Forget me not: The effect of doxycycline on human declarative memory.

Investigations into neuroprotective drugs are in high demand for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's disease, but also psychiatric disorders, such as depression, trauma, and substance use. One potential drug class being investigated are tetracyclines impacting on a variety of neuroprotective mechanisms. At the same time, tetracyclines like doxycycline have been suggested to affect human fear and spatial memory as well as reducing declarative memory retention. Based on the assumed necessity for synaptic consolidation in hippocampus-dependent learning, we hypothesised declarative memory may be similarly impaired by doxycycline as fear and spatial memory. Therefore, in this study we investigate the potential diminishing effects of doxycycline on consolidation of declarative memory in healthy humans. Additionally, to test for effect specificity we assessed motor memory, sustained attention, and processing speed. We administered a neuropsychological test battery in three independent randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trials (RCTs), in which healthy young volunteers (total N = 252) either received a single oral dose doxycycline (200 mg, n = 126) or placebo (n = 126) in a between-subject design. We found no evidence for a detrimental effect of doxycycline on declarative memory; instead, doxycycline improved declarative learning (p-value=0.022, Cohen's d=0.15) and memory consolidation (p=0.040, d=0.26). Contrarily, doxycycline slightly reduced motor learning (p=0.001, d=0.10) but subtly strengthened long-term motor memory (p=0.001, d=0.10). These results suggest that doxycycline can improve declarative learning and memory without having long term negative effects on other cognitive domains in healthy humans. Our results give hope to further investigate doxycycline in neuroprotective treatment applications.

Acoustically evoked K-complexes together with sleep spindles boost verbal declarative memory consolidation in healthy adults.

Over the past decade, phase-targeted auditory stimulation (PTAS), a neuromodulation approach which presents auditory stimuli locked to the ongoing phase of slow waves during sleep, has shown potential to enhance specific aspects of sleep functions. However, the complexity of PTAS responses complicates the establishment of causality between specific electroencephalographic events and observed benefits. Here, we used down-PTAS during sleep to specifically evoke the early, K-complex (KC)-like response following PTAS without leading to a sustained increase in slow-wave activity throughout the stimulation window. Over the course of two nights, one with down-PTAS, the other without, high-density electroencephalography (hd-EEG) was recorded from 14 young healthy adults. The early response exhibited striking similarities to evoked KCs and was associated with improved verbal memory consolidation via stimulus-evoked spindle events nested into the up-phase of ongoing 1 Hz waves in a central region. These findings suggest that the early, KC-like response is sufficient to boost memory, potentially by orchestrating aspects of the hippocampal-neocortical dialogue.

Direct access to specific autobiographical memories is lower in healthy middle-aged to older adult Apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers compared to non-carriers.

Recent research suggests that the retrieval of autobiographical memories among cognitively healthy middle-aged and older adults is sensitive to the Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE4) allele, a genetic marker that increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. However, whether the APOE4-associated alteration in autobiographical memory retrieval encompasses rapid (i.e. direct retrieval) or iterative (i.e. generative retrieval) processes remains unclear. In the present study, 39 APOE4 carriers and 45 non-carriers (ages 60-80) who scored within normal limits on neuropsychological testing were cued to generate specific autobiographical events. We examined group differences in direct and generative retrieval and correlated direct and generative retrieval rates with performance on neuropsychological tests. Direct retrieval rates were lower in the APOE4 carriers compared to non-carriers. Episodic memory positively correlated with direct retrieval rates across the sample, though this relationship became non-significant when factoring in age and sex. There were no significant findings related to successful generative retrieval rates and its efficiency. In summary, compared to non-carriers, cognitively unimpaired middle-aged to older adult APOE4 carriers demonstrated greater difficulty, rapidly reconstructing specific autobiographical events without the support of semantic memory, suggesting that early autobiographical memory retrieval processes demonstrate vulnerability to AD-related risk factors.

Differential online and offline effects of theta-tACS on memory encoding and retrieval.

Theta oscillations support memory formation, but their exact contribution to the communication between prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus is unknown. We tested the functional relevance of theta oscillations as a communication link between both areas for memory formation using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Healthy, young participants learned two lists of Dutch-German word pairs and retrieved them immediately and with a 30-min delay. In the encoding group (N = 30), tACS was applied during the encoding of list 1. List 2 was used to test stimulation aftereffects. In the retrieval group (N = 23), we stimulated during the delayed recall. In both groups, we applied tACS bilaterally at prefrontal and tempo-parietal sites, using either individualized theta frequency or 15 Hz (as control), according to a within-subject design. Stimulation with theta-tACS did not alter overall learning performance. An exploratory analysis revealed that immediate recall improved when word-pairs were learned after theta-tACS (list 2). Applying theta-tACS during retrieval had detrimental effects on memory. No changes in the power of the respective frequency bands were observed. Our results do not support the notion that impacting the communication between PFC and the hippocampus during a task by bilateral tACS improves memory. However, we do find evidence that direct stimulation had a trend for negatively interfering effects during immediate and delayed recall. Hints for beneficial effects on memory only occurred with aftereffects of the stimulation. Future studies need to further examine the effects during and after stimulation on memory formation.

Temporal organization of narrative recall is present but attenuated in adults with hippocampal amnesia.

Studies of the impact of brain injury on memory processes often focus on the quantity and episodic richness of those recollections. Here, we argue that the organization of one's recollections offers critical insights into the impact of brain injury on functional memory. It is well-established in studies of word list memory that free recall of unrelated words exhibits a clear temporal organization. This temporal contiguity effect refers to the fact that the order in which word lists are recalled reflects the original presentation order. Little is known, however, about the organization of recall for semantically rich materials, nor how recall organization is impacted by hippocampal damage and memory impairment. The present research is the first study, to our knowledge, of temporal organization in semantically rich narratives in three groups: (1) Adults with bilateral hippocampal damage and severe declarative memory impairment, (2) adults with bilateral ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) damage and no memory impairment, and (3) demographically matched non-brain-injured comparison participants. We find that although the narrative recall of adults with bilateral hippocampal damage reflected the temporal order in which those narratives were experienced above chance levels, their temporal contiguity effect was significantly attenuated relative to comparison groups. In contrast, individuals with vmPFC damage did not differ from non-brain-injured comparison participants in temporal contiguity. This pattern of group differences yields insights into the cognitive and neural systems that support the use of temporal organization in recall. These data provide evidence that the retrieval of temporal context in narrative recall is hippocampal-dependent, whereas damage to the vmPFC does not impair the temporal organization of narrative recall. This evidence of limited but demonstrable organization of memory in participants with hippocampal damage and amnesia speaks to the power of narrative structures in supporting meaningfully organized recall despite memory impairment.

Differential reorganization of episodic and semantic memory systems in epilepsy-related mesiotemporal pathology.

Declarative memory encompasses episodic and semantic divisions. Episodic memory captures singular events with specific spatiotemporal relationships, while semantic memory houses context-independent knowledge. Behavioural and functional neuroimaging studies have revealed common and distinct neural substrates of both memory systems, implicating mesiotemporal lobe (MTL) regions such as the hippocampus and distributed neocortices. Here, we explored declarative memory system reorganization in patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) as a human disease model to test the impact of variable degrees of MTL pathology on memory function. Our cohort included 31 patients with TLE as well as 60 age and sex-matched healthy controls, and all participants underwent episodic and semantic retrieval tasks during a multimodal MRI session. The functional MRI tasks were closely matched in terms of stimuli and trial design. Capitalizing on non-linear connectome gradient mapping techniques, we derived task-based functional topographies during episodic and semantic memory states, both in the MTL and in neocortical networks. Comparing neocortical and hippocampal functional gradients between TLE patients and healthy controls, we observed a marked topographic reorganization of both neocortical and MTL systems during episodic memory states. Neocortical alterations were characterized by reduced functional differentiation in TLE across lateral temporal and midline parietal cortices in both hemispheres. In the MTL, on the other hand, patients presented with a more marked functional differentiation of posterior and anterior hippocampal segments ipsilateral to the seizure focus and pathological core, indicating perturbed intrahippocampal connectivity. Semantic memory reorganization was also found in bilateral lateral temporal and ipsilateral angular regions, while hippocampal functional topographies were unaffected. Leveraging MRI proxies of MTL pathology, we furthermore observed alterations in hippocampal microstructure and morphology that were associated with TLE-related functional reorganization during episodic memory. Moreover, correlation analysis and statistical mediation models revealed that these functional alterations contributed to behavioural deficits in episodic, but again not semantic memory in patients. Altogether, our findings suggest that semantic processes rely on distributed neocortical networks, while episodic processes are supported by a network involving both the hippocampus and neocortex. Alterations of such networks can provide a compact signature of state-dependent reorganization in conditions associated with MTL damage, such as TLE.

Feedback timing-modulated weather prediction reveals relative deficits in both procedural and declarative learning in adults with dyslexia.

A topic of recent debate is the hypothesis that deficits associated with developmental disorders of language, such as reading disability, can be explained by a selective weakness in procedural memory. Adults with (n = 29; RD) and without (n = 29; TD) reading disability completed a weather prediction task under immediate and delayed feedback conditions, that rely on the striatal (procedural) and hippocampal (declarative) circuits, respectively. We examined trial-by-trial accuracy by feedback condition (immediate vs. delayed) and group (RD vs. TD). In the immediate feedback condition, we found the TD group to have a higher learning rate than the RD group. In the delayed feedback condition, we found the TD group reach a high level of accuracy early, and outperform the RD group for the duration of the task. The TD group also made gains in reaction time under both conditions, while the RD group slowed in their responses. Taken together, it appears that while procedural memory is indeed impaired in adults with reading disability, to a lesser extent, declarative memory is also affected. This lends partial support to the PDH, and more broadly to the position that reading disability is associated with general (non-linguistic) difficulties in learning.

Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease Affects Fast But Not Slow Adaptive Processes in Motor Learning.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by an initial decline in declarative memory, while nondeclarative memory processing remains relatively intact. Error-based motor adaptation is traditionally seen as a form of nondeclarative memory, but recent findings suggest that it involves both fast, declarative, and slow, nondeclarative adaptive processes. If the declarative memory system shares resources with the fast process in motor adaptation, it can be hypothesized that the fast, but not the slow, process is disturbed in AD patients. To test this, we studied 20 early-stage AD patients and 21 age-matched controls of both sexes using a reach adaptation paradigm that relies on spontaneous recovery after sequential exposure to opposing force fields. Adaptation was measured using error clamps and expressed as an adaptation index (AI). Although patients with AD showed slightly lower adaptation to the force field than the controls, both groups demonstrated effects of spontaneous recovery. The time course of the AI was fitted by a hierarchical Bayesian two-state model in which each dynamic state is characterized by a retention and learning rate. Compared to controls, the retention rate of the fast process was the only parameter that was significantly different (lower) in the AD patients, confirming that the memory of the declarative, fast process is disturbed by AD. The slow adaptive process was virtually unaffected. Since the slow process learns only weakly from an error, our results provide neurocomputational evidence for the clinical practice of errorless learning of everyday tasks in people with dementia.

The effects of slow wave sleep characteristics on semantic, episodic, and procedural memory in people with epilepsy.

Slow wave sleep (SWS) is highly relevant for verbal and non-verbal/spatial memory in healthy individuals, but also in people with epilepsy. However, contradictory findings exist regarding the effect of seizures on overnight memory retention, particularly relating to procedural and non-verbal memory, and thorough examination of episodic memory retention with ecologically valid tests is missing. This research explores the interaction of SWS duration with epilepsy-relevant factors, as well as the relation of spectral characteristics of SWS on overnight retention of procedural, verbal, and episodic memory. In an epilepsy monitoring unit, epilepsy patients (N = 40) underwent learning, immediate and 12 h delayed testing of memory retention for a fingertapping task (procedural memory), a word-pair task (verbal memory), and an innovative virtual reality task (episodic memory). We used multiple linear regression to examine the impact of SWS duration, spectral characteristics of SWS, seizure occurrence, medication, depression, seizure type, gender, and epilepsy duration on overnight memory retention. Results indicated that none of the candidate variables significantly predicted overnight changes for procedural memory performance. For verbal memory, the occurrence of tonic-clonic seizures negatively impacted memory retention and higher psychoactive medication load showed a tendency for lower verbal memory retention. Episodic memory was significantly impacted by epilepsy duration, displaying a potential nonlinear impact with a longer duration than 10 years negatively affecting memory performance. Higher drug load of anti-seizure medication was by tendency related to better overnight retention of episodic memory. Contrary to expectations longer SWS duration showed a trend towards decreased episodic memory performance. Analyses on associations between memory types and EEG band power during SWS revealed lower alpha-band power in the frontal right region as significant predictor for better episodic memory retention. In conclusion, this research reveals that memory modalities are not equally affected by important epilepsy factors such as duration of epilepsy and medication, as well as SWS spectral characteristics.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Idiographic Computational Models Reveal Individual Differences in Learning and Meta-Learning Strategies.

Complex skill learning depends on the joint contribution of multiple interacting systems: working memory (WM), declarative long-term memory (LTM) and reinforcement learning (RL). The present study aims to understand individual differences in the relative contributions of these systems during learning. We built four idiographic, ACT-R models of performance on the stimulus-response learning, Reinforcement Learning Working Memory task. The task consisted of short 3-image, and long 6-image, feedback-based learning blocks. A no-feedback test phase was administered after learning, with an interfering task inserted between learning and test. Our four models included two single-mechanism RL and LTM models, and two integrated RL-LTM models: (a) RL-based meta-learning, which selects RL or LTM to learn based on recent success, and (b) a parameterized RL-LTM selection model at fixed proportions independent of learning success. Each model was the best fit for some proportion of our learners (LTM: 68.7%, RL: 4.8%, Meta-RL: 13.25%, bias-RL:13.25% of participants), suggesting fundamental differences in the way individuals deploy basic learning mechanisms, even for a simple stimulus-response task. Finally, long-term declarative memory seems to be the preferred learning strategy for this task regardless of block length (3- vs 6-image blocks), as determined by the large number of subjects whose learning characteristics were best captured by the LTM only model, and a preference for LTM over RL in both of our integrated-models, owing to the strength of our idiographic approach.

Brain-gut photobiomodulation restores cognitive alterations in chronically stressed mice through the regulation of Sirt1 and neuroinflammation.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress is an important risk factor for the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). Recent studies have shown microbiome dysbiosis as one of the pathogenic mechanisms associated with MDD. Thus, it is important to find novel non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies that can modulate gut microbiota and brain activity. One such strategy is photobiomodulation (PBM), which involves the non-invasive use of light. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Brain-gut PBM could have a synergistic beneficial effect on the alterations induced by chronic stress. METHODS: We employed the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) protocol to induce a depressive-like state in mice. Subsequently, we administered brain-gut PBM for 6 min per day over a period of 3 weeks. Following PBM treatment, we examined behavioral, structural, molecular, and cellular alterations induced by CUMS. RESULTS: We observed that the CUMS protocol induces profound behavioral alterations and an increase of sirtuin1 (Sirt1) levels in the hippocampus. We then combined the stress protocol with PBM and found that tissue-combined PBM was able to rescue cognitive alterations induced by CUMS. This rescue was accompanied by a restoration of hippocampal Sirt1 levels, prevention of spine density loss in the CA1 of the hippocampus, and the modulation of the gut microbiome. PBM was also effective in reducing neuroinflammation and modulating the morphology of Iba1-positive microglia. LIMITATIONS: The molecular mechanisms behind the beneficial effects of tissue-combined PBM are not fully understood. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that non-invasive photobiomodulation of both the brain and the gut microbiome could be beneficial in the context of stress-induced MDD.

Prefrontal theta-gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation improves non-declarative visuomotor learning in older adults.

The rise in the global population of older adults underscores the significance to investigate age-related cognitive disorders and develop early treatment modalities. Previous research suggests that non-invasive transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) can moderately improve cognitive decline in older adults. However, non-declarative cognition has received relatively less attention. This study investigates whether repeated (16-day) bilateral theta-gamma cross-frequency tACS targeting the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) enhances non-declarative memory. Computerized cognitive training was applied alongside stimulation to control for the state-of-the-brain. The Alternating Serial Reaction Time (ASRT) task was employed to assess non-declarative functions such as visuomotor skill and probabilistic sequence learning. Results from 35 participants aged 55-82 indicated that active tACS led to more substantial improvements in visuomotor skills immediately after treatment, which persisted 3 months later, compared to sham tACS. Treatment benefit was more pronounced in older adults of younger age and those with pre-existing cognitive decline. However, neither intervention group exhibited modulation of probabilistic sequence learning. These results suggest that repeated theta-gamma tACS can selectively improve distinct non-declarative cognitive aspects when targeting the DLPFC. Our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of tACS in addressing deficits in learning and retaining general skills, which could have a positive impact on the quality of life for cognitively impaired older individuals by preserving independence in daily activities.

Factors influencing sleep-dependent consolidation: Sleep strengths memory based on encoding depth but not repetition.

Sleep consolidates declarative memory after deep but not shallow incidental encoding, but little is known about this form of consolidation. One unexplored area is the extent to which the amount of exposure to incidentally encoded information affects consolidation processes. In two experiments, we manipulated the number of times information was presented. In Experiment 1, participants encoded words either one or three times in a deep or shallow incidental encoding task and completed a surprise recognition test after sleep or wake. Sleep consolidated information after deep encoding after one and three exposures, but not after shallow encoding. In Experiment 2, we explored the relationship between sleep architecture and memory after deep encoding. There was a trend for accuracy to be negatively related to N1 sleep, and reaction time to be negatively related to slow-wave sleep for words encoded once; however, the correlations did not survive corrections for multiple comparisons. These results are discussed with respect to active and passive consolidation processes.

Option similarity modulates the link between choice and memory.

Choices made in everyday life are highly variable. Sometimes, you may find yourself choosing between two similar options (e.g., breakfast foods to eat) and other times between two dissimilar options (e.g., what to buy with a gift certificate). The goal of the present study was to understand how the similarity of choice options affects our ability to remember what we choose and what we did not choose. We hypothesized that choosing between similar as compared to dissimilar options would evoke a comparison-based strategy (evaluating options with respect to one another), fostering a relational form of encoding and leading to better memory for both the chosen and unchosen options. In Experiment 1, participants reported their strategy when choosing between pairs of similar or dissimilar options, revealing that participants were more likely to use a comparison-based strategy when faced with similar options. In Experiment 2, we tested memory after participants made choices between similar or dissimilar options, finding improved memory for both chosen and unchosen options from the similar compared to dissimilar choice trials. In Experiment 3, we examined strategy use when choosing between pairs of similar or dissimilar options and memory for these options. Replicating and extending the results of the first two experiments, we found that participants were more likely to use a comparison-based strategy when choosing between similar than dissimilar options, and that the positive effect of similarity on memory was stronger for unchosen than chosen options when controlling for strategy use. We interpret our results as evidence that option similarity impacts the mnemonic processes used during choice, altering what we encode and ultimately remember about our choices.

Verbal memory impairments in mood disorders and psychotic disorders: A systematic review of comparative studies.

BACKGROUND: Mood and psychotic disorders are both associated with verbal memory impairments. Verbal memory represents an important treatment target for both disorders. However, whether the neurocognitive and neurophysiological profiles of verbal memory impairments differ between specific disorders within these two diagnostic categories and healthy controls remains unclear. The current systematic review synthesized findings from comparative studies which used behavioural and neuroimaging tasks to investigate verbal memory impairments between: (1) mood disorder, psychotic disorder, and healthy control groups; and (2) mood disorder without psychotic features, mood disorder with psychotic features, and healthy control groups. METHODS: The search strategy combined terms related to three main concepts: 'mood disorders', 'psychotic disorders', and 'verbal memory'. Searches were executed in Embase, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and PubMed databases. A total of 38 articles met the full eligibility criteria and were included in the final narrative synthesis. Findings were stratified by memory domain (overall composite score, verbal working memory, immediate recall, delayed recall, and recognition memory) and by illness phase (acute and non-acute). RESULTS: Mood and psychotic disorders displayed consistent verbal memory impairments compared to healthy controls during the acute and non-acute phases. Few significant differences were identified in the literature between mood and psychotic disorders, and between mood disorders with and without psychotic features. Individuals with schizophrenia were found to have decreased immediate and delayed verbal recall performance compared to bipolar disorder groups during the acute phase. Major depressive disorder groups with psychotic features were also found to have decreased delayed verbal recall performance compared to those without psychosis during the acute phase. No consistent differences were identified between mood and psychotic disorders during the non-acute phase. Finally, preliminary evidence suggests there may be functional abnormalities in important frontal and temporal brain regions related to verbal memory difficulties in both mood and psychotic disorders. DISCUSSION: The current findings have potential implications for the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairments in mood and psychotic disorders. Verbal recall memory may serve as a sensitive tool in the risk stratification of cognitive impairments for certain mood and psychotic disorders. Moreover, since no widespread differences between clinical groups were identified, the evidence supports providing targeted interventions for verbal memory, such as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, through a trans-diagnostic approach in mood and psychotic disorders.

An acute bout of high-intensity exercise affects nocturnal sleep and sleep-dependent memory consolidation.

Acute exercise has been shown to affect long-term memory and sleep. However, it is unclear whether exercise-induced changes in sleep architecture are associated with enhanced memory. Recently, it has been shown that exercise followed by a nap improved declarative memory. Whether these effects transfer to night sleep and other memory domains has not yet been studied. Here, we investigate the influence of exercise on nocturnal sleep architecture and associations with sleep-dependent procedural and declarative memory consolidation. Nineteen subjects (23.68 ± 3.97 years) were tested in a balanced cross-over design. In two evening sessions, participants either exercised (high-intensity interval training) or rested immediately after encoding two memory tasks: (1) a finger tapping task and (2) a paired-associate learning task. Subsequent nocturnal sleep was recorded by polysomnography. Retrieval was conducted the following morning. High-intensity interval training lead to an increased declarative memory retention (p = 0.047, d = 0.40) along with a decrease in REM sleep (p = 0.012, d = 0.75). Neither procedural memory nor NREM sleep were significantly affected. Exercise-induced changes in N2 showed a positive correlation with procedural memory retention which did not withstand multiple comparison correction. Exploratory analyses on sleep spindles and slow wave activity did not reveal significant effects. The present findings suggest an exercise-induced enhancement of declarative memory which aligns with changes in nocturnal sleep architecture. This gives additional support for the idea of a potential link between exercise-induced sleep modifications and memory formation which requires further investigation in larger scaled studies.

The reactivation of task rules triggers the reactivation of task-relevant items.

Working memory (WM) describes the temporary storage of task-relevant items and procedural rules to guide action. Despite its central importance for goal-directed behavior, the interplay between WM and long-term memory (LTM) remains poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that repeated use of the same task-relevant item in WM results in a hand-off of the storage of that item to LTM, and switching to a new item reactivates WM. To further elucidate the rules governing WM-LTM interactions, we here planned to probe whether a change in task rules, independent of a switch in task-relevant items, would also lead to WM reactivation of maintained items. To this end, we used scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) data, specifically the contralateral delay activity (CDA), to track WM item storage while manipulating repetitions and changes in task rules and task-relevant items across trials in a visual WM task. We tested two rival hypotheses: If changes in task rules result in a reactivation of the target item representation, then the CDA should increase when a task change is cued even when the same target has been repeated across trials. However, if the reactivation of a task-relevant item only depends on the mnemonic availability of the item itself instead of the task it is used for, then only the changes in task-relevant items should reactivate the representations. Accordingly, the CDA amplitude should decrease for repeated task-relevant items independently of a task change. We found a larger CDA on task-switch compared to task-repeat trials, suggesting that the reactivation of task rules triggers the reactivation of task-relevant items in WM. By demonstrating that WM reactivation of LTM is interdependent for task rules and task-relevant items, this study informs our understanding of visual WM and its interplay with LTM. PREREGISTERED STAGE 1 PROTOCOL: https://osf.io/zp9e8 (date of in-principle acceptance: 19/12/2021).

A Process Analysis of Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test Performance Using the Boston Qualitative Scoring System in HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders.

Deficits in episodic verbal memory are commonly observed in persons with HIV (PWH) disease, in whom they are characterized by dysregulation of the executive aspects of encoding and retrieval and adversely impact everyday functioning. Deficits in episodic visual memory are also apparent in PWH, but we know less about their cognitive architecture. This study used the Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS) for the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) to examine visual learning and recall in 43 individuals without HIV and 141 PWH who completed a full research neuropsychological, psychiatric, and medical assessment. A mixed model covarying for education and estimated verbal IQ showed that participants with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) performed worse than PWH without neurocognitive disorders and HIV- participants at comparable medium-to-large effect sizes across the Copy, Immediate, and Delayed trials of the BQSS-ROCF, suggesting a primary encoding deficit. A component process analysis of the BQSS-ROCF Copy Trial revealed that participants with HAND had specific difficulties with configural accuracy, cluster accuracy, and cluster placement. Within the PWH sample, measures of motor coordination and executive functions emerged as independent predictors of BQSS-ROCF Copy Trial performance. Findings extend prior research by showing that HAND may be associated with a primary encoding deficit for complex visuomotor learning and memory tasks that is driven by a combination of visuospatial, motor, and executive difficulties.

Reminder-dependent alterations in long-term declarative memory expression.

The reminder of a previously-learned memory can render that memory vulnerable to disruption or change in expression. Such memory alterations have been viewed as supportive of the framework of memory reconsolidation. However, alternative interpretations and inconsistencies in the replication of fundamental findings have raised questions particularly in the domain of human declarative memory. Here we present a series of related experiments, all of which involve the learning of a declarative memory, followed 1-2 days later by memory reminder. Post-reminder learning of interfering material did result in modulation of subsequent recall at test, but the precise manifestation of that interference effect differed across experiments. With post-reminder performance of a visuospatial task, a quantitative impairment in test recall performance was observed within a visual list-learning paradigm, but not in a foreign vocabulary learning paradigm. These results support the existence of reminder-induced memory processes that can lead to the alteration of subsequent memory performance by interfering tasks. However, it remains unclear whether these effects are reflective of modulation or impairment of the putative memory reconsolidation process.

Effects of imagery rescripting and imaginal exposure on voluntary memory.

Trauma-focused imagery-based interventions, such as Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) and Imaginal Exposure (ImE), are effective in reducing involuntary re-experiencing in PTSD. However, it has been suggested that they may impair voluntary memory. This study investigates whether ImRs and ImE distort voluntary memory of an analogue trauma. We presented a trauma film to N = 120 healthy participants (Session 1) and randomly allocated them to one of two intervention conditions (receiving one session of ImRs or ImE) or to a no-intervention control condition (NIC) afterwards (Session 2). Voluntary memory was assessed using a free recall (Sessions 2 and 3), and a cued recall as well as a recognition task (both Sessions 3 and 4). The ImRs and ImE groups did not differ from NIC in the cued recall task and the recognition task. However, ImE (compared to ImRs and NIC) led to an increase in correct reported details in the free recall. In sum, the current findings do not suggest that ImRs or ImE impair voluntary memory.