Biomedical subjects

Akira Miyake

Publications and source records attributed to Akira Miyake.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Not all executive functions are related to intelligence.

Accumulating evidence suggests that executive functions (EFs) are related to intelligence, despite neuropsychological results initially considered evidence of no such relation. However, findings that EFs are not unitary raise the issue of how intelligence relates to different EFs. This study examined the relations of fluid and crystallized intelligence and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IQ to three separable EFs--inhibiting prepotent responses (inhibiting), shifting mental sets (shifting), and updating working memory (updating)--in young adults. Updating was highly correlated with the intelligence measures, but inhibiting and shifting were not. Furthermore, in structural equation models controlling for the inter-EF correlations, updating remained strongly related to intelligence, but the relations of inhibiting and shifting to intelligence were small and not significant. The results indicate that intelligence measures differentially relate to these three EFs, suggesting that current intelligence measures do not equally assess a wide range of executive control abilities likely required for many "intelligent" behaviors.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Individual differences in second-language proficiency: does musical ability matter?

This study examined the relation between musical ability and second-language (L2) proficiency in adult learners. L2 ability was assessed in four domains: receptive phonology, productive phonology, syntax, and lexical knowledge. Also assessed were various other factors that might explain individual differences in L2 ability, including age of L2 immersion, patterns of language use and exposure, and phonological short-term memory. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine if musical ability explained any unique variance in each domain of L2 ability after controlling for other relevant factors. Musical ability predicted L2 phonological ability (both receptive and productive) even when controlling for other factors, but did not explain unique variance in L2 syntax or lexical knowledge. These results suggest that musical skills may facilitate the acquisition of L2 sound structure and add to a growing body of evidence linking language and music.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Comparison of four scoring methods for the reading span test.

This study compared four common methods for scoring a popular working memory span task, Daneman and Carpenter's (1980) reading span test. More continuous measures, such as the total number of words recalled or the proportion of words per set averaged across all sets, were more normally distributed, had higher reliability, and had higher correlations with criterion measures (reading comprehension and Verbal SAT) than did traditional span scores that quantified the highest set size completed or the number of words in correct sets. Furthermore, creation of arbitrary groups (e.g., high-span and low-span groups) led to poor reliability and greatly reduced predictive power. It is recommended that researchers score span tasks with continuous measures and avoid post hoc dichotomization of working memory span groups.

Cognition↗

PubMed2004

The relations among inhibition and interference control functions: a latent-variable analysis.

This study used data from 220 adults to examine the relations among 3 inhibition-related functions. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that Prepotent Response Inhibition and Resistance to Distractor Interference were closely related, but both were unrelated to Resistance to Proactive Interference. Structural equation modeling, which combined Prepotent Response Inhibition and Resistance to Distractor Interference into a single latent variable, indicated that 1 aspect of random number generation performance, task-switching ability, and everyday cognitive failures were related to Response-Distractor Inhibition, whereas reading span recall and unwanted intrusive thoughts were related to Resistance to Proactive Interference. These results suggest that the term inhibition has been overextended and that researchers need to be more specific when discussing and measuring inhibition-related functions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

A novel two-pore domain K+ channel, TRESK, is localized in the spinal cord.

To find a novel human ion channel gene we have executed an extensive search by using a human genome draft sequencing data base. Here we report a novel two-pore domain K+ channel, TRESK (TWIK-related spinal cord K+ channel). TRESK is coded by 385 amino acids and shows low homology (19%) with previously characterized two-pore domain K+ channels. However, the most similar channel is TREK-2 (two-pore domain K+ channel), and TRESK also has two pore-forming domains and four transmembrane domains that are evolutionarily conserved in the two-pore domain K+ channel family. Moreover, we confirmed that TRESK is expressed in the spinal cord. Electrophysiological analysis demonstrated that TRESK induced outward rectification and functioned as a background K+ channel. Pharmacological analysis showed TRESK to be inhibited by previously reported K+ channel inhibitors Ba2+, propafenone, glyburide, lidocaine, quinine, quinidine, and triethanolamine. Functional analysis demonstrated TRESK to be inhibited by unsaturated free fatty acids such as arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. TRESK is also sensitive to extreme changes in extracellular and intracellular pH. These results indicate that TRESK is a novel two-pore domain K+ channel that may set the resting membrane potential of cells in the spinal cord.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Molecular cloning and characterization of Kv6.3, a novel modulatory subunit for voltage-gated K(+) channel Kv2.1.

We report identification and characterization of Kv6.3, a novel member of the voltage-gated K(+) channel. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that Kv6.3 was highly expressed in the brain. Electrophysiological studies indicated that homomultimeric Kv6.3 did not yield a functional voltage-gated ion channel. When Kv6.3 and Kv2.1 were co-expressed, the heteromultimeric channels displayed the decreased rate of deactivation compared to the homomultimeric Kv2.1 channels. Immunoprecipitation studies indicated that Kv6.3 bound with Kv2.1 in co-transfected cells. These results indicate that Kv6.3 is a novel member of the voltage-gated K(+) channel which functions as a modulatory subunit.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Commonalities and differences in the working memory components underlying letter and category fluency tasks: a dual-task investigation.

This study used a dual-task interference paradigm to test the hypothesis that different subcomponents of working memory differentially contribute to performance on letter fluency and category fluency tasks. College students (N = 96) performed each type of verbal fluency task in isolation and concurrently with I of 3 secondary tasks. The secondary tasks were chosen for their putative involvement in different working memory subcomponents. Two subsystems of working memory, the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad, were identified as important contributors to fluency performance, especially to performance on letter fluency and category fluency tasks, respectively. Moreover, the results also suggest that the executive function, mental set shifting, may be deployed to perform both letter fluency and category fluency tasks.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Does relocating information in text depend on verbal or visuospatial abilities? An individual-differences analysis.

In this individual-differences study, we evaluated the prevalent view that relocating information in a previously read text depends primarily on visuospatial abilities. Participants read a text, answered fill-in-the-blank test questions, and identified which page and line in the original text contained the sentence in each question. They also completed a battery of verbal and visuospatial tasks. Performance on verbal tasks was highly predictive of the accuracy of both page and line identifications, and this correlation remained significant even after we controlled for performance on visuospatial tasks. In contrast, performance on visuospatial tasks was not predictive of either page or line identification accuracy, once verbal abilities were controlled for. These results suggest an important role for verbal abilities in relocation of text information and a lesser role for visuospatial abilities than has previously been assumed.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

How are visuospatial working memory, executive functioning, and spatial abilities related? A latent-variable analysis.

This study examined the relationships among visuospatial working memory (WM) executive functioning, and spatial abilities. One hundred sixty-seven participants performed visuospatial short-term memory (STM) and WM span tasks, executive functioning tasks, and a set of paper-and-pencil tests of spatial abilities that load on 3 correlated but distinguishable factors (Spatial Visualization, Spatial Relations, and Perceptual Speed). Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that, in the visuospatial domain, processing-and-storage WM tasks and storage-oriented STM tasks equally implicate executive functioning and are not clearly distinguishable. These results provide a contrast with existing evidence from the verbal domain and support the proposal that the visuospatial sketchpad may be closely tied to the central executive. Further, structural equation modeling results supported the prediction that, whereas they all implicate some degree of visuospatial storage, the 3 spatial ability factors differ in the degree of executive involvement (highest for Spatial Visualization and lowest for Perceptual Speed). Such results highlight the usefulness of a WM perspective in characterizing the nature of cognitive abilities and, more generally, human intelligence.

Cognition↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Metastasis to the orbit from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the pathological features of the extremely rare metastatic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) from the bladder to the orbit, and to review the literature on metastatic TCC to the orbit. METHODS: A 74-year-old man experienced 2 weeks of red eye, proptosis, diplopia, pain, and visual loss in the right eye. Three years previous to the current presentation, the patient had undergone a transurethral resection for superficial and moderately differentiated TCC of the bladder. A transseptal anterior orbitotomy was performed. RESULTS: Histopathological examination of the orbital lesion revealed nests of carcinomatous cells. Atypical pleomorphic cells with vacuolated cytoplasm were evident. The cellular morphology of the orbital lesion was identical to that of the primary TCC. There have been 12 previously reported cases of metastases to the orbit from TCC of the bladder, with the time from onset of primary TCC to observation of ocular symptoms ranging from 3 weeks to 11 years. Mean survival after orbital metastasis developed from TCC was 3.0 months. CONCLUSION: This study presents a detailed description of the pathological features of metastatic TCC in the orbit. In cases of orbital metastasis from TCC, patient prognosis is very poor.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Inner speech as a retrieval aid for task goals: the effects of cue type and articulatory suppression in the random task cuing paradigm.

Articulatory suppression has been shown to increase switch costs in the list paradigm (e.g., [J. Exp. Psychol.: General 130 (2001) 641, J Memory Language 48 (2003) 148]). The present dual-task study examined whether this effect generalizes to the random task cuing paradigm. Participants performed color or shape judgments according to explicit word cues (COLOR or SHAPE) or less transparent letter cues ( C for the color task and S for the shape task). In the word cue condition, the switch cost was equivalent for the articulatory suppression and the control (no dual-task) conditions, but, in the letter cue condition, the switch cost was significantly greater for the articulatory suppression condition than for the control condition. These results suggest that inner speech may be recruited as a tool for retrieving and activating the relevant task goal when the task cue is not transparent and hence imposes nonnegligible retrieval demand.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Field dependence-independence from a working memory perspective: a dual-task investigation of the Hidden Figures test.

Field dependence-independence (FDI) is a construct intensively investigated within cognitive style research, but its cognitive underpinnings are not clearly specified. We propose that performance on FDI tasks primarily reflects the operations of the visuospatial and executive components of working memory. We tested this hypothesis in a dual-task experiment with a commonly used measure of FDI, the Hidden Figures Test. The results showed that performance on this test was impaired by concurrent performance of secondary tasks that primarily tap the visuospatial component (spatial tapping) and the executive component (2-back and random number generation), but was almost unaffected by other secondary tasks (simple tapping and articulatory suppression). Moreover, an analysis of secondary task performance ruled out the possibility of strategic trade-offs and revealed an intriguing dissociation for two different sets of "randomness" indices for the random number generation task. These results support the hypothesised mapping between FDI and working memory components and suggest that the dual-task paradigm can provide a useful way to bring underspecified constructs like FDI into closer alignment with theoretical ideas developed within cognitive psychology.

Field Dependence-Independence↗