scholarly journals No Effect of Anodal tDCS on Verbal Episodic Memory Performance and Neurotransmitter Levels in Young and Elderly Participants

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Annegret Habich ◽  
Johannes Slotboom ◽  
Jessica Peter ◽  
Roland Wiest ◽  
Stefan Klöppel
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Cortical Region ◽  
Anodal Tdcs ◽  
Memory Processes ◽  
Baseline Performance ◽  
Left Dlpfc ◽  
Neurophysiological Mechanisms ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Healthy ageing is accompanied by cognitive decline that affects episodic memory processes in particular. Studies showed that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may counteract this cognitive deterioration by increasing excitability and inducing neuroplasticity in the targeted cortical region. While stimulation gains are more consistent in initial low performers, relying solely on behavioural measures to predict treatment benefits does not suffice for a reliable implementation of this method as a therapeutic option. Hence, an exploration of the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms regarding the differential stimulation effect is warranted. Glutamatergic metabolites (Glx) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are involved in learning and memory processes and can be influenced with tDCS; wherefore, they present themselves as potential biomarkers for tDCS-induced behavioural gains, which are affiliated with neuroplasticity processes. In the present randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover study, 33 healthy young and 22 elderly participants received anodal tDCS to their left DLPFC during the encoding phase of a verbal episodic memory task. Using MEGA-PRESS edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), Glx and GABA levels were measured in the left DLPFC before and after the stimulation period. Further, we tested whether baseline performance and neurotransmitter levels predicted subsequent gains. No beneficial group effects of tDCS emerged in either verbal retrieval performances or neurotransmitter concentrations. Moreover, baseline performance levels did not predict stimulation-induced cognitive gains, nor did Glx or GABA levels. Nevertheless, exploratory analyses suggested a predictive value of the Glx : GABA ratio, with lower ratios at baseline indicating greater tDCS-related gains in delayed recall performance. This highlights the importance of further studies investigating neurophysiological mechanisms underlying previously observed stimulation-induced cognitive benefits and their respective interindividual heterogeneity.

scholarly journals Extradural Motor Cortex Stimulation might improve episodic and working memory in patients with Parkinson’s disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Piano ◽  
Marco Ciavarro ◽  
Francesco Bove ◽  
Daniela Di Giuda ◽  
Fabrizio Cocciolillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Motor Symptoms ◽  
Motor Cortex Stimulation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Abstract Electric Extradural Motor Cortex Stimulation (EMCS) is a neurosurgical procedure suggested for treatment of patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). We report two PD patients treated by EMCS, who experienced worsening of motor symptoms and cognition 5 years after surgery, when EMCS batteries became discharged. One month after EMCS restoration, they experienced a subjective improvement of motor symptoms and cognition. Neuropsychological assessments were carried out before replacement of batteries (off-EMCS condition) and 6 months afterward (on-EMCS condition). As compared to off-EMCS condition, in on-EMCS condition both patients showed an improvement on tasks of verbal episodic memory and backward spatial short-term/working memory task, and a decline on tasks of selective visual attention and forward spatial short-term memory. These findings suggest that in PD patients EMCS may induce slight beneficial effects on motor symptoms and cognitive processes involved in verbal episodic memory and in active manipulation of information stored in working memory.

scholarly journals Anodal tDCS Enhances Verbal Episodic Memory in Initially Low Performers

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annegret Habich ◽  
Stefan Klöppel ◽  
Ahmed Abdulkadir ◽  
Elisa Scheller ◽  
Christoph Nissen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Anodal Tdcs ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

scholarly journals Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). An effective tool for improving episodic memory in young people?

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 468-477
Author(s):  
Alba Fernández ◽  
Susana Cid-Fernández ◽  
Fernando Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Anodal Tdcs ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Main Effects

El objetivo principal del presente estudio fue determinar los efectos de la tDCS anódica vs placebo, administrada sobre el dlPFC durante la fase de codificación de una tarea de memoria episódica, sobre la tasa de aciertos (TA) y el tiempo de reacción (TR) medidos en las fases de recuerdo inmediato y demorado de la tarea, en un grupo de 23 participantes jóvenes sanos. Se realizó un estudio doble ciego aleatorizado. Los resultados evidenciaron efectos principales significativos para los factores Bloque, Sesión y Demora en la TA y en el TR, pero no para el factor del Grupo. Se encontraron efectos robustos de aprendizaje intrasesión e intersesiones, pero ningún efecto Grupo (tDCS anódica vs placebo) en el rendimiento de la memoria episódica o en los tests neuropsicológicos pre-post intervención. Sin embargo, los participantes que recibieron tDCS anódica mostraron un TR acortado en el intervalo de demora de 24 horas que mantuvieron una semana más tarde, mientras que los que recibieron tDCS placebo no mostraron acortamiento del TR a las 24 horas, pero si un aumento del TR una semana después. Estos resultados podrían indicar un sutil efecto modulador de la tDCS anódica en el decaimiento de la memoria en los intervalos de demora. El protocolo experimental mostró su utilidad potencial para ser utilizado en muestras de participantes mayores sanos o con deterioro cognitivo leve The main aim of the present study was to determine the effects of anodal vs sham tDCS administered over the dlPFC during the encoding phase of an episodic memory task, on the accuracy rate (AR) and reaction time (RT) measured in the immediate and delayed recall phases of the task, in a group of 23 healthy young participants. A randomized double-blind sham-controlled study of tDCS was carried out. The results evidenced significant main effects for factors Block, Session, and Delay on the AR and on RT, but not for the Group factor. Robust intra-session and inter-session learning effects but no Group (anodal vs sham tDCS) effect in episodic memory performance or in pre-post intervention neuropsychological tests were found. However, participants who received anodal tDCS showed shorter RT in the 24 hours delay interval and maintained it one week later, while those who received sham tDCS did not show the 24 hours RT shortening and even showed a RT increase one week later. These results could indicate a subtle modulatory effect of anodal tDCS on memory decay along delay intervals. The experimental protocol showed its potential utility to be used in samples of healthy elderly or mild cognitive impairment participants

Verbal Learning and Memory Enhancement Strategies in Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Controlled Investigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Kurtz ◽  
Christi L. Trask ◽  
Rachel Rosengard ◽  
Simone Hyman ◽  
Lisa Kremen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Word List ◽  
Narrative Structure ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Mnemonic Strategy ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

AbstractObjectives: Verbal episodic memory is a key domain of impairment in people with schizophrenia with close ties to a variety of aspects of functioning and therapeutic treatment response. A randomized, blinded trial of two mnemonic strategies for verbal episodic memory deficits for people with schizophrenia was conducted. Methods: Sixty-one people with schizophrenia were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: training in a mnemonic strategy that included both visualization and narrative structure (Story Method), a condition in which participants were trained to visualize words interacting with one another (Imagery), or a non-trained control condition in which participants received equivalent exposure to training word lists and other verbal memory assessments administered in the other two conditions, but without provision of any compensatory mnemonic strategy. Participants were assessed on improvements in recall of the word list used as part of training, as well as two, standardized verbal memory assessments which included stimuli not used as part of strategy training. Results: The Story Method produced improvements on a trained word list that generalized to a non-trained, prose memory task at a 1-week follow-up. In contrast, provision of a mnemonic strategy of simple visualization of words produced little improvement on word recall of trained words or on measures of generalization relative to the performance of participants in the control condition. Conclusions: These findings support the inclusion of enriched mnemonic strategies consisting of both visualization and narrative structure in sustained and comprehensive programs of CR for enhancement of verbal episodic memory in schizophrenia. (JINS, 2017, 23, 352–357)

scholarly journals Bi-temporal anodal tDCS during slow-wave sleep boosts episodic memory consolidation in high performers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Grieder ◽  
Yosuke Morishima ◽  
Stephanie Winkelbeiner ◽  
Sarah M Mueller ◽  
Kristoffer Feher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Slow Wave ◽  
Memory Consolidation ◽  
Slow Wave Sleep ◽  
Declarative Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Anodal Tdcs ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
High Performers

Background: Sleep is crucial for sound memory functioning in humans. In particular, the slow waves that occur predominantly during slow wave sleep (SWS) are associated with hippocampus-dependent declarative memory consolidation. Making use of this association, boosting SWS to improve memory performance would be appealing for both healthy and memory-impaired populations. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation that modulates the brain’s excitability and has shown promising results in improving memory performance. However, owing to differing stimulation protocols and contradictory findings, there is insufficient evidence for the efficacy of tDCS-modulated hippocampal excitability on SWS and sleep-dependent memory consolidation.Hypotheses: We aimed to enhance sleep-dependent memory consolidation and augment slow wave amplitudes.Methods: We applied bi-temporal anodal tDCS to the left and right lateral temporal lobes of 31 healthy participants in a double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized crossover study. State-dependent tDCS was administered during slow wave sleep only. A pair-associate episodic memory task was used to assess sleep-dependent memory consolidation with face-occupation stimuli with baseline retrieval before sleep and delayed retrieval after sleep.Results: Sleep-dependent memory consolidation was increased by tDCS only in participants who showed above-average performance (i.e. high performers) in baseline memory retrieval. Moreover, tDCS increased the slow wave amplitudes compared to sham.Conclusions: When targeting a specialized brain mechanism such as memory consolidation with tDCS during slow wave sleep, only those who were high performers at baseline achieved a memory boost.

scholarly journals Reactivated spatial context guides episodic recall

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora A. Herweg ◽  
Ashwini D. Sharan ◽  
Michael R. Sperling ◽  
Armin Brandt ◽  
Andreas Schulze-Bonhage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobe ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Spatial Context ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Spatial Coding ◽  
Episodic Information ◽  
Neurophysiological Mechanisms ◽  
Hippocampal Theta

AbstractThe medial temporal lobe (MTL) is known as the locus of spatial coding and episodic memory, but the interaction between these cognitive domains, as well as the extent to which they rely on common neurophysiological mechanisms is poorly understood. Here, we use a hybrid spatial-episodic memory task to determine how spatial information is dynamically reactivated in sub-regions of the MTL and how this reactivation guides recall of episodic information. Our results implicate theta oscillations across the MTL as a common neurophysiological substrate for spatial coding in navigation and episodic recall. We further show that spatial context information is initially retrieved in the hippocampus (HC) and subsequently emerges in the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG). Finally, we demonstrate that hippocampal theta phase modulates parahippocampal gamma amplitude during retrieval of spatial context, suggesting a role for cross frequency coupling in coding and transmitting retrieved spatial information.

scholarly journals Apolipoprotein E ε4 Allele Is Associated with Reduced Retention of the “Where” Memory Component in Cognitively Intact Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-154
Author(s):  
Chia-Hsing Chi ◽  
Yen-Shiang Chiu ◽  
Yu-Ling Chang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Apolipoprotein E ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Apoe Ε4 ◽  
Ε4 Allele ◽  
Cognitively Intact ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Abstract Objective The present study investigated the effect of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 allele on the four memory components (i.e., who, when, where, and what) among cognitively intact older adults. Methods Participants comprised 47 cognitively intact older adults, who were classified into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of at least 1 ApoE ε4 allele. All participants completed standardized neuropsychological tests, including the Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III with a revised scoring method. Results The results revealed that recollection for each component followed a pattern of who > what > when = where. Furthermore, a significant group-by-component-by-condition interaction indicated that the presence of the ApoE ε4 allele resulted in a disproportionately detrimental effect on the where component retention in the verbal episodic memory task; this finding was significantly correlated with hippocampal volumes. Conclusion These results highlighted the importance of evaluating the subcomponents of verbal episodic memory to detect subtle cognitive differences related to ApoE ε4 status, which could help elucidate the mechanism behind the cascades caused by ApoE ε4 in the trajectories of cognitive aging.

The reliability of fMRI activations in the medial temporal lobes in a verbal episodic memory task

NeuroImage ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Wagner ◽  
Lars Frings ◽  
Ansgar Quiske ◽  
Josef Unterrainer ◽  
Ralf Schwarzwald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobes ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

scholarly journals Creative people use memory differently: Divergent thinking modulates how episodic memory is combined with semantic knowledge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Ramey ◽  
Darya Zabelina
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Spatial Accuracy ◽  
Creative People ◽  
Memory Processes ◽  
Thinking Ability ◽  
Unconscious Memory

The ability to generate novel ideas, known as divergent thinking, is dependent on both semantic knowledge and episodic memory. Semantic knowledge and episodic memory are known to interact to support memory decisions, but it is not known how they may interact to support divergent thinking. We addressed this question by examining whether divergent thinking ability moderates interactions between semantic knowledge and different episodic memory processes in a spatial memory task. Participants completed the Alternative Uses Test to assess divergent thinking ability, then completed a memory task in which they searched for target objects that were either placed in semantically expected or semantically unexpected locations within scenes. In a subsequent test, participants indicated where in each scene the target object had been located previously (i.e., spatial accuracy test), then provided confidence-based recognition memory judgments that indexed distinct episodic memory processes (i.e., recollection, familiarity strength, and unconscious memory) for the scenes. We found that higher divergent thinking ability predicted 1) an increased benefit from putatively hippocampus-based episodic memory (i.e., recollection and unconscious memory) on spatial accuracy overall, and 2) beneficial differences in how semantic knowledge was combined with recollection and unconscious memory to influence spatial accuracy. In contrast, there were no effects of divergent thinking with respect to non-hippocampal memory (i.e., familiarity). These findings indicate that semantic knowledge and episodic memory function differently in highly divergent thinkers. In particular, these results suggest that divergent thinking is supported by the ability to flexibly combine semantic knowledge with episodic memory, particularly hippocampus-based memory.

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