Frontal midline theta connectivity is related to efficiency of WM maintenance and is affected by aging

Representations in working memory (WM) are temporary, but can be refreshed for longer periods of time through maintenance mechanisms, thereby establishing their availability for subsequent memory tests. Frontal brain regions supporting WM maintenance operations undergo anatomical and functional changes with advancing age, leading to age related decline of memory functions. The present study focused on age-related functional connectivity changes of the frontal midline (FM) cortex in the theta band (4–8 Hz), related to WM maintenance. In the visual delayed-match-to-sample WM task young (18–26 years, N = 20) and elderly (60–71 years N = 16) adults had to memorize sample stimuli consisting of 3 or 5 items while 33 channel EEG recording was performed. The phase lag index was used to quantify connectivity strength between cortical regions. The low and high memory demanding WM maintenance periods were classified based on whether they were successfully maintained (remembered) or unsuccessfully maintained (unrecognized later). In the elderly reduced connectivity strength of FM brain region and decreased performance were observed. The connectivity strength between FM and posterior sensory cortices was shown to be sensitive to both increased memory demands and memory performance regardless of age. The coupling of frontal regions (midline and lateral) and FM-temporal cortices characterized successfully maintained trials and declined with advancing age. The findings provide evidence that a FM neural circuit of theta oscillations that serves a possible basis of active maintenance process is especially vulnerable to aging

Social Representations of Hero and Everyday Hero: A Network Study from Representative Samples

The psychological investigation of heroism is relatively new. At this stage, inductive methods can shed light on its main aspects. Therefore, we examined the social representations of Hero and Everyday Hero by collecting word associations from two separate representative samples in Hungary. We constructed two networks from these word associations. The results showed that the social representation of Hero is more centralized and it cannot be divided into smaller units. The network of Everyday Hero is divided into five units and the significance moves from abstract hero characteristics to concrete social roles and occupations exhibiting pro-social values. We also created networks from the common associations of Hero and Everyday Hero. The structures of these networks showed a moderate similarity and the connections are more balanced in case of Everyday Hero. While heroism in general can be the source of inspiration, the promotion of everyday heroism can be more successful in encouraging ordinary people to recognize their own potential for heroic behavior

Mental and emotional representations of “weight loss”: free-word association networks in members of bariatric surgery-related social media communities

Background: Mindset and communication barriers may hinder the acceptance of bariatric surgery (BS) by the eligible patient population. Objectives: To improve the understanding of expectations, opinions, emotions, and attitudes toward weight loss among patients with obesity. Setting: Switzerland, Germany, Austria. Methods: Survey data collected from BS-related social media communities (n = 1482). Participants were asked to write 5 words that first came to their mind about "weight loss," and to select 2 emotions, which best described their corresponding feelings. Demographic and obesity-related data were collected. Cognitive representations were constructed based on the co-occurrence network of associations, using validated data-driven methodology. Results: Respondents were Caucasian (98%), female (94%), aged 42.5 ± 10.1 years, current/highest lifetime body mass index = 36.9 ± 9/50.7 ± 8.7 kg/m2. The association network analysis revealed the following 2 cognitive modules: benefit-focused (health, attractiveness, happiness, agility) and procedure-focused (effort, diet, sport, surgery). Patients willing to undergo BS were more benefit-focused (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4, P = .02) and expressed more "hope" (OR = 142, P < .001). History of BS was associated with higher adherence to the procedure-focused module (OR = 2.3, P < .001), and with increased use of the emotions "gratitude" (OR = 107, P < .001), "pride" (OR = 15, P < .001), and decreased mention of "hope" (OR = .03, P < .001). Conclusion: Patients with obesity in our study tend to think about weight loss along 2 cognitive schemes, either emphasizing its expected benefits or focusing on the process of achieving it. Benefit-focused respondents were more likely to consider BS, and to express hope rather than gratitude or pride. Novel communication strategies may increase the acceptance of BS by incorporating weight loss-related cognitive and emotional content stemming from patients' free associations

Age-dependent characteristics of feedback evaluation related to monetary gains and losses

Abstract Monitoring the consequences of actions is of crucial importance in order to optimize behavior to the challenges of the environment. Recently the age-related aspects of this fundamentally important cognitive processing have been brought into the focus of investigation since behavioral monitoring and related control mechanisms are widely known to be affected by aging. Processing of feedback stimuli is a core mechanism for rapid evaluation of the functionally significant aspects of outcome, guiding behavior towards avoidance or approach. The aim of the present study was to analyze the age-related alterations in the most prominent electrophysiological correlates of feedback processing, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and the P3 event-related potential components, using a two-choice-single-outcome gambling task with two amounts of monetary stakes. In terms of behavioral indices higher proportion of risky choices was observed after loss than after gain events in both groups. In the young the FRN component was found to be an indicator of the goodness of outcome (loss or gain), and the P3 showed a complex picture of feedback evaluation with selective sensitivity to large amount of gain. In contrast, in the elderly group outcome valence had no effect on the amplitude of the FRN, and the P3 was also insensitive of the complex outcome properties. As the ERP-correlates of feedback processing are not as pronounced in the elderly, it is suggested that normal aging is accompanied by an alteration of the neural mechanisms signaling the most salient feedback stimulus properties

Microstructural Changes in Human Ingestive Behavior After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass During Liquid Meals

BACKGROUND. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) decreases energy intake and is, therefore, an effective treatment of obesity. The behavioral bases of the decreased calorie intake remain to be elucidated. We applied the methodology of microstructural analysis of meal intake to establish the behavioral features of ingestion in an effort to discern the various controls of feeding as a function of RYGB. METHODS. The ingestive microstructure of a standardized liquid meal in a cohort of 11 RYGB patients, in 10 patients with obesity, and in 10 healthy-weight adults was prospectively assessed from baseline to 1 year with a custom-designed drinkometer. Statistics were performed on log-transformed ratios of change from baseline so that each participant served as their own control, and proportional increases and decreases were numerically symmetrical. Data-driven (3 seconds) and additional burst pause criteria (1 and 5 seconds) were used. RESULTS. At baseline, the mean meal size (909.2 versus 557.6 kCal), burst size (28.8 versus 17.6 mL), and meal duration (433 versus 381 seconds) differed between RYGB patients and healthy-weight controls, whereas suck volume (5.2 versus 4.6 mL) and number of bursts (19.7 versus 20.1) were comparable. At 1 year, the ingestive differences between the RYGB and healthy-weight groups disappeared due to significantly decreased burst size (P = 0.008) and meal duration (P = 0.034) after RYGB. The first-minute intake also decreased after RYGB (P = 0.022). CONCLUSION. RYGB induced dynamic changes in ingestive behavior over the first postoperative year. While the eating pattern of controls remained stable, RYGB patients reduced their meal size by decreasing burst size and meal duration, suggesting that increased postingestive sensibility may mediate postbariatric ingestive behavior. TRIAL REGISTRATION. NCT03747445; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03747445. FUNDING. This work was supported by the University of Zurich, the Swiss National Fund (32003B_182309), and the Olga Mayenfisch Foundation. Bálint File was supported by the Hungarian Brain Research Program Grant (grant no. 2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00002)