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Midbrain dopamine cells encode differences in predictive and expected value to support learning through reward prediction error. Recent findings have questioned whether reward prediction error can fully account for dopamine function and suggest a more complex role for dopamine in encoding detailed features of the reward environment. In this series of studies, we describe a novel role for dopamine in devaluing sensory features of reward. Mesencephalic dopamine cells activated during a mediated devaluation phase were later chemogenetically reactivated. This retrieval of the devalued reward memory elicited a reduction in the hedonic evaluation of sucrose reward. Through optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations, we confirm dopamine cells are both sufficient and necessary for mediated devaluation, and retrieval of these memories reflected dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Consistent with our computational modeling data, our findings indicate a critical role for dopamine in encoding predictive representations of the sensory features of reinforcement. Overall, we elucidate a novel role for dopamine function in mediated devaluation and illuminate a more elaborate framework through which dopamine encodes reinforcement signals. This study reveals that dopamine is necessary for devaluing sensory memories of reward and thus plays a more complex role in reinforcement learning than traditionally considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual sensory memory constructs representations of the physical information of visual objects. However, few studies have investigated whether abstract information, such as semantic information, is also involved in these representations. This study utilized a masking technique combined with the partial report paradigm to examine whether visual sensory memory representation contains semantic information. Here, we regarded the concept of orientation carried by the visual stimulus as semantic information. In three experiments, participants were asked to remember the orientation of arrows. Visual stimuli with orientation information (triangles, rectangles, and Chinese characters) and without orientation information (circles, squares, and different Chinese characters) were used as masks. The results showed that memory performance was worse when masks contained orientation information compared to when they did not, as similar orientation semantic information between masks and targets created visual representation conflicts. These findings suggest that visual sensory memory representation includes the semantic information of orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding event-related potentials (ERPs) abnormalities in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This meta-analysis aimed to systematically review and synthesize the existing evidence on ERP alterations in individuals with GAD. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica Database, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Wanfang database, and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases from inception to November 11, 2024. Gray literature and reference lists were also manually searched. Studies investigating ERP component differences between individuals with GAD and healthy controls were included. Two independent reviewers conducted study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Influence and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the pooled results. Effect sizes (SMD, Hedge's g) were calculated for latency and amplitude differences. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2 statistic. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity. Trim-and-fill analyses were applied to assess potential publication bias. Data synthesis was performed using R (version 4.2.3) software. A total of 37 studies involving 1086 individuals with GAD and 1315 healthy controls were included. The overall risk of bias was rated as low for 25 studies and moderate for 12 studies. Ten ERP components were included in the quantitative meta-analysis: P3, N2, N1, P2, Error Related Negativity (ERN), Correction Related Negativity (CRN), Mismatch Negativity (MMN), P1 (amplitude), Pe, and LPP. Pooled results indicated that individuals with GAD exhibited decreased P3 amplitude (g = −0.54, 95% CI: −0.70 to −0.38, I 2 = 20%, P = 0.22) and increased ERN amplitude (g = −0.42, 95% CI: −0.72 to −0.12, I 2 = 40%, P = 0.11) compared to healthy controls. In addition, delayed latency of P3 (g = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.78, I 2 = 75%, P < 0.01), N2 (g = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.62, I 2 = 30%, P = 0.20), and MMN (g = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.52 to 0.75, I 2 = 0%, P < 0.0001) was observed in individuals with GAD. Due to the limited number of included studies, the results of N170, N1/P2, N270, N400, VPP, BAEP, P1 (latency), P50, EPN and Nf were summarized narratively. Individuals with GAD were reported to have increased N170, N400, and VPP amplitude and delayed P1 latency compared to healthy controls. Age, sex ratio, sample size, diagnostic criteria, task-related modality, and paradigm were identified as potential influencing factors of ERP characteristics. Individuals with GAD exhibit increased ERN amplitude and decreased P3 amplitude in contrast with healthy controls. In addition, delayed latency of P3, N2, and MMN is detected in individuals with GAD. The identified ERP components in individuals with GAD are associated with attention, cognition, visual perception, error or conflict monitoring, semantic information integration, and auditory sensory memory processes. Due to the limited number of included studies and high heterogeneity, further studies with high quality are needed to confirm these findings. • This review highlights the inconsistency of ERP findings in patients with GAD, which underscores the complexity of using ERPs as reliable biomarkers for GAD. • The P3 components emphasized in this review may reflect heightened cognitive control and attentional processes linked to anxiety • This systematic review discusses the influencing factors of ERPs, which could explain the variations of ERPs findings across studies. • ERP components discussed in this review may show promise as potential GAD biomarkers. • This review emphasizes that future research should focus on standardized ERP methods and larger samples to improve reliability and validity of ERP findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory analyses carried out for the perception and experience of the city emphasize the importance of trying to understand the city with different senses, beyond seeing it with the naked eye. While we aim to obtain information about how these changes in the field are remembered through verbal interviews, the use of sensory perception analyses as a tool makes the study different and original from other studies conducted on a city scale. Cities are not only physical spaces but also carriers of collective memory. The study, which aims to map the sensory perceptions of individuals who have experienced the city for a long time, seeks to present projections for the present and the future by collecting information about the urban space, social life, and memory areas of the city of Isparta that have continued for centuries. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in the study. Verbal interviews and sensory analyses form the basis of the study. Concepts, such as common areas shared by groups, group life stories, family relations, national consciousness, and belonging, came to the fore in the emergence of collective memory. In this context, potentially valuable memory spaces were analyzed to determine the perceptual meaning continuities formed in the minds of the urban dwellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optoelectronic synapses are inevitable for realizing neuromorphic vision systems, which require the integration of image recognition, memory and image processing into a single platform. In this work, we present a three terminal optoelectronic synapse created using zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film transistor. The persistent photoconductivity (PPC) of ZnO thin film is utilized to demonstrate the synaptic behavior. The change in conductance of the device under UV illumination has been interpreted as the weight change in the synapse. The basic synaptic functions such as sensory memory, short term memory, long term memory, duration-time-dependent plasticity and paired pulse facilitation (PPF) have been successfully demonstrated. The device shows a PPF index of 160%, comparable to other optoelectronic synapses reported in literature. Further, to corroborate the existing theory that PPC is caused by oxygen vacancies, additional characterizations are carried out and the presence of oxygen vacancies is detected in the fabricated ZnO device. Subsequently, pattern recognition of MNIST handwritten dataset has been performed using the conductance tuning curves of the proposed ZnO TFT based synapses in a neural network architecture, thereby demonstrating their feasibility to be used in neuromorphic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuromorphic devices capable of emulating biological synaptic behaviors are crucial for implementing brain‐like information processing and computing. Emerging 2D ferroelectric neuromorphic devices provide an effective means of updating synaptic weight aside from conventional electrical/optical modulations. Here, by further synergizing with an energy‐efficient synaptic plasticity strategy, a multimodal mechano‐photonic synaptic memory device based on 2D asymmetric ferroelectric heterostructure is presented, which can be modulated by external mechanical behavior and light illumination. By integrating the asymmetric ferroelectric heterostructured field‐effect transistor and a triboelectric nanogenerator, the mechanical displacement‐derived triboelectric potential is ready for gating, programming, and plasticizing the synaptic device, resulting in superior electrical properties of high on/off ratios (> 107), large storage windows (equivalent to ≈95 V), excellent charge retention capability (> 104 s), good endurance (> 103 cycles), and primary synaptic behaviors. Besides, optical illumination can effectively synergize with mechanoplasticity to implement multimodal spatiotemporally correlated dynamic logic. The demonstrated multimodal memory synapse provides a facile and promising strategy for multifunctional sensory memory, interactive neuromorphic devices, and future brain‐like electronics embodying artificial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gait is among the most dependable, accurate, and secure methods of biometric identification. However, high power consumption and low computing capability are two major obstacles on wearable sensors‐based gait recognition system. In this work, an integrated system is reported combining a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), a memristor (Ag/HfOx/Pt), and perovskite‐based multicolor LEDs (PMCLED) for the visualization and recognition of foot patterns through signal‐on‐none and multi‐wavelength on‐device preprocessing. The flexible TENG acts as a sensory receptor, generating voltage based on the duration and intensity of pressure, which in turn promotes voltage‐triggered synaptic plasticity in the memristor. The PMCLED, with its threshold switching and multi‐wavelength emission characteristics, enables nonlinear filtering and amplification of the synaptic signal from the memristor, resulting in a simplified system design and reduced background noise. Additionally, the effectiveness of on‐device preprocessing is validated based on a 5 × 5 array of integrated devices and software‐built neural network for foot pattern visualization and recognition. The proposed system is able to recognize the on‐device preprocessed images with high accuracy, indicating great potentials in both healthcare monitoring and human‐machine interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are accustomed to using mobile phones to purchase products online. Previous studies identified brain activities associated with online buying decisions but did not assess mismatch negativity (MMN), P300 (P3a and P3b), and slow waves. We applied visual animation and sound effects to test visual–auditory multisensory concepts in product promotion strategies. Event-related potential (ERP) responses from 53 participants were analyzed to help design sound effects based on MMN, P300, and slow waves. We designed five short visual–auditory animation videos: visual animation sound effect (VASE), VA sound beep (VASB), visual standard sound beep (VSSB), visual animation–no sound (VANS), and visual standard–no sound (VSNS). These five apps were used to test how matched and unmatched multisensory user experience (UX) influences online shopping decisions. We also used Arrow's impossibility theorem to design the purchasing experiment. VASE evoked MMN (cluster p = 0.0184) compared with VSSB. VASE evoked the strongest P300 (P3a and P3b) responses (cluster p = 1 × 10−5), and VASB evoked more negative slow wave amplitudes (cluster p = 1.7 × 10−4) compared with VASE. Participants buy products unconsciously via most VASE and VANS mobile apps compared with via VASB and VSNS. Our findings suggest that sensory memory from multisensory UX can promote product consumption in mobile phone shopping interfaces. This study's testing of memory and attention from MMN, P300, and slow waves makes a novel contribution to the marketing discipline. The implications can motivate researchers to apply ERP to analyze the multisensory concept in future interdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To memorize a sequence, one must serially bind each item to its rank order. How the brain controls a given input to bind its associated order in sequence working memory (SWM) remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the neural representations underlying SWM control using electrophysiological recordings in the frontal cortex of macaque monkeys performing forward and backward SWM tasks. Separate and generalizable low-dimensional subspaces for sensory and memory information were found within the same frontal circuitry, and SWM control was reflected in these neural subspaces' organized dynamics. Each item at each rank was sequentially entered into a common sensory subspace and, depending on forward or backward task requirement, flexibly and timely sent into rank-selective SWM subspaces. Neural activity in these SWM subspaces faithfully predicted the recalled item and order information in single error trials. Thus, compositional neural population codes with well-orchestrated dynamics in frontal cortex support the flexible control of SWM. [Display omitted] • Separate low-dimensional sensory and memory subspaces are found in the frontal cortex • Spatial items enter a shared sensory subspace and then move into memory subspaces • Neural dynamics in forward and backward tasks reflect flexible control • Neural activities in memory subspaces predict monkeys' behavior Chen et al. discovered the separable and generalizable subspaces for sensory and sequence working memory in macaque frontal neural states. The neural activities and their dynamics within these subspaces reflected the flexible control of sequence working memory in various sequence sorting tasks, predicting monkeys' behavior in single trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple neural mechanisms underlying gating to working memory have been proposed with divergent results obtained in human and animal studies. Previous findings from non-human primates suggest prefrontal beta frequency bursts as a correlate of transient inhibition during selective encoding. Human studies instead suggest a similar role for sensory alpha power fluctuations. To cast light on these discrepancies we employed a sequential working memory task with distractors for human participants. In particular, we examined their whole-brain electrophysiological activity in both alpha and beta bands with the same single-trial burst analysis earlier performed on non-human primates. Our results reconcile earlier findings by demonstrating that both alpha and beta bursts in humans correlate with the filtering and control of memory items, but with region and task-specific differences between the two rhythms. Occipital beta burst patterns were selectively modulated during the transition from sensory processing to memory retention whereas prefrontal and parietal beta bursts tracked sequence order and were proactively upregulated prior to upcoming target encoding. Occipital alpha bursts instead increased during the actual presentation of unwanted sensory stimuli. Source reconstruction additionally suggested the involvement of striatal and thalamic alpha and beta. Thus, specific whole-brain burst patterns correlate with different aspects of working memory control. Oscillatory beta bursts are linked to cognitive control in primates, but their role in humans is less clear. This study demonstrates an analogous role in humans and suggests distinct function depending on their exact oscillatory frequency and cortical origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Errors in stimulus estimation reveal how stimulus representation changes during cognitive processes. Repulsive bias and minimum variance observed near cardinal axes are well- known error patterns typically associated with visual orientation perception. Recent experiments suggest that these errors continuously evolve during working memory, posing a challenge that neither static sensory models nor traditional memory models can address. Here, we demonstrate that these evolving errors, maintaining characteristic shapes, require network interaction between two distinct modules. Each module fulfills efficient sensory encoding and memory maintenance, which cannot be achieved simultaneously in a single- module network. The sensory module exhibits heterogeneous tuning with strong inhibitory modulation reflecting natural orientation statistics. While the memory module, operating alone, supports homogeneous representation via continuous attractor dynamics, the fully connected network forms discrete attractors with moderate drift speed and nonuniform diffusion processes. Together, our work underscores the significance of sensory- memory interaction in continuously shaping stimulus representation during working memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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INTRODUCTION: Subjective hearing and memory problems are detectable earlier than objective measures of sensory loss and cognitive decline, which are known to be related to an increased risk of dementia in later life. METHODS: Using a population‐representative cohort of 6006 individuals (aged 50–75) we examined whether participants who self‐reported hearing and short‐term memory issues showed greater rates of dementia within 17 years of follow‐up. A sub‐cohort was tested for audiometric threshold and cognition after 14 years. RESULTS: Hearing and memory problems were associated with a greater risk of dementia (hazard ratios [HRs] = 1.42 [95% confidence interval: 1.11–1.81], 1.57 [1.30–1.90]), and poorer cognition 14 years later. The risk was greatest in those reporting both problems (HR = 1.99 [1.42–2.80]). At follow‐up, the level of hearing loss was associated with lower cognitive scores. DISCUSSION: Self‐reports of hearing and short‐term memory problems are associated with poorer cognitive performance and a greater risk of dementia. Subjective assessments may have predictive power over more than a decade. Highlights: In a sample of older adults subjective hearing and memory problems were associated with dementia risk.Cross‐sectionally, the audiometric screening threshold was associated with cognitive test scores.Subjective sensory and memory loss questions are easy to implement and show good predictive power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amygdala has long held the center seat in the neural basis of threat conditioning. However, a rapidly growing literature has elucidated extra-amygdala circuits in this process, highlighting the sensory cortex for its critical role in the mnemonic aspect of the process. While this literature is largely focused on the auditory system, substantial human and rodent findings on the olfactory system have emerged. The unique nature of the olfactory neuroanatomy and its intimate association with emotion compels a review of this recent literature to illuminate its special contribution to threat memory. Here, integrating recent evidence in humans and animal models, we posit that the olfactory (piriform) cortex is a primary and necessary component of the distributed threat memory network, supporting mnemonic ensemble coding of acquired threat. We further highlight the basic circuit architecture of the piriform cortex characterized by distributed, auto-associative connections, which is prime for highly efficient content-addressable memory computing to support threat memory. Given the primordial role of the piriform cortex in cortical evolution and its simple, well-defined circuits, we propose that olfaction can be a model system for understanding (transmodal) sensory cortical mechanisms underlying threat memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adab Al-Kufa is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Probing memory of a complex visual image within a few hundred milliseconds after its disappearance reveals significantly greater fidelity of recall than if the probe is delayed by as little as a second. Classically interpreted, the former taps into a detailed but rapidly decaying visual sensory or 'iconic' memory (IM), while the latter relies on capacity-limited but comparatively stable visual working memory (VWM). While iconic decay and VWM capacity have been extensively studied independently, currently no single framework quantitatively accounts for the dynamics of memory fidelity over these time scales. Here, we extend a stationary neural population model of VWM with a temporal dimension, incorporating rapid sensory-driven accumulation of activity encoding each visual feature in memory, and a slower accumulation of internal error that causes memorized features to randomly drift over time. Instead of facilitating read-out from an independent sensory store, an early cue benefits recall by lifting the effective limit on VWM signal strength imposed when multiple items compete for representation, allowing memory for the cued item to be supplemented with information from the decaying sensory trace. Empirical measurements of human recall dynamics validate these predictions while excluding alternative model architectures. A key conclusion is that differences in capacity classically thought to distinguish IM and VWM are in fact contingent upon a single resource-limited WM store. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is linked to sensory changes in older adults, which affects their quality of life and can lead to disabilities. Currently, around 50 million people suffer from sensory impairments, a figure that is expected to increase to 82 million by 2030. These impairments include problems in the five senses (vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch), which are essential for perception and interaction with the environment. To improve the quality of life of older adults and their caregivers, it is crucial to implement comprehensive health policies that address these sensory problems. This also involves empowering people to reduce risk factors such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) offers programs to assess and reduce sensory and cognitive impairment in the elderly. Alcohol and tobacco use can aggravate sensory and memory problems, negatively affecting quality of life. Family caregivers play a critical role in the well-being of older adults with sensory impairment. It is vital to understand how these impairments impact their daily lives and to assess their sensory, mental and motor abilities to prevent falls and improve their quality of life. A recent study revealed that sensory impairments, especially in vision and hearing, have a major impact on the quality of life of older adults. Decreased vision can predict cognitive changes, and sensory impairments are associated with an increased risk of dementia. These impairments also affect independence, well-being and social interactions. Dysfunction of the sense of smell is related to cognitive and sensory impairment, affecting memory and verbal fluency, and may be an early indicator of dementia, also influencing nutrition and daily activities. Factors such as low schooling, declining physical performance and lack of social support increase cognitive and sensory vulnerability, making the support of health professionals, family and friends crucial to manage these dysfunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research examining migrant homemaking is multi-disciplinary and well-developed, providing evidence that 'home' exists in multiple places. However, only a small component of this work examines the role of the senses. This paper draws on research conducted between 2015 and 2019 in Glasgow, a city in Scotland, UK, with migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women that used photo elicitation interviews, to bridge the gap between scholarship on migrant homemaking and the senses. The paper empirically demonstrates how the senses allow migrants to cultivate the embodied experience of physically being elsewhere by drawing on sensory memories, practices, and material cultures, specifically engaging taste and smell. The paper analyses the experience of four participants who described this sensation, and addresses the impact of the security of migrant status and financial resources in sensory homemaking. The concluding discussion proposes the concept of 'sensory space-time compression' as a novel way of understanding the sensory experiences of home in the context of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key question in the neuroscience of memory encoding pertains to the mechanisms by which afferent stimuli are allocated within memory networks. This issue is especially pronounced in the domain of working memory, where capacity is finite. Presumably the brain must embed some "policy" by which to allocate these mnemonic resources in an online manner in order to maximally represent and store afferent information for as long as possible and without interference from subsequent stimuli. Here, we engage this question through a top-down theoretical modeling framework. We formally optimize a gating mechanism that projects afferent stimuli onto a finite number of memory slots within a recurrent network architecture. In the absence of external input, the activity in each slot attenuates over time (i.e., a process of gradual forgetting). It turns out that the optimal gating policy consists of a direct projection from sensory activity to memory slots, alongside an activity-dependent lateral inhibition. Interestingly, allocating resources myopically (greedily with respect to the current stimulus) leads to efficient utilization of slots over time. In other words, later-arriving stimuli are distributed across slots in such a way that the network state is minimally shifted and so prior signals are minimally "overwritten." Further, networks with heterogeneity in the timescales of their forgetting rates retain stimuli better than those that are more homogeneous. Our results suggest how online, recurrent networks working on temporally localized objectives without high-level supervision can nonetheless implement efficient allocation of memory resources over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central tendency bias, or contraction bias, is a phenomenon where the judgment of the magnitude of items held in working memory appears to be biased toward the average of past observations. It is assumed to be an optimal strategy by the brain and commonly thought of as an expression of the brain's ability to learn the statistical structure of sensory input. On the other hand, recency biases such as serial dependence are also commonly observed and are thought to reflect the content of working memory. Recent results from an auditory delayed comparison task in rats suggest that both biases may be more related than previously thought: when the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) was silenced, both short-term and contraction biases were reduced. By proposing a model of the circuit that may be involved in generating the behavior, we show that a volatile working memory content susceptible to shifting to the past sensory experience - producing short-term sensory history biases - naturally leads to contraction bias. The errors, occurring at the level of individual trials, are sampled from the full distribution of the stimuli and are not due to a gradual shift of the memory toward the sensory distribution's mean. Our results are consistent with a broad set of behavioral findings and provide predictions of performance across different stimulus distributions and timings, delay intervals, as well as neuronal dynamics in putative working memory areas. Finally, we validate our model by performing a set of human psychophysics experiments of an auditory parametric working memory task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, advancements in brain science and neuroscience have significantly influenced the field of computer science, particularly in the domain of reinforcement learning (RL). Drawing insights from neurobiology and neuropsychology, researchers have leveraged these findings to develop novel mechanisms for understanding intelligent decision-making processes in the brain. Concurrently, the emergence of quantum computing has opened new frontiers in artificial intelligence, leading to the development of quantum machine learning (QML). This study introduces a novel model that integrates quantum spiking neural networks (QSNN) and quantum long short-term memory (QLSTM) architectures, inspired by the complex workings of the human brain. Specifically designed for reinforcement learning tasks in energy-efficient environments, our approach progresses through two distinct stages mirroring sensory and memory systems. In the initial stage, analogous to the brain's hypothalamus, low-level information is extracted to emulate sensory data processing patterns. Subsequently, resembling the hippocampus, this information is processed at a higher level, capturing and memorizing correlated patterns. We conducted a comparative analysis of our model against existing quantum models, including quantum neural networks (QNNs), QLSTM, QSNN and their classical counterparts, elucidating its unique contributions. Through empirical results, we demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing quantum models inspired by the brain, which outperform the classical approaches and other quantum models in optimizing energy use case. Specifically, in terms of average, best and worst total reward, test reward, robustness, and learning curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buonomano and Rovelli (unpubl. manuscript, 2021) and Gruber, Block, and Montemayor (Front. Psychol. , 2022 , 13, art. 718505) grapple with the problem that we experience both a present moment and a flow of time, yet neither of those things seems to be recognised in physics. This paper makes three points about that. The present moment in perception is not the same as the present moment in physics because they occupy radically different time scales, 10–44 s in physics and something in the millisecond range in perception. The information about what is currently being perceived is experienced as in the present not because it is but because it is all labelled with time markers saying that it is the present; there are similar time markers identifying still active historical information as in the past. The flow of time is not generated by actual change over time but by an information structure existing at a single moment of time that represents change over connected time markers. Whether there is an actual present and an actual flow of time in the universe or not, the experienced present and experienced flow of time are perceptual constructs and nothing more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposive decision-making, based on sensory input and memory, is a component of executive functioning. Evaluating executive functioning is crucial for understanding neuropsychiatric disorders and brain injuries. However, there's a lack of mouse tests for this purpose. To address this, we developed a novel touchscreen task to assess purposive decision-making in mice. In the present task, the mice had to touch the correct window (left or right), with a visual stimulus as a cue for decision-making. The mice gradually acquired a relationship between the visual stimuli and the action they should take. Each mouse made the correct choice more than 80% of the time based on the visual cue and memory and knowledge of themselves. We could clearly determine when the mice saw the visual cue. The present task offers a valuable tool for investigating the neural mechanisms behind decision-making. • Purposive decision-making task of mice was developed in touchscreen apparatus. • Mice can make a memory-dependent decision. • Provides a clear reference point for decision-making by touching a start cue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cognitive functions are represented as cell assemblies. In the case of spatial navigation, the population activity of place cells in the hippocampus and grid cells in the entorhinal cortex represents self-location in the environment. The brain cannot directly observe self-location information in the environment. Instead, it relies on sensory information and memory to estimate self-location. Therefore, estimating low-dimensional dynamics, such as the movement trajectory of an animal exploring its environment, from only the high-dimensional neural activity is important in deciphering the information represented in the brain. Most previous studies have estimated the low-dimensional dynamics (i.e., latent variables) behind neural activity by unsupervised learning with Bayesian population decoding using artificial neural networks or gaussian processes. Recently, persistent cohomology has been used to estimate latent variables from the phase information (i.e., circular coordinates) of manifolds created by neural activity. However, the advantages of persistent cohomology over Bayesian population decoding are not well understood. We compared persistent cohomology and Bayesian population decoding in estimating the animal location from simulated and actual grid cell population activity. We found that persistent cohomology can estimate the animal location with fewer neurons than Bayesian population decoding and robustly estimate the animal location from actual noisy data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinct neural processes such as sensory and memory processes are often encoded over distinct timescales of neural activations. Animal studies have shown that this multiscale coding strategy is also implemented for individual components of a single process, such as individual features of a multifeature stimulus in sensory coding. However, the generalizability of this encoding strategy to the human brain has remained unclear. We asked if individual features of visual stimuli were encoded over distinct timescales. We applied a multiscale time-resolved decoding method to electroencephalography (EEG) collected from human subjects presented with grating visual stimuli to estimate the timescale of individual stimulus features. We observed that the orientation and color of the stimuli were encoded in shorter timescales, whereas spatial frequency and the contrast of the same stimuli were encoded in longer timescales. The stimulus features appeared in temporally overlapping windows along the trial supporting a multiplexed coding strategy. These results provide evidence for a multiplexed, multiscale coding strategy in the human visual system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memory traces are believed to be broadly allocated in cerebral cortices and the hippocampus. Mutual synapse innervations among these brain areas are presumably formed in associative memory. In the present study, we have used neuronal tracing by pAAV-carried fluorescent proteins and neuroligin-3 mRNA knockdown by shRNAs to examine the role of neuroligin-3-mediated synapse formation in the interconnection between primary associative memory cells in the sensory cortices and secondary associative memory cells in the hippocampus during the acquisition and memory of associated signals. Our studies show that mutual synapse innervations between the barrel cortex and the hippocampal CA3 region emerge and are upregulated after the memories of associated whisker and odor signals come into view. These synapse interconnections are downregulated by a knockdown of neuroligin-3-mediated synapse linkages. New synapse interconnections and the strengthening of these interconnections appear to endorse the belief in an interaction between the hippocampus and sensory cortices for memory consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The temporal features of somatosensory processing can be assessed using EEG. • Mismatch negativity was not elicited between vibrations of 100 ms and 115 ms. • Mismatch negativity was elicited between vibrations of 100 ms and 130, 145 or 160 ms. Duration is an amodal feature common to all sensory experiences, but low-level processing of the temporal qualities of somatosensation remains poorly understood. The goal of the present study was to evaluate electrophysiological discrimination of parametric somatosensory stimuli to better understand how the brain processes the duration of tactile information. This research used a somatosensory mismatch negativity (sMMN) paradigm to evaluate electrophysiological sensitivity to differences in the duration of vibrotactile stimuli in healthy young adults. Specifically, a 100 ms standard vibration was presented 80% of the time while the remaining 20% of presentations were made up of deviant stimuli with one of the following durations: 115, 130, 145, or 160 ms. When a deviation from the anticipated tactile input is detected, the distinct electrophysiological signature of the sMMN is present. A companion behavioral task assessed individual thresholds for cognizant awareness of the standard and deviant vibrotactile stimuli. The results of the present study demonstrated a sMMN response when deviant stimuli were 130, 145, and 160 ms, but not when they were 115 ms. This suggests that on average the participants did not electrophysiologically discriminate between the 100 and 115 ms. Future work may apply this paradigm to better understand atypical tactile sensitivity in various clinical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We interrogated auditory sensory memory capabilities in individuals with CLN3 disease (juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis), specifically for the feature of "duration" processing. Given decrements in auditory processing abilities associated with later-stage CLN3 disease, we hypothesized that the duration-evoked mismatch negativity (MMN) of the event related potential (ERP) would be a marker of progressively atypical cortical processing in this population, with potential applicability as a brain-based biomarker in clinical trials. Methods: We employed three stimulation rates (fast: 450 ms, medium: 900 ms, slow: 1800 ms), allowing for assessment of the sustainability of the auditory sensory memory trace. The robustness of MMN directly relates to the rate at which the regularly occurring stimulus stream is presented. As presentation rate slows, robustness of the sensory memory trace diminishes. By manipulating presentation rate, the strength of the sensory memory trace is parametrically varied, providing greater sensitivity to detect auditory cortical dysfunction. A secondary hypothesis was that duration-evoked MMN abnormalities in CLN3 disease would be more severe at slower presentation rates, resulting from greater demand on the sensory memory system. Results: Data from individuals with CLN3 disease (N = 21; range 6–28 years of age) showed robust MMN responses (i.e., intact auditory sensory memory processes) at the medium stimulation rate. However, at the fastest rate, MMN was significantly reduced, and at the slowest rate, MMN was not detectable in CLN3 disease relative to neurotypical controls (N = 41; ages 6–26 years). Conclusions: Results reveal emerging insufficiencies in this critical auditory perceptual system in individuals with CLN3 disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iconic memory and short-term memory are not only crucial for perception and cognition, but also of great importance to mental health. Here, we first showed that both types of memory could be improved by improving limiting processes in visual processing through perceptual learning. Normal adults were trained in a contrast detection task for ten days, with their higher-order aberrations (HOA) corrected in real-time. We found that the training improved not only their contrast sensitivity function (CSF), but also their iconic memory and baseline information maintenance for short-term memory, and the relationship between memory and CSF improvements could be well-predicted by an observer model. These results suggest that training the limiting component of a cognitive task with visual perceptual learning could improve visual cognition. They may also provide an empirical foundation for new therapies to treat people with poor sensory memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of L'Année Rabelaisienne is the property of Classiques Garnier and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Introduction: Many theories contend that evidence accumulation is a critical component of decision‐making. Cognitive accumulation models typically interpret two main parameters: a drift rate and decision threshold. The former is the rate of accumulation, based on the quality of evidence, and the latter is the amount of evidence required for a decision. Some studies have found neural signals that mimic evidence accumulators and can be described by the two parameters. However, few studies have related these neural parameters to experimental manipulations of sensory data or memory representations. Here, we investigated the influence of affective salience on neural accumulation parameters. High affective salience has been repeatedly shown to influence decision‐making, yet its effect on neural evidence accumulation has been unexamined. Methods: The current study used a two‐choice object categorization task of body images (feet or hands). Half the images in each category were high in affective salience because they contained highly aversive features (gore and mutilation). To study such quick categorization decisions with a relatively slow technique like functional magnetic resonance imaging, we used a gradual reveal paradigm to lengthen cognitive processing time through the gradual "unmasking" of stimuli. Results: Because the aversive features were task‐irrelevant, high affective salience produced a distractor effect, slowing decision time. In visual accumulation regions of interest, high affective salience produced a longer time to peak activation. Unexpectedly, the later peak appeared to be the product of changes to both drift rate and decision threshold. The drift rate for high affective salience was shallower, and the decision threshold was greater. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an experimental manipulation of sensory data or memory representations that changed the neural decision threshold. Conclusion: These findings advance our knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying affective responses in general and the influence of high affective salience on object representations and categorization decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE previously indicated causal relationship between reading impairment and difficulties in rhythm perception in an adult sample. In our study the comparison was made between the family risk for dyslexia and the no-risk for dyslexia groups to assess the possibility of shared risk factors. We hypothesized that a relationship exists between reading deficits and lower performance in rhythm perception within the family risk for dyslexia participant group. The participants were young adults (N = 119, aged from 20 to 48 years old). We assessed the reading abilities, rhythm perception performance and memory performance, and sensorimotor music reward experiences of our participants. Our results indicate that in adulthood rhythm perception appears to correlate with aspects of memory function, rather than with measures of reading fluency. Our results also suggest an indirect relationship between rhythm perception and word text reading fluency through short-term memory within the family risk for dyslexia group. A weak positive correlation between sensorimotor musical reward experience and pseudoword reading fluency was detected as well. We suggest family risk for dyslexia as an additional variable in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on the use of scent in advertising has shown that scent can enhance the memorability of and engagement with an ad. However, can scenting an ad also change the way consumers perceive and react to the advertised product? This research provides new insights for this question and demonstrates an additional facet of scent: its ability to physically represent the essence of a target product and thus induce a sense of proximity. Through six studies, the authors show that scented ads enhance consumers' sense of proximity of the advertised product and consequently increase product appeal. In line with the proposed visceral nature of the effect, this effect holds even for unpleasant scents but is contingent on the scent's ability to represent the advertised product. The effect is weakened when the product is physically close. The findings of this research have implications for when and why firms should use scented ads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the mechanisms behind our ability to recall details from a remembered image. It explains that our visual memories are strongest immediately after an image disappears, but the accuracy of recall drops rapidly over time. The article presents a computational model that suggests iconic memory and visual working memory are part of the same recall mechanism. The model predicts that the accuracy of recall depends on factors such as the timing of the cue and the duration of exposure to the stimulus. The findings of the study provide a simplified explanation for the recall process and offer a foundation for future research in this area. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores embodied encounters with the Sea Empress oil spill of 1996 and their representation in oral narratives. Through a close reading of the personal testimonies collected in the Sea Empress Project archive, I examine the relationship between intense sensory experiences of environmental change and everyday interpretations of the disaster and its legacy. The article first outlines the ways in which this collection of voices reveals sensory memories, embodied affects and narrative choices to be deeply entwined in oral representations of the spill, disclosing a ‘sensory event’ that created a powerful awareness of both environmental surroundings and their relationship to everyday social processes. Then, reading these narratives against-the-grain, I argue that narrators’ accounts tell a paradoxical story of a disaster that most now wish to forget, and reveal an ambivalent legacy of environmental change that is similarly consigned to the past. Finally, I relate this social forgetting of the Sea Empress to the wider history of environmental consciousness in modern Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we share our understanding of a "more than" (Ulmer 2017, 10) critical curriculum inquiry and how this type of inquiry can help us collapse the subject?object binary by attentively responding to embodied experiences in curriculum studies. Our focus is specifically on the affective dimension of curriculum inquiry as we work with what St. Pierre (2018, 604) refers to as the "history of the present". We use education memory to tap into the nuanced intra-actions between post-humanism, curriculum studies and how these are extended into the post-schooling context. We understand education memory as the sensory, affective and embodied experiences of education that emerge as we pause in awareness of our present moment of becoming. We draw on Pinar's currere as folding memory into the present to continuously give voice to multidimensional layers of imagined futures. We draw on the concept of refrain (Deleuze and Guattari 1988, 300), which we understand as complex lived experiences informative in our becoming as educators. In using arts-based methods such as poetry, object inquiry, drawing and drumming, we explore lived experiences to tangibly integrate memory and imagination on pedagogical refrains that shape our becoming. Arts-based methods and materials afford tactile engagement with materiality and attentive responsiveness. Thus, we ask: How might the concept of refrain, as manifest in an arts-based research approach, allow us to give voice to curriculum entanglements as a "more-than-critical" curriculum? Through this question, we pay attention to relational occurrences as refrains, for memory and improvisation becoming integrated to inform curriculum entanglements between humans and the more-than-human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition of the visual cortex is primarily based on the evidence that lesions of this area impair visual perception. However, this does not exclude that the visual cortex may process more information than of retinal origin alone, or that other brain structures contribute to vision. Indeed, research across the past decades has shown that non-visual information, such as neural activity related to reward expectation and value, locomotion, working memory and other sensory modalities, can modulate primary visual cortical responses to retinal inputs. Nevertheless, the function of this non-visual information is poorly understood. Here we review recent evidence, coming primarily from studies in rodents, arguing that non-visual and motor effects in visual cortex play a role in visual processing itself, for instance disentangling direct auditory effects on visual cortex from effects of sound-evoked orofacial movement. These findings are placed in a broader framework casting vision in terms of predictive processing under control of frontal, reward- and motor-related systems. In contrast to the prevalent notion that vision is exclusively constructed by the visual cortical system, we propose that visual percepts are generated by a larger network—the extended visual system—spanning other sensory cortices, supramodal areas and frontal systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Decision and control processes in multisensory perception'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tests of visuospatial memory following short (<1 s) and medium (1 to 30 s) delays have revealed characteristically different patterns of behavior in humans. These data have been interpreted as evidence for different memory systems operating during short (iconic memory) and long delays (working memory). Leising et al. (2019, Behavioural Processes, 169, Article 103957) found evidence for both systems in pigeons and humans completing a location change-detection task using a visual mask that disrupted accuracy following a short (100 ms), but not a long (1,000 ms) delay. Another common finding is that adding to-be-remembered items should disrupt accuracy after a long, but not short, delay. Experiments 1a and 1b reported this memory system crossover effect in pigeons and people, respectively, tested on location change detection with delays of 0, 100, and 1,000 ms and displays of two to 16 items. Experiments 2a and 2b reported that the color of the items had little (pigeons) or no (humans) effect on change-detection accuracy. Pigeons tested in Experiment 3 with longer delays (2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 ms) and large set sizes demonstrated the crossover effect with most displays but did not demonstrate an abrupt drop in accuracy characteristic of iconic memory. In Experiment 4, accuracy with novel types of change (color, shape, and size) was better after a 0-ms delay and above-chance levels on color and shape trials. These data demonstrate the memory system crossover effect in both humans and pigeons and expand our knowledge of the properties of memory systems across species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biologically inspired neuromorphic sensory memory systems based on memristor have received a lot of attention in the booming artificial intelligence industry due to significant potential to effectively process multi‐sensory signals from complex external environments. However, many memristors have significant switching parameters disperse, which is a great challenge for using memristors in bionic neuromorphic sensory memory systems. Herein, a stable ferroelectric memristor based on the Pd/BaTiO3:Eu2O3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 grown on Silicon structure with SrTiO3 as buffer layer is presented. The device possesses low coercive field voltage (−1.3–2.1 V) and robust endurance characteristic (~1010 cycles) through optimizing the growth temperature. More importantly, an ultra‐stable artificial multimodal sensory memory system with visual and tactile functions was reported for the first time by combining a pressure sensor, a photosensitive sensor, and a robotic arm. Utilizing the above system, the sensitivity value of the system is expressed by the conductance of the memristor to realize the gradual change of external stimulus, and multi signals inputs at the same time to this system have faithfully achieved sensory adaptation to multimodal sensors. This work paves the way for future development of memristor‐based perception systems in efficient multisensory neural robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether stimulus‐processing in sensory or semantic memory influenced affective responses after repeated exposures. This entailed exploring whether activating sensory memory by comparing odor strength during exposure (Experiments 1 and 3) or activating semantic memory by naming the odor during exposure (Experiments 2 and 4) changed affective responses to the odor. Generally pleasant or generally unpleasant odors were presented to participants 40 times (Experiments 1 and 2) or 10 times (Experiments 3 and 4), and their liking for the odor was rated before and after the exposure. Results indicated that affective responses to odors became neutral after 40 exposures, regardless of processing the odor in sensory or semantic memory during the exposure. The liking score changed only for likable odors after 10 exposures, when the odor was processed in sensory memory (bottom‐up processing) during the exposure. These findings suggest that affective responses change through repeated exposure, regardless of the type of stimulus processing. However, the repeated exposure effect differed based on the stimulus‐processing type during the exposure, when the number of exposures was limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During spatial exploration, neural circuits in the hippocampus store memories of sequences of sensory events encountered in the environment. When sensory information is absent during 'offline' resting periods, brief neuronal population bursts can 'replay' sequences of activity that resemble bouts of sensory experience. These sequences can occur in either forward or reverse order, and can even include spatial trajectories that have not been experienced, but are consistent with the topology of the environment. The neural circuit mechanisms underlying this variable and flexible sequence generation are unknown. Here we demonstrate in a recurrent spiking network model of hippocampal area CA3 that experimental constraints on network dynamics such as population sparsity, stimulus selectivity, rhythmicity and spike rate adaptation, as well as associative synaptic connectivity, enable additional emergent properties, including variable offline memory replay. In an online stimulus‐driven state, we observed the emergence of neuronal sequences that swept from representations of past to future stimuli on the timescale of the theta rhythm. In an offline state driven only by noise, the network generated both forward and reverse neuronal sequences, and recapitulated the experimental observation that offline memory replay events tend to include salient locations like the site of a reward. These results demonstrate that biological constraints on the dynamics of recurrent neural circuits are sufficient to enable memories of sensory events stored in the strengths of synaptic connections to be flexibly read out during rest and sleep, which is thought to be important for memory consolidation and planning of future behaviour. Key points: A recurrent spiking network model of hippocampal area CA3 was optimized to recapitulate experimentally observed network dynamics during simulated spatial exploration.During simulated offline rest, the network exhibited the emergent property of generating flexible forward, reverse and mixed direction memory replay events.Network perturbations and analysis of model diversity and degeneracy identified associative synaptic connectivity and key features of network dynamics as important for offline sequence generation.Network simulations demonstrate that population over‐representation of salient positions like the site of reward results in biased memory replay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]