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Context-dependent memory in a meaningful environment for medical education: in the classroom and at the bedside.

PURPOSE: Learning-in-context is a much-discussed topic in medical education. Information is said to be better recalled when the learning environment resembles the later retrieval environment. Godden and Baddeley (1975) showed that divers recalled words better when the recall condition matched the original learning environment, i.e. underwater or on land. Though it is unclear whether the findings can be generalized for medical education, medical educators regularly refer to them. We replicated the Godden and Baddeley study in ecologically more valid conditions for medical education and extended it with meaningful subject matter (namely, a patient case description). METHOD: Sixty-three clerks were randomized over four conditions, contrasting a clinical (bedside) with an educational (classroom) environment as both learning and recall conditions. Students were asked to recall a list of words and a patient case in the same environment or in the opposite environment as where they learned it. RESULTS: We failed to find a significant same-context advantage for free recall of the list of words and the patient case propositions. However, there does appear to be a slight tendency towards better recall of the case description when learning took place in the clinical environment. DISCUSSION: In medical education, the context, if conceived as physical surroundings, does not seem to contribute to a same-context advantage. One should be cautious in generalizing the findings of Godden and Baddeley. However, different forms of 'context' other than the physical one used in the Godden and Baddeley study may well enhance learning effects in medical education.

Analysis of Variance↗

Psychologic tests in the evaluation of psychic changes after myelography with metrizamide.

The possibility of using psychologic tests to demonstrate psychic changes following myelography with metrizamide was investigated in 15 patients. The tests were made before and after the examination. The results revealed psychic changes of cognitive nature to occur both at 6 and at 24 hours after myelography. Of the tests used determination of the reaction time gave most significant results. Subjectively the patients considered themselves better 24 hours after the examination than after 6 hours. This was not confirmed from the test results--an observation indicating the sensitivity of the test instruments used. Thus, these appear to be well suited to study cognitive changes caused by the contrast media used in this particular type of examination. Since the tests are repeatedly performed, the effect of habituation and of learning cannot be avoided. However, when applied in groups of patients, in whom the effects of different contrast media are compared, the disadvantages of these specific effects can be neglected.

Cognition↗

Transient prenatal vitamin D deficiency is associated with subtle alterations in learning and memory functions in adult rats.

Based on clues from epidemiology, low prenatal vitamin D has been proposed as a candidate risk factor for schizophrenia. Recent animal experiments have demonstrated that transient prenatal vitamin D deficiency is associated with persistent alterations in brain morphology and neurotrophin expression. In order to explore the utility of the vitamin D animal model of schizophrenia, we examined different types of learning and memory in adult rats exposed to transient prenatal vitamin D deficiency. Compared to control animals, the prenatally deplete animals had a significant impairment of latent inhibition, a feature often associated with schizophrenia. In addition, the deplete group was (a) significantly impaired on hole board habituation and (b) significantly better at maintaining previously learnt rules of brightness discrimination in a Y-chamber. In contrast, the prenatally deplete animals showed no impairment on the spatial learning task in the radial maze, nor on two-way active avoidance learning in the shuttle-box. The results indicate that transient prenatal vitamin D depletion in the rat is associated with subtle and discrete alterations in learning and memory. The behavioural phenotype associated with this animal model may provide insights into the neurobiological correlates of the cognitive impairments of schizophrenia.

Analysis of Variance↗

Caffeine improves spatial learning deficits in an animal model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR).

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is generally considered to be a suitable genetic model for the study of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), since it displays hyperactivity, impulsivity, poorly sustained attention, and deficits in learning and memory processes. Converging evidence suggests a primary role of disturbance in the dopaminergic neurotransmission in ADHD patients and in SHR, and in addition, some studies have also demonstrated alterations in adenosinergic neurotransmission in SHR. In the present study, adult female Wistar (WIS) and SHR rats received caffeine (1-10 mg/kg i.p.) 30 min before training, immediately after training, or 30 min before a test session in the spatial version of the Morris water maze. The effect of caffeine administration on WIS and SHR blood pressure was also measured. SHR needed significantly more trials in the training session to acquire the spatial information, but they displayed a similar profile to that of WIS rats in the test session (48 h later), demonstrating a selective deficit in spatial learning. Pre-training administration of caffeine (1-10 mg/kg i.p.) improved this spatial learning deficit in SHR, but did not alter the WIS performance. In contrast, post-training administration of caffeine (3 mg/kg i.p.) did not alter the SHR test performance, but increased memory retention in WIS rats. No dose of caffeine tested altered the mean blood pressure of WIS or SHR. These results demonstrate a selective spatial learning deficit in SHR which can be attenuated by pre-training administration of caffeine. In addition, the present findings indicate that the spatial learning deficit in SHR is not directly related to hypertension.

Animals↗

Perceptual learning of the detection of features in X-ray images: a functional role for improvements in adults' visual sensitivity?

Recent perceptual learning research has found long-term increases in the sensitivity of adults' perceptual systems. The authors examined whether such changes could partly explain improvement on tasks such as perception of medical X-ray images. Experiment 1 found experts' sensitivity to low-contrast dots in X-rays was better than novices'. Experiment 2 found a direction of luminance contrast-specific improvement in novices' detection of low-contrast dots in X-rays as a result of practice. Experiment 3 found a partly specific improvement in novices' detection of low-contrast features in real medical X-rays as a result of practice. Results suggest that experience enhances sensitivity to the critical dimensions of visual analysis for detecting abnormalities in X-ray images. Importantly, they demonstrate a real-world adaptive functional role for the long-term flexibility of sensory systems in adulthood.

Adult↗

Striatal contributions to category learning: quantitative modeling of simple linear and complex nonlinear rule learning in patients with Parkinson's disease.

The contribution of the striatum to category learning was examined by having patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and matched controls solve categorization problems in which the optimal rule was linear or nonlinear using the perceptual categorization task. Traditional accuracy-based analyses, as well as quantitative model-based analyses were performed. Unlike accuracy-based analyses, the model-based analyses allow one to quantify and separate the effects of categorization rule learning from variability in the trial-by-trial application of the participant's rule. When the categorization rule was linear, PD patients showed no accuracy, categorization rule learning, or rule application variability deficits. Categorization accuracy for the PD patients was associated with their performance on a test believed to be sensitive to frontal lobe functioning. In contrast, when the categorization rule was nonlinear, the PD patients showed accuracy, categorization rule learning, and rule application variability deficits. Furthermore, categorization accuracy was not associated with performance on the test of frontal lobe functioning. Implications for neuropsychological theories of categorization learning are discussed.

Aged↗

Learning during group dynamics training: the effects of silent versus traditional training formats.

According to practicing group psychotherapists, the two most valued components of training for group psychotherapy are: (1) the opportunity to conduct a therapy group under supervision, and (2) participation in experiential training (Dies 1974). It is no wonder, then, that a large spectrum of experiential training models has emerged (Lakin, Lieberman, and Whitaker 1969). What is learned from the various models relates to the milieu, the leader, and the group composition (Stone and Green 1978), and in part depends on the particular training format. In contrast to descriptions of training, however, is the relatively limited formal evaluation of the learning which occurs in these programs. This paper will focus on an evaluation of the learning which took place during the group dynamics component of group psychotherapy training. The effect on learning of variations in format in which the leader is either silent or explicates group processes was tested.

Group Processes↗

The National Health Service Corps experience for rural physicians in the late 1980s.

OBJECTIVE: To learn from physicians in the National Health Service Corps (referred to as NHSC or the Corps) scholarship program about their experiences in rural health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), to contrast their experiences with those of other physicians working in rural HPSAs, and to learn how NHSC physicians' retention is associated with the quality of their experiences. DESIGN: Cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Two groups of primary care physicians who moved to rural HPSAs nationwide from 1987 through 1990 were surveyed in 1991: group 1 consisted of all 675 physicians in the NHSC scholarship program, and group 2 consisted of a stratified random sample of 1000 non-Corps physicians. Response rates were 73.7% and 69.1%, respectively. Analyses used comparable subsets of 417 NHSC and 206 non-NHSC respondents. RESULTS: Among NHSC physicians, 51% initially anticipated working in underserved areas longer than 10 years, although only 14% expected to remain more than 5 years in their assigned practices. Three quarters of the Corps group felt there were few acceptable practice sites available to them, one third likely would have preferred urban sites, and two thirds were matched in states where they had not lived or trained earlier. Corps physicians felt their spouses' and children's needs were less well satisfied in their communities than non-Corps physicians. Corps physicians reported lower satisfaction in their work and personal lives and demonstrated poorer retention. Group differences in satisfaction and retention remained after controlling for various features of physicians and sites where they worked. Among NHSC physicians, retention was dramatically lower for those less well matched to their communities and those less satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: The needs and preferences of NHSC physicians and families are not well accommodated. Low morale and poor retention are endemic among NHSC physicians. The NHSC is challenged by twin goals of meeting the immediate needs of underserved communities and providing personally and professionally satisfying environments where physicians can pursue long-term careers.

Career Choice↗

Knowledge-enhanced protein subcellular localization prediction from 3D fluorescence microscope images.

MOTIVATION: Pinpointing the subcellular location of proteins is essential for studying protein function and related diseases. Advances in spatial proteomics have shown that automatic recognition of protein subcellular localization from images could highly facilitate protein translocation analysis and biomarker discovery, but existing machine-learning works have been mostly limited to processing 2D images. By contrast, 3D images have higher spatial resolution and allow researchers to observe cellular structures in their natural context, but currently, there are only a few studies of 3D image processing for protein distribution analysis due to the lack of data and complexity of modeling. RESULTS: We developed a knowledge-enhanced protein subcellular localization model, KE3DLoc, which could recognize distribution patterns in 3D fluorescence microscope images using deep learning methods. The model designs an image feature extraction module that incorporates information from 3D and 2D projected cells and implements asymmetric loss and confidence weights to address data imbalance and weak cell annotation issues. Besides, considering that the biological knowledge in the Gene Ontology (GO) database can provide valuable support for protein location understanding, the KE3DLoc model incorporates a novel knowledge enhancement module that optimizes the protein representation by related knowledge graphs derived from the GO. Since the image module and the knowledge module calculate features from different levels, KE3DLoc designs protein ID aggregation to enhance the consistency of protein features across different cells. Experimental results on three public datasets have demonstrated that the KE3DLoc significantly outperforms existing methods and provides valuable insights for spatial proteomics research. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: All datasets and codes used in this study are available at GitHub: https://github.com/PRBioimages/KE3DLoc.

Microscopy, Fluorescence↗

Opiate antagonists overcome the learned helplessness effect but impair competent escape performance.

Rats exposed to inescapable shocks exhibited deficiencies in learning to escape shock in a novel situation 24 hours later (learned helplessness). Opiate antagonists (naloxone or naltrexone) blocked the learned helplessness effect, allowing efficient escape performance on the subsequent test. In contrast, these drugs impaired the performance of rats pretrained with escapable shocks and animals with no previous exposure to shock. Both effects occurred at small doses and increased substantially with higher doses. The results suggest a significant role for endogenous opiates in the induction of learned helplessness as well as in the acquisition of efficient escape behavior.

Animals↗

The role of an amygdalo-nigrostriatal pathway in associative learning.

The present study examined the role of an amygdalo-nigrostriatal pathway in associative learning. An asymmetrical lesion model was used to test whether a circuit from the amygdala central nucleus to the dorsolateral striatum, via the substantia nigra, is critical for mediating conditioned orienting responses. Rats with an asymmetrical lesion, consisting of neurotoxic removal of central nucleus neurons in one hemisphere and depletion of the dopamine innervation of the dorsolateral striatum in the contralateral hemisphere, failed to acquire conditioned orienting responses. In contrast, the asymmetrical lesion had no effect on spontaneous orienting or learning another response directed to the source of the food unconditioned stimulus in the same task. A second experiment tested the effect of reversible inactivation of the dorsolateral striatum contralateral to a neurotoxic central nucleus lesion on acquisition of the conditioned orienting response. Although inactivation did not affect spontaneous orienting, rats failed to acquire the conditioned orienting response during sessions in which inactivation occurred. Immediately after the inactivation procedure was terminated, however, a significant increase in orienting to the conditioned stimulus was evident. These data support the interpretation that the dorsolateral striatum provides a route for the expression of the conditioned orienting response but is not essential for acquisition of this learned behavior.

Amygdala↗

Relationship between cholinergic dysfunction and discrimination learning disabilities in Wistar rats following chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

The effects of chronic hypoperfusion of cerebral blood flow (CBF) on central cholinergic indices and intellectual functions were investigated in rats. Male Wistar rats, aged 9 weeks, were anesthetized with pentobarbital, and the bilateral common carotid arteries were permanently ligated. Cortical CBF in the hypoperfused rats was markedly decreased at 6 weeks after the operation. In the hypoperfused group, cholinergic indices were changed to consist two phases after the operation, before (acute) and after (chronic) 6 weeks after the operation. At 6 weeks, choline acetyltransferase activity was restored to the sham-operated level compared with the changes in the frontal cortex and thalamus + midbrain at 3 weeks. On the other band, the maximum number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was reduced in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum at 6 weeks and thereafter remained at this low level. In discrimination learning task, the percentage of correct responses in the hypoperfused rats was generally reduced in contrast with that of the sham-operated rats, although the number of total responses were not changed. As a consequence, cholinergic dysfunctions correlate with discrimination learning disabilities in the hypoperfused rats. These findings suggest that the hypoperfused rat may be useful for the cerebrovascular type dementia model to clarify pathophysiology.

Analysis of Variance↗

Functional imaging of the semantic system: retrieval of sensory-experienced and verbally learned knowledge.

This paper considers how functional neuro-imaging can be used to investigate the organization of the semantic system and the limitations associated with this technique. The majority of the functional imaging studies of the semantic system have looked for divisions by varying stimulus category. These studies have led to divergent results and no clear anatomical hypotheses have emerged to account for the dissociations seen in behavioral studies. Only a few functional imaging studies have used task as a variable to differentiate the neural correlates of semantic features more directly. We extend these findings by presenting a new study that contrasts tasks that differentially weight sensory (color and taste) and verbally learned (origin) semantic features. Irrespective of the type of semantic feature retrieved, a common semantic system was activated as demonstrated in many previous studies. In addition, the retrieval of verbally learned, but not sensory-experienced, features enhanced activation in medial and lateral posterior parietal areas. We attribute these "verbally learned" effects to differences in retrieval strategy and conclude that evidence for segregation of semantic features at an anatomical level remains weak. We believe that functional imaging has the potential to increase our understanding of the neuronal infrastructure that sustains semantic processing but progress may require multiple experiments until a consistent explanatory framework emerges.

Adult↗

Differential effects of parafascicular electrical stimulation on active avoidance depending on the retention time, in rats.

To evaluate whether electrical stimulation of the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus can improve short-term (24 h) and/or long-term (11 days) retention of two-way active avoidance, rats were implanted with an electrode at this nucleus (experimental groups with stimulation in the parafascicular, and control groups without stimulation) or above it (other control groups without stimulation). After a single 30-trial acquisition session, experimental groups were submitted to a 20-min session of electrical stimulation. Results showed that parafascicular stimulation improved the 24-h retention of the task (number of avoidances made), increasing also the percentage of subjects that achieved a learning criterion and reducing the number of trials needed to reach it. In contrast, no differences among groups were found on the 11-day retention test. The present results agree with previous data showing a short-term effect of parafascicular stimulation on retention, and confirm its involvement in learning and memory modulation. These data are discussed in the context of the acceleration and strengthening of the memory by activation of arousal systems, and/or specific cortical-striatal systems.

Analysis of Variance↗

[The action of tropic adenohypophyseal hormones when administered intraventricularly on rat behavioral reactions].

In experiments on rats the influence was studied of tropic hormones of adenohypophysis--somatotropin, thyrotropin and adrenocorticotropin (STH, ThTN and ACTH respectively) on the elaboration and extinction of conditioned reaction of active avoidance (CRAA) in Y-maze and behaviour in the open field under microinjections of hormones into the brain lateral ventricle (0.001-0.002 ME). It has been shown that all studied hormones improve animals learning at negative pain reinforcement; ThTH and ACTH retard it in contrast to STH, which accelerates the extinction of the elaborated CRAA; tropic hormones exert differentiated influence on rats behaviour in the open field. No distinct correlation was found between behavioural manifestation and the level of catecholamines in the rats hypothalamus.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗