Adquisición y Recuerdo de Palabras Emocionales en Población Monolingüe y Bilingüe / Acquisition and Retrieval of Emotional Words in Monolingual and Bilingual Populations

Resumen La memoria emocional alude al efecto que poseen las emociones sobre la formación de recuerdos. En personas que utilizan un segundo idioma, este efecto presenta resultados controversiales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue indagar sobre la relación entre memoria y emoción en sujetos monolingües (ML) y bilingües (BL) español-inglés, a través de una tarea de valoración emocional y de dos tareas de memoria. Participaron 49 sujetos, quienes codificaron una lista de palabras en español (ML y BL) o en inglés (BL) indicando valencia y arousal para cada una. Inmediatamente y siete días después, se evaluaron recuerdo libre y reconocimiento. Para aquellos sujetos que codificaron los estímulos en español (ML y BL) las palabras fueron calificadas con una mayor carga emocional que para aquellos participantes que las codificaron en inglés (BL). Además, el grupo ml presentó mayor cantidad de intrusiones que ambos grupos BL. Existirían factores particulares en el procesamiento de la información emocional que modularían el recuerdo emocional en BL y ML.

Abstract The term emotional memory refers to the particular effect where emotions influence memory formation. This effect is controversial for people who use a second language. This study aims to explore the relationship between memory and emotion on Spanish-English bilingual (BL) and monolingual (ML) adults through an emotional rating task and two memory tasks. The 49 participants (15 ML and 34 BL) encoded a wordlist in either Spanish (ML and BL) or English (BL) while reporting the valence and arousal ratings for each word. All groups took a free recall and recognition task for the list immediately and seven days after encoding. For those subjects who encoded the stimuli in Spanish (ML and BL), the words had a higher emotional load than the ones encoded them in English (BL). Furthermore, the ML-group presented more intrusions than both BL-groups. Particular forms of information processing could modulate memory retrieval on emotional memory for bilinguals and monolinguals.

Systemic injection of an H4 receptor agonist induces a decrease in CREB and pCREB levels in the cerebellar vermis and prefrontal cortex in mice

Studies have shown that an injection with the histamine H4 receptor agonist VUF-8430 modulates emotional memory processes. In the present study, the aim was to verify if intraperitoneal (ip) injection of VUF-8430 (500 ng/kg) in mice affects the synthesis of proteins required for memory consolidation processes by activating the phosphorylation of CREB (pCREB) in classical structures linked to emotional memory (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus) and the cerebellar vermis, a structure that has also been recently implicated in emotional memory. The results obtained using western blot analysis demonstrated that VUF-8430 induced a decrease in CREB and pCREB levels in the cerebellar vermis and prefrontal cortex, suggesting that this dose impaired the activation of cell signaling pathways in these structures. There was no change in protein expression in the amygdala and hippocampus. Our results are preliminary, and further investigations are needed to investigate the role of the H4 receptors in the central nervous system.

Characteristics analysis of emotional memory of college students / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the gender and cultural differences in emotional memory of college students and whether they have memory preferences for emotional pictures with different valence.Methods Using the learning-recognition paradigm,fifty-four Tibetan and Han students were asked to recognize the emotional face images of different valence.The reaction time and accuracy of the subjects were recorded and analyzed.Results (1) The reaction times of the Tibetan and Han subjects were (1 808.28±528.45) ms and (1 508.27±455.37)ms,the main effect of national type was significant (F(1,50)=5.826,P＜0.05).The main effect of emotional picture valence was significant (F(2,100)=6.997,P＜0.05),the reaction time of negative pictures ((1 568.90 ± 534.45) ms) was significantly shorter than that of the positive picture ((1 684.08±476.24) ms) and neural pictures ((1 738.51 ± 528.73) ms).(2) On the accuracy rate,the main effect of emotional picture valence was significant (F(2,49)=29.56,P＜0.05).The accuracy of negative images ((78.83±8.55) ％) was significantly higher than that of the positive ((73.41 ±9.66) ％) and neutral picture ((67.96 ± 9.64) ％).(3) For Tibetan subjects,the accuracy of positive picture ((77.46 ± 8.48)％) was significantly higher than that of positive ((70.89±8.83)％) and neutral pictures ((67.32± 8.70) ％),the main effect of emotional picture valence was significant (F(2.52)=14.891,P＜0.05).(4) For Han subjects,,the response time of negative images ((1 359.89±365.58) ms) was significantly shorter than that of positive ((1 549.93±434.60) ms) and neutral pictures ((1 615.01±528.77) ms),the main effect of emotional picture valence was significant (F(2,48)=9.758,P＜0.05).The accuracy of negative images ((80.31±8.53)％) was significantly higher than that of neutral ((68.65±10.70)％) and positive images ((76.12±9.94)％),and the main effect of emotional picture valence was significant (F(2,48) =15.359,P＜ 0.05).Conclusion National culture and emotional valence affect the emotional memory of the Tibetan and Han students.Both Tibetan and Han students have obvious "negative bias" on the recognition of emotional images,but they have different characteristics.

The characteristics of emotional memory in adolescent with anxiety disorders / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the characteristics of emotional memory in adolescent with anxiety disorders.Methods Totally 40 adolescent patients with anxiety disorders who met the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria were selected as the anxiety disorder group,40 normal adolescents matched with anxiety disorder group in terms of gender,age and education level served as the control group.All subjects of the two groups were implemented by emotional memory test task.Results (1) In emotional memory test,the negative picture score of adolescent anxiety disorder group(2.10±0.75)was significantly lower than that of control group (2.76±0.92) (t=-3.29,P＜0.05).There were no significant difference in positive and neutral picture scores between the two groups(P＞0.05).(2)Compared with control group,the positive picture,neutral picture and total recognition accuracy of adolescent anxiety disorder group both were significantly decreased ((0.24±0.09) vs (0.33±0.08),(0.22±0.10) vs (0.32±0.14),(0.25±0.08) vs (0.33±0.09)) (t=-4.28,-4.28,-3.85,all P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in negative picture recognition accuracy between the two groups (P＞0.05).In adolescent anxiety disorder group,there were significant differences in the correct recognition rates of negative pictures,positive pictures and neutral pictures in anxiety disorder group (F=3.39,P＜0.05),while there was no significant difference in the control group (F=0.04,P＞0.05).(3) The positive picture recognition accuracy and total recognition accuracy in adolescent anxiety disorder group were negatively correlated with Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) (F=0.04,P＜ 0.05).Conclusion Adolescent anxiety disorders exist in emotional memory defects,and its positive emotional memory deficit is negatively correlated with the severity of anxiety.

Propuestas acerca de los trastornos funcionales: ¿disautonomía? / Proposals about functional disorders: dysautonomia?

Resumen INTRODUCCIÓN: los trastornos funcionales se han reconocido a través del tiempo de manera segmentaria y, por tanto, de manera incompleta, desde su diagnóstico hasta su tratamiento. Ejemplos de estos trastornos los constituyen: la migraña, el síndrome de colon irritable, la discinesia vesicular, la fibromialgia, el síndrome de fatiga crónica, la vejiga irritable, el síndrome de prolapso de la válvula mitral, la intolerancia ortostática, la taquicardia postural ortostática, el síncope vasovagal o, en conclusión, la hoy llamada disautonomía. PROPUESTAS: los trastornos funcionales, como el síndrome llamado disautonomía, podrían tener su origen en las respuestas rápidas y poco apropiadas que la amígdala realiza ante ciertos estímulos en relación con la memoria emocional. Se propone nombrar a estos trastornos "síndrome de respuesta disfuncional (REDIS), con el fin de evitar errores diagnósticos en los casos de disautonomía secundaria. Se propone, además, establecer el diagnóstico clínico de estos padecimientos y seleccionar tan sólo aquéllos para la prueba de inclinación en caso de poca respuesta al tratamiento inicial, en donde, los inhibidores de la recaptura de serotonina parecen controlar adecuadamente los síntomas.

INTRODUCTION: Functional disorders have been recognized over time in a segmental way, and therefore, incompletely, from diagnosis to treatment. Examples of such disorders are: migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, biliary dyskinesia, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bladder, mitral valve prolapse syndrome, orthostatic intolerance, orthostatic postural tachycardia, vasovagal syncope or, in conclusion, the so-called dysautonomia. PROPOSALS: Functional disorders, such as the syndrome called dysautonomia, could have its origin in the rapid and inappropriate responses that the amygdala makes before certain stimuli in relation to emotional memory. It is proposed to name such disorders as "dysfunctional response syndrome (REDIS)", in order to avoid diagnostic errors in cases of secondary dysautonomia. In addition, it is proposed to establish a clinical diagnosis of these conditions and to select only those for the tilt test in case of poor response to the initial treatment, where the serotonin reuptake inhibitors seem to perform an adequate control of the symptoms.

Salivary cortisol during memory encoding in pregnancy predicts postpartum depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study / Cortisol salivar durante aquisição de memória na gravidez prediz sintomas depressivos no período pós-parto: um estudo longitudinal

Abstract Introduction Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common disorder that substantially decreases quality of life for both mother and child. In this longitudinal study, we investigated whether emotional memory, salivary cortisol (sCORT) or alpha-amylase during pregnancy predict postpartum depressive symptoms. Methods Forty-four pregnant women (14 euthymic women with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder [MDD] and 30 healthy women) between the ages of 19 and 37 years (mean age = 29.5±4.1 years) were longitudinally assessed in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy (12-22 weeks of gestational age) and again at 14-17 weeks postpartum. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Results Follow-ups were completed for 41 women (7% attrition). Postpartum EPDS scores were predicted by sCORT collected immediately after an incidental encoding memory task during pregnancy (b=-0.78, t -2.14, p=0.04). Postpartum EPDS scores were not predicted by positive (p=0.27) or negative (p=0.85) emotional memory. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that higher levels of sCORT during a memory encoding task in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy are associated with lower postpartum EPDS scores. While the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has long been associated with the neurobiology of MDD, the role of the HPA axis in perinatal depression deserves more attention.

Resumo Introdução A depressão pós-parto é um transtorno prevalente que afeta negativamente a qualidade de vida da mãe e da criança. Neste estudo longitudinal, nós investigamos se a memória emocional, o cortisol salivar (salivary cortisol, sCORT) ou alfa-amilase durante a gravidez predizem sintomas depressivos no período pós-parto. Métodos Um total de 44 mulheres grávidas [14 eutímicas com diagnóstico de transtorno depressivo maior (TDM) e 30 voluntárias sadias] entre 19 e 37 anos de idade (idade média = 29.5±4.1 anos) foram avaliadas longitudinalmente no 2° trimestre da gravidez (12-22 semanas de gestação) e na 1417ª semana pós-parto. Sintomas depressivos foram avaliados com a Escala de Depressão Pós-Natal de Edimburgo (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS). Resultados Quarenta e uma mulheres completaram o seguimento (7% de perda). sCORT coletado imediatamente antes de um teste de aquisição memória durante a gravidez foi preditor dos escores da escala EPDS no período pós-parto (b=-0.78, t -2.14, p=0.04). Memória emocional positiva (p=0.27) ou negativa (p=0.85) não foram preditores dos escores da escala EPDS no período pós-parto. Conclusão Os resultados deste estudo indicam que altos níveis de sCORT durante um teste de aquisição de memória no 2° trimestre da gravidez foram associados com baixos escores na escala EPDS no período pós-parto. Uma vez que o eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-adrenal (HHA) tenha sido envolvido na neurobiologia do TDM, o papel do eixo HHA na depressão perinatal merece mais atenção.

Papel de la motivación sobre la memoria emocional durante la etapa preescolar: un análisis preliminar. Papel de la motivación sobre la memoria emocional durante la etapa preescolar: un análisis preliminar / Role of motivation on emotional memory during preschooler stage: A preliminary analysis

La memoria emocional es una memoria de largo término con contenido emocional, positivo o negativo, donde los eventos emocionales se recuerdan mejor que los neutros. La motivación se define como un impulso para comportarse de una manera determinada, y puede dividirse en intrínseca (sin recompensas) y extrínseca (dirigida a metas). Debido a que los procesos cognitivos son favorecidos por la motivación, el objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la interacción entre motivación y memoria de imágenes negativas, neutras y positivas, en dos grupos de niñas y niños de 5 años (recompensado y no recompensado). Los grupos no difirieron en el recuerdo de las imágenes de las tres valencias. Sólo en el grupo recompensado, las imágenes negativas fueron mayormente recordadas, lo cual indicaría que la recompensa luego de la tarea, favoreció la evocación posterior, y que este recuerdo fue diferencial en función del contenido emocional de las imágenes.

Emotional memory is defined as a long-term memory with emotional content, positive or negative, where emotional events are better remembered than neutral ones. Motivation is defined as an impulse to behave in a certain way, and can be divided into intrinsic (without rewards) and extrinsic (goal oriented). Cognitive processes are favored by motivation, so the objective of this work was to analyze the interaction between motivation and memory of images with different emotional valence in two groups of 5-year-old children (rewarded and not rewarded). The groups did not differ in the recall of any of the three valences. Only in the rewarding group did the negative images be remembered, which would indicate that the reward after the task favored the later evocation and that this memory was differential according to the emotional content of the images.

Procesamiento musical y modulación de la memoria emocional en Demencia Tipo Alzheimer / Musical processing and emotional memory modulation in Alzheimer's Disease

Los estímulos que contienen alto contenido emocional son mejor recordados por sujetos sanos que los estímulos neutros. La música actúa como modulador de la memoria emocional en sujetos músicos y no músicos. El papel que juega en patologías neurodegenerativas, como lo es la demencia tipo Alzheimer, ha sido poco estudiado. Algunos estudios sugieren que la capacidad musical se encuentra deteriorada en este tipo de pacientes, con lo cual, ésta parecería ser irrelevante a la hora de considerar las emociones que la música despierta en ellos. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo realizar una revisión bibliográfica acerca de la modulación de la memoria emocional a través de la música en sujetos sin patología y pacientes con demencia, así como también de las habilidades, tanto emocionales como musicales, conservadas y deterioradas en pacientes con esta patología.

Healthy subjects remember high emotional stimuli better than neutral stimuli. Music acts as a modulator of emotional memory in musicians and non-musicians. The role it plays in neurodegenerative pathologies, such as Alzheimer\'s disease, has been scarcely studied. Some studies suggest that musical ability is impaired in this type of patients, which would seem to be irrelevant when considering the emotions that music arouses in them. The aim of the present study is to review the literature about the modulation of emotional memory through music in subjects without pathology and patients with dementia, as well as the emotional and musical abilities, preserved and impaired in patients with this pathology.

Characteristics of emotional memory in patients with thalamic infarction / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the emotional memory changes in patients with thalamic infarction on different laterals and explore the impact of different emotional valence pictures on the thalamic infarction(TI) patients' memory.Methods 28 patients with thalamic infarction (TI group)and 28 patients who were hospitalized without TI during the same period (control group) were given emotional memory test,a test where they use their emotional memory to evaluate and recognize pictures with different emotional valence,including positive,neutral,and negative valence.Results (1) At the stage of evaluating emotional images,there were no significant difference between patients with TI and control group in positive evaluation (P＞0.05).Compared with control group (neutral(12.96±1.62),negative(13.57±1.37),respectively),neutral and negative recognition scores for emotional pictures of patients with TI (neutral (10.79±2.07),negative (10.96±2.05),respectively) were decreased significantly (positive t =-4.5 and negative t=-5.6,both P＜0.05).(2)At the stage of emotional images memorizing tests,TI group's total scores on re-accessing total emotional pictures were significantly lower than those in control group ((36.14 ± 3.24) vs(41.89 ± 3.43) respectively)) (t=-6.44,P＜0.05).Compared with control group (positive (14.04± 1.29),neutral (13.68±1.56)),patients with TI (positive (10.93± 1.96),neutral(11.25± 1.67)) were decreased significantly in the emotional pictures memorizing tests (t=-7.00,5.61,P＜0.05).But there were no difference in negative stimulus between the two groups (P＞0.05).(3)The score of emotional pictures recognition in patients with LTI (34.43 ± 3.48) were decreased significantly than that in patients with RTI (37.86± 1.83) (t =3.26,P＜ 0.05).The score in recognizing neutral valence images in patients with LTI(10.43± 1.55) were significantly decreased than those in RTI (12.07± 1.38) (t=2.95,P＜0.05).Conclusion Patients with TI may rely on different neural mechanisms to affect the different valence of the emotional memory loop process.The emotional memory impairment in patients with TI at different sides is different.The left thalamus has a greater influence on memory.

Characteristics of emotional memory in patients with thalamic infarction / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the emotional memory changes in patients with thalamic infarction on different laterals and explore the impact of different emotional valence pictures on the thalamic infarction(TI) patients' memory.Methods 28 patients with thalamic infarction (TI group)and 28 patients who were hospitalized without TI during the same period (control group) were given emotional memory test,a test where they use their emotional memory to evaluate and recognize pictures with different emotional valence,including positive,neutral,and negative valence.Results (1) At the stage of evaluating emotional images,there were no significant difference between patients with TI and control group in positive evaluation (P＞0.05).Compared with control group (neutral(12.96±1.62),negative(13.57±1.37),respectively),neutral and negative recognition scores for emotional pictures of patients with TI (neutral (10.79±2.07),negative (10.96±2.05),respectively) were decreased significantly (positive t =-4.5 and negative t=-5.6,both P＜0.05).(2)At the stage of emotional images memorizing tests,TI group's total scores on re-accessing total emotional pictures were significantly lower than those in control group ((36.14 ± 3.24) vs(41.89 ± 3.43) respectively)) (t=-6.44,P＜0.05).Compared with control group (positive (14.04± 1.29),neutral (13.68±1.56)),patients with TI (positive (10.93± 1.96),neutral(11.25± 1.67)) were decreased significantly in the emotional pictures memorizing tests (t=-7.00,5.61,P＜0.05).But there were no difference in negative stimulus between the two groups (P＞0.05).(3)The score of emotional pictures recognition in patients with LTI (34.43 ± 3.48) were decreased significantly than that in patients with RTI (37.86± 1.83) (t =3.26,P＜ 0.05).The score in recognizing neutral valence images in patients with LTI(10.43± 1.55) were significantly decreased than those in RTI (12.07± 1.38) (t=2.95,P＜0.05).Conclusion Patients with TI may rely on different neural mechanisms to affect the different valence of the emotional memory loop process.The emotional memory impairment in patients with TI at different sides is different.The left thalamus has a greater influence on memory.

Study of age-related changes in emotional memory / 临床神经病学杂志

Objective To identify age-related changes in emotional memory.Methods A neuropsychological battery was set to measure the education-matched 48 younger, 48 middle-aged and 48 normally aging adults who were given picture tasks.Results Compared with the younger [positive (67.02 ±9.70)%,neutral (60.83 ±9.18)%, negative(75.38 ±12.80)%] and middle-aged controls [positive (68.25 ±10.89),neutral (61.63 ±7.46)%, negative (72.19 ±11.34)%], the differences of the affective images recognition accuracy in the elderly [positive (61.10 ±10.06)%, neutral (49.77 ±8.35)%, negative (55.65 ±11.17)%] were statistically significant (F=6.70,F=30.17,F=38.72,P<0.05-0.01), older adults remembering positive image better than negative image (F=15.67,P<0.05).However, there was no significant difference in their rating of valence of the images. Conclusion Emotional memory is impaired in the healthy elderly people, and indicates that age-related changes in emotional memory indicates may have different neuromechanisms.

Resting-state functional MRI study on properties of emotional memory networks in late-life depression / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore properties of emotion memory circuits in late-life depression,and differences in functional connectivity of emotional memory network between late-life depression and healthy controls who were investigated by resting-state fMRI.Methods Eighteen late life depression patients and twenty four healthy controls were involved in our study.Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired via 3.0T MRI scanner.Functional MRI data were analyzed.Behavioral data were acquired during retrieval.The independent samples t-test of functional MRI data and ANOVA of behavioral performance were performed with AFNI and SPSS 13.0 statistical software,respectively.Results Decreased connectivities had been shown in depression,including amygdala-thalamus,amygdala-left inferior frontal gyrus,supramarginal gyrus-dorsomedial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex (ACC),middle temporal gyrus-middle frontal gyrus and thalamus-inferior frontal gyros/left frontal eye fields (FEF) connectivity;while increased connectivities included hippocampus-middle temporal gyrus,hippocampusventromedial prefrontal cortex/middle temporal gyrus/ACC/FEF,middle temporal gyrus-fusiform gyrus/FEF,insula-middle temporal gyrus/FEF and thalamus-caudate connectivity (P＜0.05).For depression,global hubs included left amygdale,right hippocampus,right middle frontal gyrus,and right insula.For healthy group,global hubs included bilateral amygdale and middle frontal gyrus,right anterior inferior parietal lobe and right insula.Conclusion There are common and different characters in functional connectivity of emotional memory network between depression and healthy control.Global hub function decreases in the right amygdale and left inferior frontal gyrus,while right hippocampus shows compensatory increase.

Effect of histamine H1 and H2 receptor antagonists, microinjected into cerebellar vermis, on emotional memory consolidation in mice

This study investigated the effects of histamine H1 or H2 receptor antagonists on emotional memory consolidation in mice submitted to the elevated plus maze (EPM). The cerebellar vermis of male mice (Swiss albino) was implanted using a cannula guide. Three days after recovery, behavioral tests were performed in the EPM on 2 consecutive days (T1 and T2). Immediately after exposure to the EPM (T1), animals received a microinjection of saline (SAL) or the H1 antagonist chlorpheniramine (CPA; 0.016, 0.052, or 0.16 nmol/0.1 µL) in Experiment 1, and SAL or the H2 antagonist ranitidine (RA; 0.57, 2.85, or 5.7 nmol/0.1 µL) in Experiment 2. Twenty-four hours later, mice were reexposed to the EPM (T2) under the same experimental conditions but they did not receive any injection. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the Duncan test. In Experiment 1, mice microinjected with SAL and with CPA entered the open arms less often (%OAE) and spent less time in the open arms (%OAT) in T2, and there was no difference among groups. The results of Experiment 2 demonstrated that the values of %OAE and %OAT in T2 were lower compared to T1 for the groups that were microinjected with SAL and 2.85 nmol/0.1 µL RA. However, when animals were microinjected with 5.7 nmol/0.1 µL RA, they did not show a reduction in %OAE and %OAT. These results demonstrate that CPA did not affect behavior at the doses used in this study, while 5.7 nmol/0.1 µL RA induced impairment of memory consolidation in the EPM.

The Effect of Bilateral Eye Movements on Emotional Face Recognition Memory Task / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that bilateral eye movements enhance episodic memory retrieval. However, few studies on the effect of bilateral eye movements on emotional memory have been reported. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to investigate the differences in memory retrieval between neutral and angry stimuli after bilaterally alternating eye movements. METHODS: Twenty seven healthy right-handed subjects participated in this study. The participants learned faces (angry or neutral face), and then performed a recognition memory task in relation to the faces after bilateral eye movements and central fixation. Recognition accuracy, response bias, and mean response time to hits were compared and analyzed. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance was performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was a significant effect of bilateral eye movement conditions in recognition accuracy (F=13.833, p<0.01). Statistically significant interaction effects were observed between eye movement condition and face emotion type (F=6.253, p=0.02). CONCLUSION: In this study, recognition memory for angry faces was more enhanced than that for neutral faces after bilateral eye movements. This finding suggests that bilateral eye movements can improve recognition memory for emotional stimuli more than that for neutral stimuli.

The Effect of Bilateral Eye Movements on Emotional Face Recognition Memory Task / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that bilateral eye movements enhance episodic memory retrieval. However, few studies on the effect of bilateral eye movements on emotional memory have been reported. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to investigate the differences in memory retrieval between neutral and angry stimuli after bilaterally alternating eye movements. METHODS: Twenty seven healthy right-handed subjects participated in this study. The participants learned faces (angry or neutral face), and then performed a recognition memory task in relation to the faces after bilateral eye movements and central fixation. Recognition accuracy, response bias, and mean response time to hits were compared and analyzed. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance was performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was a significant effect of bilateral eye movement conditions in recognition accuracy (F=13.833, p<0.01). Statistically significant interaction effects were observed between eye movement condition and face emotion type (F=6.253, p=0.02). CONCLUSION: In this study, recognition memory for angry faces was more enhanced than that for neutral faces after bilateral eye movements. This finding suggests that bilateral eye movements can improve recognition memory for emotional stimuli more than that for neutral stimuli.

Low-dose thioperamide injected into the cerebellar vermis of mice immediately after exposure to the elevated plus-maze impairs their avoidance behavior on re-exposure to the apparatus

The present study investigated the effect of thioperamide (THIO), an H3 histaminergic receptor antagonist, microinjected into the cerebellar vermis on emotional memory consolidation in male Swiss albino mice re-exposed to the elevated plus-maze (EPM). We implanted a guide cannula into the cerebellar vermis using stereotactic surgery. On the third day after surgery, we performed behavioral tests for two consecutive days. On the first day (exposure), the mice (n=10/group) were exposed to the EPM and received THIO (0.06, 0.3, or 1.5 ng/0.1 µL) immediately after the end of the session. Twenty-four hours later, the mice were re-exposed to the EPM under the same experimental conditions, but without drug injection. A reduction in the exploration of the open arms upon re-exposure to the EPM (percentage of number of entries and time spent in open arms) compared with the initial exposure was used as an indicator of learning and memory. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Duncan post hoc test was used to analyze the data. Upon re-exposure, exploratory activity in the open arms was reduced in the control group, and with the two highest THIO doses: 0.3 and 1.5 ng/0.1 µL. No reduction was seen with the lowest THIO dose (0.06 ng/0.1 µL), indicating inhibition of the consolidation of emotional memory. None of the doses interfered with the animals' locomotor activity. We conclude that THIO at the lowest dose (0.06 ng/0.1 µL) microinjected into the cerebellum impaired emotional memory consolidation in mice.

An alarm pheromone increases the responsivity of amygdaline-hippocampal neurons / Una feromona de alarma incrementa la responsividad de neuronas amigdalino-hipocampales

The capability to perceive and emit alarm substances, such as 2-heptanone, makes animals aware of the presence of danger, leading to some strategies directed towards survival. Strategies of survival involve emotional memory which is processed by deep temporal lobe structures, such as amygdaloid complex and hippocampus. In the Wistar rat, 2-heptanone produces anxiety-like behavior and an increased firing rate of basal amygdaline neurons. However, it is unknown whether 2-heptanone modifies the responsivity of medial amygdaline-hippocampal connection. Therefore, we placed a group (n=10) of Wistar rats in a plexiglass cage impregnated with 2-heptanone. Rats from control group (n=10) were introduced into a similar clean cage. Twenty four hours later we obtained single-unit extracellular recordings from the hippocampus (CA1-CA3) neurons identified by their connection to medial amygdala. Although the basal neuronal firing rate was similar between groups, first order interval distribution histogram analysis showed that 2-heptanone produced shorter intervals of firing rate. Peristimulus histograms indicated that: i) the amygdaline stimulation produces an increased firing rate in hippocampal neurons; and ii) this response is increased and enlarged on the 2-heptanone group. Since a single exposure to an alarm pheromone seems to facilitate the amygdala-hippocampal connection, results suggest the initial formation of contextual memories related with fear.

La percepción olfatoria de feromonas de alarma, como la 2-heptanona, promueve ciertas estrategias de supervivencia con la participación de la memoria emocional, integrada en estructuras del lóbulo temporal, como la amígdala y el hipocampo. En la rata Wistar, la olfacción de 2-heptanona genera conductas sugerentes de ansiedad y un incremento de la tasa de disparo neuronal del núcleo basal de la amígdala. Sin embargo, no se conoce si la 2-heptanona modifica la responsividad de la conexión amígdala medial-hipocampo. Un grupo de ratas Wistar (n=10) fue colocado dentro de una caja de acrílico impregnada con 2-heptanona; el grupo control (n=10) fue introducido en una caja limpia. Veinticuatro horas después se obtuvo el registro unitario extracelular de neuronas del hipocampo (CA1-CA3) identificadas por su conexión con la amígdala medial. Aunque la tasa de disparo basal fue similar entre los grupos experimentales, el histograma de distribución de intervalos de primer orden indicó un predominio de intervalos de breve duración en el grupo 2-heptanona. Los histogramas periestímulo indicaron que: i) las neuronas hipocampales responden con un incremento en la tasa de disparo neuronal ante la estimulación amigdalina; ii) la respuesta es de mayor magnitud y duración en el grupo previamente expuesto a 2-heptanona. Dado que una sola exposición a una feromona de alarma facilita la conexión amígdala medial-hipocampo, los resultados sugieren la formación inicial de una memoria contextual relacionada con el miedo.

A research on a preference of emotional memory in different cognitive style of undergraduates / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the preference of emotional memory in different cognitive style of undergraduates.Methods A 2 cognitive style (field independent style / field dependent style) * 3 facial expressions (positive/neutral/negative faces) mixed designs were adopted to compare the reaction time,which in the condition of stimuli presentation time 500 ms in field independent and dependent participants (n =25,respectively).E-Prime program was used to present the stimulus and to record the reaction time and accuracy to stimuli of all subjects.Repeated Measurement ANOVA was used in the research,facial expressions (positive/neutral/negative faces) as the within group factor,and groups (stress/non stress) as between group factor.Both the main effect of each variable and the interaction effect of variables were tested.Results There were a significant difference of response time and accuracy between the field independent and field dependent college students.It was shown by repeated measurement A NOVA that the main effect(F(2,47) =4.321,P＜ 0.05)in facial expressions properties and the interaction effect(F(2.47) =3.299,P＜ 0.05)between groups and facial expressions properties were found.Further analysis showed that the reaction time to detect stimulus of positive((610.71 ± 11.26)ms)and neutral ((606.24 ± 18.27) ms) facial expression was shorter than negative ((653.17 ± 20.91) ms) faces for field independent participants (P＜0.05).Interestingly,for field dependent group,the neutral faces ((675.67 ± 21.01) ms)were faster than others (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Field independent students had significant advantages over field dependent students in emotional memory.

Memoria declarativa congruente con sintomatología depresiva / Consistent declarative memory with depressive symptomatology

Introducción: Algunos estudios han sugerido que el recuerdo potenciado de eventos negativos en personas que presentan trastornos depresivos parece ser un factor importante en la Etiología, curso y sostenimiento de la depresión. Objetivo: Evaluar la memoria emocional en Personas con y sin sintomatología depresiva, mediante una prueba auditivo-visual. Método: Se evaluaron 73 estudiantes universitarios, hombres y mujeres, con edades entre los 18 y 40 años, distribuidos en dos grupos: con sintomatología depresiva (32) y sin sintomatología Depresiva (40), utilizando la Escala del Centro de Estudios Epidemiológicos para Depresión(CES-D) y un punto de corte de 20. Resultados: No se encontraron diferencias significativas Entre el recuerdo libre de los voluntarios con y sin sintomatología depresiva, a pesar de que Ambos asignaron un valor emocional más alto a la versión emocional de la prueba auditivo-Visual y de asociarla a la emoción de tristeza. Conclusión: Las personas con sintomatología Depresiva no presentaron el efecto de potenciación mnemónica generalmente asociado al Contenido de la versión emocional de la prueba; por lo tanto, no se comprobó la hipótesis De congruencia emocional...

Introduction: Some studies have suggested that potentiated remembrance of negative events on people with depressive disorders seems to be an important factor in the etiology, course and maintenance of depression. Objective: Evaluate the emotional memory in people with and without depressive symptomatology by means of an audio-visual test. Methodology: 73 university students were evaluated, male and female, between 18 and 40 years old, distributed in two groups: with depressive symptomatology (32) and without depres-sive symptomatology (40), using the Scale from the Center of Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D, English Abbreviation) and a cutting point of 20. Results: There were not meaningful differences between free and voluntary recalls, with and without depressive symptomatology, in spite of the fact that both groups had granted a higher emotional value to the audio-visual test and that they had associated it with emotional sadness. Conclusion: People with depressive symptomatology did not exhibit the effect of mnemonic potentiation generally associated to the content of the emotional version of the test; therefore, the hypothesis of emotional consistency was not validated...

Memoria emocional y trastorno por estrés postraumático en el contexto del desplazamiento en Colombia / Emotional Memory and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in the Context of Displacement in Colombia

Introducción: Diferentes niveles de “alertamiento” emocional pueden favorecer la potenciación o el deterioro de la memoria. El impacto emocional en personas víctimas del desplazamiento en Colombia puede constituirse en un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo del trastorno por estrés postraumático (TEPT). Objetivo: Evaluar la memoria emocional de sujetos en condición de desplazamiento por la violencia con y sin diagnóstico positivo para el TEPT. Método: Muestra de 95 voluntarios en condición de desplazamiento del área metropolitana de Bucaramanga (18 a 61 años), a quienes se les aplicaron los instrumentos de diagnóstico para TEPT (DSM IV, Checklist) y una prueba auditivo-visual de memoria emocional. Los participantes fueron distribuidos en dos grupos: sujetos con TEPT y sujetos sin TEPT. Ambos grupos fueron redistribuidos en cuatro subgrupos según la versión neutra y emocional de la prueba auditivo-visual. Resultados: El grupo de participantes clasificado con TEPT atribuyó Una mayor ponderación a la historia emocional, pero su contenido “alertador” no potenció la memoria de estos participantes. Conclusión: El contenido “alertante” de la prueba auditivo visual no potenció la memoria de aquellos sujetos diagnosticados con TEPT, lo cual sugiere que estos participantes pueden presentar un deterioro de las potencialidades mnemónicas dado por las limitaciones funcionales que involucran los procesos de reforzamiento emocional...

Introduction: Different levels of emotional arousal can potentiate or impair memory. Since the emotional impact on victims of displacement in Colombia may constitute a risk factor for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the objective of this study was to evaluate emotional memory of people displaced by violence with and without PTSD. Method: The sample consisted of 95 volunteers in condition of displacement of the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga (18 to 61 years old), to whom an instrument for the diagnosis of PTSD (DSM IV, Checklist) and An audio-visual Emotional Memory Test were applied. The participants were distributed into two groups: Subjects with and without PTSD. Both groups were redistributed into four subgroups according with the emotional or neutral version of the emotional memory test. Results: The group of participants with PTSD attributed an emotional rate higher to the emotional story than to the neutral story, but the emotional arousal content did not potentiate the memory of these participants. Conclusion: The emotional contents implemented in this emotional memory test did not potentiate the memory of subjects diagnosed with PTSD. Based on this, it could be that these participants present a deterioration of the mnemonic potential given by the functional limitations that involve the processes of emotional reinforcement...