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Memory Image Completion : Establishing a task to behaviorally assess pattern completion in humans

Vieweg, Paula ; Riemer, Martin ; Berron, David LU and Wolbers, Thomas (2019) In Hippocampus 29(4). p.340-351
Abstract

For memory retrieval, pattern completion is a crucial process that restores memories from partial or degraded cues. Neurocognitive aging models suggest that the aged memory system is biased toward pattern completion, resulting in a behavioral preference for retrieval over encoding of memories. Here, we built on our previously developed behavioral recognition memory paradigm—the Memory Image Completion (MIC) task—a task to specifically target pattern completion. First, we used the original design with concurrent eye-tracking in order to rule out perceptual confounds that could interact with recognition performance. Second, we developed parallel versions of the task to accommodate test settings in clinical environments or longitudinal... (More)

For memory retrieval, pattern completion is a crucial process that restores memories from partial or degraded cues. Neurocognitive aging models suggest that the aged memory system is biased toward pattern completion, resulting in a behavioral preference for retrieval over encoding of memories. Here, we built on our previously developed behavioral recognition memory paradigm—the Memory Image Completion (MIC) task—a task to specifically target pattern completion. First, we used the original design with concurrent eye-tracking in order to rule out perceptual confounds that could interact with recognition performance. Second, we developed parallel versions of the task to accommodate test settings in clinical environments or longitudinal studies. The results show that older adults have a deficit in pattern completion ability with a concurrent bias toward pattern completion. Importantly, eye-tracking data during encoding could not account for age-related performance differences. At retrieval, spatial viewing patterns for both age groups were more driven by stimulus identity than by response choice, but compared to young adults, older adults' fixation patterns overlapped more between stimuli that they (wrongly) thought had the same identity. This supports the observation that older adults choose responses perceived as similar to a learned stimulus, indicating a bias toward pattern completion. Additionally, two shorter versions of the task yielded comparable results, and no general learning effects were observed for repeated testing. Together, we present evidence that the MIC is a reliable behavioral task that targets pattern completion, that is easily and repeatedly applicable, and that is made freely available online.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cognitive aging, eye-tracking, pattern completion bias, recognition memory
in
Hippocampus
volume
29
issue
4
pages
340 - 351
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:30246900
  • scopus:85057137610
ISSN
1050-9631
DOI
10.1002/hipo.23030
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7fe48a10-2d82-483f-96f8-a4befdcf025e
date added to LUP
2018-12-04 13:00:10
date last changed
2024-02-14 12:17:30
@article{7fe48a10-2d82-483f-96f8-a4befdcf025e,
  abstract     = {{<p>For memory retrieval, pattern completion is a crucial process that restores memories from partial or degraded cues. Neurocognitive aging models suggest that the aged memory system is biased toward pattern completion, resulting in a behavioral preference for retrieval over encoding of memories. Here, we built on our previously developed behavioral recognition memory paradigm—the Memory Image Completion (MIC) task—a task to specifically target pattern completion. First, we used the original design with concurrent eye-tracking in order to rule out perceptual confounds that could interact with recognition performance. Second, we developed parallel versions of the task to accommodate test settings in clinical environments or longitudinal studies. The results show that older adults have a deficit in pattern completion ability with a concurrent bias toward pattern completion. Importantly, eye-tracking data during encoding could not account for age-related performance differences. At retrieval, spatial viewing patterns for both age groups were more driven by stimulus identity than by response choice, but compared to young adults, older adults' fixation patterns overlapped more between stimuli that they (wrongly) thought had the same identity. This supports the observation that older adults choose responses perceived as similar to a learned stimulus, indicating a bias toward pattern completion. Additionally, two shorter versions of the task yielded comparable results, and no general learning effects were observed for repeated testing. Together, we present evidence that the MIC is a reliable behavioral task that targets pattern completion, that is easily and repeatedly applicable, and that is made freely available online.</p>}},
  author       = {{Vieweg, Paula and Riemer, Martin and Berron, David and Wolbers, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{1050-9631}},
  keywords     = {{cognitive aging; eye-tracking; pattern completion bias; recognition memory}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{340--351}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Hippocampus}},
  title        = {{Memory Image Completion : Establishing a task to behaviorally assess pattern completion in humans}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hipo.23030}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/hipo.23030}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}