Memory tests

Category Test 67 total errors Speech-Sounds Perception 3 errors Seashore Rhythm 30 raw I ranked score Revised Vlechsler Memory Test ... 

Algeri S., Biagini L., Manfridi A, Pitsikas N. (1991). Age-related ability of rats kept on a life-long hypocaloric diet in a spatial memory test. Longitudinal observations. Neurobiol. Aging 12, 277-82. 

Hall JL, Gonder-Fredrick LA, Chewing WW, Silvera J and Gold PE (1989). Glucose enhancement of performance on memory tests in young and aged humans. Neuropsychologica, 27, 1129-1138. 

Scheduled and controlled operant responses as learning and memory tests were examined with several pyrethroids, and the data showed that pyrethroids produced dose-related decreases of operant response rates [34-36]. However, interpretation of these data may be difficult due to their dependence upon the integrated performance of several neurobiological systems (e.g., motor coordination, sensory response, and crossmodal association) [21]. 

To confirm their results and check for methodological problems, some studies have been carried out. As there was a probability that hypothermic conditions during temporary removal from dam may have affected the results, Pauluhn and Schmuck administered S-bioallethrin and deltamethrin to neonatal mice from postnatal day 10 to 16 under a hypo-, normo-, or hyperthermic environment, and measured the MAChR density at the age of 17 days [51]. Increase in MAChR in Cortex at PND 17 in animals treated with S-bioallethrin was observed. Meanwhile, no changes were observed in animals treated with deltamethrin. In addition, an enormous influence of environmental temperature on the density of MAChR receptors in the crude synaptosomal fraction of the cerebral cortex was ascertained. Tsuji et al. exposed mouse dams with their litters to D-allethrin by inhalation for 6 h from postnatal day 10 to 16. The inhalation administration method is the most relevant route of exposure for humans, including babies and infants, after indoor use of D-allethrin. The neonatal exposure to D-allethrin by inhalation did not induce effects either on the brain MAChR density or motor activity at 17 days and 4 months of age, or on performance in the leaming/memory test at 11 months of age [52]. Other unpublished studies with D-allethrin, S -bioallethrin, or deltamethrin were examined to confirm the results of Eriksson et al. and showed inconsistent results [53]. The reasons for discrepancy among these findings are unknown. 

The important point in the present context is that these cognitive abilities do not come for free. It is clear that high levels of intensionality are extremely difficult to cope with in computational terms. Kinderman et al. (in press), for example, tested normal adults with a series of tests similar to those used in standard ToM tests but which allowed for up to fifth order intensionality (as opposed to the conventional second order of standard ToM false belief tests). At the same time, subjects were also given tests of environmental causal relationships that required only memory of a sequence of events. Memory tests involved causal relationships of up to sixth orders of embeddness ( A caused B which caused C which. caused F ). Error rates on memory tasks varied fairly uniformly between 5-15% across the six levels of embeddness with no significant trends in contrast, error rates on the ToM tasks increased exponentially with order of embeddness (i.e. intensionality). 

A study of experienced cannabis smokers tested them on cognitive measures using two doses (1.75% or 3.55%) and placebo (Wilson et al. 1994). The functions most sensitive to the effects of THC were mental processing speed (digit-symbol substitution) and reaction time. When compared with cannabis nonusers, chronic users of cannabis—with a mean duration of use of 6.76 years and an average daily intake of 150 mg of THC—were found to have slower reactions on perceptuo-motor tasks, but no differences on intelligence or memory tests (Varma et al. 1988). 

Durkin T. 1992. GABAergic mediation of indirect transsynap-tic control over basal and spatial memory testing-induced activation of septo-hippocampal cholinergic activity in mice. Behavioral Brain Research 50(1-2) 155-165. 

Ragozzino ME, Unick KE, Gold PE. 1996. Hippocampal acetylcholine release during memory testing in rats augmentation by glucose. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93(10) 4693-4698. 

HR 74 Very cooperative about lying down for vital signs. Able to name playing cards correctly. Dr. Ketchum Sort out cards in the four suits. Subject sorted out several piles, all incorrectly. Subject Get that song out of here. Hail to the Chief. Did very poorly on memory test. Question How long have you been here A. I don t know. I ll find out in a day or two. Q. What would you do if lost in the woods Subject mumbles on and on. Most of speech not understandable. Answers that are understandable are irrelevant. Timber Dr. K I ll see you later. This subject sat beside other subject while he was being interviewed. 

Grisaru N, Yaroslavsky U, Abarbanel J, et al Transcranial magnetic stimulation in depression and schizophrenia. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 4 287-288, 1994 Grober E, Buschke H, Crystal H, et al Screening for dementia by memory testing. Neurology 38 900-903, 1988... 

Jakala P, Sirvio J, Riekkinen P, et al Effects of p-chlorophenylalanine and methysergide on the performance of a working memory test. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 44 411-418, 1993... 

Incongruities such as the dream character who has the physical attributes of one person that we know and the face of another illustrate an indiscriminate but perhaps functionally significant over-inclusiveness in the categories of unconscious memory systems. We can get at this process by using semantic memory tests of subjects awakened from REM and tested both immediately and later when the sleep inertia is over. Compared to waking and to NREM sleep, we find the expected REM enhancement of weak primes (i.e., loose associations) but, to our surprise, not of strong primes (strong associations). 

In contrast to these positive effects of nicotine on memory, three studies86 93 110 reported no effect of nicotine on tests of immediate and delayed recall in nicotine-deprived smokers, and Houston et al.111 reported that immediate and delayed recall was impaired after smoking a nicotine cigarette compared to a nicotine-free cigarette. In studies of nondeprived smokers or nonsmokers, two reported that nicotine improved some aspects of memory in patients with Alzheimer s disease,77 112 two found enhanced reaction time on the Sternberg memory test,78,109 four reported no effect of nicotine on tests of immediate and delayed recall,76,77 91,113 and two found that nicotine polacrilex impaired immediate and/or delayed recall accuracy.83,114 Foulds et al.79 reported that SC nicotine enhanced response time but decreased accuracy in a digit recall test in nonsmokers. 

The most widely studied aspect of cognition with respect to benzodiazepines is memory.12 163 One of the most reliable effects of benzodiazepines is to impair recall of information presented after drug administration (anterograde amnesia). In contrast, information presented before administration of benzodiazepines is not affected. The memory decrement produced by benzodiazepines is a function of task difficulty, such that little or no impairment is observed for immediate recall of a few items, whereas more complex or delayed memory tests reveal profound impairment.12 The benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil has been used to block the sedative effects of benzodiazepines, but the amnestic effect was not affected, suggesting that benzodiazepine-induced amnesia is independent of sedation.122,164 It has also been demonstrated that some benzodiazepines selec-... 

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