What You Get Out of Memory Depends on the Question You Ask

Following study, participants received 2 tests. The 1st was a recognition test; the 2nd was designed to tap recollection. The objective was to examine performance on Test I conditional on Test 2 performance. In Experiment 1, contrary to process dissociation assumptions, exclusion errors better predicted subsequent recollection than did inclusion errors. In Experiments 2 and 3, with alternate questions posed on Test 2, words having high estimates of recollection with one question had high estimates of familiarity with the other question. Results supported the following: (a) the 2-test procedure has considerable potential for elucidating the relationship between recollection and familiarity; (b) there is substantial evidence for dependency between such processes when estimates are obtained using the process dissociation and remember-know procedures; and (c) order of information access appears to depend on the question posed to the memory system.

The influence of memory for prior instances on performance in a conflict detection task

In 3 experiments, the authors examined the role of memory for prior instances for making relative judgments in conflict detection. Participants saw pairs of aircraft either repeatedly conflict with each other or pass safely before being tested on new aircraft pairs, which varied in similarity to the training pairs. Performance was influenced by the similarity between aircraft pairs. Detection time was faster when a conflict pair resembled a pair that had repeatedly conflicted. Detection time was slower, and participants missed conflicts, when a conflict pair resembled a pair that had repeatedly passed safely. The findings identify aircraft features that are used as inputs into the memory decision process and provide an indication of the processes involved in the use of memory for prior instances to make relative judgments.

Global processing speed as a mediator of developmental changes in children's auditory memory span

This study examined the role of global processing speed in mediating age increases in auditory memory span in 5- to 13-year-olds. Children were tested on measures of memory span, processing speed, single-word speech rate, phonological sensitivity, and vocabulary. Structural equation modeling supported a model in which age-associated increases in processing speed predicted the availability of long-term memory phonological representations for redintegration processes. The availability of long-term phonological representations, in turn, explained variance in memory span. Maximum speech rate did not predict independent variance in memory span. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental manipulation of prior experience: Effects on item and associative recognition

Frequency of exposure to very low- and high-frequency words was manipulated in a three-phase (familiarisation, study, and test) design. During familiarisation, words were presented with their definition (once, four times, or not presented). One week (Experiment 1) or one day (Experiment 2) later, participants studied a list of homogeneous pairs (i.e., pair members were matched on background and familiarisation frequency). Item and associative recognition of high- and very low-frequency words presented in intact, rearranged, old-new, or new-new pairs were tested in Experiment 1. Associative recognition of very low-frequency words was tested in Experiment 2. Results showed that prior familiaris ation improved associative recognition of very low-frequency pairs, but had no effect on high-frequency pairs. The role of meaning in the formation of item-to-item and item-to-context associations and the implications for current models of memory are discussed.

Is the effect of reading misspellings context dependent?

In 48 university students performing single-item spelling recognition, prior exposure to misspelled words improved slightly the accuracy on correctly spelled words and increased markedly the 'false alarm' rate (classifying a misspelling seen at study as correct). In a group given a dictation test (N = 24) the only effect of exposure to misspellings was a small increment in the number of misspellings that matched the misspelling seen at study. The two test groups showed no advantage of having the same display format at study and test (AA or BB vs AB or BA). Experiment 2 (in progress) investigated a format match at study and test against a condition with a new test context (AA or BB vs AC or BC). The results to date suggest an influence of memory of the study trial rather than simply an updating by the study exposures of abstract lexical representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality of life compared during pharmacological treatments and clinical monitoring for non-localized prostate cancer: a randomized controlled trial

To investigate the effects of different management strategies for non-localized prostate cancer on men's quality of life and cognitive functioning. Men with prostate cancer were randomly assigned to one of four treatment arms: leuprorelin, goserelin, cyproterone acetate (CPA), or close clinical monitoring. In a repeated-measures design, men were assessed before treatment (baseline) and after 6 and 12 months of treatment. A community comparison group of men of the same age with no prostate cancer participated for the same length of time. The men were recruited from public and private urology departments from university teaching hospitals. All those with prostate cancer who were eligible for hormonal therapy had no symptoms requiring immediate therapy. In all, 82 patients were randomized and 62 completed the 1-year study, and of the 20 community participants, 15 completed the study. The main outcome measures were obtained from questionnaires on emotional distress, existential satisfaction, physical function and symptoms, social and role function, subjective cognitive function, and sexual function, combined with standard neuropsychological tests of memory, attention, and executive functions. Sexual dysfunction increased for patients on androgen-suppressing therapies, and emotional distress increased in those assigned to CPA or close clinical monitoring. Compared with before treatment there was evidence of an adverse effect of leuprorelin, goserelin, and CPA on cognitive function. In deciding the timing of androgen suppression therapy for prostate cancer, consideration should be given to potential adverse effects on quality of life and cognitive function.

Prospective memory rehabilitation for adults with traumatic brain injury: A compensatory training programme

Primary objective: To describe a prospective memory rehabilitation programme based on a compensatory training approach and report the results of three case studies. Research design: Programme evaluation using pre-and post-intervention assessments and telephone follow-up. Methods and procedures: Three participants with traumatic brain injury completed 8 weeks of training with 1 - 2 hour individual sessions. Assessments were formal prospective memory assessment, self-report and measures of diary use. Experimental interventions: Intervention aimed to identify potential barriers, establish self-awareness of memory deficits, introduce a customized compensatory tool, a cueing system and organizational strategies. A significant other was involved in training to assist generalization. Main outcomes and results: All three participants improved on formal prospective memory assessment and demonstrated successful diary use after the programme. Self-report of prospective memory failure fluctuated and may reflect increased self-awareness. Conclusion: A compensatory approach may be useful in improving prospective memory performance following TBI.

Progressive loss of expressive language in a journalist: What news for dementia?

A 77-year-old man with 8 year progressive language deterioration in the face of grossly intact memory was followed. No acute or chronic physiological or psychological event was associated with symptom onset. CT revealed small left basal ganglia infarct. Mild atrophy, no lacunar infarcts, mild diffuse periventricular changes registered on MRI. Gait normal but slow. Speech hesitant and sparse. Affect euthymic; neurobehavioral disturbance absent. MMSE 26/30; clock incorrect, concrete. Neuropsychological testing revealed simple attention intact; complex attention, processing speed impaired. Visuospatial copying and delayed recall of copy average with some perseveration. Apraxia absent. Recall mildly impaired. Mild deficits in planning, organization apparent. Patient severely aphasic, dysarthric without paraphasias. Repetition of automatic speech, recitation moderately impaired; prosody intact. Understanding of written language, nonverbal communication abilities, intact. Frontal release signs developed over last 12 months. Repeated cognitive testing revealed mild deterioration across all domains with significant further decrease in expressive, receptive language. Neurobehavioral changes remain absent to date; he remains interested, engaged and independent in basic ADLs. Speech completely deteriorated; gait and movements appreciably slowed. Although signs of frontal/executive dysfunction present, lack of behavioral abnormalities, psychiatric disturbance, personality change argue against focal or progressive frontal impairment or dementia. Relative intactness of memory and comprehension argue against Alzheimer’s disease. Lack of findings on neuroimaging argue against CVA or tumor. It is possible that the small basal ganglia infarct has resulted in a mild lateral prefrontal syndrome. However, the absence of depression as well as the relatively circumscribed language problem suggests otherwise. The progressive, severe nature of language impairments, with relatively minor impairments in attention and memory, argues for a possible diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia.