubMed Central

Uematsu, Akira; Tan, Bao Zhen

2015-01-01

Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) play a critical role in many functions including learning and memory. This relatively small population of cells sends widespread projections throughout the brain including to a number of regions such as the amygdala which is involved in emotional associative learning and the medial prefrontal cortex which is important for facilitating flexibility when learning rules change. LC noradrenergic cells participate in both of these functions, but it is not clear how this small population of neurons modulates these partially distinct processes. Here we review anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological studies to assess how LC noradrenergic neurons regulate these different aspects of learning and memory. Previous work has demonstrated that subpopulations of LC noradrenergic cells innervate specific brain regions suggesting heterogeneity of function in LC neurons. Furthermore, noradrenaline in mPFC and amygdala has distinct effects on emotional learning and cognitive flexibility. Finally, neural recording data show that LC neurons respond during associative learning and when previously learned task contingencies change. Together, these studies suggest a working model in which distinct and potentially opposing subsets of LC neurons modulate particular learning functions through restricted efferent connectivity with amygdala or mPFC. This type of model may provide a general framework for understanding other neuromodulatory systems, which also exhibit cell type heterogeneity and projection specificity. PMID:26330494

Executive functions predict conceptual learning of science.

PubMed

Rhodes, Sinéad M; Booth, Josephine N; Palmer, Lorna Elise; Blythe, Richard A; Delibegovic, Mirela; Wheate, Nial J

2016-06-01

We examined the relationship between executive functions and both factual and conceptual learning of science, specifically chemistry, in early adolescence. Sixty-three pupils in their second year of secondary school (aged 12-13 years) participated. Pupils completed tasks of working memory (Spatial Working Memory), inhibition (Stop-Signal), attention set-shifting (ID/ED), and planning (Stockings of Cambridge), from the CANTAB. They also participated in a chemistry teaching session, practical, and assessment on the topic of acids and alkalis designed specifically for this study. Executive function data were related to (1) the chemistry assessment which included aspects of factual and conceptual learning and (2) a recent school science exam. Correlational analyses between executive functions and both the chemistry assessment and science grades revealed that science achievements were significantly correlated with working memory. Linear regression analysis revealed that visuospatial working memory ability was predictive of chemistry performance. Interestingly, this relationship was observed solely in relation to the conceptual learning condition of the assessment highlighting the role of executive functions in understanding and applying knowledge about what is learned within science teaching. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Compound mechanism hypothesis on +Gz induced brain injury and dysfunction of learning and memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xi-Qing; Li, Jin-Sheng; Cao, Xin-Sheng; Wu, Xing-Yu

2005-08-01

We systematically studied the effect of high- sustained +Gz on the brain and its mechanism in past ten years by animal centrifuge experiments. On the basis of the facts we observed and the more recent advances in acceleration physiology, we put forward a compound mechanism hypothesis to offer a possible explanation for +Gz-induced brain injury and dysfunction of learning and memory. It states that, ischemia during high G exposure might be the main factor accounting for +Gz-induced brain injury and dysfunction of learning and memory, including transient depression of brain energy metabolism, disturbance of ion homeostasis, increased blood-brain barrier permeability, increased brain nitric oxide synthase expression, and the protective effect of heat shock protein 70. In addition, the large rapid change of intracranial pressure and increased stress during +Gz exposure, and the hemorrheologic change after +Gz exposure might be one of the important factors accounting for +Gz-induced brain injury and dysfunction of learning and memory.

Metabolic learning and memory formation by the brain influence systemic metabolic homeostasis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yumin; Liu, Gang; Yan, Jingqi; Zhang, Yalin; Li, Bo; Cai, Dongsheng

2015-04-07

Metabolic homeostasis is regulated by the brain, but whether this regulation involves learning and memory of metabolic information remains unexplored. Here we use a calorie-based, taste-independent learning/memory paradigm to show that Drosophila form metabolic memories that help in balancing food choice with caloric intake; however, this metabolic learning or memory is lost under chronic high-calorie feeding. We show that loss of individual learning/memory-regulating genes causes a metabolic learning defect, leading to elevated trehalose and lipid levels. Importantly, this function of metabolic learning requires not only the mushroom body but also the hypothalamus-like pars intercerebralis, while NF-κB activation in the pars intercerebralis mimics chronic overnutrition in that it causes metabolic learning impairment and disorders. Finally, we evaluate this concept of metabolic learning/memory in mice, suggesting that the hypothalamus is involved in a form of nutritional learning and memory, which is critical for determining resistance or susceptibility to obesity. In conclusion, our data indicate that the brain, and potentially the hypothalamus, direct metabolic learning and the formation of memories, which contribute to the control of systemic metabolic homeostasis.

The New ISD: Applying Cognitive Strategies to Instructional Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Ruth Colvin

2002-01-01

Discusses cognitive models of instruction that can help develop new models of Instructional Systems Design (ISD) that include cognitive task analysis to identify mental models; constructive assumptions of learning; working memory and long-term memory; retrieval of new knowledge and skills from long-term memory; and support of metacognitive skills.…

Distinct Roles for Medial Temporal Lobe Structures in Memory for Objects and Their Locations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buffalo, Elizabeth A.; Bellgowan, Patrick S. F.; Martin, Alex

2006-01-01

The ability to learn and retain novel information depends on a system of structures in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) including the hippocampus and the surrounding entorhinal, perirhinal, and parahippocampal cortices. Damage to these structures produces profound memory deficits; however, the unique contribution to memory of each of these…

Dopamine and extinction: A convergence of theory with fear and reward circuitry

PubMed Central

Abraham, Antony D.; Neve, Kim A.; Lattal, K. Matthew

2014-01-01

Research on dopamine lies at the intersection of sophisticated theoretical and neurobiological approaches to learning and memory. Dopamine has been shown to be critical for many processes that drive learning and memory, including motivation, prediction error, incentive salience, memory consolidation, and response output. Theories of dopamine’s function in these processes have, for the most part, been developed from behavioral approaches that examine learning mechanisms in reward-related tasks. A parallel and growing literature indicates that dopamine is involved in fear conditioning and extinction. These studies are consistent with long-standing ideas about appetitive-aversive interactions in learning theory and they speak to the general nature of cellular and molecular processes that underlie behavior. We review the behavioral and neurobiological literature showing a role for dopamine in fear conditioning and extinction. At a cellular level, we review dopamine signaling and receptor pharmacology, cellular and molecular events that follow dopamine receptor activation, and brain systems in which dopamine functions. At a behavioral level, we describe theories of learning and dopamine function that could describe the fundamental rules underlying how dopamine modulates different aspects of learning and memory processes. PMID:24269353

Dopamine and extinction: a convergence of theory with fear and reward circuitry.

PubMed

Abraham, Antony D; Neve, Kim A; Lattal, K Matthew

2014-02-01

Research on dopamine lies at the intersection of sophisticated theoretical and neurobiological approaches to learning and memory. Dopamine has been shown to be critical for many processes that drive learning and memory, including motivation, prediction error, incentive salience, memory consolidation, and response output. Theories of dopamine's function in these processes have, for the most part, been developed from behavioral approaches that examine learning mechanisms in reward-related tasks. A parallel and growing literature indicates that dopamine is involved in fear conditioning and extinction. These studies are consistent with long-standing ideas about appetitive-aversive interactions in learning theory and they speak to the general nature of cellular and molecular processes that underlie behavior. We review the behavioral and neurobiological literature showing a role for dopamine in fear conditioning and extinction. At a cellular level, we review dopamine signaling and receptor pharmacology, cellular and molecular events that follow dopamine receptor activation, and brain systems in which dopamine functions. At a behavioral level, we describe theories of learning and dopamine function that could describe the fundamental rules underlying how dopamine modulates different aspects of learning and memory processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practice Effects on Story Memory and List Learning Tests in the Neuropsychological Assessment of Older Adults

PubMed Central

Gurnani, Ashita S.; Saurman, Jessica L.; Chapman, Kimberly R.; Steinberg, Eric G.; Martin, Brett; Chaisson, Christine E.; Mez, Jesse; Tripodis, Yorghos; Stern, Robert A.

2016-01-01

Two of the most commonly used methods to assess memory functioning in studies of cognitive aging and dementia are story memory and list learning tests. We hypothesized that the most commonly used story memory test, Wechsler's Logical Memory, would generate more pronounced practice effects than a well validated but less common list learning test, the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) List Learning test. Two hundred eighty-seven older adults, ages 51 to 100 at baseline, completed both tests as part of a larger neuropsychological test battery on an annual basis. Up to five years of recall scores from participants who were diagnosed as cognitively normal (n = 96) or with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 72) or Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 121) at their most recent visit were analyzed with linear mixed effects regression to examine the interaction between the type of test and the number of times exposed to the test. Other variables, including age at baseline, sex, education, race, time (years) since baseline, and clinical diagnosis were also entered as fixed effects predictor variables. The results indicated that both tests produced significant practice effects in controls and MCI participants; in contrast, participants with AD declined or remained stable. However, for the delayed—but not the immediate—recall condition, Logical Memory generated more pronounced practice effects than NAB List Learning (b = 0.16, p < .01 for controls). These differential practice effects were moderated by clinical diagnosis, such that controls and MCI participants—but not participants with AD—improved more on Logical Memory delayed recall than on delayed NAB List Learning delayed recall over five annual assessments. Because the Logical Memory test is ubiquitous in cognitive aging and neurodegenerative disease research, its tendency to produce marked practice effects—especially on the delayed recall condition—suggests a threat to its validity as a measure of new learning, an essential construct for dementia diagnosis. PMID:27711147

Synaptic plasticity and memory functions achieved in a WO3-x-based nanoionics device by using the principle of atomic switch operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Rui; Terabe, Kazuya; Yao, Yiping; Tsuruoka, Tohru; Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi; Gimzewski, James K.; Aono, Masakazu

2013-09-01

A compact neuromorphic nanodevice with inherent learning and memory properties emulating those of biological synapses is the key to developing artificial neural networks rivaling their biological counterparts. Experimental results showed that memorization with a wide time scale from volatile to permanent can be achieved in a WO3-x-based nanoionics device and can be precisely and cumulatively controlled by adjusting the device’s resistance state and input pulse parameters such as the amplitude, interval, and number. This control is analogous to biological synaptic plasticity including short-term plasticity, long-term potentiation, transition from short-term memory to long-term memory, forgetting processes for short- and long-term memory, learning speed, and learning history. A compact WO3-x-based nanoionics device with a simple stacked layer structure should thus be a promising candidate for use as an inorganic synapse in artificial neural networks due to its striking resemblance to the biological synapse.

Working memory plasticity and aging.

PubMed

Rhodes, Rebecca E; Katz, Benjamin

2017-02-01

The present research explores how the trajectory of learning on a working memory task changes throughout the life span, and whether gains in working memory performance are exclusively a question of initial working memory capacity (WMC) or whether age exerts an independent effect. In a large, cross-sectional study of younger, middle-aged, and older adults, we examined learning on a widely used working memory task-the dual n-back task-over 20 sessions of practice. We found that, while all age groups improved on the task, older adults demonstrated less improvement on the task, and also reached a lower asymptotic maximum performance than younger adults. After controlling for initial WMC, we found that age exerted independent effects on training gains and asymptotic performance; older adults tended to improve less and reached lower levels of performance than younger adults. The difference between younger and older adults' rates of learning depended in part on initial WMC. These results suggest that age-related effects on working memory include not only effects on capacity, but also plasticity and the ability to improve on a task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Motor learning and working memory in children born preterm: a systematic review.

PubMed

Jongbloed-Pereboom, Marjolein; Janssen, Anjo J W M; Steenbergen, Bert; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G

2012-04-01

Children born preterm have a higher risk for developing motor, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Motor problems can occur in combination with working memory problems, and working memory is important for explicit learning of motor skills. The relation between motor learning and working memory has never been reviewed. The goal of this review was to provide an overview of motor learning, visual working memory and the role of working memory on motor learning in preterm children. A systematic review conducted in four databases identified 38 relevant articles, which were evaluated for methodological quality. Only 4 of 38 articles discussed motor learning in preterm children. Thirty-four studies reported on visual working memory; preterm birth affected performance on visual working memory tests. Information regarding motor learning and the role of working memory on the different components of motor learning was not available. Future research should address this issue. Insight in the relation between motor learning and visual working memory may contribute to the development of evidence based intervention programs for children born preterm. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Event-related brain potentials in memory: correlates of episodic, semantic and implicit memory.

PubMed

Wieser, Stephan; Wieser, Heinz Gregor

2003-06-01

To study cognitive evoked potentials, recorded from scalp EEG and foramen ovale electrodes, during activation of explicit and implicit memory. The subgroups of explicit memory, episodic and semantic memory, are looked at separately. A word-learning task was used, which has been shown to activate hippocampus in H(2)(15)O positron emission tomography studies. Subjects had to study and remember word pairs using different learning strategies: (i) associative word learning (AWL), which activates the episodic memory, (ii) deep single word encoding (DSWE), which activates the semantic memory, and (iii) shallow single word encoding (SSWE), which activates the implicit memory and serves as a baseline. The test included the 'remember/know' paradigm as a behavioural learning control. During the task condition, a 10-20 scalp EEG with additional electrodes in both temporal lobes regions was recorded from 11 healthy volunteers. In one patient with mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy, the EEG was recorded from bilateral foramen ovale electrodes directly from mesial temporal lobe structures. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were calculated off-line and visual and statistical analyses were made. Associative learning strategy produced the best memory performance and the best noetic awareness experience, whereas shallow single word encoding produced the worst performance and the smallest noetic awareness. Deep single word encoding performance was in between. ERPs differed according to the test condition, during both encoding and retrieval, from both the scalp EEG and the foramen ovale electrode recordings. Encoding showed significant differences between the shallow single word encoding (SSWE), which is mainly a function of graphical characteristics, and the other two strategies, deep single word (DSWE) and associative learning (AWL), in which there is a semantic processing of the meaning. ERPs generated by these two categories, which are both functions of explicit memory, differed as well, indicating the presence or the absence of associative binding. Retrieval showed a significant test effect between the word pairs learned by association (AWL) and the ones learned by encoding the words in isolation of each other (DSWE and SSWE). The comparison of the ERPs generated by autonoetic awareness ('remember') and noetic awareness ('know') exhibited a significant test effect as well. The results of behavioural data, in particular that of the 'remember/know' procedure, are evidence that the task paradigm was efficient in activating different kinds of memory. Associative word learning generated a high degree of autonoetic awareness, which is a result of the episodic memory, whereas both kinds of single word learning generated less. AWL, DSWE and SSWE resulted in different electrophysiological correlates, both for encoding as well as retrieval, indicating that different brain structures were activated in different temporal sequence.

Recurrent Neural Networks With Auxiliary Memory Units.

PubMed

Wang, Jianyong; Zhang, Lei; Guo, Quan; Yi, Zhang

2018-05-01

Memory is one of the most important mechanisms in recurrent neural networks (RNNs) learning. It plays a crucial role in practical applications, such as sequence learning. With a good memory mechanism, long term history can be fused with current information, and can thus improve RNNs learning. Developing a suitable memory mechanism is always desirable in the field of RNNs. This paper proposes a novel memory mechanism for RNNs. The main contributions of this paper are: 1) an auxiliary memory unit (AMU) is proposed, which results in a new special RNN model (AMU-RNN), separating the memory and output explicitly and 2) an efficient learning algorithm is developed by employing the technique of error flow truncation. The proposed AMU-RNN model, together with the developed learning algorithm, can learn and maintain stable memory over a long time range. This method overcomes both the learning conflict problem and gradient vanishing problem. Unlike the traditional method, which mixes the memory and output with a single neuron in a recurrent unit, the AMU provides an auxiliary memory neuron to maintain memory in particular. By separating the memory and output in a recurrent unit, the problem of learning conflicts can be eliminated easily. Moreover, by using the technique of error flow truncation, each auxiliary memory neuron ensures constant error flow during the learning process. The experiments demonstrate good performance of the proposed AMU-RNNs and the developed learning algorithm. The method exhibits quite efficient learning performance with stable convergence in the AMU-RNN learning and outperforms the state-of-the-art RNN models in sequence generation and sequence classification tasks.

No effect of odor-induced memory reactivation during REM sleep on declarative memory stability

PubMed Central

Cordi, Maren J.; Diekelmann, Susanne; Born, Jan; Rasch, Björn

2014-01-01

Memory reactivations in hippocampal brain areas are critically involved in memory consolidation processes during sleep. In particular, specific firing patterns of hippocampal place cells observed during learning are replayed during subsequent sleep and rest in rodents. In humans, experimentally inducing hippocampal memory reactivations during slow-wave sleep (but not during wakefulness) benefits consolidation and immediately stabilizes declarative memories against future interference. Importantly, spontaneous hippocampal replay activity can also be observed during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and some authors have suggested that replay during REM sleep is related to processes of memory consolidation. However, the functional role of reactivations during REM sleep for memory stability is still unclear. Here, we reactivated memories during REM sleep and examined its consequences for the stability of declarative memories. After 3 h of early, slow-wave sleep (SWS) rich sleep, 16 healthy young adults learned a 2-D object location task in the presence of a contextual odor. During subsequent REM sleep, participants were either re-exposed to the odor or to an odorless vehicle, in a counterbalanced within subject design. Reactivation was followed by an interference learning task to probe memory stability after awakening. We show that odor-induced memory reactivation during REM sleep does not stabilize memories against future interference. We propose that the beneficial effect of reactivation during sleep on memory stability might be critically linked to processes characterizing SWS including, e.g., slow oscillatory activity, sleep spindles, or low cholinergic tone, which are required for a successful redistribution of memories from medial temporal lobe regions to neocortical long-term stores. PMID:25225474

Methods to measure olfactory behavior in mice

PubMed Central

Zou, Junhui; Wang, Wenbin; Pan, Yung-Wei; Lu, Song; Xia, Zhengui

2015-01-01

Mice rely on the sense of olfaction to detect food sources, recognize social and mating partners, and avoid predators. Many behaviors of mice including learning and memory, social interaction, fear, and anxiety are closely associated with their function of olfaction, and behavior tasks designed to evaluate those brain functions may use odors as cues. Accurate assessment of olfaction is not only essential for the study of olfactory system but also critical for proper interpretation of various mouse behaviors especially learning and memory, emotionality and affect, and sociality. Here we describe a series of behavior experiments that offer multidimensional and quantitative assessments for mouse’s olfactory function, including olfactory habituation, discrimination, odor preference, odor detection sensitivity, and olfactory memory, to both social and nonsocial odors. PMID:25645244

Judgments of Learning are Influenced by Multiple Cues In Addition to Memory for Past Test Accuracy.

PubMed

Hertzog, Christopher; Hines, Jarrod C; Touron, Dayna R

When people try to learn new information (e.g., in a school setting), they often have multiple opportunities to study the material. One of the most important things to know is whether people adjust their study behavior on the basis of past success so as to increase their overall level of learning (for example, by emphasizing information they have not yet learned). Monitoring their learning is a key part of being able to make those kinds of adjustments. We used a recognition memory task to replicate prior research showing that memory for past test outcomes influences later monitoring, as measured by judgments of learning (JOLs; confidence that the material has been learned), but also to show that subjective confidence in whether the test answer and the amount of time taken to restudy the items also have independent effects on JOLs. We also show that there are individual differences in the effects of test accuracy and test confidence on JOLs, showing that some but not all people use past test experiences to guide monitoring of their new learning. Monitoring learning is therefore a complex process of considering multiple cues, and some people attend to those cues more effectively than others. Improving the quality of monitoring performance and learning could lead to better study behaviors and better learning. An individual's memory of past test performance (MPT) is often cited as the primary cue for judgments of learning (JOLs) following test experience during multi-trial learning tasks (Finn & Metcalfe, 2007; 2008). We used an associative recognition task to evaluate MPT-related phenomena, because performance monitoring, as measured by recognition test confidence judgments (CJs), is fallible and varies in accuracy across persons. The current study used multilevel regression models to show the simultaneous and independent influences of multiple cues on Trial 2 JOLs, in addition to performance accuracy (the typical measure of MPT in cued-recall experiments). These cues include recognition CJs, perceived recognition fluency, and Trial 2 study time allocation (an index of reprocessing fluency). Our results expand the scope of MPT-related phenomena in recognition memory testing to show independent effects of recognition test accuracy and CJs on second-trial JOLs, while also demonstrating individual differences in the effects of these cues on JOLs (as manifested in significant random effects for those regression effects in the model). The effect of study time on second-trial JOLs controlling on other variables, including Trial 1 recognition memory accuracy, also demonstrates that second-trial encoding behavior influence JOLs in addition to MPT.

Novel associative-memory-based self-learning neurocontrol model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ke

1992-09-01

Intelligent control is an important field of AI application, which is closely related to machine learning, and the neurocontrol is a kind of intelligent control that controls actions of a physical system or a plant. Linear associative memory model is a good analytic tool for artificial neural networks. In this paper, we present a novel self-learning neurocontrol on the basis of the linear associative memory model to support intelligent control. Using our self-learning neurocontrol model, the learning process is viewed as an extension of one of J. Piaget's developmental stages. After a particular linear associative model developed by us is presented, a brief introduction to J. Piaget's cognitive theory is described as the basis of our self-learning style control. It follows that the neurocontrol model is presented, which usually includes two learning stages, viz. primary learning and high-level learning. As a demonstration of our neurocontrol model, an example is also presented with simulation techniques, called that `bird' catches an aim. The tentative experimental results show that the learning and controlling performance of this approach is surprisingly good. In conclusion, future research is pointed out to improve our self-learning neurocontrol model and explore other areas of application.

Preserved complex emotion-based learning in amnesia.

PubMed

Turnbull, Oliver H; Evans, Cathryn E Y

2006-01-01

An important role for emotion in decision-making has recently been highlighted by disruptions in problem solving abilities after lesion to the frontal lobes. Such complex decision-making skills appear to be based on a class of memory ability (emotion-based learning) that may be anatomically independent of hippocampally mediated episodic memory systems. There have long been reports of intact emotion-based learning in amnesia, arguably dating back to the classic report of Claparede. However, all such accounts relate to relatively simple patterns of emotional valence learning, rather than the more complex contingency patterns of emotional experience, which characterise everyday life. A patient, SL, who had a profound anterograde amnesia following posterior cerebral artery infarction, performed a measure of complex emotion-based learning (the Iowa Gambling Task) on three separate occasions. Despite his severe episodic memory impairment, he showed normal levels of performance on the Gambling Task, at levels comparable or better than controls-including learning that persisted across substantial periods of time (weeks). Thus, emotion-based learning systems appear able to encode, and sustain, more sophisticated patterns of valence learning than have previously been reported.

Working Memory Contributions to Reinforcement Learning Impairments in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Brown, Jaime K.; Gold, James M.; Waltz, James A.; Frank, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown that patients with schizophrenia are impaired in reinforcement learning tasks. However, behavioral learning curves in such tasks originate from the interaction of multiple neural processes, including the basal ganglia- and dopamine-dependent reinforcement learning (RL) system, but also prefrontal cortex-dependent cognitive strategies involving working memory (WM). Thus, it is unclear which specific system induces impairments in schizophrenia. We recently developed a task and computational model allowing us to separately assess the roles of RL (slow, cumulative learning) mechanisms versus WM (fast but capacity-limited) mechanisms in healthy adult human subjects. Here, we used this task to assess patients' specific sources of impairments in learning. In 15 separate blocks, subjects learned to pick one of three actions for stimuli. The number of stimuli to learn in each block varied from two to six, allowing us to separate influences of capacity-limited WM from the incremental RL system. As expected, both patients (n = 49) and healthy controls (n = 36) showed effects of set size and delay between stimulus repetitions, confirming the presence of working memory effects. Patients performed significantly worse than controls overall, but computational model fits and behavioral analyses indicate that these deficits could be entirely accounted for by changes in WM parameters (capacity and reliability), whereas RL processes were spared. These results suggest that the working memory system contributes strongly to learning impairments in schizophrenia. PMID:25297101

Post-learning arousal enhances veridical memory and reduces false memory in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm.

PubMed

Nielson, Kristy A; Correro, Anthony N

2017-10-01

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm examines false memory by introducing words associated with a non-presented 'critical lure' as memoranda, which typically causes the lures to be remembered as frequently as studied words. Our prior work has shown enhanced veridical memory and reduced misinformation effects when arousal is induced after learning (i.e., during memory consolidation). These effects have not been examined in the DRM task, or with signal detection analysis, which can elucidate the mechanisms underlying memory alterations. Thus, 130 subjects studied and then immediately recalled six DRM lists, one after another, and then watched a 3-min arousing (n=61) or neutral (n=69) video. Recognition tested 70min later showed that arousal induced after learning led to better delayed discrimination of studied words from (a) critical lures, and (b) other non-presented 'weak associates.' Furthermore, arousal reduced liberal response bias (i.e., the tendency toward accepting dubious information) for studied words relative to all foils, including critical lures and 'weak associates.' Thus, arousal induced after learning effectively increased the distinction between signal and noise by enhancing access to verbatim information and reducing endorsement of dubious information. These findings provide important insights into the cognitive mechanisms by which arousal modulates early memory consolidation processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Extinction of Aversive Memories by High-Frequency Stimulation of the Rat Infralimbic Cortex

PubMed Central

Maroun, Mouna; Kavushansky, Alexandra; Holmes, Andrew; Wellman, Cara; Motanis, Helen

2012-01-01

Electrical stimulation of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), including the infralimbic cortex (IL), immediately prior to or during fear extinction training facilitates extinction memory. Here we examined the effects of high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the rat IL either prior to conditioning or following retrieval of the conditioned memory, on extinction of Pavlovian fear and conditioned taste aversion (CTA). IL-HFS applied immediately after fear memory retrieval, but not three hours after retrieval or prior to conditioning, subsequently reduced freezing during fear extinction. Similarly, IL-HFS given immediately, but not three hours after, retrieval of a CTA memory reduced aversion during extinction. These data indicate that HFS of the IL may be an effective method for reducing both learned fear and learned aversion. PMID:22586453

Experimental 'jet lag' inhibits adult neurogenesis and produces long-term cognitive deficits in female hamsters.

PubMed

Gibson, Erin M; Wang, Connie; Tjho, Stephanie; Khattar, Neera; Kriegsfeld, Lance J

2010-12-01

Circadian disruptions through frequent transmeridian travel, rotating shift work, and poor sleep hygiene are associated with an array of physical and mental health maladies, including marked deficits in human cognitive function. Despite anecdotal and correlational reports suggesting a negative impact of circadian disruptions on brain function, this possibility has not been experimentally examined. In the present study, we investigated whether experimental 'jet lag' (i.e., phase advances of the light:dark cycle) negatively impacts learning and memory and whether any deficits observed are associated with reductions in hippocampal cell proliferation and neurogenesis. Because insults to circadian timing alter circulating glucocorticoid and sex steroid concentrations, both of which influence neurogenesis and learning/memory, we assessed the contribution of these endocrine factors to any observed alterations. Circadian disruption resulted in pronounced deficits in learning and memory paralleled by marked reductions in hippocampal cell proliferation and neurogenesis. Significantly, deficits in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory were not only seen during the period of the circadian disruption, but also persisted well after the cessation of jet lag, suggesting long-lasting negative consequences on brain function. Together, these findings support the view that circadian disruptions suppress hippocampal neurogenesis via a glucocorticoid-independent mechanism, imposing pronounced and persistent impairments on learning and memory.

The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning and Teaching, 2002-2003.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coreil, Clyde, Ed.

2003-01-01

This collection of papers includes: "Martians Invade the Classroom: A Workshop in Language Learning" (Carmine Tabone and Robert Albrecht); "Autonomous Learning through Cinema: One Learner's Memories" (Connie Haham); "Learning a Second Language Through Culture" (Barbara Le Blanc and Joseph Dicks); "Shakespeare for…

The effect of the steroid sulfatase inhibitor (p-O-sulfamoyl)-tetradecanoyl tyramine (DU-14) on learning and memory in rats with selective lesion of septal-hippocampal cholinergic tract.

PubMed

Babalola, P A; Fitz, N F; Gibbs, R B; Flaherty, P T; Li, P-K; Johnson, D A

2012-10-01

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), is an excitatory neurosteroid synthesized within the CNS that modulates brain function. Effects associated with augmented DHEAS include learning and memory enhancement. Inhibitors of the steroid sulfatase enzyme increase brain DHEAS levels and can also facilitate learning and memory. This study investigated the effect of steroid sulfatase inhibition on learning and memory in rats with selective cholinergic lesion of the septo-hippocampal tract using passive avoidance and delayed matching to position T-maze (DMP) paradigms. The selective cholinergic immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin (SAP) was infused into the medial septum of animals and then tested using a step-through passive avoidance paradigm or DMP paradigm. Peripheral administration of the steroid sulfatase inhibitor, DU-14, increased step-through latency following footshock in rats with SAP lesion compared to both vehicle treated control and lesioned animals (p<0.05). However, in the DMP task, steroid sulfatase inhibition impaired acquisition in lesioned rats while having no effect on intact animals. These results suggest that steroid sulfatase inhibition facilitates memory associated with contextual fear, but impairs acquisition of spatial memory tasks in rats with selective lesion of the septo-hippocampal tract. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of Processing-Based Task Performance in Bilingual and Monolingual Children

PubMed Central

Buac, Milijana; Gross, Megan; Kaushanskaya, Margarita

2016-01-01

In the present study we examined performance of bilingual Spanish-English-speaking and monolingual English-speaking school-age children on a range of processing-based measures within the framework of Baddeley’s working memory model. The processing-based measures included measures of short-term memory, measures of working memory, and a novel word-learning task. Results revealed that monolinguals outperformed bilinguals on the short-term memory tasks but not the working memory and novel word-learning tasks. Further, children’s vocabulary skills and socioeconomic status (SES) were more predictive of processing-based task performance in the bilingual group than the monolingual group. Together, these findings indicate that processing-based tasks that engage verbal working memory rather than short-term memory may be better-suited for diagnostic purposes with bilingual children. However, even verbal working memory measures are sensitive to bilingual children’s language-specific knowledge and demographic characteristics, and therefore may have limited clinical utility. PMID:27179914

Through their eyes: The influence of social models on attention and memory in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella).

PubMed

Howard, Lauren H; Festa, Cassandra; Lonsdorf, Elizabeth V

2018-05-01

The ability to learn socially is of critical importance across a wide variety of species, as it allows knowledge to be passed quickly among individuals without the need of time-consuming trial-and-error learning. Among primates, social learning research has been particularly focused on foraging tasks, including transmission dynamics and the demonstration characteristics that appear to support social learning. Less work has focused on the attentional salience of the information being viewed, especially in New World monkeys. We used a noninvasive eye-tracking paradigm previously used in human infants and great apes to examine the salience of social modeling for memory in capuchin monkeys. Like human infants and apes, capuchins were significantly more likely to remember an event that included a social model as opposed to a nonsocial model. This article provides some of the first evidence that capuchin memory is altered by the presence of a social model and presents a novel method for assessing cognitive capabilities in this species. Whether this "social memory bias" is shared across the primate order, or is present only in taxa that regularly rely on social information, is an important avenue for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The short- and long-term effects of orally administered high-dose reduced graphene oxide nanosheets on mouse behaviors.

PubMed

Zhang, Ding; Zhang, Zheyu; Liu, Yayun; Chu, Maoquan; Yang, Chengyu; Li, Wenhao; Shao, Yuxiang; Yue, Yan; Xu, Rujiao

2015-11-01

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a carbon-based nanomaterial, has enormous potential in biomedical research, including in vivo cancer therapeutics. Concerns over the toxicity remain outstanding and must be investigated before clinical application. The effect of rGO exposure on animal behaviors, such as learning and memory abilities, has not been clarified. Herein, we explored the short- and long-term effects of orally administered rGO on mouse behaviors, including general locomotor activity level, balance and neuromuscular coordination, exploratory and anxiety behaviors, and learning and memory abilities using open-field, rotarod, and Morris water maze tests. Compared with mice administered buffer-dispersed mouse chow or buffer alone, mice receiving a high dose of small or large rGO nanosheets showed little change in exploratory, anxiety-like, or learning and memory behaviors, although general locomotor activity, balance, and neuromuscular coordination were initially affected, which the mechanisms (e.g. the influence of rGO exposure on the activity of superoxide dismutase in mouse serum) were discussed. The results presented in this work look to provide a deep understanding of the in vivo toxicity of rGO to animals, especially its effect on learning and memory and other behaviors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Importance of the GluN2B Carboxy-Terminal Domain for Enhancement of Social Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Stephanie; Wei, Wei; Wang, Deheng; Tsien, Joe Z.

2015-01-01

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is known to be necessary for many forms of learning and memory, including social recognition memory. Additionally, the GluN2 subunits are known to modulate multiple forms of memory, with a high GluN2A:GluN2B ratio leading to impairments in long-term memory, while a low GluN2A:GluN2B ratio enhances some…

Episodic memory deficits slow down the dynamics of cognitive procedural learning in normal ageing

PubMed Central

Beaunieux, Hélène; Hubert, Valérie; Pitel, Anne Lise; Desgranges, Béatrice; Eustache, Francis

2009-01-01

Cognitive procedural learning is characterized by three phases, each involving distinct processes. Considering the implication of the episodic memory in the first cognitive stage, the impairment of this memory system might be responsible for a slowing down of the cognitive procedural learning dynamics in the course of aging. Performances of massed cognitive procedural learning were evaluated in older and younger participants using the Tower of Toronto task. Nonverbal intelligence and psychomotor abilities were used to analyze procedural dynamics, while episodic memory and working memory were assessed to measure their respective contributions to learning strategies. This experiment showed that older participants did not spontaneously invoke episodic memory and presented a slowdown in the cognitive procedural learning associated with a late involvement of working memory. These findings suggest that the slowdown in the cognitive procedural learning may be linked with the implementation of different learning strategies less involving episodic memory in older subjects. PMID:18654928

Differential learning and memory performance in OEF/OIF veterans for verbal and visual material.

PubMed

Sozda, Christopher N; Muir, James J; Springer, Utaka S; Partovi, Diana; Cole, Michael A

2014-05-01

Memory complaints are particularly salient among veterans who experience combat-related mild traumatic brain injuries and/or trauma exposure, and represent a primary barrier to successful societal reintegration and everyday functioning. Anecdotally within clinical practice, verbal learning and memory performance frequently appears differentially reduced versus visual learning and memory scores. We sought to empirically investigate the robustness of a verbal versus visual learning and memory discrepancy and to explore potential mechanisms for a verbal/visual performance split. Participants consisted of 103 veterans with reported history of mild traumatic brain injuries returning home from U.S. military Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom referred for outpatient neuropsychological evaluation. Findings indicate that visual learning and memory abilities were largely intact while verbal learning and memory performance was significantly reduced in comparison, residing at approximately 1.1 SD below the mean for verbal learning and approximately 1.4 SD below the mean for verbal memory. This difference was not observed in verbal versus visual fluency performance, nor was it associated with estimated premorbid verbal abilities or traumatic brain injury history. In our sample, symptoms of depression, but not posttraumatic stress disorder, were significantly associated with reduced composite verbal learning and memory performance. Verbal learning and memory performance may benefit from targeted treatment of depressive symptomatology. Also, because visual learning and memory functions may remain intact, these might be emphasized when applying neurocognitive rehabilitation interventions to compensate for observed verbal learning and memory difficulties.

Learning-Disabled Children: General Suggestions for Maximizing Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Telzrow, Cathy F.; Speer, Barbara

1986-01-01

Effective intervention strategies for learning disabled students should recognize such cognitive deficiencies as weaknesses in attention, memory deficits, and problems in generalizing and abstracting information. Approaches which emphasize enhanced learning processes include: self-monitoring; repetition and deliberate instruction in control…

Sex differences in cognitive functioning in at-risk mental state for psychosis, first episode psychosis and healthy control subjects.

PubMed

Ittig, S; Studerus, E; Papmeyer, M; Uttinger, M; Koranyi, S; Ramyead, A; Riecher-Rössler, A

2015-02-01

Several sex differences in schizophrenia have been reported including differences in cognitive functioning. Studies with schizophrenia patients and healthy controls (HC) indicate that the sex advantage for women in verbal domains is also present in schizophrenia patients. However, findings have been inconsistent. No study focused on sex-related cognitive performance differences in at-risk mental state for psychosis (ARMS) individuals yet. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate sex differences in cognitive functioning in ARMS, first episode psychosis (FEP) and HC subjects. We expected a better verbal learning and memory performance of women in all groups. The neuropsychological data analysed in this study were collected within the prospective Früherkennung von Psychosen (FePsy) study. In total, 118 ARMS, 88 FEP individuals and 86 HC completed a cognitive test battery covering the domains of executive functions, attention, working memory, verbal learning and memory, IQ and speed of processing. Women performed better in verbal learning and memory regardless of diagnostic group. By contrast, men as compared to women showed a shorter reaction time during the working memory task across all groups. The results provide evidence that women generally perform better in verbal learning and memory, independent of diagnostic group (ARMS, FEP, HC). The finding of a shorter reaction time for men in the working memory task could indicate that men have a superior working memory performance since they responded faster during the target trials, while maintaining a comparable overall working memory performance level. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Learning at different satiation levels reveals parallel functions for the cAMP-protein kinase A cascade in formation of long-term memory.

PubMed

Friedrich, Anke; Thomas, Ulf; Müller, Uli

2004-05-05

Learning and memory formation in intact animals is generally studied under defined parameters, including the control of feeding. We used associative olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension response in honeybees to address effects of feeding status on processes of learning and memory formation. Comparing groups of animals with different but defined feeding status at the time of conditioning reveals new and characteristic features in memory formation. In animals fed 18 hr earlier, three-trial conditioning induces a stable memory that consists of different phases: a mid-term memory (MTM), translation-dependent early long-term memory (eLTM; 1-2 d), and a transcription-dependent late LTM (lLTM; > or =3 d). Additional feeding of a small amount of sucrose 4 hr before conditioning leads to a loss of all of these memory phases. Interestingly, the basal activity of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), a key player in LTM formation, differs in animals with different satiation levels. Pharmacological rescue of the low basal PKA activity in animals fed 4 hr before conditioning points to a specific function of cAMP-PKA cascade in mediating satiation-dependent memory formation. An increase in PKA activity during conditioning rescues only transcription-dependent lLTM; acquisition, MTM, and eLTM are still impaired. Thus, during conditioning, the cAMP-PKA cascade mediates the induction of the transcription-dependent lLTM, depending on the satiation level. This result provides the first evidence for a central and distinct function of the cAMP-PKA cascade connecting satiation level with learning.

A Long-Term Retention Advantage for Spatial Information Learned Naturally and in the Laboratory

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-09

study. Memory & Cognition, 10, 324-332. Tulving, E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory . In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of memory ...the cognitive research literature. Some of the better known divisions include the distinction between semantic , episodic and procedural knowledge...the probe method by being more structured and more focused on specific memory episodes . In general, questionnaire studies simply involve formulating

Learning Enhances Intrinsic Excitability in a Subset of Lateral Amygdala Neurons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sehgal, Megha; Ehlers, Vanessa L.; Moyer, James R., Jr.

2014-01-01

Learning-induced modulation of neuronal intrinsic excitability is a metaplasticity mechanism that can impact the acquisition of new memories. Although the amygdala is important for emotional learning and other behaviors, including fear and anxiety, whether learning alters intrinsic excitability within the amygdala has received very little…

Trying to remember: Effort mediates the relationship between frequency of cannabis use and memory performance.

PubMed

Hirst, Rayna B; Young, Kaitlyn R; Sodos, Louise M; Wickham, Robert E; Earleywine, Mitch

2017-06-01

While many studies suggest that regular cannabis use leads to deficits in cognitive functioning, particularly in memory, few have measured effort put forth during testing, and none have examined this as a potential mediator. Both age of onset of regular cannabis use and frequency of use have been linked to increased risk of memory deficits. The present study sought to determine whether effort mediated the relationship between frequency or age of onset of cannabis use and learning and memory performance. Sixty-two participants (74% male, mean age = 19.25 years) who met criteria for chronic cannabis use (four or more days per week for at least 12 months) completed a neuropsychological battery including the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) and the Rey Complex Figure (RCF) as measures of learning and memory, and the Word Memory Test (WMT) as a measure of effort put forth during neuropsychological assessment. Participants who more frequently used cannabis exhibited poorer effort (as measured by WMT performance; p < .01). Bootstrapping yielded 95% confidence intervals for indirect effects and revealed that effort significantly mediated the relationship between frequency of cannabis use and CVLT-II Learning (Sum of Trials 1-5), CVLT-II Delayed Recall, and RCF Delayed Recall, but not RCF Immediate Recall. Age of onset of cannabis use was not significantly related to effort. Findings indicate that effort mediates the relationship between frequency of cannabis use and performance on learning and memory measures, suggesting that effort performance should be measured and controlled for in future studies assessing cognition in frequent cannabis users.

Memory-focused interventions for people with cognitive disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

PubMed

Yang, Hui-Ling; Chan, Pi-Tuan; Chang, Pi-Chen; Chiu, Huei-Ling; Sheen Hsiao, Shu-Tai; Chu, Hsin; Chou, Kuei-Ru

2018-02-01

A better understanding of people with cognitive disorders improves performance on memory tasks through memory-focused interventions are needed. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of memoryfocused interventions on cognitive disorders through a meta-analysis. Systematic review and meta-analysis. The online electronic databases PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Ovid-Medline, CINHAL, PsycINFO, Ageline, and Embase (up to May 2017) were used in this study. No language restriction was applied to the search. Objective memory (learning and memory function, immediate recall, delayed recall, and recognition) was the primary indicator and subjective memory performance, global cognitive function, and depression were the secondary indicators. The Hedges' g of change, subgroup analyses, and meta-regression were analyzed on the basis of the characteristics of people with cognitive disorders. A total of 27 studies (2177 participants, mean age=75.80) reporting RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated a medium-to-large effect of memory-focused interventions on learning and memory function (Hedges' g=0.62) and subjective memory performance (Hedges' g=0.67), a small-to-medium effect on delayed recall and depression, and a small effect on immediate recall and global cognitive function (all p<0.05) compared with the control. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression indicated that the effects on learning and memory function were more profound in the format of memory training, individual training, shorter treatment duration, and more than eight treatment sessions, and the effect size indicated the MMSE score was the most crucial indicator (β=-0.06, p=0.04). This is first comprehensive meta-analysis of special memory domains in people with cognitive disorders. The results revealed that memory-focused interventions effectively improved memory-related performance in people with cognitive disorders. An appropriately designed intervention can effectively improve memory function, reduce disability progression, and improve mood state in people with cognitive disorders. Additional randomized controlled trials including measures of recognition, global cognitive function, and depression should be conducted and analyzed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NR4A nuclear receptors support memory enhancement by histone deacetylase inhibitors

PubMed Central

Hawk, Joshua D.; Bookout, Angie L.; Poplawski, Shane G.; Bridi, Morgan; Rao, Allison J.; Sulewski, Michael E.; Kroener, Brian T.; Manglesdorf, David J.; Abel, Ted

2012-01-01

The formation of a long-lasting memory requires a transcription-dependent consolidation period that converts a short-term memory into a long-term memory. Nuclear receptors compose a class of transcription factors that regulate diverse biological processes, and several nuclear receptors have been implicated in memory formation. Here, we examined the potential contribution of nuclear receptors to memory consolidation by measuring the expression of all 49 murine nuclear receptors after learning. We identified 13 nuclear receptors with increased expression after learning, including all 3 members of the Nr4a subfamily. These CREB-regulated Nr4a genes encode ligand-independent “orphan” nuclear receptors. We found that blocking NR4A activity in memory-supporting brain regions impaired long-term memory but did not impact short-term memory in mice. Further, expression of Nr4a genes increased following the memory-enhancing effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Blocking NR4A signaling interfered with the ability of HDAC inhibitors to enhance memory. These results demonstrate that the Nr4a gene family contributes to memory formation and is a promising target for improving cognitive function. PMID:22996661

Applications of bioactive material from snakehead fish (Channa striata) for repairing of learning-memory capability and motoric activity: a case study of physiological aging and aging-caused oxidative stress in rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunarno, Sunarno; Muflichatun Mardiati, Siti; Rahadian, Rully

2018-05-01

Physiological aging and aging due to oxidative stress are a major factor cause accelerated brain aging. Aging is characterized by a decrease of brain function of the hippocampus which is linked to the decline in the capability of learning-memory and motoric activity. The objective of this research is to obtain the important information about the mechanisms of brain antiaging associated with the improvement of hippocampus function, which includes aspects of learning-memory capability and motoric activity as well as mitochondrial ultrastructure profile of hippocampus cornu ammonis cells after treated by fish snakehead fish extract. Snakehead fish in Rawa Pening Semarang District allegedly holds the potential of endemic, which contains bioactive antiaging material that can prevent aging or improve the function of the hippocampus. This research has been conducted using a completely randomized design consisting of four treatments with five replications. The treatments were including rats with physiological aging or aging due to oxidative stress which was treated and without treated with meat extract of snakehead fish. The research was divided into two stages, i.e., determining of learning-memory capability, and determining motoric activity. The measured-parameters are time response to find feed, distance travel, time stereotypes, ambulatory time, and resting time. The result showed that the snakehead fish meat extract might improve function hippocampus, both in physiological aging or aging due to oxidative stress. The capability of learning and memory showed that the rats in both conditions of aging after getting treatment of meat extract of snakehead fish could get a feed in the fourth arm maze faster than rats untreated snakehead fish meat extract. Similarly, the measurement of the distance traveled, time stereotypes, ambulatory time, and resting time showed that rats which received treatment of meat extract of snakehead fish were better than the untreated rats. To conclude, the meat extract of snakehead fish can be used as antiaging material to improve the function of the hippocampus, to improve the capability of learning and memory, to improve motoric activity, and to prevent aging. These findings are expected to provide comprehensive information for the development of antiaging research as an effort to improve public health and to improve learning-memory capability and motoric activity.

Structural Synaptic Plasticity Has High Memory Capacity and Can Explain Graded Amnesia, Catastrophic Forgetting, and the Spacing Effect

PubMed Central

Knoblauch, Andreas; Körner, Edgar; Körner, Ursula; Sommer, Friedrich T.

2014-01-01

Although already William James and, more explicitly, Donald Hebb's theory of cell assemblies have suggested that activity-dependent rewiring of neuronal networks is the substrate of learning and memory, over the last six decades most theoretical work on memory has focused on plasticity of existing synapses in prewired networks. Research in the last decade has emphasized that structural modification of synaptic connectivity is common in the adult brain and tightly correlated with learning and memory. Here we present a parsimonious computational model for learning by structural plasticity. The basic modeling units are “potential synapses” defined as locations in the network where synapses can potentially grow to connect two neurons. This model generalizes well-known previous models for associative learning based on weight plasticity. Therefore, existing theory can be applied to analyze how many memories and how much information structural plasticity can store in a synapse. Surprisingly, we find that structural plasticity largely outperforms weight plasticity and can achieve a much higher storage capacity per synapse. The effect of structural plasticity on the structure of sparsely connected networks is quite intuitive: Structural plasticity increases the “effectual network connectivity”, that is, the network wiring that specifically supports storage and recall of the memories. Further, this model of structural plasticity produces gradients of effectual connectivity in the course of learning, thereby explaining various cognitive phenomena including graded amnesia, catastrophic forgetting, and the spacing effect. PMID:24858841

Memory for Serial Order.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewandowsky, Stephan; Murdock, Bennet B., Jr.

1989-01-01

An extension to Murdock's Theory of Distributed Associative Memory, based on associative chaining between items, is presented. The extended theory is applied to several serial order phenomena, including serial list learning, delayed recall effects, partial report effects, and buildup and release from proactive interference. (TJH)

Evaluating the relation between memory and intelligence in children with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Hoerig, Dianne C; David, Andrew S; D'Amato, Rik Carl

2002-12-01

Although both intelligence tests and memory tests are commonly used in neuropsychological examinations, the relationship between memory and intelligence has not been fully explored, particularly for children having learning disabilities. Memory, or the ability to retain information, was evaluated using the Test of Memory and Learning, a recently released test that gives a comprehensive measure of global memory functioning. This, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition, used to assess intelligence, were given to 80 students with learning disabilities. The correlation between a global measure of memory and a global measure f intelligence was significant (r = .59), indicating that memory should be viewed as an important component when evaluating children with learning disabilities.

Inhibition of histone deacetylase 3 via RGFP966 facilitates cortical plasticity underlying unusually accurate auditory associative cue memory for excitatory and inhibitory cue-reward associations.

PubMed

Shang, Andrea; Bylipudi, Sooraz; Bieszczad, Kasia M

2018-05-31

Epigenetic mechanisms are key for regulating long-term memory (LTM) and are known to exert control on memory formation in multiple systems of the adult brain, including the sensory cortex. One epigenetic mechanism is chromatin modification by histone acetylation. Blocking the action of histone de-acetylases (HDACs) that normally negatively regulate LTM by repressing transcription has been shown to enable memory formation. Indeed, HDAC inhibition appears to facilitate memory by altering the dynamics of gene expression events important for memory consolidation. However, less understood are the ways in which molecular-level consolidation processes alter subsequent memory to enhance storage or facilitate retrieval. Here we used a sensory perspective to investigate whether the characteristics of memory formed with HDAC inhibitors are different from naturally-formed memory. One possibility is that HDAC inhibition enables memory to form with greater sensory detail than normal. Because the auditory system undergoes learning-induced remodeling that provides substrates for sound-specific LTM, we aimed to identify behavioral effects of HDAC inhibition on memory for specific sound features using a standard model of auditory associative cue-reward learning, memory, and cortical plasticity. We found that three systemic post-training treatments of an HDAC3-inhibitor (RGPF966, Abcam Inc.) in rats in the early phase of training facilitated auditory discriminative learning, changed auditory cortical tuning, and increased the specificity for acoustic frequency formed in memory of both excitatory (S+) and inhibitory (S-) associations for at least 2 weeks. The findings support that epigenetic mechanisms act on neural and behavioral sensory acuity to increase the precision of associative cue memory, which can be revealed by studying the sensory characteristics of long-term associative memory formation with HDAC inhibitors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The touchscreen operant platform for testing learning and memory in rats and mice

PubMed Central

Horner, Alexa E.; Heath, Christopher J.; Hvoslef-Eide, Martha; Kent, Brianne A.; Kim, Chi Hun; Nilsson, Simon R. O.; Alsiö, Johan; Oomen, Charlotte A.; Holmes, Andrew; Saksida, Lisa M.; Bussey, Timothy J.

2014-01-01

Summary An increasingly popular method of assessing cognitive functions in rodents is the automated touchscreen platform, on which a number of different cognitive tests can be run in a manner very similar to touchscreen methods currently used to test human subjects. This methodology is low stress (using appetitive, rather than aversive reinforcement), has high translational potential, and lends itself to a high degree of standardisation and throughput. Applications include the study of cognition in rodent models of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, Huntington’s disease, frontotemporal dementia), and characterisation of the role of select brain regions, neurotransmitter systems and genes in rodents. This protocol describes how to perform four touchscreen assays of learning and memory: Visual Discrimination, Object-Location Paired-Associates Learning, Visuomotor Conditional Learning and Autoshaping. It is accompanied by two further protocols using the touchscreen platform to assess executive function, working memory and pattern separation. PMID:24051959

A systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture for improving learning and memory ability in animals.

PubMed

Huang, Kai-Yu; Liang, Shuang; Yu, Mei-Ling; Fu, Shu-Ping; Chen, Xia; Lu, Sheng-Feng

2016-08-19

Memory loss is the most prominent symptoms of brain aging, but there is currently no evidence-based treatment strategy. Acupuncture has been widely used in China and the effectiveness for improving learning and memory has been mentioned in previous studies. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for improving learning and memory in animal experiments. We searched Pubmed, Embase, Ovid Medline(R), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) and Wanfang data Information Site to collect studies published up to December 2015. Study quality for each included article was evaluated according to the CAMARADES 10-item checklist. Outcome measure is Morris water maze. A meta-analysis was conducted according to the Cochrane systematic review method by using RevMan 5.3 software. Forty-two studies involving 944 animals were included. The quality score of the studies ranged from 2 to 8, with a mean of 5.3. Meta-analysis results showed that 24 studies reported significant effect of acupuncture for decreasing escape latency (-3.00, 95 % CI: -3.78 ~ -2.23, P < 0.00001), 14 studies reported significant effect of acupuncture for increasing frequency of cross platform (2.57, 95 % CI: 1.92 ~ 3.22, P < 0.00001), and 7 studies reported significant effect of acupuncture for increasing time in target quadrant (2.00, 95 % CI: 1.10 ~ 2.91, P < 0.00001) compared with the control group. These findings show acupuncture has a potential role in improving learning and memory ability in animal models, suggesting it as a candidate therapy for memory loss of aged brain.

Neural correlates of retrieval-based memory enhancement: An fMRI study of the testing effect

PubMed Central

Wing, Erik A.; Marsh, Elizabeth J.; Cabeza, Roberto

2013-01-01

Restudying material is a common method for learning new information, but not necessarily an effective one. Research on the testing effect shows that practice involving retrieval from memory can facilitate later memory in contrast to passive restudy. Despite extensive behavioral work, the brain processes that make retrieval an effective learning strategy remain unclear. In the present experiment, we explored how initially retrieving items affected memory a day later as compared to a condition involving traditional restudy. In contrast to restudy, initial testing that contributed to future memory success was associated with engagement of several regions including the anterior hippocampus, lateral temporal cortices, and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC). Additionally, testing enhanced hippocampal connectivity with ventrolateral PFC and midline regions. These findings indicate that the testing effect may be contingent on processes that are typically thought to support memory success at encoding (e.g. relational binding, selection and elaboration of semantically-related information) in addition to those more often associated with retrieval (e.g. memory search). PMID:23607935

Consequence of preterm birth in early adolescence: the role of language on auditory short-term memory.

PubMed

Fraello, David; Maller-Kesselman, Jill; Vohr, Betty; Katz, Karol H; Kesler, Shelli; Schneider, Karen; Reiss, Allan; Ment, Laura; Spann, Marisa N

2011-06-01

This study tested the hypothesis that preterm early adolescents' short-term memory is compromised when presented with increasingly complex verbal information and that associated neuroanatomical volumes would differ between preterm and term groups. Forty-nine preterm and 20 term subjects were evaluated at age 12 years with neuropsychological measures and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There were no differences between groups in simple short-term and working memory. Preterm subjects performed lower on learning and short-term memory tests that included increased verbal complexity. They had reduced right parietal, left temporal, and right temporal white matter volumes and greater bilateral frontal gray and right frontal white matter volumes. There was a positive association between complex working memory and the left hippocampus and frontal white matter in term subjects. While not correlated, memory scores and volumes of cortical regions known to subserve language and memory were reduced in preterm subjects. This study provides evidence of possible mechanisms for learning problems in former preterm infants.

The Source for Learning & Memory Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Regina G.

This book is a comprehensive guide to learning and memory strategies for all students and especially those with learning problems. Chapter 1, on memory and the brain, explains brain cells, the cortex, function of the cerebral lobes, and other brain structures. Chapter 2 examines the memory process and discusses sensory memory, short-term memory,…

MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF FEAR LEARNING AND MEMORY

PubMed Central

Johansen, Joshua P.; Cain, Christopher K.; Ostroff, Linnaea E.; LeDoux, Joseph E.

2011-01-01

Pavlovian fear conditioning is a useful behavioral paradigm for exploring the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory because a well-defined response to a specific environmental stimulus is produced through associative learning processes. Synaptic plasticity in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) underlies this form of associative learning. Here we summarize the molecular mechanisms that contribute to this synaptic plasticity in the context of auditory fear conditioning, the form of fear conditioning best understood at the molecular level. We discuss the neurotransmitter systems and signaling cascades that contribute to three phases of auditory fear conditioning: acquisition, consolidation, and reconsolidation. These studies suggest that multiple intracellular signaling pathways, including those triggered by activation of Hebbian processes and neuromodulatory receptors, interact to produce neural plasticity in the LA and behavioral fear conditioning. Together, this research illustrates the power of fear conditioning as a model system for characterizing the mechanisms of learning and memory in mammals, and potentially for understanding fear related disorders, such as PTSD and phobias. PMID:22036561

[Changes of the neuronal membrane excitability as cellular mechanisms of learning and memory].

PubMed

Gaĭnutdinov, Kh L; Andrianov, V V; Gaĭnutdinova, T Kh

2011-01-01

In the presented review given literature and results of own studies of dynamics of electrical characteristics of neurons, which change are included in processes both an elaboration of learning, and retention of the long-term memory. Literary datas and our results allow to conclusion, that long-term retention of behavioural reactions during learning is accompanied not only by changing efficiency of synaptic transmission, as well as increasing of excitability of command neurons of the defensive reflex. This means, that in the process of learning are involved long-term changes of the characteristics a membrane of certain elements of neuronal network, dependent from the metabolism of the cells. see text). Thou phenomena possible mark as cellular (electrophysiological) correlates of long-term plastic modifications of the behaviour. The analyses of having results demonstrates an important role of membrane characteristics of neurons (their excitability) and parameters an synaptic transmission not only in initial stage of learning, as well as in long-term modifications of the behaviour (long-term memory).

Evolution of costly explicit memory and cumulative culture.

PubMed

Nakamaru, Mayuko

2016-06-21

Humans can acquire new information and modify it (cumulative culture) based on their learning and memory abilities, especially explicit memory, through the processes of encoding, consolidation, storage, and retrieval. Explicit memory is categorized into semantic and episodic memories. Animals have semantic memory, while episodic memory is unique to humans and essential for innovation and the evolution of culture. As both episodic and semantic memory are needed for innovation, the evolution of explicit memory influences the evolution of culture. However, previous theoretical studies have shown that environmental fluctuations influence the evolution of imitation (social learning) and innovation (individual learning) and assume that memory is not an evolutionary trait. If individuals can store and retrieve acquired information properly, they can modify it and innovate new information. Therefore, being able to store and retrieve information is essential from the perspective of cultural evolution. However, if both storage and retrieval were too costly, forgetting and relearning would have an advantage over storing and retrieving acquired information. In this study, using mathematical analysis and individual-based simulations, we investigate whether cumulative culture can promote the coevolution of costly memory and social and individual learning, assuming that cumulative culture improves the fitness of each individual. The conclusions are: (1) without cumulative culture, a social learning cost is essential for the evolution of storage-retrieval. Costly storage-retrieval can evolve with individual learning but costly social learning does not evolve. When low-cost social learning evolves, the repetition of forgetting and learning is favored more than the evolution of costly storage-retrieval, even though a cultural trait improves the fitness. (2) When cumulative culture exists and improves fitness, storage-retrieval can evolve with social and/or individual learning, which is not influenced by the degree of the social learning cost. Whether individuals socially learn a low level of culture from observing a high or the low level of culture influences the evolution of memory and learning, especially individual learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping the Proxies of Memory and Learning Function in Senior Adults with High-performing, Normal Aging and Neurocognitive Disorders.

PubMed

Lu, Hanna; Xi, Ni; Fung, Ada W T; Lam, Linda C W

2018-06-09

Memory and learning, as the core brain function, shows controversial results across studies focusing on aging and dementia. One of the reasons is because of the multi-faceted nature of memory and learning. However, there is still a dearth of comparable proxies with psychometric and morphometric portrait in clinical and non-clinical populations. We aim to investigate the proxies of memory and learning function with direct and derived measures and examine their associations with morphometric features in senior adults with different cognitive status. Based on two modality-driven tests, we assessed the component-specific memory and learning in the individuals with high performing (HP), normal aging, and neurocognitive disorders (NCD) (n = 488). Structural magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the regional cortical thickness with surface-based morphometry analysis in a subsample (n = 52). Compared with HP elderly, the ones with normal aging and minor NCD showed declined recognition memory and working memory, whereas had better learning performance (derived scores). Meanwhile, major NCD patients showed more breakdowns of memory and learning function. The correlation between proxies of memory and learning and cortical thickness exhibited the overlapped and unique neural underpinnings. The proxies of memory and learning could be characterized by component-specific constructs with psychometric and morphometric bases. Overall, the constructs of memory are more likely related to the pathological changes, and the constructs of learning tend to reflect the cognitive abilities of compensation.

Working memory contributions to reinforcement learning impairments in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Collins, Anne G E; Brown, Jaime K; Gold, James M; Waltz, James A; Frank, Michael J

2014-10-08

Previous research has shown that patients with schizophrenia are impaired in reinforcement learning tasks. However, behavioral learning curves in such tasks originate from the interaction of multiple neural processes, including the basal ganglia- and dopamine-dependent reinforcement learning (RL) system, but also prefrontal cortex-dependent cognitive strategies involving working memory (WM). Thus, it is unclear which specific system induces impairments in schizophrenia. We recently developed a task and computational model allowing us to separately assess the roles of RL (slow, cumulative learning) mechanisms versus WM (fast but capacity-limited) mechanisms in healthy adult human subjects. Here, we used this task to assess patients' specific sources of impairments in learning. In 15 separate blocks, subjects learned to pick one of three actions for stimuli. The number of stimuli to learn in each block varied from two to six, allowing us to separate influences of capacity-limited WM from the incremental RL system. As expected, both patients (n = 49) and healthy controls (n = 36) showed effects of set size and delay between stimulus repetitions, confirming the presence of working memory effects. Patients performed significantly worse than controls overall, but computational model fits and behavioral analyses indicate that these deficits could be entirely accounted for by changes in WM parameters (capacity and reliability), whereas RL processes were spared. These results suggest that the working memory system contributes strongly to learning impairments in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3413747-10$15.00/0.

Differential pattern of semantic memory organization between bipolar I and II disorders.

PubMed

Chang, Jae Seung; Choi, Sungwon; Ha, Kyooseob; Ha, Tae Hyon; Cho, Hyun Sang; Choi, Jung Eun; Cha, Boseok; Moon, Eunsoo

2011-06-01

Semantic cognition is one of the key factors in psychosocial functioning. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in pattern of semantic memory organization between euthymic patients with bipolar I and II disorders using the category fluency task. Study participants included 23 euthymic subjects with bipolar I disorder, 23 matched euthymic subjects with bipolar II disorder and 23 matched control subjects. All participants were assessed for verbal learning, recall, learning strategies, and fluency. The combined methods of hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling were used to compare the pattern of semantic memory organization among the three groups. Quantitative measures of verbal learning, recall, learning strategies, and fluency did not differ between the three groups. A two-cluster structure of semantic memory organization was identified for the three groups. Semantic structure was more disorganized in the bipolar I disorder group compared to the bipolar II disorder. In addition, patients with bipolar II disorder used less elaborate strategies of semantic memory organization than those of controls. Compared to healthy controls, strategies for categorization in semantic memory appear to be less knowledge-based in patients with bipolar disorders. A differential pattern of semantic memory organization between bipolar I and II disorders indicates a higher risk of cognitive abnormalities in patients with bipolar I disorder compared to patients with bipolar II disorder. Exploring qualitative nature of neuropsychological domains may provide an explanatory insight into the characteristic behaviors of patients with bipolar disorders. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A quantitative theory of the functions of the hippocampal CA3 network in memory

PubMed Central

Rolls, Edmund T.

2013-01-01

A quantitative computational theory of the operation of the hippocampal CA3 system as an autoassociation or attractor network used in episodic memory system is described. In this theory, the CA3 system operates as a single attractor or autoassociation network to enable rapid, one-trial, associations between any spatial location (place in rodents, or spatial view in primates) and an object or reward, and to provide for completion of the whole memory during recall from any part. The theory is extended to associations between time and object or reward to implement temporal order memory, also important in episodic memory. The dentate gyrus (DG) performs pattern separation by competitive learning to produce sparse representations suitable for setting up new representations in CA3 during learning, producing for example neurons with place-like fields from entorhinal cortex grid cells. The dentate granule cells produce by the very small number of mossy fiber (MF) connections to CA3 a randomizing pattern separation effect important during learning but not recall that separates out the patterns represented by CA3 firing to be very different from each other, which is optimal for an unstructured episodic memory system in which each memory must be kept distinct from other memories. The direct perforant path (pp) input to CA3 is quantitatively appropriate to provide the cue for recall in CA3, but not for learning. Tests of the theory including hippocampal subregion analyses and hippocampal NMDA receptor knockouts are described, and support the theory. PMID:23805074

Topographical memory for newly-learned maps is differentially affected by route-based versus landmark-based learning: a functional MRI study.

PubMed

Beatty, Erin L; Muller-Gass, Alexandra; Wojtarowicz, Dorothy; Jobidon, Marie-Eve; Smith, Ingrid; Lam, Quan; Vartanian, Oshin

2018-04-11

Humans rely on topographical memory to encode information about spatial aspects of environments. However, even though people adopt different strategies when learning new maps, little is known about the impact of those strategies on topographical memory, and their neural correlates. To examine that issue, we presented participants with 40 unfamiliar maps, each of which displayed one major route and three landmarks. Half were instructed to memorize the maps by focusing on the route, whereas the other half memorized the maps by focusing on the landmarks. One day later, the participants were tested on their ability to distinguish previously studied 'old' maps from completely unfamiliar 'new' maps under conditions of high and low working memory load in the functional MRI scanner. Viewing old versus new maps was associated with relatively greater activation in a distributed set of regions including bilateral inferior temporal gyrus - an important region for recognizing visual objects. Critically, whereas the performance of participants who had followed a route-based strategy dropped to chance level under high working memory load, participants who had followed a landmark-based strategy performed at above chance levels under both high and low working memory load - reflected by relatively greater activation in the left inferior parietal lobule (i.e. rostral part of the supramarginal gyrus known as area PFt). Our findings suggest that landmark-based learning may buffer against the effects of working memory load during recognition, and that this effect is represented by the greater involvement of a brain region implicated in both topographical and working memory.

A strategic systems perspective of organizational learning theory: models for a case study at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neece, O.

2000-01-01

Organizational learning is an umbrella term that covers a variety of topics including; learning curves, productivity, organizational memory, organizational forgetting, knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing and knowledge creation. This treatise will review some of these theories in concert with a model of how organizations learn.

Self-Regulatory Behaviors and Approaches to Learning of Arts Students: A Comparison between Professional Training and English Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseng, Min-chen; Chen, Chia-cheng

2017-01-01

This study investigated the self-regulatory behaviors of arts students, namely memory strategy, goal-setting, self-evaluation, seeking assistance, environmental structuring, learning responsibility, and planning and organizing. We also explored approaches to learning, including deep approach (DA) and surface approach (SA), in a comparison between…

Learning and Memory Following Conformal Radiation Therapy for Pediatric Craniopharyngioma and Low-Grade Glioma

PubMed Central

Pinto, Marcos Di; Conklin, Heather M.; Li, Chenghong; Merchant, Thomas E.

2012-01-01

Purpose The primary objective of this study was to examine whether children with low-grade glioma (LGG) or craniopharyngioma had impaired learning and memory after conformal radiation therapy (CRT). A secondary objective was to determine whether children who received chemotherapy before CRT, a treatment often used to delay radiation therapy in younger children with LGG, received any protective benefit with respect to learning. Methods and Materials Learning and memory in 57 children with LGG and 44 children with craniopharyngioma were assessed with the California Verbal Learning Test–Children’s Version and the Visual-Auditory Learning tests. Learning measures were administered before CRT, 6 months later, and then yearly for a total of 5 years. Results No decline in learning scores after CRT was observed when patients were grouped by diagnosis. For children with LGG, chemotherapy before CRT did not provide a protective effect on learning. Multiple regression analyses, which accounted for age and tumor volume and location, found that children treated with chemotherapy before CRT were at greater risk of decline on learning measures than those treated with CRT alone. Variables predictive of learning and memory decline included hydrocephalus, shunt insertion, younger age at time of treatment, female gender, and pre-CRT chemotherapy. Conclusions This study did not reveal any impairment or decline in learning after CRT in over-all aggregate learning scores. However, several important variables were found to have a significant effect on neurocognitive outcome. Specifically, chemotherapy before CRT was predictive of worse outcome on verbal learning in LGG patients. In addition, hydrocephalus and shunt insertion in craniopharyngioma were found to be predictive of worse neurocognitive outcome, suggesting a more aggressive natural history for those patients. PMID:22867897

Perinatal exposure to genistein, a soy phytoestrogen, improves spatial learning and memory but impairs passive avoidance learning and memory in offspring.

PubMed

Kohara, Yumi; Kuwahara, Rika; Kawaguchi, Shinichiro; Jojima, Takeshi; Yamashita, Kimihiro

2014-05-10

This study investigated the effects of perinatal genistein (GEN) exposure on the central nervous system of rat offspring. Pregnant dams orally received GEN (1 or 10 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (1 ml/kg/day) from gestation day 10 to postnatal day 14. In order to assess the effects of GEN on rat offspring, we used a battery of behavioral tests, including the open-field, elevated plus-maze, MAZE and step-through passive avoidance tests. MAZE test is an appetite-motivation test, and we used this mainly for assessing spatial learning and memory. In the MAZE test, GEN groups exhibited shorter latency from start to goal than the vehicle-treated group in both sexes. On the other hand, performances in the step-through passive avoidance test were non-monotonically inhibited by GEN in both sexes, and a significant difference was observed in low dose of the GEN-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group in female rats. Furthermore, we found that perinatal exposure to GEN did not significantly alter locomotor activity or emotionality as assessed by the open-field and elevated-plus maze tests. These results suggest that perinatal exposure to GEN improved spatial learning and memory of rat offspring, but impaired their passive avoidance learning and memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential Memory Test Sensitivity for Diagnosing Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Predicting Conversion to Alzheimer's Disease

PubMed Central

Rabin, Laura A.; Paré, Nadia; Saykin, Andrew J.; Brown, Michael J.; Wishart, Heather A.; Flashman, Laura A.; Santulli, Robert B.

2011-01-01

Episodic memory is the first and most severely affected cognitive domain in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it is also the key early marker in prodromal stages including amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The relative ability of memory tests to discriminate between MCI and normal aging has not been well characterized. We compared the classification value of widely used verbal memory tests in distinguishing healthy older adults (n = 51) from those with MCI (n = 38). Univariate logistic regression indicated that the total learning score from the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) ranked highest in terms of distinguishing MCI from normal aging (sensitivity = 90.2; specificity = 84.2). Inclusion of the delayed recall condition of a story memory task (i.e., WMS-III Logical Memory, Story A) enhanced the overall accuracy of classification (sensitivity = 92.2; specificity = 94.7). Combining Logical Memory recognition and CVLT-II long delay best predicted progression from MCI to AD over a 4-year period (accurate classification = 87.5%). Learning across multiple trials may provide the most sensitive index for initial diagnosis of MCI, but inclusion of additional variables may enhance overall accuracy and may represent the optimal strategy for identifying individuals most likely to progress to dementia. PMID:19353345

Behavioural pharmacology: 40+ years of progress, with a focus on glutamate receptors and cognition

PubMed Central

Robbins, Trevor W.; Murphy, Emily R.

2006-01-01

Behavioural pharmacology is an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of several research areas that ultimately lead to the development of drugs for clinical use and build understanding of how brain functions enable cognition and behaviour. In this article, the development of behavioural pharmacology in the UK is briefly surveyed, and the current status and success of the field is highlighted by the progress in our understanding of learning and memory that has resulted from discoveries in glutamate receptor pharmacology allied to theoretical and methodological advances in behavioural neuroscience. We describe the original breakthrough in terms of the role of NMDA receptors in hippocampal-mediated spatial learning and long-term potentiation, and review recent advances that demonstrate the involvement of glutamate receptor in working memory, recognition memory, stimulus–response learning and memory, and higher cognitive functions. We also discuss the unique functions of NMDA receptors and the fundamental role of AMPA receptors in processes that are common to some of these forms of memory, including encoding, consolidation and retrieval. PMID:16490260

Spaced Learning Enhances Subsequent Recognition Memory by Reducing Neural Repetition Suppression

PubMed Central

Xue, Gui; Mei, Leilei; Chen, Chuansheng; Lu, Zhong-Lin; Poldrack, Russell; Dong, Qi

2012-01-01

Spaced learning usually leads to better recognition memory as compared with massed learning, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive. One open question is whether the spacing effect is achieved by reducing neural repetition suppression. In this fMRI study, participants were scanned while intentionally memorizing 120 novel faces, half under the massed learning condition (i.e., four consecutive repetitions with jittered interstimulus interval) and the other half under the spaced learning condition (i.e., the four repetitions were interleaved). Recognition memory tests afterward revealed a significant spacing effect: Participants recognized more items learned under the spaced learning condition than under the massed learning condition. Successful face memory encoding was associated with stronger activation in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, which showed a significant repetition suppression effect modulated by subsequent memory status and spaced learning. Specifically, remembered faces showed smaller repetition suppression than forgotten faces under both learning conditions, and spaced learning significantly reduced repetition suppression. These results suggest that spaced learning enhances recognition memory by reducing neural repetition suppression. PMID:20617892

Spaced learning enhances subsequent recognition memory by reducing neural repetition suppression.

PubMed

Xue, Gui; Mei, Leilei; Chen, Chuansheng; Lu, Zhong-Lin; Poldrack, Russell; Dong, Qi

2011-07-01

Spaced learning usually leads to better recognition memory as compared with massed learning, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive. One open question is whether the spacing effect is achieved by reducing neural repetition suppression. In this fMRI study, participants were scanned while intentionally memorizing 120 novel faces, half under the massed learning condition (i.e., four consecutive repetitions with jittered interstimulus interval) and the other half under the spaced learning condition (i.e., the four repetitions were interleaved). Recognition memory tests afterward revealed a significant spacing effect: Participants recognized more items learned under the spaced learning condition than under the massed learning condition. Successful face memory encoding was associated with stronger activation in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, which showed a significant repetition suppression effect modulated by subsequent memory status and spaced learning. Specifically, remembered faces showed smaller repetition suppression than forgotten faces under both learning conditions, and spaced learning significantly reduced repetition suppression. These results suggest that spaced learning enhances recognition memory by reducing neural repetition suppression.

Is caffeine a cognitive enhancer?

PubMed

Nehlig, Astrid

2010-01-01

The effects of caffeine on cognition were reviewed based on the large body of literature available on the topic. Caffeine does not usually affect performance in learning and memory tasks, although caffeine may occasionally have facilitatory or inhibitory effects on memory and learning. Caffeine facilitates learning in tasks in which information is presented passively; in tasks in which material is learned intentionally, caffeine has no effect. Caffeine facilitates performance in tasks involving working memory to a limited extent, but hinders performance in tasks that heavily depend on working memory, and caffeine appears to rather improve memory performance under suboptimal alertness conditions. Most studies, however, found improvements in reaction time. The ingestion of caffeine does not seem to affect long-term memory. At low doses, caffeine improves hedonic tone and reduces anxiety, while at high doses, there is an increase in tense arousal, including anxiety, nervousness, jitteriness. The larger improvement of performance in fatigued subjects confirms that caffeine is a mild stimulant. Caffeine has also been reported to prevent cognitive decline in healthy subjects but the results of the studies are heterogeneous, some finding no age-related effect while others reported effects only in one sex and mainly in the oldest population. In conclusion, it appears that caffeine cannot be considered a ;pure' cognitive enhancer. Its indirect action on arousal, mood and concentration contributes in large part to its cognitive enhancing properties.

Forebrain-specific, conditional silencing of Staufen2 alters synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory in rats.

PubMed

Berger, Stefan M; Fernández-Lamo, Iván; Schönig, Kai; Fernández Moya, Sandra M; Ehses, Janina; Schieweck, Rico; Clementi, Stefano; Enkel, Thomas; Grothe, Sascha; von Bohlen Und Halbach, Oliver; Segura, Inmaculada; Delgado-García, José María; Gruart, Agnès; Kiebler, Michael A; Bartsch, Dusan

2017-11-17

Dendritic messenger RNA (mRNA) localization and subsequent local translation in dendrites critically contributes to synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. Little is known, however, about the contribution of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to these processes in vivo. To delineate the role of the double-stranded RBP Staufen2 (Stau2), we generate a transgenic rat model, in which Stau2 expression is conditionally silenced by Cre-inducible expression of a microRNA (miRNA) targeting Stau2 mRNA in adult forebrain neurons. Known physiological mRNA targets for Stau2, such as RhoA, Complexin 1, and Rgs4 mRNAs, are found to be dysregulated in brains of Stau2-deficient rats. In vivo electrophysiological recordings reveal synaptic strengthening upon stimulation, showing a shift in the frequency-response function of hippocampal synaptic plasticity to favor long-term potentiation and impair long-term depression in Stau2-deficient rats. These observations are accompanied by deficits in hippocampal spatial working memory, spatial novelty detection, and in tasks investigating associative learning and memory. Together, these experiments reveal a critical contribution of Stau2 to various forms of synaptic plasticity including spatial working memory and cognitive management of new environmental information. These findings might contribute to the development of treatments for conditions associated with learning and memory deficits.

Visual Memory in Methamphetamine Dependent Individuals: Deficient Strategic Control of Encoding and Retrieval

PubMed Central

Morgan, Erin E.; Woods, Steven Paul; Poquette, Amelia J.; Vigil, Ofilio; Heaton, Robert K.; Grant, Igor

2012-01-01

Objective Chronic use of methamphetamine (MA) has moderate effects on neurocognitive functions associated with frontal systems, including the executive aspects of verbal episodic memory. Extending this literature, the current study examined the effects of MA on visual episodic memory with the hypothesis that a profile of deficient strategic encoding and retrieval processes would be revealed for visuospatial information (i.e., simple geometric designs), including possible differential effects on source versus item recall. Method The sample comprised 114 MA-dependent (MA+) and 110 demographically-matched MA-nondependent comparison participants (MA−) who completed the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test – Revised (BVMT-R), which was scored for standard learning and memory indices, as well as novel item (i.e., figure) and source (i.e., location) memory indices. Results Results revealed a profile of impaired immediate and delayed free recall (p < .05) in the context of preserved learning slope, retention, and recognition discriminability in the MA+ group. The MA+ group also performed more poorly than MA− participants on Item visual memory (p < .05) but not Source visual memory (p > .05), and no group by task-type interaction was observed (p > .05). Item visual memory demonstrated significant associations with executive dysfunction, deficits in working memory, and shorter length of abstinence from MA use (p < 0.05). Conclusions These visual memory findings are commensurate with studies reporting deficient strategic verbal encoding and retrieval in MA users that are posited to reflect the vulnerability of frontostriatal circuits to the neurotoxic effects of MA. Potential clinical implications of these visual memory deficits are discussed. PMID:22311530

A DNA-based pattern classifier with in vitro learning and associative recall for genomic characterization and biosensing without explicit sequence knowledge.

PubMed

Lee, Ju Seok; Chen, Junghuei; Deaton, Russell; Kim, Jin-Woo

2014-01-01

Genetic material extracted from in situ microbial communities has high promise as an indicator of biological system status. However, the challenge is to access genomic information from all organisms at the population or community scale to monitor the biosystem's state. Hence, there is a need for a better diagnostic tool that provides a holistic view of a biosystem's genomic status. Here, we introduce an in vitro methodology for genomic pattern classification of biological samples that taps large amounts of genetic information from all genes present and uses that information to detect changes in genomic patterns and classify them. We developed a biosensing protocol, termed Biological Memory, that has in vitro computational capabilities to "learn" and "store" genomic sequence information directly from genomic samples without knowledge of their explicit sequences, and that discovers differences in vitro between previously unknown inputs and learned memory molecules. The Memory protocol was designed and optimized based upon (1) common in vitro recombinant DNA operations using 20-base random probes, including polymerization, nuclease digestion, and magnetic bead separation, to capture a snapshot of the genomic state of a biological sample as a DNA memory and (2) the thermal stability of DNA duplexes between new input and the memory to detect similarities and differences. For efficient read out, a microarray was used as an output method. When the microarray-based Memory protocol was implemented to test its capability and sensitivity using genomic DNA from two model bacterial strains, i.e., Escherichia coli K12 and Bacillus subtilis, results indicate that the Memory protocol can "learn" input DNA, "recall" similar DNA, differentiate between dissimilar DNA, and detect relatively small concentration differences in samples. This study demonstrated not only the in vitro information processing capabilities of DNA, but also its promise as a genomic pattern classifier that could access information from all organisms in a biological system without explicit genomic information. The Memory protocol has high potential for many applications, including in situ biomonitoring of ecosystems, screening for diseases, biosensing of pathological features in water and food supplies, and non-biological information processing of memory devices, among many.

Distinguishable memory retrieval networks for collaboratively and non-collaboratively learned information.

PubMed

Vanlangendonck, Flora; Takashima, Atsuko; Willems, Roel M; Hagoort, Peter

2018-03-01

Learning often occurs in communicative and collaborative settings, yet almost all research into the neural basis of memory relies on participants encoding and retrieving information on their own. We investigated whether learning linguistic labels in a collaborative context at least partly relies on cognitively and neurally distinct representations, as compared to learning in an individual context. Healthy human participants learned labels for sets of abstract shapes in three different tasks. They came up with labels with another person in a collaborative communication task (collaborative condition), by themselves (individual condition), or were given pre-determined unrelated labels to learn by themselves (arbitrary condition). Immediately after learning, participants retrieved and produced the labels aloud during a communicative task in the MRI scanner. The fMRI results show that the retrieval of collaboratively generated labels as compared to individually learned labels engages brain regions involved in understanding others (mentalizing or theory of mind) and autobiographical memory, including the medial prefrontal cortex, the right temporoparietal junction and the precuneus. This study is the first to show that collaboration during encoding affects the neural networks involved in retrieval. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Sleep does not cause false memories on a story-based test of suggestibility.

PubMed

van Rijn, Elaine; Carter, Neil; McMurtrie, Hazel; Willner, Paul; Blagrove, Mark T

2017-07-01

Sleep contributes to the consolidation of memories. This process may involve extracting the gist of learned material at the expense of details. It has thus been proposed that sleep might lead to false memory formation. Previous research examined the effect of sleep on false memory using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Mixed results were found, including increases and decreases in false memory after sleep relative to wake. It has been questioned whether DRM false memories occur by the same processes as real-world false memories. Here, the effect of sleep on false memory was investigated using the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale. Veridical memory deteriorated after a 12-h period of wake, but not after a 12-h period including a night's sleep. No difference in false memory was found between conditions. Although the literature supports sleep-dependent memory consolidation, the results here call into question extending this to a gist-based false memory effect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cortical rewiring and information storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chklovskii, D. B.; Mel, B. W.; Svoboda, K.

2004-10-01

Current thinking about long-term memory in the cortex is focused on changes in the strengths of connections between neurons. But ongoing structural plasticity in the adult brain, including synapse formation/elimination and remodelling of axons and dendrites, suggests that memory could also depend on learning-induced changes in the cortical `wiring diagram'. Given that the cortex is sparsely connected, wiring plasticity could provide a substantial boost in storage capacity, although at a cost of more elaborate biological machinery and slower learning.

Phonological working memory impairments in children with specific language impairment: where does the problem lie?

PubMed

Alt, Mary

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine which factors contribute to the lexical learning deficits of children with specific language impairment (SLI). Participants included 40 7-8-year old participants, half of whom were diagnosed with SLI and half of whom had normal language skills. We tested hypotheses about the contributions to word learning of the initial encoding of phonological information and the link to long-term memory. Children took part in a computer-based fast-mapping task which manipulated word length and phonotactic probability to address the hypotheses. The task had a recognition and a production component. Data were analyzed using mixed ANOVAs with post-hoc testing. Results indicate that the main problem for children with SLI is with initial encoding, with implications for limited capacity. There was not strong evidence for specific deficits in the link to long-term memory. We were able to ascertain which aspects of lexical learning are most problematic for children with SLI in terms of fast-mapping. These findings may allow clinicians to focus intervention on known areas of weakness. Future directions include extending these findings to slow mapping scenarios. The reader will understand how different components of phonological working memory contribute to the word learning problems of children with specific language impairment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gene Network Construction from Microarray Data Identifies a Key Network Module and Several Candidate Hub Genes in Age-Associated Spatial Learning Impairment.

PubMed

Uddin, Raihan; Singh, Shiva M

2017-01-01

As humans age many suffer from a decrease in normal brain functions including spatial learning impairments. This study aimed to better understand the molecular mechanisms in age-associated spatial learning impairment (ASLI). We used a mathematical modeling approach implemented in Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to create and compare gene network models of young (learning unimpaired) and aged (predominantly learning impaired) brains from a set of exploratory datasets in rats in the context of ASLI. The major goal was to overcome some of the limitations previously observed in the traditional meta- and pathway analysis using these data, and identify novel ASLI related genes and their networks based on co-expression relationship of genes. This analysis identified a set of network modules in the young, each of which is highly enriched with genes functioning in broad but distinct GO functional categories or biological pathways. Interestingly, the analysis pointed to a single module that was highly enriched with genes functioning in "learning and memory" related functions and pathways. Subsequent differential network analysis of this "learning and memory" module in the aged (predominantly learning impaired) rats compared to the young learning unimpaired rats allowed us to identify a set of novel ASLI candidate hub genes. Some of these genes show significant repeatability in networks generated from independent young and aged validation datasets. These hub genes are highly co-expressed with other genes in the network, which not only show differential expression but also differential co-expression and differential connectivity across age and learning impairment. The known function of these hub genes indicate that they play key roles in critical pathways, including kinase and phosphatase signaling, in functions related to various ion channels, and in maintaining neuronal integrity relating to synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Taken together, they provide a new insight and generate new hypotheses into the molecular mechanisms responsible for age associated learning impairment, including spatial learning.

Cognitive Impairment in Euthymic Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Elias, Liana R; Miskowiak, Kamilla W; Vale, Antônio M O; Köhler, Cristiano A; Kjærstad, Hanne L; Stubbs, Brendon; Kessing, Lars V; Vieta, Eduard; Maes, Michael; Goldstein, Benjamin I; Carvalho, André F

2017-04-01

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating neurocognition in euthymic youths with bipolar disorder (BD) compared to healthy controls (HCs). A systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases from inception up until March 23, 2016, for original peer-reviewed articles that investigated neurocognition in euthymic youths with BD compared to HCs. Effect sizes (ES) for individual tests were extracted. In addition, results were grouped according to cognitive domain. This review complied with the PRISMA statement guidelines. A total of 24 studies met inclusion criteria (N = 1,146; 510 with BD). Overall, euthymic youths with BD were significantly impaired in verbal learning, verbal memory, working memory, visual learning, and visual memory, with moderate to large ESs (Hedge's g 0.76-0.99); significant impairments were not observed for attention/vigilance, reasoning and problem solving, and/or processing speed. Heterogeneity was moderate to large (I 2  ≥ 50%) for most ES estimates. Differences in the definition of euthymia across studies explained the heterogeneity in the ES estimate for verbal learning and memory. We also found evidence for other potential sources of heterogeneity in several ES estimates including co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders, and the use of medications. In addition, the use of different neuropsychological tests appeared to contribute to heterogeneity of some estimates (e.g., attention/vigilance domain). Euthymic youths with BD exhibit significant cognitive dysfunction encompassing verbal learning and memory, working memory, and/or visual learning and memory domains. These data indicate that for a subset of individuals with BD, neurodevelopmental factors may contribute to cognitive dysfunction. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reference memory, anxiety and estrous cyclicity in C57BL/6NIA mice are affected by age and sex.

PubMed

Frick, K M; Burlingame, L A; Arters, J A; Berger-Sweeney, J

2000-01-01

Age-related changes in learning and memory are common in rodents. However, direct comparisons of the effects of aging on learning and memory in both males and females are lacking. The present study examined whether memory deteriorates with increasing age in C57BL/6NIA mice, and whether age-related changes in learning and memory are similar in both sexes. Male and female mice (five, 17 and 25 months of age) were tested in a battery of behavioral tasks including the Morris water maze (spatial and non-spatial reference memory), simple odor discrimination (olfactory reference memory), plus maze (anxiety/exploration), locomotor activity, and basic reflexes. Five-month-old mice learned the water maze and odor discrimination tasks rapidly. Relative to five-month-old mice, 25-month-old mice exhibited impaired spatial and olfactory reference memory, but intact non-spatial reference memory. The spatial reference memory of 17-month-old mice was also impaired, but less so than 25-month mice. Seventeen-month-old mice exhibited intact non-spatial (visual and olfactory) reference memory. Five and 25-month-old mice had similar levels of plus maze exploration and locomotor activity, whereas 17-month-old mice were more active than both groups and were slightly less exploratory than five-month-old mice. Although sex differences were not observed in the five- and 25-month groups, 17-month-old females exhibited more impaired spatial reference memory and increased anxiety relative to 17-month-old males. Estrous cycling in females deteriorated significantly with increased age; all 25-month-old females had ceased cycling and 80% of 17-month-old females displayed either irregular or absent estrous cycling. This study is the first to directly compare age-related mnemonic decline in male and female mice. The results suggest that: (i) aged mice exhibit significant deficits in spatial and olfactory reference memory relative to young mice, whereas middle-aged mice exhibit only a moderate spatial memory deficit and; (ii) spatial reference memory decline begins at an earlier age in females than in males, a finding that may be related to the cessation of estrous cycling.

Language, learning, and memory in children with and without single-suture craniosynostosis.

PubMed

Kapp-Simon, Kathleen A; Wallace, Erin; Collett, Brent R; Cradock, Mary Michaeleen; Crerand, Canice E; Speltz, Matthew L

2016-05-01

OBJECTIVE The language and memory functions of children with and without single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC) were compared at school age (mean 7.45 years, standard deviation [SD] 0.54 years). The children in this cohort were originally recruited in infancy and prior to cranial surgery for those with SSC. METHODS Individual evaluations of 179 school-aged children with SSC and 183 controls were conducted (70% of the original cohort) using standardized measures of language, learning, and memory. Parents participated in an interview about specialized education interventions and school progress. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires about language development. RESULTS Children with SSC (cases) obtained lower scores than controls on all measures. The adjusted differences in language, learning, and memory scores were modest, with SD ranging from 0.0 to -0.4 (p values ranged from 0.001 to 0.99). Censored normal regression was used to account for intervention services received prior to the school-age evaluation; this increased case-control differences (SD range 0.1 to -0.5, p value range 0.001 to 0.50). Mean scores for cases in each SSC diagnostic group were lower than those for controls, with the greatest differences observed among children with unilateral coronal craniosynostosis. CONCLUSIONS Children with SSC continue to show poorer performance than controls on language, learning, and memory tasks at early elementary school age, even when controlling for known confounders, although mean differences are small. Multidisciplinary care, including direct psychological assessment, for children with SSC should extend through school age with a specific focus on language and conceptual learning, as these are areas of potential risk. Future research is needed to investigate language, memory, and learning for this population during the middle to high school years.

A single low-dose of hydrocortisone enhances cognitive functioning in HIV-infected women.

PubMed

Rubin, Leah H; Phan, K Luan; Keating, Sheila M; Maki, Pauline M

2018-06-14

Low-dose hydrocortisone (LDH) enhances aspects of learning and memory in select populations including patients with PTSD and HIV-infected men. HIV-infected women show impairments in learning and memory, but the cognitive effects of LDH in HIV-infected women are unknown. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study examining the time-dependent effects of a single low-dose administration of hydrocortisone (10 mg oral) on cognition in 36 HIV-infected women. Participants were first randomized to LDH or placebo and then received the opposite treatment one month later. Cognitive performance was assessed 30 minutes and 4 hours after pill administration to assess, respectively nongenomic and genomic effects. Self-reported stress/anxiety and salivary cortisol were assessed throughout sessions. LDH significantly increased salivary cortisol levels versus placebo; levels returned to baseline 4-hours post-administration. At the 30-minute assessment, LDH enhanced verbal learning and delayed memory, working memory, behavioral inhibition, and visuospatial abilities. At the 4-hour assessment, LDH enhanced verbal learning and delayed memory compared to placebo. LDH-induced cognitive benefits related to reductions in cytokines and to a lesser extent to increases in cortisol. The extended benefits from 30 minutes to 4 hours of a single administration of LDH on learning and delayed memory suggest that targeting the HPA axis may have potential clinical utility in HIV-infected women. These findings contrast with our findings in HIV-infected men who showed improved learning only at the 30-minute assessment. Larger, longer-term studies are underway to verify possible cognitive enhancing effects of LDH and the clinical significance of these effects in HIV.

Neonatal brain abnormalities and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years in children born very preterm.

PubMed

Omizzolo, Cristina; Scratch, Shannon E; Stargatt, Robyn; Kidokoro, Hiroyuki; Thompson, Deanne K; Lee, Katherine J; Cheong, Jeanie; Neil, Jeffrey; Inder, Terrie E; Doyle, Lex W; Anderson, Peter J

2014-01-01

Using prospective longitudinal data from 198 very preterm and 70 full term children, this study characterised the memory and learning abilities of very preterm children at 7 years of age in both verbal and visual domains. The relationship between the extent of brain abnormalities on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years of age in very preterm children was also investigated. Neonatal MRI scans were qualitatively assessed for global, white-matter, cortical grey-matter, deep grey-matter, and cerebellar abnormalities. Very preterm children performed less well on measures of immediate memory, working memory, long-term memory, and learning compared with term-born controls. Neonatal brain abnormalities, and in particular deep grey-matter abnormality, were associated with poorer memory and learning performance at 7 years in very preterm children. Findings support the importance of cerebral neonatal pathology for predicting later memory and learning function.

[Use of nondeclarative and automatic memory processes in motor learning: how to mitigate the effects of aging].

PubMed

Chauvel, Guillaume; Maquestiaux, François; Didierjean, André; Joubert, Sven; Dieudonné, Bénédicte; Verny, Marc

2011-12-01

Does normal aging inexorably lead to diminished motor learning abilities? This article provides an overview of the literature on the question, with particular emphasis on the functional dissociation between two sets of memory processes: declarative, effortful processes, and non-declarative, automatic processes. There is abundant evidence suggesting that aging does impair learning when past memories of former actions are required (episodic memory) and recollected through controlled processing (working memory). However, other studies have shown that aging does not impair learning when motor actions are performed non verbally and automatically (tapping procedural memory). These findings led us to hypothesize that one can minimize the impact of aging on the ability to learn new motor actions by favouring procedural learning. Recent data validating this hypothesis are presented. Our findings underline the importance of developing new motor learning strategies, which "bypass" declarative, effortful memory processes.

Route selection by rats and humans in a navigational traveling salesman problem.

PubMed

Blaser, Rachel E; Ginchansky, Rachel R

2012-03-01

Spatial cognition is typically examined in non-human animals from the perspective of learning and memory. For this reason, spatial tasks are often constrained by the time necessary for training or the capacity of the animal's short-term memory. A spatial task with limited learning and memory demands could allow for more efficient study of some aspects of spatial cognition. The traveling salesman problem (TSP), used to study human visuospatial problem solving, is a simple task with modifiable learning and memory requirements. In the current study, humans and rats were characterized in a navigational version of the TSP. Subjects visited each of 10 baited targets in any sequence from a set starting location. Unlike similar experiments, the roles of learning and memory were purposely minimized; all targets were perceptually available, no distracters were used, and each configuration was tested only once. The task yielded a variety of behavioral measures, including target revisits and omissions, route length, and frequency of transitions between each pair of targets. Both humans and rats consistently chose routes that were more efficient than chance, but less efficient than optimal, and generally less efficient than routes produced by the nearest-neighbor strategy. We conclude that the TSP is a useful and flexible task for the study of spatial cognition in human and non-human animals.

Unstable Memories Create a High-Level Representation that Enables Learning Transfer.

PubMed

Mosha, Neechi; Robertson, Edwin M

2016-01-11

A memory is unstable, making it susceptible to interference and disruption, after its acquisition [1-4]. The function or possible benefit of a memory being unstable at its acquisition is not well understood. Potentially, instability may be critical for the communication between recently acquired memories, which would allow learning in one task to be transferred to the other subsequent task [1, 5]. Learning may be transferred between any memories that are unstable, even between different types of memory. Here, we test the link between a memory being unstable and the transfer of learning to a different type of memory task. We measured how learning in one task transferred to and thus improved learning in a subsequent task. There was transfer from a motor skill to a word list task and, vice versa, from a word list to a motor skill task. What was transferred was a high-level relationship between elements, rather than knowledge of the individual elements themselves. Memory instability was correlated with subsequent transfer, suggesting that transfer was related to the instability of the memory. Using different methods, we stabilized the initial memory, preventing it from being susceptible to interference, and found that these methods consistently prevented transfer to the subsequent memory task. This suggests that the transfer of learning across diverse tasks is due to a high-level representation that can only be formed when a memory is unstable. Our work has identified an important function of memory instability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subjective memory complaint only relates to verbal episodic memory performance in mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Gifford, Katherine A; Liu, Dandan; Damon, Stephen M; Chapman, William G; Romano Iii, Raymond R; Samuels, Lauren R; Lu, Zengqi; Jefferson, Angela L

2015-01-01

A cognitive concern from the patient, informant, or clinician is required for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI); however, the cognitive and neuroanatomical correlates of complaint are poorly understood. We assessed how self-complaint relates to cognitive and neuroimaging measures in older adults with MCI. MCI participants were drawn from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and dichotomized into two groups based on the presence of self-reported memory complaint (no complaint n = 191, 77 ± 7 years; complaint n = 206, 73 ± 8 years). Cognitive outcomes included episodic memory, executive functioning, information processing speed, and language. Imaging outcomes included regional lobar volumes (frontal, parietal, temporal, cingulate) and specific medial temporal lobe structures (hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex thickness, parahippocampal gyrus thickness). Linear regressions, adjusting for age, gender, race, education, Mini-Mental State Examination score, mood, and apolipoprotein E4 status, found that cognitive complaint related to immediate (β = -1.07, p < 0.001) and delayed episodic memory performances assessed on a serial list learning task (β = -1.06, p = 0.001) but no other cognitive measures or neuroimaging markers. Self-reported memory concern was unrelated to structural neuroimaging markers of atrophy and measures of information processing speed, executive functioning, or language. In contrast, subjective memory complaint related to objective verbal episodic learning performance. Future research is warranted to better understand the relation between cognitive complaint and surrogate markers of abnormal brain aging, including Alzheimer's disease, across the cognitive aging spectrum.

Implicit Memory in Korsakoff’s Syndrome: A Review of Procedural Learning and Priming Studies

PubMed Central

Hayes, Scott M.; Fortier, Catherine B.; Levine, Andrea; Milberg, William P.; McGlinchey, Regina

2013-01-01

Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) is characterized by dense anterograde amnesia resulting from damage to the diencephalon region, typically resulting from chronic alcohol abuse and thiamine deficiency. This review assesses the integrity of the implicit memory system in KS, focusing on studies of procedural learning and priming. KS patients are impaired on several measures of procedural memory, most likely due to impairment in cognitive functions associated with alcohol-related neural damage outside of the diencephalon. The pattern of performance on tasks of implicit priming suggests reliance on a residual, non-flexible memory operating more or less in an automatic fashion. Our review concludes that whether measures of implicit memory reveal intact or impaired performance in individuals with KS depends heavily on specific task parameters and demands, including timing between stimuli, the specific nature of the stimuli used in a task, and the integrity of supportive cognitive functions necessary for performance. PMID:22592661

Selective verbal and spatial memory impairment after 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor blockade in healthy volunteers pre-treated with an SSRI.

PubMed

Wingen, M; Kuypers, K P C; Ramaekers, J G

2007-07-01

Serotonergic neurotransmission has been implicated in memory impairment. It is unclear however if memory performance is mediated through general 5-HT availability, through specific 5-HT receptors or both. The aim of the present study was to assess the contribution of 5-HT reuptake inhibition and specific blockade of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptors to memory impairment. The study was conducted according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-way cross-over design including 16 healthy volunteers. The treatment consisted of oral administration of escitalopram 20 mg + placebo, escitalopram 20 mg + ketanserin 50 mg, escitalopram 20 mg + pindolol 10 mg and placebo on 4 separate days with a washout period of minimum 7 days. Different memory tasks were performed including verbal memory, spatial working memory and reversal learning. Escitalopram showed an impairing effect on immediate verbal recall which nearly reached statistical significance. No effects of escitalopram were found on other types of memory. In combination with pindolol, immediate verbal recall was significantly impaired. Escitalopram in combination with ketanserin impaired spatial working memory significantly. No effects were found on reversal learning. Selective impairment of immediate verbal recall after a 5-HT(1A) partial agonist and selective impairment of spatial working memory performance after 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist, both in combination with a selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor (escitalopram), suggests that 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptors are distinctly involved in verbal and spatial memory.

Oral exposure to low-dose of nonylphenol impairs memory performance in Sprague-Dawley rats.

PubMed

Kawaguchi, Shinichiro; Kuwahara, Rika; Kohara, Yumi; Uchida, Yutaro; Oku, Yushi; Yamashita, Kimihiro

2015-02-01

Nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) is a non-ionic surfactant, that is degraded to short-chain NPE and 4-nonylphenol (NP) by bacteria in the environment. NP, one of the most common environmental endocrine disruptors, exhibits weak estrogen-like activity. In this study, we investigated whether oral administration of NP (at 0.5 and 5 mg/kg doses) affects spatial learning and memory, general activity, emotionality, and fear-motivated learning and memory in male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. SD rats of both sexes were evaluated using a battery of behavioral tests, including an appetite-motivated maze test (MAZE test) that was used to assess spatial learning and memory. In the MAZE test, the time required to reach the reward in male rats treated with 0.5 mg/kg NP group and female rats administered 5 mg/kg NP was significantly longer than that for control animals of the corresponding sex. In other behavioral tests, no significant differences were observed between the control group and either of the NP-treated groups of male rats. In female rats, inner and ambulation values for animals administered 0.5 mg/kg NP were significantly higher than those measured in control animals in open-field test, while the latency in the group treated with 5 mg/kg NP was significantly shorter compared to the control group in step-through passive avoidance test. This study indicates that oral administration of a low-dose of NP slightly impairs spatial learning and memory performance in male and female rats, and alters emotionality and fear-motivated learning and memory in female rats only.

Domain-specific and domain-general constraints on word and sequence learning.

PubMed

Archibald, Lisa M D; Joanisse, Marc F

2013-02-01

The relative influences of language-related and memory-related constraints on the learning of novel words and sequences were examined by comparing individual differences in performance of children with and without specific deficits in either language or working memory. Children recalled lists of words in a Hebbian learning protocol in which occasional lists repeated, yielding improved recall over the course of the task on the repeated lists. The task involved presentation of pictures of common nouns followed immediately by equivalent presentations of the spoken names. The same participants also completed a paired-associate learning task involving word-picture and nonword-picture pairs. Hebbian learning was observed for all groups. Domain-general working memory constrained immediate recall, whereas language abilities impacted recall in the auditory modality only. In addition, working memory constrained paired-associate learning generally, whereas language abilities disproportionately impacted novel word learning. Overall, all of the learning tasks were highly correlated with domain-general working memory. The learning of nonwords was additionally related to general intelligence, phonological short-term memory, language abilities, and implicit learning. The results suggest that distinct associations between language- and memory-related mechanisms support learning of familiar and unfamiliar phonological forms and sequences.

Attention, Working Memory, and Long-Term Memory in Multimedia Learning: An Integrated Perspective Based on Process Models of Working Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweppe, Judith; Rummer, Ralf

2014-01-01

Cognitive models of multimedia learning such as the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer 2009) or the Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller 1999) are based on different cognitive models of working memory (e.g., Baddeley 1986) and long-term memory. The current paper describes a working memory model that has recently gained popularity in basic…

Lifelong Learning and Adult Education. Special Issue in Memory of CIHED Advisory Board Member J. Roby Kidd.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CIHED Newsletter, 1982

1982-01-01

This newsletter deals with lifelong learning and adult and continuing education. Included in the issue are the following articles: "The Learning Society," by Solveig M. Turner; "Adult Education at the Beginning of the 1980s," by J. Roby Kidd; "Lifelong Learning in an International Perspective: Selected Case Studies,"…

Declarative and nondeclarative memory: multiple brain systems supporting learning and memory.

PubMed

Squire, L R

1992-01-01

Abstract The topic of multiple forms of memory is considered from a biological point of view. Fact-and-event (declarative, explicit) memory is contrasted with a collection of non conscious (non-declarative, implicit) memory abilities including skills and habits, priming, and simple conditioning. Recent evidence is reviewed indicating that declarative and non declarative forms of memory have different operating characteristics and depend on separate brain systems. A brain-systems framework for understanding memory phenomena is developed in light of lesion studies involving rats, monkeys, and humans, as well as recent studies with normal humans using the divided visual field technique, event-related potentials, and positron emission tomography (PET).

Dissociable effects of surprising rewards on learning and memory.

PubMed

Rouhani, Nina; Norman, Kenneth A; Niv, Yael

2018-03-19

Reward-prediction errors track the extent to which rewards deviate from expectations, and aid in learning. How do such errors in prediction interact with memory for the rewarding episode? Existing findings point to both cooperative and competitive interactions between learning and memory mechanisms. Here, we investigated whether learning about rewards in a high-risk context, with frequent, large prediction errors, would give rise to higher fidelity memory traces for rewarding events than learning in a low-risk context. Experiment 1 showed that recognition was better for items associated with larger absolute prediction errors during reward learning. Larger prediction errors also led to higher rates of learning about rewards. Interestingly we did not find a relationship between learning rate for reward and recognition-memory accuracy for items, suggesting that these two effects of prediction errors were caused by separate underlying mechanisms. In Experiment 2, we replicated these results with a longer task that posed stronger memory demands and allowed for more learning. We also showed improved source and sequence memory for items within the high-risk context. In Experiment 3, we controlled for the difficulty of reward learning in the risk environments, again replicating the previous results. Moreover, this control revealed that the high-risk context enhanced item-recognition memory beyond the effect of prediction errors. In summary, our results show that prediction errors boost both episodic item memory and incremental reward learning, but the two effects are likely mediated by distinct underlying systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationship between Learning Style Preferences and Memory Strategy use in Adults.

PubMed

Dirette, Diane Powers; Anderson, Michele A

2016-07-01

Deficits in working memory are pervasive, resistant to remediation and significantly impact a persons ability to perform activities of daily living. Internal strategies are effective for improving working memory. Learning style preferences may influence the use of various internal working memory strategies. This study compares the use of internal working memory strategies among four different learning style preferences; converger, diverger, assimilator and accommodator. A non-experimental group design was used to compare the use of internal working memory strategies and learning style preferences among 110 adults. There were some significant differences in the types of strategies used according to learning style preferences. Knowing the learning style preference of clients may help occupational therapists better tailor cognitive rehabilitation treatments to meet the client's needs.

The nucleus accumbens and learning and memory.

PubMed

Setlow, B

1997-09-01

Recent research on the nucleus accumbens (NA) indicates that this brain region is involved in learning and memory processes in a way that is separable from its other well-known roles in behavior, such as motivation, reward, and locomotor activity. These findings have suggested that 1) the NA may be involved in declarative, or hippocampal formation-dependent learning and memory, and not in several other non-declarative forms of learning and memory, and 2) the NA may be selectively involved in certain stages of learning and memory. These characteristics suggest that the NA may be part of a larger striatal system which subserves acquisition and consolidation, but is not a site of long-term storage, of different forms of learning and memory.

Human learning and memory.

PubMed

Johnson, M K; Hasher, L

1987-01-01

There have been several notable recent trends in the area of learning and memory. Problems with the episodic/semantic distinction have become more apparent, and new efforts have been made (exemplar models, distributed-memory models) to represent general knowledge without assuming a separate semantic system. Less emphasis is being placed on stable, prestored prototypes and more emphasis on a flexible memory system that provides the basis for a multitude of categories or frames of reference, derived on the spot as tasks demand. There is increasing acceptance of the idea that mental models are constructed and stored in memory in addition to, rather than instead of, memorial representations that are more closely tied to perceptions. This gives rise to questions concerning the conditions that permit inferences to be drawn and mental models to be constructed, and to questions concerning the similarities and differences in the nature of the representations in memory of perceived and generated information and in their functions. There has also been a swing from interest in deliberate strategies to interest in automatic, unconscious (even mechanistic!) processes, reflecting an appreciation that certain situations (e.g. recognition, frequency judgements, savings in indirect tasks, aspects of skill acquisition, etc) seem not to depend much on the products of strategic, effortful or reflective processes. There is a lively interest in relations among memory measures and attempts to characterize memory representations and/or processes that could give rise to dissociations among measures. Whether the pattern of results reflects the operation of functional subsystems of memory and, if so, what the "modules" are is far from clear. This issue has been fueled by work with amnesics and has contributed to a revival of interaction between researchers studying learning and memory in humans and those studying learning and memory in animals. Thus, neuroscience rivals computer science as a source of interdisciplinary stimulation. Research on topics such as memory for spatial location, the relation between memory and affect, and autobiographical memory reminds us that general theories of memory based on studies of verbal materials alone are limited. Investigating how people remember complex natural events should provide us with a larger set of memory phenomena to explain and consequently insight into a wider range of memory principles or a deeper understanding of the ones we already accept (e.g. the role of repetition, encoding specificity), including their functional significance for human behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The Role of Apathy and Depression on Verbal Learning and Memory Performance After Stroke.

PubMed

Fishman, Keera N; Ashbaugh, Andrea R; Lanctôt, Krista L; Cayley, Megan L; Herrmann, Nathan; Murray, Brian J; Sicard, Michelle; Lien, Karen; Sahlas, Demetrios J; Swartz, Richard H

2018-05-18

Psychiatric symptoms, including depression and apathy, may significantly impede functional and cognitive capabilities following a cerebrovascular event. This study examined the role of apathy and depression on learning and memory performance in stroke patients. Stroke patients (n = 140 [119 ischemic, 21 hemorrhagic], mean age = 60.6 [SD = 15.1]) completed the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II). Using a 2 × 2 MANOVA with depression (CESD ≥ 16) and apathy (AES ≥ 34) as the independent variables and cognitive performance (i.e., verbal acquisition, short-term free recall, and long-term free recall) as the dependent variables, we found a main effect for apathy (F[3,134] = 2.98, p = .034), such that apathetic stroke patients (n = 24) performed significantly worse on verbal acquisition (F[1,136] = 6.44; p = .012), short-term free recall (F[1,136] = 7.86; p = .006), and long-term free recall (F[1,136] = 8.37; p = .004) than nonapathetic stroke patients (n = 116). There was no main effect of depression on cognitive performance (F[1,136] = 1.72, p = .155). These results suggest that apathy, not depression, is related to verbal memory performance in stroke patients. Future research should explore whether treatment of apathy (e.g., improving motivation) could be a novel target for improving cognition after stroke. Researchers should also examine whether this model can be applied to other aspects of cognition, including executive function and other areas of memory including autobiographical and working memory.

Astrocyte glycogen and lactate: New insights into learning and memory mechanisms.

PubMed

Alberini, Cristina M; Cruz, Emmanuel; Descalzi, Giannina; Bessières, Benjamin; Gao, Virginia

2018-06-01

Memory, the ability to retain learned information, is necessary for survival. Thus far, molecular and cellular investigations of memory formation and storage have mainly focused on neuronal mechanisms. In addition to neurons, however, the brain comprises other types of cells and systems, including glia and vasculature. Accordingly, recent experimental work has begun to ask questions about the roles of non-neuronal cells in memory formation. These studies provide evidence that all types of glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia) make important contributions to the processing of encoded information and storing memories. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent findings on the critical role of astrocytes as providers of energy for the long-lasting neuronal changes that are necessary for long-term memory formation. We focus on three main findings: first, the role of glucose metabolism and the learning- and activity-dependent metabolic coupling between astrocytes and neurons in the service of long-term memory formation; second, the role of astrocytic glucose metabolism in arousal, a state that contributes to the formation of very long-lasting and detailed memories; and finally, in light of the high energy demands of the brain during early development, we will discuss the possible role of astrocytic and neuronal glucose metabolisms in the formation of early-life memories. We conclude by proposing future directions and discussing the implications of these findings for brain health and disease. Astrocyte glycogenolysis and lactate play a critical role in memory formation. Emotionally salient experiences form strong memories by recruiting astrocytic β2 adrenergic receptors and astrocyte-generated lactate. Glycogenolysis and astrocyte-neuron metabolic coupling may also play critical roles in memory formation during development, when the energy requirements of brain metabolism are at their peak. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Deficits in verbal long-term memory and learning in children with poor phonological short-term memory skills.

PubMed

Gathercole, Susan E; Briscoe, Josie; Thorn, Annabel; Tiffany, Claire

2008-03-01

Possible links between phonological short-term memory and both longer term memory and learning in 8-year-old children were investigated in this study. Performance on a range of tests of long-term memory and learning was compared for a group of 16 children with poor phonological short-term memory skills and a comparison group of children of the same age with matched nonverbal reasoning abilities but memory scores in the average range. The low-phonological-memory group were impaired on longer term memory and learning tasks that taxed memory for arbitrary verbal material such as names and nonwords. However, the two groups performed at comparable levels on tasks requiring the retention of visuo-spatial information and of meaningful material and at carrying out prospective memory tasks in which the children were asked to carry out actions at a future point in time. The results are consistent with the view that poor short-term memory function impairs the longer-term retention and ease of learning of novel verbal material.

Dreams Memories & Photography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Bernard

2012-01-01

Photography students spend a considerable amount of time working on technical issues in shooting, composing, editing, and processing prints. Another aspect of their learning should include the conception and communication of their ideas. A student's memories and dreams can serve as motivation to create images in visual art. Some artists claim that…

Cognitive Factors in Academic Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuasay, Peter

1992-01-01

This review explores the factors of cognitive processing, style, and metacognitive organization as they contribute to academic success. Specific discussions consider aspects of short- and long-term memory, including how these affect learning and academic performance, and the keys to attaining long-term memory capability by involving redundancy,…

Improving Outcome of Psychosocial Treatments by Enhancing Memory and Learning

PubMed Central

Harvey, Allison G.; Lee, Jason; Williams, Joseph; Hollon, Steven D.; Walker, Matthew P.; Thompson, Monique A.; Smith, Rita

2014-01-01

Mental disorders are prevalent and lead to significant impairment. Progress toward establishing treatments has been good. However, effect sizes are small to moderate, gains may not persist, and many patients derive no benefit. Our goal is to highlight the potential for empirically-supported psychosocial treatments to be improved by incorporating insights from cognitive psychology and research on education. Our central question is: If it were possible to improve memory for content of sessions of psychosocial treatments, would outcome substantially improve? This question arises from five lines of evidence: (a) mental illness is often characterized by memory impairment, (b) memory impairment is modifiable, (c) psychosocial treatments often involve the activation of emotion, (d) emotion can bias memory and (e) memory for psychosocial treatment sessions is poor. Insights from scientific knowledge on learning and memory are leveraged to derive strategies for a transdiagnostic and transtreatment cognitive support intervention. These strategies can be applied within and between sessions and to interventions delivered via computer, the internet and text message. Additional novel pathways to improving memory include improving sleep, engaging in exercise and imagery. Given that memory processes change across the lifespan, services to children and older adults may benefit from cognitive support. PMID:25544856

Memory Effects on Movement Behavior in Animal Foraging

PubMed Central

Bracis, Chloe; Gurarie, Eliezer; Van Moorter, Bram; Goodwin, R. Andrew

2015-01-01

An individual’s choices are shaped by its experience, a fundamental property of behavior important to understanding complex processes. Learning and memory are observed across many taxa and can drive behaviors, including foraging behavior. To explore the conditions under which memory provides an advantage, we present a continuous-space, continuous-time model of animal movement that incorporates learning and memory. Using simulation models, we evaluate the benefit memory provides across several types of landscapes with variable-quality resources and compare the memory model within a nested hierarchy of simpler models (behavioral switching and random walk). We find that memory almost always leads to improved foraging success, but that this effect is most marked in landscapes containing sparse, contiguous patches of high-value resources that regenerate relatively fast and are located in an otherwise devoid landscape. In these cases, there is a large payoff for finding a resource patch, due to size, value, or locational difficulty. While memory-informed search is difficult to differentiate from other factors using solely movement data, our results suggest that disproportionate spatial use of higher value areas, higher consumption rates, and consumption variability all point to memory influencing the movement direction of animals in certain ecosystems. PMID:26288228

Memory Effects on Movement Behavior in Animal Foraging.

PubMed

Bracis, Chloe; Gurarie, Eliezer; Van Moorter, Bram; Goodwin, R Andrew

2015-01-01

An individual's choices are shaped by its experience, a fundamental property of behavior important to understanding complex processes. Learning and memory are observed across many taxa and can drive behaviors, including foraging behavior. To explore the conditions under which memory provides an advantage, we present a continuous-space, continuous-time model of animal movement that incorporates learning and memory. Using simulation models, we evaluate the benefit memory provides across several types of landscapes with variable-quality resources and compare the memory model within a nested hierarchy of simpler models (behavioral switching and random walk). We find that memory almost always leads to improved foraging success, but that this effect is most marked in landscapes containing sparse, contiguous patches of high-value resources that regenerate relatively fast and are located in an otherwise devoid landscape. In these cases, there is a large payoff for finding a resource patch, due to size, value, or locational difficulty. While memory-informed search is difficult to differentiate from other factors using solely movement data, our results suggest that disproportionate spatial use of higher value areas, higher consumption rates, and consumption variability all point to memory influencing the movement direction of animals in certain ecosystems.

Behaviorally activated mRNA expression profiles produce signatures of learning and enhanced inhibition in aged rats with preserved memory.

PubMed

Haberman, Rebecca P; Colantuoni, Carlo; Koh, Ming Teng; Gallagher, Michela

2013-01-01

Aging is often associated with cognitive decline, but many elderly individuals maintain a high level of function throughout life. Here we studied outbred rats, which also exhibit individual differences across a spectrum of outcomes that includes both preserved and impaired spatial memory. Previous work in this model identified the CA3 subfield of the hippocampus as a region critically affected by age and integral to differing cognitive outcomes. Earlier microarray profiling revealed distinct gene expression profiles in the CA3 region, under basal conditions, for aged rats with intact memory and those with impairment. Because prominent age-related deficits within the CA3 occur during neural encoding of new information, here we used microarray analysis to gain a broad perspective of the aged CA3 transcriptome under activated conditions. Behaviorally-induced CA3 expression profiles differentiated aged rats with intact memory from those with impaired memory. In the activated profile, we observed substantial numbers of genes (greater than 1000) exhibiting increased expression in aged unimpaired rats relative to aged impaired, including many involved in synaptic plasticity and memory mechanisms. This unimpaired aged profile also overlapped significantly with a learning induced gene profile previously acquired in young adults. Alongside the increased transcripts common to both young learning and aged rats with preserved memory, many transcripts behaviorally-activated in the current study had previously been identified as repressed in the aged unimpaired phenotype in basal expression. A further distinct feature of the activated profile of aged rats with intact memory is the increased expression of an ensemble of genes involved in inhibitory synapse function, which could control the phenotype of neural hyperexcitability found in the CA3 region of aged impaired rats. These data support the conclusion that aged subjects with preserved memory recruit adaptive mechanisms to retain tight control over excitability under both basal and activated conditions.

The Roles of Phonological Short-Term Memory and Working Memory in L2 Grammar and Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Katherine I.; Ellis, Nick C.

2012-01-01

This study analyzed phonological short-term memory (PSTM) and working memory (WM) and their relationship with vocabulary and grammar learning in an artificial foreign language. Nonword repetition, nonword recognition, and listening span were used as memory measures. Participants learned the singular forms of vocabulary for an artificial foreign…

Explicit pre-training instruction does not improve implicit perceptual-motor sequence learning

PubMed Central

Sanchez, Daniel J.; Reber, Paul J.

2012-01-01

Memory systems theory argues for separate neural systems supporting implicit and explicit memory in the human brain. Neuropsychological studies support this dissociation, but empirical studies of cognitively healthy participants generally observe that both kinds of memory are acquired to at least some extent, even in implicit learning tasks. A key question is whether this observation reflects parallel intact memory systems or an integrated representation of memory in healthy participants. Learning of complex tasks in which both explicit instruction and practice is used depends on both kinds of memory, and how these systems interact will be an important component of the learning process. Theories that posit an integrated, or single, memory system for both types of memory predict that explicit instruction should contribute directly to strengthening task knowledge. In contrast, if the two types of memory are independent and acquired in parallel, explicit knowledge should have no direct impact and may serve in a “scaffolding” role in complex learning. Using an implicit perceptual-motor sequence learning task, the effect of explicit pre-training instruction on skill learning and performance was assessed. Explicit pre-training instruction led to robust explicit knowledge, but sequence learning did not benefit from the contribution of pre-training sequence memorization. The lack of an instruction benefit suggests that during skill learning, implicit and explicit memory operate independently. While healthy participants will generally accrue parallel implicit and explicit knowledge in complex tasks, these types of information appear to be separately represented in the human brain consistent with multiple memory systems theory. PMID:23280147

Schizophrenia patients demonstrate a dissociation on declarative and non-declarative memory tests.

PubMed

Perry, W; Light, G A; Davis, H; Braff, D L

2000-12-15

Declarative memory refers to the recall and recognition of factual information. In contrast, non-declarative memory entails a facilitation of memory based on prior exposure and is typically assessed with priming and perceptual-motor sequencing tasks. In this study, schizophrenia patients were compared to normal comparison subjects on two computerized memory tasks: the Word-stem Priming Test (n=30) and the Pattern Sequence Learning Test (n=20). Word-stem Priming includes recall, recognition (declarative) and priming (non-declarative) components of memory. The schizophrenia patients demonstrated an impaired performance on recall of words with relative improvement during the recognition portion of the test. Furthermore, they performed normally on the priming portion of the test. Thus, on tests of declarative memory, the patients had retrieval deficits with intact performance on the non-declarative memory component. The Pattern Sequence Learning Test utilizes a serial reaction time paradigm to assess non-declarative memory. The schizophrenia patients' serial reaction time was significantly slower than that of comparison subjects. However, the patients' rate of acquisition was not different from the normal comparison group. The data suggest that patients with schizophrenia process more slowly than normal, but have an intact non-declarative memory. The schizophrenia patients' dissociation on declarative vs. non-declarative memory tests is discussed in terms of possible underlying structural impairment.

Stress time-dependently influences the acquisition and retrieval of unrelated information by producing a memory of its own.

PubMed

Cadle, Chelsea E; Zoladz, Phillip R

2015-01-01

Stress induces several temporally guided "waves" of psychobiological responses that differentially influence learning and memory. One way to understand how the temporal dynamics of stress influence these cognitive processes is to consider stress, itself, as a learning experience that influences additional learning and memory. Indeed, research has shown that stress results in electrophysiological and biochemical activity that is remarkably similar to the activity observed as a result of learning. In this review, we will present the idea that when a stressful episode immediately precedes or follows learning, such learning is enhanced because the learned information becomes a part of the stress context and is tagged by the emotional memory being formed. In contrast, when a stressful episode is temporally separated from learning or is experienced prior to retrieval, such learning or memory is impaired because the learning or memory is experienced outside the context of the stress episode or subsequent to a saturation of synaptic plasticity, which renders the retrieval of information improbable. The temporal dynamics of emotional memory formation, along with the neurobiological correlates of the stress response, are discussed to support these hypotheses.

Neuropathologic Associations of Learning and Memory in Primary Progressive Aphasia.

PubMed

Kielb, Stephanie; Cook, Amanda; Wieneke, Christina; Rademaker, Alfred; Bigio, Eileen H; Mesulam, Marek-Marsel; Rogalski, Emily; Weintraub, Sandra

2016-07-01

The dementia syndrome of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) can be caused by 1 of several neuropathologic entities, including forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) or Alzheimer disease (AD). Although episodic memory is initially spared in this syndrome, the subtle learning and memory features of PPA and their neuropathologic associations have not been characterized. To detect subtle memory differences on the basis of autopsy-confirmed neuropathologic diagnoses in PPA. Retrospective analysis was conducted at the Northwestern Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center in August 2015 using clinical and postmortem autopsy data that had been collected between August 1983 and June 2012. Thirteen patients who had the primary clinical diagnosis of PPA and an autopsy-confirmed diagnosis of either AD (PPA-AD) or a tau variant of FTLD (PPA-FTLD) and 6 patients who had the clinical diagnosis of amnestic dementia and autopsy-confirmed AD (AMN-AD) were included. Scores on the effortless learning, delayed retrieval, and retention conditions of the Three Words Three Shapes test, a specialized measure of verbal and nonverbal episodic memory. The PPA-FTLD (n = 6), PPA-AD (n = 7), and AMN-AD (n = 6) groups did not differ by demographic composition (all P > .05). The sample mean (SD) age was 64.1 (10.3) years at symptom onset and 67.9 (9.9) years at Three Words Three Shapes test administration. The PPA-FTLD group had normal (ie, near-ceiling) scores on all verbal and nonverbal test conditions. Both the PPA-AD and AMN-AD groups had deficits in verbal effortless learning (mean [SD] number of errors, 9.9 [4.6] and 14.2 [2.0], respectively) and verbal delayed retrieval (mean [SD] number of errors, 6.1 [5.9] and 12.0 [4.4], respectively). The AMN-AD group had additional deficits in nonverbal effortless learning (mean [SD] number of errors, 10.3 [4.0]) and verbal retention (mean [SD] number of errors, 8.33 [5.2]), which were not observed in the PPA-FTLD or PPA-AD groups (all P < .005). This study identified neuropathologic associations of learning and memory in autopsy-confirmed cases of PPA. Among patients with clinical PPA syndrome, AD neuropathology appeared to interfere with effortless learning and delayed retrieval of verbal information, whereas FTLD-tau pathology did not. The results provide directions for future research on the interactions between limbic and language networks.

The organization of an autonomous learning system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kanerva, Pentti

1988-01-01

The organization of systems that learn from experience is examined, human beings and animals being prime examples of such systems. How is their information processing organized. They build an internal model of the world and base their actions on the model. The model is dynamic and predictive, and it includes the systems' own actions and their effects. In modeling such systems, a large pattern of features represents a moment of the system's experience. Some of the features are provided by the system's senses, some control the system's motors, and the rest have no immediate external significance. A sequence of such patterns then represents the system's experience over time. By storing such sequences appropriately in memory, the system builds a world model based on experience. In addition to the essential function of memory, fundamental roles are played by a sensory system that makes raw information about the world suitable for memory storage and by a motor system that affects the world. The relation of sensory and motor systems to the memory is discussed, together with how favorable actions can be learned and unfavorable actions can be avoided. Results in classical learning theory are explained in terms of the model, more advanced forms of learning are discussed, and the relevance of the model to the frame problem of robotics is examined.

Inactivation of the superior cerebellar peduncle blocks expression but not acquisition of the rabbit's classically conditioned eye-blink response.

PubMed

Krupa, D J; Thompson, R F

1995-05-23

The localization of sites of memory formation within the mammalian brain has proven to be a formidable task even for simple forms of learning and memory. Recent studies have demonstrated that reversibly inactivating a localized region of cerebellum, including the dorsal anterior interpositus nucleus, completely prevents acquisition of the conditioned eye-blink response with no effect upon subsequent learning without inactivation. This result indicates that the memory trace for this type of learning is located either (i) within this inactivated region of cerebellum or (ii) within some structure(s) efferent from the cerebellum to which output from the interpositus nucleus ultimately projects. To distinguish between these possibilities, two groups of rabbits were conditioned (by using two conditioning stimuli) while the output fibers of the interpositus (the superior cerebellar peduncle) were reversibly blocked with microinjections of the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin. Rabbits performed no conditioned responses during this inactivation training. However, training after inactivation revealed that the rabbits (trained with either conditioned stimulus) had fully learned the response during the previous inactivation training. Cerebellar output, therefore, does not appear to be essential for acquisition of the learned response. This result, coupled with the fact that inactivation of the appropriate region of cerebellum completely prevents learning, provides compelling evidence supporting the hypothesis that the essential memory trace for the classically conditioned eye-blink response is localized within the cerebellum.

Social influence on associative learning: double dissociation in high-functioning autism, early-stage behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Kéri, Szabolcs

2014-05-01

Most of our learning activity takes place in a social context. I examined how social interactions influence associative learning in neurodegenerative diseases and atypical neurodevelopmental conditions primarily characterised by social cognitive and memory dysfunctions. Participants were individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA, n = 18), early-stage behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD, n = 16) and Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 20). The leading symptoms in HFA and bvFTD were social and behavioural dysfunctions, whereas AD was characterised by memory deficits. Participants received three versions of a paired associates learning task. In the game with boxes test, objects were hidden in six candy boxes placed in different locations on the computer screen. In the game with faces, each box was labelled by a photo of a person. In the real-life version of the game, participants played with real persons. Individuals with HFA and bvFTD performed well in the computer games, but failed on the task including real persons. In contrast, in patients with early-stage AD, social interactions boosted paired associates learning up to the level of healthy control volunteers. Worse performance in the real life game was associated with less successful recognition of complex emotions and mental states in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. Spatial span did not affect the results. When social cognition is impaired, but memory systems are less compromised (HFA and bvFTD), real-life interactions disrupt associative learning; when disease process impairs memory systems but social cognition is relatively intact (early-stage AD), social interactions have a beneficial effect on learning and memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Memory Boost from Spaced-Out Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, B.

1987-01-01

Discusses what learning conditions promote memory stamina. Reviews study findings which suggested that spacing of practice during rote learning of a foreign language vocabulary can produce lasting memories. (ML)

A Role of Protein Degradation in Memory Consolidation after Initial Learning and Extinction Learning in the Honeybee ("Apis mellifera")

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felsenberg, Johannes; Dombrowski, Vincent; Eisenhardt, Dorothea

2012-01-01

Protein degradation is known to affect memory formation after extinction learning. We demonstrate here that an inhibitor of protein degradation, MG132, interferes with memory formation after extinction learning in a classical appetitive conditioning paradigm. In addition, we find an enhancement of memory formation when the same inhibitor is…

Formation of spatial and nonspatial memory in different condensed versions of short-term learning in Morris water maze.

PubMed

Zots, M A; Ivashkina, O I; Ivanova, A A; Anokhin, K V

2014-03-01

We studied the formation of spatial and nonspatial memory in mice during learning in three different condensed versions of Morris water maze task. Learning in combined version caused the formation of both spatial and nonspatial memory, whereas learning in condensed versions (spatial and nonspatial) led to memory formation specific for the version.

Memory in autistic spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Boucher, Jill; Mayes, Andrew; Bigham, Sally

2012-05-01

Behavioral evidence concerning memory in forms of high-functioning autism (HFA) and in moderately low-functioning autism (M-LFA) is reviewed and compared. Findings on M-LFA are sparse. However, it is provisionally concluded that memory profiles in HFA and M-LFA (relative to ability-matched controls) are similar but that declarative memory impairments are more extensive in M-LFA than in HFA. Specifically, both groups have diminished memory for emotion- or person-related stimuli. Regarding memory for nonsocial stimuli, both groups probably have mental-age-appropriate nondeclarative memory, and within declarative memory, both groups have mental-age-appropriate immediate free recall of within-span or supraspan lists of unrelated items, as well as cued recall and paired associate learning. By contrast, recognition is largely unimpaired in HFA but moderately impaired in M-LFA, and free recall of meaningful or structured stimuli is moderately impaired in HFA but more severely impaired in M-LFA. Theoretical explanations of data on declarative memory in HFA identify problems in the integrative processing, or the consolidation and storage, of complex stimuli or a specific problem of recollection. Proposed neural substrates include the following: disconnectivity of primary sensory and association areas; dysfunctions of medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, or posterior parietal lobe; or combinations of these associated with neural disconnectivity. Hypothetically, perirhinal dysfunction might explain the more extensive declarative memory impairments in M-LFA. Foreseeable consequences of uneven memory abilities in HFA and M-LFA are outlined, including possible effects on language and learning in M-LFA. Finally, priorities for future research are identified, highlighting the urgent need for research on memory in lower functioning individuals. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Neonatal Brain Abnormalities and Memory and Learning Outcomes at 7 Years in Children Born Very Preterm

PubMed Central

Omizzolo, Cristina; Scratch, Shannon E; Stargatt, Robyn; Kidokoro, Hiroyuki; Thompson, Deanne K; Lee, Katherine J; Cheong, Jeanie; Neil, Jeffrey; Inder, Terrie E; Doyle, Lex W; Anderson, Peter J

2014-01-01

Using prospective longitudinal data from 198 very preterm and 70 full term children, this study characterised the memory and learning abilities of very preterm children at 7 years of age in both verbal and visual domains. The relationship between the extent of brain abnormalities on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years of age in very preterm children was also investigated. Neonatal MRI scans were qualitatively assessed for global, white-matter, cortical grey-matter, deep grey-matter, and cerebellar abnormalities. Very preterm children performed less well on measures of immediate memory, working memory, long-term memory, and learning compared with term born controls. Neonatal brain abnormalities, and in particular deep grey matter abnormality, were associated with poorer memory and learning performance at 7 years in very preterm children, especially global, white-matter, grey-matter and cerebellar abnormalities. Findings support the importance of cerebral neonatal pathology for predicting later memory and learning function. PMID:23805915

Sex and spatial position effects on object location memory following intentional learning of object identities.

PubMed

Alexander, Gerianne M; Packard, Mark G; Peterson, Bradley S

2002-01-01

Memory for object location relative both to veridical center (left versus right visual hemispace) and to eccentricity (central versus peripheral objects) was measured in 26 males and 25 females using the Silverman and Eals Location Memory Task. A subset of participants (17 males and 13 females) also completed a measure of implicit learning, the mirror-tracing task. No sex differences were observed in memory for object identities. Further, in both sexes, memory for object locations was better for peripherally located objects than for centrally located objects. In contrast to these similarities in female and male task performance, females but not males showed better recovery of object locations in the right compared to the left visual hemispace. Moreover, memory for object locations in the right hemispace was associated with mirror-tracing performance in women but not in men. Together, these data suggest that the processing of object features and object identification in the left cerebral hemisphere may include processing of spatial information that may contribute to superior object location memory in females relative to males.

Memory Functioning in Children and Adolescents With Autism

PubMed Central

Southwick, Jason S.; Bigler, Erin D.; Froehlich, Alyson; DuBray, Molly B.; Alexander, Andrew L.; Lange, Nicholas; Lainhart, Janet E.

2012-01-01

Objective Memory functioning in children and adolescents ages 5–19 with autism (n = 50) and typically developing controls (n = 36) was assessed using a clinical assessment battery, the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL). Method Participant groups were statistically comparable in age, nonverbal IQ, handedness, and head circumference, and were administered the TOMAL. Results Test performance on the TOMAL demonstrated broad differences in memory functioning in the autism group, across multiple task formats, including verbal and nonverbal, immediate and delayed, attention and concentration, sequential recall, free recall, associative recall, and multiple-trial learning memory. All index and nearly all subtest differences remained significant even after comparing a subset of the autism group (n = 36) and controls that were matched for verbal IQ ( p >.05). However, retention of previously remembered information after a delay was similar in autism and controls. Conclusions These findings indicate that performance on measures of episodic memory is broadly reduced in autism, and support the conclusion that information encoding and organization, possibly due to inefficient cognitive processing strategies, rather than storage and retrieval, are the primary factors that limit memory performance in autism. PMID:21843004

Thalamic volume deficit contributes to procedural and explicit memory impairment in HIV infection with primary alcoholism comorbidity.

PubMed

Fama, Rosemary; Rosenbloom, Margaret J; Sassoon, Stephanie A; Rohlfing, Torsten; Pfefferbaum, Adolf; Sullivan, Edith V

2014-12-01

Component cognitive and motor processes contributing to diminished visuomotor procedural learning in HIV infection with comorbid chronic alcoholism (HIV+ALC) include problems with attention and explicit memory processes. The neural correlates associated with this constellation of cognitive and motor processes in HIV infection and alcoholism have yet to be delineated. Frontostriatal regions are affected in HIV infection, frontothalamocerebellar regions are affected in chronic alcoholism, and frontolimbic regions are likely affected in both; all three of these systems have the potential of contributing to both visuomotor procedural learning and explicit memory processes. Here, we examined the neural correlates of implicit memory, explicit memory, attention, and motor tests in 26 HIV+ALC (5 with comorbidity for nonalcohol drug abuse/dependence) and 19 age-range matched healthy control men. Parcellated brain volumes, including cortical, subcortical, and allocortical regions, as well as cortical sulci and ventricles, were derived using the SRI24 brain atlas. Results indicated that smaller thalamic volumes were associated with poorer performance on tests of explicit (immediate and delayed) and implicit (visuomotor procedural) memory in HIV+ALC. By contrast, smaller hippocampal volumes were associated with lower scores on explicit, but not implicit memory. Multiple regression analyses revealed that volumes of both the thalamus and the hippocampus were each unique independent predictors of explicit memory scores. This study provides evidence of a dissociation between implicit and explicit memory tasks in HIV+ALC, with selective relationships observed between hippocampal volume and explicit but not implicit memory, and highlights the relevance of the thalamus to mnemonic processes.

The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Rihard F.

1986-01-01

Describes recent research findings in the area of neurobiology and its relationship to learning and memory. The article provides definitions of associative and nonassociative learning, identifies essential memory trace circuits of the mammalian brain, and discusses some neural mechanisms of learning. (TW)

Vitex Agnus Castus Extract Improves Learning and Memory and Increases the Transcription of Estrogen Receptor α in Hippocampus of Ovariectomized Rats.

PubMed

Allahtavakoli, Mohammad; Honari, Najmeh; Pourabolli, Iran; Kazemi Arababadi, Mohammad; Ghafarian, Hossein; Roohbakhsh, Ali; Esmaeili Nadimi, Ali; Shamsizadeh, Ali

2015-07-01

Lower level of estrogen hormone is considered as an important factor for loss of learning and memory in postmenopausal women. Although estrogen replacement therapy is used for compensation, but long-term usage of estrogen is associated with a higher risk of hormone-dependent cancers. Phytoestrogens, due to fewer side effects, have been proposed to prevent menopause-related cognitive decline. 24 female Wistar rats weighing 180-220 g were used in this study. The animals were ovariectomized and randomly divided into four groups including, control and two groups which received 8 and 80 mg/kg Vitex agnus castus (VAC) ethanolic extract orally. The last groups were treated with 40 μg/kg of estradiol valerat. Step-through passive avoidance (STPA) test was used for the evaluation of learning and memory. The hippocampal estrogen receptor α (ERα) expression was measured using Real-Time PCR. The results demonstrated that VAC extract or estradiol had better performance on step-through passive avoidance test than control group (all P<0.05). Moreover, administration of either estradiol or VAC extract increased the hippocampal mRNA level of ERα and prevented the decrease in uterine weight of ovariectomized rats. Based on our data, VAC extract improves learning and memory in ovariectomized rats. The positive effect of VAC extract on learning and memory is possibly associated with an increase in ERα gene expression in the hippocampal formation.

Variation across individuals and items determine learning outcomes from fast mapping.

PubMed

Coutanche, Marc N; Koch, Griffin E

2017-11-01

An approach to learning words known as "fast mapping" has been linked to unique neurobiological and behavioral markers in adult humans, including rapid lexical integration. However, the mechanisms supporting fast mapping are still not known. In this study, we sought to help change this by examining factors that modulate learning outcomes. In 90 subjects, we systematically manipulated the typicality of the items used to support fast mapping (foils), and quantified learners' inclination to employ semantic, episodic, and spatial memory through the Survey of Autobiographical Memory (SAM). We asked how these factors affect lexical competition and recognition performance, and then asked how foil typicality and lexical competition are related in an independent dataset. We find that both the typicality of fast mapping foils, and individual differences in how different memory systems are employed, influence lexical competition effects after fast mapping, but not after other learning approaches. Specifically, learning a word through fast mapping with an atypical foil led to lexical competition, while a typical foil led to lexical facilitation. This effect was particularly evident in individuals with a strong tendency to employ semantic memory. We further replicated the relationship between continuous foil atypicality and lexical competition in an independent dataset. These findings suggest that semantic properties of the foils that support fast mapping can influence the degree and nature of subsequent lexical integration. Further, the effects of foils differ based on an individual's tendency to draw-on the semantic memory system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vitex Agnus Castus Extract Improves Learning and Memory and Increases the Transcription of Estrogen Receptor α in Hippocampus of Ovariectomized Rats

PubMed Central

Allahtavakoli, Mohammad; Honari, Najmeh; Pourabolli, Iran; Kazemi Arababadi, Mohammad; Ghafarian, Hossein; Roohbakhsh, Ali; Esmaeili Nadimi, Ali; Shamsizadeh, Ali

2015-01-01

Introduction: Lower level of estrogen hormone is considered as an important factor for loss of learning and memory in postmenopausal women. Although estrogen replacement therapy is used for compensation, but long-term usage of estrogen is associated with a higher risk of hormone-dependent cancers. Phytoestrogens, due to fewer side effects, have been proposed to prevent menopause-related cognitive decline. Methods: 24 female Wistar rats weighing 180–220 g were used in this study. The animals were ovariectomized and randomly divided into four groups including, control and two groups which received 8 and 80 mg/kg Vitex agnus castus (VAC) ethanolic extract orally. The last groups were treated with 40 μg/kg of estradiol valerat. Step-through passive avoidance (STPA) test was used for the evaluation of learning and memory. The hippocampal estrogen receptor α (ERα) expression was measured using Real-Time PCR. Results: The results demonstrated that VAC extract or estradiol had better performance on step-through passive avoidance test than control group (all P<0.05). Moreover, administration of either estradiol or VAC extract increased the hippocampal mRNA level of ERα and prevented the decrease in uterine weight of ovariectomized rats. Discussion: Based on our data, VAC extract improves learning and memory in ovariectomized rats. The positive effect of VAC extract on learning and memory is possibly associated with an increase in ERα gene expression in the hippocampal formation. PMID:26904176

Individual Differences in Learning Talker Categories: The Role of Working Memory

PubMed Central

Levi, Susannah V.

2016-01-01

The current study explores the question of how an auditory category is learned by having school-age listeners learn to categorize speech not in terms of linguistic categories, but instead in terms of talker categories (i.e., who is talking). Findings from visual-category learning indicate that working memory skills affect learning, but the literature is equivocal: sometimes better working memory is advantageous, and sometimes not. The current study examined the role of different components of working memory to test which component skills benefit, and which hinder, learning talker categories. Results revealed that the short-term storage component positively predicted learning, but that the Central Executive and Episodic Buffer negatively predicted learning. As with visual categories, better working memory is not always an advantage. PMID:25721393

No Evidence for Memory Decontextualization across One Night of Sleep

PubMed Central

Jurewicz, Katarzyna; Cordi, Maren Jasmin; Staudigl, Tobias; Rasch, Björn

2016-01-01

Sleep after learning strengthens memory consolidation. According to the active system consolidation hypothesis, sleep supports the integration of newly acquired memories into cortical knowledge networks, presumably accompanied by a process of decontextualization of the memory trace (i.e., a gradual loss of memory for the learning context). However, the availability of contextual information generally facilitates memory recall and studies on the interaction of sleep and context on memory retrieval have revealed inconsistent results. Here, we do not find any evidence for a role of sleep in the decontextualization of newly learned declarative memories. In two separate studies, 104 healthy young adults incidentally learned words associated with a context. After a 12 h retention interval filled with either sleep or wakefulness, recall (Experiment 1) or recognition (Experiment 2) was tested with the same or different context. Overall, memory retrieval was significantly improved when the learning context was reinstated, as compared to a different context. However, this context effect of memory was not modulated by sleep vs. wakefulness. These findings argue against a decontextualization of memories, at least across a single night of sleep. PMID:26858622

Brain STAT5 signaling modulates learning and memory formation.

PubMed

Furigo, Isadora C; Melo, Helen M; Lyra E Silva, Natalia M; Ramos-Lobo, Angela M; Teixeira, Pryscila D S; Buonfiglio, Daniella C; Wasinski, Frederick; Lima, Eliana R; Higuti, Eliza; Peroni, Cibele N; Bartolini, Paolo; Soares, Carlos R J; Metzger, Martin; de Felice, Fernanda G; Donato, Jose

2018-06-01

The signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) is a transcription factor recruited by numerous cytokines. STAT5 is important for several physiological functions, including body and tissue growth, mammary gland development, immune system and lipid metabolism. However, the role of STAT5 signaling for brain functions is still poorly investigated, especially regarding cognitive aspects. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate whether brain STAT5 signaling modulates learning and memory formation. For this purpose, brain-specific STAT5 knockout (STAT5 KO) mice were studied in well-established memory tests. Initially, we confirmed a robust reduction in STAT5a and STAT5b mRNA levels in different brain structures of STAT5 KO mice. STAT5 KO mice showed no significant alterations in metabolism, growth, somatotropic axis and spontaneous locomotor activity. In contrast, brain-specific STAT5 ablation impaired learning and memory formation in the novel object recognition, Barnes maze and contextual fear conditioning tests. To unravel possible mechanisms that might underlie the memory deficits of STAT5 KO mice, we assessed neurogenesis in the hippocampus, but no significant differences were observed between groups. On the other hand, reduced insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression was found in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of STAT5 KO mice. These findings collectively indicate that brain STAT5 signaling is required to attain normal learning and memory. Therefore, STAT5 is an important downstream cellular mechanism shared by several cytokines to regulate cognitive functions.

Skill-memory consolidation in the striatum

PubMed Central

Willuhn, Ingo; Steiner, Heinz

2008-01-01

The sensorimotor striatum is important for procedural learning, including skill learning. Our previous findings indicate that this part of the striatum mediates the acquisition of a motor skill in a running-wheel task and that this skill learning is dependent on striatal D1 dopamine receptors. Here, we investigated whether the sensorimotor striatum is also involved in the consolidation of this skill memory and whether this consolidation is modified by the indirect dopamine receptor agonist cocaine. Rats were trained on a running wheel for two days (40 min/day) to learn a new motor skill, that is, the ability to control the movement of the wheel. Before each training session, the animals received an injection of vehicle or cocaine (25 mg/kg; i.p.). Immediately following the training session, an intrastriatal infusion of 2% lidocaine (1 μl) or a sham infusion were administered. Wheel-skill performance was tested before and repeatedly after the training. Our results show that post-trial intrastriatal infusion of lidocaine disrupted late-stage long-term skill memory (post-training days 6-26), but spared early long-term memory (1 day after the training). Skill consolidation was more susceptible to such disruption in animals that practiced less during the training. Cocaine given pre-trial prevented this post-trial disruption of skill consolidation. These findings indicate that the sensorimotor striatum is critical for consolidation of late but not early long-term skill memory. Furthermore, cocaine appeared to stabilize motor memory formation by protecting consolidation processes after the training. PMID:18687364

The influence of shift work on cognitive functions and oxidative stress.

PubMed

Özdemir, Pınar Güzel; Selvi, Yavuz; Özkol, Halil; Aydın, Adem; Tülüce, Yasin; Boysan, Murat; Beşiroğlu, Lütfullah

2013-12-30

Shift work influences health, performance, activity, and social relationships, and it causes impairment in cognitive functions. In this study, we investigated the effects of shift work on participants' cognitive functions in terms of memory, attention, and learning, and we measured the effects on oxidative stress. Additionally, we investigated whether there were significant relationships between cognitive functions and whole blood oxidant/antioxidant status of participants. A total of 90 health care workers participated in the study, of whom 45 subjects were night-shift workers. Neuropsychological tests were administered to the participants to assess cognitive function, and blood samples were taken to detect total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status at 08:00. Differences in anxiety, depression, and chronotype characteristics between shift work groups were not significant. Shift workers achieved significantly lower scores on verbal memory, attention-concentration, and the digit span forward sub-scales of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R), as well as on the immediate memory and total learning sub-scales of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). Oxidative stress parameters were significantly associated with some types of cognitive function, including attention-concentration, recognition, and long-term memory. These findings suggest that night shift work may result in significantly poorer cognitive performance, particularly working memory. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unsupervised learning in neural networks with short range synapses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunnet, L. G.; Agnes, E. J.; Mizusaki, B. E. P.; Erichsen, R., Jr.

2013-01-01

Different areas of the brain are involved in specific aspects of the information being processed both in learning and in memory formation. For example, the hippocampus is important in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, while emotional memory seems to be dealt by the amygdala. On the microscopic scale the underlying structures in these areas differ in the kind of neurons involved, in their connectivity, or in their clustering degree but, at this level, learning and memory are attributed to neuronal synapses mediated by longterm potentiation and long-term depression. In this work we explore the properties of a short range synaptic connection network, a nearest neighbor lattice composed mostly by excitatory neurons and a fraction of inhibitory ones. The mechanism of synaptic modification responsible for the emergence of memory is Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP), a Hebbian-like rule, where potentiation/depression is acquired when causal/non-causal spikes happen in a synapse involving two neurons. The system is intended to store and recognize memories associated to spatial external inputs presented as simple geometrical forms. The synaptic modifications are continuously applied to excitatory connections, including a homeostasis rule and STDP. In this work we explore the different scenarios under which a network with short range connections can accomplish the task of storing and recognizing simple connected patterns.

The impact of attentional and emotional demands on memory performance in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Fink, Jakob; Hendrikx, Friederike; Stierle, Christian; Stengler, Katarina; Jahn, Ina; Exner, Cornelia

2017-08-01

Lower performance on memory tests in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been repeatedly observed. However, the origins of these performance deficits are not sufficiently explained. In this study we tested if OCD-related extensive focus of attention on thoughts (heightened self-consciousness) could be an explanatory mechanism for lower memory performance. Heightened situational self-consciousness was manipulated by instructing participants to either monitor neutral thoughts or to monitor OCD-related thoughts. We included a Behavioral Avoidance Task based on individual obsessions and compulsions to induce OCD-related thoughts. Participants were asked to perform these monitoring tasks in parallel to a taxing verbal memory task, resulting in learning under divided attention. The two conditions of learning under divided attention were compared to a single-task condition. Twenty-four participants with OCD and 24 healthy controls took part in these three learning conditions. The results indicate that in both groups memory performance deteriorated in the two conditions with divided attention compared to the single task condition. In the OCD-related thought monitoring condition (OTM) self-consciousness and Behavioral Avoidance Task-induced stress and fear were particularly increased and memory performance further deteriorated in the OCD group. This finding highlights an important and underestimated mechanism (personal involvement) which might serve to better understand lower memory performance in OCD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global view of the mechanisms of improved learning and memory capability in mice with music-exposure by microarray.

PubMed

Meng, Bo; Zhu, Shujia; Li, Shijia; Zeng, Qingwen; Mei, Bing

2009-08-28

Music has been proved beneficial to improve learning and memory in many species including human in previous research work. Although some genes have been identified to contribute to the mechanisms, it is believed that the effect of music is manifold, behind which must concern a complex regulation network. To further understand the mechanisms, we exposed the mice to classical music for one month. The subsequent behavioral experiments showed improvement of spatial learning capability and elevation of fear-motivated memory in the mice with music-exposure as compared to the naïve mice. Meanwhile, we applied the microarray to compare the gene expression profiles of the hippocampus and cortex between the mice with music-exposure and the naïve mice. The results showed approximately 454 genes in cortex (200 genes up-regulated and 254 genes down-regulated) and 437 genes in hippocampus (256 genes up-regulated and 181 genes down-regulated) were significantly affected in music-exposing mice, which mainly involved in ion channel activity and/or synaptic transmission, cytoskeleton, development, transcription, hormone activity. Our work may provide some hints for better understanding the effects of music on learning and memory.

Implications of the Declarative/Procedural Model for Improving Second Language Learning: The Role of Memory Enhancement Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ullman, Michael T.; Lovelett, Jarrett T.

2018-01-01

The declarative/procedural (DP) model posits that the learning, storage, and use of language critically depend on two learning and memory systems in the brain: declarative memory and procedural memory. Thus, on the basis of independent research on the memory systems, the model can generate specific and often novel predictions for language. Till…

The touchscreen operant platform for testing learning and memory in rats and mice.

PubMed

Horner, Alexa E; Heath, Christopher J; Hvoslef-Eide, Martha; Kent, Brianne A; Kim, Chi Hun; Nilsson, Simon R O; Alsiö, Johan; Oomen, Charlotte A; Holmes, Andrew; Saksida, Lisa M; Bussey, Timothy J

2013-10-01

An increasingly popular method of assessing cognitive functions in rodents is the automated touchscreen platform, on which a number of different cognitive tests can be run in a manner very similar to touchscreen methods currently used to test human subjects. This methodology is low stress (using appetitive rather than aversive reinforcement), has high translational potential and lends itself to a high degree of standardization and throughput. Applications include the study of cognition in rodent models of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, Huntington's disease, frontotemporal dementia), as well as the characterization of the role of select brain regions, neurotransmitter systems and genes in rodents. This protocol describes how to perform four touchscreen assays of learning and memory: visual discrimination, object-location paired-associates learning, visuomotor conditional learning and autoshaping. It is accompanied by two further protocols (also published in this issue) that use the touchscreen platform to assess executive function, working memory and pattern separation.

Dorsolateral prefrontal lesions do not impair tests of scene learning and decision-making that require frontal–temporal interaction

PubMed Central

Baxter, Mark G; Gaffan, David; Kyriazis, Diana A; Mitchell, Anna S

2008-01-01

Theories of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) involvement in cognitive function variously emphasize its involvement in rule implementation, cognitive control, or working and/or spatial memory. These theories predict broad effects of DLPFC lesions on tests of visual learning and memory. We evaluated the effects of DLPFC lesions (including both banks of the principal sulcus) in rhesus monkeys on tests of scene learning and strategy implementation that are severely impaired following crossed unilateral lesions of frontal cortex and inferotemporal cortex. Dorsolateral lesions had no effect on learning of new scene problems postoperatively, or on the implementation of preoperatively acquired strategies. They were also without effect on the ability to adjust choice behaviour in response to a change in reinforcer value, a capacity that requires interaction between the amygdala and frontal lobe. These intact abilities following DLPFC damage support specialization of function within the prefrontal cortex, and suggest that many aspects of memory and strategic and goal-directed behaviour can survive ablation of this structure. PMID:18702721

Molecular mechanisms of fear learning and memory.

PubMed

Johansen, Joshua P; Cain, Christopher K; Ostroff, Linnaea E; LeDoux, Joseph E

2011-10-28

Pavlovian fear conditioning is a particularly useful behavioral paradigm for exploring the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory because a well-defined response to a specific environmental stimulus is produced through associative learning processes. Synaptic plasticity in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) underlies this form of associative learning. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms that contribute to this synaptic plasticity in the context of auditory fear conditioning, the form of fear conditioning best understood at the molecular level. We discuss the neurotransmitter systems and signaling cascades that contribute to three phases of auditory fear conditioning: acquisition, consolidation, and reconsolidation. These studies suggest that multiple intracellular signaling pathways, including those triggered by activation of Hebbian processes and neuromodulatory receptors, interact to produce neural plasticity in the LA and behavioral fear conditioning. Collectively, this body of research illustrates the power of fear conditioning as a model system for characterizing the mechanisms of learning and memory in mammals and potentially for understanding fear-related disorders, such as PTSD and phobias. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A requirement for memory retrieval during and after long-term extinction learning

PubMed Central

Ouyang, Ming; Thomas, Steven A.

2005-01-01

Current learning theories are based on the idea that learning is driven by the difference between expectations and experience (the delta rule). In extinction, one learns that certain expectations no longer apply. Here, we test the potential validity of the delta rule by manipulating memory retrieval (and thus expectations) during extinction learning. Adrenergic signaling is critical for the time-limited retrieval (but not acquisition or consolidation) of contextual fear. Using genetic and pharmacologic approaches to manipulate adrenergic signaling, we find that long-term extinction requires memory retrieval but not conditioned responding. Identical manipulations of the adrenergic system that do not affect memory retrieval do not alter extinction. The results provide substantial support for the delta rule of learning theory. In addition, the timing over which extinction is sensitive to adrenergic manipulation suggests a model whereby memory retrieval occurs during, and several hours after, extinction learning to consolidate long-term extinction memory. PMID:15947076

Methods for detecting long-term CNS dysfunction after prenatal exposure to neurotoxins.

PubMed

Vorhees, C V

1997-11-01

Current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulatory guidelines for developmental neurotoxicity emphasize functional categories such as motor activity, auditory startle, and learning and memory. A single test of some simple form of learning and memory is accepted to meet the latter category. The rationale for this emphasis has been that sensitive and reliable methods for assessing complex learning and memory are either not available or are too burdensome, and that insufficient data exist to endorse one approach over another. There has been little discussion of the fact that learning and memory is not a single identifiable functional category and no single test can assess all types of learning and memory. Three methods for assessing complex learning and memory are presented that assess two different types of learning and memory, are relatively efficient to conduct, and are sensitive to several known neurobehavioral teratogens. The tests are a 9-unit multiple-T swimming maze, and the Morris and Barnes mazes. The first of these assesses sequential learning, while the latter two assess spatial learning. A description of each test is provided, along with procedures for their use, and data exemplifying effects obtained using developmental exposure to phenytoin, methamphetamine, and MDMA. It is argued that multiple tests of learning and memory are required to ascertain cognitive deficits; something no single method can accomplish. Methods for acoustic startle are also presented.

Advancing neuroscience through epigenetics: molecular mechanisms of learning and memory.

PubMed

Molfese, David L

2011-01-01

Humans share 96% of our 30,000 genes with Chimpanzees. The 1,200 genes that differ appear at first glance insufficient to describe what makes us human and them apes. However, we are now discovering that the mechanisms that regulate how genes are expressed tell a much richer story than our DNA alone. Sections of our DNA are constantly being turned on or off, marked for easy access, or secluded and hidden away, all in response to ongoing cellular activity. In the brain, neurons encode information-in effect memories-at the cellular level. Yet while memories may last a lifetime, neurons are dynamic structures. Every protein in the synapse undergoes some form of turnover, some with half-lives of only hours. How can a memory persist beyond the lifetimes of its constitutive molecular building blocks? Epigenetics-changes in gene expression that do not alter the underlying DNA sequence-may be the answer. In this article, epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation and acetylation or methylation of the histone proteins that package DNA are described in the context of animal learning. Through the interaction of these modifications a "histone code" is emerging wherein individual memories leave unique memory traces at the molecular level with distinct time courses. A better understanding of these mechanisms has implications for treatment of memory disorders caused by normal aging or diseases including schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, depression, and drug addiction.

The neuroscience of learning.

PubMed

Collins, John W

2007-10-01

Significant advances have been made in understanding the neurophysiological basis of learning, including the discovery of mirror neurons and the role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) responsive element binding (CREB) protein in learning. Mirror neurons help us visually compare an observed activity with a remembered action in our memory, an ability that helps us imitate and learn through watching. Long-term potentiation, the Hebb rule, and CREB protein are associated with the formation of long-term memories. Conversely, protein phosphatase 1 and glucocorticoids are neurophysiological phenomena that limit what can be learned and cause forgetfulness. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences contends that different areas of the brain are responsible for different competencies that we all possess to varying degrees. These multiple intelligences can be used as strategies for improved learning. Repeating material, using mnemonics, and avoiding overwhelming stress are other strategies for improving learning. Imaging studies have shown that practice with resultant learning results in significantly less use of brain areas, indicating that the brain becomes more efficient. Experts have advantages over novices, including increased cognitive processing efficiency. Nurses are in a unique position to use their understanding of neurophysiological principles to implement better educational strategies to provide quality education to patients and others.

Effects of lentivirus-mediated CREB expression in the dorsolateral striatum: memory enhancement and evidence for competitive and cooperative interactions with the hippocampus.

PubMed

Kathirvelu, Balachandar; Colombo, Paul J

2013-11-01

Neural systems specialized for memory may interact during memory formation or recall, and the results of interactions are important determinants of how systems control behavioral output. In two experiments, we used lentivirus-mediated expression of the transcription factor CREB (LV-CREB) to test if localized manipulations of cellular plasticity influence interactions between the hippocampus and dorsolateral striatum. In Experiment 1, we tested the hypothesis that infusion of LV-CREB in the dorsolateral striatum facilitates memory for response learning, and impairs memory for place learning. LV-CREB in the dorsolateral striatum had no effect on response learning, but impaired place memory; a finding consistent with competition between the striatum and hippocampus. In Experiment 2, we tested the hypothesis that infusion of LV-CREB in the dorsolateral striatum facilitates memory for cue learning, and impairs memory for contextual fear conditioning. LV-CREB in the dorsolateral striatum enhanced memory for cue learning and, in contrast to our prediction, also enhanced memory for contextual fear conditioning, consistent with a cooperative interaction between the striatum and hippocampus. Overall, the current experiments demonstrate that infusion of LV-CREB in the dorsolateral striatum (1) increases levels of CREB protein locally, (2) does not alter acquisition of place, response, cue, or contextual fear conditioning, (3) facilitates memory for cue learning and contextual fear conditioning, and (4) impairs memory for place learning. Taken together, the present results provide evidence that LV-CREB in the dorsolateral striatum can enhance memory formation and cause both competitive and cooperative interactions with the hippocampus. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Psychometric Properties of a Newly Developed Learning Difficulties Scale in the Omani Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Qaryout, Ibrahim A.; Abu-Hilal, Maher M.; Alsulaimani, Humaira

2013-01-01

Introduction: Learning difficulties (LD) is a recent construct. It has been agreed that the individual who suffers from learning difficulties has a disorder in one or more of the basis psychological processes, including attention, cognition, formation of concepts, memory, problem solving, understanding or reading, speaking or writing, or…

"My Memory's Back!" Inclusive Learning Disability Research Using Ethics, Oral History and Digital Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Corinne

2010-01-01

The following article outlines the methodological approach used to include people with learning disabilities as active participants in an oral history produced in Australia. The history sought to document life inside Kew Cottages, Australia's oldest and largest specialised institution for people with learning disabilities. This work furthers…

The beneficial effects of olibanum on memory deficit induced by hypothyroidism in adult rats tested in Morris water maze.

PubMed

Hosseini, Mahmoud; Hadjzadeh, Mosa Al-Reza; Derakhshan, Mohammad; Havakhah, Shahrzad; Rassouli, Fatemeh Behnam; Rakhshandeh, Hassan; Saffarzadeh, Fatema

2010-03-01

Functional consequences of hypothyroidism include impaired learning and memory and inability to produce long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampus. Olibanum has been used for variety of therapeutic purposes. In traditional medicine, oilbanum is used to enhance learning and memory. In the present study the effect of olibanum on memory deficit in hypothyroid rats was investigated. Male wistar rats were divided into four groups and treated for 180 days. Group 1 received tap drinking water while in group 2, 0.03% methimazol was added to drinking water. Group 3 and 4 were treated with 0.03% methimazole as well as 100 and 500 mg/kg olibanum respectively. The animals were tested in Morris water maze. The swimming speed was significantly lower and the distance and time latency were higher in group 2 compared with group 1. In groups 3 and 4 the swimming speed was significantly higher while, the length of the swim path and time latency were significantly lower in comparison with group 2. It is concluded that methimazole-induced hypothyroidism impairs learning and memory in adult rats which could be prevented by using olibanum.

Genetic neuroscience of mammalian learning and memory.

PubMed Central

Tonegawa, Susumu; Nakazawa, Kazu; Wilson, Matthew A

2003-01-01

Our primary research interest is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms on neuronal circuitry underlying the acquisition, consolidation and retrieval of hippocampus-dependent memory in rodents. We study these problems by producing genetically engineered (i.e. spatially targeted and/or temporally restricted) mice and analysing these mice by multifaceted methods including molecular and cellular biology, in vitro and in vivo physiology and behavioural studies. We attempt to identify deficits at each of the multiple levels of complexity in specific brain areas or cell types and deduce those deficits that underlie specific learning or memory. We will review our recent studies on the acquisition, consolidation and recall of memories that have been conducted with mouse strains in which genetic manipulations were targeted to specific types of cells in the hippocampus or forebrain of young adult mice. PMID:12740125

Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Long-Term Memory in Healthy Humans: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Brambilla, Michela; Manenti, Rosa; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Adenzato, Mauro; Bocchio-Chiavetto, Luisella; Cotelli, Maria

2016-12-01

Preclinical Research The neuropeptide oxytocin (Oxt) is implicated in complex emotional and social behaviors and appears to play an important role in learning and memory. Animal studies have shown that the effects of exogenous Oxt on memory vary according to the timing of administration, context, gender, and dose and may improve the memory of social, but not nonsocial stimuli. Oxt is intimately involved in a broad array of neuropsychiatric functions and may therefore be a pharmacological target for several psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the potential effects of Oxt on long-term memory processes in healthy humans based on a PubMed search over the period 1980-2016. The effects of intranasal Oxt on human memory are controversial and the studies included in this review have applied a variety of learning paradigms, in turn producing variable outcomes. Specifically, data on the long-term memory of nonemotional stimuli found no effect or even worsening in memory, while studies using emotional stimuli showed an improvement of long-term memory performance. In conclusion, this review identified a link between long-term memory performance and exogenous intranasal Oxt in humans, although these results still warrant further confirmation in large, multicenter randomized controlled trials. Drug Dev Res 77 : 479-488, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Modeling Learning and Memory Using Verbal Learning Tests: Results From ACTIVE

PubMed Central

Gross, Alden L.

2013-01-01

Objective. To investigate the influence of memory training on initial recall and learning. Method. The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly study of community-dwelling adults older than age 65 (n = 1,401). We decomposed trial-level recall in the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) into initial recall and learning across trials using latent growth models. Results. Trial-level increases in words recalled in the AVLT and HVLT at each follow-up visit followed an approximately logarithmic shape. Over the 5-year study period, memory training was associated with slower decline in Trial 1 AVLT recall (Cohen’s d = 0.35, p = .03) and steep pre- and posttraining acceleration in learning (d = 1.56, p < .001). Findings were replicated using the HVLT (decline in initial recall, d = 0.60, p = .01; pre- and posttraining acceleration in learning, d = 3.10, p < .001). Because of the immediate training boost, the memory-trained group had a higher level of recall than the control group through the end of the 5-year study period despite faster decline in learning. Discussion. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms by which training benefits memory and expands current knowledge by reporting long-term changes in initial recall and learning, as measured from growth models and by characterization of the impact of memory training on these components. Results reveal that memory training delays the worsening of memory span and boosts learning. PMID:22929389

Modeling learning and memory using verbal learning tests: results from ACTIVE.

PubMed

Gross, Alden L; Rebok, George W; Brandt, Jason; Tommet, Doug; Marsiske, Michael; Jones, Richard N

2013-03-01

To investigate the influence of memory training on initial recall and learning. The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly study of community-dwelling adults older than age 65 (n = 1,401). We decomposed trial-level recall in the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) into initial recall and learning across trials using latent growth models. Trial-level increases in words recalled in the AVLT and HVLT at each follow-up visit followed an approximately logarithmic shape. Over the 5-year study period, memory training was associated with slower decline in Trial 1 AVLT recall (Cohen's d = 0.35, p = .03) and steep pre- and posttraining acceleration in learning (d = 1.56, p < .001). Findings were replicated using the HVLT (decline in initial recall, d = 0.60, p = .01; pre- and posttraining acceleration in learning, d = 3.10, p < .001). Because of the immediate training boost, the memory-trained group had a higher level of recall than the control group through the end of the 5-year study period despite faster decline in learning. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms by which training benefits memory and expands current knowledge by reporting long-term changes in initial recall and learning, as measured from growth models and by characterization of the impact of memory training on these components. Results reveal that memory training delays the worsening of memory span and boosts learning.

Retrieval cues that trigger reconsolidation of associative fear memory are not necessarily an exact replica of the original learning experience.

PubMed

Soeter, Marieke; Kindt, Merel

2015-01-01

Disrupting the process of memory reconsolidation may point to a novel therapeutic strategy for the permanent reduction of fear in patients suffering from anxiety disorders. However both in animal and human studies the retrieval cue typically involves a re-exposure to the original fear-conditioned stimulus (CS). A relevant question is whether abstract cues not directly associated with the threat event also trigger reconsolidation, given that anxiety disorders often result from vicarious or unobtrusive learning for which no explicit memory exists. Insofar as the fear memory involves a flexible representation of the original learning experience, we hypothesized that the process of memory reconsolidation may also be triggered by abstract cues. We addressed this hypothesis by using a differential human fear-conditioning procedure in two distinct fear-learning groups. We predicted that if fear learning involves discrimination on basis of perceptual cues within one semantic category (i.e., the perceptual-learning group, n = 15), the subsequent ambiguity of the abstract retrieval cue would not trigger memory reconsolidation. In contrast, if fear learning involves discriminating between two semantic categories (i.e., categorical-learning group, n = 15), an abstract retrieval cue would unequivocally reactivate the fear memory and might subsequently trigger memory reconsolidation. Here we show that memory reconsolidation may indeed be triggered by another cue than the one that was present during the original learning occasion, but this effect depends on the learning history. Evidence for fear memory reconsolidation was inferred from the fear-erasing effect of one pill of propranolol (40 mg) systemically administered upon exposure to the abstract retrieval cue. Our finding that reconsolidation of a specific fear association does not require exposure to the original retrieval cue supports the feasibility of reconsolidation-based interventions for emotional disorders.

The effectiveness of music as a mnemonic device on recognition memory for people with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Moore, Kimberly Sena; Peterson, David A; O'Shea, Geoffrey; McIntosh, Gerald C; Thaut, Michael H

2008-01-01

Research shows that people with multiple sclerosis exhibit learning and memory difficulties and that music can be used successfully as a mnemonic device to aid in learning and memory. However, there is currently no research investigating the effectiveness of music mnemonics as a compensatory learning strategy for people with multiple sclerosis. Participants with clinically definitive multiple sclerosis (N = 38) were given a verbal learning and memory test. Results from a recognition memory task were analyzed that compared learning through music (n = 20) versus learning through speech (n = 18). Preliminary baseline neuropsychological data were collected that measured executive functioning skills, learning and memory abilities, sustained attention, and level of disability. An independent samples t test showed no significant difference between groups on baseline neuropsychological functioning or on recognition task measures. Correlation analyses suggest that music mnemonics may facilitate learning for people who are less impaired by the disease. Implications for future research are discussed.

Complexity, Training Paradigm Design, and the Contribution of Memory Subsystems to Grammar Learning

PubMed Central

Ettlinger, Marc; Wong, Patrick C. M.

2016-01-01

Although there is variability in nonnative grammar learning outcomes, the contributions of training paradigm design and memory subsystems are not well understood. To examine this, we presented learners with an artificial grammar that formed words via simple and complex morphophonological rules. Across three experiments, we manipulated training paradigm design and measured subjects' declarative, procedural, and working memory subsystems. Experiment 1 demonstrated that passive, exposure-based training boosted learning of both simple and complex grammatical rules, relative to no training. Additionally, procedural memory correlated with simple rule learning, whereas declarative memory correlated with complex rule learning. Experiment 2 showed that presenting corrective feedback during the test phase did not improve learning. Experiment 3 revealed that structuring the order of training so that subjects are first exposed to the simple rule and then the complex improved learning. The cumulative findings shed light on the contributions of grammatical complexity, training paradigm design, and domain-general memory subsystems in determining grammar learning success. PMID:27391085

Acute and Chronic Effects of Ethanol on Learning-Related Synaptic Plasticity

PubMed Central

Zorumski, Charles F.; Mennerick, Steven; Izumi, Yukitoshi

2014-01-01

Alcoholism is associated with acute and long-term cognitive dysfunction including memory impairment, resulting in substantial disability and cost to society. Thus, understanding how ethanol impairs cognition is essential for developing treatment strategies to dampen its adverse impact. Memory processing is thought to involve persistent, use-dependent changes in synaptic transmission, and ethanol alters the activity of multiple signaling molecules involved in synaptic processing, including modulation of the glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transmitter systems that mediate most fast excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the brain. Effects on glutamate and GABA receptors contribute to ethanol-induced changes in long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), forms of synaptic plasticity thought to underlie memory acquisition. In this paper, we review the effects of ethanol on learning-related forms of synaptic plasticity with emphasis on changes observed in the hippocampus, a brain region that is critical for encoding contextual and episodic memories. We also include studies in other brain regions as they pertain to altered cognitive and mental function. Comparison of effects in the hippocampus to other brain regions is instructive for understanding the complexities of ethanol’s acute and long-term pharmacological consequences. PMID:24447472

Is all motivation good for learning? Dissociable influences of approach and avoidance motivation in declarative memory.

PubMed

Murty, Vishnu P; LaBar, Kevin S; Hamilton, Derek A; Adcock, R Alison

2011-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of approach versus avoidance motivation on declarative learning. Human participants navigated a virtual reality version of the Morris water task, a classic spatial memory paradigm, adapted to permit the experimental manipulation of motivation during learning. During this task, participants were instructed to navigate to correct platforms while avoiding incorrect platforms. To manipulate motivational states participants were either rewarded for navigating to correct locations (approach) or punished for navigating to incorrect platforms (avoidance). Participants' skin conductance levels (SCLs) were recorded during navigation to investigate the role of physiological arousal in motivated learning. Behavioral results revealed that, overall, approach motivation enhanced and avoidance motivation impaired memory performance compared to nonmotivated spatial learning. This advantage was evident across several performance indices, including accuracy, learning rate, path length, and proximity to platform locations during probe trials. SCL analysis revealed three key findings. First, within subjects, arousal interacted with approach motivation, such that high arousal on a given trial was associated with performance deficits. In addition, across subjects, high arousal negated or reversed the benefits of approach motivation. Finally, low-performing, highly aroused participants showed SCL responses similar to those of avoidance-motivation participants, suggesting that for these individuals, opportunities for reward may evoke states of learning similar to those typically evoked by threats of punishment. These results provide a novel characterization of how approach and avoidance motivation influence declarative memory and indicate a critical and selective role for arousal in determining how reinforcement influences goal-oriented learning.

Is all motivation good for learning? Dissociable influences of approach and avoidance motivation in declarative memory

PubMed Central

Murty, Vishnu P.; LaBar, Kevin S.; Hamilton, Derek A.; Adcock, R. Alison

2011-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of approach versus avoidance motivation on declarative learning. Human participants navigated a virtual reality version of the Morris water task, a classic spatial memory paradigm, adapted to permit the experimental manipulation of motivation during learning. During this task, participants were instructed to navigate to correct platforms while avoiding incorrect platforms. To manipulate motivational states participants were either rewarded for navigating to correct locations (approach) or punished for navigating to incorrect platforms (avoidance). Participants’ skin conductance levels (SCLs) were recorded during navigation to investigate the role of physiological arousal in motivated learning. Behavioral results revealed that, overall, approach motivation enhanced and avoidance motivation impaired memory performance compared to nonmotivated spatial learning. This advantage was evident across several performance indices, including accuracy, learning rate, path length, and proximity to platform locations during probe trials. SCL analysis revealed three key findings. First, within subjects, arousal interacted with approach motivation, such that high arousal on a given trial was associated with performance deficits. In addition, across subjects, high arousal negated or reversed the benefits of approach motivation. Finally, low-performing, highly aroused participants showed SCL responses similar to those of avoidance–motivation participants, suggesting that for these individuals, opportunities for reward may evoke states of learning similar to those typically evoked by threats of punishment. These results provide a novel characterization of how approach and avoidance motivation influence declarative memory and indicate a critical and selective role for arousal in determining how reinforcement influences goal-oriented learning. PMID:22021253

Predicting episodic memory formation for movie events

PubMed Central

Tang, Hanlin; Singer, Jed; Ison, Matias J.; Pivazyan, Gnel; Romaine, Melissa; Frias, Rosa; Meller, Elizabeth; Boulin, Adrianna; Carroll, James; Perron, Victoria; Dowcett, Sarah; Arellano, Marlise; Kreiman, Gabriel

2016-01-01

Episodic memories are long lasting and full of detail, yet imperfect and malleable. We quantitatively evaluated recollection of short audiovisual segments from movies as a proxy to real-life memory formation in 161 subjects at 15 minutes up to a year after encoding. Memories were reproducible within and across individuals, showed the typical decay with time elapsed between encoding and testing, were fallible yet accurate, and were insensitive to low-level stimulus manipulations but sensitive to high-level stimulus properties. Remarkably, memorability was also high for single movie frames, even one year post-encoding. To evaluate what determines the efficacy of long-term memory formation, we developed an extensive set of content annotations that included actions, emotional valence, visual cues and auditory cues. These annotations enabled us to document the content properties that showed a stronger correlation with recognition memory and to build a machine-learning computational model that accounted for episodic memory formation in single events for group averages and individual subjects with an accuracy of up to 80%. These results provide initial steps towards the development of a quantitative computational theory capable of explaining the subjective filtering steps that lead to how humans learn and consolidate memories. PMID:27686330

Predicting episodic memory formation for movie events.

PubMed

Tang, Hanlin; Singer, Jed; Ison, Matias J; Pivazyan, Gnel; Romaine, Melissa; Frias, Rosa; Meller, Elizabeth; Boulin, Adrianna; Carroll, James; Perron, Victoria; Dowcett, Sarah; Arellano, Marlise; Kreiman, Gabriel

2016-09-30

Episodic memories are long lasting and full of detail, yet imperfect and malleable. We quantitatively evaluated recollection of short audiovisual segments from movies as a proxy to real-life memory formation in 161 subjects at 15 minutes up to a year after encoding. Memories were reproducible within and across individuals, showed the typical decay with time elapsed between encoding and testing, were fallible yet accurate, and were insensitive to low-level stimulus manipulations but sensitive to high-level stimulus properties. Remarkably, memorability was also high for single movie frames, even one year post-encoding. To evaluate what determines the efficacy of long-term memory formation, we developed an extensive set of content annotations that included actions, emotional valence, visual cues and auditory cues. These annotations enabled us to document the content properties that showed a stronger correlation with recognition memory and to build a machine-learning computational model that accounted for episodic memory formation in single events for group averages and individual subjects with an accuracy of up to 80%. These results provide initial steps towards the development of a quantitative computational theory capable of explaining the subjective filtering steps that lead to how humans learn and consolidate memories.

Enhanced HMAX model with feedforward feature learning for multiclass categorization.

PubMed

Li, Yinlin; Wu, Wei; Zhang, Bo; Li, Fengfu

2015-01-01

In recent years, the interdisciplinary research between neuroscience and computer vision has promoted the development in both fields. Many biologically inspired visual models are proposed, and among them, the Hierarchical Max-pooling model (HMAX) is a feedforward model mimicking the structures and functions of V1 to posterior inferotemporal (PIT) layer of the primate visual cortex, which could generate a series of position- and scale- invariant features. However, it could be improved with attention modulation and memory processing, which are two important properties of the primate visual cortex. Thus, in this paper, based on recent biological research on the primate visual cortex, we still mimic the first 100-150 ms of visual cognition to enhance the HMAX model, which mainly focuses on the unsupervised feedforward feature learning process. The main modifications are as follows: (1) To mimic the attention modulation mechanism of V1 layer, a bottom-up saliency map is computed in the S1 layer of the HMAX model, which can support the initial feature extraction for memory processing; (2) To mimic the learning, clustering and short-term memory to long-term memory conversion abilities of V2 and IT, an unsupervised iterative clustering method is used to learn clusters with multiscale middle level patches, which are taken as long-term memory; (3) Inspired by the multiple feature encoding mode of the primate visual cortex, information including color, orientation, and spatial position are encoded in different layers of the HMAX model progressively. By adding a softmax layer at the top of the model, multiclass categorization experiments can be conducted, and the results on Caltech101 show that the enhanced model with a smaller memory size exhibits higher accuracy than the original HMAX model, and could also achieve better accuracy than other unsupervised feature learning methods in multiclass categorization task.

Distinct hippocampal versus frontoparietal-network contributions to retrieval and memory-guided exploration

PubMed Central

Bridge, Donna J.; Cohen, Neal J.; Voss, Joel L.

2017-01-01

Memory can profoundly influence new learning, presumably because memory optimizes exploration of to-be-learned material. Although hippocampus and frontoparietal networks have been implicated in memory-guided exploration, their specific and interactive roles have not been identified. We examined eye movements during fMRI scanning to identify neural correlates of the influences of memory retrieval on exploration and learning. Following retrieval of one object in a multi-object array, viewing was strategically directed away from the retrieved object toward non-retrieved objects, such that exploration was directed towards to-be-learned content. Retrieved objects later served as optimal reminder cues, indicating that exploration caused memory to become structured around the retrieved content. Hippocampal activity was associated with memory retrieval whereas frontoparietal activity varied with strategic viewing patterns deployed following retrieval, thus providing spatiotemporal dissociation of memory retrieval from memory-guided learning strategies. Time-lagged fMRI connectivity analyses indicated that hippocampal activity predicted frontoparietal activity to a greater extent for a condition in which retrieval guided exploration than for a passive control condition in which exploration was not influenced by retrieval. This demonstrates network-level interaction effects specific to influences of memory on strategic exploration. These findings show how memory guides behavior during learning and demonstrate distinct yet interactive hippocampal-frontoparietal roles in implementing strategic exploration behaviors that determine the fate of evolving memory representations. PMID:28471729

Distinct Hippocampal versus Frontoparietal Network Contributions to Retrieval and Memory-guided Exploration.

PubMed

Bridge, Donna J; Cohen, Neal J; Voss, Joel L

2017-08-01

Memory can profoundly influence new learning, presumably because memory optimizes exploration of to-be-learned material. Although hippocampus and frontoparietal networks have been implicated in memory-guided exploration, their specific and interactive roles have not been identified. We examined eye movements during fMRI scanning to identify neural correlates of the influences of memory retrieval on exploration and learning. After retrieval of one object in a multiobject array, viewing was strategically directed away from the retrieved object toward nonretrieved objects, such that exploration was directed toward to-be-learned content. Retrieved objects later served as optimal reminder cues, indicating that exploration caused memory to become structured around the retrieved content. Hippocampal activity was associated with memory retrieval, whereas frontoparietal activity varied with strategic viewing patterns deployed after retrieval, thus providing spatiotemporal dissociation of memory retrieval from memory-guided learning strategies. Time-lagged fMRI connectivity analyses indicated that hippocampal activity predicted frontoparietal activity to a greater extent for a condition in which retrieval guided exploration occurred than for a passive control condition in which exploration was not influenced by retrieval. This demonstrates network-level interaction effects specific to influences of memory on strategic exploration. These findings show how memory guides behavior during learning and demonstrate distinct yet interactive hippocampal-frontoparietal roles in implementing strategic exploration behaviors that determine the fate of evolving memory representations.

Improving effect of mild foot electrical stimulation on pentylenetetrazole-induced impairment of learning and memory.

PubMed

Abasi-Moghadam, Monir; Ghasemi-Dehno, Arefe; Sadegh, Mehdi; Palizvan, Mohammad Reza

2018-05-10

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects learning and memory. Recently it has been shown that mild foot electrical stimulation (MFES) can increase learning and memory in normal rats. Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) kindling is a model of human epilepsy. As with human epilepsy, PTZ kindling impairs learning and memory in rats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect MFES on kindling-induced learning and memory deficits in rats. Forty-nine male Wistar rats weighting 200 to 250 g were divided into the following seven groups: PTZ only, phenytoin only, MFES only, PTZ plus phenytoin, PTZ plus MFES, phenytoin plus MFES, and saline (control), with the treatments administered for 26 days. Forty-eight hours after the last injection, the animals performed the Morris water maze (MWM) task, and spatial learning and memory were measured. The results indicated that although chronic administration of phenytoin inhibited the development of PTZ kindling, it did not exert a protective effect against kindling-induced spatial learning and memory impairment in rats. On the other hand, pretreatment of PTZ-kindled animals with MFES significantly improved spatial working and reference memory. The results point to potential novel beneficial effects of MFES on learning and memory impairment induced by PTZ kindling in rats. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nucleus incertus inactivation impairs spatial learning and memory in rats.

PubMed

Nategh, Mohsen; Nikseresht, Sara; Khodagholi, Fariba; Motamedi, Fereshteh

2015-02-01

Nucleus incertus (NI) is a pontine nucleus which releases mainly GABA and relaxin-3 in rats. Its suggested functions include response to stress, arousal, and modulation of hippocampal theta rhythm. Since the role of NI in learning and memory has not been well characterized, therefore the involvement of this nucleus in spatial learning and memory and the aftermath hippocampal levels of c-fos and pCREB were evaluated. NI was targeted by implanting cannula in male rats. For reference memory, NI was inactivated by lidocaine (0.4 μl, 4%) at three stages of acquisition, consolidation and retrieval in Morris water maze paradigm. For working memory, NI was inactivated in acquisition and retrieval phases. Injection of lidocaine prior to the first training session of reference memory significantly increased the distance moved, suggesting that inactivation of NI delays acquisition in this spatial task. Inactivation also interfered with the retrieval phase of spatial reference memory, as the time in target quadrant for lidocaine group was less, and the escape latency was higher compared to the control group. However, no difference was observed in the consolidation phase. In the working memory task, with inter-trial intervals of 75 min, the escape latency was higher when NI was inactivated in the retrieval phase. In addition, c-fos and pCREB/CREB levels decreased in NI-inhibited rats. This study suggests that nucleus incertus might participate in acquisition of spatial reference, and retrieval of both spatial reference and working memory. Further studies should investigate possible roles of NI in the hippocampal plasticity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association Between Subcortical Volumes and Verbal Memory in Unmedicated Depressed Patients and Healthy Controls

PubMed Central

Turner, Arlener D.; Furey, Maura; Drevets, Wayne C.; Zarate, Carlos; Nugent, Allison

2012-01-01

Research has shown poor performance on verbal memory tasks in patients with major depressive disorder relative to healthy controls, as well as structural abnormalities in the subcortical structures that form the limbic-cortical-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuitry. Few studies, however, have attempted to link the impairments in learning and memory in depression with these structural abnormalities, and of those which have done so, most have included patients medicated with psychotropic agents likely to influence cognitive performance. This study thus examines the relationship between subcortical structural abnormalities and verbal memory using the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) in unmedicated depressed patients. A T1 weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan and the CVLT were obtained on 45 subjects with major depressive disorder and 44 healthy controls. Using the FMRIB’s Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool (FIRST) volumes of selected subcortical structures were segmented and correlated with CVLT performance. Depressed participants showed significantly smaller right thalamus and right hippocampus volumes than healthy controls. Depressed participants also showed impaired performance on global verbal learning ability, and appeared to depend upon an inferior memory strategy (serial clustering). Measures of serial clustering were correlated significantly with right hippocampal volumes in depressed participants. Our findings indicate that depressed participants and healthy controls differ in the memory strategies they employ, and that while depressed participants had a smaller hippocampal volume, there was a positive correlation between volume and use of an inferior memory strategy. This suggests that larger hippocampal volume is related to better memory recall in depression, but specifically with regard to utilizing an inferior memory strategy. PMID:22714007

An English Vocabulary Learning System Based on Fuzzy Theory and Memory Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tzone I.; Chiu, Ti Kai; Huang, Liang Jun; Fu, Ru Xuan; Hsieh, Tung-Cheng

This paper proposes an English Vocabulary Learning System based on the Fuzzy Theory and the Memory Cycle Theory to help a learner to memorize vocabularies easily. By using fuzzy inferences and personal memory cycles, it is possible to find an article that best suits a learner. After reading an article, a quiz is provided for the learner to improve his/her memory of the vocabulary in the article. Early researches use just explicit response (ex. quiz exam) to update memory cycles of newly learned vocabulary; apart from that approach, this paper proposes a methodology that also modify implicitly the memory cycles of learned word. By intensive reading of articles recommended by our approach, a learner learns new words quickly and reviews learned words implicitly as well, and by which the vocabulary ability of the learner improves efficiently.

Structural brain correlates of associative memory in older adults.

PubMed

Becker, Nina; Laukka, Erika J; Kalpouzos, Grégoria; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe; Bäckman, Lars; Brehmer, Yvonne

2015-09-01

Associative memory involves binding two or more items into a coherent memory episode. Relative to memory for single items, associative memory declines greatly in aging. However, older individuals vary substantially in their ability to memorize associative information. Although functional studies link associative memory to the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), little is known about how volumetric differences in MTL and PFC might contribute to individual differences in associative memory. We investigated regional gray-matter volumes related to individual differences in associative memory in a sample of healthy older adults (n=54; age=60years). To differentiate item from associative memory, participants intentionally learned face-scene picture pairs before performing a recognition task that included single faces, scenes, and face-scene pairs. Gray-matter volumes were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry region-of-interest (ROI) analyses. To examine volumetric differences specifically for associative memory, item memory was controlled for in the analyses. Behavioral results revealed large variability in associative memory that mainly originated from differences in false-alarm rates. Moreover, associative memory was independent of individuals' ability to remember single items. Older adults with better associative memory showed larger gray-matter volumes primarily in regions of the left and right lateral PFC. These findings provide evidence for the importance of PFC in intentional learning of associations, likely because of its involvement in organizational and strategic processes that distinguish older adults with good from those with poor associative memory. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subjective memory complaint only relates to verbal episodic memory performance in mild cognitive impairment

PubMed Central

Gifford, Katherine A.; Liu, Dandan; Damon, Stephen M.; Chapman, William G.; Romano, Raymond R.; Samuels, Lauren R.; Lu, Zengqi; Jefferson, Angela L.

2015-01-01

Background A cognitive concern from the patient, informant, or clinician is required for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI); however, the cognitive and neuroanatomical correlates of complaint are poorly understood. Objective We assessed how self-complaint relates to cognitive and neuroimaging measures in older adults with MCI. Method MCI participants were drawn from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and dichotomized into two groups based on the presence of self-reported memory complaint (no complaint n=191, 77±7 years; complaint n=206, 73±8 years). Cognitive outcomes included episodic memory, executive functioning, information processing speed, and language. Imaging outcomes included regional lobar volumes (frontal, parietal, temporal, cingulate) and specific medial temporal lobe structures (hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex thickness, parahippocampal gyrus thickness). Results Linear regressions, adjusting for age, gender, race, education, Mini-Mental State Examination score, mood, and apolipoprotein E-4 status, found that cognitive complaint related to immediate (β=−1.07, p<0.001) and delayed episodic memory performances assessed on a serial list learning task (β=−1.06, p=0.001) but no other cognitive measures or neuroimaging markers. Conclusions Self-reported memory concern was unrelated to structural neuroimaging markers of atrophy and measures of information processing speed, executive functioning, or language. In contrast, subjective memory complaint related to objective verbal episodic learning performance. Future research is warranted to better understand the relation between cognitive complaint and surrogate markers of abnormal brain aging, including Alzheimer’s disease, across the cognitive aging spectrum. PMID:25281602

Hierarchical Traces for Reduced NSM Memory Requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahl, Torbjørn S.

This paper presents work on using hierarchical long term memory to reduce the memory requirements of nearest sequence memory (NSM) learning, a previously published, instance-based reinforcement learning algorithm. A hierarchical memory representation reduces the memory requirements by allowing traces to share common sub-sequences. We present moderated mechanisms for estimating discounted future rewards and for dealing with hidden state using hierarchical memory. We also present an experimental analysis of how the sub-sequence length affects the memory compression achieved and show that the reduced memory requirements do not effect the speed of learning. Finally, we analyse and discuss the persistence of the sub-sequences independent of specific trace instances.

Intervention strength does not differentially affect memory reconsolidation of strong memories.

PubMed

van Schie, Kevin; van Veen, Suzanne C; Hendriks, Yanniek R; van den Hout, Marcel A; Engelhard, Iris M

2017-10-01

Recently, it has become clear that retrieval (i.e., reactivation) of consolidated memories may return these memories into a labile state before they are restored into long-term memory ('reconsolidation'). Using behavioral manipulations, reactivated memories can be disrupted via the mechanism of novel learning. In the present study, we investigated whether changing a strong memory during reconsolidation depends on the strength of novel learning. To test this, participants (N=144) in six groups acquired a relatively strong memory on Day 1 by viewing and recalling a series of pictures three times. On Day 8, these pictures were reactivated in three groups, and they were not reactivated in the other three groups. Then, participants viewed and recalled new pictures once (weak new learning) or three times (strong new learning), or they did not learn any new pictures. On Day 9, participants performed a recognition test in which their memory for Day 1 pictures was assessed. Two main results are noted. First, the groups that reactivated pictures from Day 1 and received weak or strong new learning did not differ in memory performance. Second, these two groups consistently performed similar to groups that controlled for new learning without reactivation. Because these results contradict what was expected based on the reconsolidation hypothesis, we discuss possible explanations and implications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

First demonstration of olfactory learning and long term memory in honey bee queens.

PubMed

Gong, Zhiwen; Tan, Ken; Nieh, James C

2018-05-18

As the primary source of colony reproduction, social insect queens play a vital role. However, the cognitive abilities of queens are not well understood, although queen learning and memory are essential in multiple species such as honey bees, in which virgin queens must leave the nest and then successful learn to navigate back over repeated nuptial flights. Honey bee queen learning has never been previously demonstrated. We therefore tested olfactory learning in queens and workers and examined the role of DNA methylation, which plays a key role in long term memory formation. We provide the first evidence that honey bee queens have excellent learning and memory. The proportion of honey bee queens that exhibited learning was 5-fold higher than workers at every tested age and, for memory, 4-fold higher than workers at a very young age. DNA methylation may play a key role in this queen memory because queens exhibiting remote memory had a more consistent elevation in Dnmt3 gene expression as compared to workers. Both castes also showed excellent remote memory (7 day memory), which was reduced by 14-20% by the DNA methylation inhibitor, zebularine. Given that queens live about 10-fold longer than workers, these results suggest that queens can serve as an excellently long-term reservoir of colony memory. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Introduction to The neurosciences and music IV: learning and memory.

PubMed

Altenmüller, E; Demorest, S M; Fujioka, T; Halpern, A R; Hannon, E E; Loui, P; Majno, M; Oechslin, M S; Osborne, N; Overy, K; Palmer, C; Peretz, I; Pfordresher, P Q; Särkämö, T; Wan, C Y; Zatorre, R J

2012-04-01

The conference entitled "The Neurosciences and Music-IV: Learning and Memory'' was held at the University of Edinburgh from June 9-12, 2011, jointly hosted by the Mariani Foundation and the Institute for Music in Human and Social Development, and involving nearly 500 international delegates. Two opening workshops, three large and vibrant poster sessions, and nine invited symposia introduced a diverse range of recent research findings and discussed current research directions. Here, the proceedings are introduced by the workshop and symposia leaders on topics including working with children, rhythm perception, language processing, cultural learning, memory, musical imagery, neural plasticity, stroke rehabilitation, autism, and amusia. The rich diversity of the interdisciplinary research presented suggests that the future of music neuroscience looks both exciting and promising, and that important implications for music rehabilitation and therapy are being discovered. © 2012 New York Academy of Sciences.

Consensus: “Can tDCS and TMS enhance motor learning and memory formation?”

PubMed Central

Reis, Janine; Robertson, Edwin; Krakauer, John W.; Rothwell, John; Marshall, Lisa; Gerloff, Christian; Wassermann, Eric; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Hummel, Friedhelm; Celnik, Pablo A.; Classen, Joseph; Floel, Agnes; Ziemann, Ulf; Paulus, Walter; Siebner, Hartwig R.; Born, Jan; Cohen, Leonardo G.

2009-01-01

Noninvasive brain stimulation has developed as a promising tool for cognitive neuroscientists. Transcranial magnetic (TMS) and direct current (tDCS) stimulation allow researchers to purposefully enhance or decrease excitability in focal areas of the brain. The purpose of this paper is to review information on the use of TMS and tDCS as research tools to facilitate motor memory formation, motor performance and motor learning in healthy volunteers. Studies implemented so far have mostly focused on the ability of TMS and tDCS to elicit relatively short lasting motor improvements and the mechanisms underlying these changes have been only partially investigated. Despite limitations including the scarcity of data, work that has been already accomplished raises the exciting hypothesis that currently available noninvasive transcranial stimulation techniques could modulate motor learning and memory formation in healthy humans and potentially in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. PMID:19802336

Rapid learning dynamics in individual honeybees during classical conditioning.

PubMed

Pamir, Evren; Szyszka, Paul; Scheiner, Ricarda; Nawrot, Martin P

2014-01-01

Associative learning in insects has been studied extensively by a multitude of classical conditioning protocols. However, so far little emphasis has been put on the dynamics of learning in individuals. The honeybee is a well-established animal model for learning and memory. We here studied associative learning as expressed in individual behavior based on a large collection of data on olfactory classical conditioning (25 datasets, 3298 animals). We show that the group-averaged learning curve and memory retention score confound three attributes of individual learning: the ability or inability to learn a given task, the generally fast acquisition of a conditioned response (CR) in learners, and the high stability of the CR during consecutive training and memory retention trials. We reassessed the prevailing view that more training results in better memory performance and found that 24 h memory retention can be indistinguishable after single-trial and multiple-trial conditioning in individuals. We explain how inter-individual differences in learning can be accommodated within the Rescorla-Wagner theory of associative learning. In both data-analysis and modeling we demonstrate how the conflict between population-level and single-animal perspectives on learning and memory can be disentangled.

Rapid learning dynamics in individual honeybees during classical conditioning

PubMed Central

Pamir, Evren; Szyszka, Paul; Scheiner, Ricarda; Nawrot, Martin P.

2014-01-01

Associative learning in insects has been studied extensively by a multitude of classical conditioning protocols. However, so far little emphasis has been put on the dynamics of learning in individuals. The honeybee is a well-established animal model for learning and memory. We here studied associative learning as expressed in individual behavior based on a large collection of data on olfactory classical conditioning (25 datasets, 3298 animals). We show that the group-averaged learning curve and memory retention score confound three attributes of individual learning: the ability or inability to learn a given task, the generally fast acquisition of a conditioned response (CR) in learners, and the high stability of the CR during consecutive training and memory retention trials. We reassessed the prevailing view that more training results in better memory performance and found that 24 h memory retention can be indistinguishable after single-trial and multiple-trial conditioning in individuals. We explain how inter-individual differences in learning can be accommodated within the Rescorla–Wagner theory of associative learning. In both data-analysis and modeling we demonstrate how the conflict between population-level and single-animal perspectives on learning and memory can be disentangled. PMID:25309366

Dorsoventral and Proximodistal Hippocampal Processing Account for the Influences of Sleep and Context on Memory (Re)consolidation: A Connectionist Model

PubMed Central

Lines, Justin

2017-01-01

The context in which learning occurs is sufficient to reconsolidate stored memories and neuronal reactivation may be crucial to memory consolidation during sleep. The mechanisms of context-dependent and sleep-dependent memory (re)consolidation are unknown but involve the hippocampus. We simulated memory (re)consolidation using a connectionist model of the hippocampus that explicitly accounted for its dorsoventral organization and for CA1 proximodistal processing. Replicating human and rodent (re)consolidation studies yielded the following results. (1) Semantic overlap between memory items and extraneous learning was necessary to explain experimental data and depended crucially on the recurrent networks of dorsal but not ventral CA3. (2) Stimulus-free, sleep-induced internal reactivations of memory patterns produced heterogeneous recruitment of memory items and protected memories from subsequent interference. These simulations further suggested that the decrease in memory resilience when subjects were not allowed to sleep following learning was primarily due to extraneous learning. (3) Partial exposure to the learning context during simulated sleep (i.e., targeted memory reactivation) uniformly increased memory item reactivation and enhanced subsequent recall. Altogether, these results show that the dorsoventral and proximodistal organization of the hippocampus may be important components of the neural mechanisms for context-based and sleep-based memory (re)consolidations. PMID:28757864

Binary classification of items of interest in a repeatable process

DOEpatents

Abell, Jeffrey A.; Spicer, John Patrick; Wincek, Michael Anthony; Wang, Hui; Chakraborty, Debejyo

2014-06-24

A system includes host and learning machines in electrical communication with sensors positioned with respect to an item of interest, e.g., a weld, and memory. The host executes instructions from memory to predict a binary quality status of the item. The learning machine receives signals from the sensor(s), identifies candidate features, and extracts features from the candidates that are more predictive of the binary quality status relative to other candidate features. The learning machine maps the extracted features to a dimensional space that includes most of the items from a passing binary class and excludes all or most of the items from a failing binary class. The host also compares the received signals for a subsequent item of interest to the dimensional space to thereby predict, in real time, the binary quality status of the subsequent item of interest.

The role of executive functioning in memory performance in pediatric focal epilepsy.

PubMed

Sepeta, Leigh N; Casaletto, Kaitlin Blackstone; Terwilliger, Virginia; Facella-Ervolini, Joy; Sady, Maegan; Mayo, Jessica; Gaillard, William D; Berl, Madison M

2017-02-01

Learning and memory are essential for academic success and everyday functioning, but the pattern of memory skills and its relationship to executive functioning in children with focal epilepsy is not fully delineated. We address a gap in the literature by examining the relationship between memory and executive functioning in a pediatric focal epilepsy population. Seventy children with focal epilepsy and 70 typically developing children matched on age, intellectual functioning, and gender underwent neuropsychological assessment, including measures of intelligence (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence [WASI]/Differential Ability Scales [DAS]), as well as visual Children's Memory Scale (CMS Dot Locations) and verbal episodic memory (Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning [WRAML] Story Memory and California Verbal Learning Test for Children [CVLT-C]). Executive functioning was measured directly (WISC-IV Digit Span Backward; Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fourth Edition (CELF-IV) Recalling Sentences) and by parent report (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function [BRIEF]). Children with focal epilepsy had lower delayed free-recall scores than controls across visual and verbal memory tasks (p = 0.02; partial η 2 = 0.12). In contrast, recognition memory performance was similar for patients and controls (p = 0.36; partial η 2 = 0.03). Children with focal epilepsy demonstrated difficulties in working memory (p = 0.02; partial η 2 = 0.08) and planning/organization (p = 0.02) compared to controls. Working memory predicted 9-19% of the variance in delayed free recall for verbal and visual memory; organization predicted 9-10% of the variance in verbal memory. Patients with both left and right focal epilepsy demonstrated more difficulty on verbal versus visual tasks (p = 0.002). Memory performance did not differ by location of seizure foci (temporal vs. extratemporal, frontal vs. extrafrontal). Children with focal epilepsy demonstrated memory ability within age-level expectations, but delayed free recall was inefficient compared to typically developing controls. Memory difficulties were not related to general cognitive impairment or seizure localization. Executive functioning accounted for significant variance in memory performance, suggesting that poor executive control negatively influences memory retrieval. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

Location, Location, Location! Demonstrating the Mnemonic Benefit of the Method of Loci

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCabe, Jennifer A.

2015-01-01

Classroom demonstrations of empirically supported learning and memory strategies have the potential to boost students' knowledge about their own memory and convince them to change the way they approach memory tasks in and beyond the classroom. Students in a "Human Learning and Memory" course learned about the "Method of Loci"…

Working Memory Functioning in Children with Learning Disorders and Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuchardt, Kirsten; Bockmann, Ann-Katrin; Bornemann, Galina; Maehler, Claudia

2013-01-01

Purpose: On the basis of Baddeley's working memory model (1986), we examined working memory functioning in children with learning disorders with and without specific language impairment (SLI). We pursued the question whether children with learning disorders exhibit similar working memory deficits as children with additional SLI. Method: In…

Prosopagnosia

MedlinePlus

... to memory dysfunction, memory loss, impaired vision, or learning disabilities. Prosopagnosia is thought to be the result of ... to memory dysfunction, memory loss, impaired vision, or learning disabilities. Prosopagnosia is thought to be the result of ...

Working Memory, Motivation, and Teacher-Initiated Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, David W.; Shell, Duane F.

2006-03-01

Working memory is where we "think" as we learn. A notion that emerges as a synthesis from several threads in the research literatures of cognition, motivation, and connectionism is that motivation in learning is the process whereby working memory resource allocation is instigated and sustained. This paper reviews much literature on motivation and working memory, and concludes that the apparent novelty of the proposal offered to describe motivation in terms of working memory results from the apparent lack of cross-channel exchange among these research traditions. The relation between working memory and motivation is explored in the context of the interactive compensatory model of learning (ICML) in which learning is considered to result from the interaction of ability, motivation, and prior learning. The ICML is recast in light of the revised definition of motivation offered here. This paper goes on to suggest ways in which a range of teaching and learning issues and activities may be reconceptualized in the context of a model emphasizing a learner's working memory that makes use of chunks of previously acquired knowledge.

Sleep-mediated memory consolidation depends on the level of integration at encoding.

PubMed

Himmer, Lea; Müller, Elias; Gais, Steffen; Schönauer, Monika

2017-01-01

There is robust evidence that sleep facilitates declarative memory consolidation. Integration of newly acquired memories into existing neocortical knowledge networks has been proposed to underlie this effect. Here, we test whether sleep affects memory retention for word-picture associations differently when it was learned explicitly or using a fast mapping strategy. Fast mapping is an incidental form of learning that references new information to existing knowledge and possibly allows neocortical integration already during encoding. If the integration of information into neocortical networks is a main function of sleep-dependent memory consolidation, material learned via fast mapping should therefore benefit less from sleep. Supporting this idea, we find that sleep has a protective effect on explicitly learned associations. In contrast, memory for associations learned by fast mapping does not benefit from sleep and remains stable regardless of whether sleep or wakefulness follows learning. Our results thus indicate that the need for sleep-mediated consolidation depends on the strategy used for learning and might thus be related to the level of integration of newly acquired memory achieved during encoding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning induces the translin/trax RNase complex to express activin receptors for persistent memory.

PubMed

Park, Alan Jung; Havekes, Robbert; Fu, Xiuping; Hansen, Rolf; Tudor, Jennifer C; Peixoto, Lucia; Li, Zhi; Wu, Yen-Ching; Poplawski, Shane G; Baraban, Jay M; Abel, Ted

2017-09-20

Long-lasting forms of synaptic plasticity and memory require de novo protein synthesis. Yet, how learning triggers this process to form memory is unclear. Translin/trax is a candidate to drive this learning-induced memory mechanism by suppressing microRNA-mediated translational silencing at activated synapses. We find that mice lacking translin/trax display defects in synaptic tagging, which requires protein synthesis at activated synapses, and long-term memory. Hippocampal samples harvested from these mice following learning show increases in several disease-related microRNAs targeting the activin A receptor type 1C (ACVR1C), a component of the transforming growth factor-β receptor superfamily. Furthermore, the absence of translin/trax abolishes synaptic upregulation of ACVR1C protein after learning. Finally, synaptic tagging and long-term memory deficits in mice lacking translin/trax are mimicked by ACVR1C inhibition. Thus, we define a new memory mechanism by which learning reverses microRNA-mediated silencing of the novel plasticity protein ACVR1C via translin/trax.

Genetic variation of the RASGRF1 regulatory region affects human hippocampus-dependent memory

PubMed Central

Barman, Adriana; Assmann, Anne; Richter, Sylvia; Soch, Joram; Schütze, Hartmut; Wüstenberg, Torsten; Deibele, Anna; Klein, Marieke; Richter, Anni; Behnisch, Gusalija; Düzel, Emrah; Zenker, Martin; Seidenbecher, Constanze I.; Schott, Björn H.

2014-01-01

The guanine nucleotide exchange factor RASGRF1 is an important regulator of intracellular signaling and neural plasticity in the brain. RASGRF1-deficient mice exhibit a complex phenotype with learning deficits and ocular abnormalities. Also in humans, a genome-wide association study has identified the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs8027411 in the putative transcription regulatory region of RASGRF1 as a risk variant of myopia. Here we aimed to assess whether, in line with the RASGRF1 knockout mouse phenotype, rs8027411 might also be associated with human memory function. We performed computer-based neuropsychological learning experiments in two independent cohorts of young, healthy participants. Tests included the Verbal Learning and Memory Test (VLMT) and the logical memory section of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). Two sub-cohorts additionally participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of hippocampus function. 119 participants performed a novelty encoding task that had previously been shown to engage the hippocampus, and 63 subjects participated in a reward-related memory encoding study. RASGRF1 rs8027411 genotype was indeed associated with memory performance in an allele dosage-dependent manner, with carriers of the T allele (i.e., the myopia risk allele) showing better memory performance in the early encoding phase of the VLMT and in the recall phase of the WMS logical memory section. In fMRI, T allele carriers exhibited increased hippocampal activation during presentation of novel images and during encoding of pictures associated with monetary reward. Taken together, our results provide evidence for a role of the RASGRF1 gene locus in hippocampus-dependent memory and, along with the previous association with myopia, point toward pleitropic effects of RASGRF1 genetic variations on complex neural function in humans. PMID:24808846

Organizational Learning: A Review of the Literature with Implications for HRD Professionals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Nancy M.

1992-01-01

A model of organizational learning includes information acquisition, information distribution/interpretation, meaning making, organizational memory, and information retrieval. Human resource development professionals have techniques for increasing competence in individuals, but they must also do so for organizations. (SK)

Beneficial effect of commercial Rhodiola extract in rats with scopolamine-induced memory impairment on active avoidance.

PubMed

Vasileva, Liliya V; Getova, Damianka P; Doncheva, Nina D; Marchev, Andrey S; Georgiev, Milen I

2016-12-04

Rhodiola rosea L., family Crassulaceae also known as Golden Root or Arctic root is one of the most widely used medicinal plants with effect on cognitive dysfunction, psychological stress and depression. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of a standardized commercial Rhodiola extract on learning and memory processes in naive rats as well as its effects in rats with scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Sixty male Wistar rats were used in the study. The experiment was conducted in two series - on naive rats and on rats with scopolamine-induced model of impaired memory. The active avoidance test was performed in an automatic conventional shuttle box set-up. The criteria used were the number of conditional stimuli (avoidances), the number of unconditioned stimuli (escapes) as well as the number of intertrial crossings. The chemical fingerprinting of the standardized commercial Rhodiola extract was performed by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Naive rats treated with standardized Rhodiola extract increased the number of avoidances during the learning session and memory retention test compared to the controls. Rats with scopolamine-induced memory impairment treated with Rhodiola extract showed an increase in the number of avoidances during the learning session and on the memory tests compared to the scopolamine group. The other two parameters were not changed in rats treated with the extract of Rhodiola in the two series. It was found that the studied Rhodiola extract exerts a beneficial effect on learning and memory processes in naive rats and rats with scopolamine-induced memory impairment. The observed effect is probably due to multiple underlying mechanisms including its modulating effect on acetylcholine levels in the brain and MAO-inhibitory activity leading to stimulation of the monoamines' neurotransmission. In addition the pronounced stress-protective properties of Rhodiola rosea L. could also play a role in the improvement of cognitive functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aspects of Working Memory in L2 Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juffs, Alan; Harrington, Michael

2011-01-01

This article reviews research on working memory (WM) and its use in second language (L2) acquisition research. Recent developments in the model and issues surrounding the operationalization of the construct itself are presented, followed by a discussion of various methods of measuring WM. These methods include word and digit span tasks, reading,…

Electrophysiological Evidence of Altered Memory Processing in Children Experiencing Early Deprivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guler, O. Evren; Hostinar, Camelia E.; Frenn, Kristin A.; Nelson, Charles A.; Gunnar, Megan R.; Thomas, Kathleen M.

2012-01-01

Associations between early deprivation and memory functioning were examined in 9- to 11-year-old children. Children who had experienced prolonged institutional care prior to adoption were compared to children who were adopted early from foster care and children reared in birth families. Measures included the Paired Associates Learning task from…

LAMP: 100+ Systematic Exercise Lessons for Developing Linguistic Auditory Memory Patterns in Beginning Readers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valett, Robert E.

Research findings on auditory sequencing and auditory blending and fusion, auditory-visual integration, and language patterns are presented in support of the Linguistic Auditory Memory Patterns (LAMP) program. LAMP consists of 100 developmental lessons for young students with learning disabilities or language problems. The lessons are included in…

The Neural Correlates of Non-Spatial Working Memory in Velocardiofacial Syndrome (22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kates, Wendy R.; Krauss, Beth R.; AbdulSabur, Nuria; Colgan, Deirdre; Antshel, Kevin M.; Higgins, Anne Marie; Shprintzen, Robert J.

2007-01-01

Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), also known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, is a neurogenetic disorder that is associated with both learning disabilities and a consistent neuropsychological phenotype, including deficits in executive function, visuospatial perception, and working memory. Anatomic imaging studies have identified significant…

Neuroscientific Insights: Attention, Working Memory, and Inhibitory Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raver, C. Cybele; Blair, Clancy

2016-01-01

In this article, Cybele Raver and Clancy Blair explore a group of cognitive processes called executive function (EF)--including the flexible control of attention, the ability to hold information through working memory, and the ability to maintain inhibitory control. EF processes are crucial for young children's learning. On the one hand, they can…

Prediction Error and Trace Dominance Determine the Fate of Fear Memories after Post-Training Manipulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfei, Joaquín M.; Monti, Roque I. Ferrer; Molina, Victor A.; Bueno, Adrián M.; Urcelay, Gonzalo P.

2015-01-01

Different mnemonic outcomes have been observed when associative memories are reactivated by CS exposure and followed by amnestics. These outcomes include mere retrieval, destabilization-reconsolidation, a transitional period (which is insensitive to amnestics), and extinction learning. However, little is known about the interaction between initial…

"Digit Anatomy": A New Technique for Learning Anatomy Using Motor Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oh, Chang-Seok; Won, Hyung-Sun; Kim, Kyong-Jee; Jang, Dong-Su

2011-01-01

Gestural motions of the hands and fingers are powerful tools for expressing meanings and concepts, and the nervous system has the capacity to retain multiple long-term motor memories, especially including movements of the hands. We developed many sets of successive movements of both hands, referred to as "digit anatomy," and made…

Tendency to Mirror-Image on a Visual Memory Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aliotti, Nicholas C.

1980-01-01

Young children (153 normal preschool and primary graders, 19 cerebral palsied 5 to 15 year olds, and 16 learning disabled 7 to 12 year olds) were given a test of immediate visual memory which required selection of a geometric design from among six alternatives, including a mirror image and a rotation. (CL)

The differential effects of emotional salience on direct associative and relational memory during a nap.

PubMed

Alger, Sara E; Payne, Jessica D

2016-12-01

Relational memories are formed from shared components between directly learned memory associations, flexibly linking learned information to better inform future judgments. Sleep has been found to facilitate both direct associative and relational memories. However, the impact of incorporating emotionally salient information into learned material and the interaction of emotional salience and sleep in facilitating both types of memory is unknown. Participants encoded two sets of picture pairs, with either emotionally negative or neutral objects paired with neutral faces. The same objects were present in both sets, paired with two different faces across the sets. Baseline memory for these directly paired associates was tested immediately after encoding, followed by either a 90-min nap opportunity or wakefulness. Five hours after learning, a surprise test assessed relational memory, the indirect association between two faces paired with the same object during encoding, followed by a retest of direct associative memory. Overall, negative information was remembered better than neutral for directly learned pairs. A nap facilitated both preservation of direct associative memories and formation of relational memories, compared to remaining awake. Interestingly, however, this sleep benefit was observed specifically for neutral directly paired associates, while both neutral and negative relational associations benefitted from a nap. Finally, REM sleep played opposing roles in neutral direct and relational associative memory formation, with more REM sleep leading to forgetting of direct associations but promoting relational associations, suggesting that, while not benefitting memory consolidation for directly learned details, REM sleep may foster the memory reorganization needed for relational memory.

Procedural Learning and Memory Rehabilitation in Korsakoff's Syndrome - a Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Oudman, Erik; Nijboer, Tanja C W; Postma, Albert; Wijnia, Jan W; Van der Stigchel, Stefan

2015-06-01

Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder caused by alcohol abuse and thiamine deficiency. Patients with KS show restricted autonomy due to their severe declarative amnesia and executive disorders. Recently, it has been suggested that procedural learning and memory are relatively preserved in KS and can effectively support autonomy in KS. In the present review we describe the available evidence on procedural learning and memory in KS and highlight advances in memory rehabilitation that have been demonstrated to support procedural memory. The specific purpose of this review was to increase insights in the available tools for successful memory rehabilitation and give suggestions how to apply these tools in clinical practice to increase procedural learning in KS. Current evidence suggests that when memory rehabilitation is adjusted to the specific needs of KS patients, this will increase their ability to learn procedures and their typically compromised autonomy gets enhanced.

Long term verbal memory recall deficits in fragile X premutation females.

PubMed

Shelton, Annie L; Cornish, Kim; Fielding, Joanne

2017-10-01

Carriers of a FMR1 premutation allele (between 55 and 199 CGG repeats) are at risk of developing a wide range of medical, psychiatric and cognitive disorders, including executive dysfunction. These cognitive deficits are often less severe for female premutation carriers compared to male premutation carriers, albeit similar in nature. However, it remains unclear whether female premutation carriers who exhibit executive dysfunction also report verbal learning and memory deficits like those of their male counterparts. Here we employed the CVLT to assess verbal learning and memory function in 19 female premutation carriers, contrasting performance with 19 age- and IQ-matched controls. Group comparisons revealed similar performance during the learning and short delay recall phases of the CVLT. However, after a long delay period, female premutation carriers remembered fewer words for both free and cued recall trials, but not during recognition trials. These findings are consistent with reports for male premutation carriers, and suggest that aspects of long term memory may be adversely affect in a subgroup of premutation carriers with signs of executive dysfunction. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Muscarinic agonists for the treatment of cognition in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Sellin, Angela K; Shad, Mujeeb; Tamminga, Carol

2008-11-01

It is widely accepted that cholinergic activity at muscarinic receptors is required to maintain cognitive functions, including learning and memory. Memory domains are especially impaired in schizophrenia, which may explain difficulties in psychosocial rehabilitation of individuals with this illness. However, little is known about the mechanism of this impairment. To understand our current knowledge, we reviewed the literature since 1990 via a PubMed search for the terms "muscarinic", "schizophrenia", "cognition", "memory", "learning", and "agonist" in combination. We found 89 basic science/laboratory studies, case reports/series, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, standardized controlled animal trials, standardized controlled human trials, and reviews. Although further research is required to fully understand the neuropharmacology of the cholinergic system in cognitive function in schizophrenia, we have examined the data currently available. In general, these data suggest that agonist activity at acetylcholine muscarinic type 1 (M1) receptors would enhance memory and learning in schizophrenia. We present an overview of likely side effects of muscarinic agonists. We outline the anticholinergic activity of several available antipsychotics and review the available M1 muscarinic agonists.

Conceptualizing Multicultural Perspective Taking Skills

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

form of cognitive processing. Leaders must be able to learn from experience, engage in continuous learning , and be adaptable ( Kolb , 1984; Renwick...information required for training this competency. The training system should include the best practices for adult learning (e.g., Kolb , 1984). Reported above...of schema on comprehension and memory. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 16, pp

Strategic value-directed learning and memory in Alzheimer's disease and behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia.

PubMed

Wong, Stephanie; Irish, Muireann; Savage, Greg; Hodges, John R; Piguet, Olivier; Hornberger, Michael

2018-02-12

In healthy adults, the ability to prioritize learning of highly valued information is supported by executive functions and enhances subsequent memory retrieval for this information. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), marked deficits are evident in learning and memory, presenting in the context of executive dysfunction. It is unclear whether these patients show a typical memory bias for higher valued stimuli. We administered a value-directed word-list learning task to AD (n = 10) and bvFTD (n = 21) patients and age-matched healthy controls (n = 22). Each word was assigned a low, medium or high point value, and participants were instructed to maximize the number of points earned across three learning trials. Participants' memory for the words was assessed on a delayed recall trial, followed by a recognition test for the words and corresponding point values. Relative to controls, both patient groups showed poorer overall learning, delayed recall and recognition. Despite these impairments, patients with AD preferentially recalled high-value words on learning trials and showed significant value-directed enhancement of recognition memory for the words and points. Conversely, bvFTD patients did not prioritize recall of high-value words during learning trials, and this reduced selectivity was related to inhibitory dysfunction. Nonetheless, bvFTD patients showed value-directed enhancement of recognition memory for the point values, suggesting a mismatch between memory of high-value information and the ability to apply this in a motivationally salient context. Our findings demonstrate that value-directed enhancement of memory may persist to some degree in patients with dementia, despite pronounced deficits in learning and memory. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Mesial Temporal Lobe and Memory Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploration of Volumetric Findings

PubMed Central

Trontel, Haley G.; Duffield, Tyler C.; Bigler, Erin D.; Abildskov, Tracy J.; Froehlich, Alyson; Prigge, Molly B.D.; Travers, Brittany G.; Anderson, Jeffrey S.; Zielinski, Brandon A.; Alexander, Andrew; Lange, Nicholas; Lainhart, Janet E.

2015-01-01

Studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to perform significantly below typical developing individuals on standardized measures of memory, even when not significantly different on measures of IQ. The current study sought to examine within ASD whether anatomical correlates of memory performance differed between those with average-to-above-average IQ (AIQ Group) compared to those with low average to borderline ability (LIQ group) as well as in relations to typically-developing comparisons (TDC). Using automated volumetric analyses, we examined regional volume of classic memory areas including the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, entorhinal cortex, and amygdala in an all-male sample AIQ (n = 38) and LIQ (n = 18) individuals with ASD along with 30 typically-developing comparisons (TDC). Memory performance was assessed using the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL) compared among the groups and then correlated with regional brain volumes. Analyses revealed group differences on almost all facets of memory and learning as assessed by the various subtests of the TOMAL. The three groups did not differ on any ROI memory-related brain volumes. However, significant size-memory function interactions were observed. Negative correlations were found between the volume of the amygdala and composite, verbal, and delayed memory indices for the LIQ ASD group indicating larger volume related to poorer performance. Implications for general memory functioning and dysfunctional neural connectivity in ASD are discussed. PMID:25749302

Memory skills of deaf learners: implications and applications.

PubMed

Hamilton, Harley

2011-01-01

The author reviews research on working memory and short-term memory abilities of deaf individuals, delineating strengths and weaknesses. Among the areas of weakness that are reviewed are sequential recall, processing speed, attention, and memory load. Areas of strengths include free recall, visuospatial recall, imagery, and dual encoding. Phonological encoding and rehearsal appear to be strengths when these strategies are employed. The implications of the strengths and weaknesses for language learning and educational achievement are discussed. Research questions are posed, and remedial and compensatory classroom applications are suggested.

Memory Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis is Due to a Core Deficit in Initial Learning

PubMed Central

DeLuca, John; Leavitt, Victoria M.; Chiaravalloti, Nancy; Wylie, Glenn

2013-01-01

Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer memory impairment, but research on the nature of MS-related memory problems is mixed. Some have argued for a core deficit in retrieval, while others have identified deficient initial learning as the core deficit. We used a selective reminding paradigm to determine whether deficient initial learning or delayed retrieval represents the primary memory deficit in 44 persons with MS. Brain atrophy was measured from high-resolution MRIs. Regression analyses examined the impact of brain atrophy on (a) initial learning and delayed retrieval separately, and then (b) delayed retrieval controlling for initial learning. Brain atrophy was negatively associated with both initial learning and delayed retrieval (ps < .01), but brain atrophy was unrelated to retrieval when controlling for initial learning (p > .05). In addition, brain atrophy was associated with inefficient learning across initial acquisition trials, and brain atrophy was unrelated to delayed recall among MS subjects who successfully acquired the word list (although such learning frequently required many exposures). Taken together, memory deficits in MS are a result of deficits in initial learning; moreover, initial learning mediates the relationship between brain atrophy and subsequent retrieval, thereby supporting the core learning-deficit hypothesis of memory impairment in MS. PMID:23832311

First-Grade Predictors of Mathematical Learning Disability: A Latent Class Trajectory Analysis

PubMed Central

Geary, David C.; Bailey, Drew H.; Littlefield, Andrew; Wood, Phillip; Hoard, Mary K.; Nugent, Lara

2009-01-01

Kindergarten to 3rd grade mathematics achievement scores from a prospective study of mathematical development were subjected to latent growth trajectory analyses (n = 306). The four corresponding classes included children with mathematical learning disability (MLD, 6% of sample), and low (LA, 50%), typically (TA, 39%) and high (HA, 5%) achieving children. The groups were administered a battery of intelligence (IQ), working memory, and mathematical-cognition measures in 1st grade. The children with MLD had general deficits in working memory and IQ, and potentially more specific deficits on measures of number sense. The LA children did not have working memory or IQ deficits, but showed moderate deficits on these number sense measures and for addition fact retrieval. The distinguishing features of the HA children were a strong visuospatial working memory, a strong number sense, and frequent use of memory-based processes to solve addition problems. Implications for the early identification of children at risk for poor mathematics achievement are discussed. PMID:20046817

Sex differences in episodic memory in early midlife: impact of reproductive aging.

PubMed

Rentz, Dorene M; Weiss, Blair K; Jacobs, Emily G; Cherkerzian, Sara; Klibanski, Anne; Remington, Anne; Aizley, Harlyn; Goldstein, Jill M

2017-04-01

Few have characterized cognitive changes with age as a function of menopausal stage relative to men, or sex differences in components of memory in early midlife. The study aim was to investigate variation in memory function in early midlife as a function of sex, sex steroid hormones, and reproductive status. A total of 212 men and women aged 45 to 55 were selected for this cross-sectional study from a prenatal cohort of pregnancies whose mothers were originally recruited in 1959 to 1966. They underwent clinical and cognitive testing and hormonal assessments of menopause status. Multivariate general linear models for multiple memory outcomes were used to test hypotheses controlling for potential confounders. Episodic memory, executive function, semantic processing, and estimated verbal intelligence were assessed. Associative memory and episodic verbal memory were assessed using Face-Name Associative Memory Exam (FNAME) and Selective Reminding Test (SRT), given increased sensitivity to detecting early cognitive decline. Impacts of sex and reproductive stage on performance were tested. Women outperformed men on all memory measures including FNAME (β = -0.30, P < 0.0001) and SRT (β = -0.29, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, premenopausal and perimenopausal women outperformed postmenopausal women on FNAME (initial learning, β= 0.32, P = 0.01) and SRT (recall, β= 2.39, P = 0.02). Across all women, higher estradiol was associated with better SRT performance (recall, β = 1.96, P = 0.01) and marginally associated with FNAME (initial learning, β = 0.19, P = 0.06). This study demonstrated that, in early midlife, women outperformed age-matched men across all memory measures, but sex differences were attenuated for postmenopausal women. Initial learning and memory retrieval were particularly vulnerable, whereas memory consolidation and storage were preserved. Findings underscore the significance of the decline in ovarian estradiol production in midlife and its role in shaping memory function.

When Delays Improve Memory: Stabilizing Memory in Children May Require Time.

PubMed

Darby, Kevin P; Sloutsky, Vladimir M

2015-12-01

Memory is critical for learning, cognition, and cognitive development. Recent work has suggested that preschool-age children are vulnerable to catastrophic levels of memory interference, in which new learning dramatically attenuates memory for previously acquired knowledge. In the work reported here, we investigated the effects of consolidation on children's memory by introducing a 48-hr delay between learning and testing. In Experiment 1, the delay improved children's memory and eliminated interference. Results of Experiment 2 suggest that the benefit of this delay is limited to situations in which children are given enough information to form complex memory structures. These findings have important implications for understanding consolidation processes and memory development. © The Author(s) 2015.

Task Experience as a Boundary Condition for the Negative Effects of Irrelevant Information on Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rop, Gertjan; van Wermeskerken, Margot; de Nooijer, Jacqueline A.; Verkoeijen, Peter P. J. L.; van Gog, Tamara

2018-01-01

Research on multimedia learning has shown that learning is hampered when a multimedia message includes extraneous information that is not relevant for the task, because processing the extraneous information uses up scarce attention and working memory resources. However, eye-tracking research suggests that task experience might be a boundary…

Medial Auditory Thalamus Is Necessary for Acquisition and Retention of Eyeblink Conditioning to Cochlear Nucleus Stimulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halverson, Hunter E.; Poremba, Amy; Freeman, John H.

2015-01-01

Associative learning tasks commonly involve an auditory stimulus, which must be projected through the auditory system to the sites of memory induction for learning to occur. The cochlear nucleus (CN) projection to the pontine nuclei has been posited as the necessary auditory pathway for cerebellar learning, including eyeblink conditioning.…

Chronic Stress During Adolescence Impairs and Improves Learning and Memory in Adulthood

PubMed Central

Chaby, Lauren E.; Cavigelli, Sonia A.; Hirrlinger, Amy M.; Lim, James; Warg, Kendall M.; Braithwaite, Victoria A.

2015-01-01

HIGHLIGHTS This study tested the effects of adolescent-stress on adult learning and memory.Adolescent-stressed rats had enhanced reversal learning compared to unstressed rats.Adolescent-stress exposure made working memory more vulnerable to disturbance.Adolescent-stress did not affect adult associative learning or reference memory. Exposure to acute stress can cause a myriad of cognitive impairments, but whether negative experiences continue to hinder individual as they age is not as well understood. We determined how chronic unpredictable stress during adolescence affects multiple learning and memory processes in adulthood. Using male Sprague Dawley rats, we measured learning (both associative and reversal) and memory (both reference and working) starting 110 days after completion of an adolescent-stress treatment. We found that adolescent-stress affected adult cognitive abilities in a context-dependent way. Compared to rats reared without stress, adolescent-stressed rats exhibited enhanced reversal learning, an indicator of behavioral flexibility, but showed no change in associative learning and reference memory abilities. Working memory, which in humans is thought to underpin reasoning, mathematical skills, and reading comprehension, may be enhanced by exposure to adolescent-stress. However, when adolescent-stressed animals were tested after a novel disturbance, they exhibited a 5-fold decrease in working memory performance while unstressed rats continued to exhibit a linear learning curve. These results emphasize the capacity for stress during adolescence to transform the cognitive abilities of adult animals, even after stress exposure has ceased and animals have resided in safe environments for the majority of their lifespans. PMID:26696849

Media multitasking and implicit learning.

PubMed

Edwards, Kathleen S; Shin, Myoungju

2017-07-01

Media multitasking refers to the simultaneous use of different forms of media. Previous research comparing heavy media multitaskers and light media multitaskers suggests that heavy media multitaskers have a broader scope of attention. The present study explored whether these differences in attentional scope would lead to a greater degree of implicit learning for heavy media multitaskers. The study also examined whether media multitasking behaviour is associated with differences in visual working memory, and whether visual working memory differentially affects the ability to process contextual information. In addition to comparing extreme groups (heavy and light media multitaskers) the study included analysis of people who media multitask in moderation (intermediate media multitaskers). Ninety-four participants were divided into groups based on responses to the media use questionnaire, and completed the contextual cueing and n-back tasks. Results indicated that the speed at which implicit learning occurred was slower in heavy media multitaskers relative to both light and intermediate media multitaskers. There was no relationship between working memory performance and media multitasking group, and no relationship between working memory and implicit learning. There was also no evidence for superior performance of intermediate media multitaskers. A deficit in implicit learning observed in heavy media multitaskers is consistent with previous literature, which suggests that heavy media multitaskers perform more poorly than light media multitaskers in attentional tasks due to their wider attentional scope.

Have we met before? Neural correlates of emotional learning in women with social phobia.

PubMed

Laeger, Inga; Keuper, Kati; Heitmann, Carina; Kugel, Harald; Dobel, Christian; Eden, Annuschka; Arolt, Volker; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Dannlowski, Udo; Zwanzger, Peter

2014-05-01

Altered memory processes are thought to be a key mechanism in the etiology of anxiety disorders, but little is known about the neural correlates of fear learning and memory biases in patients with social phobia. The present study therefore examined whether patients with social phobia exhibit different patterns of neural activation when confronted with recently acquired emotional stimuli. Patients with social phobia and a group of healthy controls learned to associate pseudonames with pictures of persons displaying either a fearful or a neutral expression. The next day, participants read the pseudonames in the magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Afterwards, 2 memory tests were carried out. We enrolled 21 patients and 21 controls in our study. There were no group differences for learning performance, and results of the memory tests were mixed. On a neural level, patients showed weaker amygdala activation than controls for the contrast of names previously associated with fearful versus neutral faces. Social phobia severity was negatively related to amygdala activation. Moreover, a detailed psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed an inverse correlation between disorder severity and frontolimbic connectivity for the emotional > neutral pseudonames contrast. Our sample included only women. Our results support the theory of a disturbed cortico limbic interplay, even for recently learned emotional stimuli. We discuss the findings with regard to the vigilance-avoidance theory and contrast them to results indicating an oversensitive limbic system in patients with social phobia.

Procedural Learning and Individual Differences in Language

PubMed Central

Lee, Joanna C.; Tomblin, J. Bruce

2014-01-01

The aim of the current study was to examine different aspects of procedural memory in young adults who varied with regard to their language abilities. We selected a sample of procedural memory tasks, each of which represented a unique type of procedural learning, and has been linked, at least partially, to the functionality of the corticostriatal system. The findings showed that variance in language abilities is associated with performance on different domains of procedural memory, including the motor domain (as shown in the pursuit rotor task), the cognitive domain (as shown in the weather prediction task), and the linguistic domain (as shown in the nonword repetition priming task). These results implicate the corticostriatal system in individual differences in language. PMID:26190949

Interference from mere thinking: mental rehearsal temporarily disrupts recall of motor memory.

PubMed

Yin, Cong; Wei, Kunlin

2014-08-01

Interference between successively learned tasks is widely investigated to study motor memory. However, how simultaneously learned motor memories interact with each other has been rarely studied despite its prevalence in daily life. Assuming that motor memory shares common neural mechanisms with declarative memory system, we made unintuitive predictions that mental rehearsal, as opposed to further practice, of one motor memory will temporarily impair the recall of another simultaneously learned memory. Subjects simultaneously learned two sensorimotor tasks, i.e., visuomotor rotation and gain. They retrieved one memory by either practice or mental rehearsal and then had their memory evaluated. We found that mental rehearsal, instead of execution, impaired the recall of unretrieved memory. This impairment was content-independent, i.e., retrieving either gain or rotation impaired the other memory. Hence, conscious recollection of one motor memory interferes with the recall of another memory. This is analogous to retrieval-induced forgetting in declarative memory, suggesting a common neural process across memory systems. Our findings indicate that motor imagery is sufficient to induce interference between motor memories. Mental rehearsal, currently widely regarded as beneficial for motor performance, negatively affects memory recall when it is exercised for a subset of memorized items. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Evaluation of color preference in zebrafish for learning and memory.

PubMed

Avdesh, Avdesh; Martin-Iverson, Mathew T; Mondal, Alinda; Chen, Mengqi; Askraba, Sreten; Morgan, Newman; Lardelli, Michael; Groth, David M; Verdile, Giuseppe; Martins, Ralph N

2012-01-01

There is growing interest in using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A zebrafish model of tauopathies has recently been developed and characterized in terms of presence of the pathological hallmarks (i.e., neurofibrillary tangles and cell death). However, it is also necessary to validate these models for function by assessing learning and memory. The majority of tools to assess memory and learning in animal models involve visual stimuli, including color preference. The color preference of zebrafish has received little attention. To validate zebrafish as a model for color-associated-learning and memory, it is necessary to evaluate its natural preferences or any pre-existing biases towards specific colors. In the present study, we have used four different colors (red, yellow, green, and blue) to test natural color preferences of the zebrafish using two procedures: Place preference and T-maze. Results from both experiments indicate a strong aversion toward blue color relative to all other colors (red, yellow, and green) when tested in combinations. No preferences or biases were found among reds, yellows, and greens in the place preference procedure. However, red and green were equally preferred and both were preferred over yellow by zebrafish in the T-maze procedure. The results from the present study show a strong aversion towards blue color compared to red, green, and yellow, with yellow being less preferred relative to red and green. The findings from this study may underpin any further designing of color-based learning and memory paradigms or experiments involving aversion, anxiety, or fear in the zebrafish.

Resveratrol prevents high-calorie diet-induced learning and memory dysfunction in juvenile C57BL/6J mice.

PubMed

Xu, Bao-Lei; Zhang, Hui; Ma, Li-Na; Dong, Wen; Zhao, Zhi-Wei; Zhang, Jing-Shuang; Wang, Yu-Lan; Zhang, Xu; Wang, Rong

2018-05-24

Because resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to improve learning and memory, so we investigated the potential benefit of RSV on learning and memory deficits in juvenile mice fed with a HC diet and explored the molecular mechanisms underlying this process. Six-week-old C57BL/6J mice were divided into three different diet groups: control, HC diet, and HC + RSV diet. Serum insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Administration of RSV daily (30 mg/kg) prevented the HC diet-induced increase in juvenile animal body weight but did not improve any other physiological conditions, including fasting blood glucose and serum cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, and IGF-1 levels. However, RSV did prevent learning and memory deficits in the HC group. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) was downregulated in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in both the HC and HC + RSV groups, but the reduction was significantly greater in the HC + RSV group (P < .01 compared with the HC group). Moreover, although the HC diet reduced the number of p16-positive neurons, the HC + RSV diet significantly upregulated p16 expression in the CA1 region of the hippocampus (P < .01 compared with the HC group). RSV protected against learning and memory impairments in juvenile animals fed with a HC diet, possibly via upregulation of p16 or downregulation of PPARγ in the hippocampal CA1 region.

Temporal entrainment of cognitive functions: musical mnemonics induce brain plasticity and oscillatory synchrony in neural networks underlying memory.

PubMed

Thaut, Michael H; Peterson, David A; McIntosh, Gerald C

2005-12-01

In a series of experiments, we have begun to investigate the effect of music as a mnemonic device on learning and memory and the underlying plasticity of oscillatory neural networks. We used verbal learning and memory tests (standardized word lists, AVLT) in conjunction with electroencephalographic analysis to determine differences between verbal learning in either a spoken or musical (verbal materials as song lyrics) modality. In healthy adults, learning in both the spoken and music condition was associated with significant increases in oscillatory synchrony across all frequency bands. A significant difference between the spoken and music condition emerged in the cortical topography of the learning-related synchronization. When using EEG measures as predictors during learning for subsequent successful memory recall, significantly increased coherence (phase-locked synchronization) within and between oscillatory brain networks emerged for music in alpha and gamma bands. In a similar study with multiple sclerosis patients, superior learning and memory was shown in the music condition when controlled for word order recall, and subjects were instructed to sing back the word lists. Also, the music condition was associated with a significant power increase in the low-alpha band in bilateral frontal networks, indicating increased neuronal synchronization. Musical learning may access compensatory pathways for memory functions during compromised PFC functions associated with learning and recall. Music learning may also confer a neurophysiological advantage through the stronger synchronization of the neuronal cell assemblies underlying verbal learning and memory. Collectively our data provide evidence that melodic-rhythmic templates as temporal structures in music may drive internal rhythm formation in recurrent cortical networks involved in learning and memory.

C. elegans positive butanone learning, short-term, and long-term associative memory assays.

PubMed

Kauffman, Amanda; Parsons, Lance; Stein, Geneva; Wills, Airon; Kaletsky, Rachel; Murphy, Coleen

2011-03-11

The memory of experiences and learned information is critical for organisms to make choices that aid their survival. C. elegans navigates its environment through neuron-specific detection of food and chemical odors, and can associate nutritive states with chemical odors, temperature, and the pathogenicity of a food source. Here, we describe assays of C. elegans associative learning and short- and long-term associative memory. We modified an aversive olfactory learning paradigm to instead produce a positive response; the assay involves starving ~400 worms, then feeding the worms in the presence of the AWC neuron-sensed volatile chemoattractant butanone at a concentration that elicits a low chemotactic index (similar to Toroyama et al.). A standard population chemotaxis assay1 tests the worms' attraction to the odorant immediately or minutes to hours after conditioning. After conditioning, wild-type animals' chemotaxis to butanone increases ~0.6 Chemotaxis Index units, its "Learning Index". Associative learning is dependent on the presence of both food and butanone during training. Pairing food and butanone for a single conditioning period ("massed training") produces short-term associative memory that lasts ~2 hours. Multiple conditioning periods with rest periods between ("spaced training") yields long-term associative memory (<40 hours), and is dependent on the cAMP Response Element Binding protein (CREB), a transcription factor required for long-term memory across species. Our protocol also includes image analysis methods for quick and accurate determination of chemotaxis indices. High-contrast images of animals on chemotaxis assay plates are captured and analyzed by worm counting software in MatLab. The software corrects for uneven background using a morphological tophat transformation. Otsu's method is then used to determine a threshold to separate worms from the background. Very small particles are removed automatically and larger non-worm regions (plate edges or agar punches) are removed by manual selection. The software then estimates the size of single worm by ignoring regions that are above a specified maximum size and taking the median size of the remaining regions. The number of worms is then estimated by dividing the total area identified as occupied by worms by the estimated size of a single worm. We have found that learning and short- and long-term memory can be distinguished, and that these processes share similar key molecules with higher organisms. Our assays can quickly test novel candidate genes or molecules that affect learning and short- or long-term memory in C. elegans that are relevant across species.

Adrenoleukodystrophy

MedlinePlus

... 10. The most common symptoms are usually behavioral changes such as abnormal withdrawal or aggression, poor memory, and poor school performance. Other symptoms include visual loss, learning disabilities, ...

Cognitive deficits in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Potvin, Stéphane; Pelletier, Julie; Grot, Stéphanie; Hébert, Catherine; Barr, Alasdair M; Lecomte, Tania

2018-05-01

Methamphetamine has long been considered as a neurotoxic substance causing cognitive deficits. Recently, however, the magnitude and the clinical significance of the cognitive effects associated with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) have been debated. To help clarify this controversy, we performed a meta-analysis of the cognitive deficits associated with MUD. A literature search yielded 44 studies that assessed cognitive dysfunction in 1592 subjects with MUD and 1820 healthy controls. Effect size estimates were calculated using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis, for the following 12 cognitive domains: attention, executive functions, impulsivity/reward processing, social cognition, speed of processing, verbal fluency/language, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, visuo-spatial abilities and working memory. Findings revealed moderate impairment across most cognitive domains, including attention, executive functions, language/verbal fluency, verbal learning and memory, visual memory and working memory. Deficits in impulsivity/reward processing and social cognition were more prominent, whereas visual learning and visuo-spatial abilities were relatively spared cognitive domains. A publication bias was observed. These results show that MUD is associated with broad cognitive deficits that are in the same range as those associated with alcohol and cocaine use disorder, as recently shown by way of meta-analysis. The prominent effects of MUD on social cognition and impulsivity/reward processing are based on a small number of studies, and as such, these results will need to be replicated. The functional consequences (social and occupational) of the cognitive deficits of methamphetamine will also need to be determined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Working memory supports inference learning just like classification learning.

PubMed

Craig, Stewart; Lewandowsky, Stephan

2013-08-01

Recent research has found a positive relationship between people's working memory capacity (WMC) and their speed of category learning. To date, only classification-learning tasks have been considered, in which people learn to assign category labels to objects. It is unknown whether learning to make inferences about category features might also be related to WMC. We report data from a study in which 119 participants undertook classification learning and inference learning, and completed a series of WMC tasks. Working memory capacity was positively related to people's classification and inference learning performance.

Stochastic associative memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, Erwin W.; Williams, David L.

1993-08-01

Artificial neural networks capable of learning and recalling stochastic associations between non-deterministic quantities have received relatively little attention to date. One potential application of such stochastic associative networks is the generation of sensory 'expectations' based on arbitrary subsets of sensor inputs to support anticipatory and investigate behavior in sensor-based robots. Another application of this type of associative memory is the prediction of how a scene will look in one spectral band, including noise, based upon its appearance in several other wavebands. This paper describes a semi-supervised neural network architecture composed of self-organizing maps associated through stochastic inter-layer connections. This 'Stochastic Associative Memory' (SAM) can learn and recall non-deterministic associations between multi-dimensional probability density functions. The stochastic nature of the network also enables it to represent noise distributions that are inherent in any true sensing process. The SAM architecture, training process, and initial application to sensor image prediction are described. Relationships to Fuzzy Associative Memory (FAM) are discussed.

Tracking the fear memory engram: discrete populations of neurons within amygdala, hypothalamus, and lateral septum are specifically activated by auditory fear conditioning

PubMed Central

Wilson, Yvette M.; Gunnersen, Jenny M.; Murphy, Mark

2015-01-01

Memory formation is thought to occur via enhanced synaptic connectivity between populations of neurons in the brain. However, it has been difficult to localize and identify the neurons that are directly involved in the formation of any specific memory. We have previously used fos-tau-lacZ (FTL) transgenic mice to identify discrete populations of neurons in amygdala and hypothalamus, which were specifically activated by fear conditioning to a context. Here we have examined neuronal activation due to fear conditioning to a more specific auditory cue. Discrete populations of learning-specific neurons were identified in only a small number of locations in the brain, including those previously found to be activated in amygdala and hypothalamus by context fear conditioning. These populations, each containing only a relatively small number of neurons, may be directly involved in fear learning and memory. PMID:26179231

Thirst for knowledge: The effects of curiosity and interest on memory in younger and older adults.

PubMed

McGillivray, Shannon; Murayama, Kou; Castel, Alan D

2015-12-01

Given age-related memory impairments, one's level of curiosity or interest could enhance memory for certain information. In the current study, younger and older adults read trivia questions, rated how curious they were to learn each answer, provided confidence and interest ratings, and judgments of learning after learning the answer. No age-related differences in memory were found. Analyses indicated that curiosity and interest contributed to the formation of judgments of learning. Additionally, interest had a unique increasing relationship with older, but not younger, adults' memory performance after a one-week delay. The results suggest that subjective interest may serve to enhance older adults' memory. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Fast but fleeting: adaptive motor learning processes associated with aging and cognitive decline.

PubMed

Trewartha, Kevin M; Garcia, Angeles; Wolpert, Daniel M; Flanagan, J Randall

2014-10-01

Motor learning has been shown to depend on multiple interacting learning processes. For example, learning to adapt when moving grasped objects with novel dynamics involves a fast process that adapts and decays quickly-and that has been linked to explicit memory-and a slower process that adapts and decays more gradually. Each process is characterized by a learning rate that controls how strongly motor memory is updated based on experienced errors and a retention factor determining the movement-to-movement decay in motor memory. Here we examined whether fast and slow motor learning processes involved in learning novel dynamics differ between younger and older adults. In addition, we investigated how age-related decline in explicit memory performance influences learning and retention parameters. Although the groups adapted equally well, they did so with markedly different underlying processes. Whereas the groups had similar fast processes, they had different slow processes. Specifically, the older adults exhibited decreased retention in their slow process compared with younger adults. Within the older group, who exhibited considerable variation in explicit memory performance, we found that poor explicit memory was associated with reduced retention in the fast process, as well as the slow process. These findings suggest that explicit memory resources are a determining factor in impairments in the both the fast and slow processes for motor learning but that aging effects on the slow process are independent of explicit memory declines. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3413411-11$15.00/0.

Maladaptive learning and memory in hybrids as a reproductive isolating barrier.

PubMed

Rice, Amber M; McQuillan, Michael A

2018-05-30

Selection against hybrid offspring, or postzygotic reproductive isolation, maintains species boundaries in the face of gene flow from hybridization. In this review, we propose that maladaptive learning and memory in hybrids is an important, but overlooked form of postzygotic reproductive isolation. Although a role for learning in premating isolation has been supported, whether learning deficiencies can contribute to postzygotic isolation has rarely been tested. We argue that the novel genetic combinations created by hybridization have the potential to impact learning and memory abilities through multiple possible mechanisms, and that any displacement from optima in these traits is likely to have fitness consequences. We review evidence supporting the potential for hybridization to affect learning and memory, and evidence of links between learning abilities and fitness. Finally, we suggest several avenues for future research. Given the importance of learning for fitness, especially in novel and unpredictable environments, maladaptive learning and memory in hybrids may be an increasingly important source of postzygotic reproductive isolation. © 2018 The Author(s).

A close relationship between verbal memory and SN/VTA integrity in young and older adults.

PubMed

Düzel, Sandra; Schütze, Hartmut; Stallforth, Sabine; Kaufmann, Jörn; Bodammer, Nils; Bunzeck, Nico; Münte, Thomas F; Lindenberger, Ulman; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Düzel, Emrah

2008-11-01

Age-related dysfunction in dopaminergic neuromodulation is assumed to contribute to age-associated memory impairment. However, to date there are no in vivo data on how structural parameters of the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA), the main origin of dopaminergic projections, relate to memory performance in healthy young and older adults. We investigated this relationship in a cross-sectional study including data from the hippocampus and frontal white matter (FWM) and also assessing working memory span and attention. In groups of young and older adults matched for the variance of their age distribution, gender and body mass index, we observed a robust positive correlation between Magnetization Transfer Ratio (MTR)--a measure of structural integrity--of the SN/VTA and FWM with verbal learning and memory performance among older adults, while there was a negative correlation in the young. Two additional imaging parameters, anisotropy of diffusion and diffusion coefficient, suggested that in older adults FWM changes reflected vascular pathology while SN/VTA changes pointed towards neuronal loss and loss of water content. The negative correlation in the young possibly reflected maturational changes. Multiple regression analyses indicated that in both young and older adults, SN/VTA MTR explained more variance of verbal learning and memory than FWM MTR or hippocampal MTR, and contributed less to explaining variance of working memory span. Together these findings indicate that structural integrity in the SN/VTA has a relatively selective impact on verbal learning and memory and undergoes specific changes from young adulthood to older age that qualitatively differ from changes in the FWM and hippocampus.

Enhanced oscillatory activity in the hippocampal-prefrontal network is related to short-term memory function after early-life seizures

PubMed Central

Kleen, Jonathan K.; Wu, Edie X.; Holmes, Gregory L.; Scott, Rod C.; Lenck-Santini, Pierre-Pascal

2011-01-01

Neurological insults during development are associated with later impairments in learning and memory. Although remedial training can help restore cognitive function, the neural mechanisms of this recovery in memory systems are largely unknown. To examine this issue we measured electrophysiological oscillatory activity in the hippocampus (both CA3 and CA1) and prefrontal cortex of adult rats that had experienced repeated seizures in the first weeks of life, while they were remedially trained on a delayed-nonmatch-to-sample memory task. Seizure-exposed rats showed initial difficulties learning the task but performed similar to control rats after extra training. Whole-session analyses illustrated enhanced theta power in all three structures while seizure rats learned response tasks prior to the memory task. Whilst performing the memory task, dynamic oscillation patterns revealed that prefrontal cortex theta power was increased among seizure-exposed rats. This enhancement appeared after the first memory training steps using short delays and plateaued at the most difficult steps which included both short and long delays. Further, seizure rats showed enhanced CA1-prefrontal theta coherence in correct trials compared to incorrect trials when long delays were imposed, suggesting increased hippocampal-prefrontal synchrony for the task in this group when memory demand was high. Seizure-exposed rats also showed heightened gamma power and coherence among all three structures during the trials. Our results demonstrate the first evidence of hippocampal-prefrontal enhancements following seizures in early development. Dynamic compensatory changes in this network and interconnected circuits may underpin cognitive rehabilitation following other neurological insults to higher cognitive systems. PMID:22031886

Drawing enhances cross-modal memory plasticity in the human brain: a case study in a totally blind adult

PubMed Central

Likova, Lora T.

2012-01-01

In a memory-guided drawing task under blindfolded conditions, we have recently used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to demonstrate that the primary visual cortex (V1) may operate as the visuo-spatial buffer, or “sketchpad,” for working memory. The results implied, however, a modality-independent or amodal form of its operation. In the present study, to validate the role of V1 in non-visual memory, we eliminated not only the visual input but all levels of visual processing by replicating the paradigm in a congenitally blind individual. Our novel Cognitive-Kinesthetic method was used to train this totally blind subject to draw complex images guided solely by tactile memory. Control tasks of tactile exploration and memorization of the image to be drawn, and memory-free scribbling were also included. FMRI was run before training and after training. Remarkably, V1 of this congenitally blind individual, which before training exhibited noisy, immature, and non-specific responses, after training produced full-fledged response time-courses specific to the tactile-memory drawing task. The results reveal the operation of a rapid training-based plasticity mechanism that recruits the resources of V1 in the process of learning to draw. The learning paradigm allowed us to investigate for the first time the evolution of plastic re-assignment in V1 in a congenitally blind subject. These findings are consistent with a non-visual memory involvement of V1, and specifically imply that the observed cortical reorganization can be empowered by the process of learning to draw. PMID:22593738

Drawing enhances cross-modal memory plasticity in the human brain: a case study in a totally blind adult.

PubMed

Likova, Lora T

2012-01-01

In a memory-guided drawing task under blindfolded conditions, we have recently used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to demonstrate that the primary visual cortex (V1) may operate as the visuo-spatial buffer, or "sketchpad," for working memory. The results implied, however, a modality-independent or amodal form of its operation. In the present study, to validate the role of V1 in non-visual memory, we eliminated not only the visual input but all levels of visual processing by replicating the paradigm in a congenitally blind individual. Our novel Cognitive-Kinesthetic method was used to train this totally blind subject to draw complex images guided solely by tactile memory. Control tasks of tactile exploration and memorization of the image to be drawn, and memory-free scribbling were also included. FMRI was run before training and after training. Remarkably, V1 of this congenitally blind individual, which before training exhibited noisy, immature, and non-specific responses, after training produced full-fledged response time-courses specific to the tactile-memory drawing task. The results reveal the operation of a rapid training-based plasticity mechanism that recruits the resources of V1 in the process of learning to draw. The learning paradigm allowed us to investigate for the first time the evolution of plastic re-assignment in V1 in a congenitally blind subject. These findings are consistent with a non-visual memory involvement of V1, and specifically imply that the observed cortical reorganization can be empowered by the process of learning to draw.

The Simple Act of Choosing Influences Declarative Memory

PubMed Central

Murty, Vishnu P.; DuBrow, Sarah

2015-01-01

Individuals value the opportunity to make choices and exert control over their environment. This perceived sense of agency has been shown to have broad influences on cognition, including preference, decision-making, and valuation. However, it is unclear whether perceived control influences memory. Using a combined behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging approach, we investigated whether imbuing individuals with a sense of agency over their learning experience influences novel memory encoding. Participants encoded objects during a task that manipulated the opportunity to choose. Critically, unlike previous work on active learning, there was no relationship between individuals' choices and the content of memoranda. Despite this, we found that the opportunity to choose resulted in robust, reliable enhancements in declarative memory. Neuroimaging results revealed that anticipatory activation of the striatum, a region associated with decision-making, valuation, and exploration, correlated with choice-induced memory enhancements in behavior. These memory enhancements were further associated with interactions between the striatum and hippocampus. Specifically, anticipatory signals in the striatum when participants are alerted to the fact that they will have to choose one of two memoranda were associated with encoding success effects in the hippocampus on a trial-by-trial basis. The precedence of the striatal signal in these interactions suggests a modulatory relationship of the striatum over the hippocampus. These findings not only demonstrate enhanced declarative memory when individuals have perceived control over their learning but also support a novel mechanism by which these enhancements emerge. Furthermore, they demonstrate a novel context in which mesolimbic and declarative memory systems interact. PMID:25904779

The simple act of choosing influences declarative memory.

PubMed

Murty, Vishnu P; DuBrow, Sarah; Davachi, Lila

2015-04-22

Individuals value the opportunity to make choices and exert control over their environment. This perceived sense of agency has been shown to have broad influences on cognition, including preference, decision-making, and valuation. However, it is unclear whether perceived control influences memory. Using a combined behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging approach, we investigated whether imbuing individuals with a sense of agency over their learning experience influences novel memory encoding. Participants encoded objects during a task that manipulated the opportunity to choose. Critically, unlike previous work on active learning, there was no relationship between individuals' choices and the content of memoranda. Despite this, we found that the opportunity to choose resulted in robust, reliable enhancements in declarative memory. Neuroimaging results revealed that anticipatory activation of the striatum, a region associated with decision-making, valuation, and exploration, correlated with choice-induced memory enhancements in behavior. These memory enhancements were further associated with interactions between the striatum and hippocampus. Specifically, anticipatory signals in the striatum when participants are alerted to the fact that they will have to choose one of two memoranda were associated with encoding success effects in the hippocampus on a trial-by-trial basis. The precedence of the striatal signal in these interactions suggests a modulatory relationship of the striatum over the hippocampus. These findings not only demonstrate enhanced declarative memory when individuals have perceived control over their learning but also support a novel mechanism by which these enhancements emerge. Furthermore, they demonstrate a novel context in which mesolimbic and declarative memory systems interact. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/356255-10$15.00/0.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment restores memory-related gene expression and learning ability in neonicotinoid-treated Apis mellifera.

PubMed

Hu, Y-T; Tang, C-K; Wu, C-P; Wu, P-C; Yang, E-C; Tai, C-C; Wu, Y-L

2018-04-25

Apis mellifera plays crucial roles in maintaining the balance of global ecosystems and stability of agricultural systems by helping pollination of flowering plants, including many crops. In recent years, this balance has been disrupted greatly by some pesticides, which results in great losses of honeybees worldwide. Previous studies have found that pesticide-caused memory loss might be one of the major reasons for colony loss. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are chemical compounds that inhibit the activity of histone deacetylases and are known to cause hyperacetylation of histone cores and influence gene expression. In our study, the HDACi sodium butyrate was applied to honeybees as a dietary supplement. The effect of sodium butyrate on the expression profiles of memory-related genes was analysed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The results revealed that this HDACi had up-regulation effects on most of the memory-related genes in bees, even in bees treated with imidacloprid. In addition, using the proboscis extension reflex to evaluate olfactory learning in bees, we found that this HDACi boosted the memory formation of bees after impairment owing to imidacloprid exposure. This study investigated the association between gene expression and memory formation from an epigenetic perspective. Additionally, we further demonstrate the possibility of enhancing bee learning using HDACis and provide initial data for future research. © 2018 The Royal Entomological Society.

Episodic, semantic and procedural memory in a case of amnesia at an early age.

PubMed

Ostergaard, A L

1987-01-01

The patient C.C. developed an amnesic syndrome at the age of 10 yr. Like adult amnesics, C.C. demonstrated impaired episodic memory for both verbal and visual materials although immediate memory span was spared. However, striking deficits were also observed on a wide variety of semantic memory tasks, including reading vocabulary and verbal fluency tests, semantic classification and lexical decision tasks and tests of verbal intelligence. On the other hand, C.C. showed normal learning and retention of two procedural tasks. It was argued that this evidence is inconsistent with the view that the amnesic syndrome represents a selective defect of episodic memory that leaves semantic memory relatively unaffected.

Incidental Learning: A Brief, Valid Measure of Memory Based on the WAIS-IV Vocabulary and Similarities Subtests.

PubMed

Spencer, Robert J; Reckow, Jaclyn; Drag, Lauren L; Bieliauskas, Linas A

2016-12-01

We assessed the validity of a brief incidental learning measure based on the Similarities and Vocabulary subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). Most neuropsychological assessments for memory require intentional learning, but incidental learning occurs without explicit instruction. Incidental memory tests such as the WAIS-III Symbol Digit Coding subtest have existed for many years, but few memory studies have used a semantically processed incidental learning model. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 37 veterans with traumatic brain injury, referred for outpatient neuropsychological testing at a Veterans Affairs hospital. As part of their evaluation, the participants completed the incidental learning tasks. We compared their incidental learning performance to their performance on traditional memory measures. Incidental learning scores correlated strongly with scores on the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R). After we conducted a partial correlation that controlled for the effects of age, incidental learning correlated significantly with the CVLT-II Immediate Free Recall, CVLT-II Short-Delay Recall, CVLT-II Long-Delay Recall, and CVLT-II Yes/No Recognition Hits, and with the BVMT-R Delayed Recall and BVMT-R Recognition Discrimination Index. Our incidental learning procedures derived from subtests of the WAIS-IV Edition are an efficient and valid way of measuring memory. These tasks add minimally to testing time and capitalize on the semantic encoding that is inherent in completing the Similarities and Vocabulary subtests.

Patient learning of treatment contents in cognitive therapy.

PubMed

Gumport, Nicole B; Dong, Lu; Lee, Jason Y; Harvey, Allison G

2018-03-01

Research has demonstrated that both memory and learning for treatment contents are poor, and that both are associated with worse treatment outcome. The Memory Support Intervention has been shown to improve memory for treatment, but it has not yet been established if this intervention can also improve learning of treatment contents. This study was designed to document the number of times participants exhibited each of the indices of learning, to examine the indices of learning and their relationship to recall of treatment points, and to investigate the association between the indices of learning and depression outcome. Adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder (N = 48) were randomly assigned to 14 sessions of cognitive therapy-as-usual (CT-as-usual) or cognitive therapy plus the Memory Support Intervention (CT + Memory Support). Measures of learning, memory, and depressive symptomatology were taken at mid-treatment, post-treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. Relative to the CT-as-usual group, participants in the CT + Memory Support group reported more accurate thoughts and applications of treatment points at mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Patient recall was significantly correlated with application and cognitive generalization. Thoughts and application at mid-treatment were associated with increased odds of treatment response at post-treatment. The learning measure for this study has not yet been psychometrically validated. The results are based on a small sample. Learning during treatment is poor, but modifiable via the Memory Support Intervention. These results provide encouraging data that improving learning of treatment contents can reduce symptoms during and following treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on verbal memory revealed with fMRI

PubMed Central

Lu, Lisa H.; Johnson, Arianne; O’Hare, Elizabeth D.; Bookheimer, Susan Y.; Smith, Lynne M.; O’Connor, Mary J.; Sowell, Elizabeth R.

2009-01-01

Objective Efforts to understand specific effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on cognitive processing are hampered by high rates of concomitant alcohol use during pregnancy. We examined whether neurocognitive systems differed among children with differing prenatal teratogenic exposures when they engaged in a verbal memory task. Patients and Methods Participants (7-15 years old) engaged in a verbal paired associate learning task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. The MA group included 14 children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure, 12 of whom had concomitant alcohol exposure. They were compared to 9 children with prenatal alcohol but not methamphetamine exposure (ALC) and 20 unexposed controls (CON). Groups did not differ in age, gender, or socioeconomic status. Participants’ IQ and verbal learning performance were measured using standardized instruments. Results The MA group activated more diffuse brain regions, including bilateral medial temporal structures known to be important for memory, than both the ALC and the CON groups. These group differences remained after IQ was covaried. More activation in medial temporal structures by the MA group compared to the ALC group cannot be explained by performance differences because both groups performed at similar levels on the verbal memory task. Conclusions More diffuse activation in the MA group during verbal memory may reflect recruitment of compensatory systems to support a weak verbal memory network. Differences in activation patterns between the MA and ALC groups suggest that prenatal MA exposure influences the development of the verbal memory system above and beyond effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. PMID:19525715

Declarative memory: sleep protects new memories from interference.

PubMed

Norman, Kenneth A

2006-08-08

Interference is one of the most fundamental phenomena in memory research: acquiring new memories causes forgetting of other, related memories. A new study shows that sleep, interposed between learning episodes, can mitigate the extent to which new (post-sleep) learning interferes with recall of previously acquired knowledge.

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Formation of Long-Term Reward Memories and Extinction Memories in the Honeybee ("Apis Mellifera")

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenhardt, Dorothea

2014-01-01

The honeybee ("Apis mellifera") has long served as an invertebrate model organism for reward learning and memory research. Its capacity for learning and memory formation is rooted in the ecological need to efficiently collect nectar and pollen during summer to ensure survival of the hive during winter. Foraging bees learn to associate a…

Machine Learning Analysis Identifies Drosophila Grunge/Atrophin as an Important Learning and Memory Gene Required for Memory Retention and Social Learning.

PubMed

Kacsoh, Balint Z; Greene, Casey S; Bosco, Giovanni

2017-11-06

High-throughput experiments are becoming increasingly common, and scientists must balance hypothesis-driven experiments with genome-wide data acquisition. We sought to predict novel genes involved in Drosophila learning and long-term memory from existing public high-throughput data. We performed an analysis using PILGRM, which analyzes public gene expression compendia using machine learning. We evaluated the top prediction alongside genes involved in learning and memory in IMP, an interface for functional relationship networks. We identified Grunge/Atrophin ( Gug/Atro ), a transcriptional repressor, histone deacetylase, as our top candidate. We find, through multiple, distinct assays, that Gug has an active role as a modulator of memory retention in the fly and its function is required in the adult mushroom body. Depletion of Gug specifically in neurons of the adult mushroom body, after cell division and neuronal development is complete, suggests that Gug function is important for memory retention through regulation of neuronal activity, and not by altering neurodevelopment. Our study provides a previously uncharacterized role for Gug as a possible regulator of neuronal plasticity at the interface of memory retention and memory extinction. Copyright © 2017 Kacsoh et al.

The influence of cognitive dysfunction on benefit from learning and memory rehabilitation in MS: A sub-analysis of the MEMREHAB trial.

PubMed

Chiaravalloti, Nancy D; DeLuca, John

2015-10-01

This study examined the influence of processing speed (PS) on benefit from treatment with the modified Story Memory Technique(©) (mSMT), a behavioral intervention shown to improve new learning and memory in multiple sclerosis (MS). This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial included 85 participants with clinically definite MS, 45 assigned to the treatment group and 40 to the placebo-control group. Participants completed baseline and follow-up neuropsychological assessment. The present study represents a post-hoc analysis to examine the role of PS on treatment efficacy. The treatment group showed a significantly improved CVLT learning slope relative to the placebo group post-treatment, after co-varying PS performance. SDMT performance was a significant predictor of benefit from mSMT treatment, beyond group assignment. Post-hoc analysis indicated a significant correlation between the SDMT and overall cognition, indicating that the SDMT may be serving as a proxy for overall cognitive impairment. Performance on measures of cognitive dysfunction aside from learning and memory impact the benefit of mSMT treatment. While the current study focused on PS as a critical factor, PS may be serving as a marker for generalized cognitive dysfunction. Implications for cognitive rehabilitation in MS are discussed. © The Author(s), 2015.

Learning and memory performance in a cohort of clinically referred breast cancer survivors: the role of attention versus forgetting in patient-reported memory complaints.

PubMed

Root, James C; Ryan, Elizabeth; Barnett, Gregory; Andreotti, Charissa; Bolutayo, Kemi; Ahles, Tim

2015-05-01

While forgetfulness is widely reported by breast cancer survivors, studies documenting objective memory performance yield mixed, largely inconsistent, results. Failure to find consistent, objective memory issues may be due to the possibility that cancer survivors misattribute their experience of forgetfulness to primary memory issues rather than to difficulties in attention at the time of learning. To clarify potential attention issues, factor scores for Attention Span, Learning Efficiency, Delayed Memory, and Inaccurate Memory were analyzed for the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) in 64 clinically referred breast cancer survivors with self-reported cognitive complaints; item analysis was conducted to clarify specific contributors to observed effects, and contrasts between learning and recall trials were compared with normative data. Performance on broader cognitive domains is also reported. The Attention Span factor, but not Learning Efficiency, Delayed Memory, or Inaccurate Memory factors, was significantly affected in this clinical sample. Contrasts between trials were consistent with normative data and did not indicate greater loss of information over time than in the normative sample. Results of this analysis suggest that attentional dysfunction may contribute to subjective and objective memory complaints in breast cancer survivors. These results are discussed in the context of broader cognitive effects following treatment for clinicians who may see cancer survivors for assessment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Making long-term memories in minutes: a spaced learning pattern from memory research in education

PubMed Central

Kelley, Paul; Whatson, Terry

2013-01-01

Memory systems select from environmental stimuli those to encode permanently. Repeated stimuli separated by timed spaces without stimuli can initiate Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) and long-term memory (LTM) encoding. These processes occur in time scales of minutes, and have been demonstrated in many species. This study reports on using a specific timed pattern of three repeated stimuli separated by 10 min spaces drawn from both behavioral and laboratory studies of LTP and LTM encoding. A technique was developed based on this pattern to test whether encoding complex information into LTM in students was possible using the pattern within a very short time scale. In an educational context, stimuli were periods of highly compressed instruction, and spaces were created through 10 min distractor activities. Spaced Learning in this form was used as the only means of instruction for a national curriculum Biology course, and led to very rapid LTM encoding as measured by the high-stakes test for the course. Remarkably, learning at a greatly increased speed and in a pattern that included deliberate distraction produced significantly higher scores than random answers (p < 0.00001) and scores were not significantly different for experimental groups (one hour spaced learning) and control groups (four months teaching). Thus learning per hour of instruction, as measured by the test, was significantly higher for the spaced learning groups (p < 0.00001). In a third condition, spaced learning was used to replace the end of course review for one of two examinations. Results showed significantly higher outcomes for the course using spaced learning (p < 0.0005). The implications of these findings and further areas for research are briefly considered. PMID:24093012

NMDA Receptors Mediate Olfactory Learning and Memory in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Xia, Shouzhen; Miyashita, Tomoyuki; Fu, Tsai-Feng; Lin, Wei-Yong; Wu, Chia-Lin; Pyzocha, Lori; Lin, Inn-Ray; Saitoe, Minoru; Tully, Tim; Chiang, Ann-Shyn

2011-01-01

Summary Background Molecular and electrophysiological properties of NMDARs suggest that they may be the Hebbian “coincidence detectors” hypothesized to underlie associative learning. Because of the nonspecificity of drugs that modulate NMDAR function or the relatively chronic genetic manipulations of various NMDAR subunits from mammalian studies, conclusive evidence for such an acute role for NMDARs in adult behavioral plasticity, however, is lacking. Moreover, a role for NMDARs in memory consolidation remains controversial. Results The Drosophila genome encodes two NMDAR homologs, dNR1 and dNR2. When coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes or Drosophila S2 cells, dNR1 and dNR2 form functional NMDARs with several of the distinguishing molecular properties observed for vertebrate NMDARs, including voltage/Mg2+-dependent activation by glutamate. Both proteins are weakly expressed throughout the entire brain but show preferential expression in several neurons surrounding the dendritic region of the mushroom bodies. Hypomorphic mutations of the essential dNR1 gene disrupt olfactory learning, and this learning defect is rescued with wild-type transgenes. Importantly, we show that Pavlovian learning is disrupted in adults within 15 hr after transient induction of a dNR1 antisense RNA transgene. Extended training is sufficient to overcome this initial learning defect, but long-term memory (LTM) specifically is abolished under these training conditions. Conclusions Our study uses a combination of molecular-genetic tools to (1) generate genomic mutations of the dNR1 gene, (2) rescue the accompanying learning deficit with a dNR1+ transgene, and (3) rapidly and transiently knockdown dNR1+ expression in adults, thereby demonstrating an evolutionarily conserved role for the acute involvement of NMDARs in associative learning and memory. PMID:15823532

NMDA receptors mediate olfactory learning and memory in Drosophila.

PubMed

Xia, Shouzhen; Miyashita, Tomoyuki; Fu, Tsai-Feng; Lin, Wei-Yong; Wu, Chia-Lin; Pyzocha, Lori; Lin, Inn-Ray; Saitoe, Minoru; Tully, Tim; Chiang, Ann-Shyn

2005-04-12

Molecular and electrophysiological properties of NMDARs suggest that they may be the Hebbian "coincidence detectors" hypothesized to underlie associative learning. Because of the nonspecificity of drugs that modulate NMDAR function or the relatively chronic genetic manipulations of various NMDAR subunits from mammalian studies, conclusive evidence for such an acute role for NMDARs in adult behavioral plasticity, however, is lacking. Moreover, a role for NMDARs in memory consolidation remains controversial. The Drosophila genome encodes two NMDAR homologs, dNR1 and dNR2. When coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes or Drosophila S2 cells, dNR1 and dNR2 form functional NMDARs with several of the distinguishing molecular properties observed for vertebrate NMDARs, including voltage/Mg(2+)-dependent activation by glutamate. Both proteins are weakly expressed throughout the entire brain but show preferential expression in several neurons surrounding the dendritic region of the mushroom bodies. Hypomorphic mutations of the essential dNR1 gene disrupt olfactory learning, and this learning defect is rescued with wild-type transgenes. Importantly, we show that Pavlovian learning is disrupted in adults within 15 hr after transient induction of a dNR1 antisense RNA transgene. Extended training is sufficient to overcome this initial learning defect, but long-term memory (LTM) specifically is abolished under these training conditions. Our study uses a combination of molecular-genetic tools to (1) generate genomic mutations of the dNR1 gene, (2) rescue the accompanying learning deficit with a dNR1+ transgene, and (3) rapidly and transiently knockdown dNR1+ expression in adults, thereby demonstrating an evolutionarily conserved role for the acute involvement of NMDARs in associative learning and memory.

CREB regulates memory allocation in the insular cortex

PubMed Central

Sano, Yoshitake; Shobe, Justin L.; Zhou, Miou; Huang, Shan; Shuman, Tristan; Cai, Denise J.; Golshani, Peyman; Kamata, Masakazu; Silva, Alcino J.

2016-01-01

Summary The molecular and cellular mechanisms of memory storage have attracted a great deal of attention. By comparison, little is known about memory allocation, the process that determines which specific neurons in a neural network will store a given memory [1, 2]. Previous studies demonstrated that memory allocation is not random in the amygdala; these studies showed that amygdala neurons with higher levels of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) are more likely to be recruited into encoding and storing fear memory [3–6]. To determine whether specific mechanisms also regulate memory allocation in other brain regions, and whether CREB also has a role in this process, we studied insular cortical memory representations for conditioned taste aversion (CTA). In this task, an animal learns to associate a taste (CS) with the experience of malaise (such as that induced by LiCl; US). The insular cortex is required for CTA memory formation and retrieval [7–12]. CTA learning activates a subpopulation of neurons in this structure [13–15], and the insular cortex and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) interact during CTA formation [16, 17]. Here, we used a combination of approaches, including viral vector transfections of insular cortex, arc Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) system, to show that CREB levels determine which insular cortical neurons go on to encode a given conditioned taste memory. PMID:25454591

Hippocampal Arc (Arg3.1) expression is induced by memory recall and required for memory reconsolidation in trace fear conditioning.

PubMed

Chia, Chester; Otto, Tim

2013-11-01

Mounting evidence suggests that long-lasting, protein synthesis-dependent changes in synaptic strength accompany both the initial acquisition and subsequent recall of specific memories. Within brain areas thought to be important for learning and memory, including the hippocampus, learning-related plasticity is likely mediated in part by NMDA receptor activation and experience-dependent changes in gene expression. In the present study, we examined the role of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1) expression in the acquisition, recall, and reconsolidation of memory in a trace fear conditioning paradigm. First, we show that the expression of Arc protein in ventral hippocampus (VH) is dramatically enhanced by memory recall 24h after the acquisition of trace fear conditioning, and that both memory recall and the associated recall-induced enhancement of Arc expression are blocked by pre-training administration of 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV). Next, we show that while infusion of Arc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) into VH prior to testing had little effect on memory recall, it significantly reduced both Arc protein expression and freezing behavior during subsequent testing sessions. Collectively, these results suggest that Arc/Arg3.1 protein plays an important functional role in both the initial acquisition of hippocampal-dependent memory and the reconsolidation of these memories after recall. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Elevated stress is associated with prefrontal cortex dysfunction during a verbal memory task in women with HIV

PubMed Central

Rubin, Leah H.; Wu, Minjie; Sundermann, Erin E.; Meyer, Vanessa J.; Smith, Rachael; Weber, Kathleen M.; Cohen, Mardge H.; Little, Deborah M.; Maki, Pauline M.

2016-01-01

HIV-infected women may be particularly vulnerable to verbal learning and memory deficits. One factor contributing to these deficits is high perceived stress, which is associated with prefrontal cortical (PFC) atrophy and memory outcomes sensitive to PFC function, including retrieval and semantic clustering. We examined the association between stress and PFC activation during a verbal memory task in 36 HIV-infected women from the Chicago Consortium of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) to better understand the role of the PFC in this stress-related impairment. Participants completed standardized measures of verbal learning and memory and stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess brain function while participants completed encoding and recognition phases of a verbal memory task. HIV-infected women with higher stress (scores in top tertile) performed worse on all verbal memory outcomes including strategic encoding (p’s<0.05) compared to HIV-infected women with lower stress (scores in lower two tertiles). Patterns of brain activation during recognition (but not encoding) differed between women with higher versus lower stress. During recognition, women with higher stress demonstrated greater deactivation in medial PFC and posterior cingulate cortex compared to women with lower stress (p’s<0.05). Greater deactivation in medial PFC marginally related to less efficient strategic retrieval (p=0.06). Similar results were found in analyses focusing on PTSD symptoms. Results suggest that stress might alter the function of the medial PFC in HIV-infected women resulting in less efficient strategic retrieval and deficits in verbal memory. PMID:27094924

Elevated stress is associated with prefrontal cortex dysfunction during a verbal memory task in women with HIV.

PubMed

Rubin, Leah H; Wu, Minjie; Sundermann, Erin E; Meyer, Vanessa J; Smith, Rachael; Weber, Kathleen M; Cohen, Mardge H; Little, Deborah M; Maki, Pauline M

2016-12-01

HIV-infected women may be particularly vulnerable to verbal learning and memory deficits. One factor contributing to these deficits is high perceived stress, which is associated with prefrontal cortical (PFC) atrophy and memory outcomes sensitive to PFC function, including retrieval and semantic clustering. We examined the association between stress and PFC activation during a verbal memory task in 36 HIV-infected women from the Chicago Consortium of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) to better understand the role of the PFC in this stress-related impairment. Participants completed standardized measures of verbal learning and memory and stress (perceived stress scale-10). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess brain function while participants completed encoding and recognition phases of a verbal memory task. HIV-infected women with higher stress (scores in top tertile) performed worse on all verbal memory outcomes including strategic encoding (p < 0.05) compared to HIV-infected women with lower stress (scores in lower two tertiles). Patterns of brain activation during recognition (but not encoding) differed between women with higher vs. lower stress. During recognition, women with higher stress demonstrated greater deactivation in medial PFC and posterior cingulate cortex compared to women with lower stress (p < 0.05). Greater deactivation in medial PFC marginally related to less efficient strategic retrieval (p = 0.06). Similar results were found in analyses focusing on PTSD symptoms. Results suggest that stress might alter the function of the medial PFC in HIV-infected women resulting in less efficient strategic retrieval and deficits in verbal memory.

The neural basis of implicit learning and memory: a review of neuropsychological and neuroimaging research.

PubMed

Reber, Paul J

2013-08-01

Memory systems research has typically described the different types of long-term memory in the brain as either declarative versus non-declarative or implicit versus explicit. These descriptions reflect the difference between declarative, conscious, and explicit memory that is dependent on the medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory system, and all other expressions of learning and memory. The other type of memory is generally defined by an absence: either the lack of dependence on the MTL memory system (nondeclarative) or the lack of conscious awareness of the information acquired (implicit). However, definition by absence is inherently underspecified and leaves open questions of how this type of memory operates, its neural basis, and how it differs from explicit, declarative memory. Drawing on a variety of studies of implicit learning that have attempted to identify the neural correlates of implicit learning using functional neuroimaging and neuropsychology, a theory of implicit memory is presented that describes it as a form of general plasticity within processing networks that adaptively improve function via experience. Under this model, implicit memory will not appear as a single, coherent, alternative memory system but will instead be manifested as a principle of improvement from experience based on widespread mechanisms of cortical plasticity. The implications of this characterization for understanding the role of implicit learning in complex cognitive processes and the effects of interactions between types of memory will be discussed for examples within and outside the psychology laboratory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Martin Mayman's early memories technique: bridging the gap between personality assessment and psychotherapy.

PubMed

Fowler, J C; Hilsenroth, M J; Handler, L

2000-08-01

In this article, we describe Martin Mayman's approach to early childhood memories as a projective technique, beginning with his scientific interest in learning theory, coupled with his interest in ego psychology and object relations theory. We describe Mayman's contributions to the use of the early memories technique to inform the psychotherapy process, tying assessment closely to psychotherapy and making assessment more useful in treatment. In this article, we describe a representative sample of research studies that demonstrate the reliability and validity of early memories, followed by case examples in which the early memories informed the therapy process, including issues of transference and countertransference.

Inhibiting DNA methylation alters olfactory extinction but not acquisition learning in Apis cerana and Apis mellifera.

PubMed

Gong, Zhiwen; Wang, Chao; Nieh, James C; Tan, Ken

2016-07-01

DNA methylation plays a key role in invertebrate acquisition and extinction memory. Honey bees have excellent olfactory learning, but the role of DNA methylation in memory formation has, to date, only been studied in Apis mellifera. We inhibited DNA methylation by inhibiting DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) with zebularine (zeb) and studied the resulting effects upon olfactory acquisition and extinction memory in two honey bee species, Apis cerana and A. mellifera. We used the proboscis extension reflex (PER) assay to measure memory. We provide the first demonstration that DNA methylation is also important in the olfactory extinction learning of A. cerana. DNMT did not reduce acquisition learning in either species. However, zeb bidirectionally and differentially altered extinction learning in both species. In particular, zeb provided 1h before acquisition learning improved extinction memory retention in A. mellifera, but reduced extinction memory retention in A. cerana. The reasons for these differences are unclear, but provide a basis for future studies to explore species-specific differences in the effects of methylation on memory formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associative memory for online learning in noisy environments using self-organizing incremental neural network.

PubMed

Sudo, Akihito; Sato, Akihiro; Hasegawa, Osamu

2009-06-01

Associative memory operating in a real environment must perform well in online incremental learning and be robust to noisy data because noisy associative patterns are presented sequentially in a real environment. We propose a novel associative memory that satisfies these requirements. Using the proposed method, new associative pairs that are presented sequentially can be learned accurately without forgetting previously learned patterns. The memory size of the proposed method increases adaptively with learning patterns. Therefore, it suffers neither redundancy nor insufficiency of memory size, even in an environment in which the maximum number of associative pairs to be presented is unknown before learning. Noisy inputs in real environments are classifiable into two types: noise-added original patterns and faultily presented random patterns. The proposed method deals with two types of noise. To our knowledge, no conventional associative memory addresses noise of both types. The proposed associative memory performs as a bidirectional one-to-many or many-to-one associative memory and deals not only with bipolar data, but also with real-valued data. Results demonstrate that the proposed method's features are important for application to an intelligent robot operating in a real environment. The originality of our work consists of two points: employing a growing self-organizing network for an associative memory, and discussing what features are necessary for an associative memory for an intelligent robot and proposing an associative memory that satisfies those requirements.

Experience-Dependent Induction of Hippocampal ΔFosB Controls Learning.

PubMed

Eagle, Andrew L; Gajewski, Paula A; Yang, Miyoung; Kechner, Megan E; Al Masraf, Basma S; Kennedy, Pamela J; Wang, Hongbing; Mazei-Robison, Michelle S; Robison, Alfred J

2015-10-07

The hippocampus (HPC) is known to play an important role in learning, a process dependent on synaptic plasticity; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this are poorly understood. ΔFosB is a transcription factor that is induced throughout the brain by chronic exposure to drugs, stress, and variety of other stimuli and regulates synaptic plasticity and behavior in other brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens. We show here that ΔFosB is also induced in HPC CA1 and DG subfields by spatial learning and novel environmental exposure. The goal of the current study was to examine the role of ΔFosB in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and the structural plasticity of HPC synapses. Using viral-mediated gene transfer to silence ΔFosB transcriptional activity by expressing ΔJunD (a negative modulator of ΔFosB transcriptional function) or to overexpress ΔFosB, we demonstrate that HPC ΔFosB regulates learning and memory. Specifically, ΔJunD expression in HPC impaired learning and memory on a battery of hippocampal-dependent tasks in mice. Similarly, general ΔFosB overexpression also impaired learning. ΔJunD expression in HPC did not affect anxiety or natural reward, but ΔFosB overexpression induced anxiogenic behaviors, suggesting that ΔFosB may mediate attentional gating in addition to learning. Finally, we found that overexpression of ΔFosB increases immature dendritic spines on CA1 pyramidal cells, whereas ΔJunD reduced the number of immature and mature spine types, indicating that ΔFosB may exert its behavioral effects through modulation of HPC synaptic function. Together, these results suggest collectively that ΔFosB plays a significant role in HPC cellular morphology and HPC-dependent learning and memory. Consolidation of our explicit memories occurs within the hippocampus, and it is in this brain region that the molecular and cellular processes of learning have been most closely studied. We know that connections between hippocampal neurons are formed, eliminated, enhanced, and weakened during learning, and we know that some stages of this process involve alterations in the transcription of specific genes. However, the specific transcription factors involved in this process are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that the transcription factor ΔFosB is induced in the hippocampus by learning, regulates the shape of hippocampal synapses, and is required for memory formation, opening up a host of new possibilities for hippocampal transcriptional regulation. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3513773-11$15.00/0.

Septohippocampal Acetylcholine: Involved in but not Necessary for Learning and Memory?

PubMed Central

Parent, Marise B.; Baxter, Mark G.

2006-01-01

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) has been accorded an important role in supporting learning and memory processes in the hippocampus. Cholinergic activity in the hippocampus is correlated with memory, and restoration of ACh in the hippocampus after disruption of the septohippocampal pathway is sufficient to rescue memory. However, selective ablation of cholinergic septohippocampal projections is largely without effect on hippocampal-dependent learning and memory processes. We consider the evidence underlying each of these statements, and the contradictions they pose for understanding the functional role of hippocampal ACh in memory. We suggest that although hippocampal ACh is involved in memory in the intact brain, it is not necessary for many aspects of hippocampal memory function. PMID:14747512

Mixed-Handedness Advantages in Episodic Memory Obtained under Conditions of Intentional Learning Extend to Incidental Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christman, Stephen D.; Butler, Michael

2011-01-01

The existence of handedness differences in the retrieval of episodic memories is well-documented, but virtually all have been obtained under conditions of intentional learning. Two experiments are reported that extend the presence of such handedness differences to memory retrieval under conditions of incidental learning. Experiment 1 used Craik…

Differential associations between types of verbal memory and prefrontal brain structure in healthy aging and late life depression.

PubMed

Lamar, Melissa; Charlton, Rebecca; Zhang, Aifeng; Kumar, Anand

2012-07-01

Verbal memory deficits attributed to late life depression (LLD) may result from executive dysfunction that is more detrimental to list-learning than story-based recall when compared to healthy aging. Despite these behavioral dissociations, little work has been done investigating related neuroanatomical dissociations across types of verbal memory performance in LLD. We compared list-learning to story-based memory performance in 24 non-demented individuals with LLD (age ~ 66.1 ± 7.8) and 41 non-demented/non-depressed healthy controls (HC; age ~ 67.6 ± 5.3). We correlated significant results of between-group analyses across memory performance variables with brain volumes of frontal, temporal and parietal regions known to be involved with verbal learning and memory. When compared to the HC group, the LLD group showed significantly lower verbal memory performance for spontaneous recall after repeated exposure and after a long-delay but only for the list-learning task; groups did not differ on story-based memory performance. Despite equivalent brain volumes across regions, only the LLD group showed brain associations with verbal memory performance and only for the list-learning task. Specifically, frontal volumes important for subjective organization and response monitoring correlated with list-learning performance in the LLD group. This study is the first to demonstrate neuroanatomical dissociations across types of verbal memory performance in individuals with LLD. Results provide structural evidence for the behavioral dissociations between list-learning and story-based recall in LLD when compared to healthy aging. More specifically, it points toward a network of predominantly anterior brain regions that may underlie the executive contribution to list-learning in older adults with depression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can Interactive Working Memory Training Improve Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alloway, Tracy

2012-01-01

Background: Working memory is linked to learning outcomes and there is emerging evidence that training working memory can yield gains in working memory and fluid intelligence. Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether interactive working memory training would transfer to acquired cognitive skills, such as vocabulary and…

Do Judgments of Learning Predict Automatic Influences of Memory?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Undorf, Monika; Böhm, Simon; Cüpper, Lutz

2016-01-01

Current memory theories generally assume that memory performance reflects both recollection and automatic influences of memory. Research on people's predictions about the likelihood of remembering recently studied information on a memory test, that is, on judgments of learning (JOLs), suggests that both magnitude and resolution of JOLs are linked…

The Coherence Formation Model of Illustrated Text Comprehension: A Path Model of Attention to Multimedia Text

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzhugh, Shannon Leigh

2012-01-01

The study reported here tests a model that includes several factors thought to contribute to the comprehension of static multimedia learning materials (i.e. background knowledge, working memory, attention to components as measured with eye movement measures). The model examines the effects of working memory capacity, domain specific (biology) and…

Hippocampal Overexpression of Mutant CREB Blocks Long-Term, but Not Short-Term Memory for a Socially Transmitted Food Preference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brightwell, Jennifer J.; Countryman, Renee A.; Neve, Rachael L.; Colombo, Paul J.; Smith, Clayton A.

2005-01-01

Phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB on Ser133 is implicated in the establishment of long-term memory for hippocampus-dependent tasks, including spatial learning and contextual fear conditioning. We reported previously that training on a hippocampus-dependent social transmission of food preference (STFP) task increases CREB…

Information Processing: A Review of Implications of Johnstone's Model for Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St Clair-Thompson, Helen; Overton, Tina; Botton, Chris

2010-01-01

The current review is concerned with an information processing model used in science education. The purpose is to summarise the current theoretical understanding, in published research, of a number of factors that are known to influence learning and achievement. These include field independence, working memory, long-term memory, and the use of…

Image Tracing: An Analysis of Its Effectiveness in Children's Pictorial Discrimination Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Joel R.; And Others

1977-01-01

A total of 45 fifth grade students were the subjects of an experiment offering support for a component of learning strategy (memory imagery). Various theoretical explanations of the image-tracing phenomenon are considered, including depth of processing, dual coding and frequency. (MS)

Odor Preference Learning and Memory Modify GluA1 Phosphorylation and GluA1 Distribution in the Neonate Rat Olfactory Bulb: Testing the AMPA Receptor Hypothesis in an Appetitive Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cui, Wen; Darby-King, Andrea; Grimes, Matthew T.; Howland, John G.; Wang, Yu Tian; McLean, John H.; Harley, Carolyn W.

2011-01-01

An increase in synaptic AMPA receptors is hypothesized to mediate learning and memory. AMPA receptor increases have been reported in aversive learning models, although it is not clear if they are seen with memory maintenance. Here we examine AMPA receptor changes in a cAMP/PKA/CREB-dependent appetitive learning model: odor preference learning in…

Latent memory facilitates relearning through molecular signaling mechanisms that are distinct from original learning.

PubMed

Menges, Steven A; Riepe, Joshua R; Philips, Gary T

2015-09-01

A highly conserved feature of memory is that it can exist in a latent, non-expressed state which is revealed during subsequent learning by its ability to significantly facilitate (savings) or inhibit (latent inhibition) subsequent memory formation. Despite the ubiquitous nature of latent memory, the mechanistic nature of the latent memory trace and its ability to influence subsequent learning remains unclear. The model organism Aplysia californica provides the unique opportunity to make strong links between behavior and underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Using Aplysia, we have studied the mechanisms of savings due to latent memory for a prior, forgotten experience. We previously reported savings in the induction of three distinct temporal domains of memory: short-term (10min), intermediate-term (2h) and long-term (24h). Here we report that savings memory formation utilizes molecular signaling pathways that are distinct from original learning: whereas the induction of both original intermediate- and long-term memory in naïve animals requires mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation and ongoing protein synthesis, 2h savings memory is not disrupted by inhibitors of MAPK or protein synthesis, and 24h savings memory is not dependent on MAPK activation. Collectively, these findings reveal that during forgetting, latent memory for the original experience can facilitate relearning through molecular signaling mechanisms that are distinct from original learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Unique and shared validity of the "Wechsler logical memory test", the "California verbal learning test", and the "verbal learning and memory test" in patients with epilepsy.

PubMed

Helmstaedter, Christoph; Wietzke, Jennifer; Lutz, Martin T

2009-12-01

This study was set-up to evaluate the construct validity of three verbal memory tests in epilepsy patients. Sixty-one consecutively evaluated patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) or extra-temporal epilepsy (E-TLE) underwent testing with the verbal learning and memory test (VLMT, the German equivalent of the Rey auditory verbal learning test, RAVLT); the California verbal learning test (CVLT); the logical memory and digit span subtests of the Wechsler memory scale, revised (WMS-R); and testing of intelligence, attention, speech and executive functions. Factor analysis of the memory tests resulted in test-specific rather than test over-spanning factors. Parameters of the CVLT and WMS-R, and to a much lesser degree of the VLMT, were highly correlated with attention, language function and vocabulary. Delayed recall measures of logical memory and the VLMT differentiated TLE from E-TLE. Learning and memory scores off all three tests differentiated mesial temporal sclerosis from other pathologies. A lateralization of the epilepsy was possible only for a subsample of 15 patients with mesial TLE. Although the three tests provide overlapping indicators for a temporal lobe epilepsy or a mesial pathology, they can hardly be taken in exchange. The tests have different demands on semantic processing and memory organization, and they appear differentially sensitive to performance in non-memory domains. The tests capability to lateralize appears to be poor. The findings encourage the further discussion of the dependency of memory outcomes on test selection.

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).

Contributions of Medial Temporal Lobe and Striatal Memory Systems to Learning and Retrieving Overlapping Spatial Memories

PubMed Central

Brown, Thackery I.; Stern, Chantal E.

2014-01-01

Many life experiences share information with other memories. In order to make decisions based on overlapping memories, we need to distinguish between experiences to determine the appropriate behavior for the current situation. Previous work suggests that the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and medial caudate interact to support the retrieval of overlapping navigational memories in different contexts. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans to test the prediction that the MTL and medial caudate play complementary roles in learning novel mazes that cross paths with, and must be distinguished from, previously learned routes. During fMRI scanning, participants navigated virtual routes that were well learned from prior training while also learning new mazes. Critically, some routes learned during scanning shared hallways with those learned during pre-scan training. Overlap between mazes required participants to use contextual cues to select between alternative behaviors. Results demonstrated parahippocampal cortex activity specific for novel spatial cues that distinguish between overlapping routes. The hippocampus and medial caudate were active for learning overlapping spatial memories, and increased their activity for previously learned routes when they became context dependent. Our findings provide novel evidence that the MTL and medial caudate play complementary roles in the learning, updating, and execution of context-dependent navigational behaviors. PMID:23448868

Cdk5 Contributes to Huntington's Disease Learning and Memory Deficits via Modulation of Brain Region-Specific Substrates.

PubMed

Alvarez-Periel, Elena; Puigdellívol, Mar; Brito, Verónica; Plattner, Florian; Bibb, James A; Alberch, Jordi; Ginés, Silvia

2017-12-29

Cognitive deficits are a major hallmark of Huntington's disease (HD) with a great impact on the quality of patient's life. Gaining a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory impairments in HD is, therefore, of critical importance. Cdk5 is a proline-directed Ser/Thr kinase involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and memory processes that has been associated with several neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of Cdk5 in learning and memory impairments in HD using a novel animal model that expresses mutant huntingtin (mHtt) and has genetically reduced Cdk5 levels. Genetic reduction of Cdk5 in mHtt knock-in mice attenuated both corticostriatal learning deficits as well as hippocampal-dependent memory decline. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms by which Cdk5 counteracts the mHtt-induced learning and memory impairments appeared to be differentially regulated in a brain region-specific manner. While the corticostriatal learning deficits are attenuated through compensatory regulation of NR2B surface levels, the rescue of hippocampal-dependent memory was likely due to restoration of hippocampal dendritic spine density along with an increase in Rac1 activity. This work identifies Cdk5 as a critical contributor to mHtt-induced learning and memory deficits. Furthermore, we show that the Cdk5 downstream targets involved in memory and learning decline differ depending on the brain region analyzed suggesting that distinct Cdk5 effectors could be involved in cognitive impairments in HD.

Beneficial effect of etazolate on depression-like behavior and, learning, and memory impairment in a model of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Alzoubi, Karem H; Mokhemer, Enas; Abuirmeileh, Amjad N

2018-09-17

The aim of this study was to evaluate etazolate against depression-like behavior and, learning and memory impairment induced by 6- hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). This aim was achieved through comparing 6-OHDA lesioned rats in the presence and absence of etazolate. The 6-OHDA was used to induce lesion as a model of PD. Etazolate was administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day for 14 days, starting 7 days after lesion induction. Apomorphine-induced rotation test was used to evaluate 6-OHDA-induced motor deficits, tail suspension test was used to assess depression-like symptoms, and the radial arms water maze (RAWM) was used to evaluate special learning and memory functions. Antioxidant biomarkers and BDNF protein levels were assessed in the hippocampus. Results revealed that etazolate administration significantly improved 6-OHDA-induced PD related symptoms including motor deficits, depression-like behavior and impairment of both short- and long- term memory. Moreover, etazolate significantly prevented 6-OHDA-induced reduction in oxidative stress biomarkers (GSH/GSSG ratio, GPx) and BDNF levels. In conclusion, motor dysfunction, depressive- like behavior, and learning and memory deficits in the 6-OHDA rat model of PD can be significantly prevented by etazolate. This prevention could be attributed to etazolate's ability to prevent reduction in antioxidative stress biomarkers and BDNF levels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial Discrimination Reversal Learning in Weanling Rats Is Impaired by Striatal Administration of an NMDA-Receptor Antagonist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Deborah J.; Stanton, Mark E.

2009-01-01

The striatum plays a major role in both motor control and learning and memory, including executive function and "behavioral flexibility." Lesion, temporary inactivation, and infusion of an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonist into the dorsomedial striatum (dmSTR) impair reversal learning in adult rats. Systemic administration of MK-801…

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…

"It's on the Tip of My Google": Intra-Active Performance and the Non-Totalising Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snake-Beings, Emit

2017-01-01

Technologies that expand the learning environment to include interactions outside of the physical space of the classroom, such as the use of Google as an aid to memory, represent one aspect of learning that occurs within several seemingly decentralised spaces. On the other hand, it can be argued that such interactive technologies are enclosed in…

Dopamine receptor D5 deficiency results in a selective reduction of hippocampal NMDA receptor subunit NR2B expression and impaired memory.

PubMed

Moraga-Amaro, Rodrigo; González, Hugo; Ugalde, Valentina; Donoso-Ramos, Juan Pablo; Quintana-Donoso, Daisy; Lara, Marcelo; Morales, Bernardo; Rojas, Patricio; Pacheco, Rodrigo; Stehberg, Jimmy

2016-04-01

Pharmacological evidence associates type I dopamine receptors, including subtypes D1 and D5, with learning and memory. Analyses using genetic approaches have determined the relative contribution of dopamine receptor D1 (D1R) in cognitive tasks. However, the lack of drugs that can discriminate between D1R and D5R has made the pharmacological distinction between the two receptors difficult. Here, we aimed to determine the role of D5R in learning and memory. In this study we tested D5R knockout mice and wild-type littermates in a battery of behavioral tests, including memory, attention, locomotion, anxiety and motivational evaluations. Our results show that genetic deficiency of D5R significantly impairs performance in the Morris water maze paradigm, object location and object recognition memory, indicating a relevant role for D5R in spatial memory and recognition memory. Moreover, the lack of D5R resulted in decreased exploration and locomotion. In contrast, D5R deficiency had no impact on working memory, anxiety and depressive-like behavior, measured using the spontaneous alternation, open-field, tail suspension test, and forced swimming test. Electrophysiological analyses performed on hippocampal slices showed impairment in long-term-potentiation in mice lacking D5R. Further analyses at the molecular level showed that genetic deficiency of D5R results in a strong and selective reduction in the expression of the NMDA receptor subunit NR2B in the hippocampus. These findings demonstrate the relevant contribution of D5R in memory and suggest a functional interaction of D5R with hippocampal glutamatergic pathways. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aβ Damages Learning and Memory in Alzheimer's Disease Rats with Kidney-Yang Deficiency

PubMed Central

Qi, Dongmei; Qiao, Yongfa; Zhang, Xin; Yu, Huijuan; Cheng, Bin; Qiao, Haifa

2012-01-01

Previous studies demonstrated that Alzheimer's disease was considered as the consequence produced by deficiency of Kidney essence. However, the mechanism underlying the symptoms also remains elusive. Here we report that spatial learning and memory, escape, and swimming capacities were damaged significantly in Kidney-yang deficiency rats. Indeed, both hippocampal Aβ 40 and 42 increases in Kidney-yang deficiency contribute to the learning and memory impairments. Specifically, damage of synaptic plasticity is involved in the learning and memory impairment of Kidney-yang deficiency rats. We determined that the learning and memory damage in Kidney-yang deficiency due to synaptic plasticity impairment and increases of Aβ 40 and 42 was not caused via NMDA receptor internalization induced by Aβ increase. β-Adrenergic receptor agonist can rescue the impaired long-term potential (LTP) in Kidney-yang rats. Taken together, our results suggest that spatial learning and memory inhibited in Kidney-yang deficiency might be induced by Aβ increase and the decrease of β 2 receptor function in glia. PMID:22645624

Early Life Manipulations Alter Learning and Memory in Rats

PubMed Central

Kosten, Therese A; Kim, Jeansok J; Lee, Hongjoo J.

2012-01-01

Much research shows early life manipulations have enduring behavioral, neural, and hormonal effects. However, findings of learning and memory performance vary widely across studies. We reviewed studies in which pre-weaning rat pups were exposed to stressors and tested on learning and memory tasks in adulthood. Tasks were classified as aversive conditioning, inhibitory learning, or spatial/relational memory. Variables of duration, type, and timing of neonatal manipulation and sex and strain of animals were examined to determine if any predict enhanced or impaired performance. Brief separations enhanced and prolonged separations impaired performance on spatial/relational tasks. Performance was impaired in aversive conditioning and enhanced in inhibitory learning tasks regardless of manipulation duration. Opposing effects on performance for spatial/relational memory also depended upon timing of manipulation. Enhanced performance was likely if the manipulation occurred during postnatal week 3 but performance was impaired if it was confined to the first two postnatal weeks. Thus, the relationship between early life experiences and adulthood learning and memory performance is multifaceted and decidedly task-dependent. PMID:22819985

Visual memory and learning in extremely low-birth-weight/extremely preterm adolescents compared with controls: a geographic study.

PubMed

Molloy, Carly S; Wilson-Ching, Michelle; Doyle, Lex W; Anderson, Vicki A; Anderson, Peter J

2014-04-01

Contemporary data on visual memory and learning in survivors born extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks gestation) or with extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1,000 g) are lacking. Geographically determined cohort study of 298 consecutive EP/ELBW survivors born in 1991 and 1992, and 262 randomly selected normal-birth-weight controls. Visual learning and memory data were available for 221 (74.2%) EP/ELBW subjects and 159 (60.7%) controls. EP/ELBW adolescents exhibited significantly poorer performance across visual memory and learning variables compared with controls. Visual learning and delayed visual memory were particularly problematic and remained so after controlling for visual-motor integration and visual perception and excluding adolescents with neurosensory disability, and/or IQ <70. Male EP/ELBW adolescents or those treated with corticosteroids had poorer outcomes. EP/ELBW adolescents have poorer visual memory and learning outcomes compared with controls, which cannot be entirely explained by poor visual perceptual or visual constructional skills or intellectual impairment.

Hybrid chickadees are deficient in learning and memory.

PubMed

McQuillan, Michael A; Roth, Timothy C; Huynh, Alex V; Rice, Amber M

2018-05-01

Identifying the phenotypes underlying postzygotic reproductive isolation is crucial for fully understanding the evolution and maintenance of species. One potential postzygotic isolating barrier that has rarely been examined is learning and memory ability in hybrids. Learning and memory are important fitness-related traits, especially in scatter-hoarding species, where accurate retrieval of hoarded food is vital for winter survival. Here, we test the hypothesis that learning and memory ability can act as a postzygotic isolating barrier by comparing these traits among two scatter-hoarding songbird species, black-capped (Poecile atricapillus) and Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis), and their naturally occurring hybrids. In an outdoor aviary setting, we find that hybrid chickadees perform significantly worse on an associative learning spatial task and are worse at solving a novel problem compared to both parental species. Deficiencies in learning and memory abilities could therefore contribute to postzygotic reproductive isolation between chickadee species. Given the importance of learning and memory for fitness, our results suggest that these traits may play an important, but as yet overlooked, role in postzygotic reproductive isolation. © 2018 The Author(s). Evolution © 2018 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Sleeping in a Brave New World: Opportunities for Improving Learning and Clinical Outcomes through Targeted Memory Reactivation.

PubMed

Paller, Ken A

2017-12-01

Neuroscientific insights into learning and memory have mostly concerned input and output, but intervening processing during the time between acquisition and retrieval is also critical. Indeed, intervening memory reactivation may regulate memory longevity, and a growing body of evidence implicates sleep in changing memory storage. For example, subtle auditory stimulation can be used experimentally to selectively encourage memory reactivation during sleep, which thereby improves learning. Much remains to be elucidated about how learning depends on sleep. Nevertheless, this methodology for modifying memory storage during sleep offers new opportunities for reinforcing learning to enhance clinical outcomes in conjunction with therapies engaged during waking. A variety of such possibilities must now be carefully investigated. Likewise, brain rhythms can be entrained to enhance sleep functions, facilitating further progress in understanding the neurophysiological basis of memory processing during sleep. Ultimately, empirical evidence may reveal the extent to which the way we behave when awake is a function of what our brains do when we are asleep. Through such research efforts, an advanced understanding of memory and sleep may allow us to both make better use of our time asleep and take steps toward better health.

Genistein improves spatial learning and memory in male rats with elevated glucose level during memory consolidation.

PubMed

Kohara, Yumi; Kawaguchi, Shinichiro; Kuwahara, Rika; Uchida, Yutaro; Oku, Yushi; Yamashita, Kimihiro

2015-03-01

Cognitive dysfunction due to higher blood glucose level has been reported previously. Genistein (GEN) is a phytoestrogen that we hypothesized might lead to improved memory, despite elevated blood glucose levels at the time of memory consolidation. To investigate this hypothesis, we compared the effects of orally administered GEN on the central nervous system in normal versus glucose-loaded adult male rats. A battery of behavioral assessments was carried out. In the MAZE test, which measured spatial learning and memory, the time of normal rats was shortened by GEN treatment compared to the vehicle group, but only in the early stages of testing. In the glucose-loaded group, GEN treatment improved performance as mazes were advanced. In the open-field test, GEN treatment delayed habituation to the new environment in normal rats, and increased the exploratory behaviors of glucose-loaded rats. There were no significant differences observed for emotionality or fear-motivated learning and memory. Together, these results indicate that GEN treatment improved spatial learning and memory only in the early stages of testing in the normal state, but improved spatial learning and memory when glucose levels increased during memory consolidation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep disturbance induces neuroinflammation and impairment of learning and memory.

PubMed

Zhu, Biao; Dong, Yuanlin; Xu, Zhipeng; Gompf, Heinrich S; Ward, Sarah A P; Xue, Zhanggang; Miao, Changhong; Zhang, Yiying; Chamberlin, Nancy L; Xie, Zhongcong

2012-12-01

Hospitalized patients can develop cognitive function decline, the mechanisms of which remain largely to be determined. Sleep disturbance often occurs in hospitalized patients, and neuroinflammation can induce learning and memory impairment. We therefore set out to determine whether sleep disturbance can induce neuroinflammation and impairment of learning and memory in rodents. Five to 6-month-old wild-type C57BL/6J male mice were used in the studies. The mice were placed in rocking cages for 24 h, and two rolling balls were present in each cage. The mice were tested for learning and memory function using the Fear Conditioning Test one and 7 days post-sleep disturbance. Neuroinflammation in the mouse brain tissues was also determined. Of the Fear Conditioning studies at one day and 7 days after sleep disturbance, twenty-four hour sleep disturbance decreased freezing time in the context test, which assesses hippocampus-dependent learning and memory; but not the tone test, which assesses hippocampus-independent learning and memory. Sleep disturbance increased pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 levels and induced microglia activation in the mouse hippocampus, but not the cortex. These results suggest that sleep disturbance induces neuroinflammation in the mouse hippocampus, and impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory in mice. Pending further studies, these findings suggest that sleep disturbance-induced neuroinflammation and impairment of learning and memory may contribute to the development of cognitive function decline in hospitalized patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of endurance, resistance, and concurrent exercise on learning and memory after morphine withdrawal in rats.

PubMed

Zarrinkalam, Ebrahim; Heidarianpour, Ali; Salehi, Iraj; Ranjbar, Kamal; Komaki, Alireza

2016-07-15

Continuous morphine consumption contributes to the development of cognitive disorders. This work investigates the impacts of different types of exercise on learning and memory in morphine-dependent rats. Forty morphine-dependent rats were randomly divided into five groups: sedentary-dependent (Sed-D), endurance exercise-dependent (En-D), strength exercise-dependent (St-D), and combined (concurrent) exercise-dependent (Co-D). Healthy rats were used as controls (Con). After 10weeks of regular exercise (endurance, strength, and concurrent; each five days per week), spatial and aversive learning and memory were assessed using the Morris water maze and shuttle box tests. The results showed that morphine addiction contributes to deficits in spatial learning and memory. Furthermore, each form of exercise training restored spatial learning and memory performance in morphine-dependent rats to levels similar to those of healthy controls. Aversive learning and memory during the acquisition phase were not affected by morphine addiction or exercise, but were significantly decreased by morphine dependence. Only concurrent training returned the time spent in the dark compartment in the shuttle box test to control levels. These findings show that different types of exercise exert similar effects on spatial learning and memory, but show distinct effects on aversive learning and memory. Further, morphine dependence-induced deficits in cognitive function were blocked by exercise. Therefore, different exercise regimens may represent practical treatment methods for cognitive and behavioral impairments associated with morphine-related disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infantile Amnesia: A Critical Period of Learning to Learn and Remember

PubMed Central

Travaglia, Alessio

2017-01-01

Infantile amnesia, the inability of adults to recollect early episodic memories, is associated with the rapid forgetting that occurs in childhood. It has been suggested that infantile amnesia is due to the underdevelopment of the infant brain, which would preclude memory consolidation, or to deficits in memory retrieval. Although early memories are inaccessible to adults, early-life events, such as neglect or aversive experiences, can greatly impact adult behavior and may predispose individuals to various psychopathologies. It remains unclear how a brain that rapidly forgets, or is not yet able to form long-term memories, can exert such a long-lasting and important influence. Here, with a particular focus on the hippocampal memory system, we review the literature and discuss new evidence obtained in rats that illuminates the paradox of infantile amnesia. We propose that infantile amnesia reflects a developmental critical period during which the learning system is learning how to learn and remember. PMID:28615475

Sex effects on spatial learning but not on spatial memory retrieval in healthy young adults.

PubMed

Piber, Dominique; Nowacki, Jan; Mueller, Sven C; Wingenfeld, Katja; Otte, Christian

2018-01-15

Sex differences have been found in spatial learning and spatial memory, with several studies indicating that males outperform females. We tested in the virtual Morris Water Maze (vMWM) task, whether sex differences in spatial cognitive processes are attributable to differences in spatial learning or spatial memory retrieval in a large student sample. We tested 90 healthy students (45 women and 45 men) with a mean age of 23.5 years (SD=3.5). Spatial learning and spatial memory retrieval were measured by using the vMWM task, during which participants had to search a virtual pool for a hidden platform, facilitated by visual cues surrounding the pool. Several learning trials assessed spatial learning, while a separate probe trial assessed spatial memory retrieval. We found a significant sex effect during spatial learning, with males showing shorter latency and shorter path length, as compared to females (all p<0.001). Yet, there was no significant sex effect in spatial memory retrieval (p=0.615). Furthermore, post-hoc analyses revealed significant sex differences in spatial search strategies (p<0.05), but no difference in the number of platform crossings (p=0.375). Our results indicate that in healthy young adults, males show faster spatial learning in a virtual environment, as compared to females. Interestingly, we found no significant sex differences during spatial memory retrieval. Our study raises the question, whether men and women use different learning strategies, which nevertheless result in equal performances of spatial memory retrieval. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Randomized Controlled Trial Considering Varied Exercises for Reducing Proactive Memory Interference.

PubMed

Frith, Emily; Sng, Eveleen; Loprinzi, Paul D

2018-06-11

We evaluated the effects of exercise on proactive memory interference. Study 1 ( n = 88) employed a 15-min treadmill walking protocol, while Study 2 ( n = 88) included a 15-min bout of progressive maximal exertion treadmill exercise. Each study included four distinct groups, in which groups of 22 participants each were randomly assigned to: (a) exercise before memory encoding, (b) a control group with no exercise, (c) exercise during memory encoding, and (d) exercise after memory encoding (i.e., during memory consolidation). We used the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) to assess proactive memory interference. In both studies, the group that exercised prior to memory encoding recalled the most words from list B (distractor list) of the RAVLT, though group differences were not statistically significant for Study 1 (walking exercise) ( p = 0.521) or Study 2 (high-intensity exercise) ( p = 0.068). In this sample of young adults, high intensity exercise prior to memory encoding showed a non-significant tendency to attenuate impairments in recall attributable to proactive memory interference. Thus, future work with larger samples is needed to clarify potential beneficial effects of exercise for reducing proactive memory interference.

Working Memory Capacity and Mobile Multimedia Learning Environments: Individual Differences in Learning While Mobile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doolittle, Peter E.; Mariano, Gina J.

2008-01-01

The present study examined the effects of individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) on learning from an historical inquiry multimedia tutorial in stationary versus mobile learning environments using a portable digital media player (i.e., iPod). Students with low (n = 44) and high (n = 40) working memory capacity, as measured by the…

Genetic Overexpression of NR2B Subunit Enhances Social Recognition Memory for Different Strains and Species

PubMed Central

Jacobs, Stephanie A.; Tsien, Joe Z.

2012-01-01

The ability to learn and remember conspecifics is essential for the establishment and maintenance of social groups. Many animals, including humans, primates and rodents, depend on stable social relationships for survival. Social learning and social recognition have become emerging areas of interest for neuroscientists but are still not well understood. It has been established that several hormones play a role in the modulation of social recognition including estrogen, oxytocin and arginine vasopression. Relatively few studies have investigated how social recognition might be improved or enhanced. In this study, we investigate the role of the NMDA receptor in social recognition memory, specifically the consequences of altering the ratio of the NR2B∶NR2A subunits in the forebrain regions in social behavior. We produced transgenic mice in which the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor was overexpressed postnatally in the excitatory neurons of the forebrain areas including the cortex, amygdala and hippocampus. We investigated the ability of both our transgenic animals and their wild-type littermate to learn and remember juvenile conspecifics using both 1-hr and 24-hr memory tests. Our experiments show that the wild-type animals and NR2B transgenic mice preformed similarly in the 1-hr test. However, transgenic mice showed better performances in 24-hr tests of recognizing animals of a different strain or animals of a different species. We conclude that NR2B overexpression in the forebrain enhances social recognition memory for different strains and animal species. PMID:22558458

genetic overexpression of NR2B subunit enhances social recognition memory for different strains and species.

PubMed

Jacobs, Stephanie A; Tsien, Joe Z

2012-01-01

The ability to learn and remember conspecifics is essential for the establishment and maintenance of social groups. Many animals, including humans, primates and rodents, depend on stable social relationships for survival. Social learning and social recognition have become emerging areas of interest for neuroscientists but are still not well understood. It has been established that several hormones play a role in the modulation of social recognition including estrogen, oxytocin and arginine vasopression. Relatively few studies have investigated how social recognition might be improved or enhanced. In this study, we investigate the role of the NMDA receptor in social recognition memory, specifically the consequences of altering the ratio of the NR2B:NR2A subunits in the forebrain regions in social behavior. We produced transgenic mice in which the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor was overexpressed postnatally in the excitatory neurons of the forebrain areas including the cortex, amygdala and hippocampus. We investigated the ability of both our transgenic animals and their wild-type littermate to learn and remember juvenile conspecifics using both 1-hr and 24-hr memory tests. Our experiments show that the wild-type animals and NR2B transgenic mice preformed similarly in the 1-hr test. However, transgenic mice showed better performances in 24-hr tests of recognizing animals of a different strain or animals of a different species. We conclude that NR2B overexpression in the forebrain enhances social recognition memory for different strains and animal species.

The influence of two cognitive-linguistic variables on incidental word learning in 5-year-olds.

PubMed

Abel, Alyson D; Schuele, C Melanie

2014-08-01

The relation between incidental word learning and two cognitive-linguistic variables--phonological memory and phonological awareness--is not fully understood. Thirty-five typically developing, 5-year-old, preschool children participated in a study examining the association between phonological memory, phonological awareness, and incidental word learning. Children were exposed to target words in a read-aloud story that accompanied a wordless picture book. Target word comprehension was assessed before and after two readings of the story. Phonological awareness predicted incidental word learning but phonological memory did not. The influence of phonological awareness and phonological memory on word learning may be dependent on the demands of the word learning task.

Modulation of competing memory systems by distraction.

PubMed

Foerde, Karin; Knowlton, Barbara J; Poldrack, Russell A

2006-08-01

Different forms of learning and memory depend on functionally and anatomically separable neural circuits [Squire, L. R. (1992) Psychol. Rev. 99, 195-231]. Declarative memory relies on a medial temporal lobe system, whereas habit learning relies on the striatum [Cohen, N. J. & Eichenbaum, H. (1993) Memory, Amnesia, and the Hippocampal System (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA)]. How these systems are engaged to optimize learning and behavior is not clear. Here, we present results from functional neuroimaging showing that the presence of a demanding secondary task during learning modulates the degree to which subjects solve a problem using either declarative memory or habit learning. Dual-task conditions did not reduce accuracy but reduced the amount of declarative learning about the task. Medial temporal lobe activity was correlated with task performance and declarative knowledge after learning under single-task conditions, whereas performance was correlated with striatal activity after dual-task learning conditions. These results demonstrate a fundamental difference in these memory systems in their sensitivity to concurrent distraction. The results are consistent with the notion that declarative and habit learning compete to mediate task performance, and they suggest that the presence of distraction can bias this competition. These results have implications for learning in multitask situations, suggesting that, even if distraction does not decrease the overall level of learning, it can result in the acquisition of knowledge that can be applied less flexibly in new situations.

`Unlearning' has a stabilizing effect in collective memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopfield, J. J.; Feinstein, D. I.; Palmer, R. G.

1983-07-01

Crick and Mitchison1 have presented a hypothesis for the functional role of dream sleep involving an `unlearning' process. We have independently carried out mathematical and computer modelling of learning and `unlearning' in a collective neural network of 30-1,000 neurones. The model network has a content-addressable memory or `associative memory' which allows it to learn and store many memories. A particular memory can be evoked in its entirety when the network is stimulated by any adequate-sized subpart of the information of that memory2. But different memories of the same size are not equally easy to recall. Also, when memories are learned, spurious memories are also created and can also be evoked. Applying an `unlearning' process, similar to the learning processes but with a reversed sign and starting from a noise input, enhances the performance of the network in accessing real memories and in minimizing spurious ones. Although our model was not motivated by higher nervous function, our system displays behaviours which are strikingly parallel to those needed for the hypothesized role of `unlearning' in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Synaptic Orb2A Bridges Memory Acquisition and Late Memory Consolidation in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Krüttner, Sebastian; Traunmüller, Lisa; Dag, Ugur; Jandrasits, Katharina; Stepien, Barbara; Iyer, Nirmala; Fradkin, Lee G.; Noordermeer, Jasprina N.; Mensh, Brett D.; Keleman, Krystyna

2015-01-01

Summary To adapt to an ever-changing environment, animals consolidate some, but not all, learning experiences to long-term memory. In mammals, long-term memory consolidation often involves neural pathway reactivation hours after memory acquisition. It is not known whether this delayed-reactivation schema is common across the animal kingdom or how information is stored during the delay period. Here, we show that, during courtship suppression learning, Drosophila exhibits delayed long-term memory consolidation. We also show that the same class of dopaminergic neurons engaged earlier in memory acquisition is also both necessary and sufficient for delayed long-term memory consolidation. Furthermore, we present evidence that, during learning, the translational regulator Orb2A tags specific synapses of mushroom body neurons for later consolidation. Consolidation involves the subsequent recruitment of Orb2B and the activity-dependent synthesis of CaMKII. Thus, our results provide evidence for the role of a neuromodulated, synapse-restricted molecule bridging memory acquisition and long-term memory consolidation in a learning animal. PMID:26095367

Effects of dividing attention on memory for declarative and procedural aspects of tool use.

PubMed

Roy, Shumita; Park, Norman W

2016-07-01

Tool-related knowledge and skills are supported by a complex set of memory processes that are not well understood. Some aspects of tools are mediated by either declarative or procedural memory, while other aspects may rely on an interaction of both systems. Although motor skill learning is believed to be primarily supported by procedural memory, there is debate in the current literature regarding the role of declarative memory. Growing evidence suggests that declarative memory may be involved during early stages of motor skill learning, although findings have been mixed. In the current experiment, healthy, younger adults were trained to use a set of novel complex tools and were tested on their memory for various aspects of the tools. Declarative memory encoding was interrupted by dividing attention during training. Findings showed that dividing attention during training was detrimental for subsequent memory for tool attributes as well as accurate demonstration of tool use and tool grasping. However, dividing attention did not interfere with motor skill learning, suggesting that declarative memory is not essential for skill learning associated with tools.

Suggestology as an Effective Language Learning Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MaCoy, Katherine W.

The methods used and the results obtained by means of the accelerated language learning techniques developed by Georgi Lozanov, Director of the Institute of Suggestology in Bulgaria, are discussed. The following topics are included: (1) discussion of hypermnesia, "super memory," and the reasons foreign languages were chosen for purposes…

Identifying and Characterizing the Effects of Nutrition on Hippocampal Memory123

PubMed Central

Monti, Jim M.; Baym, Carol L.; Cohen, Neal J.

2014-01-01

In this review we provide evidence linking relational memory to the hippocampus, as well as examples of sensitive relational memory tasks that may help characterize the subtle effects of nutrition on learning and memory. Research into dietary effects on cognition is in its nascent stages, and many studies have cast a wide net with respect to areas of cognition to investigate. However, it may be that nutrition will have a disproportionate effect on particular cognitive domains. Thus, researchers interested in nutrition-cognition interactions may wish to apply a more targeted approach when selecting cognitive domains. We suggest that hippocampus-based relational memory may be extraordinarily sensitive to the effects of nutrition. The hippocampus shows unique plastic capabilities, making its structure and function responsive to an array of lifestyle factors and environmental conditions, including dietary intake. A major function of the hippocampus is relational memory, defined as learning and memory for the constituent elements and facts that comprise events. Here we identify several sensitive tests of relational memory that may be used to examine what may be subtle effects of nutrition on hippocampus and memory. We then turn to the literature on aerobic exercise and cognition to provide examples of translational research programs that have successfully applied this targeted approach centering on the hippocampus and sensitive relational memory tools. Finally, we discuss selected findings from animal and human research on nutrition and the hippocampus and advocate for the role of relational memory tasks in future research. PMID:24829486

Amnesia in an actor: Learning and re-learning of play passages despite severe autobiographical amnesia.

PubMed

Kopelman, Michael D; Morton, John

2015-06-01

We describe the case of an accomplished actor, whom we term AB, who suffered severe amnesia following a cardiac arrest and hypoxic brain damage, affecting medial temporal and thalamic structures. His performance on standard episodic memory tests, and on measures of retrograde amnesia, including autobiographical memory, was severely impaired. When presented with passages from plays he had not appeared in, AB showed a severe impairment at the first learning trial, but thereafter showed a 'normal' learning curve for this semantically and syntactically complex material. On being presented with passages from plays he had performed in the past, AB did not show any recognition of them whatsoever, as one might expect from his severe episodic memory impairment. However, AB showed a striking benefit (savings score) in relearning passages he had previously performed, compared with new passages, despite not having any autobiographical recall of having performed the relearned passages before. Moreover, although his initial recall performance in learning these passages was impaired compared with healthy control actors of similar age and experience, AB demonstrated the same incremental learning rate on subsequent learning trials of the passages as did the controls. We conclude that, although severely impaired at the first learning trial (on both 'new' and 'old' passages), AB was able to employ his long-established semantic and procedural skills to attempt the task, and that thereafter he showed a 'normal' rate of incremental learning from a lower baseline. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Programmable Analog Memory Resistors For Electronic Neural Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramesham, Rajeshuni; Thakoor, Sarita; Daud, Taher; Thakoor, Anilkumar P.

1990-01-01

Electrical resistance of new solid-state device altered repeatedly by suitable control signals, yet remains at steady value when control signal removed. Resistance set at low value ("on" state), high value ("off" state), or at any convenient intermediate value and left there until new value desired. Circuits of this type particularly useful in nonvolatile, associative electronic memories based on models of neural networks. Such programmable analog memory resistors ideally suited as synaptic interconnects in "self-learning" neural nets. Operation of device depends on electrochromic property of WO3, which when pure is insulator. Potential uses include nonvolatile, erasable, electronically programmable read-only memories.

The role of the basal ganglia in learning and memory: Insight from Parkinson's disease

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

It has long been known that memory is not a single process. Rather, there are different kinds of memory that are supported by distinct neural systems. This idea stemmed from early findings of dissociable patterns of memory impairments in patients with selective damage to different brain regions. These studies highlighted the role of the basal ganglia in non-declarative memory, such as procedural or habit learning, contrasting it with the known role of the medial temporal lobes in declarative memory. In recent years, major advances across multiple areas of neuroscience have revealed an important role for the basal ganglia in motivation and decision making. These findings have led to new discoveries about the role of the basal ganglia in learning and highlighted the essential role of dopamine in specific forms of learning. Here we review these recent advances with an emphasis on novel discoveries from studies of learning in patients with Parkinson's disease. We discuss how these findings promote the development of current theories away from accounts that emphasize the verbalizability of the contents of memory and towards a focus on the specific computations carried out by distinct brain regions. Finally, we discuss new challenges that arise in the face of accumulating evidence for dynamic and interconnected memory systems that jointly contribute to learning. PMID:21945835

English Orthographic Learning in Chinese-L1 Young EFL Beginners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Yu-Lin

2017-01-01

English orthographic learning, among Chinese-L1 children who were beginning to learn English as a foreign language, was documented when: (1) "only" visual memory was at their disposal, (2) visual memory and either "some" letter-sound knowledge or "some" semantic information was available, and (3) visual memory,…

Verbal Learning and Memory Functions in Adolescents with Reading Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyler, James D.; Obrzut, John E.; Asbjornsen, Arve E.

2012-01-01

The authors of this current study compared the memory performance of adolescent students with specific reading disabilities (RD) with that of typical adolescent readers on a newly developed verbal learning test, the "Bergen-Tucson Verbal Learning Test" (BTVLT). This multiple trial test was designed to measure memory acquisition,…

Evidence for a Role of Executive Functions in Learning Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Sinéad M.; Booth, Josephine N.; Campbell, Lorna Elise; Blythe, Richard A.; Wheate, Nial J.; Delibegovic, Mirela

2014-01-01

Research examining cognition and science learning has focused on working memory, but evidence implicates a broader set of executive functions. The current study examined executive functions and learning of biology in young adolescents. Fifty-six participants, aged 12-13?years, completed tasks of working memory (Spatial Working Memory), inhibition…

Human Learning and Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lieberman, David A.

2012-01-01

This innovative textbook is the first to integrate learning and memory, behaviour, and cognition. It focuses on fascinating human research in both memory and learning (while also bringing in important animal studies) and brings the reader up to date with the latest developments in the subject. Students are encouraged to think critically: key…

Possible Signaling Pathways Mediating Neuronal Calcium Sensor-1-Dependent Spatial Learning and Memory in Mice.

PubMed

Nakamura, Tomoe Y; Nakao, Shu; Nakajo, Yukako; Takahashi, Jun C; Wakabayashi, Shigeo; Yanamoto, Hiroji

2017-01-01

Intracellular Ca2+ signaling regulates diverse functions of the nervous system. Many of these neuronal functions, including learning and memory, are regulated by neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1). However, the pathways by which NCS-1 regulates these functions remain poorly understood. Consistent with the findings of previous reports, we revealed that NCS-1 deficient (Ncs1-/-) mice exhibit impaired spatial learning and memory function in the Morris water maze test, although there was little change in their exercise activity, as determined via treadmill-analysis. Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; a key regulator of memory function) and dopamine was significantly reduced in the Ncs1-/- mouse brain, without changes in the levels of glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor or nerve growth factor. Although there were no gross structural abnormalities in the hippocampi of Ncs1-/- mice, electron microscopy analysis revealed that the density of large dense core vesicles in CA1 presynaptic neurons, which release BDNF and dopamine, was decreased. Phosphorylation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-α (CaMKII-α, which is known to trigger long-term potentiation and increase BDNF levels, was significantly reduced in the Ncs1-/- mouse brain. Furthermore, high voltage electric potential stimulation, which increases the levels of BDNF and promotes spatial learning, significantly increased the levels of NCS-1 concomitant with phosphorylated CaMKII-α in the hippocampus; suggesting a close relationship between NCS-1 and CaMKII-α. Our findings indicate that NCS-1 may regulate spatial learning and memory function at least in part through activation of CaMKII-α signaling, which may directly or indirectly increase BDNF production.

Is "Learning" episodic memory? Distinct cognitive and neuroanatomic correlates of immediate recall during learning trials in neurologically normal aging and neurodegenerative cohorts.

PubMed

Casaletto, K B; Marx, G; Dutt, S; Neuhaus, J; Saloner, R; Kritikos, L; Miller, B; Kramer, J H

2017-07-28

Although commonly interpreted as a marker of episodic memory during neuropsychological exams, relatively little is known regarding the neurobehavior of "total learning" immediate recall scores. Medial temporal lobes are clearly associated with delayed recall performances, yet immediate recall may necessitate networks beyond traditional episodic memory. We aimed to operationalize cognitive and neuroanatomic correlates of total immediate recall in several aging syndromes. Demographically-matched neurologically normal adults (n=91), individuals with Alzheimer's disease (n=566), logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (PPA) (n=34), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (n=97), semantic variant PPA (n=71), or nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA (n=39) completed a neurocognitive battery, including the CVLT-Short Form trials 1-4 Total Immediate Recall; a majority subset also completed a brain MRI. Regressions covaried for age and sex, and MMSE in cognitive and total intracranial volume in neuroanatomic models. Neurologically normal adults demonstrated a heterogeneous pattern of cognitive associations with total immediate recall (executive, speed, delayed recall), such that no singular cognitive or neuroanatomic correlate uniquely predicted performance. Within the clinical cohorts, there were syndrome-specific cognitive and neural associations with total immediate recall; e.g., semantic processing was the strongest cognitive correlate in svPPA (partial r=0.41), while frontal volumes was the only meaningful neural correlate in bvFTD (partial r=0.20). Medial temporal lobes were not independently associated with total immediate recall in any group (ps>0.05). Multiple neurobehavioral systems are associated with "total learning" immediate recall scores that importantly differ across distinct clinical syndromes. Conventional memory networks may not be sufficient or even importantly contribute to total immediate recall in many syndromes. Interpreting learning scores as equivalent to episodic memory may be erroneous. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Nosema apis, N. ceranae, and coinfections on honey bee (Apis mellifera) learning and memory

PubMed Central

Charbonneau, Lise R.; Hillier, Neil Kirk; Rogers, Richard E. L.; Williams, Geoffrey R.; Shutler, Dave

2016-01-01

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) face an increasing number of challenges that in recent years have led to significant economic effects on apiculture, with attendant consequences for agriculture. Nosemosis is a fungal infection of honey bees caused by either Nosema apis or N. ceranae. The putative greater virulence of N. ceranae has spurred interest in understanding how it differs from N. apis. Little is known of effects of N. apis or N. ceranae on honey bee learning and memory. Following a Pavlovian model that relies on the proboscis extension reflex, we compared acquisition learning and long-term memory recall of uninfected (control) honey bees versus those inoculated with N. apis, N. ceranae, or both. We also tested whether spore intensity was associated with variation in learning and memory. Neither learning nor memory differed among treatments. There was no evidence of a relationship between spore intensity and learning, and only limited evidence of a negative effect on memory; this occurred only in the co-inoculation treatment. Our results suggest that if Nosema spp. are contributing to unusually high colony losses in recent years, the mechanism by which they may affect honey bees is probably not related to effects on learning or memory, at least as assessed by the proboscis extension reflex. PMID:26961062

Effects of Nosema apis, N. ceranae, and coinfections on honey bee (Apis mellifera) learning and memory.

PubMed

Charbonneau, Lise R; Hillier, Neil Kirk; Rogers, Richard E L; Williams, Geoffrey R; Shutler, Dave

2016-03-10

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) face an increasing number of challenges that in recent years have led to significant economic effects on apiculture, with attendant consequences for agriculture. Nosemosis is a fungal infection of honey bees caused by either Nosema apis or N. ceranae. The putative greater virulence of N. ceranae has spurred interest in understanding how it differs from N. apis. Little is known of effects of N. apis or N. ceranae on honey bee learning and memory. Following a Pavlovian model that relies on the proboscis extension reflex, we compared acquisition learning and long-term memory recall of uninfected (control) honey bees versus those inoculated with N. apis, N. ceranae, or both. We also tested whether spore intensity was associated with variation in learning and memory. Neither learning nor memory differed among treatments. There was no evidence of a relationship between spore intensity and learning, and only limited evidence of a negative effect on memory; this occurred only in the co-inoculation treatment. Our results suggest that if Nosema spp. are contributing to unusually high colony losses in recent years, the mechanism by which they may affect honey bees is probably not related to effects on learning or memory, at least as assessed by the proboscis extension reflex.

Regional hippocampal volumes and development predict learning and memory.

PubMed

Tamnes, Christian K; Walhovd, Kristine B; Engvig, Andreas; Grydeland, Håkon; Krogsrud, Stine K; Østby, Ylva; Holland, Dominic; Dale, Anders M; Fjell, Anders M

2014-01-01

The hippocampus is an anatomically and functionally heterogeneous structure, but longitudinal studies of its regional development are scarce and it is not known whether protracted maturation of the hippocampus in adolescence is related to memory development. First, we investigated hippocampal subfield development using 170 longitudinally acquired brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from 85 participants aged 8-21 years. Hippocampal subfield volumes were estimated by the use of automated segmentation of 7 subfields, including the cornu ammonis (CA) sectors and the dentate gyrus (DG), while longitudinal subfield volumetric change was quantified using a nonlinear registration procedure. Second, associations between subfield volumes and change and verbal learning/memory across multiple retention intervals (5 min, 30 min and 1 week) were tested. It was hypothesized that short and intermediate memory would be more closely related to CA2-3/CA4-DG and extended, remote memory to CA1. Change rates were significantly different across hippocampal subfields, but nearly all subfields showed significant volume decreases over time throughout adolescence. Several subfield volumes were larger in the right hemisphere and in males, while for change rates there were no hemisphere or sex differences. Partly in support of the hypotheses, greater volume of CA1 and CA2-3 was related to recall and retention after an extended delay, while longitudinal reduction of CA2-3 and CA4-DG was related to learning. This suggests continued regional development of the hippocampus across adolescence and that volume and volume change in specific subfields differentially predict verbal learning and memory over different retention intervals, but future high-resolution studies are called for. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The ugliness-in-averageness effect: Tempering the warm glow of familiarity.

PubMed

Carr, Evan W; Huber, David E; Pecher, Diane; Zeelenberg, Rene; Halberstadt, Jamin; Winkielman, Piotr

2017-06-01

Mere exposure (i.e., stimulus repetition) and blending (i.e., stimulus averaging) are classic ways to increase social preferences, including facial attractiveness. In both effects, increases in preference involve enhanced familiarity. Prominent memory theories assume that familiarity depends on a match between the target and similar items in memory. These theories predict that when individual items are weakly learned, their blends (morphs) should be relatively familiar, and thus liked-a beauty-in-averageness effect ( BiA ). However, when individual items are strongly learned, they are also more distinguishable. This "differentiation" hypothesis predicts that with strongly encoded items, familiarity (and thus, preference) for the blend will be relatively lower than individual items-an ugliness-in-averageness effect ( UiA ). We tested this novel theoretical prediction in 5 experiments. Experiment 1 showed that with weak learning, facial morphs were more attractive than contributing individuals (BiA effect). Experiments 2A and 2B demonstrated that when participants first strongly learned a subset of individual faces (either in a face-name memory task or perceptual-tracking task), morphs of trained individuals were less attractive than the trained individuals (UiA effect). Experiment 3 showed that changes in familiarity for the trained morph (rather than interstimulus conflict) drove the UiA effect. Using a within-subjects design, Experiment 4 mapped out the transition from BiA to UiA solely as a function of memory training. Finally, computational modeling using a well-known memory framework (REM) illustrated the familiarity transition observed in Experiment 4. Overall, these results highlight how memory processes illuminate classic and modern social preference phenomena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Sleep, offline processing, and vocal learning

PubMed Central

Margoliash, Daniel; Schmidt, Marc F

2009-01-01

The study of song learning and the neural song system has provided an important comparative model system for the study of speech and language acquisition. We describe some recent advances in the bird song system, focusing on the role of offline processing including sleep in processing sensory information and in guiding developmental song learning. These observations motivate a new model of the organization and role of the sensory memories in vocal learning. PMID:19906416

Hippocampal SWR Activity Predicts Correct Decisions during the Initial Learning of an Alternation Task

PubMed Central

Singer, Annabelle C.; Carr, Margaret F.; Karlsson, Mattias P.; Frank, Loren M.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY The hippocampus frequently replays memories of past experiences during sharp-wave ripple (SWR) events. These events can represent spatial trajectories extending from the animal’s current location to distant locations, suggesting a role in the evaluation of upcoming choices. While SWRs have been linked to learning and memory, the specific role of awake replay remains unclear. Here we show that there is greater coordinated neural activity during SWRs preceding correct, as compared to incorrect, trials in a spatial alternation task. As a result, the proportion of cell pairs coactive during SWRs was predictive of subsequent correct or incorrect responses on a trial-by-trial basis. This effect was seen specifically during early learning, when the hippocampus is essential for task performance. SWR activity preceding correct trials represented multiple trajectories that included both correct and incorrect options. These results suggest that reactivation during awake SWRs contributes to the evaluation of possible choices during memory-guided decision making. PMID:23522050

Farnesyltransferase haplodeficiency reduces neuropathology and rescues cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Cheng, Shaowu; Cao, Dongfeng; Hottman, David A; Yuan, LiLian; Bergo, Martin O; Li, Ling

2013-12-13

Isoprenoids and prenylated proteins have been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease (AD), including amyloid-β precursor protein metabolism, Tau phosphorylation, synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation. However, little is known about the relative importance of the two protein prenyltransferases, farnesyltransferase (FT) and geranylgeranyltransferase-1 (GGT), in the pathogenesis of AD. In this study, we defined the impact of deleting one copy of FT or GGT on the development of amyloid-β (Aβ)-associated neuropathology and learning/memory impairments in APPPS1 double transgenic mice, a well established model of AD. Heterozygous deletion of FT reduced Aβ deposition and neuroinflammation and rescued spatial learning and memory function in APPPS1 mice. Heterozygous deletion of GGT reduced the levels of Aβ and neuroinflammation but had no impact on learning and memory. These results document that farnesylation and geranylgeranylation play differential roles in AD pathogenesis and suggest that specific inhibition of protein farnesylation could be a potential strategy for effectively treating AD.

Similar verbal memory impairments in schizophrenia and healthy aging. Implications for understanding of neural mechanisms.

PubMed

Silver, Henry; Bilker, Warren B

2015-03-30

Memory is impaired in schizophrenia patients but it is not clear whether this is specific to the illness and whether different types of memory (verbal and nonverbal) or memories in different cognitive domains (executive, object recognition) are similarly affected. To study relationships between memory impairments and schizophrenia we compared memory functions in 77 schizophrenia patients, 58 elderly healthy individuals and 41 young healthy individuals. Tests included verbal associative and logical memory and memory in executive and object recognition domains. We compared relationships of memory functions to each other and to other cognitive functions including psychomotor speed and verbal and spatial working memory. Compared to the young healthy group, schizophrenia patients and elderly healthy individuals showed similar severe impairment in logical memory and in the ability to learn new associations (NAL), and similar but less severe impairment in spatial working memory and executive and object memory. Verbal working memory was significantly more impaired in schizophrenia patients than in the healthy elderly. Verbal episodic memory impairment in schizophrenia may share common mechanisms with similar impairment in healthy aging. Impairment in verbal working memory in contrast may reflect mechanisms specific to schizophrenia. Study of verbal explicit memory impairment tapped by the NAL index may advance understanding of abnormal hippocampus dependent mechanisms common to schizophrenia and aging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed-handedness advantages in episodic memory obtained under conditions of intentional learning extend to incidental learning.

PubMed

Christman, Stephen D; Butler, Michael

2011-10-01

The existence of handedness differences in the retrieval of episodic memories is well-documented, but virtually all have been obtained under conditions of intentional learning. Two experiments are reported that extend the presence of such handedness differences to memory retrieval under conditions of incidental learning. Experiment 1 used Craik and Tulving's (1975) classic levels-of-processing paradigm and obtained handedness differences under incidental and intentional conditions of deep processing, but not under conditions of shallow incidental processing. Experiment 2 looked at incidental memory for distracter items from a recognition memory task and again found a mixed-handed advantage. Results are discussed in terms of the relation between interhemispheric interaction, levels of processing, and episodic memory retrieval. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Calendar Savant with Episodic Memory Impairments

PubMed Central

Olson, Ingrid R.; Berryhill, Marian E.; Drowos, David B.; Brown, Lawrence; Chatterjee, Anjan

2010-01-01

Patients with memory disorders have severely restricted learning and memory. For instance, patients with anterograde amnesia can learn motor procedures as well as retaining some restricted ability to learn new words and factual information. However, such learning is inflexible and frequently inaccessible to conscious awareness. Here we present a case of patient AC596, a 25-year old male with severe episodic memory impairments, presumably due to anoxia during a preterm birth. In contrast to his poor episodic memory, he exhibits savant-like memory for calendar information that can be flexibly accessed by day, month, and year cues. He also has the ability to recollect the exact date of a wide range of personal experiences over the past 20 years. The patient appears to supplement his generally poor episodic memory by using memorized calendar information as a retrieval cue for autobiographical events. These findings indicate that islands of preserved memory functioning, such as a highly developed semantic memory system, can exist in individuals with severely impaired episodic memory systems. In this particular case, our patient’s memory for dates far outstripped that of normal individuals and served as a keen retrieval cue, allowing him to access information that was otherwise unavailable. PMID:20104390

Have we met before? Neural correlates of emotional learning in women with social phobia

PubMed Central

Laeger, Inga; Keuper, Kati; Heitmann, Carina; Kugel, Harald; Dobel, Christian; Eden, Annuschka; Arolt, Volker; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Dannlowski, Udo; Zwanzger, Peter

2014-01-01

Background Altered memory processes are thought to be a key mechanism in the etiology of anxiety disorders, but little is known about the neural correlates of fear learning and memory biases in patients with social phobia. The present study therefore examined whether patients with social phobia exhibit different patterns of neural activation when confronted with recently acquired emotional stimuli. Methods Patients with social phobia and a group of healthy controls learned to associate pseudonames with pictures of persons displaying either a fearful or a neutral expression. The next day, participants read the pseudonames in the magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Afterwards, 2 memory tests were carried out. Results We enrolled 21 patients and 21 controls in our study. There were no group differences for learning performance, and results of the memory tests were mixed. On a neural level, patients showed weaker amygdala activation than controls for the contrast of names previously associated with fearful versus neutral faces. Social phobia severity was negatively related to amygdala activation. Moreover, a detailed psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed an inverse correlation between disorder severity and frontolimbic connectivity for the emotional > neutral pseudonames contrast. Limitations Our sample included only women. Conclusion Our results support the theory of a disturbed corticolimbic interplay, even for recently learned emotional stimuli. We discuss the findings with regard to the vigilance–avoidance theory and contrast them to results indicating an oversensitive limbic system in patients with social phobia. PMID:24758944

Sustained increase in hippocampal sharp-wave ripple activity during slow-wave sleep after learning

PubMed Central

Eschenko, Oxana; Ramadan, Wiâm; Mölle, Matthias; Born, Jan; Sara, Susan J.

2008-01-01

High-frequency oscillations, known as sharp-wave/ripple (SPW-R) complexes occurring in hippocampus during slow-wave sleep (SWS), have been proposed to promote synaptic plasticity necessary for memory consolidation. We recorded sleep for 3 h after rats were trained on an odor-reward association task. Learning resulted in an increased number SPW-Rs during the first hour of post-learning SWS. The magnitude of ripple events and their duration were also elevated for up to 2 h after the newly formed memory. Rats that did not learn the discrimination during the training session did not show any change in SPW-Rs. Successful retrieval from remote memory was likewise accompanied by an increase in SPW-R density and magnitude, relative to the previously recorded baseline, but the effects were much shorter lasting and did not include increases in ripple duration and amplitude. A short-lasting increase of ripple activity was also observed when rats were rewarded for performing a motor component of the task only. There were no increases in ripple activity after habituation to the experimental environment. These experiments show that the characteristics of hippocampal high-frequency oscillations during SWS are affected by prior behavioral experience. Associative learning induces robust and sustained (up to 2 h) changes in several SPW-R characteristics, while after retrieval from remote memory or performance of a well-trained procedural aspect of the task, only transient changes in ripple density were induced. PMID:18385477

CaMKII knockdown affects both early and late phases of olfactory long-term memory in the honeybee.

PubMed

Scholl, Christina; Kübert, Natalie; Muenz, Thomas S; Rössler, Wolfgang

2015-12-01

Honeybees are able to solve complex learning tasks and memorize learned information for long time periods. The molecular mechanisms mediating long-term memory (LTM) in the honeybee Apis mellifera are, to a large part, still unknown. We approached this question by investigating the potential function of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), an enzyme known as a 'molecular memory switch' in vertebrates. CaMKII is able to switch to a calcium-independent constitutively active state, providing a mechanism for a molecular memory and has further been shown to play an essential role in structural synaptic plasticity. Using a combination of knockdown by RNA interference and pharmacological manipulation, we disrupted the function of CaMKII during olfactory learning and memory formation. We found that learning, memory acquisition and mid-term memory were not affected, but all manipulations consistently resulted in an impaired LTM. Both early LTM (24 h after learning) and late LTM (72 h after learning) were significantly disrupted, indicating the necessity of CaMKII in two successive stages of LTM formation in the honeybee. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Learning terms and definitions: Drawing and the role of elaborative encoding.

PubMed

Wammes, Jeffrey D; Meade, Melissa E; Fernandes, Myra A

2017-09-01

Traditionally, students adopt the strategy of taking written notes when attending a class or learning from a textbook in educational settings. Informed by previous work showing that learning by doing improves memory performance, we examined whether drawing to-be-remembered definitions from university textbooks would improve later memory, relative to a more typical strategy of rote transcription. Participants were asked to either write out the definition, or to draw a picture representative of the definition. Results indicated that drawing, relative to verbatim writing, conferred a reliable memorial benefit that was robust, even when participants' preexisting familiarity with the terms was included as a covariate (in Experiment 1) or when the to-be-remembered terms and definitions were fictitious, thus removing the influence of familiarity (in Experiment 2). We reasoned that drawing likely facilitates retention at least in part because at encoding, participants must retain and elaborate upon information regarding the meaning of the definition, to translate it into a new form (a picture). This is not the case when participants write out the definitions verbatim. In Experiment 3 we showed that paraphrasing during encoding, which, like drawing and in contrast with verbatim writing, requires self-generated elaboration, led to memory performance that was comparable to drawing. Taken together, results suggest that drawing is a powerful tool which improves memory, and that drawing produces a similar level of retention as does paraphrasing. This suggests that elaborative encoding plays a critical role in the memorial benefit that drawing confers to memory for definitions of academic terms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impaired hippocampus-dependent and -independent learning in IL-6 deficient mice.

PubMed

Baier, Paul Christian; May, Ulrike; Scheller, Jürgen; Rose-John, Stefan; Schiffelholz, Thomas

2009-06-08

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that, in addition to its essential role in the function of the immune system, is present in the central nervous system (CNS). In particular, pathologically increased CNS IL-6 has been linked to impairments in memory performance. Thus, the aim of our present study was to investigate hippocampus-dependent and -independent memory, in combination with exploratory and anxiety related behaviour in IL-6 knock-out (IL-6KO) mice. The experiments were performed with 9 male IL-6KO and 9 age matched male wild-type (CTRL) mice. Hippocampus-dependent learning was assessed with the Morris water maze (MWM), hippocampus-independent learning with the novel object recognition memory test (NORM). The test-battery for additional behavioural assessments included open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swim test (FST). IL-6KO mice showed impaired memory processes in the NORM as well in the MWM test. This could not be explained by reduced general activity or increased baseline anxiety. But, there was evidence for a higher susceptibility for stress and reduced exploratory behaviour in IL-6KO mice. In conclusion, absent CNS IL-6 does not lead to an improvement in memory function, but instead to an impairment. As "too little and too much spoils everything", our findings do not contradict the hypothesis of an involvement of IL-6 in memory processes. However, it remains unclear if impairments of memory are a specific result of disturbed IL-6 signalling, or rather an epiphenomenon associated with reduced exploratory behaviour and stress resistance.

Chronic sleep deprivation differentially affects short and long-term operant memory in Aplysia.

PubMed

Krishnan, Harini C; Noakes, Eric J; Lyons, Lisa C

2016-10-01

The induction, formation and maintenance of memory represent dynamic processes modulated by multiple factors including the circadian clock and sleep. Chronic sleep restriction has become common in modern society due to occupational and social demands. Given the impact of cognitive impairments associated with sleep deprivation, there is a vital need for a simple animal model in which to study the interactions between chronic sleep deprivation and memory. We used the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, with its simple nervous system, nocturnal sleep pattern and well-characterized learning paradigms, to assess the effects of two chronic sleep restriction paradigms on short-term (STM) and long-term (LTM) associative memory. The effects of sleep deprivation on memory were evaluated using the operant learning paradigm, learning that food is inedible, in which the animal associates a specific netted seaweed with failed swallowing attempts. We found that two nights of 6h sleep deprivation occurring during the first or last half of the night inhibited both STM and LTM. Moreover, the impairment in STM persisted for more than 24h. A milder, prolonged sleep deprivation paradigm consisting of 3 consecutive nights of 4h sleep deprivation also blocked STM, but had no effect on LTM. These experiments highlight differences in the sensitivity of STM and LTM to chronic sleep deprivation. Moreover, these results establish Aplysia as a valid model for studying the interactions between chronic sleep deprivation and associative memory paving the way for future studies delineating the mechanisms through which sleep restriction affects memory formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Verbal Memory Declines More Rapidly with Age in HIV Infected versus Uninfected Adults

PubMed Central

Seider, Talia R.; Luo, Xi; Gongvatana, Assawin; Devlin, Kathryn N.; de la Monte, Suzanne M.; Chasman, Jesse D.; Yan, Peisi; Tashima, Karen T.; Navia, Bradford; Cohen, Ronald A.

2015-01-01

Objectives In the current era of effective antiretroviral treatment, the number of older adults living with HIV is rapidly increasing. This study investigated the combined influence of age and HIV infection on longitudinal changes in verbal and visuospatial learning and memory. Methods In this longitudinal, case-control design, 54 HIV seropositive and 30 seronegative individuals aged 40–74 received neurocognitive assessments at baseline visits and again one year later. Assessment included tests of verbal and visuospatial learning and memory. Linear regression was used to predict baseline performance and longitudinal change on each test using HIV serostatus, age, and their interaction as predictors. MANOVA was used to assess the effects of these predictors on overall baseline performance and overall longitudinal change. Results The interaction of HIV and age significantly predicted longitudinal change in verbal memory performance, as did HIV status, indicating that although the seropositive group declined more than the seronegative group overall, the rate of decline depended on age such that greater age was associated with a greater decline in this group. The regression models for visuospatial learning and memory were significant at baseline, but did not predict change over time. HIV status significantly predicted overall baseline performance and overall longitudinal change. Conclusions This is the first longitudinal study focused on the effects of age and HIV on memory. Findings suggest that age and HIV interact to produce larger declines in verbal memory over time. Further research is needed to gain a greater understanding of the effects of HIV on the aging brain. PMID:24645772

Chronic Sleep Deprivation Differentially Affects Short and Long-term Operant Memory in Aplysia

PubMed Central

Krishnan, Harini C.; Noakes, Eric J.; Lyons, Lisa C.

2016-01-01

The induction, formation and maintenance of memory represent dynamic processes modulated by multiple factors including the circadian clock and sleep. Chronic sleep restriction has become common in modern society due to occupational and social demands. Given the impact of cognitive impairments associated with sleep deprivation, there is a vital need for a simple animal model in which to study the interactions between chronic sleep deprivation and memory. We used the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, with its simple nervous system, nocturnal sleep pattern and well-characterized learning paradigms, to assess the effects of two chronic sleep restriction paradigms on short-term (STM) and long-term (LTM) associative memory. The effects of sleep deprivation on memory were evaluated using the operant learning paradigm, learning that food is inedible, in which the animal associates a specific netted seaweed with failed swallowing attempts. We found that two nights of 6 h sleep deprivation occurring during the first or last half of the night inhibited both STM and LTM. Moreover, the impairment in STM persisted for more than 24 hours. A milder, prolonged sleep deprivation paradigm consisting of 3 consecutive nights of 4 h sleep deprivation also blocked STM, but had no effect on LTM. These experiments highlight differences in the sensitivity of STM and LTM to chronic sleep deprivation. Moreover, these results establish Aplysia as a valid model for studying the interactions between chronic sleep deprivation and associative memory paving the way for future studies delineating the mechanisms through which sleep restriction affects memory formation. PMID:27555235

Effects of URB597 as an inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase on WIN55, 212-2-induced learning and memory deficits in rats.

PubMed

Hasanein, Parisa; Teimuri Far, Massoud

2015-04-01

Cannabinoid and endocannabinoid systems have been implicated in several physiological functions including modulation of cognition. In this study we evaluated the effects and interaction between fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 and CB1 receptor agonist WIN55, 212-2 on memory using object recognition and passive avoidance learning (PAL) tests. Learning and memory impairment was induced by WIN 55, 212-2 administration (1mg/kg, i.p.) 30min before the acquisition trial. URB597 (0.1, 0.3 and 1mg/kg, i.p.) or SR141716A (1mg/kg, i.p.) was injected to rats 10min before WIN 55, 212-2 or URB597 respectively. URB597 (0.3 and 1mg/kg) but not 0.1mg/kg induced higher discrimination index (DI) in object recognition test and enhanced memory acquisition in PAL test. The cognitive enhancing effect of URB597 was blocked by a CB1 receptor antagonist, SR141716A which at this dose alone had no effect on cognition. WIN55, 212-2 caused cognition deficits in both tests. URB597 (0.3 and 1mg/kg) treatment could alleviate the negative influence of WIN 55, 212-2 on cognition and memory. These results indicate URB597 potential to protect against memory deficits induced by cannabinoid. Therefore, in combination with URB597 beneficial effects, this study suggests that URB597 has recognition and acquisition memory enhancing effects. It may also constitute a novel approach for the treatment of cannabinoid induced memory deficits and lead to a better understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying cognition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Information Engineering.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

determined that communications at battalion level were " working comparatively well", giving rise to the question, "What are the information processing ...through personal experience or training. The learning process includes reading information into and out of memory and comparing information that’s...received with information already stored in memory . REMEMBER This is a relatively uncomplex process . It is simply the storage of information to be recalled

Changes in Processing of Masked Stimuli across Early- and Late-Night Sleep: A Study on Behavior and Brain Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verleger, Rolf; Schuknecht, Simon-Vitus; Jaskowski, Piotr; Wagner, Ullrich

2008-01-01

Sleep has proven to support the memory consolidation in many tasks including learning of perceptual skills. Explicit, conscious types of memory have been demonstrated to benefit particularly from slow-wave sleep (SWS), implicit, non-conscious types particularly from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. By comparing the effects of early-night sleep,…

Prediction error and trace dominance determine the fate of fear memories after post-training manipulations

PubMed Central

Alfei, Joaquín M.; Ferrer Monti, Roque I.; Molina, Victor A.; Bueno, Adrián M.

2015-01-01

Different mnemonic outcomes have been observed when associative memories are reactivated by CS exposure and followed by amnestics. These outcomes include mere retrieval, destabilization–reconsolidation, a transitional period (which is insensitive to amnestics), and extinction learning. However, little is known about the interaction between initial learning conditions and these outcomes during a reinforced or nonreinforced reactivation. Here we systematically combined temporally specific memories with different reactivation parameters to observe whether these four outcomes are determined by the conditions established during training. First, we validated two training regimens with different temporal expectations about US arrival. Then, using Midazolam (MDZ) as an amnestic agent, fear memories in both learning conditions were submitted to retraining either under identical or different parameters to the original training. Destabilization (i.e., susceptibly to MDZ) occurred when reactivation was reinforced, provided the occurrence of a temporal prediction error about US arrival. In subsequent experiments, both treatments were systematically reactivated by nonreinforced context exposure of different lengths, which allowed to explore the interaction between training and reactivation lengths. These results suggest that temporal prediction error and trace dominance determine the extent to which reactivation produces the different outcomes. PMID:26179232

The contribution of temporary storage and executive processes to category learning.

PubMed

Wang, Tengfei; Ren, Xuezhu; Schweizer, Karl

2015-09-01

Three distinctly different working memory processes, temporary storage, mental shifting and inhibition, were proposed to account for individual differences in category learning. A sample of 213 participants completed a classic category learning task and two working memory tasks that were experimentally manipulated for tapping specific working memory processes. Fixed-links models were used to decompose data of the category learning task into two independent components representing basic performance and improvement in performance in category learning. Processes of working memory were also represented by fixed-links models. In a next step the three working memory processes were linked to components of category learning. Results from modeling analyses indicated that temporary storage had a significant effect on basic performance and shifting had a moderate effect on improvement in performance. In contrast, inhibition showed no effect on any component of the category learning task. These results suggest that temporary storage and the shifting process play different roles in the course of acquiring new categories. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Remembering episodic memories is not necessary for forgetting of negative words: Semantic retrieval can cause forgetting of negative words.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Masanori; Tanno, Yoshihiko

2015-06-01

Retrieval of a memory can induce forgetting of other related memories, which is known as retrieval-induced forgetting. Although most studies have investigated retrieval-induced forgetting by remembering episodic memories, this also can occur by remembering semantic memories. The present study shows that retrieval of semantic memories can lead to forgetting of negative words. In two experiments, participants learned words and then engaged in retrieval practice where they were asked to recall words related to the learned words from semantic memory. Finally, participants completed a stem-cued recall test for the learned words. The results showed forgetting of neutral and negative words, which was characteristic of semantic retrieval-induced forgetting. A certain degree of overlapping features, except same learning episode, is sufficient to cause retrieval-induced forgetting of negative words. Given the present results, we conclude that retrieval-induced forgetting of negative words does not require recollection of episodic memories.

Memory reactivation during rest supports upcoming learning of related content.

PubMed

Schlichting, Margaret L; Preston, Alison R

2014-11-04

Although a number of studies have highlighted the importance of offline processes for memory, how these mechanisms influence future learning remains unknown. Participants with established memories for a set of initial face-object associations were scanned during passive rest and during encoding of new related and unrelated pairs of objects. Spontaneous reactivation of established memories and enhanced hippocampal-neocortical functional connectivity during rest was related to better subsequent learning, specifically of related content. Moreover, the degree of functional coupling during rest was predictive of neural engagement during the new learning experience itself. These results suggest that through rest-phase reactivation and hippocampal-neocortical interactions, existing memories may come to facilitate encoding during subsequent related episodes.

Memory reactivation during rest supports upcoming learning of related content

PubMed Central

Schlichting, Margaret L.; Preston, Alison R.

2014-01-01

Although a number of studies have highlighted the importance of offline processes for memory, how these mechanisms influence future learning remains unknown. Participants with established memories for a set of initial face–object associations were scanned during passive rest and during encoding of new related and unrelated pairs of objects. Spontaneous reactivation of established memories and enhanced hippocampal–neocortical functional connectivity during rest was related to better subsequent learning, specifically of related content. Moreover, the degree of functional coupling during rest was predictive of neural engagement during the new learning experience itself. These results suggest that through rest-phase reactivation and hippocampal–neocortical interactions, existing memories may come to facilitate encoding during subsequent related episodes. PMID:25331890

Learning about cognition risk with the radial-arm maze in the developmental neurotoxicology battery.

PubMed

Levin, Edward D

2015-01-01

Cognitive dysfunction has been found in epidemiological studies to be among the most sensitive impairments associated with developmental exposure to a variety of environmental contaminants from heavy metals to polyhalogenated hydrocarbons and pesticides. These chemicals have been also shown to impair cognitive function after developmental exposure in experimental animal models. The radial-arm maze (RAM) has proven to be a sensitive and reliable way to assess both learning and memory in a variety of species, most often in rats and mice. The RAM is a very adaptable test method that takes advantage of rodents' instinct to explore new places in the environment to forage. That is, rodents do not need to be trained to run through the maze; they will normally do this from the initial session of testing. Training with differential reinforcement for arm choices provides a more rigorous test of learning and memory. The RAM is quite adaptable for assessing various aspects of cognition. Although the RAM has been mostly used to assess spatial learning and memory, it can be configured to assess non-spatial memory as well. Both working and reference memory can be easily distinguished. The RAM can be run with both appetitive (food reinforced) and aversive (water escape) motivators. The RAM has been found to be sensitive to a wide variety of developmental toxicants including heavy metals such as mercury and pesticides such as chlorpyrifos. There is an extremely rich literature especially with rats showing the effects of many types of brain lesions and drug effects so that the participation of a wide variety of neural systems in RAM performance is known. These systems, notably the hippocampus and frontal cortex, and acetylcholine and glutamate neurotransmitter systems, are the same neural systems that have been shown in humans to be critical for learning and memory. This considerably aids the interpretation of neurobehavioral toxicity studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modulation of learning and memory by the genetic disruption of circadian oscillator populations.

PubMed

Snider, Kaitlin H; Obrietan, Karl

2018-06-23

While a rich literature has documented that the efficiency of learning and memory varies across circadian time, a close survey of that literature reveals extensive heterogeneity in the time of day (TOD) when peak cognitive performance occurs. Moreover, most previous experiments in rodents have not focused on the question of discriminating which memory processes (e.g., working memory, memory acquisition, or retrieval) are modulated by the TOD. Here, we use assays of contextual fear conditioning and spontaneous alternation in WT (C57Bl/6 J) mice to survey circadian modulation of hippocampal-dependent memory at multiple timescales - including working memory (seconds to a few minutes), intermediate-term memory (a delay of thirty minutes), and acquisition and retrieval of long-term memory (a delay of two days). Further, in order to test the relative contributions of circadian timing mechanisms to the modulation of memory, a parallel set of studies were performed in mice lacking clock timing mechanisms. These transgenic mice lacked the essential circadian gene Bmal1, either globally (Bmal1 null) or locally (floxed Bmal1 mice which lack Bmal1 in excitatory forebrain neurons, e.g. cortical and hippocampal neurons). Here, we show that in WT mice, retrieval (but not working memory, intermediate-term memory, or acquisition of long-term memory) is modulated by TOD. However, transgenic mouse models lacking Bmal1 - both globally, and only in forebrain excitatory neurons - show deficits regardless of the memory process tested (and lack circadian modulation of retrieval). These results provide new clarity regarding the impact of TOD on hippocampal-dependent memory and support the key role of hippocampal and cortical circadian oscillations in circadian gating of cognition. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Common mechanisms of human perceptual and motor learning

PubMed Central

Censor, Nitzan; Sagi, Dov; Cohen, Leonardo G.

2016-01-01

The adult mammalian brain has a remarkable capacity to learn in both the perceptual and motor domains through the formation and consolidation of memories. Such practice-enabled procedural learning results in perceptual and motor skill improvements. Here, we examine evidence supporting the notion that perceptual and motor learning in humans exhibit analogous properties, including similarities in temporal dynamics and the interactions between primary cortical and higher-order brain areas. These similarities may point to the existence of a common general mechanism for learning in humans. PMID:22903222

In Search for Boundary Conditions of Reconsolidation: A Failure of Fear Memory Interference

PubMed Central

Schroyens, Natalie; Beckers, Tom; Kindt, Merel

2017-01-01

The presentation of a fear memory cue can result in mere memory retrieval, destabilization of the reactivated memory trace, or the formation of an extinction memory. The interaction between the degree of novelty during reactivation and previous learning conditions is thought to determine the outcome of a reactivation session. This study aimed to evaluate whether contextual novelty can prevent cue-induced destabilization and disruption of a fear memory acquired by non-asymptotic learning. To this end, fear memory was reactivated in a novel context or in the original context of learning, and fear memory reactivation was followed by the administration of propranolol, an amnestic drug. Remarkably, fear memory was not impaired by post-reactivation propranolol administration or extinction training under the usual conditions used in our lab, irrespective of the reactivation context. These unexpected findings are discussed in the light of our current experimental parameters and alleged boundary conditions on memory destabilization. PMID:28469565

ADRA2B Deletion Variant Influences Time-Dependent Effects of Pre-Learning Stress on Long-Term Memory

PubMed Central

Zoladz, Phillip R.; Dailey, Alison M.; Nagle, Hannah E.; Fiely, Miranda K.; Mosley, Brianne E.; Brown, Callie M.; Duffy, Tessa J.; Scharf, Amanda R.; Earley, McKenna B.; Rorabaugh, Boyd R.

2017-01-01

Extensive work over the past few decades has shown that certain genetic variations interact with life events to confer increased susceptibility for the development of psychological disorders. The deletion variant of the ADRA2B gene, which has been associated with enhanced emotional memory and heightened amygdala responses to emotional stimuli, might confer increased susceptibility for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or related phenotypes by increasing the likelihood of traumatic memory formation. Thus, we examined whether this genetic variant would predict stress effects on learning and memory in a non-clinical sample. Two hundred and thirty-five individuals were exposed to the socially evaluated cold pressor test or a control condition immediately or 30 min prior to learning a list of words that varied in emotional valence and arousal level. Participants’ memory for the words was tested immediately (recall) and 24 h after learning (recall and recognition), and saliva samples were collected to genotype participants for the ADRA2B deletion variant. Results showed that stress administered immediately before learning selectively enhanced long-term recall in deletion carriers. Stress administered 30 min before learning impaired recognition memory in male deletion carriers, while enhancing recognition memory in female deletion carriers. These findings provide additional evidence to support the idea that ADRA2B deletion variant carriers retain a sensitized stress response system, which results in amplified effects of stress on learning and memory. The accumulating evidence regarding this genetic variant implicates it as a susceptibility factor for traumatic memory formation and PTSD-related phenotypes. PMID:28254464

Relocating cued goals induces population remapping in CA1 related to memory performance in a two-platform water task in rats.

PubMed

Lee, Justin Quinn; LeDuke, Deryn O; Chua, Kate; McDonald, Robert J; Sutherland, Robert J

2018-06-01

The activity of CA1 neurons in the rodent hippocampus represents multiple aspects of learning episodes, including cue and place information. Previous reports on cue and place representation in CA1 have examined activity in single neurons and population recordings during free exploration of an environment or when actions are directed to either cue or place aspects of memory tasks. To better understand cue and place memory representation in CA1, and how these interact during goal-directed navigation, we investigated population activity in CA1 during memory encoding and retrieval in a novel water task with two visibly distinct platforms, using mRNA for immediate early genes Arc and Homer1a as markers of neural activity. After training, relocating cues to new places induces an extensive, perhaps global, remapping of the memory code that is accompanied by altered navigation and rapid learning of new cue-place information. In addition, we have found a significant relationship between the extent of reactivation and overall cue choice accuracy. These findings demonstrate an important relationship between population remapping in CA1 and memory-guided behavior. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preserved learning of novel information in amnesia: evidence for multiple memory systems.

PubMed

Gordon, B

1988-06-01

Four of five patients with marked global amnesia, and others with new learning impairments, showed normal processing facilitation for novel stimuli (nonwords) and/or for familiar stimuli (words) on a word/nonword (lexical) decision task. The data are interpreted as a reflection of the learning capabilities of in-line neural processing stages with multiple, distinct, informational codes. These in-line learning processes are separate from the recognition/recall memory impaired by amygdalohippocampal/dosomedial thalamic damage, but probably supplement such memory in some tasks in normal individuals. Preserved learning of novel information seems incompatible with explanations of spared learning in amnesia that are based on the episodic/semantic or memory/habit distinctions, but is consistent with the procedural/declarative hypothesis.

Effect of perinatal asphyxia on tuberomammillary nucleus neuronal density and object recognition memory: A possible role for histamine?

PubMed

Flores-Balter, Gabriela; Cordova-Jadue, Héctor; Chiti-Morales, Alessandra; Lespay, Carolyne; Espina-Marchant, Pablo; Falcon, Romina; Grinspun, Noemi; Sanchez, Jessica; Bustamante, Diego; Morales, Paola; Herrera-Marschitz, Mario; Valdés, José L

2016-10-15

Perinatal asphyxia (PA) is associated with long-term neuronal damage and cognitive deficits in adulthood, such as learning and memory disabilities. After PA, specific brain regions are compromised, including neocortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and ascending neuromodulatory pathways, such as dopamine system, explaining some of the cognitive disabilities. We hypothesize that other neuromodulatory systems, such as histamine system from the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN), which widely project to telencephalon, shown to be relevant for learning and memory, may be compromised by PA. We investigated here the effect of PA on (i) Density and neuronal activity of TMN neurons by double immunoreactivity for adenosine deaminase (ADA) and c-Fos, as marker for histaminergic neurons and neuronal activity respectively. (ii) Expression of the histamine-synthesizing enzyme, histidine decarboxylase (HDC) by western blot and (iii) thioperamide an H3 histamine receptor antagonist, on an object recognition memory task. Asphyxia-exposed rats showed a decrease of ADA density and c-Fos activity in TMN, and decrease of HDC expression in hypothalamus. Asphyxia-exposed rats also showed a low performance in object recognition memory compared to caesarean-delivered controls, which was reverted in a dose-dependent manner by the H3 antagonist thioperamide (5-10mg/kg, i.p.). The present results show that the histaminergic neuronal system of the TMN is involved in the long-term effects induced by PA, affecting learning and memory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective transfer of visual working memory training on Chinese character learning.

PubMed

Opitz, Bertram; Schneiders, Julia A; Krick, Christoph M; Mecklinger, Axel

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown a systematic relationship between phonological working memory capacity and second language proficiency for alphabetic languages. However, little is known about the impact of working memory processes on second language learning in a non-alphabetic language such as Mandarin Chinese. Due to the greater complexity of the Chinese writing system we expect that visual working memory rather than phonological working memory exerts a unique influence on learning Chinese characters. This issue was explored in the present experiment by comparing visual working memory training with an active (auditory working memory training) control condition and a passive, no training control condition. Training induced modulations in language-related brain networks were additionally examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging in a pretest-training-posttest design. As revealed by pre- to posttest comparisons and analyses of individual differences in working memory training gains, visual working memory training led to positive transfer effects on visual Chinese vocabulary learning compared to both control conditions. In addition, we found sustained activation after visual working memory training in the (predominantly visual) left infero-temporal cortex that was associated with behavioral transfer. In the control conditions, activation either increased (active control condition) or decreased (passive control condition) without reliable behavioral transfer effects. This suggests that visual working memory training leads to more efficient processing and more refined responses in brain regions involved in visual processing. Furthermore, visual working memory training boosted additional activation in the precuneus, presumably reflecting mental image generation of the learned characters. We, therefore, suggest that the conjoint activity of the mid-fusiform gyrus and the precuneus after visual working memory training reflects an interaction of working memory and imagery processes with complex visual stimuli that fosters the coherent synthesis of a percept from a complex visual input in service of enhanced Chinese character learning. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Learning to remember: The early ontogeny of episodic memory☆

PubMed Central

Mullally, Sinéad L.; Maguire, Eleanor A.

2014-01-01

Over the past 60 years the neural correlates of human episodic memory have been the focus of intense neuroscientific scrutiny. By contrast, neuroscience has paid substantially less attention to understanding the emergence of this neurocognitive system. In this review we consider how the study of memory development has evolved. In doing so, we concentrate primarily on the first postnatal year because it is within this time window that the most dramatic shifts in scientific opinion have occurred. Moreover, this time frame includes the critical age (∼9 months) at which human infants purportedly first begin to demonstrate rudimentary hippocampal-dependent memory. We review the evidence for and against this assertion, note the lack of direct neurocognitive data speaking to this issue, and question how demonstrations of exuberant relational learning and memory in infants as young as 3-months old can be accommodated within extant models. Finally, we discuss whether current impasses in the infant memory literature could be leveraged by making greater use of neuroimaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which have been deployed so successfully in adults. PMID:24480487

Recognition memory of newly learned faces.

PubMed

Ishai, Alumit; Yago, Elena

2006-12-11

We used event-related fMRI to study recognition memory of newly learned faces. Caucasian subjects memorized unfamiliar, neutral and happy South Korean faces and 4 days later performed a memory retrieval task in the MR scanner. We predicted that previously seen faces would be recognized faster and more accurately and would elicit stronger neural activation than novel faces. Consistent with our hypothesis, novel faces were recognized more slowly and less accurately than previously seen faces. We found activation in a distributed cortical network that included face-responsive regions in the visual cortex, parietal and prefrontal regions, and the hippocampus. Within all regions, correctly recognized, previously seen faces evoked stronger activation than novel faces. Additionally, in parietal and prefrontal cortices, stronger activation was observed during correct than incorrect trials. Finally, in the hippocampus, false alarms to happy faces elicited stronger responses than false alarms to neutral faces. Our findings suggest that face recognition memory is mediated by stimulus-specific representations stored in extrastriate regions; parietal and prefrontal regions where old and new items are classified; and the hippocampus where veridical memory traces are recovered.

Neuronal histamine and the interplay of memory, reinforcement and emotions.

PubMed

Dere, E; Zlomuzica, A; De Souza Silva, M A; Ruocco, L A; Sadile, A G; Huston, J P

2010-12-31

The biogenic amine histamine is an important neurotransmitter-neuromodulator in the central nervous system that has been implicated in a variety of biological functions including thermo- and immunoregulation, food intake, seizures, arousal, anxiety, reward and memory. The review of the pertinent literature indicates that the majority of findings are compatible with the appraisal that the inhibition of histaminergic neurotransmission impairs learning and memory formation, decreases cortical activation and arousal, has a suppressive effect on behavioral measures of fear and anxiety, exponentiates the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse and intracranial brain stimulation. In contrast, the stimulation of histaminergic neurotransmission can ameliorate learning and memory impairments that are associated with various experimental deficit models and pathological conditions. Clinical investigations with patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease demonstrate pathological alterations in the brain's histaminergic system, which, in some cases are correlated with the severity of cognitive deficits. The role of the brain's histamine system in episodic memory formation and the potential of histamine-related drugs to ameliorate cognitive deficits in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Post-training gamma irradiation-enhanced contextual fear memory associated with reduced neuronal activation of the infralimbic cortex.

PubMed

Kugelman, Tara; Zuloaga, Damian G; Weber, Sydney; Raber, Jacob

2016-02-01

The brain might be exposed to irradiation under a variety of situations, including clinical treatments, nuclear accidents, dirty bomb scenarios, and military and space missions. Correctly recalling tasks learned prior to irradiation is important but little is known about post-learning effects of irradiation. It is not clear whether exposure to X-ray irradiation during memory consolidation, a few hours following training, is associated with altered contextual fear conditioning 24h after irradiation and which brain region(s) might be involved in these effects. Brain immunoreactivity patterns of the immediately early gene c-Fos, a marker of cellular activity was used to determine which brain areas might be altered in post-training irradiation memory retention tasks. In this study, we show that post-training gamma irradiation exposure (1 Gy) enhanced contextual fear memory 24h later and is associated with reduced cellular activation in the infralimbic cortex. Reduced GABA-ergic neurotransmission in parvalbumin-positive cells in the infralimbic cortex might play a role in this post-training radiation-enhanced contextual fear memory. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Post-training gamma irradiation-enhanced contextual fear memory associated with reduced neuronal activation of the infralimbic cortex

PubMed Central

Kugelman, Tara; Zuloaga, Damian G.; Weber, Sydney; Raber, Jacob

2015-01-01

The brain might be exposed to irradiation under a variety of situations, including clinical treatments, nuclear accidents, dirty bomb scenarios, and military and space missions. Correctly recalling tasks learned prior to irradiation is important but little is known about post-learning effects of irradiation. It is not clear whether exposure to X-ray irradiation during memory consolidation, a few hours following training, is associated with altered contextual fear conditioning 24 hours after irradiation and which brain region(s) might be involved in these effects. Brain immunoreactivity patterns of the immediately early gene c-Fos, a marker of cellular activity was used to determine which brain areas might be altered in post-training irradiation memory retention tasks. In this study, we show that post-training gamma irradiation exposure (1 Gy) enhanced contextual fear memory 24 hours later and is associated with reduced cellular activation in the infralimbic cortex. Reduced GABA-ergic neurotransmission in parvalbumin-positive cells in the infralimbic cortex might play a role in this post-training radiation-enhanced contextual fear memory. PMID:26522840

Contribution of Brain Tissue Oxidative Damage in Hypothyroidism-associated Learning and Memory Impairments

PubMed Central

Baghcheghi, Yousef; Salmani, Hossein; Beheshti, Farimah; Hosseini, Mahmoud

2017-01-01

The brain is a critical target organ for thyroid hormones, and modifications in memory and cognition happen with thyroid dysfunction. The exact mechanisms underlying learning and memory impairments due to hypothyroidism have not been understood yet. Therefore, this review was aimed to compress the results of previous studies which have examined the contribution of brain tissues oxidative damage in hypothyroidism-associated learning and memory impairments. PMID:28584813

The Association Between Effective Dose of Magnesium and Mild Compulsive Exercise on Spatial Learning, Memory, and Motor Activity of Adult Male Rats.

PubMed

Hajizade Ghonsulakandi, Shahnaz; Sheikh, Mahmuod; Dehghan Shasaltaneh, Marzieh; Chopani, Samira; Naghdi, Nasser

2017-08-01

One of the most important survival mechanisms is learning and memory processes. To emphasize the role of physical exercises and magnesium (Mg) in improvement of cognitive performance, we planned to investigate the effect of Mg and mild compulsive exercise on spatial learning and memory of adult male rats. Accordingly, we divided male Wistar rats into four groups: (I) control, (II) Mg treatment, (III) exercise, and (IV) Mg-exercise in the different dosages of Mg (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mmol/kbw) were injected in the form of gavage during 1 week. Also, 1-week mild running on treadmill was used for exercise treatment. The Morris water maze (MWM) test and open field tool were used to evaluate spatial learning, memory, and motor activity, respectively. Our results clearly showed that 1 mmol/kbw Mg was applied as an effective dosage. Strikingly, 1-week mild exercise on treadmill had no significant effect on spatial motor activity, learning, and memory. Feeding 1 mmol/kbw Mg for a week showed a significant difference in learning and exploration stages. Compared to control animals, these results reveal exercise and Mg simultaneously had effect on learning and reminding. As a consequence, although mild exercise had no effect on motor activity and memory, Mg intake improved spatial learning, memory, and locomotor activity. The Mg feeding could be a promising supplemental treatment in the neurodegenerative disease. It is worthwhile to mention consumption of Mg leads to enhancement of memory, so animals find the hidden platform with the highest velocity.

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

Di Pinto, Marcos; Conklin, Heather M.; Li, Chenghong

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to examine whether children with low-grade glioma (LGG) or craniopharyngioma had impaired learning and memory after conformal radiation therapy (CRT). A secondary objective was to determine whether children who received chemotherapy before CRT, a treatment often used to delay radiation therapy in younger children with LGG, received any protective benefit with respect to learning. Methods and Materials: Learning and memory in 57 children with LGG and 44 children with craniopharyngioma were assessed with the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version and the Visual-Auditory Learning tests. Learning measures were administered before CRT, 6 monthsmore » later, and then yearly for a total of 5 years. Results: No decline in learning scores after CRT was observed when patients were grouped by diagnosis. For children with LGG, chemotherapy before CRT did not provide a protective effect on learning. Multiple regression analyses, which accounted for age and tumor volume and location, found that children treated with chemotherapy before CRT were at greater risk of decline on learning measures than those treated with CRT alone. Variables predictive of learning and memory decline included hydrocephalus, shunt insertion, younger age at time of treatment, female gender, and pre-CRT chemotherapy. Conclusions: This study did not reveal any impairment or decline in learning after CRT in overall aggregate learning scores. However, several important variables were found to have a significant effect on neurocognitive outcome. Specifically, chemotherapy before CRT was predictive of worse outcome on verbal learning in LGG patients. In addition, hydrocephalus and shunt insertion in craniopharyngioma were found to be predictive of worse neurocognitive outcome, suggesting a more aggressive natural history for those patients.« less

Depletion of Serotonin Selectively Impairs Short-Term Memory without Affecting Long-Term Memory in Odor Learning in the Terrestrial Slug "Limax Valentianus"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santa, Tomofumi; Kirino, Yutaka; Watanabe, Satoshi; Shirahata, Takaaki; Tsunoda, Makoto

2006-01-01

The terrestrial slug "Limax" is able to acquire short-term and long-term memories during aversive odor-taste associative learning. We investigated the effect of the selective serotonergic neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) on memory. Behavioral studies indicated that 5,7-DHT impaired short-term memory but not long-term memory. HPLC…

Inhibiting the Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter during Development Impairs Memory in Adult Drosophila.

PubMed

Drago, Ilaria; Davis, Ronald L

2016-09-06

The uptake of cytoplasmic calcium into mitochondria is critical for a variety of physiological processes, including calcium buffering, metabolism, and cell survival. Here, we demonstrate that inhibiting the mitochondrial calcium uniporter in the Drosophila mushroom body neurons (MBn)-a brain region critical for olfactory memory formation-causes memory impairment without altering the capacity to learn. Inhibiting uniporter activity only during pupation impaired adult memory, whereas the same inhibition during adulthood was without effect. The behavioral impairment was associated with structural defects in MBn, including a decrease in synaptic vesicles and an increased length in the axons of the αβ MBn. Our results reveal an in vivo developmental role for the mitochondrial uniporter complex in establishing the necessary structural and functional neuronal substrates for normal memory formation in the adult organism. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functional-anatomic correlates of individual differences in memory.

PubMed

Kirchhoff, Brenda A; Buckner, Randy L

2006-07-20

Memory abilities differ greatly across individuals. To explore a source of these differences, we characterized the varied strategies people adopt during unconstrained encoding. Participants intentionally encoded object pairs during functional MRI. Principal components analysis applied to a strategy questionnaire revealed that participants variably used four main strategies to aid learning. Individuals' use of verbal elaboration and visual inspection strategies independently correlated with their memory performance. Verbal elaboration correlated with activity in a network of regions that included prefrontal regions associated with controlled verbal processing, while visual inspection correlated with activity in a network of regions that included an extrastriate region associated with object processing. Activity in regions associated with use of these strategies was also correlated with memory performance. This study reveals functional-anatomic correlates of verbal and perceptual strategies that are variably used by individuals during encoding. These strategies engage distinct brain regions and may separately influence memory performance.

User Preference-Based Dual-Memory Neural Model With Memory Consolidation Approach.

PubMed

Nasir, Jauwairia; Yoo, Yong-Ho; Kim, Deok-Hwa; Kim, Jong-Hwan; Nasir, Jauwairia; Yong-Ho Yoo; Deok-Hwa Kim; Jong-Hwan Kim; Nasir, Jauwairia; Yoo, Yong-Ho; Kim, Deok-Hwa; Kim, Jong-Hwan

2018-06-01

Memory modeling has been a popular topic of research for improving the performance of autonomous agents in cognition related problems. Apart from learning distinct experiences correctly, significant or recurring experiences are expected to be learned better and be retrieved easier. In order to achieve this objective, this paper proposes a user preference-based dual-memory adaptive resonance theory network model, which makes use of a user preference to encode memories with various strengths and to learn and forget at various rates. Over a period of time, memories undergo a consolidation-like process at a rate proportional to the user preference at the time of encoding and the frequency of recall of a particular memory. Consolidated memories are easier to recall and are more stable. This dual-memory neural model generates distinct episodic memories and a flexible semantic-like memory component. This leads to an enhanced retrieval mechanism of experiences through two routes. The simulation results are presented to evaluate the proposed memory model based on various kinds of cues over a number of trials. The experimental results on Mybot are also presented. The results verify that not only are distinct experiences learned correctly but also that experiences associated with higher user preference and recall frequency are consolidated earlier. Thus, these experiences are recalled more easily relative to the unconsolidated experiences.

Stress Disrupts Context-Dependent Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwabe, Lars; Bohringer, Andreas; Wolf, Oliver T.

2009-01-01

Memory is facilitated when the retrieval context resembles the learning context. The brain structures underlying contextual influences on memory are susceptible to stress. Whether stress interferes with context-dependent memory is still unknown. We exposed healthy adults to stress or a control procedure before they learned an object-location task…

Functional Evidence for Memory Stabilization in Sensorimotor Adaptation: A 24-h Resting-State fMRI Study.

PubMed

Della-Maggiore, Valeria; Villalta, Jorge I; Kovacevic, Natasa; McIntosh, Anthony Randal

2017-03-01

Adaptation learning is crucial to maintain precise motor control in face of environmental perturbations. Although much progress has been made in understanding the psychophysics and neurophysiology of sensorimotor adaptation (SA), the time course of memory consolidation remains elusive. The lack of a reproducible gradient of memory resistance using protocols of retrograde interference has even led to the proposal that memories produced through SA do not consolidate. Here, we pursued an alternative approach using resting-state fMRI to track changes in functional connectivity (FC) induced by learning. Given that consolidation leads to long-term memory, we hypothesized that a change in FC that predicted long-term memory but not short-term memory would provide indirect evidence for memory stabilization. Six scans were acquired before, 15 min, 1, 3, 5.5, and 24 h after training on a center-out task under veridical or distorted visual feedback. The experimental group showed an increment in FC of a network including motor, premotor, posterior parietal cortex, cerebellum, and putamen that peaked at 5.5 h. Crucially, the strengthening of this network correlated positively with long-term retention but negatively with short-term retention. Our work provides evidence, suggesting that adaptation memories stabilize within a 6-h window, and points to different mechanisms subserving short- and long-term memory. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Working Memory, Motivation, and Teacher-Initiated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, David W.; Shell, Duane F.

2006-01-01

Working memory is where we "think" as we learn. A notion that emerges as a synthesis from several threads in the research literatures of cognition, motivation, and connectionism is that motivation in learning is the process whereby working memory resource allocation is instigated and sustained. This paper reviews much literature on motivation and…

Effects of Learning Experience on Forgetting Rates of Item and Associative Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jiongjiong; Zhan, Lexia; Wang, Yingying; Du, Xiaoya; Zhou, Wenxi; Ning, Xueling; Sun, Qing; Moscovitch, Morris

2016-01-01

Are associative memories forgotten more quickly than item memories, and does the level of original learning differentially influence forgetting rates? In this study, we addressed these questions by having participants learn single words and word pairs once (Experiment 1), three times (Experiment 2), and six times (Experiment 3) in a massed…

Beyond the Bolus: Transgenic Tools for Investigating the Neurophysiology of Learning and Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lykken, Christine; Kentros, Clifford G.

2014-01-01

Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory in the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit is a central challenge of systems neuroscience. For more than 40 years, electrophysiological recordings in awake, behaving animals have been used to relate the receptive fields of neurons in this circuit to learning and memory. However, the…

The effect of strategic memory training in older adults: who benefits most?

PubMed

Rosi, Alessia; Del Signore, Federica; Canelli, Elisa; Allegri, Nicola; Bottiroli, Sara; Vecchi, Tomaso; Cavallini, Elena

2017-12-07

Previous research has suggested that there is a degree of variability among older adults' response to memory training, such that some individuals benefit more than others. The aim of the present study was to identify the profile of older adults who were likely to benefit most from a strategic memory training program that has previously proved to be effective in improving memory in healthy older adults. In total, 44 older adults (60-83 years) participated in a strategic memory training. We examined memory training benefits by measuring changes in memory practiced (word list learning) and non-practiced tasks (grocery list and associative learning). In addition, a battery of cognitive measures was administered in order to assess crystallized and fluid abilities, short-term memory, working memory, and processing speed. Results confirmed the efficacy of the training in improving performance in both practiced and non-practiced memory tasks. For the practiced memory tasks, results showed that memory baseline performance and crystallized ability predicted training gains. For the non-practiced memory tasks, analyses showed that memory baseline performance was a significant predictor of gain in the grocery list learning task. For the associative learning task, the significant predictors were memory baseline performance, processing speed, and marginally the age. Our results indicate that older adults with a higher baseline memory capacity and with more efficient cognitive resources were those who tended to benefit most from the training. The present study provides new avenues in designing personalized intervention according to the older adults' cognitive profile.

Verbal memory after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery in children: Do only mesial structures matter?

PubMed

Law, Nicole; Benifla, Mony; Rutka, James; Smith, Mary Lou

2017-02-01

Previous findings have been mixed regarding verbal memory outcome after left temporal lobectomy in children, and there are few studies comparing verbal memory change after lateral versus mesial temporal lobe resections. We compared verbal memory outcome associated with sparing or including the mesial structures in children who underwent left or right temporal lobe resection. We also investigated predictors of postsurgical verbal memory change. We retrospectively assessed verbal memory change approximately 1 year after unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy surgery using a list learning task. Participants included 23 children who underwent temporal lobe surgery with sparing of the mesial structures (13 left), and 40 children who had a temporal lobectomy that included resection of mesial structures (22 left). Children who underwent resection from the left lateral and mesial temporal lobe were the only group to show decline in verbal memory. Furthermore, when we considered language representation in the left temporal resection group, patients with left language representation and spared mesial structures showed essentially no change in verbal memory from preoperative to follow-up, whereas those with left language representation and excised mesial structures showed a decline. Postoperative seizure status had no effect on verbal memory change in children after left temporal lobe surgery. Finally, we found that patients with intact preoperative verbal memory experienced a significant decline compared to those with below average preoperative verbal memory. Our findings provide evidence of significant risk factors for verbal memory decline in children, specific to left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Children who undergo left temporal lobe surgery that includes mesial structures may be most vulnerable for verbal memory decline, especially when language representation is localized to the left hemisphere and when preoperative verbal memory is intact. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

From sensorimotor learning to memory cells in prefrontal and temporal association cortex: a neurocomputational study of disembodiment.

PubMed

Pulvermüller, Friedemann; Garagnani, Max

2014-08-01

Memory cells, the ultimate neurobiological substrates of working memory, remain active for several seconds and are most commonly found in prefrontal cortex and higher multisensory areas. However, if correlated activity in "embodied" sensorimotor systems underlies the formation of memory traces, why should memory cells emerge in areas distant from their antecedent activations in sensorimotor areas, thus leading to "disembodiment" (movement away from sensorimotor systems) of memory mechanisms? We modelled the formation of memory circuits in six-area neurocomputational architectures, implementing motor and sensory primary, secondary and higher association areas in frontotemporal cortices along with known between-area neuroanatomical connections. Sensorimotor learning driven by Hebbian neuroplasticity led to formation of cell assemblies distributed across the different areas of the network. These action-perception circuits (APCs) ignited fully when stimulated, thus providing a neural basis for long-term memory (LTM) of sensorimotor information linked by learning. Subsequent to ignition, activity vanished rapidly from APC neurons in sensorimotor areas but persisted in those in multimodal prefrontal and temporal areas. Such persistent activity provides a mechanism for working memory for actions, perceptions and symbols, including short-term phonological and semantic storage. Cell assembly ignition and "disembodied" working memory retreat of activity to multimodal areas are documented in the neurocomputational models' activity dynamics, at the level of single cells, circuits, and cortical areas. Memory disembodiment is explained neuromechanistically by APC formation and structural neuroanatomical features of the model networks, especially the central role of multimodal prefrontal and temporal cortices in bridging between sensory and motor areas. These simulations answer the "where" question of cortical working memory in terms of distributed APCs and their inner structure, which is, in part, determined by neuroanatomical structure. As the neurocomputational model provides a mechanistic explanation of how memory-related "disembodied" neuronal activity emerges in "embodied" APCs, it may be key to solving aspects of the embodiment debate and eventually to a better understanding of cognitive brain functions. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Prenatal Stress Impairs Spatial Learning and Memory Associated with Lower mRNA Level of the CAMKII and CREB in the Adult Female Rat Hippocampus.

PubMed

Sun, Hongli; Wu, Haibin; Liu, Jianping; Wen, Jun; Zhu, Zhongliang; Li, Hui

2017-05-01

Prenatal stress (PS) results in various behavioral and emotional alterations observed in later life. In particular, PS impairs spatial learning and memory processes but the underlying mechanism involved in this pathogenesis still remains unknown. Here, we reported that PS lowered the body weight in offspring rats, particularly in female rats, and impaired spatial learning and memory of female offspring rats in the Morris water maze. Correspondingly, the decreased CaMKII and CREB mRNA in the hippocampus were detected in prenatally stressed female offspring, which partially explained the effect of PS on the spatial learning and memory. Our findings suggested that CaMKII and CREB may be involved in spatial learning and memory processes in the prenatally stressed adult female offspring.

Individual differences in learning predict the return of fear.

PubMed

Gershman, Samuel J; Hartley, Catherine A

2015-09-01

Using a laboratory analogue of learned fear (Pavlovian fear conditioning), we show that there is substantial heterogeneity across individuals in spontaneous recovery of fear following extinction training. We propose that this heterogeneity might stem from qualitative individual differences in the nature of extinction learning. Whereas some individuals tend to form a new memory during extinction, leaving their fear memory intact, others update the original threat association with new safety information, effectively unlearning the fear memory. We formalize this account in a computational model of fear learning and show that individuals who, according to the model, are more likely to form new extinction memories tend to show greater spontaneous recovery compared to individuals who appear to only update a single memory. This qualitative variation in fear and extinction learning may have important implications for understanding vulnerability and resilience to fear-related psychiatric disorders.

The relation between receptive grammar and procedural, declarative, and working memory in specific language impairment.

PubMed

Conti-Ramsden, Gina; Ullman, Michael T; Lum, Jarrad A G

2015-01-01

What memory systems underlie grammar in children, and do these differ between typically developing (TD) children and children with specific language impairment (SLI)? Whilst there is substantial evidence linking certain memory deficits to the language problems in children with SLI, few studies have investigated multiple memory systems simultaneously, examining not only possible memory deficits but also memory abilities that may play a compensatory role. This study examined the extent to which procedural, declarative, and working memory abilities predict receptive grammar in 45 primary school aged children with SLI (30 males, 15 females) and 46 TD children (30 males, 16 females), both on average 9;10 years of age. Regression analyses probed measures of all three memory systems simultaneously as potential predictors of receptive grammar. The model was significant, explaining 51.6% of the variance. There was a significant main effect of learning in procedural memory and a significant group × procedural learning interaction. Further investigation of the interaction revealed that procedural learning predicted grammar in TD but not in children with SLI. Indeed, procedural learning was the only predictor of grammar in TD. In contrast, only learning in declarative memory significantly predicted grammar in SLI. Thus, different memory systems are associated with receptive grammar abilities in children with SLI and their TD peers. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to demonstrate a significant group by memory system interaction in predicting grammar in children with SLI and their TD peers. In line with Ullman's Declarative/Procedural model of language and procedural deficit hypothesis of SLI, variability in understanding sentences of varying grammatical complexity appears to be associated with variability in procedural memory abilities in TD children, but with declarative memory, as an apparent compensatory mechanism, in children with SLI.

Influence of chewing behaviour on memory and spatial learning in albino BALB/c mice.

PubMed

Aguirre Siancas, E E

2017-05-01

Since the relationship between chewing and cognitive functions has not been fully elucidated, this study aimed to determine the impact of chewing behaviour on spatial learning and memory in albino male BALB/c mice. Twenty mice aged 8 weeks were divided into 2 equal groups. The regular chewing group was fed with uncrushed grains (the same diet given to all 20 mice since they were weaned) and the limited chewing group was fed with crushed grains. At 16 weeks of age, the mice were evaluated over 5 days, including a 4-day acquisition phase prior to a probe test of spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze on the fifth day. A comparison of the regular chewing group and the limited chewing group found no significant differences in either the acquisition phase or the probe test. However, there were significant differences in the acquisition phase for just the regular chewing group when comparing results from the first day to those from the other 3 days. The results suggest that regular chewing affects spatial learning and memory since mice in the regular chewing group decreased their times to find the hidden platform during the acquisition phase. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity Predicts Responsiveness to Memory Rehabilitation After Traumatic Brain Injury.

PubMed

Sandry, Joshua; Chiou, Kathy S; DeLuca, John; Chiaravalloti, Nancy D

2016-06-01

To explore how individual differences affect rehabilitation outcomes by specifically investigating whether working memory capacity (WMC) can be used as a cognitive marker to identify who will and will not improve from memory rehabilitation. Post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled clinical trial designed to treat learning and memory impairment after traumatic brain injury (TBI): 2 × 2 between-subjects quasiexperimental design (2 [group: treatment vs control] × 2 [WMC: high vs low]). Nonprofit medical rehabilitation research center. Participants (N=65) with moderate to severe TBI with pre- and posttreatment data. The treatment group completed 10 cognitive rehabilitation sessions in which subjects were taught a memory strategy focusing on learning to use context and imagery to remember information. The placebo control group engaged in active therapy sessions that did not involve learning the memory strategy. Long-term memory percent retention change scores for an unorganized list of words from the California Verbal Learning Test-II. Group and WMC interacted (P=.008, ηp(2)=.12). High WMC participants showed a benefit from treatment compared with low WMC participants. Individual differences in WMC accounted for 45% of the variance in whether participants with TBI in the treatment group benefited from applying the compensatory treatment strategy to learn unorganized information. Individuals with higher WMC showed a significantly greater rehabilitation benefit when applying the compensatory strategy to learn unorganized information. WMC is a useful cognitive marker for identifying participants with TBI who respond to memory rehabilitation with the modified Story Memory Technique. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methyl-donor deficiency in adolescence affects memory and epigenetic status in the mouse hippocampus.

PubMed

Tomizawa, H; Matsuzawa, D; Ishii, D; Matsuda, S; Kawai, K; Mashimo, Y; Sutoh, C; Shimizu, E

2015-03-01

DNA methylation is one of the essential factors in the control of gene expression. Alteration of the DNA methylation pattern has been linked to various neurological, behavioral and neurocognitive dysfunctions. Recent studies have pointed out the importance of epigenetics in brain development and functions including learning and memory. Nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism are known to play important roles in the maintenance of genomic DNA methylation. Previous studies have shown that the long-term administration of a diet lacking essential one-carbon nutrients such as methionine, choline and folic acid (methyl donors) caused global DNA hypermethylation in the brain. Therefore, the long-term feeding of a methyl-donor-deficient diet may cause abnormal brain development including learning and memory. To confirm this hypothesis, 3-week-old mice were maintained on a folate-, methionine- and choline-deficient (FMCD) or control (CON) diet for 3 weeks. We found that the methyl-donor deficiency impaired both novel object recognition and fear extinction after 3 weeks of treatment. The FMCD group showed spontaneous recovery of fear that differed from that in CON. In addition, we found decreased Gria1 gene expression and specific CpG hypermethylation of the Gria1 promoter region in the FMCD hippocampus. Our data suggest that a chronic dietary lack of methyl donors in the developmental period affects learning, memory and gene expressions in the hippocampus. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

The influence of cannabinoids on learning and memory processes of the dorsal striatum.

PubMed

Goodman, Jarid; Packard, Mark G

2015-11-01

Extensive evidence indicates that the mammalian endocannabinoid system plays an integral role in learning and memory. Our understanding of how cannabinoids influence memory comes predominantly from studies examining cognitive and emotional memory systems mediated by the hippocampus and amygdala, respectively. However, recent evidence suggests that cannabinoids also affect habit or stimulus-response (S-R) memory mediated by the dorsal striatum. Studies implementing a variety of maze tasks in rats indicate that systemic or intra-dorsolateral striatum infusions of cannabinoid receptor agonists or antagonists impair habit memory. In mice, cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor knockdown can enhance or impair habit formation, whereas Δ(9)THC tolerance enhances habit formation. Studies in human cannabis users also suggest an enhancement of S-R/habit memory. A tentative conclusion based on the available data is that acute disruption of the endocannabinoid system with either agonists or antagonists impairs, whereas chronic cannabinoid exposure enhances, dorsal striatum-dependent S-R/habit memory. CB1 receptors are required for multiple forms of striatal synaptic plasticity implicated in memory, including short-term and long-term depression. Interactions with the hippocampus-dependent memory system may also have a role in some of the observed effects of cannabinoids on habit memory. The impairing effect often observed with acute cannabinoid administration argues for cannabinoid-based treatments for human psychopathologies associated with a dysfunctional habit memory system (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction/relapse). In addition, the enhancing effect of repeated cannabinoid exposure on habit memory suggests a novel neurobehavioral mechanism for marijuana addiction involving the dorsal striatum-dependent memory system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Auditory and Visual Working Memory Functioning in College Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and/or Learning Disabilities.

PubMed

Liebel, Spencer W; Nelson, Jason M

2017-12-01

We investigated the auditory and visual working memory functioning in college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, and clinical controls. We examined the role attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder subtype status played in working memory functioning. The unique influence that both domains of working memory have on reading and math abilities was investigated. A sample of 268 individuals seeking postsecondary education comprise four groups of the present study: 110 had an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis only, 72 had a learning disability diagnosis only, 35 had comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disability diagnoses, and 60 individuals without either of these disorders comprise a clinical control group. Participants underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation, and licensed psychologists employed a multi-informant, multi-method approach in obtaining diagnoses. In the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder only group, there was no difference between auditory and visual working memory functioning, t(100) = -1.57, p = .12. In the learning disability group, however, auditory working memory functioning was significantly weaker compared with visual working memory, t(71) = -6.19, p < .001, d = -0.85. Within the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder only group, there were no auditory or visual working memory functioning differences between participants with either a predominantly inattentive type or a combined type diagnosis. Visual working memory did not incrementally contribute to the prediction of academic achievement skills. Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder did not demonstrate significant working memory differences compared with clinical controls. Individuals with a learning disability demonstrated weaker auditory working memory than individuals in either the attention-deficit/hyperactivity or clinical control groups. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of dopamine on reinforcement learning and consolidation in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Grogan, John P; Tsivos, Demitra; Smith, Laura; Knight, Brogan E; Bogacz, Rafal; Whone, Alan; Coulthard, Elizabeth J

2017-07-10

Emerging evidence suggests that dopamine may modulate learning and memory with important implications for understanding the neurobiology of memory and future therapeutic targeting. An influential hypothesis posits that dopamine biases reinforcement learning. More recent data also suggest an influence during both consolidation and retrieval. Eighteen Parkinson's disease patients learned through feedback ON or OFF medication, with memory tested 24 hr later ON or OFF medication (4 conditions, within-subjects design with matched healthy control group). Patients OFF medication during learning decreased in memory accuracy over the following 24 hr. In contrast to previous studies, however, dopaminergic medication during learning and testing did not affect expression of positive or negative reinforcement. Two further experiments were run without the 24 hr delay, but they too failed to reproduce effects of dopaminergic medication on reinforcement learning. While supportive of a dopaminergic role in consolidation, this study failed to replicate previous findings on reinforcement learning.

Contributions of Language and Memory Demands to Verbal Memory Performance in Language-Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaki, Emi; Spaulding, Tammie J.; Plante, Elena

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of adults with language-based learning disorders (L/LD) and normal language controls on verbal short-term and verbal working memory tasks. Eighteen adults with L/LD and 18 normal language controls were compared on verbal short-term memory and verbal working memory tasks under low,…

A Pilot Memory Café for People with Learning Disabilities and Memory Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiddle, Hannah; Drew, Neil; Crabbe, Paul; Wigmore, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Memory cafés have been found to normalise experiences of dementia and provide access to an accepting social network. People with learning disabilities are at increased risk of developing dementia, but the possible benefits of attending a memory café are not known. This study evaluates a 12-week pilot memory café for people with learning…

Endogenous IL-1 in Cognitive Function and Anxiety: A Study in IL-1RI−/− Mice

PubMed Central

Murray, Carol L.; Obiang, Pauline; Bannerman, David; Cunningham, Colm

2013-01-01

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine, produced predominantly by peripheral immune cells but also by glia and some neuronal populations within the brain. Its signalling is mediated via the binding of IL-1α or IL-1β to the interleukin-1 type one receptor (IL-1RI). IL-1 plays a key role in inflammation-induced sickness behaviour, resulting in depressed locomotor activity, decreased exploration, reduced food and water intake and acute cognitive deficits. Conversely, IL-1 has also been suggested to facilitate hippocampal-dependent learning and memory: IL-1RI−/− mice have been reported to show deficits on tasks of visuospatial learning and memory. We sought to investigate whether there is a generalised hippocampal deficit in IL-1RI−/− animals. Therefore, in the current study we compared wildtype (WT) mice to IL-1RI−/− mice using a variety of hippocampal-dependent learning and memory tasks, as well as tests of anxiety and locomotor activity. We found no difference in performance of the IL-1RI−/− mice compared to WT mice in a T-maze working memory task. In addition, the IL-1RI−/− mice showed normal learning in various spatial reference memory tasks including the Y-maze and Morris mater maze, although there was a subtle deficit in choice behaviour in a spatial discrimination, beacon watermaze task. IL-1RI−/− mice also showed normal memory for visuospatial context in the contextual fear conditioning paradigm. In the open field, IL-1RI−/− mice showed a significant increase in distance travelled and rearing behaviour compared to the WT mice and in the elevated plus-maze spent more time in the open arms than did the WT animals. The data suggest that, contrary to prior studies, IL-1RI−/− mice are not robustly impaired on hippocampal-dependent memory and learning but do display open field hyperactivity and decreased anxiety compared to WT mice. The results argue for a careful evaluation of the roles of endogenous IL-1 in hippocampal and limbic system function. PMID:24205219

Associations between psychological distress, learning, and memory in spouse caregivers of older adults.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Corey S; Wiprzycka, Ursula J; Hasher, Lynn; Goldstein, David

2009-11-01

Family caregivers of older adults experience high levels of chronic stress and psychological distress, which are known to impair cognition. Very little research, however, has assessed the impact of caregiving on key cognitive outcomes such as learning and memory. This study compared 16 spouse caregivers with 16 matched controls using standardized neuropsychological measures of learning, episodic memory, and working memory. Analyses compared groups on these cognitive outcomes and examined whether psychological distress mediated group differences in cognition. Results indicated that caregivers were significantly more distressed than non-caregivers and exhibited deficits in learning, recall of episodic information after short and long delays, and working memory. Furthermore, the majority of group differences in cognitive outcomes were mediated by psychological distress. This study adds to a small body of literature demonstrating impaired cognitive functioning among family caregivers. It also suggests that distress is one of a number of possible underlying mechanisms leading to disruptions in learning and memory in this population.

Hand gestures support word learning in patients with hippocampal amnesia.

PubMed

Hilverman, Caitlin; Cook, Susan Wagner; Duff, Melissa C

2018-06-01

Co-speech hand gesture facilitates learning and memory, yet the cognitive and neural mechanisms supporting this remain unclear. One possibility is that motor information in gesture may engage procedural memory representations. Alternatively, iconic information from gesture may contribute to declarative memory representations mediated by the hippocampus. To investigate these alternatives, we examined gesture's effects on word learning in patients with hippocampal damage and declarative memory impairment, with intact procedural memory, and in healthy and in brain-damaged comparison groups. Participants learned novel label-object pairings while producing gesture, observing gesture, or observing without gesture. After a delay, recall and object identification were assessed. Unsurprisingly, amnesic patients were unable to recall the labels at test. However, they correctly identified objects at above chance levels, but only if they produced a gesture at encoding. Comparison groups performed well above chance at both recall and object identification regardless of gesture. These findings suggest that gesture production may support word learning by engaging nondeclarative (procedural) memory. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Learning and memory under stress: implications for the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogel, Susanne; Schwabe, Lars

2016-06-01

Exams, tight deadlines and interpersonal conflicts are just a few examples of the many events that may result in high levels of stress in both students and teachers. Research over the past two decades identified stress and the hormones and neurotransmitters released during and after a stressful event as major modulators of human learning and memory processes, with critical implications for educational contexts. While stress around the time of learning is thought to enhance memory formation, thus leading to robust memories, stress markedly impairs memory retrieval, bearing, for instance, the risk of underachieving at exams. Recent evidence further indicates that stress may hamper the updating of memories in the light of new information and induce a shift from a flexible, 'cognitive' form of learning towards rather rigid, 'habit'-like behaviour. Together, these stress-induced changes may explain some of the difficulties of learning and remembering under stress in the classroom. Taking these insights from psychology and neuroscience into account could bear the potential to facilitate processes of education for both students and teachers.

Negative Reinforcement Impairs Overnight Memory Consolidation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamm, Andrew W.; Nguyen, Nam D.; Seicol, Benjamin J.; Fagan, Abigail; Oh, Angela; Drumm, Michael; Lundt, Maureen; Stickgold, Robert; Wamsley, Erin J.

2014-01-01

Post-learning sleep is beneficial for human memory. However, it may be that not all memories benefit equally from sleep. Here, we manipulated a spatial learning task using monetary reward and performance feedback, asking whether enhancing the salience of the task would augment overnight memory consolidation and alter its incorporation into…

Septohippocampal Acetylcholine: Involved in but Not Necessary for Learning and Memory?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parent, Marise B.; Baxter, Mark G.

2004-01-01

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) has been accorded an important role in supporting learning and memory processes in the hippocampus. Cholinergic activity in the hippocampus is correlated with memory, and restoration of ACh in the hippocampus after disruption of the septohippocampal pathway is sufficient to rescue memory. However, selective…

Stress Modulates the Use of Spatial versus Stimulus-Response Learning Strategies in Humans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philippsen, Christine; Richter, Steffen; Bohringer, Andreas; Wippich, Werner; Schachinger, Hartmut; Schwabe, Lars; Oitzl, Melly S.

2007-01-01

Animal studies provided evidence that stress modulates multiple memory systems, favoring caudate nucleus-based "habit" memory over hippocampus-based "cognitive" memory. However, effects of stress on learning strategy and memory consolidation were not differentiated. We specifically address the effects of psychosocial stress on the applied learning…

Memory: Issues of Import to School Psychologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

John, Kirk R.

This document defines memory as a complex, interactive process that is a prerequisite for all higher learning. Without intact memory skills, a host of disorders may ensue ranging from mild learning problems to disorientation and helplessness (Lezak, 1983). Because of the pervasive and central role memory plays in people's lives, school…

Learning and memory in zebrafish larvae

PubMed Central

Roberts, Adam C.; Bill, Brent R.; Glanzman, David L.

2013-01-01

Larval zebrafish possess several experimental advantages for investigating the molecular and neural bases of learning and memory. Despite this, neuroscientists have only recently begun to use these animals to study memory. However, in a relatively short period of time a number of forms of learning have been described in zebrafish larvae, and significant progress has been made toward their understanding. Here we provide a comprehensive review of this progress; we also describe several promising new experimental technologies currently being used in larval zebrafish that are likely to contribute major insights into the processes that underlie learning and memory. PMID:23935566

How Students with Hearing Impairments: Can Learn and Flourish in Your Music Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Maureen

2004-01-01

Activities in music class allow students, especially students with hearing impairments, to explore new means of expression and to enhance existing ones. Additional benefits may include increases in auditory awareness, cognitive ability, attention span, memory recall, and vocabulary. Students with hearing impairments can learn and flourish in music…

The Contributions of Domain-General and Numerical Factors to Third-Grade Arithmetic Skills and Mathematical Learning Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Richard; Powell, Daisy

2014-01-01

Explanations of the marked individual differences in elementary school mathematical achievement and mathematical learning disability (MLD or dyscalculia) have involved domain-general factors (working memory, reasoning, processing speed, and oral language) and numerical factors that include single-digit processing efficiency and multidigit skills…

Theoretical Review of Phonics Instruction for Struggling/Beginning Readers of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sitthitikul, Pragasit

2014-01-01

Learning to read is a complex task for beginners of English. They must coordinate many cognitive processes to read accurately and fluently, including recognizing words, constructing the meanings of sentences and text, and retaining the information read in memory. An essential part of the process for beginners involves learning the alphabetic…

A Framework for Understanding Young Children with Severe Multiple Disabilities: The van Dijk Approach to Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Catherine; van Dijk, Jan; McDonnell, Andrea P.; Thompson, Kristina

2002-01-01

This article describes a framework for assessing young children with severe multiple disabilities. The assessment is child-led and examines underlying processes of learning, including biobehavioral state, orienting response, learning channels, approach-withdrawal, memory, interactions, communication, and problem solving. Case studies and a sample…

The role of the basal ganglia in learning and memory: insight from Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Foerde, Karin; Shohamy, Daphna

2011-11-01

It has long been known that memory is not a single process. Rather, there are different kinds of memory that are supported by distinct neural systems. This idea stemmed from early findings of dissociable patterns of memory impairments in patients with selective damage to different brain regions. These studies highlighted the role of the basal ganglia in non-declarative memory, such as procedural or habit learning, contrasting it with the known role of the medial temporal lobes in declarative memory. In recent years, major advances across multiple areas of neuroscience have revealed an important role for the basal ganglia in motivation and decision making. These findings have led to new discoveries about the role of the basal ganglia in learning and highlighted the essential role of dopamine in specific forms of learning. Here we review these recent advances with an emphasis on novel discoveries from studies of learning in patients with Parkinson's disease. We discuss how these findings promote the development of current theories away from accounts that emphasize the verbalizability of the contents of memory and towards a focus on the specific computations carried out by distinct brain regions. Finally, we discuss new challenges that arise in the face of accumulating evidence for dynamic and interconnected memory systems that jointly contribute to learning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of aerosol-vapor JP-8 jet fuel on the functional observational battery, and learning and memory in the rat.

PubMed

Baldwin, C M; Houston, F P; Podgornik, M N; Young, R S; Barnes, C A; Witten, M L

2001-01-01

To determine whether JP-8 jet fuel affects parameters of the Functional Observational Battery (FOB), visual discrimination, or spatial learning and memory, the authors exposed groups of male Fischer Brown Norway hybrid rats for 28 d to aerosol/vapor-delivered JP-8, or to JP-8 followed by 15 min of aerosolized substance P analogue, or to sham-confined fresh room air. Behavioral testing was accomplished with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Functional Observational Battery. The authors used the Morris swim task to test visual and spatial learning and memory testing. The spatial test included examination of memory for the original target location following 15 d of JP-8 exposure, as well as a 3-d new target location learning paradigm implemented the day that followed the final day of exposure. Only JP-8 exposed animals had significant weight loss by the 2nd week of exposure compared with JP-8 with substance P and control rats; this finding compares with those of prior studies of JP-8 jet fuel. Rats exposed to JP-8 with or without substance P exhibited significantly greater rearing and less grooming behavior over time than did controls during Functional Observational Battery open-field testing. Exposed rats also swam significantly faster than controls during the new target location training and testing, thus supporting the increased activity noted during Functional Observational Battery testing. There were no significant differences between the exposed and control groups' performances during acquisition, retention, or learning of the new platform location in either the visual discrimination or spatial version of the Morris swim task. The data suggest that although visual discrimination and spatial learning and memory were not disrupted by JP-8 exposure, arousal indices and activity measures were distinctly different in these animals.

How do verbal short-term memory and working memory relate to the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar? A comparison between first and second language learners.

PubMed

Verhagen, Josje; Leseman, Paul

2016-01-01

Previous studies show that verbal short-term memory (VSTM) is related to vocabulary learning, whereas verbal working memory (VWM) is related to grammar learning in children learning a second language (L2) in the classroom. In this study, we investigated whether the same relationships apply to children learning an L2 in a naturalistic setting and to monolingual children. We also investigated whether relationships with verbal memory differ depending on the type of grammar skill investigated (i.e., morphology vs. syntax). Participants were 63 Turkish children who learned Dutch as an L2 and 45 Dutch monolingual children (mean age = 5 years). Children completed a series of VSTM and VWM tasks, a Dutch vocabulary task, and a Dutch grammar task. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that VSTM and VWM represented two separate latent factors in both groups. Structural equation modeling showed that VSTM, treated as a latent factor, significantly predicted vocabulary and grammar. VWM, treated as a latent factor, predicted only grammar. Both memory factors were significantly related to the acquisition of morphology and syntax. There were no differences between the two groups. These results show that (a) VSTM and VWM are differentially associated with language learning and (b) the same memory mechanisms are employed for learning vocabulary and grammar in L1 children and in L2 children who learn their L2 naturalistically. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Memory Elicited by Courtship Conditioning Requires Mushroom Body Neuronal Subsets Similar to Those Utilized in Appetitive Memory.

PubMed

Montague, Shelby A; Baker, Bruce S

2016-01-01

An animal's ability to learn and to form memories is essential for its survival. The fruit fly has proven to be a valuable model system for studies of learning and memory. One learned behavior in fruit flies is courtship conditioning. In Drosophila courtship conditioning, male flies learn not to court females during training with an unreceptive female. He retains a memory of this training and for several hours decreases courtship when subsequently paired with any female. Courtship conditioning is a unique learning paradigm; it uses a positive-valence stimulus, a female fly, to teach a male to decrease an innate behavior, courtship of the female. As such, courtship conditioning is not clearly categorized as either appetitive or aversive conditioning. The mushroom body (MB) region in the fruit fly brain is important for several types of memory; however, the precise subsets of intrinsic and extrinsic MB neurons necessary for courtship conditioning are unknown. Here, we disrupted synaptic signaling by driving a shibirets effector in precise subsets of MB neurons, defined by a collection of split-GAL4 drivers. Out of 75 lines tested, 32 showed defects in courtship conditioning memory. Surprisingly, we did not have any hits in the γ lobe Kenyon cells, a region previously implicated in courtship conditioning memory. We did find that several γ lobe extrinsic neurons were necessary for courtship conditioning memory. Overall, our memory hits in the dopaminergic neurons (DANs) and the mushroom body output neurons were more consistent with results from appetitive memory assays than aversive memory assays. For example, protocerebral anterior medial DANs were necessary for courtship memory, similar to appetitive memory, while protocerebral posterior lateral 1 (PPL1) DANs, important for aversive memory, were not needed. Overall, our results indicate that the MB circuits necessary for courtship conditioning memory coincide with circuits necessary for appetitive memory.

Memory Elicited by Courtship Conditioning Requires Mushroom Body Neuronal Subsets Similar to Those Utilized in Appetitive Memory

PubMed Central

Montague, Shelby A.; Baker, Bruce S.

2016-01-01

An animal’s ability to learn and to form memories is essential for its survival. The fruit fly has proven to be a valuable model system for studies of learning and memory. One learned behavior in fruit flies is courtship conditioning. In Drosophila courtship conditioning, male flies learn not to court females during training with an unreceptive female. He retains a memory of this training and for several hours decreases courtship when subsequently paired with any female. Courtship conditioning is a unique learning paradigm; it uses a positive-valence stimulus, a female fly, to teach a male to decrease an innate behavior, courtship of the female. As such, courtship conditioning is not clearly categorized as either appetitive or aversive conditioning. The mushroom body (MB) region in the fruit fly brain is important for several types of memory; however, the precise subsets of intrinsic and extrinsic MB neurons necessary for courtship conditioning are unknown. Here, we disrupted synaptic signaling by driving a shibirets effector in precise subsets of MB neurons, defined by a collection of split-GAL4 drivers. Out of 75 lines tested, 32 showed defects in courtship conditioning memory. Surprisingly, we did not have any hits in the γ lobe Kenyon cells, a region previously implicated in courtship conditioning memory. We did find that several γ lobe extrinsic neurons were necessary for courtship conditioning memory. Overall, our memory hits in the dopaminergic neurons (DANs) and the mushroom body output neurons were more consistent with results from appetitive memory assays than aversive memory assays. For example, protocerebral anterior medial DANs were necessary for courtship memory, similar to appetitive memory, while protocerebral posterior lateral 1 (PPL1) DANs, important for aversive memory, were not needed. Overall, our results indicate that the MB circuits necessary for courtship conditioning memory coincide with circuits necessary for appetitive memory. PMID:27764141

Dissecting neural pathways for forgetting in Drosophila olfactory aversive memory

PubMed Central

Shuai, Yichun; Hirokawa, Areekul; Ai, Yulian; Zhang, Min; Li, Wanhe; Zhong, Yi

2015-01-01

Recent studies have identified molecular pathways driving forgetting and supported the notion that forgetting is a biologically active process. The circuit mechanisms of forgetting, however, remain largely unknown. Here we report two sets of Drosophila neurons that account for the rapid forgetting of early olfactory aversive memory. We show that inactivating these neurons inhibits memory decay without altering learning, whereas activating them promotes forgetting. These neurons, including a cluster of dopaminergic neurons (PAM-β′1) and a pair of glutamatergic neurons (MBON-γ4>γ1γ2), terminate in distinct subdomains in the mushroom body and represent parallel neural pathways for regulating forgetting. Interestingly, although activity of these neurons is required for memory decay over time, they are not required for acute forgetting during reversal learning. Our results thus not only establish the presence of multiple neural pathways for forgetting in Drosophila but also suggest the existence of diverse circuit mechanisms of forgetting in different contexts. PMID:26627257

Lessons learned or lessons noted: A retrospective case study of the stored organizational memory of the causes of mishaps in NASA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Susan Burgess

This study of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) organizational memory explores how the root causes of NASA mishaps have changed from the creation of NASA in 1958 through 2002. Official Mishap Board Reports document in stored organizational memory the organization's analyses of the causes of the mishaps. Using Parsons' Social Action Theory for its theoretical frame, and the Schwandt Organizational Learning Systems Model as the theoretical lens, this study provides a meta-analysis of 112 Type A mishap reports to discern what patterns in this stored organizational memory have emerged over time. Results indicate marked stability in the causes of mishaps until the latter portion of the study period. The theory of revolutionary change is considered to explain this apparent shift. Discussion includes the roles organizational culture, sensemaking and identity played in data collection and knowledge management challenges as well as in the lack of change in mishap causes.