Memory & EmotionDenise Compton, PhD Clinical Psychologist

Emotional Arousal

• Memories for emotionally arousing events remain the same or improve over time

• Memories for emotionally neutral events are more likely to fade

Emotional Valence

• Highly positive --- Neutral --- Highly negative

Both highly positive and highly negative events are better remembered than neutral events

Selective Attention

Mood Congruence Effects

• Our mood affects what we attend to and encode in memory, and therefore, what we are able to retrieve

Mood Congruence Effects

• Information is more easily recalled when it has the same emotional content as current mood

Mood Congruence Effects

• The probability of remembering an event is enhanced by evoking the emotional state in which in was encoded

Memory for Past Emotions

• Are not always accurate

• When emotional responses change over time,• Our recollections of our initial reactions to

events are likely to reflect our current reactions

Effects of Emotional Suppression

• People who are actively attempting to suppress their emotions during an arousing event, have poorer memory for the event

Aging and Positivity

• Older adults show somewhat of a shift towards favoring positive over negative information in memory

Emotional Factors and Alzheimer’s Disease

• The Religious Orders Study

Religious Orders Study1

• Religious Orders Study—includes over 1,000 clergy members who have agreed to annual cognitive testing and to brain donation after death

• Study started in 1993 and will continue until 2011

• All participants are dementia-free at time of enrollment

• Researchers are looking to discover changes in the brain that are responsible for memory disorders

http://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1099611542043.html 12

Religious Orders Study

• Dementia risk factors are analyzed from multiple perspectives, including physical health, mental health, and lifestyle

• The next slides present some of the findings thus far as they pertain to loneliness, and depression

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Loneliness and Alzheimer's disease

Methods: 823 older persons (>72 years) were

followed for four years to assess whether or not feelings of loneliness are associated with developing Alzheimer's disease.

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Loneliness and Alzheimer's disease

Results: The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

was more than doubled in those who were lonely, whether or not they were depressed. Subsequent analysis of post-mortem brain tissue did not reveal any pathological differences between those who were lonely vs. those who were not.

1Wilson, R. S., Krueger, K. R., Arnold, S. E., Schneider, J. A., Kelly, J. F., Barnes, L. L., Tang, Y., & Bennett, D. A. (2007). Loneliness and Risk of Alzheimer Disease. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64 (2), 234-240.

Depression and Alzheimer's disease

• Depression can cause problems with concentration, attention, memory, and other cognitive problems that mimic Alzheimer's disease

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Depression and Alzheimer's disease

• Depression often proceeds the onset and may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease1

• 1Wilson, RS, Barnes, LL, Mendes de Leon, CF, Aggarwal, NT, Schneider, JS, Bach, J, Pilat, J, Beckett, LA, Arnold, SE, Evans, DA, & Bennett, DA (2002). Depressive symptoms, cognitive decline, and risk of Alzheimer's disease in older persons. Neurology, 59, 364-370.

Depression and Alzheimer's disease

• Those who suffer from major depression have reduced hippocampal volumes as compared to controls2,3

2Sheline, Y.I., GAlzheimer's diseaseo, M.H., & Kraemer, H.C. (2003). Untreated depression and hippocampal volume loss. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1516-1518.

3Saylau, C., Ucerler, H., Kitis, O., Ozand, E., & Gontul, A. S. (2006). Reduced Hippocampal volume in drug-free depressed patients. Surgical-RAlzheimer's diseaseiologic Anatomy, 28(1), 82-87.

Depression and Alzheimer's disease

• Depression must be assessed during comprehensive memory evaluations. Those suffering from depression will score differently than those with probable Alzheimer's disease on neuropsychological tests.

• Depression is a treatable and reversible condition

• Memory and other cognitive functions return to normal as depression remits

Identifying Depression

• Persistent sad, “blue,” or depressed mood

• Diminished interest in pleasurable activities

• Low self-esteem, excessive guilt or feelings of worthlessness

Identifying Depression

• Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness

• Low energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”

• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

Identifying Depression

• Sleeping too much or too little (early am awakening

• Eating too much or too little

• Persistent thoughts of death or suicide

Antidotes for Depression• Engage in meaningful social activity • Engage in enjoyable, recreational activity

• Exercise regularly – preferably with a friend

• Realistically assess your strengths and weaknesses – do something you feel good about

Antidotes for Depression

• Speak with a counselor

• Consider anti-depressant medication

• Affiliate with a spiritual community

Anxiety

• Also interferes with concentration, attention, and therefore, memory

Identifying Anxiety

• Excessive worry or fear• Irritability• Fatigue• Difficulty concentrating• Difficulty sleepy – particularly sleep onset• Feeling restless, “keyed up” or “on edge”

Identifying Anxiety

• Physical reactions that are not associated with a medical problem:– Muscle tension: headache, back pain, neck pain– Stomach aches or diarrhea– Shortness of breath; hyperventilation– Rapid heart rate– Hot flashes or cold chills– Blurry vision– Dizziness

Antidotes for Anxiety

• Learn and practice relaxation exercises that quiet your mind and relax your body:–Deep breathing–Progressive muscle relaxation–Guided Imagery–Meditation

Antidotes for Anxiety

• Replace excessive worrying with planning• Practice good sleep hygiene

– Don’t get in bed until sleepy; get up if not sleeping after 20-30 minutes

– Avoid over-stimulating activities before bedtime, e.g. exercise, scary movies

• Avoid caffeine• Exercise regularly

• Speak with a counselor

• Consider anti-depressant medication

• Affiliate with a spiritual community

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