scholarly journals Working memory task performance and chunking in early Alzheimer's disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 198 (5) ◽  
pp. 398-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Huntley ◽  
Daniel Bor ◽  
Adam Hampshire ◽  
Adrian Owen ◽  
Robert Howard
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Encoding Strategy

BackgroundChunking is a powerful encoding strategy that significantly improves working memory performance in normal young people.AimsTo investigate chunking in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and in a control group of elderly people without cognitive impairment.MethodPeople with mild Alzheimer's disease (n = 28) were recruited and divided according to Mini-Mental State Examination score into mild and very mild disease groups. A control group of 15 elderly individuals was also recruited. All participants performed digit and spatial working memory tasks requiring either unstructured sequences or structured sequences (which encourage chunking of information) to be recalled.ResultsThe control group and both disease groups performed significantly better on structured trials of the digit working memory tasks, indicating successful use of chunking strategies to improve verbal working memory performance. The control and very mild disease groups also performed significantly better on structured trials of the spatial task, whereas those with mild disease demonstrated no significant difference between the structured and unstructured spatial conditions.ConclusionsThe ability to use chunking as an encoding strategy to improve verbal working memory performance is preserved at the mild stage of Alzheimer's disease, whereas use of chunking to improve spatial working memory is impaired by this stage. Simple training in the use of chunking might be a beneficial therapeutic strategy to prolong working memory functioning in patients at the earliest stage of Alzheimer's disease.

scholarly journals Effect of cortisol levels on working memory performance in elderly subjects with Alzheimer's disease

2008 ◽  
Vol 66 (3b) ◽  
pp. 619-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Nery de Souza-Talarico ◽  
Paulo Caramelli ◽  
Ricardo Nitrini ◽  
Eliane Corrêa Chaves
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Acute Administration ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Cortisol Levels

BACKGROUND: Subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have elevated cortisol levels as a result of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. Acute administration of hydrocortisone has been associated with working memory (WM) performance in young adults. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether cortisol levels are associated with WM performance in subjects with AD. METHOD: Eighty subjects were included, comprising 40 patients with mild AD and 40 healthy elderly controls. WM was assessed using the Digit Span Backward test (DSB). Saliva samples were collected to determine cortisol levels. RESULTS: AD subjects had poorer performance on the DSB than controls (p=0.002) and also presented higher levels of cortisol than control group (p=0.04). No significant correlation was observed between the DSB and cortisol levels in both groups (r= -0.29). CONCLUSION: In this study, elevated cortisol levels were not associated with poorer WM performance in patients with AD or in healthy elderly subjects.

scholarly journals Emotional Working Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Mammarella ◽  
Beth Fairfield
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Affective Stimuli ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Dementia Of Alzheimer’S Type

A number of recent studies have reported that working memory does not seem to show typical age-related deficits in healthy older adults when emotional information is involved. Differently, studies about the short-term ability to encode and actively manipulate emotional information in dementia of Alzheimer’s type are few and have yielded mixed results. Here, we review behavioural and neuroimaging evidence that points to a complex interaction between emotion modulation and working memory in Alzheimer’s. In fact, depending on the function involved, patients may or may not show an emotional benefit in their working memory performance. In addition, this benefit is not always clearly biased (e.g., towards negative or positive information). We interpret this complex pattern of results as a consequence of the interaction between multiple factors including the severity of Alzheimer’s disease, the nature of affective stimuli, and type of working memory task.

Effects of repetitive paired associative stimulation on brain plasticity and working memory in Alzheimer’s disease: a pilot randomized double-blind-controlled trial

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Sanjeev Kumar ◽  
Reza Zomorrodi ◽  
Zaid Ghazala ◽  
Michelle S. Goodman ◽  
Daniel M. Blumberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Paired Associative Stimulation ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Design: Pilot randomized double-blind-controlled trial of repetitive paired associative stimulation (rPAS), a paradigm that combines transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with peripheral median nerve stimulation. Objectives: To study the impact of rPAS on DLPFC plasticity and working memory performance in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: Thirty-two patients with AD (females = 16), mean (SD) age = 76.4 (6.3) years were randomized 1:1 to receive a 2-week (5 days/week) course of active or control rPAS. DLPFC plasticity was assessed using single session PAS combined with electroencephalography (EEG) at baseline and on days 1, 7, and 14 post-rPAS. Working memory and theta–gamma coupling were assessed at the same time points using the N-back task and EEG. Results: There were no significant differences between the active and control rPAS groups on DLPFC plasticity or working memory performance after the rPAS intervention. There were significant main effects of time on DLPFC plasticity, working memory, and theta–gamma coupling, only for the active rPAS group. Further, on post hoc within-group analyses done to generate hypotheses for future research, as compared to baseline, only the rPAS group improved on post-rPAS day 1 on all three indices. Finally, there was a positive correlation between working memory performance and theta–gamma coupling. Conclusions: This study did not show a beneficial effect of rPAS for DLPFC plasticity or working memory in AD. However, post hoc analyses showed promising results favoring rPAS and supporting further research on this topic. (Clinicaltrials.gov-NCT01847586)

scholarly journals Adaptive working memory strategy training in early Alzheimer's disease: Randomised controlled trial

2017 ◽  
Vol 210 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Huntley ◽  
A. Hampshire ◽  
D. Bor ◽  
A. Owen ◽  
R. J. Howard
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Early Alzheimer’S Disease

BackgroundInterventions that improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease are urgently required.AimsTo assess whether a novel cognitive training paradigm based on ‘chunking’ improves working memory and general cognitive function, and is associated with reorganisation of functional activity in prefrontal and parietal cortices (trial registration: ISRCTN43007027).MethodThirty patients with mild Alzheimer's disease were randomly allocated to receive 18 sessions of 30 min of either adaptive chunking training or an active control intervention over approximately 8 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were also conducted.ResultsAdaptive chunking training led to significant improvements in verbal working memory and untrained clinical measures of general cognitive function. Further, fMRI revealed a bilateral reduction in task-related lateral prefrontal and parietal cortex activation in the training group compared with controls.ConclusionsChunking-based cognitive training is a simple and potentially scalable intervention to improve cognitive function in early Alzheimer's disease.

P3-348: Coping strategies may vary according to working memory performance in individuals with Alzheimer's disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. S626-S626
Author(s):  
Juliana Souza-Talarico ◽  
Eliane Chaves ◽  
Ricardo Nitrini ◽  
Paulo Caramelli
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Memory Performance

scholarly journals Adequacy of food consumption in elderly Alzheimer’s disease in a community of Southern Brazil: a Cross-sectional study

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 671
Author(s):  
Glaucia Renee Hilgemberg ◽  
Aline Jacoski de Oliveira Krüger da Silva ◽  
Bárbara Luisa Fermino ◽  
Camila Diedrich ◽  
Simone Carla Benincá ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Neuronal Loss ◽  
Great Difficulty ◽  
Amyloid Peptide ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Food Record ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, with a multifactorial etiology, in which the person has great difficulty identifying feelings of hunger, satiety, and feeding, which may affect their nutritional status. Pathologically, it is associated with neurodegeneration of synapses followed by neuronal loss, accompanied by glial proliferation surrounded by neurofibrillary tangles, beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) deposition, inflammation and cerebrovascular injury hindering the ability to perform activities of daily living. This study aimed to analyze quantitatively the differences between an elderly group with AD and a control group, in terms of macro and micronutrient consumption evaluation. Methods: the study involved 69 participants who were assessed via collection of anthropometric measurements (weight, height and body mass index) with nutritional status being assessed by 24-hour food recall and three-day food record. Cognitive assessments were performed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Ranting (CDR). Results: The intake of lipids in patients with severe dementia, was lower (p <0.05). The consumption of proteins showed a decrease with demential advance. For vitamins, there was a significant difference (p <0.05) in the amount of thiamine, niacin, vitamin D, E and K and calcium, chromium and iodine minerals, which were significantly reduced in AD patients (p <0.05). Conclusions: Decreases in macronutrient and micronutrient consumption may result in a consequent impairment of nutritional status, dementia progression, and decreased quality and life expectancy of elderly patients with AD.

scholarly journals (Lack of) Effects of noradrenergic stimulation on human working memory performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 237 (10) ◽  
pp. 3033-3046
Author(s):  
Nadine Wanke ◽  
Jana Christina Müller ◽  
Klaus Wiedemann ◽  
Lars Schwabe
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Healthy Humans ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Human Participants

Abstract Rationale Working memory depends on prefrontal cortex functioning, which is particularly sensitive to levels of noradrenaline. Studies in non-human primates have shown that modest levels of noradrenaline improve working memory, and that higher levels of noradrenaline impair working memory performance. However, research in humans provided inconsistent findings concerning noradrenergic effects on working memory. Objective The present study aimed at assessing dose-dependent effects of yohimbine, an alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist, on working memory performance in healthy humans. We further aimed to explore a potential interactive effect between noradrenergic arousal and lack of control over aversive events on working memory performance. Methods We used a double-blind, fully crossed, placebo-controlled, between-subject design. Participants (N = 121) performed an adaptive n-back task before and after oral administration of either a placebo, 20 mg, or 40 mg yohimbine and a manipulation of controllability, during which participants could either learn to avoid electric shocks (controllability groups), had no instrumental control over shock administration (uncontrollability groups), or did not receive any shocks (no-shock control group). Results While no significant results of noradrenergic stimulation through yohimbine were obtained using conventional frequentist analyses, additional Bayesian analyses provided strong evidence for the absence of an association between pharmacological treatment and working memory performance. We further observed no effect of controllability and no interaction between noradrenergic stimulation and the manipulation of controllability. Conclusions Our results suggest that noradrenergic stimulation through yohimbine does not affect (non-spatial) working memory in healthy human participants.

Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Binding in Platelets From Patients With Alzheimer's Disease or Vascular Dementia

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olav Spigset ◽  
Christer Wilhelmsson ◽  
Tom Mjörndal ◽  
Sture Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Vascular Dementia ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Receptor Status ◽  
Serotonin System ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Scale Scores

It is well known that abnormalities in the brain serotonin system exist in patients with dementia. The present study was performed in order to investigate whether a peripheral serotonin system marker, the platelet 5-HT2A receptor, is affected in dementia. Thirty-eight patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 13 patients with vascular dementia, and 40 healthy controls were included in the study. There were no significant differences in receptor density for 5-HT2A receptor binding between the groups. Affinity of the radioligand to the receptor was significantly lower in AD than in vascular dementia and in the controls (p = .006 and p = .003, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference between the vascular dementia group and the control group. In 12 patients, treatment with citalopram was started due to depression or agitation. This treatment significantly reduced the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale scores (p = .001), but did not affect the platelet 5-HT2A receptor status. There was no correlation between 5-HT2A receptor status before treatment and the therapeutic effect of citalopram. The study indicates that platelet 5-HT2A receptor status is of limited value as a peripheral marker in dementia.

scholarly journals Spatial working memory in Alzheimer's disease: A study using the Corsi block-tapping test

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Cristina Guariglia
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Spatial Memory ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Mild Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia

Abstract The Corsi block-tapping test was developed as a non-verbal task to measure spatial memory. In this test, cubes are tapped by the examiner in novel sequences of increasing length after which participants are required to reproduce each sequence immediately. Objectives: To evaluate spatial working memory in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Methods: 30 elderly control subjects (21 women, 9 men) and 30 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (15 women and 15 men), with 8 or more years of schooling, were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), digit span and Corsi block-tapping test. Proportions were compared using Chi-Square, and continuous variables with the Mann-Whitney tests. Results: AD patients were older than controls (p=0.014), but there were no differences regarding gender or educational level between these groups. The performance on the Corsi block-tapping test differed between AD and control individuals (p=0.010), and between patients with moderate dementia and controls (p=0.032), but not between control individuals and patients with mild dementia (p=0.090). Conclusions: In the present study, AD patients with moderate dementia showed impairment in spatial working memory while those with mild dementia did not. This finding may be due to the relatively small sample size, but it is also possible that spatial memory may be normal in the initial (limbic) phase of AD.

Reduced expression of SIRT1 and SOD-1 and the correlation between these levels in various regions of the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 1090-1099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Cao ◽  
Yang-Ting Dong ◽  
Jie Xiang ◽  
Yi Xu ◽  
Wei Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Granule Cells ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Braak Stage ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pearson Correlation Test ◽  
Weak Expression

AimsThis study was designed to explore the expression and distribution of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1) in various regions of the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as to assess potential correlations between the levels of these proteins and also between these proteins and the Braak stage of AD.MethodsIn the temporal and frontal cortices, hippocampus and cerebellum of 10 patients with AD and 10 age-matched control subjects, expression of SIRT1 and SOD-1, together with histopathology, were assessed by immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent stainings. Relationships between variables were examined with the Pearson correlation test.ResultsThe numbers of both SIRT1-positive and SOD-1-positive neurons and integrated optical density of immunohistochemical staining for these proteins in the temporal and frontal cortices, and hippocampus of patients with AD were significantly decreased than those in corresponding controls. In the case of the cerebellum, very weak expression of SIRT1 and obvious expression of SOD-1 were observed in granule cells, with no significant difference between AD and the control group. Interestingly, the protein levels between SIRT1 and SOD-1, as well as the level of SIRT1 or SOD-1 and Braak stage, were significantly correlated in neurons in all regions of the AD brains investigated except for the cerebellum.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that the reduced level of SIRT1 in the brains of patients with AD may be related to the decline in SOD-1 and neuropathological changes of this disorder.

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