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Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Jun 2020Introduction Children with anxiety disorders have been suggested to possess deficits in verbal fluency, shifting and attention, with inconsistent results regarding...
Introduction Children with anxiety disorders have been suggested to possess deficits in verbal fluency, shifting and attention, with inconsistent results regarding working memory and its subcomponents. This study extends previous findings by analyzing the performance of children with anxiety disorders in a wide range of neuropsychological functions. Methods We evaluated 54 children with a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder according to diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) using subtests of a neuropsychological battery. The severity of anxiety disorders was assessed using the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS). We calculated the frequency of neuropsychological impairments (-1.5 standard deviation of the normative sample). Comparisons between groups were performed based on the severity of anxiety symptoms, as well as in the presence of one vs. more diagnoses of anxiety disorder. Results We found higher impairment in visuospatial working memory (23.1%), semantic memory (27.8%), oral language (35.4%) and word writing (44.4%) in anxious children. Moreover, children with higher anxiety severity presented lower performance in visuospatial working memory, inferential processing, word reading, writing comprehension, copied writing, and semantic verbal fluency (d = 0.49 to 0.96 [Cohen's d]). The higher the number of anxiety diagnoses, the lower the performance in episodic memory and oral and written language (d = 0.56 to 0.77). Conclusion Our data suggested the presence of memory (visuospatial working memory and semantic memory) and language deficits (oral and writing) in some children with an anxiety disorder. Severity and number of anxiety diagnoses were associated with lower performance in memory and language domains in childhood.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Anxiety, Separation; Child; Cognitive Dysfunction; Female; Humans; Language Disorders; Male; Memory Disorders; Phobia, Social; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 32696887
DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2019-0051 -
BMC Psychiatry Aug 2022Visual memory impairment is one of the most commonly complained symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Pattern glare is also a distorted visual...
BACKGROUND
Visual memory impairment is one of the most commonly complained symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Pattern glare is also a distorted visual phenomenon that puzzles patients with MDD. Nevertheless, how these two phenomena interact in MDD remains unknown. This study investigated the association between pattern glare and visual memory in MDD patients.
METHODS
Sixty-two patients with MDD and forty-nine age-, sex- and education level-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. The Pattern Recognition Memory (PRM) test and the Brief Visual Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) were applied to measure visual memory. The pattern glare test including three patterns with different spatial frequencies (SFs) was used to explore pattern glare levels.
RESULTS
Patients with MDD scored lower on the PRM-PCi, BVMT-R1, BVMT-R2, BVMT-R3, and BVMT-Rt and higher on the PRM-MCLd than HCs (all p < 0.05). Pattern glare scores for MDD patients were higher with mid-SF (p < 0.001), high-SF (p = 0.006) and mid-high SF differences (p = 0.01) than for HCs. A positive correlation between mid-SF and PRM-MCLd scores in all participants was observed (p = 0.01, r = 0.246). A negative correlation between mid-high difference scores and BVMT-R2 scores (p = 0.032, r = -0.317) was observed in HCs, but no significant correlation was observed in MDD patients.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study showed that visual memory and pattern glare are disrupted in MDD. Visual memory may be associated with pattern glare and needs to be studied in future work.
Topics: Depressive Disorder, Major; Glare; Humans; Memory; Memory Disorders
PubMed: 35918667
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04167-9 -
Therapeutische Umschau. Revue... 2017
Review
Topics: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Brain Damage, Chronic; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Remediation; Evidence-Based Practice; Executive Function; Humans; Memory Disorders; Neurological Rehabilitation; Neuropsychological Tests; Perceptual Disorders
PubMed: 29583098
DOI: 10.1024/0040-5930/a000948 -
Nutrients May 2023Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. Among the suggested pathogenic mechanisms of AD, the...
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. Among the suggested pathogenic mechanisms of AD, the cholinergic hypothesis proposes that AD symptoms are a result of reduced synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh). A non-selective antagonist of the muscarinic ACh receptor, scopolamine (SCOP) induced cognitive impairment in rodents. Umbelliferone (UMB) is a Apiaceae-family-derived 7-hydeoxycoumarin known for its antioxidant, anti-tumor, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties. However, the effects of UMB on the electrophysiological and ultrastructure morphological aspects of learning and memory are still not well-established. Thus, we investigated the effect of UMB treatment on cognitive behaviors and used organotypic hippocampal slice cultures for long-term potentiation (LTP) and the hippocampal synaptic ultrastructure. A hippocampal tissue analysis revealed that UMB attenuated a SCOP-induced blockade of field excitatory post-synaptic potential (fEPSP) activity and ameliorated the impairment of LTP by the NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonists. UMB also enhanced the hippocampal synaptic vesicle density on the synaptic ultrastructure. Furthermore, behavioral tests on male SD rats (7-8 weeks old) using the Y-maze test, passive avoidance test (PA), and Morris water maze test (MWM) showed that UMB recovered learning and memory deficits by SCOP. These cognitive improvements were in association with the enhanced expression of BDNF, TrkB, and the pCREB/CREB ratio and the suppression of acetylcholinesterase activity. The current findings indicate that UMB may be an effective neuroprotective reagent applicable for improving learning and memory against AD.
Topics: Rats; Male; Animals; Scopolamine; Acetylcholinesterase; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Memory Disorders; Neuronal Plasticity; Hippocampus; Alzheimer Disease
PubMed: 37242234
DOI: 10.3390/nu15102351 -
Brain Research Jun 2016Congenital amusia is a neuro-developmental disorder of music perception and production. The hypothesis is that the musical deficits arise from altered pitch processing,... (Review)
Review
Congenital amusia is a neuro-developmental disorder of music perception and production. The hypothesis is that the musical deficits arise from altered pitch processing, with impairments in pitch discrimination (i.e., pitch change detection, pitch direction discrimination and identification) and short-term memory. The present review article focuses on the deficit of short-term memory for pitch. Overall, the data discussed here suggest impairments at each level of processing in short-term memory tasks; starting with the encoding of the pitch information and the creation of the adequate memory trace, the retention of the pitch traces over time as well as the recollection and comparison of the stored information with newly incoming information. These impairments have been related to altered brain responses in a distributed fronto-temporal network, associated with decreased connectivity between these structures, as well as in abnormalities in the connectivity between the two auditory cortices. In contrast, amusic participants׳ short-term memory abilities for verbal material are preserved. These findings show that short-term memory deficits in congenital amusia are specific to pitch, suggesting a pitch-memory system that is, at least partly, separated from verbal memory. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Auditory working memory.
Topics: Auditory Perception; Auditory Perceptual Disorders; Brain; Humans; Memory Disorders; Memory, Short-Term
PubMed: 26505915
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.10.035 -
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience Sep 2023Patients with post-stroke memory disorder (PSMD) have poor quality of life and it is necessary to identify more beneficial stimulation protocols for treatment with... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Patients with post-stroke memory disorder (PSMD) have poor quality of life and it is necessary to identify more beneficial stimulation protocols for treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of rTMS for improving memory performance, global cognition, and activities of daily living (ADL) among patients with PSMD.
METHODS
The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang databases were screened to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was memory performance; secondary outcomes included global cognition, ADL, and adverse events. STATA software was used to perform data synthesis.
RESULTS
Five articles with a total of 192 participants were included. The results indicated that rTMS was superior to control treatments for improving memory performance (mean difference [MD] = 1.73, 95% CI [Confidence Interval] [0.85, 2.60], 0.001), global cognition (MD = 2.44, 95% CI [0.96, 3.93], 0.001), and ADL (MD = 10.29, 95% CI [5.10, 15.48], 0.001). No significant differences were found between the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) rTMS subgroups ( 0.47, = 0.00%) or between the sham rTMS and non-rTMS subgroups ( 0.94, = 0.00%). Four studies did not reported adverse events.
CONCLUSIONS
rTMS may improve memory function, global cognition, and the ability to perform ADL in patients with PSMD. LF-rTMS and HF-rTMS may have equal efficacy for treatment of PSMD. Future studies should consider extending the follow-up period to explore the safety and long-term efficacy of rTMS for treatment of PSMD and the appropriate choice of placebo for clinical trials of this treatment.
Topics: Humans; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Activities of Daily Living; Quality of Life; Memory Disorders; Memory; Stroke
PubMed: 37735134
DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2205131 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Feb 2019Memory abnormalities are among a central feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is suggested that individuals with PTSD exhibit memory bias; while evidence...
BACKGROUND
Memory abnormalities are among a central feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is suggested that individuals with PTSD exhibit memory bias; while evidence shows poor memory function in these individuals. We aimed to examine memory bias in PTSD patients relative to controls and to explore an association between memory bias and memory function.
METHODS
Forty-six women with DSM-IV PTSD, most of whom developed the disorder after interpersonal violence, and 68 non-trauma-exposed healthy control women were studied. Memory bias was assessed by a recognition memory task using negative, neutral, and positive words. Memory function was assessed by a standardized neuropsychological test battery. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed by self-report measures.
RESULTS
Compared to controls, patients showed significantly greater negative bias scores (i.e., correctly recognized rates for negative words minus those for neutral words) and poorer memory function. Negative bias scores were significantly correlated with worse memory function in patients. When patients were divided into those with lower vs. normal memory function, the former patients had significantly greater negative bias than the latter patients and controls. Memory bias scores in patients were not significantly correlated with depression or anxiety symptoms, nor were they significantly different between patients with comorbid major depressive disorder and those without.
LIMITATIONS
The cross-sectional design and absence of the trauma-exposed non-PTSD group limited our findings.
CONCLUSIONS
PTSD patients have greater negative memory bias, which can be associated with poorer memory function. Our findings may provide an insight into the nature of memory abnormalities in PTSD.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Cognition; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Female; Humans; Memory; Memory Disorders; Middle Aged; Recognition, Psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Violence; Young Adult
PubMed: 30428446
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.10.365 -
Journal of Psychiatric Research Jun 2022Memory disturbances are frequent in unipolar depression (UD) and bipolar disorder (BD) and may comprise important predisposing and maintaining factors. Previous studies...
BACKGROUND
Memory disturbances are frequent in unipolar depression (UD) and bipolar disorder (BD) and may comprise important predisposing and maintaining factors. Previous studies have demonstrated hippocampal abnormalities in UD and BD but there is a lack of studies specifically assessing hippocampus-dependent memory.
METHODS
We used a virtual task to assess hippocampus-dependent (allocentric) vs non-hipppocampal (egocentric) spatial memory in remitted and partially remitted patients with UD or BD (N = 22) and a healthy control group (N = 32). Participants also completed a range of standard neuropsychological and functional assessments.
RESULTS
Participants in the UD/BD group showed selective impairments on high-load hippocampal (allocentric) memory compared to egocentric memory and this effect was independent of residual mood symptoms. Across both samples, both allocentric and egocentric spatial memory correlated with more general measures of memory and other aspects of cognition measured on standard neuropsychological tests but only high-load allocentric memory showed a significant relationship with functional capacity.
CONCLUSION
Results show a selective impairment in high-load allocentric spatial memory compared to egocentric memory in the patient group, suggesting impaired hippocampal functioning in patients with remitted UD/BD.
Topics: Hippocampus; Humans; Memory Disorders; Mood Disorders; Neuropsychological Tests; Spatial Memory
PubMed: 35378488
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.042 -
Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology 2015Many psychiatric disorders are characterized by intrusive, distracting, and disturbing memories that either perpetuate the illness or hinder successful treatment. For... (Review)
Review
Many psychiatric disorders are characterized by intrusive, distracting, and disturbing memories that either perpetuate the illness or hinder successful treatment. For example, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves such strong reemergence of memories associated with a traumatic event that the individual feels like the event is happening again. Furthermore, drug addiction is characterized by compulsive use and repeated relapse that is often driven by internal memories of drug use and/or by exposure to external stimuli that were associated with drug use. Therefore, identifying pharmacological methods to weaken the strength of maladaptive memories is a major goal of research efforts aimed at finding new treatments for these disorders. The primary mechanism by which memories could be pharmacologically disrupted or altered is through manipulation of memory reconsolidation. Reconsolidation occurs when an established memory is remembered or reactivated, reentering a labile state before again being consolidated into long-term memory storage. Memories are subject to disruption during this labile state. In this chapter we will discuss the preclinical and clinical studies identifying potential pharmacological methods for disrupting the integrity of maladaptive memory to treat mental illness.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Central Nervous System Agents; Humans; Memory; Memory Disorders; Mental Disorders; Signal Transduction; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 25977090
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-16522-6_13 -
The Journal of Physiological Sciences :... Jan 2019The objective of this paper was to systematically evaluate the potential preventive and therapeutic effects of exercise in attenuating stress-induced memory impairment.... (Review)
Review
The objective of this paper was to systematically evaluate the potential preventive and therapeutic effects of exercise in attenuating stress-induced memory impairment. A systematic review was employed, searching PubMed, PsychInfo, Sports Discus and Google Scholar databases. For eligibility, studies had to be published in English, employ an experimental design, have the acute or chronic bout of exercise occur prior to, during or after the stressor, implement a psychophysiological stressor, and have an assessment of memory function occurring after the stressor. In total, 23 studies were evaluated, all of which were conducted among animal models. All 23 studies employed a chronic exercise protocol and a chronic stress protocol. Eight studies evaluated a preventive model, three employed a concurrent model, ten studies employed a therapeutic model, and two studies evaluated both a preventive and therapeutic model within the same study. Among the eight studies employing a preventive model, all eight demonstrated that the stress regimen impaired memory function. In all eight of these studies, when exercise occurred prior to the stressor, exercise attenuated the stress-induced memory impairment effect. Among the ten studies employing a therapeutic model, one study showed that the stress protocol enhanced memory function, one showed that the stress protocol did not influence memory, and eight demonstrated that the stress regimen impaired memory function. Among the eight studies showing that the stress protocol impaired memory function, all eight studies demonstrated that exercise, after the stressor, attenuated stress-induced memory impairment. Within animal models, chronic stress is associated with memory impairment and chronic exercise has both a preventive and therapeutic effect in attenuating stress-induced memory impairment. Additional experimental work in human studies is needed. Such work should also examine acute exercise and stress protocols.
Topics: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Maze Learning; Memory Disorders; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 30203315
DOI: 10.1007/s12576-018-0638-0