scholarly journals Not All Distraction Is Bad: Working Memory Vulnerability to Implicit Socioemotional Distraction Correlates with Negative Symptoms and Functional Impairment in Psychosis

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Quintino R. Mano ◽  
Gregory G. Brown ◽  
Heline Mirzakhanian ◽  
Khalima Bolden ◽  
Kristen S. Cadenhead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Global Assessment ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Role Functioning ◽  
Global Assessment Of Functioning ◽  
Match To Sample ◽  
Task Irrelevant ◽  
Load Size

This study investigated implicit socioemotional modulation of working memory (WM) in the context of symptom severity and functional status in individuals with psychosis (N=21). A delayed match-to-sample task was modified wherein task-irrelevant facial distracters were presented early and briefly during the rehearsal of pseudoword memoranda that varied incrementally in load size (1, 2, or 3 syllables). Facial distracters displayed happy, sad, or emotionally neutral expressions. Implicit socioemotional modulation of WM was indexed by subtracting task accuracy on nonfacial geometrical distraction trials from facial distraction trials. Results indicated that the amount of implicit socioemotional modulation ofhighWM load accuracy was significantly associated with negative symptoms (r=0.63,P<0.01), role functioning (r=−0.50,P<0.05), social functioning (r=−0.55,P<0.01), and global assessment of functioning (r=−0.53,P<0.05). Specifically,greaterattentional distraction ofhighWM load was associated withlesssevere symptoms and functional impairment. This study demonstrates the importance of the WM-socioemotional interface in influencing clinical and psychosocial functional status in psychosis.

The Case of the Cognitive (Opti)miser: Electrophysiological Correlates of Working Memory Maintenance Predict Demand Avoidance

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 1550-1561
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Nador ◽  
Assaf Harel ◽  
Ion Juvina ◽  
Brandon Minnery
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Match To Sample ◽  
Irrelevant Distractors ◽  
Filtering Efficiency ◽  
Task Irrelevant

People are often considered cognitive misers. When given a free choice between two tasks, people tend to choose tasks requiring less cognitive effort. Such demand avoidance (DA) is associated with cognitive control, but it is still not clear to what extent individual differences in cognitive control can account for variations in DA. We sought to elucidate the relation between cognitive control and cognitive effort preferences by investigating the extent to which sustained neural activity in a task requiring cognitive control is correlated with DA. We hypothesized that neural measures of efficient filtering will predict individual variations in demand preferences. To test this hypothesis, we had participants perform a delayed-match-to-sample paradigm with their ERPs recorded, as well as a separate behavioral demand-selection task. We focused on the ERP correlates of cognitive filtering efficiency (CFE)—the ability to ignore task-irrelevant distractors during working memory maintenance—as it manifests in a modulation of the contralateral delay activity, an ERP correlate of cognitive control. As predicted, we found a significant positive correlation between CFE and DA. Individuals with high CFE tended to be significantly more demand avoidant than their low-CFE counterparts. Low-CFE individuals, in comparison, did not form distinct cognitive effort preferences. Overall, our results suggest that cognitive control over the contents of visual working memory contribute to individual differences in the expression of cognitive effort preferences. This further implies that these observed preferences are the product of sensitivity to cognitive task demands.

Levels and correlates of disability in life skills among patients with schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaher H. Hamaideh ◽  
Ayman Hamdan-Mansour ◽  
Ayat A. Alhamdan
Keyword(s):  
Life Skills ◽  
Global Assessment ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Global Assessment Of Functioning ◽  
Duration Of Treatment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Functioning

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disability disorder that affects all life aspects including life functioning, general well-being, and overall life skills resulting in prominent impairments in life functioning. Objectives: There are scarcity of data regarding life skills and disabilities among patients with schizophrenia in Jordan; therefore, this study was conducted to assess life skills and disabilities and its correlates among Jordanian patients with schizophrenia. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was used to collect data using convenience sampling technique from 250 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. Data were collected using a questionnaire that consisted of demographic variables, Life Skills Profile, Global Assessment of Functioning, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Results: Level of disability in life skills was 89.23. The highest disability level was in social contact and in communication domains, and the lowest was in responsibility domain. There are differences in disability levels regarding family history of psychiatric illness, marital and employment status, and number of previous hospitalizations. Five factors (negative symptoms, global assessment of functioning, psychopathology symptoms, duration of treatment, and positive symptoms) predicted the disability in life skills and accounted for 65% of the total variance. Conclusions: Planning and conducting life skills programs that aims to enhance communication and social interaction that may help patients to improve their life skills are required. Also, treatment modalities that aimed to decrease the illness symptoms may improve life skills among patients with schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Associations of psychotic-like experiences, related symptoms, and working memory with functioning

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte A. Chun ◽  
Shanna Cooper ◽  
Lauren M. Ellman
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Role Functioning ◽  
Symptom Dimensions ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Overall Functioning

Abstract This study examined the association of spatial working memory and attenuated psychotic-like experiences and related symptoms with social and role functioning. Findings from this study suggest that symptom dimensions and working memory impairment were associated with diminished functioning across a variety of domains. Specifically, negative symptoms and working memory impairment were inversely associated with both social and role functioning, whereas positive and disorganized symptoms showed inverse associations with social functioning only. Symptom dimensions did not moderate cognitive and functional variables, although working memory and attenuated clinical symptoms had an additive effect on functioning. Post-hoc analyses examining symptom dimensions simultaneously showed negative symptoms to be the variable most strongly predictive of overall functioning. These findings suggest that even in a non-clinical sample, sub-threshold psychosis symptoms and cognition may influence people’s social and role functioning.

scholarly journals Auditory Working Memory Load Impairs Visual Ventral Stream Processing: Toward a Unified Model of Attentional Load

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Klemen ◽  
Christian Büchel ◽  
Mira Bühler ◽  
Mareike M. Menz ◽  
Michael Rose
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Memory Load ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Load Theory ◽  
Attentional Load ◽  
Relevant Task ◽  
Task Irrelevant

Attentional interference between tasks performed in parallel is known to have strong and often undesired effects. As yet, however, the mechanisms by which interference operates remain elusive. A better knowledge of these processes may facilitate our understanding of the effects of attention on human performance and the debilitating consequences that disruptions to attention can have. According to the load theory of cognitive control, processing of task-irrelevant stimuli is increased by attending in parallel to a relevant task with high cognitive demands. This is due to the relevant task engaging cognitive control resources that are, hence, unavailable to inhibit the processing of task-irrelevant stimuli. However, it has also been demonstrated that a variety of types of load (perceptual and emotional) can result in a reduction of the processing of task-irrelevant stimuli, suggesting a uniform effect of increased load irrespective of the type of load. In the present study, we concurrently presented a relevant auditory matching task [n-back working memory (WM)] of low or high cognitive load (1-back or 2-back WM) and task-irrelevant images at one of three object visibility levels (0%, 50%, or 100%). fMRI activation during the processing of the task-irrelevant visual stimuli was measured in the lateral occipital cortex and found to be reduced under high, compared to low, WM load. In combination with previous findings, this result is suggestive of a more generalized load theory, whereby cognitive load, as well as other types of load (e.g., perceptual), can result in a reduction of the processing of task-irrelevant stimuli, in line with a uniform effect of increased load irrespective of the type of load.

scholarly journals Symptom dimensions and functional impairment in early psychosis: More to the story than just negative symptoms

2013 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Fulford ◽  
Tara A. Niendam ◽  
Erin G. Floyd ◽  
Cameron S. Carter ◽  
Daniel H. Mathalon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Early Psychosis ◽  
Symptom Dimensions

Ethnic Differences on the Outcome Questionnaire

1995 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 875-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Scott Nebeker ◽  
Michael J. Lambert ◽  
Jonathan C. Huefner
Keyword(s):  
Managed Care ◽  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Care Provider ◽  
Personality Assessment ◽  
Global Assessment ◽  
Therapeutic Change ◽  
Outcome Questionnaire ◽  
Global Assessment Of Functioning ◽  
First Session

The Outcome Questionnaire is a 45-item inventory of client-reported symptoms and distress, used to track therapeutic change on a session-by-session basis. Data collected with the cooperation of a managed care provider were analyzed to note ethnic differences on the questionnaire. 1552 first session questionnaires were selected and mean total and subscale scores were analyzed using analysis-of-variance procedures for differences by ethnicity. No significant differences were found; however, significant ethnic differences on some items were noted, and these are reported with ethnic trends in clients' problems, diagnoses, and therapists' ratings on Global Assessment of Functioning. These findings were contrasted with those of other studies reporting ethnic differences on various measures such as IQ and personality assessment.

scholarly journals The effect of visual salience on memory-based choices

2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arezoo Pooresmaeili ◽  
Dominik R. Bach ◽  
Raymond J. Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Visual Selective Attention ◽  
Visual Salience ◽  
Perceptual Decision Making ◽  
Capacity Limitations ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Task Irrelevant

Deciding whether a stimulus is the “same” or “different” from a previous presented one involves integrating among the incoming sensory information, working memory, and perceptual decision making. Visual selective attention plays a crucial role in selecting the relevant information that informs a subsequent course of action. Previous studies have mainly investigated the role of visual attention during the encoding phase of working memory tasks. In this study, we investigate whether manipulation of bottom-up attention by changing stimulus visual salience impacts on later stages of memory-based decisions. In two experiments, we asked subjects to identify whether a stimulus had either the same or a different feature to that of a memorized sample. We manipulated visual salience of the test stimuli by varying a task-irrelevant feature contrast. Subjects chose a visually salient item more often when they looked for matching features and less often so when they looked for a nonmatch. This pattern of results indicates that salient items are more likely to be identified as a match. We interpret the findings in terms of capacity limitations at a comparison stage where a visually salient item is more likely to exhaust resources leading it to be prematurely parsed as a match.

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