Patterns of prospective and retrospective memory impairment in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

Forty-six preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) participants and 188 nondemented control persons from the Kungsholmen Project (L. B?ckman et al., 2004) were compared on prospective memory (ProM) and retrospective memory (RetM) tasks 3 years before dementia diagnosis. The preclinical AD participants showed deficits in both ProM and RetM. Most interestingly, logistic regression analyses revealed that ProM made an independent contribution to the prediction of AD over and above that of RetM. This finding suggests that ProM and RetM tap partly different cognitive operations. Furthermore, within the ProM task, both the retrospective and prospective components were similarly impaired in preclinical AD. Within RetM, the preclinical AD participants were impaired on indices of encoding, storage (forgetting), and retrieval of information. Hence, the findings indicate a rather global episodic memory impairment in preclinical AD that cuts across type of memory assessed (ProM and RetM) as well as across different components of both the ProM and RetM tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Everyday memory compensation: The impact of cognitive reserve, subjective memory, and stress.

To determine the potential importance of several unexplored covariates of everyday memory compensation, the authors examined relations between responses on the Memory Compensation Questionnaire (a self-report measure of everyday memory compensation) and cognitive reserve (education and verbal IQ), subjective memory, and life stress in 66 older adults (mean age = 70.55 years). Key results indicated that compensation occurred in people (a) whose IQ level was greater than their education level (representing cognitive reserve “discordance”) but not in people whose IQ was commensurate with their education (representing cognitive reserve “concordance”); (b) who had greater perceived memory errors; and (c) who experienced heightened stress. Further, high-stress older adults compensated whether perceived memory errors were low or high, but low-stress older adults compensated only if they perceived high memory errors. Bootstrapped confidence intervals around model betas provided further support for estimate reliability. These results suggest boundary conditions for the concept of cognitive reserve, and highlight the importance of subjective memory and life stress for defining contexts in which compensation may occur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory encoding and retrieval in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Memory encoding and retrieval strategies were assessed in patients with behavior-executive variant frontotemporal dementia (FTD), language variant FTD, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) using verbal and visuospatial supraspan learning tests. FTD patients obtained higher free recall, cued recall, and recognition scores than AD patients. Comparison of free recall scores with cued recall and recognition scores was similar in the 3 dementia groups. Groups did not differ in semantic clustering strategies during learning, but serial-order recall was more common in FTD patients. These data do not support the idea that FTD patients' poor memory is due to a selective retrieval disorder, though FTD patients may fail to implement sophisticated organizational strategies during learning. FTD patients' retained capacity for encoding new information into long-term declarative memory is likely due to relatively spared medial temporal lobe involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

HIV-associated prospective memory impairment increases risk of dependence in everyday functioning.

HIV infection is associated with impairments in prospective memory (ProM), an aspect of episodic memory that refers to the ability to execute a future intention, such as remembering to take a medication at a specific time. The current study sought to examine the relationship between HIV-associated ProM impairment and the successful management of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). In a cohort of 66 HIV-infected individuals, ProM accounted for a significant proportion of variance in self-reported IADL dependence, over and above that which was explained by retrospective memory and by current affective distress. Analysis of component cognitive processes revealed that the relationship between HIV-associated ProM deficits and IADL dependence was driven by impaired cue detection and by deficits in self-initiated intention retrieval. Results were not better explained by demographic factors, HIV disease severity, psychiatric comorbidity, or substance use. Collectively, these data support the potential incremental ecological validity of ProM as a predictor of dependence in IADLs among persons living with HIV infection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory training and strategy use in older adults: Results from the ACTIVE study.

Little is known about the long-term effects of memory training in later life on strategy use. Data from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study (n = 1,401) were used to describe strategy use in a community-dwelling sample of older adults. Strategy clustering scores on verbal list learning tasks of episodic memory were used to test the impact of memory training on strategy use and study longitudinal associations between strategy clustering, memory performance, and everyday functioning. Results suggested that younger, female, white, healthier, and more educated participants show higher strategy clustering scores initially but no characteristics were consistently associated with different trajectories in strategy clustering across all strategy clustering measures together. Memory training had significant immediate effects on all measures of strategy use that were maintained through five years of follow-up. With respect to longitudinal mediation, pre-post training changes in most strategy clustering scores mediate changes in objective memory performance and everyday functioning, implying that strategies can be modified and are closely related to both memory ability and the ability to function independently. This study provides evidence that older adults can be trained to use cognitive strategies, the effects are durable, and strategies are associated with memory and everyday functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory evaluation in Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers' appraisals and objective testing

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if caregivers are reliable informants concerning memory deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). DESIGN: Responses of caregivers of patients with probable AD and responses of healthy control subjects on a standardized memory questionnaire were compared with objective measures of cognition (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease neuropsychological battery) and with clinical estimates of activities of daily living, depression, and psychopathology (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease [CERAD] clinical assessment battery) using the Self-report Memory Questionnaire. SETTING: A federally funded AD research center. SUBJECTS: The referred sample included 117 patients with probable AD, their informants, and 41 healthy control subjects age-matched to the patients. Patients and control subjects were between the ages of 58 and 85 years, had between 9 and 19 years of education, and were in good health. EXCLUSIONS: Patients who did not meet NINCDS-ADRDA criteria of probable AD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The optimal number of questionnaire items yielding the best combination of sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: An abbreviated version of the scale, renamed the Short-Memory Questionnaire, had excellent specificity and sensitivity for identifying dementia. Positive and negative predictive values were 63.5% and near 100%, respectively. The Short-Memory Questionnaire showed good reliability, internal consistency, and external validity. Caregiver appraisals of memory deficits significantly correlated with objective measures of memory and also with generalized cognitive dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers of patients with AD are reliable informants of their relatives' deficits. The Short-Memory Questionnaire is an easily administered, informant-based scale that may be useful in clinical settings or epidemiologic studies to screen out persons with memory difficulties.     

Psychometric properties of the Accident Fear Questionnaire: An analysis based on motor vehicle accident survivors in a rehabilitation setting.

ABSTRACT. Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Accident Fear Questionnaire (AFQ; K. Kuch, B. J. Cox, & D. M. Direnfeld, 1995), a self-rated instrument developed for efficient screening of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobic avoidance after involvement in a motor vehicle accident (MVA). Participants: One hundred thirteen individuals receiving rehabilitation after an MVA. Setting: Tertiary rehabilitation center. Main Measures: The AFQ, comprising a 10-item accident profile and a 10-item phobic avoidance (PA) subscale; a structured clinical interview; and other self-report measures of psychopathology, personality and pain. Results: Correlations between the AFQ-PA total score and measures of psychopathology and personality indicated adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Patients diagnosed with PTSD or accident phobia scored higher on the AFQ-PA subscale and 6 of its 10 items than did those with neither diagnosis. An AFQ-PA cutoff score of 15 appears suitable for screening of patients in a rehabilitation setting. Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that the AFQ-PA was the only self-report measure that possessed incremental power over and above general negative affectivity in predicting group membership… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrinsic motivation in schizophrenia: Relationships to cognitive function, depression, anxiety, and personality.

The goal of the current project was to assess subjective reports of intrinsic motivation and their relationship to cognitive function, mood, and personality in schizophrenia. The authors used the Motivational Trait Questionnaire to examine 3 components of intrinsic motivation (personal mastery, competitive excellence, motivation related to anxiety). They also examined fluid intelligence, context processing, and working memory, as well as self-reports of mood and personal traits related to motivation. Participants were 66 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 44 healthy controls. Self-reports of personal mastery and competitive excellence did not differ between controls and individuals with schizophrenia, though patients did report significantly higher motivation related to anxiety. Among controls, but not patients, self-reports of intrinsic motivation were strongly related to cognitive performance. In contrast, both controls and patients showed similar strong relationships between self-reports of intrinsic motivation and related measures of mood and personality. These results are not consistent with the hypothesis that motivational deficits in schizophrenia reflect impairments in intrinsic motivation. However, they do suggest that the normal relationship between self-reports of intrinsic motivation and cognitive function is disrupted in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability and validity of the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire.

The development and psychometric properties of the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ), a self-report measure of memory ability (Self-Efficacy Level) and confidence (Self-Efficacy Strength), are described. The MSEQ was rationally constructed using 50 memory items with face and content validity. The MSEQ and its alternate versions were examined in three experiments with younger and older adult samples. Satisfactory estimates of internal consistency and test–retest stability were obtained. Canonical correlation analyses provided preliminary support for the MSEQ's criterion and construct validity. Although additional psychometric work is needed, this initial investigation of the MSEQ suggests that it may be a useful tool for research on memory self-evaluation in adult age groups. Reliability and validity are strong, the questionnaire shows expected adult age differences in self-evaluation, and the theoretical framework of self-efficacy provides useful hypotheses regarding developmental changes and individual differences in self-evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory functioning in children and adolescents with autism.

Objective: Memory functioning in children and adolescents ages 5–19 with autism (n = 50) and typically developing controls (n = 36) was assessed using a clinical assessment battery, the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL). Method: Participant groups were statistically comparable in age, nonverbal IQ, handedness, and head circumference, and were administered the TOMAL. Results: Test performance on the TOMAL demonstrated broad differences in memory functioning in the autism group, across multiple task formats, including verbal and nonverbal, immediate and delayed, attention and concentration, sequential recall, free recall, associative recall, and multiple-trial learning memory. All index and nearly all subtest differences remained significant even after comparing a subset of the autism group (n = 36) and controls that were matched for verbal IQ (p > .05). However, retention of previously remembered information after a delay was similar in autism and controls. Conclusions: These findings indicate that performance on measures of episodic memory is broadly reduced in autism, and support the conclusion that information encoding and organization, possibly due to inefficient cognitive processing strategies, rather than storage and retrieval, are the primary factors that limit memory performance in autism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity of observer ratings of the five-factor model of personality traits: A meta-analysis.

Conclusions reached in previous research about the magnitude and nature of personality–performance linkages have been based almost exclusively on self-report measures of personality. The purpose of this study is to address this void in the literature by conducting a meta-analysis of the relationship between observer ratings of the five-factor model (FFM) personality traits and overall job performance. Our results show that the operational validities of FFM traits based on observer ratings are higher than those based on self-report ratings. In addition, the results show that when based on observer ratings, all FFM traits are significant predictors of overall performance. Further, observer ratings of FFM traits show meaningful incremental validity over self-reports of corresponding FFM traits in predicting overall performance, but the reverse is not true. We conclude that the validity of FFM traits in predicting overall performance is higher than previously believed, and our results underscore the importance of disentangling the validity of personality traits from the method of measurement of the traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validity of sensation seeking and curiosity measures of normal and psychotic subjects.

In a study with 27 art students, 26 teacher trainees, and 30 hospitalized schizophrenics, self-report and performance measures of curiosity (e.g., the Shipley-Institute of Living Scale for Assessing Intellectual Impairment, a modified Barron Welsh Art Scale, and the Specific Curiosity Questionnaire) were examined for internal consistency, discriminant validity from social desirability, intelligence and anxiety measures, and for convergent validity. In performance tasks, generalizability of results from random polygons to art products was examined. Results show that self-report measures were limited psychometrically and were not unitary scales, while performance measures confounded method and stimulus variance. Both types of measure overlapped with discriminant variables, but self-report measures overlapped more. Convergent validity was greater for self-report than performance tests. No factor united all variables. There was some support for generalizing from polygons to paintings. (French summary) (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of interview and self-report methods for the assessment of borderline personality disorder criteria.

Interview methods are widely regarded as the standard for the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD), whereas self-report methods are considered a time-efficient alternative. However, the relative validity of these methods has not been sufficiently tested. The current study used data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality disorder Study to compare diagnostic base rates and the relative validity of interview and self-report methods for assessing functional outcome in BPD. Although self-report yielded higher base rates of criteria endorsement, results did not support the common assumption that diagnostic interviews are more valid than self-reports, but instead indicated the combined use of these methods optimally identifies BPD criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Furthering the Use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: Reliability With Younger Child Respondents.

A sample of 917 children, aged 7 to 17 years, their parents, and their teachers each completed the appropriate version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and 120 from each group did so again 2 weeks later. The results indicate that the SDQ demonstrates sound interinformant and test-retest reliability. Younger children, whose self-reports have not been assessed in previous studies, were reliable in their responding, although not as reliable as older children by these measures. However, the internal reliability of the various subscales, in particular, the peer problems subscale, is questionable for both older and younger child respondents. Overall the findings suggest that the SDQ's use may be extended cautiously to include self-report from younger children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental and intellectual differences in self-report and strategy use.

The veridicality and reactivity of children's self-report of covert and overt memory strategies were investigated in a task allowing a direct comparison of self-report and the strategy observed. External memory strategies (e.g., moving objects) were investigated with 7-, 9-, 11-, and 17-year-old typical children and 11- and 17-year-old children with mild mental retardation. Participants placed objects in specified spatial locations after hearing sequences of tape-recorded sentences. After each trial, half of the children immediately reported the strategy used. There were strong positive correlations between the frequency of reported strategy use and observed strategy use. Self-reports were accurate but not always complete. There was no effect of the self-reporting procedure on measures of verbal strategies, external memory strategies, and accuracy of recall. Children were less likely to report strategies not related to recall; these results are compatible with a "goal-sketch" mechanism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Generality of Working Memory Capacity: A Latent-Variable Approach to Verbal and Visuospatial Memory Span and Reasoning.

A latent-variable study examined whether verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) capacity measures reflect a primarily domain-general construct by testing 236 participants in 3 span tests each of verbal WM. visuospatial WM, verbal short-term memory (STM), and visuospatial STM. as well as in tests of verbal and spatial reasoning and general fluid intelligence (Gf). Confirmatory' factor analyses and structural equation models indicated that the WM tasks largely reflected a domain-general factor, whereas STM tasks, based on the same stimuli as the WM tasks, were much more domain specific. The WM construct was a strong predictor of Gf and a weaker predictor of domain-specific reasoning, and the reverse was true for the STM construct. The findings support a domain-general view of WM capacity, in which executive-attention processes drive the broad predictive utility of WM span measures, and domain-specific storage and rehearsal processes relate more strongly to domain-specific aspects of complex cognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal and nonverbal memory processing in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Its relationship to clinical variables.

Memory deficits have been reported in several neuropsychological studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Dysfunction in nonverbal memory has been consistently reported, whereas findings on verbal memory are more heterogeneous. The authors studied 50 patients with OCD who were matched for sex, age, educational level, and hand dominance with 50 healthy controls (HC). Cognitive performance in both groups was assessed on verbal and nonverbal memory tasks, and several clinical variables were also assessed in the patient group. Patients with OCD showed a pattern of cognitive dysfunction with alterations in areas of nonverbal memory (recall and recognition), and verbal memory (learning and recall). Older age at onset of OCD was associated with poorer performance on verbal memory tasks. Low scores on some verbal memory tasks were associated with severity of OCD, and nonverbal memory was influenced by depressive symptoms. The study suggests the existence of dysfunction in the execution of verbal and nonverbal memory tasks in OCD; the influence of clinical variables depends on the specific neuropsychological function. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised within a comprehensive neuropsychological battery.

Performed 2 principal factor analyses to examine the construct validity of the Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised (WMS—R) and to determine whether abstraction and memory factors can be extracted from the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery (HRNB) results. Results from 237 patients support the validity of the verbal memory, delayed recall, and attention and concentration indices of the WMS—R but not the visual memory indices. No separate abstraction factor was found, and none of the HRNB measures loaded substantially on the memory factors defined by WMS—R subtests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospective memory in an air traffic control simulation: External aids that signal when to act.

At work and in our personal life we often need to remember to perform intended actions at some point in the future, referred to as Prospective Memory. Individuals sometimes forget to perform intentions in safety-critical work contexts. Holding intentions can also interfere with ongoing tasks. We applied theories and methods from the experimental literature to test the effectiveness of external aids in reducing prospective memory error and costs to ongoing tasks in an air traffic control simulation. Participants were trained to accept and hand-off aircraft and to detect aircraft conflicts. For the prospective memory task, participants were required to substitute alternative actions for routine actions when accepting target aircraft. Across two experiments, external display aids were provided that presented the details of target aircraft and associated intended actions. We predicted that aids would only be effective if they provided information that was diagnostic of target occurrence, and in this study, we examined the utility of aids that directly cued participants when to allocate attention to the prospective memory task. When aids were set to flash when the prospective memory target aircraft needed to be accepted, prospective memory error and costs to ongoing tasks of aircraft acceptance and conflict detection were reduced. In contrast, aids that did not alert participants specifically when the target aircraft were present provided no advantage compared to when no aids were used. These findings have practical implications for the potential relative utility of automated external aids for occupations where individuals monitor multi-item dynamic displays. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)