咀嚼口香糖对个体注意功能的影响

目的:考察咀嚼口香糖对注意的影响。方法:基于性别、特质性焦虑水平、嚼口香糖习惯大小(H/L)、以及实验时是否嚼糖(G/C),采用平衡组间设计将181名健康的大学生被试分为:实验时嚼糖且有习惯(GH)、实验时嚼糖但无习惯(GL),控制不嚼糖但有习惯(CH)、和控制不嚼糖且无习惯(CL)四个组,在实验室中进行连续操作测验(CPT-AX)和匹配搜索任务(CST)测验,用以评估持续性注意和选择性注意。结果:除实验中咀嚼口香糖对被试成绩有积极影响外,咀嚼口香糖的经验对成绩显示了更重要影响。结论:咀嚼口香糖对注意功能有积极影响,并且对口香糖的熟悉程度在此积极影响中起重要作用。     

强迫症患者神经认知功能研究

目的：探讨强迫症认知功能障碍的特点。方法：采用韦氏记忆量表（WMS）、数字划销测验（NCT）、威斯康星卡片分类测验（WCST）评估记忆、注意、执行功能。结果：强迫症WMS中的1-100、长时记忆、记图、再生、联想、触摸、理解、短时记忆和记忆商均显著性较正常组差。强迫症NCT中的净分、第一、第三、第四、第五阶段划对数和第一、四阶段失误率均显著性较正常组羞；强迫症WCST中的总正确数，总错误数，持续性错误、非持续错误均显著性较正常组差。结论：强迫症的长时记忆、短时记忆、记忆商数、注意及执行功能均显著性较正常人差，其瞬时记忆无明显损害。     

韦氏记忆量表中国修订本在儿童中的应用

韦氏记忆量表系列是临床心理评估中被广泛应用的评估工具之一.本文试图对近年来韦氏记忆量表中国修订本在国内儿童中的应用情况进行简单总结.发现WMS-RC在儿童中主要应用于临床诊断和疗效评估等,对正常儿童的相关研究较少;ADHD和学习障碍儿童总的记忆功能受到损害,主要表现在短时记忆和长时记忆方面,而TS儿童总的记忆功能处于正常偏低水平,但是短时记忆受损;在临床上,WMS-RC与韦氏智力量表、瑞文测验、WCST、数字划消、Stroop测验联合应用较多.     

成人回忆、再认和启动效应分离发展模式的研究

目的:考察成人(18～49岁)阶段不同的记忆功能发展变化的规律及其影响因素.方法:采用多维记忆评估量表中的6个分测验对280名正常成人进行记忆测查,并收集一般资料.结果:成人的自由回忆、再认记忆和启动效应成绩随年龄的增长均呈下降趋势,差异具有显著性(P<0.05),其中自由回忆和再认记忆减退比较明显,而启动效应减退相对缓慢;不同性别受试的记忆成绩随年龄变化的趋势基本一致;教育能对成人不同记忆功能的发展变化产生较为显著的影响.结论:成人阶段不同的记忆功能的发展并不是平行的,而是呈现一种分离发展的趋势.教育对成人记忆功能发展起到促进作用.     

概念驱动测验中抑郁个体的心境一致性记忆研究

目的探讨概念驱动测验中抑郁个体的心境一致性记忆效应.方法采用2(组别)×3(效价词)×2(测验)设计.20名抑郁患者和20名正常被试,先对情绪效价词作愉快不愉快评定;然后进行回忆测验与再认测验;最后实施SDS测试.用加工分离公式计算有意提取R和无意提取A. 结果在再认测验上,词效价的主效应,组别与词效价的交互作用没有统计显著意义;抑郁个体负性效价词的无意识提取A明显高于正常组,其它均无显著差异.在回忆测验上,词效价的主效应,组别与词效价的交互作用十分明显;抑郁个体与正常组效价词的R与A存在明显差异.结论抑郁个体在概念驱动测验中的心境一致性记忆效应与认知加工有关.     

词形知觉线索对英语单词记忆影响的实验研究

本研究把英语单词记忆中词形效应从语义中分离出来，利用计算机程序，单独探讨词形知觉践索和词形特征是否会对英语单词记忆产生影响，其影响能否进入长时记忆系统?结果发现：①词形线索对英语单词记忆在短时记忆中有促进作用，但是没有语义加工的参入，很难达到长时记忆系统中去。②词形特征效果显著，对于亚词汇类英语单的记忆效果无论在短时记忆还是长时记忆中比非亚词汇类单词都显著。     

语义抽象性对非熟练藏英双语者语言联系的影响

目的:考察语义抽象性对非熟练藏英双语者语言联系的影响。方法:采用跨语言长时重复启动实验范式开展实验。结果:在学习阶段为英文具体词语义判断,测验阶段为藏文具体词词汇判断时,已学词的反应时与正确率与未学词相比均不存在显著差异(反应时,F_(1,31)=2.56,P0.05;正确率,F_(1,131)=1.98,P0.05),不存在跨语言长时重复启动效应;在学习阶段为英文抽象词语义判断,测验阶段为藏文抽象词词汇判断时,对已学词的反应显著快于未学词,且正确率更高,存在跨语言长时重复启动效应(反应时,F_(1,31)=17.58,P0.001;正确率,F_(1,131)=15.58,P0.05)。结论:英文抽象词与其藏文对译词之间存在直接联系,支持词汇联系模型和修正层级模型。     

学习障碍儿童记忆的比较研究：Ⅱ.学习障碍儿童的长时记忆功能

目的：考查学习障碍儿童的长时记忆功能及各亚型记忆缺陷的特点。方法：对９７名学习障碍儿童（语文障碍３１人、数学障碍２１人、混合型障碍４５人）和６３名正常学习儿童作个别记忆测查，测试内容包括自由回忆（频度联想回忆、语义归类回忆和图画回忆）、再认（汉词听觉辨认和图画视觉再认）和联想学习（词对学习和符号－图画学习）。结果：混合型障碍儿童各项记忆分数（除符号－图画学习外）均低于对照组，语文障碍组的多数记忆成绩（除词听觉辨认和符号－图画学习外）也低于对照组，数学障碍组仅语义归类回忆和图画视觉再认的分数低于对照组；三型学习障碍的比较，仅发现混合障碍组频度联想回忆正确数低于数学障碍组；反映记忆策略和反应标准的各项指标的组间差异不明显，仅语文障碍组的词对学习的报告准确率低于对照组；各项记忆分数与学习成绩的相关在０．２０～０．４２之间。结论：各型学习障碍儿童的长时记忆功能存在不同程度的缺陷，他们的记忆策略和反应标准与正常学习儿童相似。     

惊厥阈下脑放电对大鼠空间变换学习记忆的影响

目的：考查痫样放电对大鼠空间变换学习记忆影响。方法：在大鼠前额叶皮层给予引起痫样放电但无惊厥发作的阈下电刺激，建立惊厥阈下脑放电的动物模型。对大鼠进行空间变换学习记忆能力测定。结果：训练前给予阈下电刺激，可影响信息的获得，训练后给予阈下电刺激可影响短时记忆向长时记忆的转化。在已形成长时记忆时，阈下电刺激则干扰信息的提取。对刺激组停止刺激，动物的训练成绩逐日提高并在一周内达标。结论：阈下电刺激引起的认知损害是可逆的。     

咀嚼口香糖对考试焦虑的缓解作用(英文)

目的:旨在考察咀嚼口香糖对不同特质焦虑水平的高考生状态考试焦虑的缓解作用。方法:随机选取高中三年级理科生288人,根据高中低特质焦虑水平以及是否咀嚼口香糖将被试分为六组,在高考模考前测查状态考试焦虑问卷。结果:①嚼/不嚼口香糖组的状态考试焦虑分数差异显著,F=15.61,P0.0001,即咀嚼口香糖的主效应显著;②在低、中特质焦虑组,嚼口香糖组的状态考试焦虑分数显著低于不嚼口香糖组,F值、P值分别为:F=16.30,P0.001与F=7.52,P0.005;在高特质焦虑组,嚼/不嚼口香糖组的状态考试焦虑分数没有显著差异,F=0.21,P0.05。结论:咀嚼口香糖能有效缓解低、中特质焦虑学生的状态考试焦虑。     

Recall and recognition memory deficits in depression.

The aim of the present study was to establish the nature of memory deficits of depressive subjects in word learning tests. A word learning test consisting of 1, 3 or 5 learning trials was used. We found that patients were characterized by inferior memory recall compared to controls when 5 learning trials were given. Patients performed significantly slower than controls on a recognition test but both patients and controls recognized the same number of words. This suggests that the memory deficits that are present in many depressive subjects may be restricted to impaired active retrieval from memory. A second experiment revealed that recognition memory and delayed recall as well as immediate recall were impaired in depressive patients after 1 learning trial. These short-comings vanished after 3 trials, except for immediate recall. These data suggest that not only retrieval but also encoding of information into memory may be impaired in depression, especially in the beginning of a task when demands on cognitive effort are high. The results are discussed in terms of resource allocation and demands on effort that may change in the course of a task.     

There Are Laterality Effects in Memory Functioning in Children/Adolescents With Focal Epilepsy

In a sample of individuals with childhood focal epilepsy, children/adolescents with left hemisphere foci outperformed those with right foci on both measures of nonverbal learning. Participants with left foci performed worse than controls on paired associate delayed recall and semantic memory, and they had greater laterality effects in IQ. Participants with right foci performed worse than controls on delayed facial recognition. Both groups displayed reduced focused attention and poor passage retention over time. Although participants with bilateral foci displayed poor learning and lower IQ than controls, they did not have worse impairment than those with a unilateral focus.     

Testosterone improves verbal learning and memory in postmenopausal women: Results from a pilot study

Objective

To explore the effects of testosterone on cognitive performance in healthy postmenopausal women.

Study design

Open-label pilot study. Nine postmenopausal women on non-oral hormone replacement therapy, aged 47–60 years received transdermal testosterone spray for 26 weeks. A control group of 30 women provided normative data for comparison.

Main outcome measures

Scores from a computerized cognitive test battery performed pre- and post treatment, at 0 and 26 weeks.

Results

There were no differences between treatment/normative groups in any parameter at baseline. At week 26 scores for the International Shopping list task including delayed recall (verbal learning and memory) and the continuous paired associate learning task (visual learning and memory) were significantly higher in the treatment group as compared to the normative group (p < 0.05). Significant improvements from baseline were observed for the International Shopping list delayed recall (verbal learning and memory) and Groton Maze recall tasks (visual learning and memory) for the treatment group (both p < 0.05), after 26 weeks. There were no significant differences between baseline and week 26 in the normative group. In the regression analysis which modeled the score at week 26, and which included a bootstrapping approach, the beta coefficient for the treatment group was statistically significant when age and baseline score were taken into account for the International Shopping list task including delayed recall (both p < 0.02).

Conclusion

Testosterone improved cognitive performance in the domain of verbal learning and memory in a pilot study of healthy postmenopausal women and is worthy of further exploration in a randomized placebo controlled study.     

Performance of alcoholic and brain-damaged subjects on the Luria memory words test

Verbal memory was evaluated in groups of 36 community controls, 50 pseudoneurological controls, 50 alcoholics, and 50 brain-damaged patients. All participants were men between the ages of 22-61. Groups did not differ in age or educational levels (F < 1). Groups were compared on their performance on the Luria Memory Words Test. Dependent variables included the number of correct words over learning trials, the trial of best performance, and the number of words recalled at three delayed trials (2, 8, and 30 min after learning). Brain-damaged subjects were inferior to community controls on all measures. Pseudoneurological controls were inferior to community controls on delayed recall, but were equivalent on measures of learning. Alcoholics were inferior to controls on measures of learning but did not differ on measures of recall. Implications regarding the underlying deficit in alcoholics' verbal memory, the use and interpretation of the Luria Memory Words test, and the use of pseudoneurological patients as controls are discussed.     

Age‐related changes in memory for visual hierarchical stimuli

A test of memory for visual hierarchical stimuli was given to normal volunteers from three age groups (21 to 78 years old). Significant age‐related declines were found in recall of global‐ and local‐level stimuli on three immediate recall trials and on a 20‐min delayed recall trial. On delayed recognition testing, older subjects chose significantly more false‐positive items that were correct at the global level only. When younger subjects were equated for initial recall of global‐level stimuli, the older subjects were deficient in immediate recall of local‐level stimuli. These results suggest that memory for hierarchical stimuli declines with age and that aging may disproportionately affect memory for local‐level stimuli.     

The directed forgetting task: application to emotionally valent material

Three experiments are reported which investigate the application of the directed forgetting task to emotionally valent material and to different mood states. In this task, some subjects are told when halfway through an intentional or incidental learning task that the trials presented so far are to be forgotten because they were merely practice. However, at the end of the subsequent list, the subjects are then asked to recall all of the previous items including those that they were instructed to forget. The results typically show that significantly fewer directed forgetting items are recalled whether the task is an intentional or incidental learning one. In the first experiment, normal and 'depressed' students rated positive and negative material for pleasantness; although directed forgetting effects were obtained, there were no differential effects of mood state nor of valence of the material. In order to investigate this effect further, a variant of this task was used in Experiment 2 in which the positive and negative material had to be processed in relation to the self. The results showed that differential forgetting now occurred; healthy students recalled more positive than negative information, but this positive bias was not obtained for 'depressed' students who showed an even-handed level of recall. In Experiment 3, groups of clinically depressed, clinically anxious, and normal controls were presented with the directed forgetting task. The key finding showed that the depressed subjects showed a retrieval facilitation for to-be-forgotten negative adjectives, an effect that was not present for the other two groups. It is concluded therefore, that the directed forgetting task could be usefully extended to investigate cognition-emotion interactions in clinical populations.     

Selective processing of threatening information: effects of attachment representation and anxiety disorder on attention and memory

To investigate the effect of the mental representation of attachment on information processing, 28 anxiety disorder outpatients, as diagnosed by the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Revised, were administered the Adult Attachment Interview and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. They also completed an emotional Stroop task with subliminal and supraliminal exposure conditions, a free recall memory task, and a recognition test. All tasks contained threatening, neutral, and positively valenced stimuli. A nonclinical comparison group of 56 participants completed the same measures. Results on the Stroop task showed color-naming interference for threatening words in the supraliminal condition only. Nonclinical participants with insecure attachment representations showed a global response inhibition to the Stroop task. Clinical participants with secure attachment representations showed the largest Stroop interference of the threatening words compared to the other groups. Results on the free recall task showed superior recall of all types of stimuli by participants with secure attachment representations. In the outpatient group, participants with secure attachment representations showed superior recall of threatening words on the free recall task, compared to insecure participants. Results on the recognition task showed no differences between attachment groups. We conclude that secure attachment representations are characterized by open communication about and processing of threatening information, leading to less defensive exclusion of negative material during the attentional stage of information processing and to better recall of threatening information in a later stage. Attachment insecurity, but not the type of insecurity, seems a decisive factor in attention and memory processes.     

The influence of an adaptation period in reducing the third party observer effect during a neuropsychological evaluation.

Individuals have been shown to perform suboptimally on memory measures when a third party observer (TPO) is present. The current study attempted to use adaptation to reduce the inhibitory effect of a TPO on memory performance. Undergraduate participants (N=80) were randomly assigned to one of four groups in a 2 x 2 (+/-adaptation period, +/-observation) design in order to investigate the interaction between adaptation period and observation status. Results indicated that the adaptation period had a negligible inhibitory effect over the recall of observed participants (d= -0.11), but unexpectedly, when unobserved participants were not given an adaptation period, recall was inhibited by a sizeable degree (d= -1.11). These findings suggest that the presence of the TPO may have prevented participants from benefiting from adaptation to the general testing situation. To date, there are no known methods for eliminating the TPO effect.     

Evaluation of a treatment approach combining nicotine gum with self-guided behavioral treatments for smoking relapse prevention

1,218 smokers able to quit smoking for 48 hr were randomly assigned to one of 12 cells in a 4 x 3 fully crossed factorial experiment. A pharmacologic factor contained four levels: nicotine polacrilex (gum) delivered ad lib or on a fixed regimen, placebo gum, and no gum. A self-guided behavioral treatment factor contained three levels: self-selected relapse prevention modules, randomly administered modules, and no modules. Those receiving nicotine gum were more likely to be abstinent at the 2- and 6-month follow-ups. The fixed regimen accounted for most of the effect for gum. There was no effect for the relapse prevention module factor. Men and women showed a differential treatment response. Men who received nicotine gum were more likely to be abstinent at each follow-up (2, 6, and 12 months). No treatment was significantly better among women. We conclude that research on different gum chewing regimens is warranted and that further examination of possible gender differences in response to replacement therapy is needed.