Memory recall in arousing situations – an emotional von Restorff effect?

BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between memory recall and P300 amplitude in list learning tasks, but the variables mediating this P300-recall relationship are not well understood. In the present study, subjects were required to recall items from lists consisting of 12 words, which were presented in front of pictures taken from the IAPS collection. One word per list is made distinct either by font color or by a highly arousing background IAPS picture. This isolation procedure was first used by von Restorff. Brain potentials were recorded during list presentation. RESULTS: Recall performance was enhanced for color but not for emotional isolates. Event-related brain potentials (ERP) showed a more positive P300-component for recalled non-isolated words and color-isolated words, compared to the respective non-remembered words, but not for words isolated by arousing background. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that it is crucial to take emotional mediator variables into account, when using the P300 to predict later recall. Highly arousing environments might force the cognitive system to interrupt rehearsal processes in working memory, which might benefit transfer into other, more stable memory systems. The impact of attention-capturing properties of arousing background stimuli is also discussed

Novelty Enhances Visual Perception

The effects of novelty on low-level visual perception were investigated in two experiments using a two-alternative forced-choice tilt detection task. A target, consisting of a Gabor patch, was preceded by a cue that was either a novel or a familiar fractal image. Participants had to indicate whether the Gabor stimulus was vertically oriented or slightly tilted. In the first experiment tilt angle was manipulated; in the second contrast of the Gabor patch was varied. In the first, we found that sensitivity was enhanced after a novel compared to a familiar cue, and in the second we found sensitivity to be enhanced for novel cues in later experimental blocks when participants became more and more familiarized with the familiar cue. These effects were not caused by a shift in the response criterion. This shows for the first time that novel stimuli affect low-level characteristics of perception. We suggest that novelty can elicit a transient attentional response, thereby enhancing perception

Memory for expectation-violating concepts:The effects of agents and cultural familiarity

Previous research has shown that ideas which violate our expectations, such as schema-inconsistent concepts, enjoy privileged status in terms of memorability. In our study, memory for concepts that violate cultural (cultural schema-level) expectations (e.g., "illiterate teacher", "wooden bottle", or "thorny grass") versus domain-level (ontological) expectations (e.g., "speaking cat", "jumping maple", or "melting teacher") was examined. Concepts that violate cultural expectations, or counter-schematic, were remembered to a greater extent compared with concepts that violate ontological expectations and with intuitive concepts (e.g., "galloping pony", "drying orchid", or "convertible car"), in both immediate recall, and delayed recognition tests. Importantly, concepts related to agents showed a memory advantage over concepts not pertaining to agents, but this was true only for expectation-violating concepts. Our results imply that intuitive, everyday concepts are equally attractive and memorable regardless of the presence or absence of agents. However, concepts that violate our expectations (cultural-schema or domain-level) are more memorable when pertaining to agents (humans and animals) than to non-agents (plants or objects/artifacts). We conclude that due to their evolutionary salience, cultural ideas which combine expectancy violations and the involvement of an agent are especially memorable and thus have an enhanced probability of being successfully propagated. © 2014 Porubanova et al

High-dose oral vitamin D3 supplementation in rheumatology patients with severe vitamin D3 deficiency

OBJECTIVES: Recent large trials indicate that adherence associated with a daily regimen of vitamin D is low and limits anti-fracture efficacy with vitamin D supplementation. The aim of this report is to describe changes of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum concentrations achieved with a single oral dose of 300000 IU vitamin D3. METHODS: Over a course of 4 months, we identified 33 elderly with severe vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D<25 nmol/l) on admission to acute care. Patients were admitted for musculoskeletal pain, bone disease, or gait abnormalities. The mean age was 80.5 years (SD+/-6.1). All patients were treated with a single oral dose of 300000 IU D3 in combination with 500-1000 mg calcium supplements per day depending on their dietary calcium intake. RESULTS: Baseline mean 25(OH)D serum concentrations were 15 nmol/l (SD+/-5.5). Mean 25(OH)D serum concentrations increased to 81.4 nmol/l (SD+/-29.7) at 3 months (29 patients) and were still 69.0 nmol/l (SD+/-17.9) at 6 months (26 patients). Mean serum calcium levels were 2.24 mmol/l (SD+/-0.11) at baseline, 2.28 mmol/l (SD+/-0.18) at 3 months, and 2.28 mmol/l (SD+/-0.13) at 6 months. Two patients with mild hypercalcemia (2.69 mmol/l) at 3 months had normal values at 6 months. CONCLUSION: Based on our observations, a single oral dose of 300000 IU vitamin D3 raises mean 25(OH)D serum concentrations to the target mean of above 75 nmol/l at 3 months and a mean level of 69 nmol/l at 6 months. As calcium absorption is enhanced with higher 25(OH)D serum concentrations, calcium supplementation may need downward adjustment with this regimen to avoid mild hypercalcemia

Heterogeneity of Muscle Blood Flow and Metabolism

The systematic increase in VO2 uptake and O2 extraction with increasing work rates conceals a substantial heterogeneity of O2 delivery (QO2)-to-VO2 matching across and within muscles and other organs. We hypothesize that whether increased/decreased QO2/VO2 heterogeneity can be judged as "good" or "bad," for example, after exercise training or in aged individuals or with disease (heart failure, diabetes) depends on the resultant effects on O2 transport and contractile performance