Contingent Negative Variation and Working Memory Maintenance in Adolescents with Low and High Motor Competencies

Although it has been suggested that motor and cognitive development is interrelated, the link between motor competencies and neurophysiological indices of working memory operations has not yet been examined in adolescents. This study is aimed at comparing contingent negative variation and working memory performance between adolescents with low and high motor competencies. In eighty-two adolescents, motor competencies were assessed with the MOBAK-5 (basic motor competencies, 5th grade) test battery and a median split was performed on this variable to divide them into low and high performers. Additionally, all participants completed a Sternberg paradigm to assess working memory maintenance. The initial (iCNV) and terminal (tCNV) components of the contingent negative variation elicited by the cognitive task were recorded using electroencephalography. Higher working memory maintenance was found in adolescents with high motor competencies compared to those with low motor competencies. Cluster-based permutation testing further revealed increased iCNV in adolescents with higher motor competencies. In contrast, there was no difference in tCNV between groups. The findings suggest that high working memory maintenance and effective task preparation are both linked to high motor competencies. Thus, high performers on complex motor tasks seem to rely more on a proactive control strategy, which is optimal in tasks with high working memory demands.

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Negative Effects of Embodiment in a Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Task in Children, Young Adults, and Older Adults

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.688174 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Gianluca Amico ◽

Sabine Schaefer

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Working Memory ◽

Young Adults ◽

Spatial Information ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Age Groups ◽

Memory Task ◽

Negative Effects

Studies examining the effect of embodied cognition have shown that linking one’s body movements to a cognitive task can enhance performance. The current study investigated whether concurrent walking while encoding or recalling spatial information improves working memory performance, and whether 10-year-old children, young adults, or older adults (Mage = 72 years) are affected differently by embodiment. The goal of the Spatial Memory Task was to encode and recall sequences of increasing length by reproducing positions of target fields in the correct order. The nine targets were positioned in a random configuration on a large square carpet (2.5 m × 2.5 m). During encoding and recall, participants either did not move, or they walked into the target fields. In a within-subjects design, all possible combinations of encoding and recall conditions were tested in counterbalanced order. Contrary to our predictions, moving particularly impaired encoding, but also recall. These negative effects were present in all age groups, but older adults’ memory was hampered even more strongly by walking during encoding and recall. Our results indicate that embodiment may not help people to memorize spatial information, but can create a dual-task situation instead.

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Both a Nicotinic Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and a Noradrenergic SNP Modulate Working Memory Performance when Attention is Manipulated

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2008.21164 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 2139-2153 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Pamela M. Greenwood ◽

Ramya Sundararajan ◽

Ming-Kuan Lin ◽

Reshma Kumar ◽

Karl J. Fryxell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Visuospatial Attention ◽

Attention And Memory ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Two Systems ◽

Target Memory

We investigated the relation between the two systems of visuospatial attention and working memory by examining the effect of normal variation in cholinergic and noradrenergic genes on working memory performance under attentional manipulation. We previously reported that working memory for location was impaired following large location precues, indicating the scale of visuospatial attention has a role in forming the mental representation of the target. In one of the first studies to compare effects of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the same cognitive task, we investigated the neurotransmission systems underlying interactions between attention and memory. Based on our previous report that the CHRNA4 rs#1044396 C/T nicotinic receptor SNP affected visuospatial attention, but not working memory, and the DBH rs#1108580 G/A noradrenergic enzyme SNP affected working memory, but not attention, we predicted that both SNPs would modulate performance when the two systems interacted and working memory was manipulated by attention. We found the scale of visuospatial attention deployed around a target affected memory for location of that target. Memory performance was modulated by the two SNPs. CHRNA4 C/C homozygotes and DBH G allele carriers showed the best memory performance but also the greatest benefit of visuospatial attention on memory. Overall, however, the CHRNA4 SNP exerted a stronger effect than the DBH SNP on memory performance when visuospatial attention was manipulated. This evidence of an integrated cholinergic influence on working memory performance under attentional manipulation is consistent with the view that working memory and visuospatial attention are separate systems which can interact.

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Roles of working memory performance and instructional strategy in complex cognitive task performance

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning ◽

10.1111/jcal.12156 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (6) ◽

pp. 594-606 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

V. Cevik ◽

A. Altun

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Task Performance ◽

Instructional Strategy ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Complex Cognitive Task ◽

Cognitive Task Performance

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The Association Between Negative Attributional Style and Working Memory Performance

The Open Psychology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874350101811010131 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 131-141 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rahmi Saylik ◽

Andre J. Szameitat

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Attributional Style ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Central Executive ◽

Cognitive Tasks ◽

Visuospatial Sketchpad ◽

Attributional Style Questionnaire ◽

Task Processing

Introduction:It has been proposed that negative attributions contribute to impairment in cognitive task processing. However, it is still unknown whether negative attributions influence task processing in all cognitive tasks.Methods:To investigate this, 91 healthy participants completed attributional style questionnaire and performed three Working Memory (WM) tasks, which associated with different functions of WM (i.e. Central Executive System (CES) and visuospatial sketchpad).Results:The results demonstrated that negative attributions contribute to the impairment in cognitive tasks which is associated with spatial working memory rather than main central executive functions (i.e. switching and inhibition).Conclusions:It is concluded that negative attributions may selectively disrupt spatial working memory functions, thus a detrimental effect of negative attributions may be task specific.

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High resolution spatiotemporal analysis of the contingent negative variation in simple or complex motor tasks and a non-motor task

Clinical Neurophysiology ◽

10.1016/s1388-2457(00)00388-6 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 111 (10) ◽

pp. 1847-1859 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

R.Q Cui ◽

A Egkher ◽

D Huter ◽

W Lang ◽

G Lindinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Contingent Negative Variation ◽

Motor Task ◽

Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽

Motor Tasks ◽

Complex Motor

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Neural Encoding Correlates of High and Low Verbal Memory Performance

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803.20.2.68 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 68-78 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sibylle Heinze ◽

Gudrun Sartory ◽

Bernhard W. Müller ◽

Armin de Greiff ◽

Michael Forsting ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Verbal Memory ◽

Parietal Lobe ◽

Functional Neuroimaging ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Extrastriate Cortex ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Premotor Area ◽

High Performers ◽

Rehearsal Strategy ◽

Common Memory

Neuroimaging studies have indicated involvement of left prefrontal cortex and temporal areas in verbal memory processes. The current study used event-related functional neuroimaging to compare encoding of subsequently recalled and not recalled words in high and low memory performers. Fifteen healthy volunteers were given lists of words to learn with immediate recall and to read as a control condition. High performers reported to have visualized the words whereas low performers used a rehearsal strategy. Compared to reading, unsuccessful encoding was associated with thalamic and left premotor area (BA 6) activity. Comparing successful with unsuccessful learning yielded widespread activity of the left prefrontal and posterior temporal gyrus as well as the left superior parietal lobe in the whole group. Low performers showed activation of the left premotor area throughout learning and additionally of the left middle temporal and parahippocampal gyrus during successful encoding. High performers showed increased activation in the extrastriate cortex throughout learning and additionally in the left parietal post- and paracentral areas as well as in the right precuneus during successful encoding. The results suggest that high verbal memory performance is the result of spatiovisual activation concomitant to imagery and low performance of hippocampal and motor activation, the latter being associated with rehearsal, with a common memory circuit subserving both groups.

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