CONFIDENTIAL Pg 1

Alzheimer’s Disease InternationalToronto March 27, 2011

Gillian Rowe1,2, Angela K. Troyer1, Kelly J. Murphy1,2, Lynn Hasher2,3, & Renee Biss2

Gillian Rowe1,2, Angela K. Troyer1, Kelly J. Murphy1,2, Lynn Hasher2,3, & Renee Biss2

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Implicit Processes Enhance Cognitive Abilities in

Amnestic-Mild Cognitive Impairment

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Acknowledgements

Brian RichardsGuy Proulx

Morris Goldenberg Medical Research Endowment

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Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Gillian Rowe, Ph.DAngela Troyer, Ph.DKelly Murphy, Ph.D Lynn Hasher, Ph.D Renee Biss, M.A.

Has no real or apparent

conflicts of interest to report.

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Background and Purpose

• Pattern of impaired explicit and intact implicit memory observed in individuals with aMCI

• Can be thought of as conscious and unconscious

• Research/interventions often target impaired abilities•May be effortful and possibly distressing

• Instead, can we use implicit processes to influence explicit•Enhance explicit without effort or awareness

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• Previously shown with healthy older adults Rowe et al., 2006

• Known to be more susceptible to distraction than younger

• Evidence they pick up irrelevant information implicitly

• Use that information for later task if it becomes relevant

•Without awareness

Background and Purpose

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• People with aMCI also susceptible to distraction

• Would same effect be found?

• If so, possible opportunities for intervention in aMCI

•Everyday memory

•Autobiographical memory

•Prospective memory

Background and Purpose

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• Used adaptation of earlier work• Participants

– 22 aMCI

– 22 matched healthy controls

• Same/different judgments of consecutive stream of line drawings. Ignore letter strings

E M B L E M L O T T E R YH F X V V

L I V E R

Method

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• 10 min filler - computerized Corsi Block task

Method

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Word-Fragment Completion Task

E _ _ _ E R E R A S E R

S U _ _ L Y S U P P L Y

W I _ _ E R W I N N E R

L I _ _ R L I V E R

A _ _ I T _ O N A M B I T I O N

E _ _ _ E M E M B L E M

_ _ A M _ S T A M P

L _ T _ E _ Y L O T T E R Y

_ R _ V _ G R A V Y

Method

30 word fragments

10 words told to ignore

10 not seen earlier

10 easy fillers

Say first thing came into head

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Word-Fragment Completion Task

E _ _ _ E R E R A S E R

S U _ _ L Y S U P P L Y

W I _ _ E R W I N N E R

L I _ _ R L I V E R

A _ _ I T _ O N A M B I T I O N

E _ _ _ E M E M B L E M

_ _ A M _ S T A M P

L _ T _ E _ Y L O T T E R Y

_ R _ V _ G R A V Y

Method

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Results

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CONTROLS aMC!

% P

rim

ing

More words fragments solved for previously seen words

Significantly more for aMCI group compared to controls

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• Correlation between implicit and explicit memory (aMCI)

Results

CBT

Primin

g

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• Similar paradigm using everyday situation/materials

• Virtual shopping mall• Explicit task: list of items to buy • Test for irrelevant information

How can this be applied to everyday and autobiographical memory?

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Acknowledgements

Brian RichardsGuy Proulx

Morris Goldenberg Medical Research Endowment