Language and autobiographical memory development from 5 to 12 years: A longitudinal perspective.

The main aim of this study, with two repeated measurements, was to analyze the development of autobiographical memory in a sample of 78 Spanish participants at ages 5 (Time 1; M = 62.43 months, range: 50-74 months) and 12 (Time 2; M = 142.71 months, range: 132-155 months). Data were collected on autobiographical memory and verbal functions. We analyzed the relation between language and autobiographical memory specificity from a longitudinal perspective and assessed the indirect effect of vocabulary in the relationship between age and specific memory at both temporal moments. The results showed that language skills were positively related with autobiographical memory specificity at preschool age, but not at the second measurement. Furthermore, vocabulary scores appear to mediate the relationship between age and autobiographical specificity when children are in the preschool years, but not later. These findings agree with previous research that consider preschool age to be a crucial period for the development of autobiographical memory and its relations with language, but once basic command of language is acquired, linguistic differences impact much less on individual differences in autobiographical specificity.

Gender differences and the association between the phenomenological characteristics of autobiographical memories and psychopathic traits in a university student sample.

The study aimed to analyse the relationship between the dimensions of the triarchic model of psychopathy (meanness, boldness and disinhibition) and the phenomenological characteristics of Autobiographical Memory (AM) in a sample of university students, examining potential gender differences. Participants (N = 260; 55.4% women; aged 18-25) performed an AM task, followed by the Autobiographical Memory Characteristics Questionnaire and the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure. We found gender differences, with men scoring higher than women in meanness and disinhibition as well as in precision, accessibility, sharing and narrative coherence of AM. Correlations showed that boldness was negatively related to the valence and emotional intensity of the memory. Meanness was positively associated with precision, sensory details, accessibility, sharing, narrative coherence, distancing and preoccupation with emotions and negatively with recollection. Disinhibition was positively related to precision, sensory details and accessibility and negatively to intensity, distancing and preoccupation with emotions. Our results suggest that psychopathic traits could predict certain characteristics of AM, highlighting the predictive value of meanness, especially regarding memory quality characteristics (e.g., precision), as well as disinhibition, concerning the emotional content (e.g., preoccupation with emotions). Our results contribute to understanding psychopathy through an autobiographical perspective, showing how psychopathic traits may shape how people remember personal events.

Actigraphy-assessed sleep duration and quality and executive function in a sample of typically developing preschoolers.

Sleep is essential for cognitive development and brain maturation during early childhood. Studies focused on preschool populations using objective measures of sleep are still scarce. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between objective measures of sleep duration and quality with executive functioning in a 133 non-clinical sample of Spanish participants (Mage = 60.33 months, SD = 9.04; ages 41-77 months; 51.1% girls). Sleep was assessed for five weeknights using actigraphy; Shape School task was applied to assess inhibition and cognitive flexibility; and Word Span task was used to assess working memory. The results revealed that relation between sleep and executive functioning was significant for inhibition and working memory. Preschoolers with higher sleep efficiency showed better results in executive functioning tasks after controlling for the effect of age. Additionally, age and sleep duration and quality variables were predictive of inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. These results suggest that the different dimensions of sleep could play an important role in the development of executive functions during preschool age. Therefore, improving sleep could lead to an improvement in children's executive functioning in both clinical and educational contexts.

Effects of the use of autobiographical photographs on emotional induction in older adults: a systematic review.

There is evidence to support the positive contribution of autobiographical recall based techniques on individuals' quality of life, mood and cognitive functioning. In this review, we analyzed the effects of the use of personal photographs in interventions based on autobiographical memory in older people with and without cognitive impairment. The PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. The search was carried out in the electronic databases Web of Sciences (WOS), Medline (PubMed), SCIELO and PsycInfo (American Psychological Association). The articles based on clinical trials selected were evaluated using the PEDRo scale, which is specific to this type of article. Of the 1098 articles initially found, 6 met the inclusion criteria. The final articles focused their intervention on the use of autobiographical photographs as a means of stimulation. The results show that the use of photographs in different autobiographical recall stimulation techniques is associated with higher scores on well-being and quality of life, as well as with improvements in personal identity and cognitive functioning. This suggests that using personal photographs shows promise in enhancing the effect of these types of interventions in healthy or cognitively impaired older adults.

Relation between nighttime sleep duration and executive functioning in a nonclinical sample of preschool children.

Sleep is a support for cognitive development in childhood. Most of the studies in the field have focused on school-age children and sleep problems, but less research focuses on the relation between the normative course of sleep and executive functions in preschoolers. Thus, the aim of the present study was to analyze the association between nighttime sleep duration and executive functioning in a 158 non-clinical sample of Spanish participants (Mage = 56.35 months, SD = 11.24; ages 38-78 months; 48.1% girls). Sleep habits were measured by parents' self-reports; Shape School task was applied to assess inhibition and cognitive flexibility; Word Span task was used to assess working memory; and Vocabulary subtest from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III was used to assess verbal ability. The findings revealed that the relation between sleep and executive functioning was only significant in the cases of inhibition and working memory. Further, age and verbal ability were related and were predictors of inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. We consider it necessary to continue researching in this area given the importance of forming a correct sleep habit during the preschool age and its impact on health, cognition, and well-being in childhood. In short, our results represent the first approach to the subject under study, which should be completed with objective sleep measures.

A multi-method comparison of autobiographical memory impairments amongst younger and older adults.

Objectives: Research indicates that, compared to younger adults, older adults have difficulty recalling memories of specific past events (those lasting less than 24 h) and this difficulty is associated with depression. These studies are largely confined to a single measure of specific memory recall and there are conflicting findings when alternative measures are used. This investigation provides the first comparison of memory specificity between younger and older adults using several different measures.Method: Older (n = 105) and younger (n = 88) adults completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) and Sentence Completion for Events from the Past Test (SCEPT) and the number of specific memories was quantified for each measure. Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory Version II (BDI-II).Results: Compared to younger adults, older adults recalled fewer specific memories in the AMT and more specific memories in the AMI. This latter effect was particularly pronounced for memories related to childhood. There was no group difference in responses in the SCEPT. There was no evidence of an association between memory specificity and depression for any of the measures.Conclusion: Older adults have difficulty retrieving specific memories after cuing by nouns and adjectives, as in the AMT, but they have enhanced recall of specific memories after cuing by life periods, as in the AMI, and this is particularly true of memories related to childhood. Individual differences in memory specificity are not related to depression symptoms in healthy samples.

Reminiscence, personality, coping and mood state in institutionalised older adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Reminiscence functions in older adults have been associated with variables related to mental health such as depressive symptoms. Additionally, the way in which older adults cope with stress or their personality traits could influence their use of reminiscence. This study examined the relation between gender, coping styles, personality traits and reminiscence functions and how these variables predict depressive symptoms in institutionalised older adults. METHODS: The participants were 117 institutionalised older adults (range 62-98 years). They completed measures of reminiscence functions, depressive symptoms, coping styles and personality traits. RESULTS: Neuroticism and avoidance coping styles were related to a maladaptive use of reminiscence functions. The results showed that institutionalised older adults with high neuroticism and who usually use emotional discharge and logical analysis as avoidance coping styles and bitterness revival as a reminiscence function may be more likely to present depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: The findings may help enhance the efficacy of interventions using reminiscence.

Autobiographical memory specificity across life periods in people with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Because the well-known relationship between autobiographical memory (AM) with social functioning and psychopathology can manifest itself in a different way for memories of different life periods, the current work assesses AM specificity deficits across different life stages in people with schizophrenia. METHOD: This cross-sectional study compares the performance of specific AM in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (n = 53, 78% male, 39.03 mean age) and controls ( n = 69, 88% male, 36.65 mean age) for four life periods (childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and the year preceding the assessment) using the Autobiographical Memory Enquiry. RESULTS: The results revealed worse AM performance in people with schizophrenia, especially for memory of events occurring over the preceding year, and the use of overgeneral memory style for life periods succeeding childhood. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the need for systematic assessment of difficulties in retrieving specific memories across life periods in people with schizophrenia.

Testing the properties of the triarchic model of psychopathy in a community sample: Self-reported trait aggression and drug consumption associations.

The triarchic model of psychopathy encompasses different conceptions of psychopathic personality characterized by three phenotypic components: boldness, disinhibition, and meanness. Psychopathy is a complex construct at both emotional and behavioral level. The aim of this study was to determine the core elements of psychopathic personality in a community sample and analyze the relation between these elements and other personality traits such as aggression, and certain specific behavioral manifestations such as substance use. The study sample comprised 1,159 participants aged between 17 and 74 years, who were administered the Triarchic Psychopathy Questionnaire, the Impulsive-Premeditated Aggression Scale, and the Aggression Questionnaire. The results show that the constructs of meanness and disinhibition are more highly associated with different forms of both impulsive and premeditated aggression. Furthermore, men scored higher on all three components of the triarchic model compared to women. Finally, higher substance use (tobacco and drugs) was associated with higher scores in meanness, boldness, and disinhibition. These findings demonstrate the importance of assessing psychopathy in a community sample, and the detection of possible risk factors for the disorder.

Effects of analytical (abstract) versus experiential (concrete) induced rumination of negative self defining memories on schizotypic symptoms.

Repetitive thought may have adaptive and functional consequences, depending on, among other things, the interpretation of the content: analytical or abstract (general and decontextualized) and experiential or concrete (specific, contextual and incidental). Studies experimentally manipulating repetitive thought have shown both the constructive consequences of the experiential mode and the dysfunctional consequences of the analytical mode. The aim of the current study is to observe the effect of analytical and experiential rumination of negative self-defining memories on schizotypic symptoms. A sample of 111 university students were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental conditions of induced rumination, "analytical" or "experimental." The participants completed a series of questionnaires (anomalous perception of reality, preoccupation and depression) and a negative self-defining memory was obtained to be used as the content of the induced rumination. Following the rumination induction, participants in the experiential condition significantly decreased their scores on anomalous perception of reality compared with those in the analytical condition. We also observed that post-induction scores on self-reported sadness significantly increased in both experimental conditions while scores on self-reported happiness decreased. Our results show that the concrete/experiential rumination, focused here on negative self-defining memories, have positive consequences on schizotypic symptoms, such as decreased anomalous perception of reality.

Age differences in rumination and autobiographical retrieval.

OBJECTIVES: Higher well-being in older adults compared to young adults is a well-known phenomenon. However, the variables associated with this effect are still uncertain. Negative repetitive thinking (rumination) is a transdiagnostic variable related to psychopathology. It is strongly associated with depression and a lack of specificity in autobiographical retrieval. This research explores age differences in the association of rumination with mood, autobiographical memories and working memory. METHOD: Two groups of participants (older adults versus young adults), recruited through a public announcement, were compared in a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Older adults ruminated less than young participants. Rumination was positively associated with depression scores but not with working memory scores in both samples. More importantly, the interaction between brooding rumination and negative autobiographical memories was the only significant variable to explain the variance of mood scores in young participants. However, in older participants, the interaction between brooding and positive autobiographical memories significantly explained the variance of mood scores. Digit span forward and the interaction of brooding by negative autobiographical memories also significantly explained mood scores in older adults. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a different interaction between brooding rumination and the valence of autobiographical memories may be a relevant variable associated with mood differences by age.

Role of anxiety and brooding in specificity of autobiographical recall.

Overgeneral schemas and lack of autobiographical memory (AM) specificity about our past experiences can predict mood disturbance. Rumination, functional avoidance and executive processes are the main explanatory variables of such overgenerality. However, in non-clinical samples, rumination predicts overgenerality most consistently after the induction of dysphoric mood. Anxiety also activates rumination. Furthermore, anxiety predicts memory performance and has effects on mood which are independent of the effects of rumination. So, what might be the role of anxiety in autobiographical memory performance? A sample of 210 voluntary participants reported measures of autobiographical memory, anxiety, rumination (brooding and reflection), functional avoidance and executive functions (semantic and phonetic verbal fluency task). Autobiographical performance (specificity) was negatively associated with brooding and age and positively with phonetic verbal fluency but not with functional avoidance and anxiety. However, anxiety and brooding were positively correlated even after controlling for depression scores. Moreover, using structural equation modeling, anxiety showed a significant indirect effect on autobiographical specificity through brooding rumination. These results suggest a possible association of anxiety with autobiographical recall through brooding rumination.

Cross-cultural validation of the Spanish version of the mini cambridge-exeter repetitive thought scale (Mini-CERTS) in two Spanish-speaking populations.

The Mini Cambridge-Exeter Repetitive Thoughts Scale (Mini-CERTS) captures constructive and unconstructive aspects of repetitive thinking, but there is a need to revise and improve it given its novelty. For this reason, we present a validation and factor analysis of the Spanish version of the Mini-CERTS. Given that it is important to take cultural issues into account in instrument adaptation, we also assess its measurement invariance across Spanish (N = 430) and Peruvian (N = 394) populations. After deleting conflictive items, a 9-items version of the Mini-CERTS showed a two-factor model distinguishing constructive and unconstructive repetitive thinking, although this solution was not invariant across groups. Results also showed that the unconstructive factor was positively associated with anxiety, depression and stress measures. Despite its acceptable internal consistency, the absence of measurement invariance across groups does not recommend its use in cross-group comparisons in these populations. Cultural issues that could explain this result are discussed. Our findings highlight the importance of performing cross-cultural adaptations of assessment instruments even with the same language.

From Zinnia to Arabidopsis: approaching the involvement of peroxidases in lignification.

Zinnia elegans constitutes one of the most useful model systems for studying xylem differentiation, which simultaneously involves secondary cell wall synthesis, cell wall lignification, and programmed cell death. Likewise, the in vitro culture system of Z. elegans has been the best characterized as the differentiation of mesophyll cells into tracheary elements allows study of the biochemistry and physiology of xylogenesis free from the complexity that heterogeneous plant tissues impose. Moreover, Z. elegans has emerged as an excellent plant model to study the involvement of peroxidases in cell wall lignification. This is due to the simplicity and duality of the lignification pattern shown by the stems and hypocotyls, and to the basic nature of the peroxidase isoenzyme. This protein is expressed not only in hypocotyls and stems but also in mesophyll cells transdifferentiating into tracheary elements. Therefore, not only does this peroxidase fulfil all the catalytic requirements to be involved in lignification overcoming all restrictions imposed by the polymerization step, but also its expression is inherent in lignification. In fact, its basic nature is not exceptional since basic peroxidases are differentially expressed during lignification in other model systems, showing unusual and unique biochemical properties such as oxidation of syringyl moieties. This review focuses on the experiments which led to a better understanding of the lignification process in Zinnia, starting with the basic knowledge about the lignin pattern in this plant, how lignification takes place, and how a sole basic peroxidase with unusual catalytic properties is involved and regulated by hormones, H2O2, and nitric oxide.

Synergistic and cytotoxic action of indole alkaloids produced from elicited cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus.

CONTEXT: Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces more than 130 alkaloids, with special attention given to the production of the anti-hypertensive monomeric indole alkaloids, serpentine and ajmalicine, and the antitumor dimeric alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the cytotoxic activity of the indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract obtained from suspension cultured-cells of C. roseus elicited with methyl jasmonate (MJ) and cyclodextrins (CDs) in three cell lines: JURKAT E.6 human lymphocytic leukemia, THP-1 human monocytic leukemia and BL 1395 non-tumor human B-cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract was obtained from C. roseus cell cultures elicited with MJ and CDs. The indole alkaloids were identified using an HPLC-diode array system coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer using electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The cytotoxic assays were made using the colorimetric assay 2, 3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-S-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2 tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT). RESULTS: Four indole alkaloids were identified (catharanthine, ajmalicine, tabersonine and lochnericine) but only catharanthine and ajmalicine were quantified. The concentration of the indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract that inhibited cell growth by 50% was 211 and 210 ng/mL for the JURKAT E.6 and THP-1 cell lines, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results confirm that the powerful antitumor activity of this indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract is not due to the effect of a single compound but depends on the synergistic action of the four compounds identified.

Effect of the emotional valence of autobiographical memory and parental bonding on depressive symptoms in a community sample.

Retrospective perceptions of parental bonding may be a protective factor for emotional health. These perceptions are grounded in autobiographical memory, which plays a key role in the onset and maintenance of depressive symptomatology. The aim of the present study was to explore whether the emotional valence of autobiographical memories (positive and negative) and the dimensions of parental bonding (care and protection) have an impact on depressive symptomatology, examining the role of depressive rumination and possible age-related differences. A total of 139 young adults (18-28 years) and 124 older adults (65-88 years) completed the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the Autobiographical Memory Test and the Short Depressive Rumination Scale. Our results show that positive autobiographical memories serve as a protective factor for depressive symptoms in both young and older adults. Additionally, in young adults, high paternal care and protection scores are associated with increased negative autobiographical memories, although this association has no effect on depressive symptomatology. In older adults, high maternal protection scores are directly related to greater depressive symptomatology. Depressive rumination significantly increases depressive symptoms in both young and older adults, with an increase in negative autobiographical memories in young adults, and a decrease in such memories in older adults. Our findings progress the understanding of the relationships between parental bonding and autobiographical memory with respect to emotional disorders, which, in turn, will help in the design of effective prevention measures.

The role of intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety on compulsive exercise in adolescents.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The role of anxiety as a risk factor for compulsive exercise elements among adolescents is unclear. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), which is a risk feature for anxiety and eating disorders, may be an important, unexplored risk factor for compulsive exercise dimensions. This study aimed to examine the role of IU dimensions and anxiety on compulsive exercise elements. Given previous evidence indicating gender differences in compulsive exercise and IU levels, gender was included as a moderator. DESIGN/METHODS: A total of 201 adolescent girls and 207 adolescent boys completed the following questionnaires: Eating Disorder Inventory-3, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IUS-12), a brief version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET). RESULTS: The hierarchical regression analyses showed that the interaction between IUS-Prospective and gender emerged as a significant predictor of CET-Avoidance and CET-Weight control exercise beyond symptoms of eating disorders and anxiety. Post hoc analysis revealed that the IUS-Prospective was a significant predictor of CET-Avoidance and CET-Weight Control among boys, but not among girls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prospective IU may contribute towards obsessive-compulsive attitudes towards exercise among adolescent population, specifically among boys.

Effect of popular songs from the reminiscence bump as autobiographical memory cues in aging: a preliminary study using EEG.

Introduction: Music has the capacity to evoke emotions and memories. This capacity is influenced by whether or not the music is from the reminiscence bump (RB) period. However, research on the neural correlates of the processes of evoking autobiographical memories through songs is scant. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences at the level of frequency band activation in two situations: (1) whether or not the song is able to generate a memory; and (2) whether or not the song is from the RB period. Methods: A total of 35 older adults (22 women, age range: 61-73 years) listened to 10 thirty-second musical clips that coincided with the period of their RB and 10 from the immediately subsequent 5 years (non-RB). To record the EEG signal, a brain-computer interface (BCI) with 14 channels was used. The signal was recorded during the 30-seconds of listening to each music clip. Results: The results showed differences in the activation levels of the frequency bands in the frontal and temporal regions. It was also found that the non-retrieval of a memory in response to a song clip showed a greater activation of low frequency waves in the frontal region, compared to the trials that did generate a memory. Discussion: These results suggest the importance of analyzing not only brain activation, but also neuronal functional connectivity at older ages, in order to better understand cognitive and emotional functions in aging.

Critical Issues in the Management of Agitation, Aggression, and End-of-Life in Delusional Disorder: A Mini-Review.

Background: Compared to other psychotic disorders, there is little information about staging care in delusional disorder (DD). Unlike schizophrenia, this is a disorder that begins in middle age, a time at which chronic medical comorbidities have already begun to impact global functioning. With age, the combination of psychological and somatic conditions leads to new behaviours, e.g., agitation, aggression, and behaviours that require specific preventive and interventive measures. With further age, knowledgeable end-of-life care becomes necessary for this population. Aim: The aim of this article was to review existing evidence on the management of these successive phases. Methods: We conducted a narrative review using PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov and searched for the following terms: (agitation OR aggressivity OR aggression OR palliative OR "end-of-life") AND ("delusional disorder"). Results: We found that the literature was sparse. Existing evidence suggests that medical causes are frequently at the root of agitation and aggression. With respect to management, de-escalation strategies are generally preferred over pharmacotherapy. Specific delusional syndromes, e.g., de Clérambault, Othello, Capgras, Fregoli, as well as folie à deux, are associated with aggression. The somatic subtype of DD is the one most often requiring palliative care at the end of life. Conclusions: We conclude that insufficient attention has been given to the care needs of the accelerated aging process in DD.