Andreas Blessing

Acquisition of affective dispositions in dementia patients

In this study, we investigated the acquisition of affective dispositions towards neutral faces in patients with Alzheimers disease and mixed dementia. Participants viewed four affectively neutral male faces from the International Affective Picture System. Biographical information about the depicted persons was presented, which described them in terms of positive or negative traits varying in intensity. Participants were asked to rate the pictures with respect to emotional valence, arousal, and preference prior to and after the presentation of the biographical information. Following a retention interval of 180 min, pictures were rated again and the biographical information was presented once more. Final ratings were obtained after another interval of 1300 min. As expected, healthy control participants identified the faces and recalled parts of the information in the delayed recall test. They showed pronounced changes in affective ratings. Patients did not recognize the faces in a recognition test after the retention intervals, but valence, arousal, and preference ratings were systematically altered by the affective content of biographies. The results suggest that acquisition and maintenance of implicit affective dispositions are preserved in dementia even when explicit memory is impaired.

Affective Learning and Psychophysiological Reactivity in Dementia Patients

We examined the association of faces with biographical information that varied in emotional content in patients with Alzheimers disease and a healthy control group. During two experimental sessions, participants rated neutral male faces on dimensions of hedonic valence and emotional arousal, later paired with fictitious biographical information. Both groups changed their ratings of the faces according to the biographical content. Free recall and recognition were tested in the second session. Patients neither recalled the biographical information nor recognized the faces, whereas the controls did. In addition, psychophysiological measures were taken in response to the face stimuli. Patients showed significant heart rate modulation as a function of their emotion ratings, whereas the controls did not. No correlation of rating changes with skin conductance was found in any group. Results suggest that psychophysiological reactions such as heart rate changes may indicate preserved affective associative learning in dementia patients despite impaired explicit memory.

Emotionen und Gedächtnis bei Patienten mit Alzheimer-Demenz

Zusammenfassung: Dieser Ubersichtsartikel hat das Ziel, Zusammenhange von Emotionen und Gedachtnisleistungen bei Alzheimerpatienten aufzuzeigen und dabei auf Ressourcen der Patienten in diesem Bereich einzugehen. Neurophysiologische Veranderungen durch die Alzheimerdemenz werden kurz diskutiert und mit neuroanatomischen Strukturen, die an der Verarbeitung von Emotionen beteiligt sind, in Verbindung gebracht. Auf dieser Grundlage wird ein Uberblick uber Studien mit Alzheimerpatienten gegeben, die (a) den emotionalen Gedachtniseffekt erforschen, oder (b) Emotionen als Gedachtnisinhalte bei Alzheimerpatienten untersuchen. Abschliesend werden offene Forschungsfragen mit Blick auf Konsequenzen dieser Befunde fur die nichtmedikamentose Therapie diskutiert.

Implicit Learning of Affective Responses in Dementia Patients: A Face-Emotion-Association Paradigm

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate an ecologically valid approach to assess implicit learning of affective responses in dementia patients. We designed a Face-Emotion-Association paradigm (FEA) that allows to quantify the influence of stimuli with positive and negative valence on affective responses. Two pictures of neutral male faces are rated on the dimensions of valence and arousal before and after aversive versus pleasant fictitious biographical information is paired with each of the pictures. At the second measurement time point, memory for pictures and biographical content is tested. The FEA was tested in 21 patients with dementia and 13 healthy controls. Despite severely impaired explicit memory, patients changed valence and arousal ratings according to the biographical content and did not differ in their ratings from the control group. The results demonstrate that our FEA paradigm is a valid instrument to investigate learning of affective responses in dementia patients.

Disclosure of Diagnosis in Early Recognition of Psychosis

Abstract There is a debate concerning risks and benefits of early intervention in psychosis, especially concerning diagnosis disclosure. The present study reports preliminary findings on self-reported locus of control and psychological distress after the disclosure of diagnosis in an early recognition center. We compared the ratings of the locus of control and psychological distress before and after communication of diagnosis. The study included individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) (n = 10), schizophrenia (n = 9), and other psychiatric disorders (n = 11). Results indicate greater endorsement of the internal locus of control in individuals with ARMS after communication of diagnosis in contrast to the other groups. Our results suggest that disclosure of diagnosis in an early recognition center leads to a reduction of psychological distress and increased feelings of control over ones health. Persons with ARMS seem to particularly benefit from disclosure of diagnosis as part of early intervention.

Evaluative Conditioning with Facial Stimuli in Dementia Patients

We present results of a study investigating evaluative learning in dementia patients with a classic evaluative conditioning paradigm. Picture pairs of three unfamiliar faces with liked, disliked, or neutral faces, that were rated prior to the presentation, were presented 10 times each to a group of dementia patients (N = 15) and healthy controls (N = 14) in random order. Valence ratings of all faces were assessed before and after presentation. In contrast to controls, dementia patients changed their valence ratings of unfamiliar faces according to their pairing with either a liked or disliked face, although they were not able to explicitly assign the picture pairs after the presentation. Our finding suggests preserved evaluative conditioning in dementia patients. However, the result has to be considered preliminary, as it is unclear which factors prevented the predicted rating changes in the expected direction in the control group.

Verlauf neuropsychologischer Defizite vom Prodrom zur Psychose

Zusammenfassung: In diesem Beitrag wird der Verlauf neuropsychologischer Defizite bei einem 18-jahrigen Mann beschrieben, der in unserer Fruherkennungssprechstunde fur schizophrene Psychosen abgeklart wurde. Es ergab sich in der Abklarung der Verdacht auf ein Prodromalstadium einer schizophrenen Psychose. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt bestanden bereits erhebliche kognitive Defizite. Aufgrund eines Leistungsabfalls wurde der Patient spater hospitalisiert. Bei einer weiteren Hospitalisation auf unserer Station fur ersterkrankte Psychosepatienten wurde die Diagnose einer undifferenzierten Schizophrenie (DSM-IV: 295.90, ICD-10: F20.3) gestellt. Der Verlauf kognitiver Leistungseinbusen wird dargestellt und hinsichtlich ihrer Zuordnung und Stabilitat zu neuropsychologischer Subtypen bei schizophrenen Psychosen diskutiert.