Episodic Past, Future, and counterfactual thinking in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease characterized by widespread white matter lesions in the brain and spinal cord. In addition to well-characterized motor deficits, MS results in cognitive impairments in several domains, notably in episodic autobiographical memory. Recent studies have also revealed that patients with MS exhibit deficits in episodic future thinking, i.e., our capacity to imagine possible events that may occur in our personal future. Both episodic memory and episodic future thinking have been shown to share cognitive and neural mechanisms with a related kind of hypothetical simulation known as episodic counterfactual thinking: our capacity to imagine alternative ways in which past personal events could have occurred but did not. However, the extent to which episodic counterfactual thinking is affected in MS is still unknown. The current study sought to explore this issue by comparing performance in mental simulation tasks involving either past, future or counterfactual thoughts in relapsing-remitting MS. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) measures were also extracted to determine whether changes in structural pathways connecting the brain's default mode network (DMN) would be associated with group differences in task performance. Relative to controls, patients showed marked reductions in the number of internal details across all mental simulations, but no differences in the number of external and semantic-based details. It was also found that, relative to controls, patients with relapsing-remitting MS reported reduced composition ratings for episodic simulations depicting counterfactual events, but not so for actual past or possible future episodes. Additionally, three DWI measures of white matter integrity-fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity and streamline counts-showed reliable differences between patients with relapsing-remitting MS and matched healthy controls. Importantly, DWI measures associated with reduced white matter integrity in three association tracts on the DMN-the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, the left hippocampal portion of the cingulum and the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus-predicted reductions in the number of internal details during episodic counterfactual simulations. Taken together, these results help to illuminate impairments in episodic simulation in relapsing-remitting MS and show, for the first time, a differential association between white matter integrity and deficits in episodic counterfactual thinking in individuals with relapsing-remitting MS.

Exploring the experience of episodic past, future, and counterfactual thinking in younger and older adults: A study of a Colombian sample.

Although extant evidence suggests that many neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying episodic past, future, and counterfactual thinking overlap, recent results have uncovered differences among these three processes. However, the extent to which there may be age-related differences in the phenomenological characteristics associated with episodic past, future and counterfactual thinking remains unclear. This study used adapted versions of the Memory Characteristics Questionnaire and the Autobiographical Interview in younger and older adults to investigate the subjective experience of episodic past, future and counterfactual thinking. The results suggest that, across all conditions, younger adults generated more internal details than older adults. However, older adults generated more external details for episodic future and counterfactual thinking than younger adults. Additionally, younger and older adults generated more internal details, and gave higher sensory and contextual ratings, for memories rather than future and counterfactual thoughts. Methodological and theoretical consequences for extant theories of mental simulation are discussed.

Experiencia subjetiva del tiempo y su influencia en el comportamiento: revisión y modelos / Experiência subjetiva do tempo e sua influência no comportamento: revisão e modelos / Subjective experience of time and its influence on behavior: review and models

Diversos investigadores han intentado explicar desde inicios de la psicología, la experiencia temporal y su influencia en las cogniciones, emociones y comportamientos. Tratándose de una de las dimensiones más complejas e influyentes de la psique, ha sido abordado desde diferentes concepciones y sin contar con referentes comunes. Este artículo intenta contribuir a la sistematización de la psicología del tiempo ampliando un modelo de cuatro niveles, profundizando en la percepción del tiempo vital o tiempo III. Se han seleccionado trabajos relevantes en la historia de la psicología o con cierto índice de citación. Se ofrece un modelo explicativo del Tiempo III, que incorpora discusión y debate y pretende integrar diversos modelos existentes en la literatura.(AU)

Pesquisadores têm tentado explicar, desde o início da psicologia, a experiência temporal das pessoas e sua influência nas cognições, emoções e comportamentos. Trata-se de uma das dimensões mais complexas e influentes da psique, que tem sido abordada a partir de concepções diferentes e sem uma estrutura consensual. Este artigo tem o objetivo de contribuir na sistematização da psicologia do tempo, ampliando um modelo de quatro níveis, aprofundando na percepção do tempo vital ou tempo III. Trabalhos incluídos foram selecionados segundo a sua importância na historia da psicologia ou índice de citação. Sugere-se um modelo explicativo do Tempo III, que inclui discussão e debate e visa integrar os diferentes modelos existentes na literatura.(AU)

Since the beginning of psychology researchers have tried to explain the subjective experience of time on cognitions, emotions and behavior. As it is one of the most complex and influential dimensions of the mind, it has been approached from different conceptions without a common consensual framework. This article attempts to contribute to the systematization of the psychology of time expanding a fourfold model, which emphasizes life-time perception or Time III. Publications were selected that were either relevant in the history of psychology or had a good citation index. An explanatory model of Time III is proposed that incorporates discussion and debate and which intends to integrate various existing models encountered in the literature.(AU)

Experiencia subjetiva del tiempo y su influencia en el comportamiento: revisión y modelos / Experiência subjetiva do tempo e sua influência no comportamento: revisão e modelos / Subjective experience of time and its influence on behavior: review and models

Diversos investigadores han intentado explicar desde inicios de la psicología, la experiencia temporal y su influencia en las cogniciones, emociones y comportamientos. Tratándose de una de las dimensiones más complejas e influyentes de la psique, ha sido abordado desde diferentes concepciones y sin contar con referentes comunes. Este artículo intenta contribuir a la sistematización de la psicología del tiempo ampliando un modelo de cuatro niveles, profundizando en la percepción del tiempo vital o tiempo III. Se han seleccionado trabajos relevantes en la historia de la psicología o con cierto índice de citación. Se ofrece un modelo explicativo del Tiempo III, que incorpora discusión y debate y pretende integrar diversos modelos existentes en la literatura.

Pesquisadores têm tentado explicar, desde o início da psicologia, a experiência temporal das pessoas e sua influência nas cognições, emoções e comportamentos. Trata-se de uma das dimensões mais complexas e influentes da psique, que tem sido abordada a partir de concepções diferentes e sem uma estrutura consensual. Este artigo tem o objetivo de contribuir na sistematização da psicologia do tempo, ampliando um modelo de quatro níveis, aprofundando na percepção do tempo vital ou tempo III. Trabalhos incluídos foram selecionados segundo a sua importância na historia da psicologia ou índice de citação. Sugere-se um modelo explicativo do Tempo III, que inclui discussão e debate e visa integrar os diferentes modelos existentes na literatura.

Since the beginning of psychology researchers have tried to explain the subjective experience of time on cognitions, emotions and behavior. As it is one of the most complex and influential dimensions of the mind, it has been approached from different conceptions without a common consensual framework. This article attempts to contribute to the systematization of the psychology of time expanding a fourfold model, which emphasizes life-time perception or Time III. Publications were selected that were either relevant in the history of psychology or had a good citation index. An explanatory model of Time III is proposed that incorporates discussion and debate and which intends to integrate various existing models encountered in the literature.