Working Memory and Information Processing Speed

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Working and Information Processing Speed Overview 1. Definition 2. The Anatomy and Physiology of Working and Processing Speed. 3. Prevalence of Working and Processing Speed Impairments 4.

1 Working and Information Processing Speed Overview 1. Definition 2. The Anatomy and Physiology of Working and Processing Speed. 3. Prevalence of Working and Processing Speed Impairments 4. Assessment 5. Strategies and Treatment Z A C H A R Y EAKMAN, PSY.D. 3 / 2 6 / Objectives 1. What is working memory? 2. What is processing speed? 3. Why are WM and PS impairments so prevalent in learning disabilities? 4. What can I do if I have working memory or processing speed difficulties? 5. What can I do to help my child or student with WM or PS impairments? Definition of Working A process for keeping information in mind while other mental activities take place. A holding bay or buffer store while relationships are found within the long-term memory store, which would allow a more permanent storage. (Andrews, D. (2004). Neuropsychology: From Theory to Practice 2 nd Edition. Hove, NY: Psychology Press LTD.) Definition Continued Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) A temporary memory system catered for everyday needs A store for memory, prior to being stored permanently Provides the opportunity to process and analyze information Prevents decay and forgetting Increases permanence of memory Provides flexibility Primary functions of working memory A mental workplace Storing and manipulating information so the brain can perform another function Controlling and dividing attention Resisting distractions Rehearsal, manipulation, anticipation Activation of long-term memory 1

The Human Brain Frontal Lobes: Guides Higher-order functions like planning, initiation, and problem-solving. Parietal Lobes: Sensory integration area. Includes Somatosensory and Motor cortices.

Plays a role in learning. Brain Stem: Maintains Homeostasis The Frontal Lobes The Governor Executive Functioning The Frontal Lobe Primary Governor of the brain.

Executive Functioning: Planning, working memory, sequencing, higher-level attention, processing speed, memory formation, cognitive flexibility, initiation, taskmonitoring, emotion regulation,

The Prefrontal : Attention Inhibition Working Emotion Interpretation Personality Traits Phineas Gage His contractors, who regarded him as the most efficient and capable foreman in their employ

He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint of advice when

2 The Human Brain Frontal Lobes: Guides Higher-order functions like planning, initiation, and problem-solving. Parietal Lobes: Sensory integration area. Includes Somatosensory and Motor cortices. Temporal Lobes: Perception, recognition, memory, receptive language, emotion, and more. Occipital Lobes: Visual Integration Cerebellum: Regulates motor behavior and automatic movement. Plays a role in learning. Brain Stem: Maintains Homeostasis The Frontal Lobes The Governor Executive Functioning The Frontal Lobe Primary Governor of the brain. The frontal lobes are highly involved in most cognitive processes. The decision maker! Executive Functioning: Planning, working memory, sequencing, higher-level attention, processing speed, memory formation, cognitive flexibility, initiation, taskmonitoring, emotion regulation, decision-making, and more. The Prefrontal : Attention Inhibition Working Emotion Interpretation Personality Traits Phineas Gage His contractors, who regarded him as the most efficient and capable foreman in their employ previous to his injury, considered the change in his mind so marked that they could not give him his place again. He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint of advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinent, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operation, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. In this regard, his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was no longer Gage. Phineas Gage Fitful, irreverent Indulging Profane Impatient of advice when conflicting with desires Devising many plans of future operation, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned Inattentive Distractible Disinhibited Impatient, stubborn, impulsive, emotional Starting projects, not finishing No Longer Gage The Prefrontal 1. The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Integrates Information Cognitive Flexibility Cognitive Fluency Selection and abstraction during attention-based tasks Using context for decisionmaking processes No Longer Gage 2

3 The DLPFC Defined Afferent and Efferent Connections Maps spatial organization Identification of target attributes therefore important in identifying what Connections throughout the brain representing memory, spatial location, and association Very important for assimilation Working Defined Simply I. Can you remember a phone number? II. Can you dial it? III. Can you remember to get a phone number? IV. What else does a phone number tell you? V. Is the phone number correct? Prefrontal The Orbitofrontal A.k.a. The Oh-oh circuit Highly involved in impulse control Continues to develop and refine Disinhibition Self-monitoring Response-prevention Social appropriateness Prefrontal Anterior Cingulate Relay station for basic drives Highly communicative with amygdala (emotion center) and limbic system (drives) Associated with initiation and motivation Working Stress! External Demands > Internal Resources This is why working memory difficulties become more apparent as an individual ages (adult ADHD) i.e. course-load, abstractedness, organization demands, planning, ambiguity, time management. Information Processing Speed Themes of the Brain I. A Limited Capacity Mechanism II. Heuristics III. Sensitivity vs. Specificity IV. Fatigue V. So, what is the function of the brain? 3

Working Impairments Chronic difficulty: Holding relevant thoughts Sustained

organizing, sequencing) Working Impairments Information Processing Speed Defined

How quick and efficient is someone at processing and making sense of incoming

terms you might have heard Automaticity Fluency Motor Speed Cognitive Flexibility

of Cognitive Rehabilitation Executive Functioning Language Information Processing

system Focus: The Axon Focusing on activity in the synaptic gap at the level of

4 Working Impairments Chronic difficulty: Holding relevant thoughts Sustained attention Filtering distractions Reading comprehension Writing (planning, organizing, sequencing) Working Impairments Information Processing Speed Defined Vague Term Speed of processing Processing Efficiency Making sense of sensory input How quick and efficient is someone at processing and making sense of incoming information Can be affected by working memory and attention Processing Speed Other terms you might have heard Automaticity Fluency Motor Speed Cognitive Flexibility Decision-Making Inter or Intra-Hemispheric Communication Yahuda Bin-Yishay s Model of Cognitive Rehabilitation Executive Functioning Language Information Processing Speed Attention Self-Awareness Neurofatigue Neuron: The basic cell of the nervous system Focus: The Axon Focusing on activity in the synaptic gap at the level of neurotransmission. Nerve Cell Communication Animation of dopamine release and reuptake in synaptic gap. 4

Neuron Development (The neurodevelopment of information processing speed is not yet fully-understood) Critical periods of development Glial cells Attention and brain-derived neurotropin factor Myelin

against the force of gravity, the physical properties of brain cells are subject to change, damage, and/or death.

This occurs because the cell can no longer communicate with each other via chemical transmission, which can result in a loss of function. Impairments Information Processing Speed I.

5 Neuron Development (The neurodevelopment of information processing speed is not yet fully-understood) Critical periods of development Glial cells Attention and brain-derived neurotropin factor Myelin Sheath Myelin Sheath Myelin Sheath Continued White Matter Conduction speed of neuron Sensitive to Diffuse Axonal Injuries (DAI) Multiple Sclerosis Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) Anytime the brain moves against the force of gravity, the physical properties of brain cells are subject to change, damage, and/or death. Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) Once a brain cell (Neuron) is subjected to axonal shearing, the cell is prone to death and disrupted downstream communication. This occurs because the cell can no longer communicate with each other via chemical transmission, which can result in a loss of function. Impairments Information Processing Speed I. The world is going too fast II. Language deficits III. Auditory processing disorders IV. Attention impairments V. Academic difficulties VI. Learning disabilities VII. Working? Downstream Effects I. difficulties II. Executive dysfunction III. Higher-level language disorders IV. Visual-perceptual deficits V. Lower IQ VI. Behavioral difficulties VII. Confidence VIII. Self-Esteem, Depression, Anxiety IX. Working? 5

6 Specific Academic Difficulties Why is the WM and PS seminar the biggest? Academic fluency (reading, writing, & mathematics) Retrieval deficits - test-taking impairments, anxiety Attention deficits Automaticity Slow to complete tasks, homework, etc. Problem-solving impairments Difficulty learning especially novel things Comprehension Note Taking Organization Task-monitoring deficits Prevalence in learning disabilities - Remember: the brain is a limited capacity mechanism! Sensitivity vs. Specificity IQ Testing Correlation with attention, reading, and more Brain-based condition Specified Learning Disabilities and Working Specified Learning Disabilities and Processing Speed Working memory part of the what circuit Mental workplace Selective Attention Divided Attention Activating Long-term memory & comprehension Rehearsal, manipulation, and anticipation Importance of WM in spatial organization Automaticity Fluency Retrieval Fluency Efficiency of processing This is why we often recommend reading at a level slightly below standing Inter-hemisphere communication Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Assessment Filtering Flexibility Impulse-control Emotion regulation Under-stimulated prefrontal cortex Sensory input processing efficiency WMI and PSI of IQ evaluations Sustained attention testing Cognitive efficiency testing Measures of executive functioning Between and within-test scatter Discrepancy Analyses (IQ, academic fluency) Behavioral inventories (BRIEF, etc.) 6

7 So What can we do? Maximizing the brain s potential? 1. Maximize the brain s potential 2. Minimize extracurricular mental activity 3. Control and predictability 4. Compensatory strategies 5. Cognitive rehabilitation principles 6. Academic Accommodations Limited Capacity Mechanism Get evaluated Eliminate proactive interference Repetition, rehearsal, presentation level Process information at a deeper level Minimize distractions The Encoding Specificity Principle Assimilation versus new learning Medications Minimizing extracurricular activity? Control and Predictability Limited Capacity mechanism Multimodal presentation Eliminate multitasking risks Self-awareness exercises: predictions The role of emotion (Acts of Valor) Fatigue Diet Limited Capacity Mechanism Structure, structure, structure, and more structure Routine Scheduling Reinforcement Accountability Social and academic groups The role of teachers and parents External Demands > Internal Resources Compensatory Strategies Cognitive Rehabilitation Limited Capacity Mechanism Daily Planner Talk-to-text software Convenience Assistive technology Application software (Google Tasks, Calendar, ColorNote) It means nothing if you don t know what it means! Find what works for you! Application Software training Overlearning and mastery Elaborative Rehearsal Role-Playing Errorless learning Rehearsal Within-task stimulation Games, puzzles, word-finds, crosswords, Sudoku, etc. Sustained attention 7

8 Academic Accommodations Academic Accommodations Cont Time accommodations The discrepancy model Limit multitasking Paraphrasing & rephrasing Class review Note review Short bursts of activity Escape Plans Building automaticity Finding an advocate Reducing external demands on weaknesses Outlines, chapter reviews, etc. Books on CD Dragon Speech Software Kurzweil Software Breaking down projects Concrete examples Increase validity The importance of avoiding AMBIGUITY! Academic Accommodations Cont Rephrase instructions both to and from External memory aids even during tests Active reading strategies Tutoring Note-taker Scheduling Digital Memo Peer tutoring Forced Choices Questions? D R. Z A C H A R Y EAKMAN, P S Y. D A S S I S T A N T D I R ECTOR OF D I A G N O S T I C S ER V I C ES G R O V ES A C A D EMY EAKMANZ@G R O V ESACAD EMY.ORG References References Andrews, D. (2004). Neuropsychology: From Theory to Practice. New York, NY: Psychology Press, LTD. Fletcher, J. M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L. S., & Barnes, M. A. (2007). Learning Disabilities: From Identification to Intervention. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Getzel, E. E., & Wehman, P. (2005). Going to College. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Lyon, G. R. (1994). Frames of Reference for the Assessment of Learning Disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. LEARNet: and Problems. (2010). Retrieved 11/8/2010, from Lezak, M. D., Howieson, D. B., & Loring, D. W. (2004). Neuropsychological Assessment- 4 th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Maitland, T. L., & Quinn, P. O., (2011). Ready for Take-Off: Preparing your teen with ADHD or LD for college. Washington D.C.: Magination Press. Nadeau, K. G. (2006). Survival Guide for College Students with ADHD or LD-2 nd Edition. Washington D.C.: Magination Press. Patterson, K., Nestor, P. J., & Rogers, T. T. (2007). Where do you know what you know? The representation of semantic knowledge in the human brain, 8, Pennington, B. F. (2009). Diagnosing Learning Disabilities: A Neuropsychological Framework 2 nd Edition. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Raggie, V. L. & Chronis, A. M. (2006). Interventions to Address the Academic Impairment of Children with ADHD. Clinical and Family Psychology Review, 9(2), Sadock, B. J., & Sadock, V. A. (2003). Synopsis of Psychiatry 9 th Edition. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Sandler, M. (2008). College Confidence with ADHD. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. Simpson, C. G., & Spencer, V. G. (2009). Strategies and Tips to Make the Most of Your College Experience: College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, Inc. Terry, S. W. (2000). Learning and : Basic Principles, Processes, and Procedures. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Wilson, B. A. (2009). Rehabilitation. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Illustration courtesy of Journal of Radiology Nursing, Volume 31, Issue 2, June Illustration courtesy of Google Images, via trialexhibits.com 8

Brain-based disorders in children, teens, and young adults: When to know there is a problem and what to do

Brain-based disorders in children, teens, and young adults: When to know there is a problem and what to do Timothy A. Fratto, Ph.D. Neuropsychology Associates of Fairfax What is Neuropsychology? The study