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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Memory Modulation In The Classroom: Selective Enhancement Of College Examination Performance By Arousal Induced After Lecture, Kristy A. Nielson, Timothy J. Arentsen Jul 2014

Memory Modulation In The Classroom: Selective Enhancement Of College Examination Performance By Arousal Induced After Lecture, Kristy A. Nielson, Timothy J. Arentsen

Kristy Nielson

Laboratory studies examining moderate physiological or emotional arousal induced after learning indicate that it enhances memory consolidation. Yet, no studies have yet examined this effect in an applied context. As such, arousal was induced after a college lecture and its selective effects were examined on later exam performance. Participants were divided into two groups who either watched a neutral video clip (n = 66) or an arousing video clip (n = 70) after lecture in a psychology course. The final examination occurred two weeks after the experimental manipulation. Only performance on the group of final exam items that covered material …


Does Physical Activity Influence Semantic Memory Activation In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment?, J. Smith, Kristy Nielson, John Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Matthew Verber, Sally Durgerian, Piero Antuono, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa Lancaster, Stephen Rao Jul 2014

Does Physical Activity Influence Semantic Memory Activation In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment?, J. Smith, Kristy Nielson, John Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Matthew Verber, Sally Durgerian, Piero Antuono, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa Lancaster, Stephen Rao

Kristy Nielson

The effect of physical activity (PA) on functional brain activation for semantic memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) was examined using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging during fame discrimination. Significantly greater semantic memory activation occurred in the left caudate of High- versus Low-PA patients, (P=0.03), suggesting PA may enhance memory-related caudate activation in aMCI.


A Task To Manipulate Attentional Load, Set-Shifting, And Inhibitory Control: Convergent Validity And Test–Retest Reliability Of The Parametric Go/No-Go Test, Scott Aaron Langenecker, Jon-Kar Zubieta, Elizabeth Young, Kristy Nielson Jul 2014

A Task To Manipulate Attentional Load, Set-Shifting, And Inhibitory Control: Convergent Validity And Test–Retest Reliability Of The Parametric Go/No-Go Test, Scott Aaron Langenecker, Jon-Kar Zubieta, Elizabeth Young, Kristy Nielson

Kristy Nielson

Traditional neuropsychological measures of executive functioning are difficult to employ in functional imaging and clinical trial contexts and have tremendous practice effects. They also have poor sensitivity and specificity, while test–retest reliability is often not assessed in computer-based tests. The present study evaluates some psychometric properties of a new Parametric Go/No-Go (PGNG) Task. The PGNG consists of three levels of difficulty assessing attention, set-shifting, and processing speed, with the two more difficult levels assessing inhibitory control. A total of 63 healthy control participants were recruited at two sites to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PGNG. The PGNG was found …


Physical Activity And Brain Function In Older Adults At Increased Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease, J. Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Physical Activity And Brain Function In Older Adults At Increased Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease, J. Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Leisure-time physical activity (PA) and exercise training are known to help maintain cognitive function in healthy older adults. However, relatively little is known about the effects of PA on cognitive function or brain function in those at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease through the presence of the apolipoproteinE epsilon4 (APOE-ε4) allele, diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or the presence of metabolic disease. Here, we examine the question of whether PA and exercise interventions may differentially impact cognitive trajectory, clinical outcomes, and brain structure and function among individuals at the greatest risk for AD. The literature suggests that the protective …


Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Semantic Memory As A Presymptomatic Biomarker Of Alzheimer’S Disease Risk, Michael Sugarman, John L. Woodard, Kristy A. Nielson, Michael Seidenberg, J. Carson Smith, Sally Durgerian, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Semantic Memory As A Presymptomatic Biomarker Of Alzheimer’S Disease Risk, Michael Sugarman, John L. Woodard, Kristy A. Nielson, Michael Seidenberg, J. Carson Smith, Sally Durgerian, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Extensive research efforts have been directed toward strategies for predicting risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) prior to the appearance of observable symptoms. Existing approaches for early detection of AD vary in terms of their efficacy, invasiveness, and ease of implementation. Several non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging strategies have been developed for predicting decline in cognitively healthy older adults. This review will survey a number of studies, beginning with the development of a famous name discrimination task used to identify neural regions that participate in semantic memory retrieval and to test predictions of several key theories of the role of the …


Memory For Emotionally Provocative Words In Alexithymia: A Role For Stimulus Relevance, Mitchell Meltzer, Kristy A. Nielson Jul 2014

Memory For Emotionally Provocative Words In Alexithymia: A Role For Stimulus Relevance, Mitchell Meltzer, Kristy A. Nielson

Kristy Nielson

Alexithymia is associated with emotion processing deficits, particularly for negative emotional information. However, also common are a high prevalence of somatic symptoms and the perception of somatic sensations as distressing. Although little research has yet been conducted on memory in alexithymia, we hypothesized a paradoxical effect of alexithymia on memory. Specifically, recall of negative emotional words was expected to be reduced in alexithymia, while memory for illness words was expected to be enhanced in alexithymia. Eighty-five high or low alexithymia participants viewed and rated arousing illness-related ("pain"), emotionally positive ("thrill"), negative ("hatred"), and neutral words ("horse"). Recall was assessed 45 …


Gender Specific Disruptions In Emotion Processing In Younger Adults With Depression, Sara L. Wright, Scott Aaron Langenecker, Patricia J. Deldin, Lisa J. Rapport, Kristy A. Nielson, Allison M. Kade, Lawrence S. Own, Huda Akil, Elizabeth A. Young, Jon-Kar Zubieta Jul 2014

Gender Specific Disruptions In Emotion Processing In Younger Adults With Depression, Sara L. Wright, Scott Aaron Langenecker, Patricia J. Deldin, Lisa J. Rapport, Kristy A. Nielson, Allison M. Kade, Lawrence S. Own, Huda Akil, Elizabeth A. Young, Jon-Kar Zubieta

Kristy Nielson

Background: One of the principal theories regarding the biological basis of major depressive disorder (MDD) implicates a dysregulation of emotion-processing circuitry. Gender differences in how emotions are processed and relative experience with emotion processing might help to explain some of the disparities in the prevalence of MDD between women and men. This study sought to explore how gender and depression status relate to emotion processing. Methods: This study employed a 2 (MDD status) × 2 (gender) factorial design to explore differences in classifications of posed facial emotional expressions (N=151). Results: For errors, there was an …


Comparison Of Semantic And Episodic Memory Bold Fmri Activation In Predicting Cognitive Decline In Older Adults, Nathan Hantke, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Leslie M. Guidotti Breting, Alissa Butts, Michael Seidenberg, J. Carson Smith, Sally Durgerian, Melissa A. Lancaster, Monica Matthews, Michael Sugarman, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Comparison Of Semantic And Episodic Memory Bold Fmri Activation In Predicting Cognitive Decline In Older Adults, Nathan Hantke, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Leslie M. Guidotti Breting, Alissa Butts, Michael Seidenberg, J. Carson Smith, Sally Durgerian, Melissa A. Lancaster, Monica Matthews, Michael Sugarman, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Previous studies suggest that task-activated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can predict future cognitive decline among healthy older adults. The present fMRI study examined the relative sensitivity of semantic memory (SM) versus episodic memory (EM) activation tasks for predicting cognitive decline. Seventy-eight cognitively intact elders underwent neuropsychological testing at entry and after an 18-month interval, with participants classified as cognitively “Stable” or “Declining” based on ≥1.0 SD decline in performance. Baseline fMRI scanning involved SM (famous name discrimination) and EM (name recognition) tasks. SM and EM fMRI activation, along with Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 status, served as predictors of cognitive …


Recognition Of Famous Names Predicts Cognitive Decline In Healthy Elders, Michael Seidenberg, Christina D. Kay, John L. Woodard, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Carson Smith, Cassandra Kandah, Leslie Guidotti, Julia Novitski, Melissa A. Lancaster, Monica Matthews, Nathan Hantke, Alissa Butts, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Recognition Of Famous Names Predicts Cognitive Decline In Healthy Elders, Michael Seidenberg, Christina D. Kay, John L. Woodard, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Carson Smith, Cassandra Kandah, Leslie Guidotti, Julia Novitski, Melissa A. Lancaster, Monica Matthews, Nathan Hantke, Alissa Butts, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Objective: The ability to recognize familiar people is impaired in both Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD). In addition, both groups often demonstrate a time-limited temporal gradient (TG) in which well known people from decades earlier are better recalled than those learned recently. In this study, we examined the TG in cognitively intact elders for remote famous names (1950–1965) compared to more recent famous names (1995–2005). We hypothesized that the TG pattern on a famous name recognition task (FNRT) would predict future cognitive decline, and also show a significant correlation with hippocampal volume. Method: Seventy-eight healthy elders (ages …


Individual Differences Associated With The Repeated Endorsement Of Post-Event Misinformation, Timothy Arentsen, Benjamin Bock, Kristy Nielson Jul 2014

Individual Differences Associated With The Repeated Endorsement Of Post-Event Misinformation, Timothy Arentsen, Benjamin Bock, Kristy Nielson

Kristy Nielson

No abstract provided.


Semantic Memory Activation In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Kristy A. Nielson, Piero Antuono, Leslie Guidotti, Sally Durgerian, Qi Zhang, Melissa A. Lancaster, Nathan Hantke, Alissa Butts, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Semantic Memory Activation In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Kristy A. Nielson, Piero Antuono, Leslie Guidotti, Sally Durgerian, Qi Zhang, Melissa A. Lancaster, Nathan Hantke, Alissa Butts, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Cognitively intact older individuals at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease frequently show increased functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain activation presumably associated with compensatory recruitment, whereas mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients tend not to show increased activation presumably due to reduced neural reserve. Previous studies, however, have typically used episodic memory activation tasks, placing MCI participants at a performance disadvantage relative to healthy elders. In this event-related fMRI study, we employed a low effort, high accuracy semantic memory task to determine if increased activation of memory circuits is preserved in amnestic MCI when task performance is controlled. Fifty-seven participants, aged …


Reduction Of The Misinformation Effect By Arousal Induced After Learning, Shaun English, Kristy Nielson Jul 2014

Reduction Of The Misinformation Effect By Arousal Induced After Learning, Shaun English, Kristy Nielson

Kristy Nielson

Misinformation introduced after events have already occurred causes errors in later retrieval. Based on literature showing that arousal induced after learning enhances delayed retrieval, we investigated whether post-learning arousal can reduce the misinformation effect. 251 participants viewed four short film clips, each followed by a retention test, which for some participants included misinformation. Afterward, participants viewed another film clip that was either arousing or neutral. One week later, the arousal group recognized significantly more veridical details and endorsed significantly fewer misinformation items than the neutral group. The findings suggest that arousal induced after learning reduced source confusion, allowing participants to …


Interactive Effects Of Physical Activity And Apoe-Ε4 On Bold Semantic Memory Activation In Healthy Elders, J. Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Sally Durgerian, Piero Antuono, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Interactive Effects Of Physical Activity And Apoe-Ε4 On Bold Semantic Memory Activation In Healthy Elders, J. Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Sally Durgerian, Piero Antuono, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) is associated with the maintenance of cognitive function across the lifespan. In contrast, the apolipoproteinE-ε4 (APOE-ε4) allele, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with impaired cognitive function. The objective of this study was to examine the interactive effects of PA and APOE-ε4 on brain activation during memory processing in older (ages 65–85) cognitively intact adults. A cross-sectional design was used with four groups (n = 17 each): (1) Low Risk/Low PA; (2) Low Risk/High PA; (3) High Risk/Low PA; and (4) High Risk/High PA. PA level was based on …


Stressor-Induced Increase In Muscle Fatigability Of Young Men And Women Is Predicted By Strength But Not Voluntary Activation, Manda Keller-Ross, Hugo Pereia, Jaclyn Pruse, Tejin Yoon, Bonnie Schlinder-Delap, Kristy Nielson, Sandra Hunter Jul 2014

Stressor-Induced Increase In Muscle Fatigability Of Young Men And Women Is Predicted By Strength But Not Voluntary Activation, Manda Keller-Ross, Hugo Pereia, Jaclyn Pruse, Tejin Yoon, Bonnie Schlinder-Delap, Kristy Nielson, Sandra Hunter

Kristy Nielson

This study investigated mechanisms for the stressor-induced changes in muscle fatigability in men and women. Participants performed an isometric-fatiguing contraction at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) until failure with the elbow flexor muscles. Study one (n = 55; 29 women) involved two experimental sessions: 1) a high-stressor session that required a difficult mental-math task before and during a fatiguing contraction and 2) a control session with no mental math. For some participants (n = 28; 14 women), cortical stimulation was used to examine mechanisms that contributed to muscle fatigability during the high-stressor and control sessions. Study two (n = 23; …


Semantic Memory Functional Mri And Cognitive Function After Exercise Intervention In Mild Cognitive Impairment, J Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, Piero Antuono, Jeri-Annette Lyons, Ryan J. Hanson, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Matthew D. Verber Jul 2014

Semantic Memory Functional Mri And Cognitive Function After Exercise Intervention In Mild Cognitive Impairment, J Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, Piero Antuono, Jeri-Annette Lyons, Ryan J. Hanson, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Matthew D. Verber

Kristy Nielson

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with early memory loss, Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology, inefficient or ineffective neural processing, and increased risk for AD. Unfortunately, treatments aimed at improving clinical symptoms or markers of brain function generally have been of limited value. Physical exercise is often recommended for people diagnosed with MCI, primarily because of its widely reported cognitive benefits in healthy older adults. However, it is unknown if exercise actually benefits brain function during memory retrieval in MCI. Here, we examined the effects of exercise training on semantic memory activation during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Seventeen MCI participants …


Risk Factors For Alzheimer’S Disease And Longitudinal Memory Performance, M. K. Foster, M. Seidenberg, J. Woodard, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Smith, M. Lancaster, M. Matthews, N. Hantke, A. Butts, S. Rao Jul 2014

Risk Factors For Alzheimer’S Disease And Longitudinal Memory Performance, M. K. Foster, M. Seidenberg, J. Woodard, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Smith, M. Lancaster, M. Matthews, N. Hantke, A. Butts, S. Rao

Kristy Nielson

No abstract provided.


Lifestyle And Genetic Contributions To Cognitive Decline And Hippocampal Structure And Function In Healthy Aging, John L. Woodard, Michael Sugarman, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Carson Smith, Michael Seidenberg, Sally Durgerian, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Monica A. Matthews, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Lifestyle And Genetic Contributions To Cognitive Decline And Hippocampal Structure And Function In Healthy Aging, John L. Woodard, Michael Sugarman, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Carson Smith, Michael Seidenberg, Sally Durgerian, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Monica A. Matthews, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Background: Engagement in cognitively stimulating activities (CA) and leisure time physical activity (PA) have been associated with maintaining cognitive performance and reducing the likelihood of cognitive decline in older adults. However, neural mechanisms underlying protective effects of these lifestyle behaviors are largely unknown. In the current study, we investigated the effect of self-reported PA and CA on hippocampal volume and semantic processing activation during a fame discrimination task, as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We also examined whether possession of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ?4 allele could moderate the effect of PA or CA on hippocampal structure or …


Prediction Of Cognitive Decline In Healthy Older Adults Using Fmri, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Kristy A. Nielson, J Carson Smith, Piero Antuono, Sally Durgerian, Leslie Guidotti, Qi Zhang, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao Jul 2014

Prediction Of Cognitive Decline In Healthy Older Adults Using Fmri, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Kristy A. Nielson, J Carson Smith, Piero Antuono, Sally Durgerian, Leslie Guidotti, Qi Zhang, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Few studies have examined the extent to which structural and functional MRI, alone and in combination with genetic biomarkers, can predict future cognitive decline in asymptomatic elders. This prospective study evaluated individual and combined contributions of demographic information, genetic risk, hippocampal volume, and fMRI activation for predicting cognitive decline after an 18-month retest interval. Standardized neuropsychological testing, an fMRI semantic memory task (famous name discrimination), and structural MRI (sMRI) were performed on 78 healthy elders (73% female; mean age = 73 years, range = 65 to 88 years). Positive family history of dementia and presence of one or both apolipoprotein …


Enhanced Post-Learning Memory Consolidation Is Influenced By Arousal Predisposition And Emotion Regulation But Not By Stimulus Valence Or Arousal, Kristy Nielson, William Lorber Jul 2014

Enhanced Post-Learning Memory Consolidation Is Influenced By Arousal Predisposition And Emotion Regulation But Not By Stimulus Valence Or Arousal, Kristy Nielson, William Lorber

Kristy Nielson

Emotionally arousing stimuli are more memorable than neutral ones and arousal induced after learning enhances later retrieval. However, there is as yet little study of how stimulus qualities might interact with induced arousal and how individual differences might influence the modulation of memory. Thus, the present study examined the effect of arousal induced after learning on memory for words that varied in both arousal and valence quality, as well as the influence of three individual differences factors that are known to influence arousal response: emotional suppression, emotional reappraisal, and arousal predisposition. Seventy-six adults (57 female) viewed and rated 60 words …


Semantic Knowledge For Famous Names In Mild Cognitive Impairment, M Seidenberg, L Guidotti, Kristy Nielson, J Woodard, S Durgerian, Q Zhang, A Gander, M Franczak, P Antuono, S Rao Dec 2008

Semantic Knowledge For Famous Names In Mild Cognitive Impairment, M Seidenberg, L Guidotti, Kristy Nielson, J Woodard, S Durgerian, Q Zhang, A Gander, M Franczak, P Antuono, S Rao

Kristy Nielson

Person identification represents a unique category of semantic knowledge that is commonly impaired in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but has received relatively little investigation in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The current study examined the retrieval of semantic knowledge for famous names from three time epochs (recent, remote, and enduring) in two participant groups: 23 amnestic MCI (aMCI) patients and 23 healthy elderly controls. The aMCI group was less accurate and produced less semantic knowledge than controls for famous names. Names from the enduring period were recognized faster than both recent and remote names in both groups, and remote names …


The Sensitivity And Psychometric Properties Of A Brief Computer-Based Cognitive Screening Battery In A Depression Clinic, S A. Langenecker, A Caveney, B Giordani, E A. Young, Kristy Nielson, L J. Rapport, L A. Bieliauskas, M J. Mordhorst, S Marcus, N Yodkovik, K Kerber, S Berent, J K. Zubieta Aug 2007

The Sensitivity And Psychometric Properties Of A Brief Computer-Based Cognitive Screening Battery In A Depression Clinic, S A. Langenecker, A Caveney, B Giordani, E A. Young, Kristy Nielson, L J. Rapport, L A. Bieliauskas, M J. Mordhorst, S Marcus, N Yodkovik, K Kerber, S Berent, J K. Zubieta

Kristy Nielson

At present, there is poor accuracy in assessing cognitive and vegetative symptoms in depression using clinician or self-rated measures, suggesting the need for development of standardized tasks to assess these functions. The current study assessed the psychometric properties and diagnostic specificity of a brief neuropsychological screening battery designed to assess core signs of depression; psychomotor retardation, attention and executive functioning difficulties, and impaired emotion perception within an outpatient psychiatry setting. Three hundred eighty-four patients with mood disorders and 77 healthy volunteers participated. A large percentage of patients met diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder alone (49%) or with another comorbid …


Temporally Graded Activation Of Neocortical Regions In Response To Memories Of Different Ages, J Woodard, M Seidenberg, Kristy Nielson, S Miller, M Franczak, P Antuono, K Douville, S Rao Jun 2007

Temporally Graded Activation Of Neocortical Regions In Response To Memories Of Different Ages, J Woodard, M Seidenberg, Kristy Nielson, S Miller, M Franczak, P Antuono, K Douville, S Rao

Kristy Nielson

The temporally graded memory impairment seen in many neurobehavioral disorders implies different neuroanatomical pathways and/or cognitive mechanisms involved in storage and retrieval of memories of different ages. A dynamic interaction between medial-temporal and neocortical brain regions has been proposed to account for memory’s greater permanence with time. Despite considerable debate concerning its time-dependent role in memory retrieval, medial-temporal lobe activity has been well studied. However, the relative participation of neocortical regions in recent and remote memory retrieval has received much less attention. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we demonstrate robust, temporally graded signal differences in posterior cingulate, right middle frontal, …


An Evaluation Of Distinct Volumetric And Functional Mri Contributions Toward Understanding Age And Task Performance: A Study In The Basal Ganglia, S Langenecker, E Briceno, N Hamid, Kristy Nielson Feb 2007

An Evaluation Of Distinct Volumetric And Functional Mri Contributions Toward Understanding Age And Task Performance: A Study In The Basal Ganglia, S Langenecker, E Briceno, N Hamid, Kristy Nielson

Kristy Nielson

Prior work by our group and others has implicated the basal ganglia as important in age-related differences in tasks involving motor response control. The present study used structural and functional MRI approaches to analyze this region of interest (ROI) toward better understanding the contributions of structural and functional MRI measures to understanding age-related and task performance-related cognitive differences. Eleven healthy elders were compared with 11 healthy younger adults while they completed the “go” portion of a complex Go/No-go task. Separate ROI's in the bilateral caudate (C) and putamen/globus pallidus (PGp) were studied based upon previous findings of age-related functional MRI …


Age-Related Functional Recruitment During The Recognition Of Famous Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, Kristy Nielson, K Douville, M Seidenberg, J Woodard, S Miller, P Antuono, M Franczak, S Rao Sep 2006

Age-Related Functional Recruitment During The Recognition Of Famous Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, Kristy Nielson, K Douville, M Seidenberg, J Woodard, S Miller, P Antuono, M Franczak, S Rao

Kristy Nielson

Recent neuroimaging research shows that older adults exhibit recruitment, or increased activation on various cognitive tasks. The current study evaluated whether a similar pattern also occurs in semantic memory by evaluating age-related differences during recognition of Recent (since the 1990s) and Enduring (1950s to present) famous names. Fifteen healthy older and 15 healthy younger adults performed the name recognition task with a high and comparable degree of accuracy, although older adults had slower reaction time in response to Recent famous names. Event-related functional MRI showed extensive networks of activation in the two groups including posterior cingulate, right hippocampus, temporal lobe …


The Effects Of Non-Contingent Extrinsic And Intrinsic Rewards On Memory Consolidation, Kristy Nielson, Ted Bryant Jun 2005

The Effects Of Non-Contingent Extrinsic And Intrinsic Rewards On Memory Consolidation, Kristy Nielson, Ted Bryant

Kristy Nielson

Emotional and arousing treatments given shortly after learning enhance delayed memory retrieval in animal and human studies. Positive affect and reward induced prior to a variety of cognitive tasks enhance performance, but their ability to affect memory consolidation has not been investigated before. Therefore, we investigated the effects of a small, non-contingent, intrinsic or extrinsic reward on delayed memory retrieval. Participants (n = 108) studied and recalled a list of 30 affectively neutral, imageable nouns. Experimental groups were then given either an intrinsic reward (e.g., praise) or an extrinsic reward (e.g., $1). After a one-week delay, participants’ retrieval performance for …


Medial Temporal Lobe Activity For Recognition Of Recent And Remote Famous Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, K Douville, J Woodard, M Seidenberg, S Miller, C Leveroni, Kristy Nielson, M Franczak, P Antuono, S Rao Dec 2004

Medial Temporal Lobe Activity For Recognition Of Recent And Remote Famous Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, K Douville, J Woodard, M Seidenberg, S Miller, C Leveroni, Kristy Nielson, M Franczak, P Antuono, S Rao

Kristy Nielson

Previous neuroimaging studies examining recognition of famous faces have identified activation of an extensive bilateral neural network [Gorno Tempini, M. L., Price, C. J., Josephs, O., Vandenberghe, R., Cappa, S. F., Kapur, N. et al. (1998). The neural systems sustaining face and proper-name processing. Brain, 121, 2103–2118], including the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and specifically the hippocampal complex [Haist, F., Bowden, G. J., & Mao, H. (2001). Consolidation of human memory over decades revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Nature Neuroscience, 4, 1139–1145; Leveroni, C. L., Seidenberg, M., Mayer, A. R., Mead, L. A., Binder, J. R., & Rao, S. …


Comparability Of Functional Mri Response In Young And Old During Inhibition, Kristy Nielson, Scott Langenecker, T Ross, H Garavan, S Rao, E Stein Jan 2004

Comparability Of Functional Mri Response In Young And Old During Inhibition, Kristy Nielson, Scott Langenecker, T Ross, H Garavan, S Rao, E Stein

Kristy Nielson

When using fMRI to study age-related cognitive changes, it is important to establish the integrity of the hemodynamic response because, potentially, it can be affected by age and disease. However, there have been few attempts to document such integrity and no attempts using higher cognitive rather than perceptual or motor tasks. We used fMRI with 28 healthy young and older adults on an inhibitory control task. Although older and young adults differed in task performance and activation patterns, they had comparable hemodynamic responses. We conclude that activation during cognitive inhibition, which was predominantly increased in elders, was not due to …


Medial Temporal Lobe Activity For Recognition Of Recent And Remote Famous Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, K Douville, J L. Woodard, M Seidenberg, S K. Miller, C L. Leveroni, Kristy Nielson, M Franczak, P Antuono, S M. Rao Jan 2004

Medial Temporal Lobe Activity For Recognition Of Recent And Remote Famous Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, K Douville, J L. Woodard, M Seidenberg, S K. Miller, C L. Leveroni, Kristy Nielson, M Franczak, P Antuono, S M. Rao

Kristy Nielson

Previous neuroimaging studies examining recognition of famous faces have identified activation of an extensive bilateral neural network [Gorno Tempini, M. L., Price, C. J., Josephs, O., Vandenberghe, R., Cappa, S. F., Kapur, N. et al. (1998). The neural systems sustaining face and proper-name processing. Brain, 121, 2103–2118], including the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and specifically the hippocampal complex [Haist, F., Bowden, G. J., & Mao, H. (2001). Consolidation of human memory over decades revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Nature Neuroscience, 4, 1139–1145; Leveroni, C. L., Seidenberg, M., Mayer, A. R., Mead, L. A., Binder, J. R., & Rao, S. …


Differences In The Functional Neuroanatomy Of Inhibitory Control Across The Adult Life Span, Kristy Nielson, Scott Langenecker, H Garavan Dec 2001

Differences In The Functional Neuroanatomy Of Inhibitory Control Across The Adult Life Span, Kristy Nielson, Scott Langenecker, H Garavan

Kristy Nielson

Inhibitory control, the ability to suppress irrelevant or interfering stimuli, is a fundamental cognitive function that deteriorates during aging, but little is understood about the bases of decline. Thus, we used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study inhibitory control in healthy adults aged 18 to 78. Activation during successful inhibition occurred predominantly in right prefrontal and parietal regions and was more extensive, bilaterally and prefrontally, in the older groups. Presupplementary motor area was also more active in poorer inhibitory performers. Therefore, older adults activate areas that are comparable to those activated by young adults during inhibition, as well …