1
|
Ehrlich I, Ortiz-Tudela J, Tan YY, Muckli L, Shing YL. Mnemonic But Not Contextual Feedback Signals Defy Dedifferentiation in the Aging Early Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0607232023. [PMID: 38395614 PMCID: PMC11026335 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0607-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Perception is an intricate interplay between feedforward visual input and internally generated feedback signals that comprise concurrent contextual and time-distant mnemonic (episodic and semantic) information. Yet, an unresolved question is how the composition of feedback signals changes across the lifespan and to what extent feedback signals undergo age-related dedifferentiation, that is, a decline in neural specificity. Previous research on this topic has focused on feedforward perceptual representation and episodic memory reinstatement, suggesting reduced fidelity of neural representations at the item and category levels. In this fMRI study, we combined an occlusion paradigm that filters feedforward input to the visual cortex and multivariate analysis techniques to investigate the information content in cortical feedback, focusing on age-related differences in its composition. We further asked to what extent differentiation in feedback signals (in the occluded region) is correlated to differentiation in feedforward signals. Comparing younger (18-30 years) and older female and male adults (65-75 years), we found that contextual but not mnemonic feedback was prone to age-related dedifferentiation. Semantic feedback signals were even better differentiated in older adults, highlighting the growing importance of generalized knowledge across ages. We also found that differentiation in feedforward signals was correlated with differentiation in episodic but not semantic feedback signals. Our results provide evidence for age-related adjustments in the composition of feedback signals and underscore the importance of examining dedifferentiation in aging for both feedforward and feedback processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Ehrlich
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
| | - Javier Ortiz-Tudela
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, Granada 18013, Spain
| | - Yi You Tan
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
| | - Lars Muckli
- School of Psychology and of Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, United Kingdom
| | - Yee Lee Shing
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
- IDeA Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education, Frankfurt am Main 60323, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ortiz-Tudela J, Nicholls VI, Clarke A. Parameters of prediction: Multidimensional characterization of top-down influence in visual perception. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105369. [PMID: 37619646 PMCID: PMC7615211 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Despite the recent popularity of predictive processing models of brain function, the term prediction is often instantiated very differently across studies. These differences in definition can substantially change the type of cognitive or neural operation hypothesised and thus have critical implications for the corresponding behavioural and neural correlates during visual perception. Here, we propose a five-dimensional scheme to characterise different parameters of prediction. Namely, flow of information, mnemonic origin, specificity, complexity, and temporal precision. We describe these dimensions and provide examples of their application to previous work. Such a characterisation not only facilitates the integration of findings across studies, but also helps stimulate new research questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ortiz-Tudela
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany; Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Spain
| | | | - Alex Clarke
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bergmann J, Ortiz-Tudela J. Feedback signals in visual cortex during episodic and schematic memory retrieval and their potential implications for aphantasia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105335. [PMID: 37524137 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent findings indicate that visual feedback derived from episodic memory can be traced down to the earliest stages of visual processing, whereas feedback stemming from schema-related memories only reach intermediate levels in the visual processing hierarchy. In this opinion piece, we examine these differences in light of the 'what' and 'where' streams of visual perception. We build upon this new framework to propose that the memory deficits observed in aphantasics might be better understood as a difference in high-level feedback processing along the 'what' stream, rather than an episodic memory impairment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Bergmann
- Department of Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Javier Ortiz-Tudela
- Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Spain; Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pupillo F, Ortiz-Tudela J, Bruckner R, Shing YL. The effect of prediction error on episodic memory encoding is modulated by the outcome of the predictions. NPJ Sci Learn 2023; 8:18. [PMID: 37248232 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-023-00166-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Expectations can lead to prediction errors of varying degrees depending on the extent to which the information encountered in the environment conforms with prior knowledge. While there is strong evidence on the computationally specific effects of such prediction errors on learning, relatively less evidence is available regarding their effects on episodic memory. Here, we had participants work on a task in which they learned context/object-category associations of different strengths based on the outcomes of their predictions. We then used a reinforcement learning model to derive subject-specific trial-to-trial estimates of prediction error at encoding and link it to subsequent recognition memory. Results showed that model-derived prediction errors at encoding influenced subsequent memory as a function of the outcome of participants' predictions (correct vs. incorrect). When participants correctly predicted the object category, stronger prediction errors (as a consequence of weak expectations) led to enhanced memory. In contrast, when participants incorrectly predicted the object category, stronger prediction errors (as a consequence of strong expectations) led to impaired memory. These results highlight the important moderating role of choice outcome that may be related to interactions between the hippocampal and striatal dopaminergic systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pupillo
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
- TS Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands.
| | | | - Rasmus Bruckner
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yee Lee Shing
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ortiz-Tudela J, Nolden S, Pupillo F, Ehrlich I, Schommartz I, Turan G, Shing YL. Not what u expect: Effects of prediction errors on item memory. J Exp Psychol Gen 2023:2023-59036-001. [PMID: 36996155 DOI: 10.1037/xge0001367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The characterization of the relationship between predictions and one-shot episodic encoding poses an important challenge for memory research. On the one hand, events that are compatible with our previous knowledge are thought to be remembered better than incompatible ones. On the other hand, unexpected situations, by virtue of their novelty, are known to cause enhanced learning. Several theoretical accounts try to solve this apparent paradox by conceptualizing prediction error (PE) as a continuum ranging from low PE (for expectation-matching events) to high PE (for expectation-mismatching ones). Under such a framework, the relationship between PE and memory encoding would be described by a U-shape function with higher memory performance for extreme levels of PE and lower memory for middle levels of PE. In this study, we tested the framework by using a gradual manipulation of the strength of association between scenes and objects to render different levels of PE and then tested for item memory of the (mis)matching events. In two experiments, in contrast to what was anticipated, recognition memory for object identity followed an inverted U-shape as a function of PE, with higher performance for intermediate levels of PE. Furthermore, in two additional experiments, we showed the relevance of explicit predictions at encoding to reveal such an inverted U pattern, thus providing the boundary conditions of the effect. We discussed our findings in light of existing literature relating PE and episodic memory, pointing out the potential roles of uncertainty in the environment, and the importance of the cognitive operations underlying encoding tasks. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
6
|
LaPointe MRP, Rosner TM, Ortiz-Tudela J, Lorentz L, Milliken B. The attentional boost effect and perceptual degradation: Assessing the influence of attention on recognition memory. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1024498. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1024498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers have suggested that the recognition memory effects resulting from two separate attentional manipulations—attentional boost and perceptual degradation—may share a common cause; namely a transient up-regulation of attention at the time of encoding that leads to enhanced memory performance at the time of retrieval. Prior research has demonstrated that inducing two similar transient shifts of attention simultaneously produces redundant performance in memory. In the present study, we sought to evaluate the combined influence of the attentional boost and perceptual degradation on recognition memory. If these two effects share a common cause, then we ought to observe a redundancy in memory performance, such that these two factors interact. Yet, across four experiments we fail to observe such a redundancy in recognition memory. We evaluate these results using the limited resource model of attention and speculate on how combining transient shifts of attention may produce redundant memory performance in the one case, but non-redundant performance in the other case.
Collapse
|
7
|
Colling LJ, Szűcs D, De Marco D, Cipora K, Ulrich R, Nuerk HC, Soltanlou M, Bryce D, Chen SC, Schroeder PA, Henare DT, Chrystall CK, Corballis PM, Ansari D, Goffin C, Sokolowski HM, Hancock PJB, Millen AE, Langton SRH, Holmes KJ, Saviano MS, Tummino TA, Lindemann O, Zwaan RA, Lukavský J, Becková A, Vranka MA, Cutini S, Mammarella IC, Mulatti C, Bell R, Buchner A, Mieth L, Röer JP, Klein E, Huber S, Moeller K, Ocampo B, Lupiáñez J, Ortiz-Tudela J, de la Fuente J, Santiago J, Ouellet M, Hubbard EM, Toomarian EY, Job R, Treccani B, McShane BB. Registered Replication Report on Fischer, Castel, Dodd, and Pratt (2003). Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/2515245920903079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The attentional spatial-numerical association of response codes (Att-SNARC) effect (Fischer, Castel, Dodd, & Pratt, 2003)—the finding that participants are quicker to detect left-side targets when the targets are preceded by small numbers and quicker to detect right-side targets when they are preceded by large numbers—has been used as evidence for embodied number representations and to support strong claims about the link between number and space (e.g., a mental number line). We attempted to replicate Experiment 2 of Fischer et al. by collecting data from 1,105 participants at 17 labs. Across all 1,105 participants and four interstimulus-interval conditions, the proportion of times the effect we observed was positive (i.e., directionally consistent with the original effect) was .50. Further, the effects we observed both within and across labs were minuscule and incompatible with those observed by Fischer et al. Given this, we conclude that we failed to replicate the effect reported by Fischer et al. In addition, our analysis of several participant-level moderators (finger-counting habits, reading and writing direction, handedness, and mathematics fluency and mathematics anxiety) revealed no substantial moderating effects. Our results indicate that the Att-SNARC effect cannot be used as evidence to support strong claims about the link between number and space.
Collapse
|
8
|
Ortiz-Tudela J, Martín-Arévalo E, Chica AB, Lupiáñez J. Semantic incongruity attracts attention at a pre-conscious level: Evidence from a TMS study. Cortex 2017; 102:96-106. [PMID: 28969900 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Unpredicted objects, i.e., those that do not fit in a specific context, have been shown to quickly attract attention as a mean of extracting more information about potentially relevant items. Whether the required semantic processing triggering the attraction of attention can occur independently of participants' awareness of the object is still a highly debated topic. In the present study we make use of a change detection task in which we manipulate the semantic congruity between the to-be-detected object and the background scene. We applied inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the right temporo-parietal junction (right TPJ) and a control location (vertex) to test the causal role of the former in the processing of objects at a pre-conscious level. Our results clearly show that semantic congruity can impact detection and identification processes in opposite ways, even when low-level features are controlled for. Incongruent objects are quickly detected but poorly identified. rTMS over the right TPJ effectively diminishes semantic effects on object detection. These results suggest that at least some high order category processing takes place before conscious detection to direct attention towards the most informative regions of space. Moreover, rTMS over right TPJ also impacts object identification, which calls for a re-evaluation of right TPJ's role on object processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ortiz-Tudela
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Spain.
| | - Elisa Martín-Arévalo
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Spain
| | - Ana B Chica
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Lupiáñez
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|