Memory deficits in Alzheimer's patients: A comprehensive review

Despite considerable experimental work on Alzheimer's disease (AD), the underlying cognitive mechanisms as well as the precise localization of neuropathological changes critical for memory loss remains undefined. A review of the neuropsychological literature on long-term memory deficits in AD patients suggests that AD patients display (a) a pervasive deficit of explicit memory, (b) a partial deficiency of implicit memory for verbal and visuoperceptual material (as measured by repetition priming procedures), and (c) a substantial sparing of implicit memory for visuomotor skills. The explicit memory loss is likely a result of encoding as well as consolidation difficulties. A faulty lexical-semantic knowledge structure appears responsible for deficient repetition priming effects. Since neuropathological changes diffusely affect the brain of AD patients, establishing a clear relationship between localization of cerebral lesions and memory deficits is particularly difficult. Nevertheless, data suggest that extensive involvement of the hippocampal-amygdala complex plays a major role in explicit memory loss. Damage to associative cortical areas likely is involved in repetition priming deficits. The relative integrity of primary motor and sensory cortical areas and of the basal ganglia likely subsume, by contrast, the normal learning of visuomotor skills.     

The Interplay Of Autonomy And Relatedness In Hong Kong Chinese Single Mothers

The mediating effects of autonomy and relatedness on the relationship between self–esteem and life satisfaction were investigated among 49 single mothers. Among all tested variables in the dimension of relatedness, only network orientation (propensity to utilize one's available social support) was a mediator of the positive relationship between self–esteem and life satisfaction. No variable in the dimension of autonomy was a mediator. Three components of self–actualization contributed to the model: self–regard mediated the relationship between self–esteem and network orientation, spontaneity contributed to network orientation, self–acceptance contributed to life satisfaction directly and indirectly by contributing to self–regard. Findings suggest that Chinese single mothers' psychological adjustment can be enhanced by fostering their self–regard, self–acceptance, and readiness to seek help from trusted others.     

Capacity and contextual constraints on product activation: Evidence from task-irrelevant fact retrieval

Three experiments tested the limiting conditions of multiplication facts retrieval in a number-matching task (LeFevre, Bisanz, & Mrkonjic, 1988). By presenting two digits as cue and by requiring participants to decide whether a subsequent numerical target had been present in the pair, we found interference when the target coincided with the product of the cue digits. This was evidence for obligatory activation of multiplication facts. Also, we showed that multiplication facts retrieval occurred even in the absence of any arithmetic context (i.e., a multiplication sign between the cue digits) and did not require processing resources (i.e., the process met the capacity criterion of automaticity; Jonides, 1981), whereas manipulation of the spatial relation between the two operands (cue digits) negatively affected retrieval. The present work appears to be unique in the context of previous similar studies on mental calculation, which invariably adopted an arithmetic task as the primary demand. We identify this difference as the reason for the failure of all previous studies in revealing independence of multiplication facts from attentional resources. Furthermore, we suggest the application of a contextual definition of automaticity to this kind of retrieval, given the fact that it might depend both on association strength and on contextual setting variables.     

Autocritica filosofica e critica storica in J.-P. Sartre

Summary In this essay the author examines Sartre's attitude toward Marxism as related to his existentialism and his approach to history. Existentialism, from a methodological point of view, has been of much avail as an ideology rooted in personal freedom. Still, judging it from a Marxist point of view, Sartre has criticized existentialism for a) its theoretical limits (it is abstract, nonhistorical, non-dialectic); and b) its ethical and political faults, since it is self-defeating and almost exclusively leaning toward privacy. And yet one has to note how Sartre neglected to point out that existentialism's theoretical limits are due not only to its non-dialectical foundations but also to its nonscientific character and its hidden religiousness. Moreover, Sartre has not properly considered its historical value as a struggle against metaphysical thought and against a farfetched use of science. Basically — and apart from the views stated in such articles as Les Communistes et la paix — Sartre's Marxism is, from a political and ideological standpoint, strongly biased toward Soviet Marxism and socialism, since its main emphasis is anti-dogmatic and humanistic. Above all, this basic attitude could be explained by the negative influences of some historical and political events of the 40s and 50s on the development of his thought. As a matter of fact, his Marxism grew up against the background of Soviet politics in the Stalin and post-Stalin eras. Therefore, he refuses to accept any dogmatic and deterministic images of Marxism; instead of dogma he affirms the relevance of problems; in lieu of given truths, a concern for moral demands. In so doing, Sartre has based his Marxism more on the subjective praxis than on nature and history naturalistically viewed.     

A note on some extension results

In this note, a fully modal proof is given of some conservation results proved in a previous paper by arithmetic means. The proof is based on the extendability of Kripke models.     

The anticipatory construction of reality as a central concern for psychology and robotics

How is it that, given our diverse sensors that are moving at any moment, we get to the idea that there is a more or less permanent world around us that contains objects and living beings and that is endowed with spatial and temporal properties? This question is difficult, it is “the child’s construction of reality” issue. Given the complexity of the underlying phenomena, it requires a dialog between engineering sciences and life sciences to be solved. In this paper, we introduce the contributions to this dialog that have been collected in this special issue.     

Experts’ memory superiority for domain-specific random material generalizes across fields of expertise: A meta-analysis

Experts’ remarkable ability to recall meaningful domain-specific material is a classic result in cognitive psychology. Influential explanations for this ability have focused on the acquisition of high-level structures (e.g., schemata) or experts’ capability to process information holistically. However, research on chess players suggests that experts maintain some reliable memory advantage over novices when random stimuli (e.g., shuffled chess positions) are presented. This skill effect cannot be explained by theories emphasizing high-level memory structures or holistic processing of stimuli, because random material does not contain large structures nor wholes. By contrast, theories hypothesizing the presence of small memory structures—such as chunks—predict this outcome, because some chunks still occur by chance in the stimuli, even after randomization. The current meta-analysis assessed the correlation between level of expertise and recall of random material in diverse domains. The overall correlation was moderate but statistically significant (\( \overline{r} = .41,p < .001 \)), and the effect was observed in nearly every study. This outcome suggests that experts partly base their superiority on a vaster amount of small memory structures, in addition to high-level structures or holistic processing.     

Unpleasant stimuli differentially modulate inhibitory processes in an emotional Go/NoGo task: an event-related potential study

Threat stimuli typically elicit a psychophysiological response pattern supporting the organism's preparation for active defence. Differently, blood stimuli prompt a distinctive autonomic response pattern and sustained processing, which do not call for clear-cut mobilisation for action. However, the contribution of motor disposition in these response patterns remains unclear. One way to address this issue is to investigate whether threat and blood stimuli differentially affect the active suppression of an ongoing motor activity. Thirty-two undergraduates were presented with threat, mutilation, pleasant, and neutral pictures in an emotional Go/NoGo task. The amplitudes of the NoGo-N2 and NoGo-P3 components of the event-related potentials were analysed as indices of conflict monitoring and inhibition of motor response, respectively. Reaction times to Go trials were significantly faster for threat than for mutilations. The NoGo-N2 was significantly larger to threat than to mutilations, whereas the NoGo-P3amplitude did not differ between the two conditions. These findings suggest that threat stimuli facilitated the execution of a prepotent response and enhanced conflict monitoring when action must be withheld. In contrast, blood stimuli did not either promote action in the Go trials or increase conflict in the NoGo condition, suggesting a response pattern compatible with defensive immobility.