Improving episodic memory: frontal-midline theta neurofeedback training increases source memory performance

Cognitive and neurofeedback training (NFT) studies have demonstrated that training-induced alterations of frontal-midline (FM) theta activity (4-8 Hz) transfer to cognitive control processes. Given that FM theta oscillations are assumed to provide top-down control for episodic memory retrieval, especially for source retrieval, that is, accurate recollection of contextual details of prior episodes, the present study investigated whether FM theta NFT transfers to memory control processes. It was assessed (1) whether FM theta NFT improves source retrieval and modulates its underlying EEG characteristics and (2) whether this transfer extends over two posttests. Over seven NFT sessions, thetraining group who trained individual FM theta activity showed greater FM theta increase than an active control group who trained randomly chosen frequency bands. The training group showed better source retrieval in a posttraining session performed 13 days after NFT and their performance increasesfrom pre- to both posttraining sessions were predicted by NFT theta increases. Thus, training-induced enhancement of memory control processes seems to protect newly formed memories from proactive interference of previously learned information. EEG analyses revealed that during pretest both groups showed source memory specific theta activity at frontal and parietal sites. Surprisingly, training-induced improvements in source retrieval tended to be accompanied by less prestimulus FM theta activity, which was predicted by NFT theta change for the training but not the control group, suggesting a more efficient use of memory control processes after training. The present findings provide unique evidence for the enhancement of memory control processes by FM theta NFT

Improving episodic memory: frontal-midline theta neurofeedback training increases source memory performance

Cognitive and neurofeedback training (NFT) studies have demonstrated that training-induced alterations of frontal-midline (FM) theta activity (4-8 Hz) transfer to cognitive control processes. Given that FM theta oscillations are assumed to provide top-down control for episodic memory retrieval, especially for source retrieval, that is, accurate recollection of contextual details of prior episodes, the present study investigated whether FM theta NFT transfers to memory control processes. It was assessed (1) whether FM theta NFT improves source retrieval and modulates its underlying EEG characteristics and (2) whether this transfer extends over two posttests. Over seven NFT sessions, thetraining group who trained individual FM theta activity showed greater FM theta increase than an active control group who trained randomly chosen frequency bands. The training group showed better source retrieval in a posttraining session performed 13 days after NFT and their performance increasesfrom pre- to both posttraining sessions were predicted by NFT theta increases. Thus, training-induced enhancement of memory control processes seems to protect newly formed memories from proactive interference of previously learned information. EEG analyses revealed that during pretest both groups showed source memory specific theta activity at frontal and parietal sites. Surprisingly, training-induced improvements in source retrieval tended to be accompanied by less prestimulus FM theta activity, which was predicted by NFT theta change for the training but not the control group, suggesting a more efficient use of memory control processes after training. The present findings provide unique evidence for the enhancement of memory control processes by FM theta NFT

Reward prediction error in learning-related behaviors

Learning is a complex process, during which our opinions and decisions are easily changed due to unexpected information. But the neural mechanism underlying revision and correction during the learning process remains unclear. For decades, prediction error has been regarded as the core of changes to perception in learning, even driving the learning progress. In this article, we reviewed the concept of reward prediction error, and the encoding mechanism of dopaminergic neurons and the related neural circuities. We also discussed the relationship between reward prediction error and learning-related behaviors, including reversal learning. We then demonstrated the evidence of reward prediction error signals in several neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and addiction. These observations may help to better understand the regulatory mechanism of reward prediction error in learning-related behaviors

Do informal caregivers of people with dementia mirror the cognitive deficits of their demented patients?:A pilot study

Recent research suggests that informal caregivers of people with dementia (ICs) experience more cognitive deficits than noncaregivers. The reason for this is not yet clear. Objective: to test the hypothesis that ICs ‘mirror' the cognitive deficits of the demented people they care for. Participants and methods: 105 adult ICs were asked to complete three neuropsychological tests: letter fluency, category fluency, and the logical memory test from the WMS-III. The ICs were grouped according to the diagnosis of their demented patients. One-sample ttests were conducted to investigate if the standardized mean scores (t-scores) of the ICs were different from normative data. A Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple comparisons. Results: 82 ICs cared for people with Alzheimer's dementia and 23 ICs cared for people with vascular dementia. Mean letter fluency score of the ICs of people with Alzheimer's dementia was significantly lower than the normative mean letter fluency score, p = .002. The other tests yielded no significant results. Conclusion: our data shows that ICs of Alzheimer patients have cognitive deficits on the letter fluency test. This test primarily measures executive functioning and it has been found to be sensitive to mild cognitive impairment in recent research. Our data tentatively suggests that ICs who care for Alzheimer patients also show signs of cognitive impairment but that it is too early to tell if this is cause for concern or not

The effect of humour during investigative interviewing in forensic settings

The area of investigative interviewing was revolutionised with the creation of the cognitive interview, which added psychological aspects to the basic interview conducted by the police at the time. The cognitive interview has undergone many evolutions since then, such as the enhanced cognitive interview and the PEACE interview. Humour was considered, due to its pro-social properties, such as: emotion regulation, increasing attention and engagement. This study aimed to investigate whether humour could be added to cognitive interviews, without hindering the established techniques, and potentially improving it. Using a virtual cognitive interview, participants were randomly allocated into three conditions: humorous cognitive interview (HCI), standard cognitive interview (SCI), and control standard interview (CSI). All watched the same 5-minute movie clip. The amount of correct information recalled, and total number of answers given were recorded. Results indicated that humour does not negatively affect the cognitive interview process. The implications of adding humour to cognitive interviews to assist with rapport-building and the humanitarian approach to interviewing are discussed, as well as gathering information from vulnerable populations

The effect of humour during investigative interviewing in forensic settings

The area of investigative interviewing was revolutionised with the creation of the cognitive interview, which added psychological aspects to the basic interview conducted by the police at the time. The cognitive interview has undergone many evolutions since then, such as the enhanced cognitive interview and the PEACE interview. Humour was considered, due to its pro-social properties, such as: emotion regulation, increasing attention and engagement. This study aimed to investigate whether humour could be added to cognitive interviews, without hindering the established techniques, and potentially improving it. Using a virtual cognitive interview, participants were randomly allocated into three conditions: humorous cognitive interview (HCI), standard cognitive interview (SCI), and control standard interview (CSI). All watched the same 5-minute movie clip. The amount of correct information recalled, and total number of answers given were recorded. Results indicated that humour does not negatively affect the cognitive interview process. The implications of adding humour to cognitive interviews to assist with rapport-building and the humanitarian approach to interviewing are discussed, as well as gathering information from vulnerable populations

Goals and information processing in human decisions

We do not make decisions in the void. Every day, we act in awareness of our context, adjusting our objectives according to the situations we find. Operating effectively under multiple goals is fundamental for appropriate learning and decision-making, and deficiencies in this capacity can be at the core of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. In this thesis, I present studies I conducted to investigate how goals impact different stages of the decision process, from simple perceptual choices to subjective value preferences. Previous studies have described how animals assess alternatives and integrate evidence to make decisions. Most of the time, the focus of this work has been on simplified scenarios with single goals. In this thesis, my experiments tackle the issue of how people adjust information processing in tasks that demand more than one objective. Through various manipulations of the behavioural goals, such as decision framing, I show that (i) attention and evidence accumulation, (ii) brain representations, and (iii) decision confidence were all affected by context changes. Using behavioural testing, computational models, and neuroimaging I show that goals have a crucial role in evidence integration and the allocation of visual attention. My findings indicate that brain patterns adapt to enhance goal-relevant information during learning and the valuation of alternatives. Finally, I report the presence of goal-dependent asymmetries in the generation of decision confidence, overweighting the evidence of the most-relevant option to fulfil the goal. In conclusion, I show how the entire process is highly flexible and serves the behavioural demands. These findings support the reinterpretation of some perspectives, such as reported biases and irrationalities in decisions, as attributes of adaptive processing towards goal fulfilment

The Multi-Dimensional Contributions of Prefrontal Circuits to Emotion Regulation during Adulthood and Critical Stages of Development

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a pivotal role in regulating our emotions. The importance of ventromedial regions in emotion regulation, including the ventral sector of the medial PFC, the medial sector of the orbital cortex and subgenual cingulate cortex, have been recognized for a long time. However, it is increasingly apparent that lateral and dorsal regions of the PFC, as well as neighbouring dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, also play a role. Defining the underlying psychological mechanisms by which these functionally distinct regions modulate emotions and the nature and extent of their interactions is a critical step towards better stratification of the symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders. It is also important to extend our understanding of these prefrontal circuits in development. Specifically, it is important to determine whether they exhibit differential sensitivity to perturbations by known risk factors such as stress and inflammation at distinct developmental epochs. This Special Issue brings together the most recent research in humans and other animals that addresses these important issues, and in doing so, highlights the value of the translational approach