28th International Congress of Psychology August 8 ... - U-netSURF

2011.3 Pontine-Wave (P-Wave) generator: A switch in the brainstem for the sleep-dependent
memory processing in the hippocampus, S. Datta, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
There is now considerable evidence for the involvement of sleep stages with memory processing
and improvement of learning in the mammalian species. To understand the mechanisms for the
sleep-dependent memory processing, using multidisciplinary approaches (single cell recordings,
anatomical pathway tracing, chemical stimulation, cell-specific lesions, and quantification of
different molecular markers), a number of studies have been conducted in our laboratory. The
combined results indicate that the P-wave generating cells in the brainstem act as a
time-dependent switch to activate the hippocampus for the sleep-dependent memory processing of
two-way active avoidance learning in the rat.
2011.4 The role of REM sleep in memory consolidation, C. Smith, Trent University,
Peterborough, ON, Canada
It has been shown in both animal and human studies that some tasks are most efficiently learned if
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs between task acquisition and re-test sessions. In animals,
post-training REM sleep increases are observed. In humans, there is an increase in REM sleep
intensity, as measured by number and density of actual rapid eye movements. Selective REM
sleep deprivation results in post acquisition memory deficits. In humans, memory for cognitive
procedural tasks seems most vulnerable to REM sleep deprivation.
2012 INVITED SYMPOSIUM
Health and cognitive functioning in old age
Convener and Chair: A. Wahlin, Sweden
2012.1 Health, disease, and cognitive functioning in old age, A. Wahlin, Stockholm
Gerontology Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden
The absence of a comprehensive view about cognition-associated diseases may result in failures to
take into consideration health conditions that are critical to cognitive functioning, sometimes
selectively. This may be particularly true in the study of old age. Different approaches to the
definition of health and disease are discussed, followed by examples of research explicitly focused
on the relation between health-related variations and cognitive performance among elderly
persons. Possible ways to expand this research are exemplified. The main message is the need for
clarity about what it means that participants in cognitive aging research are rarely free of disease.
2012.2 Lifestyle correlates of cognitive performance in old age, D. Bunce, Goldsmiths College,
University of London, London, UK
Accumulating research suggests that variables reflecting lifestyle such as physical fitness levels or
nutrition, may explain significant proportions of that variance. This paper considers some of the
theoretical and methodological issues associated with work in this area. Particular reference is
given to underlying physiological mechanisms, and the cognitive demands of tasks for which
associations with physiological variables are found. Empirical work in cognitive domains such as
episodic memory, sustained attention, and processing speed, will be described. That work suggests
that physiologically-based models have considerable utility in understanding age-related cognitive
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