Spatial Training Attenuates Long-Term Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Pathogenic Processes in APP/PS1 Mice

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with cognitive impairment as the main clinical manifestation, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. The assembly of amyloid-β (Aβ) as senile plaques is one of the most well-known histopathological alterations in AD. Several studies reported that cognitive training reduced Aβ deposition and delayed memory loss. However, the long-term benefits of spatial training and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Objective: To explore the long-term effects of spatial training on AD-related pathogenic processes in APP/PS1 mice. Methods: We used Morris water maze (MWM), Open Field, Barnes Maze, western blotting, qPCR, and immunofluorescence. Results: One-month MWM training in APP/PS1 mice at 2.5 months of age could attenuate Aβ deposition and decrease the expression of β-secretase (BACE1) and amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) with long-term effects. Simultaneously, regular spatial training increased the expression of synapse-related proteins in the hippocampus. Moreover, MWM training increased adult hippocampal neurogenesis in AD model mice. Nonetheless, cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice at 7 months of age were not attenuated by MWM training at an early stage. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that MWM training alleviates amyloid plaque burden and adult hippocampal neurogenesis deficits with long-term effects in AD model mice.

Assessing the impact of previous experience on lie effects through a transfer paradigm

Influential lines of research propose dual processes-based explanations to account for both the cognitive cost implied in lying and for that entailed in the resolution of the conflict posited by Simon tasks. The emergence and consistency of the Simon effect has been proved to be modulated by both practice effects and transfer effects. Although several studies provided evidence that the lying cognitive demand may vary as a function of practice, whether and how transfer effects could also play a role remains an open question. We addressed this question with one experiment in which participants completed a Differentiation of Deception Paradigm twice (baseline and test sessions). Crucially, between the baseline and the test sessions, participants performed a training session consisting in a spatial compatibility task with incompatible (condition 1) or compatible (condition 2) mapping, a non-spatial task (condition 3) and a no task one (condition 4). Results speak in favour of a modulation of individual performances by means of an immediate prior experience, and specifically with an incompatible spatial training.

Brain-wide neuronal activation and functional connectivity are modulated by prior exposure to repetitive learning episodes.

Memory storage and retrieval are shaped by past experiences. Prior learning and memory episodes have numerous impacts on brain structure from micro to macroscale. Previous experience with specific forms of learning increases the efficiency of future learning. It is less clear whether such practice effects on one type of memory might also have transferable effects to other forms of memory. Different forms of learning and memory rely on different brain-wide networks but there are many points of overlap in these networks. Enhanced structural or functional connectivity as a result of one type of learning may be transferable to another type of learning due to this overlap in memory networks. Here, we investigated the impact of prior chronic spatial training on the task-specific functional connectivity related to subsequent contextual fear memory recall in mice. Our results show that mice exposed to prior spatial training exhibited decreased brain-wide activation compared to control mice during the retrieval of a context fear memory. With respect to functional connectivity, we observed changes in several network measures notably an increase in global efficiency. Interestingly, we also observed an increase in network resilience based on simulated targeted node deletion. Overall this study suggests that chronic learning has transferable effects on the functional connectivity networks of other types of learning and memory. The generalized enhancements in network efficiency and resilience suggest that learning itself may protect brain networks against deterioration.

Spatial Training and Calculus Ability: Investigating Impacts on Student Performance and Cognitive Style

Undergraduate calculus is a foundational mathematics sequence that previews the sophistication students will need to succeed in higher-level courses. However, students often struggle with concepts in calculus because they are more abstract and visual than those in other foundational mathematics courses. Additionally, women continue to be underrepresented in the STEM fields. This study builds on previous work indicating a malleability in spatial ability by testing whether improvement occurs in students’ spatial and mathematics ability after implementing spatial training in calculus courses. The researchers also measured associations between spatial training and self-reported cognitive style. While spatial training did not significantly improve calculus and spatial skills, the researchers measured impacts on the psychological correlate of cognitive learning style. This is important as non-spatial cognitive preferences can result in students not recognizing the dynamic information encapsulated in graphical images, which is a large component of calculus. These results may have practical implications for teaching calculus at the undergraduate level and may, with further research, help to narrow the gender gap in the STEM fields.

Assessing the impact of previous experience on lie effects. Evidence from a transfer paradigm.

Influential lines of research propose dual processes-based explanations to account for both the cognitive cost implied in lying and for that entailed in the resolution of the conflict posited by Simon tasks. The emergence and consistency of Simon effect has been proved to be modulated by both practice effects and transfer effects. Although several studies provided evidence that the lying cognitive demand may vary as a function of practice (i.e., the number and the type of trials practiced by the participants during or just before the lie test), whether and how transfer effects could also play a role remains an open question. We addressed this question with one experiment in which participants completed a Differentiation of Deception Paradigm twice (baseline and test sessions). Crucially, between the baseline and the test sessions, participants performed a training session consisting in a spatial compatibility task with incompatible (condition 1) or compatible (condition 2) mapping, a non-spatial task (condition 3) and a no task one (condition 4). Results speak in favour of a modulation of individual performances by means of an immediate prior experience, and specifically as regard the incompatible spatial training practice.