Modulating effects of posttraining epinephrine on memory: Involvement of the amygdala noradrenergic system

These experiments examined the effects, on retention, of posttraining intra-amygdala administration of norepinephrine (NE), and propranolol. Rats were trained on a one-trial step-through inhibitory avoidance task and tested for retention 24 h later. Injections were administered bilaterally (1.0 microliter/injection) through chronically-implanted cannulae. Low doses of NE (0.1 or 0.3 microgram) administered shortly after training enhanced retention while higher doses (1.0 or 5.0 micrograms) were ineffective. Retention was not affected by NE administered 3 h after training. The effect of intra-amygdala NE on retention is blocked by simultaneous administration of propranolol (0.2 microgram). This finding suggests that the memory-enhancing effect of NE may be mediated by beta-receptors. Posttraining intra-amygdala NE also attenuated the retention deficit produced by adrenal demedullation. Further, intra-amygdala injections of propranolol (0.2 microgram) blocked the enhancing effect, on retention, of posttraining s.c. injections of epinephrine. These findings suggest that activation of noradrenergic receptors in the amygdala may be involved in memory processing and may play a role in the memory-modulating effect of peripheral epinephrine.     

醒脑静注射液对脑缺血再灌注小鼠记忆功能的保护作用

目的：观察醒脑静（XNJI）对脑缺血再灌注后小鼠记忆功能的保护作用。方法：采用暂时性阻断两侧颈总动脉的方法制备小鼠脑缺血再灌注损伤的模型。测试其被动回避能力，脑内抗氧化酶活性及小鼠断头喘气时间，结果：XNJI可延长脑缺血再灌注小鼠的避暗潜伏期，减少错误次数，并提高谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-Px)的活性。延长小鼠断头喘气时间。结论：XNJI可明显减轻脑缺血再灌注导致的小鼠学习记忆功能障碍状态。其主要机制可能与抗氧化作用有关。     

Serial order short-term memory capacities and specific language impairment: No evidence for a causal association

This study re-explored the nature of verbal short-term memory (STM) deficits in children with specific language impairment (SLI), by distinguishing item and serial order STM processes. Recent studies have shown serial order STM capacity to be a critical determinant of language development, relative to item STM. In Experiment 1, 12 children with SLI, 12 age-matched children and 12 language-matched children were administered serial order recognition and reconstruction tasks. Experiment 2 assessed implicit serial learning abilities via a Hebb learning task. The SLI group showed impaired performance for the serial order reconstruction and recognition tasks, relative to language-matched and/or age-matched control groups. However, normal serial position effects were observed in all SLI children in the serial order reconstruction task, suggesting normal coding of serial position information. Similarly, performance on the Hebb serial learning task was at chronological age appropriate levels. Experiment 3 showed that the group differences observed for the serial order STM tasks in Experiment 1 disappeared when the SLI group was compared to a mental age-matched control group. Experiment 4 showed similar performance levels in the SLI group and the mental age-matched control group for a nonword recognition task assessing item STM capacities. This study shows that children with SLI have no specific impairments for serial order and item STM components but that poorer general cognitive efficiency is related to functional limitations in verbal STM tasks. The data are in line with limited information processing accounts of SLI.     

Age determines memory for face identity and expression

Background: The recognition of facial expressions is an important component of emotion processing which contributes to interactional behavior. One of the factors highly associated with potential decline of ability in behavioral tasks is age. Methods: We have investigated age‐related changes in facial identity and expression memory of healthy subjects in three age groups: young adults (20–40 years), elderly adults (60–80 years) and, for the first time in the literature, very old adults (over 80 years of age). Using a picture test, photographs of faces with happy or angry expressions were presented to study participants during the encoding task, and the memory for identity and emotional facial expression was investigated in a subsequent recognition task showing emotionally neutral faces. Half of the faces presented in the recognition task were initially shown in the encoding task. Results: Age interacted with the memory process: the ability to recognize both facial identity and emotional expression declined with advanced age. Happy facial expressions were better recognized in all age groups. Although there was a continuous overall decrease in recognition of both happy and angry expressions with advanced age, the effect favoring happy facial expressions was stable also in very old adults. Other factors such as gender or educational level did not affect the memory process for facial expressions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that age is a significant determinant of memory for facial identity and emotional expression, and that, similar to younger adults, the recognition process of the elderly favors happy emotional facial expressions.     

复合矫治弓丝接头的力学性能及接头组织观察

目的　测试复合矫治弓丝接头的机械性能及分析接头、接头断口变化。方法　测试复合矫治弓丝接头的拉伸强度、剪切强度、扭转强度、弯曲形变残余角,TiNi形状记忆合金丝超弹性,扫描电镜观察及分析接头、断口组织变化。结果　复合矫治弓丝接头抗拉伸强度为32 0～36 0MPa ,剪切强度为2 2 0～2 5 0MPa ,抗扭转强度为30～4 0N·m、断裂时扭转角度不小于1 4 4 0°,弯曲形变残余角为1 2～1 7°;钎焊异质接头中TiNi形状记忆合金丝超弹性几乎没有破坏;接头钎料与TiNi形状记忆合金界面不存在扩散层,与不锈钢丝界面之间有一较宽的扩散层,接头断裂多发生在钎料与TiNi形状记忆合金超弹界面处,部分发生在钎缝中心。结论　复合矫治弓丝机械性能符合正畸临床要求,可应用于临床。     

Relevance of 10-min delayed recall in dementia screening

Within the context of early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is a growing interest in neuropsychological screening tests. Amongst these tests, we focused on the largely used Memory Impairment Screen (MIS). The objective of the present work was to show that adding a 10-min delayed recall to the MIS, improves the test psychometric characteristics in order to detect dementia in the earliest stages. A prospective study was carried out on a cohort of 270 consecutive elderly ambulatory subjects attending the Broca Hospital Memory Clinic: normal controls ( n  = 67), mild cognitive impairment subjects ( n  = 98) and mildly demented patients [ n  = 105, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) = 23 ± 4]. This study consisted in testing the advantage of the 10-min delayed recall entitled MIS-D compared with the MIS. At a cut-off score of 6, the MIS-D revealed satisfying psychometric characteristics with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 91%, whilst the MIS alone indicated a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 88% in detecting dementia. In demented patients with MMSE score ≥26, MIS-D properties still remained satisfying (sensitivity: 75%, specificity: 92%). MIS-D is a more relevant screening test than MIS alone at very early stages of dementia.     

Procyanidins extracted from the lotus seedpod ameliorate scopolamine‐induced memory impairment in mice

The major purpose of this study was to determine the effect of procyanidins extracted from the lotus seedpod (LSPC) on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice. The capacities of memory and learning were evaluated by the Morris water maze and the step‐down avoidance test. LSPC (50, 100, 150 mg/kg BW, p.o.) significantly reversed scopolamine‐induced learning and memory impairments in the Morris water maze test, as evaluated by shortened escape latency and swimming distance. In the step‐down avoidance test, LSPC (50, 100, 150 mg/kg BW, p.o.) treatment significantly reduced the number of errors and shortened latency compared with that of scopolamine. In addition, LSPC was also found to inhibit acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activity. These results of this study suggest that LSPC may play a useful role in the treatment of cognitive impairment caused by AD and aging. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

学习优良与不良中学生记忆特点的比较研究

目的探讨学习优良和不良中学生的记忆特点,为学习不良学生的教育提供科学依据。方法采用北京大学PES心理实验系统中的内隐记忆实验对学习优良和学习不良中学生各16名进行测试。结果学习优良和学习不良中学生的启动效应值均值分别为0.29和0.34,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);学习优良与不良中学生的再认保持量均值分别为30.00和25.25,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论学习优良和不良中学生的内隐记忆无差异,学习优良中学生外显记忆优于学习不良中学生。提高学习不良学生的学习成绩应从外显记忆着手,同时兼顾内隐记忆的作用。