Integrating Spatial Working Memory and Remote Memory: Interactions between the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus

In recent years, two separate research streams have focused on information sharing between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HC). Research into spatial working memory has shown that successful execution of many types of behaviors requires synchronous activity in the theta range between the mPFC and HC, whereas studies of memory consolidation have shown that shifts in area dependency may be temporally modulated. While the nature of information that is being communicated is still unclear, spatial working memory and remote memory recall is reliant on interactions between these two areas. This review will present recent evidence that shows that these two processes are not as separate as they first appeared. We will also present a novel conceptualization of the nature of the medial prefrontal representation and how this might help explain this area’s role in spatial working memory and remote memory recall

Executive functions in insight versus non-insight problem solving: an individual differences approach

Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713685607~db=all Copyright Informa / Taylor and FrancisThis study investigated the roles of the executive functions of inhibition and switching and of verbal and visuo-spatial working memory capacities in insight and non-insight tasks. Eighteen insight tasks, 10 non-insight tasks and measures of individual differences in working memory capacities, switching and inhibition were administered to 120 participants. Performance on insight problems was not linked with executive functions of inhibition or switching but was linked positively to measures of verbal and visuo-spatial working memory capacities. Non-insight task performance was positively linked to the executive function of switching (but not to inhibition) and to verbal and visuo-spatial working memory capacities. These patterns regarding executive functions were maintained when the insight and non-insight composites were split into verbal and spatial insight and non-insight composite scores. The results are discussed in relation to dual processing accounts of thinking.Peer reviewe

Visuo-spatial working memory and mathematical skills in children: a network analysis study

Visuo-spatial working memory is one of the main domain-general cognitive mechanisms underlying mathematical abilities and their development in children. However, if visuo-spatial working memory involves different processes and components, then the term ‘mathematics’ refers to a broad concept that includes multiple domains and skills. The aim of this present study was to investigate the relationship between different visuo-spatial working memory components and several mathematical abilities in a sample of third- to fifth-grade Italian children. To assess the relationships between different visuo-spatial working memory components and different mathematical abilities, we relied on Network Analysis (NA). Results indicate that some but not all visuo-spatial working memory components are associated with some mathematical abilities

Preliminary assessment of cognitive impairments in canine idiopathic epilepsy

In humans, epilepsy can induce or accelerate cognitive impairment (CI). There is emerging evidence of CI in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) from recent epidemiological studies. The aim of our study was to assess CI in dogs with IE using two tests of cognitive dysfunction designed for use in a clinical setting. Dogs with IE (n=17) were compared against controls (n=18) in their performance in two tasks; a spatial working memory task and a problem-solving task. In addition, owners completed the Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Rating (CCDR) scale for their dog. The groups did not differ statistically with respect to age and breed. Dogs with IE performed significantly worse than controls on the spatial working memory task (P=0.016), but not on the problem solving task (P=0.683). CCDR scores were significantly higher in the IE group (P=0.016); however, no dogs reach the recommended threshold score for CCD diagnosis. Our preliminary data suggest that dogs with IE exhibit impairments in a spatial working memory task. Further research is required to explore the effect of IE on other cognitive abilities in dogs with a larger sample, characterising the age of onset, nature and progression of any impairments and the impact of anti-epileptic drugs

Naturally Occurring Affect Predicts Verbal and Spatial Working Memory Performance

Some research has shown that induced affective states that vary in valence have differential effects on verbal and spatial working memory performance, such that positive affect improves verbal working memory and impairs spatial working memory, while negative affect improves spatial working memory and impairs verbal working memory. However, other research using similar mood induction and working memory tasks, has supported a nonspecific influence of affect on working memory performance where fear impairs, and positive affect improves, both verbal and spatial working memory. The present study investigated whether individual differences in naturally occurring trait and state affect could predict verbal and spatial working memory performance across six working memory tasks. Valence uniquely predicted working memory performance over and above arousal and the interaction of valence and arousal which were not significant predictors. Positive affect was associated with better WM performance, while negative affect was associated with worse working memory performance. This pattern held across both verbal and spatial working memory tasks, but was observed more strongly with 2- back working memory tasks than with complex span working memory tasks. These findings suggest that, in contrast to research demonstrating differential effects of affective states on verbal and spatial working memory performance, naturally occurring affect demonstrates a modality independent effect on working memory

Spatial Working Memory in Young Adolescents with Different Childhood Trajectories of Internalising, Conduct and Hyperactivity / inattention Problems

Spatial working memory is strongly related to cognitive ability and has an impact on children’s learning. The development of child and adolescent psychopathology affects cognitive outcomes, but there is limited research on its effects on spatial working memory in specific. The present study aimed to explore whether young adolescents’ spatial working memory differs across different childhood psychopathology trajectories in terms of internalising problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity / inattention. The final sample of this secondary analysis study consisted of 12,589 children around 11 years old from the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study. Two stages of data analysis were conducted. Trajectory groups were firstly estimated by Group Based Trajectory Modelling for internalising problems (N = 14,226), conduct problems (N = 14,242), and hyperactivity / inattention (N = 14,249), respectively following children from the age of 3 years to the age of 11 years. Multiple regressions were then adopted to assess the relationship between spatial working memory and trajectory group membership of childhood psychopathology. Results showed that trajectories of child psychopathology were related to 11-year-olds’ spatial working memory even after controlling for confounding variables. In general, children with higher probabilities of developing atypical internalising problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity / inattention seemed more likely to show less competent spatial working memory at age 11. The subsequent data analysis with a sub-sample (N = 7147) further revealed, via less competent spatial working memory, higher risks of child psychopathology symptoms were associated with lower teacher-reported ratings on children’s academic performance in English, maths, and science. Finally, the present study investigated the implications of the link between child psychopathology and spatial working memory for practice in the field of educational psychology via an online survey

Microsaccades and Visual-Spatial Working Memory

Observers performed working memory tasks at varying retinal eccentricities, fixating centrally while microsaccade rates and directions were monitored. We show that microsaccades generate no interference in a working memory task, indicating that spatial working memory is at least partially insulated from oculomotor activity. Intervening tasks during the memory interval affected memory as well as microsaccade patterns. Average microsaccade rate peaks after appearance of a fixation cross at the start of a trial, and dips at cue onset and offset. Direction of stimuli in choice tasks did not influence micro-saccade direction, however. Poorer memory accuracy for locations at greater retinal eccentricity calls for revising ideas of short-term spatial representations to include retinotopic or allocentric code

Spatial working memory, not IQ or executive function, discriminates early psychosis and clinically vulnerable creative individuals

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd Aim: While associations between creativity and psychopathology have been well researched, the specific cognitive processes that distinguish highly creative from those with psychopathology warrant further investigation. This study will examine whether IQ, executive function, cognitive inhibition or spatial working memory differentiate individuals with early psychosis, clinically vulnerable creative individuals, creative controls and non-creative controls. Methods: The study sample consisted of 110 participants: early psychosis (n = 21); clinically vulnerable creative controls (n = 25); creative controls (n = 30) and non-creative control (n = 34). The Diagnostic Interview for Psychosis assessed early psychosis participants and the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to screen for psychopathology in the remaining groups. Several cognitive tests were administered: IQ, neurocognitive measures of executive function and spatial working memory. Creativity was assessed using the Torrance Test of Creativity and Creative Achievement Questionnaire. A measure of vividness of mental imagery was also given. Results: Across all cognitive tests, spatial working memory differentiated the early psychosis group from both creative and non-creative control groups. Spatial working memory predicted group membership but vivid imagery was a better predictor of creative achievement. The early psychosis, clinically vulnerable creative and creative groups all recorded significantly higher results on creative achievement and creative cognition compared to non-creative controls. Conclusions: Our results provide further support for spatial working memory as an early neuro-cognitive marker for early psychosis. Spatial working memory, rather than IQ or executive function, may also be an early protective factor for clinically vulnerable young creative individuals

Mathematics students demonstrate superior visuo-spatial working memory to humanities students under conditions of low central executive processing load

Previous research has demonstrated that working memory performance is linked to mathematics achievement. Most previous studies have involved children and arithmetic rather than more advanced forms of mathematics. This study compared the performance of groups of adult mathematics and humanities students. Experiment 1 employed verbal and visuo-spatial working memory span tasks using a novel face-matching processing element. Results showed that mathematics students had greater working memory capacity in the visuospatial domain only. Experiment 2 replicated this and demonstrated that neither visuo-spatial short-term memory nor endogenous spatial attention explained the visuo-spatial working memory differences. Experiment 3 used working memory span tasks with more traditional verbal or visuo-spatial processing elements to explore the effect of processing type. In this study mathematics students showed superior visuo-spatial working memory capacity only when the processing involved had a comparatively low level of central executive involvement. Both visuo-spatial working memory capacity and general visuo-spatial skills predicted mathematics achievement

Spatial working memory and Inhibition of Return

Recently we showed that maintaining a location in spatial working memory affects saccadic eye movement trajectories, in that the eyes deviate away from the remembered location (Theeuwes, Olivers, & Chizk, 2005). Such saccade deviations are assumed to be the result of inhibitory processes within the oculomotor system. The present study investigated whether this inhibition is related to the phenomenon of inhibition of return (IOR), the relatively slow selection of previously attended locations as compared with new locations. The results show that the size of IOR to a location was not affected by whether or not the location was kept in working memory, but the size of the saccade trajectory deviation was affected. We conclude that inhibiting working memory–related eye movement activity is not the same as inhibiting a previously attended location in space. Working memory is a system that allows for the temporary storage of information until a task is completed (see, e.g., Baddeley, 1986). Awh and colleagues (Awh & Jonides, 2001; Awh, Jonides, & Reuter-Lorenz, 1998) provided evidence for a strong link between working memory and attention. For example, they showed that when a locatio