The very same thing: Extending the object token concept to incorporate causal constraints on individual identity

The contributions of feature recognition, object categorization, and recollection of episodic memories to the re-identification of a perceived object as the very same thing encountered in a previous perceptual episode are well understood in terms of both cognitive-behavioral phenomenology and neurofunctional implementation. Human beings do not, however, rely solely on features and context to re-identify individuals; in the presence of featural change and similarly-featured distractors, people routinely employ causal constraints to establish object identities. Based on available cognitive and neurofunctional data, the standard object-token based model of individual re-identification is extended to incorporate the construction of unobserved and hence fictive causal histories (FCHs) of observed objects by the pre-motor action planning system. It is suggested that functional deficits in the construction of FCHs are associated with clinical outcomes in both autism spectrum disorders and later-stage stage Alzheimer's disease.     

Factors affecting medial temporal lobe engagement for past and future episodic events: an ALE meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

Remembering the past and envisioning the future are at the core of one's sense of identity. Neuroimaging studies investigating the neural substrates underlying past and future episodic events have been growing in number. However, the experimental paradigms used to select and elicit episodic events vary greatly, leading to disparate results, especially with respect to the laterality and antero-posterior localization of hippocampal and adjacent medial temporal activations (i.e., parahippocampal, entorhinal and perirhinal cortices, amygdala). Although a central concern in today's literature, the issue of hippocampal and medial temporal lobe laterality and antero-posterior segregation in past and future episodic events has not yet been addressed extensively. Using the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) procedure (Turkeltaub, Eden, Jones, & Zeffiro, 2002), we performed a meta-analysis of hippocampal and adjacent medial temporal coordinates extracted from neuroimaging studies examining past remembering and future envisioning. We questioned whether methodological choices could influence the laterality of activations, namely (1) the type of cue used (generic vs. specific), (2) the type of task performed (recognition vs. recall/imagine), (3) the nature of the information retrieved (episodic vs. "strictly" episodic events) and (4) the age of participants. We consider "strictly" episodic events as events which are not only spatio-temporally unique and personal like episodic events, but are also associated with contextual and phenomenological details. These four factors were compared two-by-two, generating eight whole-brain statistical maps. Results indicate that (1) specific cues tend to activate more the right anterior hippocampus compared to the use of generic cues, (2) recall/imagine tasks tend to recruit more the left posterior parahippocampal gyrus compared to recognition tasks, (3) (re/pre)experiencing strictly episodic events tends to activate more the bilateral posterior hippocampus compared to episodic events and (4) older subjects tend to activate more the right anterior hippocampus compared to younger subjects. Importantly, our results stress that strictly episodic events triggered by specific cues elicit greater left posterior hippocampal activation than episodic events triggered by specific cues. These findings suggest that such basic methodological choices have an impact on the conclusions reached regarding past and future (re/pre)experiencing and their neural substrates.     

Temporal Relationship Between Change in Subjective Distress and PTSD Symptom Decrease During Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

There is growing evidence that change in distress is an indicator of change during Prolonged Exposure (PE) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, temporal sequencing studies investigating whether change in distress precedes PTSD symptom decline are lacking. These studies are essential since the timeline between indicators of change and treatment outcome is a key assumption for mediation. The aim of the present study was to assess the temporal relationship between within- and between-session change in subjective distress and PTSD symptom decrease. We analyzed session data from 86 patients with PTSD. Data were analyzed using dynamic panel models. We distinguished temporal effects (within-persons) from averaged effects (between-persons). Results regarding the temporal effect showed that within-session change in subjective distress preceded PTSD symptom improvement while the reversed effect was absent. Averaged within-session change in subjective distress was also related to PTSD symptom improvement. Results regarding the temporal effect of between-session change in subjective distress showed that it did not precede PTSD symptom improvement. Averaged between-session change in subjective distress was related to PTSD symptom improvement. This study provides evidence for within- but not between-session change in subjective distress as indicator of change during PE. We also found that the way of modeling potential indicators of change affects results and implications. We recommend future studies to analyze mediators during treatment using temporal rather than averaged effects.     

工作记忆训练诱发的神经可塑性——基于系列fMRI实验的脑区分布递减时空模型

工作记忆训练(Working Memory Training, WMT)诱发神经可塑性, 但其具体机制尚不明晰。为探索WMT改变正常人群大脑功能的时空特性, 以“扩展的智力顶额整合理论”和“神经效率假说”为依据, 采用逐层递进的5种方法, 分6个步骤来查究近20年来正常人群WMT的37篇fMRI文献。第一步, 用叙述性综述、频数分析和卡方检验法比较脑区激活模式和脑网络功能连接在WMT前后发生的改变, 发现WMT改变了大脑的5个联合区、7个宏观区和3个子区。其中, 额上回、顶下小叶和扣带回这3个子区各自激活减弱的报道文献数量多于其激活增强的, 且这种差异分别具有统计学意义。第二步, 采用激活似然估计法对其中26篇开展元分析, 发现大脑的3个子区激活减弱水平在WMT前后的差异具有统计学意义, 即额中回(BA6和8)、额上回(BA6)和前扣带回(BA24和32)。第三步, 综合定性和定量分析结果, 提出WMT脑区分布递减时空模型, 产生5个结果和讨论。第四步, 采用非参数检验进一步追踪WMT效应的调节因素, 发现训练的任务类型和时间分别对脑区激活的影响具有统计学意义。第五步, 针对正常人群WMT诱发神经可塑性的时空特性, 得出3个结论：第一, WMT改变了正常人群相应脑区的神经活动, 表现为减弱或增强, 但减弱更加突出, 且更新和较短时间的WMT倾向于诱发较多减弱; 第二, 这些神经活动变化主要发生在额顶叶联合区, 但也包括分别以颞叶、枕叶、扣带回及纹状体为主的联合区, 在一定范围内体现了整脑功能联合。这体现了WMT诱发神经可塑性的空间特性, 且符合“扩展的智力顶额整合理论”; 第三, 额中回、额上回、顶下小叶和扣带回(尤其前扣带回)这4个子区在激活减弱水平上重点展示了WMT神经可塑性的时间特性, 且符合“神经效率假说”, 恰好体现出“聪明的大脑更懒惰”。第六步, 指出WMT诱发神经可塑性的未来研究可能关注脑可塑性中的低活跃性、辨析额中回、额上回、顶下小叶和扣带回(尤其前扣带回)这4个子区在激活减弱水平上体现的时间特性、找寻训练减弱或增强大脑活动的综合性影响因素。     

听觉丧失对听障学生时间知觉的影响

本研究采用同时判断任务和时距二分任务,探讨了听觉丧失对听障学生视觉通道的时间知觉的影响及其机制。两个系列实验结果表明,听觉丧失损伤了听障学生视觉通道的时序知觉准确性、敏感性以及时距知觉的敏感性,支持了普遍缺陷假设;但是,听障学生视觉通道的时距知觉的准确性却未受到听觉丧失的显著影响,支持了知觉补偿假设。因此,听觉丧失对听障学生视觉通道的时间知觉的影响可能是基于选择性的机制,这主要取决于不同的时间任务以及知觉属性等因素。     

Different types of working memory binding in epilepsy patients with unilateral anterior temporal lobectomy

The medial temporal lobe is an important structure for long-term memory formation, but its role in working memory is less clear. Recent studies have shown hippocampal involvement during working memory tasks requiring binding of information. It is yet unclear whether this is limited to tasks containing spatial features. The present study contrasted three binding conditions and one single-item condition in patients with unilateral anterior temporal lobectomy.A group of 43 patients with temporal lobectomy (23 left; 20 right) and 20 matched controls were examined with a working memory task assessing spatial relational binding (object–location), non-spatial relational binding (object–object), conjunctive binding (object–colour) and working memory for single items. We varied the delay period (3 or 6 s), as there is evidence showing that delay length may modulate working memory performance.The results indicate that performance was worse for patients than for controls in both relational binding conditions, whereas patients were unimpaired in conjunctive binding. Single-item memory was found to be marginally impaired, due to a deficit on long-delay trials only.In conclusion, working memory binding deficits are found in patients with unilateral anterior temporal lobectomy. The role of the medial temporal lobe in working memory is not limited to tasks containing spatial features. Rather, it seems to be involved in relational binding, but not in conjunctive binding. The medial temporal lobe gets involved when working memory capacity does not suffice, for example when relations have to be maintained or when the delay period is long.     

Deciphering Subjective Trajectories for Life Satisfaction Using Self‐versus‐Normative Other Discrepancies,Self‐esteem and Hope

Drawing on temporal and social comparison perspectives, we examined sources of the widespread belief that life gets better and better over time by determining how young adults evaluate their past, present and anticipated future life satisfaction (LS) relative to beliefs about normative others. We assessed whether patterns of subjective LS trajectories based on self‐versus‐normative other discrepancies varied as a function of self‐esteem and whether such patterns were accounted for by hope, encompassing goal‐related cognitions and motivations. University participants (n = 394) completed measures of their own and normative others' past, present and anticipated future LS, as well as self‐esteem and hope scales. Results from latent growth curve analyses demonstrated that high‐self‐esteem and low‐self‐esteem individuals perceived normative others' LS as progressing on a similar upward subjective temporal trajectory; however, high‐self‐esteem individuals perceived self‐improvement from past to present LS and self‐consistency from present to future LS relative to others. Low‐self‐esteem individuals perceived self‐consistency from past to present LS and self‐improvement from present to future LS relative to others. These associations were accounted for by hope. This research highlights the utility of combining temporal and social comparison perspectives for understanding how people envision their LS unfolding over time. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High Level of Construal and Psychological Distance Reduce Melioration

We examined how level of construal and psychological distance affected performance in a task in which value of alternatives depended on frequency of choice. Melioration, a sub‐optimal choice strategy that fails to take into account such value changes, has been found to be prevalent and difficult to change. Participants repeatedly chose between two buttons to earn as many coins as possible. Button A earned N coins, button B earned N + 3 coins, and N was the number of A presses in the last five trials. In this situation, B has a higher immediate payoff, but because choosing A increases the return from both buttons for the next five trials, maximizing A choices is the optimal strategy. We predicted that because a global perspective is needed to appreciate the dependency of value on frequency of choice, frequency of choosing the globally maximizing alternative (A) would increase when participants apply a higher level of construal and assume a more psychologically distal perspective. Study 1 manipulated construal level through segmenting the sequence of trials into segments of different size, with bigger segments representing higher level of construal. In Study 2, participants played a practice game, and we manipulated the probability of playing the actual game. Both a higher level of construal and a lower probability of playing the actual game (higher distance) increased the number of A choices. These results suggest that a broad perspective that is induced by high level of construal or by psychological distancing may reduce sub‐optimal, meliorating choice. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Eye movements during mental time travel follow a diagonal line

Recent research showed that past events are associated with the back and left side, whereas future events are associated with the front and right side of space. These spatial–temporal associations have an impact on our sensorimotor system: thinking about one’s past and future leads to subtle body sways in the sagittal dimension of space (Miles, Nind, & Macrae, 2010). In this study we investigated whether mental time travel leads to sensorimotor correlates in the horizontal dimension of space. Participants were asked to mentally displace themselves into the past or future while measuring their spontaneous eye movements on a blank screen. Eye gaze was directed more rightward and upward when thinking about the future than when thinking about the past. Our results provide further insight into the spatial nature of temporal thoughts, and show that not only body, but also eye movements follow a (diagonal) “time line” during mental time travel.     

It is about time: Daily relationships between temporal perspective and well-being

This study examined the day-to-day relationships between temporal perspective and well-being. Temporal perspective has predominantly been measured with single-occasion measurement designs, which ignore the potential for within-person variations that may be important in accounting for fluctuations in well-being. A 14-day daily diary design was employed to examine the dimensions of temporal perspective (temporal focus, temporal attitude, and temporal distance) and their dynamic relationships with daily well-being. The results from multilevel analyses indicated that: (a) there is evidence of within-person variability in daily temporal perspective, and (b) this within-person variability in temporal perspective fluctuated systematically with fluctuations in daily well-being. Each temporal perspective dimension was useful in predicting daily well-being. Temporal perspective dimensions interacted with each other such that the daily relationships with well-being depended on both the temporal region (past, present, or future) and the nature of the thoughts (pleasant vs. unpleasant; near vs. far).