A neurobehavioral study of the interactions between working and long-term memory

 描述(申请人提供)：由于精神分裂症和慢性抑郁症等精神健康障碍，数百万人在正常衰老过程中记忆力下降。这项研究致力于回答这样一个问题，即工作记忆中的信息处理是如何影响长期记忆的形成的。工作记忆是一种短期记忆，在工作记忆中，信息被积极地保持并灵活地用于实现目标。几个模型(Miyaki&Shah，1999)假设工作记忆和长期记忆之间是分离的，但新的证据表明，构成这两个记忆系统的神经底物存在重叠(Henke 2010，Nee&Jonides，2011)。最近的数据(Ranganath&D‘Esposito 2001，Axmacher等人，2007)表明，对于长期记忆巩固很重要的海马体，在高负荷工作记忆期间(即，当保持许多项目时)也是活跃的。我们建议检验工作记忆负荷预测长期记忆形成的假设。在目标1中，我们将要求被试在不同的负荷下保持工作记忆中复杂的视觉场景刺激，并在不同的保持间隔后测试他们的回忆。这将回答工作内存负载如何影响内存整合，并确定控制两个内存系统之间相互作用的特定变量(负载)。在目标2中，我们将采用行为范式进行功能磁共振成像(FMRI)研究，以评估相互作用的机制。在高负荷工作记忆处理过程中，海马体活动增加和与皮质的功能连接增加是否预示着随后的长期记忆回忆？这些结果将提供新的见解，以了解以前主要孤立研究的两个记忆系统是如何相互作用的，并确定工作记忆中的信息被转移到长期存储中的特定变量和机制。这一结果还将为在正常衰老和疾病期间改善记忆(例如，通过训练)的策略提供参考。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Memory decline affects millions of people during normal aging and as a consequence of mental health disorders like schizophrenia and chronic depression. This study is concerned with answering the question of how the processing of information in working memory, a form of short-term memory in which information is actively maintained and flexibly used to achieve goals, influences the formation of long-term memories. Several models (Miyaki & Shah, 1999) presume a separation between working and long-term memory, but new evidence suggest an overlap in the neural substrates that subserve these two memory systems (Henke 2010, Nee & Jonides, 2011). Recent data (Ranganath & D'Esposito 2001, Axmacher et al 2007) show the hippocampus, important for long-term memory consolidation, is also active during high load working memory (i.e., when many items are maintained). We propose to test the hypothesis that working memory load predicts long-term memory formation. In Aim 1, we will ask subjects to maintain complex visual scene stimuli in working memory while varying load, and test their recall after different retention intervals. This will answer how working memory load influences memory consolidation and identify a specific variable (load) that governs the interplay between two memory systems. In Aim 2, we will adapt the behavioral paradigm to conduct a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to assess the mechanism of interaction. Does increased hippocampal activity and functional connectivity with cortex during high load working memory processing predict subsequent long-term memory recall? The results will provide new insight into how two memory systems previously studied mostly in isolation interact, and identify a specific variable and mechanism by which information in working memory is transferred to longer-term stores. The results will also inform strategies to improve memory (e.g., through training) during normal aging and disease.