Cognitive Neuroscience Commons^™

Forgetting In Item Recognition And Pattern Separation, Mateo Marquez, Rhiannon Soriano Smith

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Forgetting is commonly defined as the inability to access information that was once successfully encoded and could be retrieved with a cue, but now leads to memory failure (Frankland et al. 2013).

Memory representations based in the hippocampus engage in pattern separation and are more prone to decay than interference (Sadeh & Pertrzov, 2020).

Extra-hippocampal representations are more prone to interference than decay (Hardt et al. 2013).

Pattern Separation refers to keeping memory representations distinct from one another.

Is there more decay in pattern separation and more interference in item recognition?

The Influence Of Unitization On Recognition Memory, Ting Tong, Amaya D. Bolling-Mcdevitt Hernandez, Audrey Kirsch, Alanna N. Osmanski

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Previous research on recognition memory assumes that associative recognition relies on recollection, whereas item recognition relies on a combination of recollection and familiarity. Unitization refers to the encoding strategy where two separate items are perceived as a single coherent entity or object. Research has demonstrated that unitization can facilitate familiarity-based recognition by generating representations of the stimulus and integrating it into a unified whole. To investigate this issue, we examined the effect of unitization on memory for word-pairs through two types of tests:

Associative Recognition: judge whether word pairs occurred together

Item Recognition: judge whether single words are old or …

Classical Conditioning Of Cognitive States, Arthur Burns

Neuroscience Honors Papers

Classical conditioning has been a fundamental concept and practice throughout the history of psychology. While classical conditioning traditionally seeks to elicit target behaviors in correlation to specific stimuli, we sought to do the same with cognitive states in place of behaviors. Specifically, we wanted to determine the effectiveness of conditioning states of cognitive arousal in human participants in conjunction with cues presented in a designed learning task. We designed a cognitive task specifically for this research, referred to as “the Tone Pitching Task”, which utilized a combination of working memory and mental processing in order to elicit cognitive arousal and …

Coming Face-To-Face With The Influence Of Priming And Attentional Bias On Perception Of Emotional Faces, Alyssa Stephens, Carole Scherling Phd

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Unconscious emotional facial priming may affect subsequent actions, thoughts, and feelings in individuals (LeMoult et al., 2012). Previous work has shown that positive and negative emotional priming leads to subsequent judgments of neutral faces as positive and negative, respectively (Fazio et al., 1986). Further, emotional engagement levels of approach (ex. happiness, anger) and withdrawal (ex: sadness) elicit different affective responses (Lang, 1977). The current study subliminally primed participants with a 3x4 image matrix, either presenting 12 positive approach (happy), negative approach (angry), or negative withdrawal (sad) faces for 200 ms. Each matrix was followed by a single neutral face image …

Effects Of Acute Exercise Intensity On Memory: Considerations Of Timing And Aerobic Endurance, William Meyers, Caroline Loeb, Mary Collins West, Bailey Bass

Honors Theses

The primary objective of this study was to find the optimal acute exercise intensity and post-exercise recovery time to enhance memory retention. A secondary objective of study was to evaluate the influence of aerobic endurance on memory and whether endurance capacity interacts with exercise intensity and post-exercise recovery period to influence memory performance. Participants were 54 undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Mississippi, with an age range of 18-23 years. Participants completed 13 visits in total. The first visit evaluated their aerobic endurance, with the remaining 12 visits including a 3 (Intensity: Control, Moderate, Vigorous) by 4 (Post-Exercise …

Alzheimer's And Patient Caregiver Burnout: A Review Of The Literature, Madeline Hekeler

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The term “silent epidemic” is fitting for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as its negative impact is widely felt but rarely discussed. Burnout among AD caregivers has become an epidemic of its own as caregivers experience an increase in health risks, stress, and financial burden. This literature review focuses on caregiver burnout and how imperative it is that caregivers are better supported in their role. Researchers have developed instruments to assess and intervene in caregiver burnout that have shown effectiveness among caregivers and their families.Nevertheless, further longitudinal research is warranted regarding more effective interventions, including stress management and social support mechanisms.

The Relationship Between Attitudes Towards Exercise And Endorphin Release On Cognitive Performance Following Treadmill Running, Chance Swanson, Alex Ficarro, Timothy Schoenfeld Phd

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Exercise is cost-effective and reliably suggested to rescue cognitive decline in aging populations (Gomez-Pinilla & Hillman, 2013; Karssemeijer et al., 2017). In addition, exercise enhances cognitive functioning across the lifespan (Ellemberg & St. Louis-Deschenes, 2010; Jentsch & Wolf, 2020; Roig et al., 2013), however the specific mechanisms of exercise that enhance cognition are still unclear. Because exercise is linked with the brain’s opioid system (Farrell et al., 1982), the purpose of this project is to determine how the opioid system is activated by exercise to affect cognitive functioning. Additionally, we know that acute exercise enhances cognitive function and releases beta-endorphins, …

Influence Of Core Temperature On Psychomotor Performance During Cold Weather Military Training, Douglas Jones, Rebecca Weller, Stephen Eggan, Nicholas Roberts, Weimin Zheng, Jay Heaney, Timothy Dunn

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Purpose: Cold environments may deteriorate psychomotor performance due to slowing of neuronal signals, distractions caused by pain and discomfort, and a loss of manual dexterity. The extent to which core temperature (T_c) influences psychomotor performance in the cold has not been established. Therefore, psychomotor performance and T_c were assessed during a cold weather military training exercise to evaluate this relationship.

Methods: Thirty-six military personnel (age: 26 ± 4 yr, ht: 175 ± 8 cm, wt: 79.1 ± 11.1 kg) participating in cold weather training volunteered for this study. Participants completed a 10-min immersion in cold (1°C) water, …

Self-Conscious Emotions And The Right Fronto-Temporal And Right Temporal Parietal Junction, Adriana Lavarco, Nathira Ahmad, Qiana Archer, Matthew Pardillo, Ray Nunez Castaneda, Anthony Minervini, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

For more than two decades, research focusing on both clinical and non-clinical populations has suggested a key role for specific regions in the regulation of self-conscious emotions. It is speculated that both the expression and the interpretation of self-conscious emotions are critical in humans for action planning and response, communication, learning, parenting, and most social encounters. Empathy, Guilt, Jealousy, Shame, and Pride are all categorized as self-conscious emotions, all of which are crucial components to one’s sense of self. There has been an abundance of evidence pointing to the right Fronto-Temporal involvement in the integration of cognitive processes underlying the …

Dual Task Performance Is Associated With Amyloidosis In Cognitively Healthy Adults, Jason K. Longhurst, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Samantha E. John, Brach Poston, J. V. Rider, A. M. Salazar, V. R. Mishra, A. Ritter, J. Z. Caldwell, J. B. Miller, Jefferson W. Kinney, Merrill R. Landers

Brain Health Faculty Research

Background: Preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) provides an opportunity for the study and implementation of interventions and strategies aimed at delaying, mitigating, and preventing AD. While this preclinical state is an ideal target, it is difficult to identify efficiently and cost-effectively. Recent findings have suggested that cognitive-motor dual task paradigms may provide additional inference. Objectives: Investigate the relationship between dual task performance and amyloidosis, suggestive of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease and whether dual task performance provides additional information beyond a cognitive composite, to help in the identification of amyloidosis. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Outpatient specialty brain health clinical research institution in the United …

Toward A Multimodal Computer-Aided Diagnostic Tool For Alzheimer’S Disease Conversion, Danilo Pena, Jessika Suescun, Mya Schiess, Timothy M. Ellmore, Luca Giancardo, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Publications and Research

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It is one of the leading sources of morbidity and mortality in the aging population AD cardinal symptoms include memory and executive function impairment that profoundly alters a patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living. People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) exhibit many of the early clinical symptoms of patients with AD and have a high chance of converting to AD in their lifetime. Diagnostic criteria rely on clinical assessment and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many groups are working to help automate this process to improve the clinical workflow. Current …

Implementation Of A Program To Support Direct Support Professionals To Promote A Healthy Lifestyle For People With Moderate To Profound Intellectual Disabilities, A. Overwijk, Thessa Hilgenkamp, C. P. Van Der Schans, W. P. Krijnen, K. Vlot-Van Anrooij, A. A.J. Van Der Putten, A. Waninge

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Background: There is a lack of theory-based interventions for direct support professionals (DSPs) to support a healthy lifestyle for people with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities (ID) despite their major role in this. This study aims to evaluate the preparation, implementation, and preliminary outcomes of a theory-based training and education program for DSPs to learn how to support these individuals. Methods: The program consisting of e-learning, three in-person sessions, and three assignments was implemented. The implementation process was evaluated with a mixed method design with the following components: preparation phase, implementation phase, and the outcomes. These components were measured with …

Pain Sentience Criteria And Their Grading, Eva Jablonka, Simona Ginsburg

Animal Sentience

On the basis of the target article by Crump and colleagues, we suggest a more parsimonious scheme for evaluating the evidence for sentience. Since some of the criteria used by Crump et al. are not independent and some are uninformative we exclude some criteria and amalgamate others. We propose that evidence of flexible learning and prioritization, in conjunction with relevant data on brain organization, is sufficient for assigning pain-sentience to an animal and we suggest a scoring scheme based on four criteria.

Truly Minimal Criteria For Animal Sentience, Mark Solms

Animal Sentience

The criteria for determining animal sentience proposed in the target article are sensible but they lack an explicit functional justification for the focus on pain. This commentary provides an abbreviated account of the most basic functional principles that underpin animal sentience and articulates some minimal criteria for determining its presence.

No Need For Certainty In Animal Sentience, Yew Kwang Ng

Animal Sentience

This commentary supports Crump et al.’s (2022) point that where risks to welfare are severe, strong evidence of sentience is sufficient to warrant protecting welfare. Crump et al.’s eight criteria for sentience are also useful. Flexible decision-making (5) and flexible behaviour (6) are consistent with Ng (1995). The concession that the “no-need-for-sentience” proposition is unnecessary also strengthens the importance of the target article’s conclusions.

Fine-Tuning The Criteria For Inferring Sentience, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

“Sentience” means the capacity to feel, and feelings are private affairs. Sentience is hence extremely difficult to quantify in nonhuman animals. We have no direct means of determining whether an animal is sentient. Thus we rely on a series of indirect measures or criteria which collectively provide some level of confidence about the probability that an animal is sentient. Crump et al. propose a modified framework based on 8 criteria for estimating the likelihood of sentience in a target taxon. Whereas I very much like their proposed framework, I would suggest a couple of amendments that may improve it further: …

Emotional Component Of Pain Perception In The Medicinal Leech?, Brian D. Burrell

Animal Sentience

Crump et al. have provided a series of criteria to assess animal sentience that is focused on the perception of pain, which is known to have both sensory and emotional components. They also provide a qualitative scoring system to assess data that address the eight criteria and apply this paradigm to decapod crustaceans. The criteria laid out have the potential to be applied to other invertebrates typically thought to have sensory response to tissue damage, but no emotional component to pain perception.

Generalizing Frameworks For Sentience Beyond Natural Species, Michael Levin

Animal Sentience

Crump et al. (2022) offer a well-argued example of an essential development: a rigorous framework for assessing sentience from the perspective of moral concern over an agent’s welfare. Current and forthcoming developments in bioengineering, synthetic morphology, artificial intelligence, biorobotics, and exobiology necessitate an expansion and generalization of this effort. Verbal reports (the Turing Test) and homology to human brains are utterly inadequate criteria for assessing the status of novel, unconventional agents that offer no familiar touchstone of phylogeny or anatomy. We must develop principled approaches to evaluating the sentience of (and thus, our responsibility to) beings of unfamiliar provenance and …

Sentience In Decapods: An Open Question, Mark Briffa

Animal Sentience

Crump et al.’s framework is a powerful tool designed to assist decisions on the ethical treatment of decapod crustaceans. However, the question of whether decapods are sentient (i.e., whether they feel), remains open, perhaps indefinitely. More optimistically, we might design experiments that distinguish among different levels of awareness, sometimes viewed as components of sentience. We should strike a balance between assuming that all organisms are sentient and making unnecessary anatomical assumptions about sentience. Refining current experiments may provide concrete insights about awareness in Decapoda and other taxa.

Does The Sentience Framework Imply All Animals Are Sentient?, Kristin Andrews

Animal Sentience

The eight criteria proposed in Crump et al.’s framework for evaluating pain sentience in decapod crustaceans are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to markers that could increase confidence in an animal’s sentience more generally. Some of the commentaries have already pointed out that pain is only one kind of sentience (Souza Valente). It has also already been pointed out that there are other criteria for pain that could be usefully added to the framework’s eight (Burrell). This expansive thinking about criteria that can be used to increase confidence in sentience raisess the question: in an expansive …