Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T14:00:41.944Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Exploring the recollective experience during autobiographical memory retrieval in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2010

MUIREANN IRISH ,
BRIAN A. LAWLOR ,
SHANE M. O’MARA  and
ROBERT F. COEN
MUIREANN IRISH*
Affiliation:
Mercer’s Institute for Research on Aging, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
BRIAN A. LAWLOR
Affiliation:
Mercer’s Institute for Research on Aging, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
SHANE M. O’MARA
Affiliation:
Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
ROBERT F. COEN
Affiliation:
Mercer’s Institute for Research on Aging, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Muireann Irish, Mercer’s Institute for Research on Aging, Hospital 4, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland. E-mail: irishmu@tcd.ie or rcoen@stjames.ie
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Autonoetic consciousness refers to the ability to mentally transport oneself back in subjective time to relive elements of, or all, of a past event, and is compromised in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we investigate autobiographical memory (ABM) and the recollective experience in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). aMCI participants exhibited significant deficits compared with healthy elderly controls for both personal semantic and event detail components of ABM. These decrements were evident across all life epochs for episodic recall. Recall of an event that occurred 1 week previously, was tested in the same spatiotemporal context, and provided the greatest group dissociation, with elderly controls benefitting from a context-dependent memory effect. This reinstantiation of context did not ameliorate the anterograde deficits in the aMCI cohort, nor did it facilitate the mental reliving of these memories for either participant group. Whereas reliving judgments were comparable in both groups, aMCI participants exhibited a compromised capacity to generate vivid, self-referential visual imagery and to re-experience the original emotion of events. These contextual and experiential deficits extended beyond recently encountered events into remote epochs, and suggest a greater level of ABM impairment in aMCI than previously assumed. (JINS, 2010, 16, 546–555.)

Keywords

AgingAutonoetic consciousnessContext-dependent memoryEidetic imageryEmotionEpisodic memory
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , May 2010 , pp. 546 - 555
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Addis, D.R., Moscovitch, M., Crawley, A.P., & McAndrews, M.P. (2004). Recollective qualities modulate hippocampal activation during autobiographical memory retrieval. Hippocampus, 14, 752–762.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aggarwal, N.T., Wilson, R.S., Beck, T.L., Bienias, J.L., & Bennett, D.A. (2005). Mild cognitive impairment in different functional domains and incident Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 76, 1479–1484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, N.D., Ebert, P.L., Jennings, J.M., Grady, C.L., Cabeza, R., & Graham, S.J. (2008). Recollection- and familiarity-based memory in healthy aging and amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment. Neuropsychology, 22, 177–187.Google Scholar
Arnaiz, E., & Almkvist, O. (2003). Neuropsychological features of mild cognitive impairment and preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 107(Suppl. 179):34–41.Google Scholar
Bahrick, H.P. (1984). Semantic memory content in permastore: Fifty years of memory for Spanish learned in school. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 113, 1–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brewer, W.F. (1996). What is recollective memory? In Rubin, D.C. (Ed.), Remembering our past: Studies in Autobiographical Memory (pp. 19–66). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Carstensen, L.L., Fung, H.H., & Charles, S.T. (2003). Socioemotional selectivity theory and the regulation of emotion in the second half of life. Motivation and Emotion, 27, 103–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conway, M.A. (2001). Sensory-perceptual episodic memory and its context: Autobiographical memory. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B Biological Sciences, 356, 1375–1384.Google Scholar
Conway, M.A., Pleydell-Pearce, C.W., Whitecross, S., & Sharpe, H. (2002). Brain imaging autobiographical memory. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 41, 229–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delacourte, A., David, J.P., Sergeant, N., Bueé, L., Wattez, A., Vermersch, P., et al. (1999). The biochemical pathway of neurofibrillary degeneration in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Neurology, 52, 1158–1165.Google Scholar
Fischer, P., Jungwirth, S., Zehetmayer, S., Weissgram, S., Hoenigschnabl, S., Gelpi, E., et al. (2007). Conversion from subtypes of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer dementia. Neurology, 68, 288–291.Google Scholar
Folstein, M.F., Folstein, S.E., & McHugh, P.R. (1975). Mini-mental state: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatry Research, 12, 189–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ganguli, M., Dodge, H.H., Shen, C., & DeKosky, S.T. (2004). Mild cognitive impairment, amnestic type: An epidemiologic study. Neurology, 63, 115–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gardini, S., Cornoldi, C., De Beni, R., & Venneri, A. (2006). Left mediotemporal structures mediate the retrieval of episodic autobiographical mental images. Neuroimage, 30, 645–655.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gauthier, S., Reisberg, B., Zaudig, M., Petersen, R.C., Ritchie, K., Broich, K., et al. (2006). Mild cognitive impairment. Lancet, 367, 1262–1270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hedden, T., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2004). Insights into the aging mind: A view from cognitive neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 5, 87–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herrmann, N., Mittman, N., Silver, I.L., Shulman, K.I., Busto, U.A., Shear, N.H., et al. (1996). A validation study of the Geriatric Depression Scale short form. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 11, 457–460.3.0.CO;2-2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irish, M., Lawlor, B.A., O’Mara, S.M., & Coen, R.F. (2008). Assessment of behavioural markers of autonoetic consciousness during episodic autobiographical memory retrieval: A preliminary analysis. Behavioural Neurology, 18, 1–4.Google Scholar
Irish, M., Lawlor, B.A., O’Mara, S.M., & Coen, R.F. (in press). Impaired capacity for autonoetic reliving during autobiographical event recall in mild Alzheimer’s disease. Cortex.Google Scholar
Kopelman, M.D., Wilson, B., & Baddeley, A.D. (1989). The autobiographical memory interview: A new assessment of autobiographical and personal semantic memory in amnesic patients. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 11, 724–744.Google Scholar
Lawton, M.P., & Brody, E.M. (1969). Assessment of older people: Self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living. Gerontologist, 9, 179–186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levine, B., Svoboda, E., Hay, J.F., Winocur, G., & Moscovitch, M. (2002). Aging and autobiographical memory: Dissociating episodic from semantic retrieval. Psychology and Aging, 17, 677–689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leyhe, T., Muller, S., Milian, M., Eschweiler, G.W., & Saur, R. (2009). Impairment of episodic and semantic autobiographical memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropsychologia, 47, 2464–2469.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luis, C.A., Barker, W.W., Loewenstein, D.A., Crum, T.A., Rogaeva, E., Kawarai, T., et al. (2004). Conversion to dementia among two groups with cognitive impairment: A preliminary report. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 18, 307–313.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manos, P.J., & Wu, R. (1994). The ten point clock test: A quick screen and grading method for cognitive impairment in medical and surgical patients. International Journal of Psychiatry Medicine, 24, 229–244.Google Scholar
Masdeu, J.C., Zubieta, J.L., & Arbizu, J. (2005). Neuroimaging as a marker of the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 236, 55–64.Google Scholar
Moscovitch, M., Yaschyshyn, T., Ziegler, M., & Nadel, L. (1999). Remote episodic memory and retrograde amnesia: Was Endel Tulving right all along? In Tulving, E. (Ed.), Memory, consciousness and the brain: The Tallinn conference. New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Moulin, C.J.A., Conway, M.A., Thompson, R.G., James, N., & Jones, R.W. (2005). Disordered memory awareness: Recollective confabulation in two cases of persistent déjà vecu. Neuropsychologia, 43, 1362–1378.Google Scholar
Murphy, K.J., Troyer, A.K., Levine, B., & Moscovitch, M. (2008). Episodic, but not semantic, autobiographical memory is reduced in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Neuropsychologia, 46, 3116–3123.Google Scholar
Nelson, H.E., & Willison, J. (1991). National adult reading test (NART): Test manual. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.Google Scholar
Pennanen, C., Kivipelto, M., Tuomainen, S., Hartikainen, P., Hanninen, T., Laakso, M.P., et al. (2004). Hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in mild cognitive impairment and early AD. Neurobiology of Aging, 25, 303–310.Google Scholar
Perri, R., Carlesimo, G.A., Serra, L., & Caltagirone, C. (2005) Characterization of memory profile in subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 27, 1033–1055.Google Scholar
Petersen, R.C., Doody, R., Kurz, A., Mohs, R.C., Morris, J.C., Rabins, P.V., et al. (2001). Current Concepts in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Archives of Neurology, 58, 1985–1992.Google Scholar
Petersen, R.C., & Morris, J.C. (2005). Mild cognitive impairment as a clinical entity and treatment target. Archives of Neurology, 62, 1160–1163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Piefke, M., Weiss, P.H., Zilles, K., Markowitsch, H.J., & Fink, G.R. (2003). Differential remoteness and emotional tone modulate the neural correlates of autobiographical memory. Brain, 126, 650–668.Google Scholar
Pike, K.E., & Savage, G. (2008). Memory profiling in mild cognitive impairment: Can we determine risk for Alzheimer’s disease? Journal of Neuropsychology, 2, 361–372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pillemer, D.B., Wink, P., DiDonato, T.E., & Sanborn, R.L. (2003). Gender differences in autobiographical memory styles of older adults. Memory, 11, 525–532.Google Scholar
Piolino, P., Desgranges, B., Belliard, S., Matuszewski, V., Lalevée, C., de la Sayette, V., et al. (2003). Autobiographical memory and autonoetic consciousness: Triple dissociation in neurodegenerative diseases. Brain, 126, 2203–2219.Google Scholar
Piolino, P., Desgranges, B., Benali, K., & Eustache, F. (2002). Episodic and semantic remote autobiographical memory in aging. Memory, 4, 239–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piolino, P., Desgranges, B., Clarys, D., Guillery-Girard, B., Taconnat, L., Isingrini, M., et al. (2006). Autobiographical memory, autonoetic consciousness and self-perspective in aging. Psychology and Aging, 21, 510–525.Google Scholar
Piolino, P., Giffard-Quillon, G., Desgranges, B., Chetelat, G., Baron, J.C., & Eustache, F. (2004). Re-experiencing old memories via hippocampus: A PET study of autobiographical memory. Neuroimage, 22, 1371–1383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Portet, F., Ousset, P.J., Visser, P.J., Frisoni, G.B., Nobili, F., Scheltens, P., et al. (2006). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in medical practice: A critical review of the concept and new diagnostic procedure. Report of the MCI Working Group of the European Consortium on Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Neurological Neurosurgical Psychiatry, 77, 714–718.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rauchs, G., Piolino, P., Mézenge, F., Landeau, B., Lalevée, C., Pélerin, A., et al. (2007). Autonoetic consciousness in Alzheimer’s disease: Neuropsychological and PET findings using an episodic learning and recognition task. Neurobiology of Aging, 28, 1410–1420.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reitan, R.M. (1958). Validity of the trail making test as an indicator of organic brain damage. Perceptual Motor Skills, 8, 271–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rubin, D.C. (2005). A basic-systems approach to autobiographical memory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 79–83.Google Scholar
Sheikh, J.I., & Yesavage, J.A. (1986). The geriatric depression scale (GDS) recent evidence and development of a shorter version. Clinical gerontology: A guide to assessment and intervention (pp. 165–173). NY: The Haworth Press; 1986.Google Scholar
Tabert, M.H., Manly, J.J., Liu, X., Pelton, G.H., Rosenblum, S., Jacobs, M., et al. (2006). Neuropsychological prediction of conversion to Alzheimer’s disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 916–924.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trenerry, M.R., Crosson, B., DeBoe, J., & Leber, W.R. (1989). Stroop neuropsychological screening test. Odessa FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.Google Scholar
Tulving, E. (2001). Episodic memory and common sense: How far apart? Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, B: Biological Sciences, 356, 1505–1515.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Visser, P.J., Scheltens, P., & Verhey, F.R.J. (2005). Do MCI criteria in drug trials accurately identify subjects with predementia Alzheimer’s disease? Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 76, 1348–1354.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (1997). Wechsler memory scale (III). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Wheeler, M.A., Stuss, D.T., & Tulving, E. (1997). Toward a theory of episodic memory: The frontal lobes and autonoetic consciousness. Psychological Bulletin, 121, 331–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winblad, B., Palmer, K., Kivipelto, M., Jelic, V., Fratiglioni, L., Wahlund, L.O., et al. (2004). Mild cognitive impairment – beyond controversies, toward a consensus: Report of the International Working Group on Mild Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Internal Medicine, 256, 240–246.Google Scholar