Jonathan Guez | Achva Academic College (original) (raw)

Papers by Jonathan Guez

PLOS ONE, Nov 18, 2021

Associative memory deficit underlies a part of older adults' deficient episodic memory due to the... more Associative memory deficit underlies a part of older adults' deficient episodic memory due to the reduced ability to bind units of information. In this article we further assess the mechanism underlying this deficit, by assessing the degree to which we can model it in young adults under conditions of divided attention. We shall describe two experiments in this paper; these experiments investigate item and associative recognition in young adults under full-or divided-attention conditions. The secondary tasks employed were N-back like (NBL), which serves as a working memory updating task, and parity judgement and visuospatial (VS) tasks, which serve as non-working memory tasks. The results of both experiments show that only the NBL specifically affected associative recognition, while the other tasks affected item and associative memory to the same degree, indicating a general resource competition. These results presented a convergence of evidence for the associative deficit in older adults by modelling it in young adults.

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Oct 4, 2018

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome characterized by a decrease in cognitive abilities,... more Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome characterized by a decrease in cognitive abilities, while daily function is maintained. This condition, which is associated with an increased risk for the development of Alzheimer's disease, has no known definitive treatment at present. In this open-label pilot study we explored the possible benefits of neurofeedback for subjects with MCI. Eleven participants diagnosed with MCI were trained to increase the power of their individual upper alpha band of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal over the central parietal region. This was achieved using an EEG-based neurofeedback training protocol. Training comprised ten 30-min sessions delivered over 5 weeks. Cognitive and electroencephalographic assessments were conducted before and after training and at 30 days following the last training session. A dose-dependent increase in peak alpha frequency was observed throughout the period of training. Memory performance also improved significantly following training, and this improvement was maintained at 30-day follow-up, while peak alpha frequency returned to baseline at this evaluation. Our findings suggest that neurofeedback may improve memory performance in subjects with mild cognitive impairment, and this benefit may be maintained beyond the training period.

Journal of Womens Health, 2012

Background and aims: Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with i... more Background and aims: Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with increased risk of maternal and fetal complications. The aim of this study was to examine and to compare pregnancy outcomes between women with T1DM and a control group of non diabetic women. Material and method: The present study included all pregnancies in T1DM women followed at Diabetes Clinic, Emergency County Clinical Hospital, Timişoara, from 1990 to 2010. Results: We found a relative risk of spontaneous abortions of 1.85 (95%CI 1.01-3.39; p=0.05) and a relative risk of major congenital malformations of 4.32 (95%CI 1.55-12; p=0.005) in T1DM pregnancies compared to the control group. We also observed that the rate of stillbirth was more frequent in type 1 diabetic pregnancies (p=0.02). The offspring of T1DM women were more likely to be delivered preterm (32%) compared with the control group (9.5%). The relative risk of preterm delivery was 3.38 higher (95%CI 2.93-5.6; p<0.0001) in T1DM pregnancies compared with non diabetic mothers. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of macrosomic offspring between T1DM (17.3%) and non diabetic mothers (6.5%) Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that pregnancy outcome and perinatal complications are still high in T1DM pregnancies.

International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, Nov 29, 2022

ObjectivesTraumatic stress has been associated with increased risk for brain alterations and deve... more ObjectivesTraumatic stress has been associated with increased risk for brain alterations and development of anxiety disorders. Studies conducted in posttraumatic patients have shown white‐mater volume and diffusion alterations in the corpus‐callosum. Decreased cognitive performance has been demonstrated in acute stress disorder and posttraumatic patients. However, whether cognitive alterations result from stress related neuropathology or reflect a predisposition is not known. In the current study, we examined in healthy controls, whether individual differences in anxiety are associated with those cognitive and brain alterations reported in stress related pathologies.MethodsTwenty healthy volunteers were evaluated for anxiety using the state‐trait inventory (STAI), and were tested for memory performance. Brain imaging was employed to extract volumetric and diffusion characteristics of the corpus‐callosum.ResultsSignificant correlations were found between trait anxiety and all three diffusion parameters (fractional‐anisotropy, mean and radial‐diffusivity). Associative‐memory performance and corpus‐callosum volume were also significantly correlated.ConclusionWe suggest that cognitive and brain alterations, as tested in the current work and reported in stress related pathologies, are present early and possibly persist throughout life. Our findings support the hypothesis that individual differences in trait anxiety predispose individuals towards negative cognitive outcomes and brain alterations, and potentially to stress related disorders.

Sexuality and Disability, Jan 19, 2022

Intimacy and sexuality are fundamental issues in human nature, but have been neglected in the reh... more Intimacy and sexuality are fundamental issues in human nature, but have been neglected in the rehabilitation of mental health patients, particularly those admitted into psychiatric wards. Patients' sexuality is excluded from the discourse; yet it exists in the daily lives of the patients. The study examines the sexual needs and challenges of people with severe mental illnesses admitted to an isolated psychiatric ward. 13 men were interviewed in a semi-structured interview regarding their sexuality and the challenges they meet when experiencing and expressing their sexuality as patients in an isolated ward. A thematic analysis was conducted. Two principal themes were identified: 1. Challenges in realizing sexuality within the isolated ward. This theme included sub themes: performing sexual acts and exposure to sexuality within the ward; medications' side effects; dialogue with the staff; sexuality in the ward presented as crossing limits; and absence of a space to fulfill sexuality. 2. Suggestions for improvements in the hospital, stemming from the patients' experiences and ideas, such as starting an open dialogue with the staff, supplying patients with measures for protected sex, and more. The findings highlight the lack of healthy expression of sexuality inside the wards, despite its importance for improving patients' well-being during their rehabilitation. Medical staff and policymakers should be aware of the sexual aspects of hospitalization in a psychiatric ward. The study also indicates the need for national policy that will address patients' sexual needs, including clear instructions that consider the uniqueness of the target population.

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, Jun 14, 2021

Background and Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is often a precursor of dementia, and ... more Background and Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is often a precursor of dementia, and in particular of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) which is the most common cause of dementia. Individuals with amnestic MCI are several-fold more likely to develop AD than the general population. Therefore, MCI comprises a well-detectable, early stage time-point for therapeutic intervention and strategic prevention. Based on common electroencephalographical (EEG) pattern changes seen in individuals with MCI, we postulated that EEG-based neurofeedback could help improve the memory performance of patients with MCI. Memory performance is of particular importance in these patients, since memory decline is the most prominent symptom in most patients with MCI, and is the most predictive symptom for cognitive deterioration and the development of AD. Methods: In order to improve the memory performance of patients with MCI we used a system of EEG-based neurofeedback in an attempt to reverse alterations of the EEG that are known to be common in patients with MCI. Our protocol comprised the provision of positive feedback in order to enhance the activity level of the upper alpha band. Participants were divided to two groups receiving either neurofeedback training to enhance the upper alpha frequency (Experimental group) or random feedbacks (Sham group) Results: We witnessed a significant improvement in memory performance in subjects in the experimental group compared to those in the sham group. This improvement was maintained for at least 1 month. Conclusions: Neurofeedback may be a promising and affordable novel approach for treating the decline in memory witnessed in patients with MCI.

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 2000

... We are grateful to Yamit Azizi for her help in running and analyzing the data for Experi-ment... more ... We are grateful to Yamit Azizi for her help in running and analyzing the data for Experi-ment 2 and to Michael Ginzburg ... These results also indicate that both encoding and retrieval required resources for their exe-cution, as reflected by the distance measures being significantly ...

Psychological Research-psychologische Forschung, Mar 15, 2019

Studies designed to explore memory for single items versus paired items (i.e., associative memory... more Studies designed to explore memory for single items versus paired items (i.e., associative memory) in young adults show inconsistent results. Some studies report a decrease in associative recognition and others report mild-to-moderate or even a null effect. The studies often do not take into account stimuli serial position (SSP) when analyzing the locus of associative accuracy. Studies testing SSP often target memory for items, while studies targeting associative memory decline as a function of SSP are lacking. The objective of the current study is to test the separate and joint effect of SSP (experiments 1 + 2) and presentation duration (experiment 2) on memory recognition for items versus associations. We hypothesized that greater associative decline (compared to the expected decline in memory for items with similar serial location) will be observed for the material located at the end of a learning list than the material located at the beginning of a learning list. The results of the two experiments converged and confirmed our hypotheses; the greatest associative deficit was observed for associative material located at the end of the learning list (experiments 1 + 2) and for material presented for short durations (experiment 2). The interaction between SSP and presentation duration did not reach significance; however, a direct estimation of the cumulative deficit of SSP and presentation duration confirmed our hypothesis regarding greater associative deficit for recently presented items for short durations. These results highlight the importance of the joint and separate, effect of SSP and presentation duration to the study of associative memory decline.

International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research

PLOS ONE

Studies have shown associative-memory decline in aging. While the literature is inconclusive rega... more Studies have shown associative-memory decline in aging. While the literature is inconclusive regarding the source of the deficit, some researchers argue that it is caused by impaired encoding and maintenance processes in working-memory (WM). Successful retrieval of a stimulus depends on its sequential presentation in the learning list: stimuli at the beginning or the end of the learning list benefit from higher retrieval probability. These effects are known as “primacy” and “recency” effects, respectively. In the case of the primacy-effect, stimuli at early list positions benefit from extensive rehearsal that results in enhanced consolidation and trace in long-term memory (LTM). In the case of the recency-effect, target stimuli at later serial positions are still maintained in WM and can therefore be effortlessly retrieved. Considering these effects could shed light on the involvement of WM in associative-binding. Both behavioral and neuroimaging researchers have studied associative...

PLOS ONE, 2021

Associative memory deficit underlies a part of older adults’ deficient episodic memory due to the... more Associative memory deficit underlies a part of older adults’ deficient episodic memory due to the reduced ability to bind units of information. In this article we further assess the mechanism underlying this deficit, by assessing the degree to which we can model it in young adults under conditions of divided attention. We shall describe two experiments in this paper; these experiments investigate item and associative recognition in young adults under full- or divided-attention conditions. The secondary tasks employed were N-back like (NBL), which serves as a working memory updating task, and parity judgement and visuospatial (VS) tasks, which serve as non-working memory tasks. The results of both experiments show that only the NBL specifically affected associative recognition, while the other tasks affected item and associative memory to the same degree, indicating a general resource competition. These results presented a convergence of evidence for the associative deficit in older ...

Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 2019

In this prospective study we compared Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in T2DM (Type 2 diabetes) pat... more In this prospective study we compared Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in T2DM (Type 2 diabetes) patients who received psycho-educational intervention vs. usual care. Intervention was provided by pharmaceutics students, and accompanied by an academic course. We further examined the effect of the pedagogical format by which students were taught on HbA1c levels of the patients. The format of the academic course varied: the simultaneous format included theoretical, clinical, and practical themes taught within each lesson; whereas in the non-simultaneous format, theoretical themes were taught during the first several lessons, followed by practical skills taught in the following ones. T2DM patients (n ¼ 171) were recruited through 10 primary care clinics. The inclusion criterion was patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c > 7%). Patients were randomly allocated to a training or control group. Pharmaceutics students (n ¼ 85) in their fourth year participated in an academic course and were randomly allocated to a simultaneous vs. non-simultaneous pedagogical format. The interaction effect between intervention type and pedagogical format was significant. Only patients who participated in the training group consisting of students who participated in the simultaneous course format showed improvement on their HbA1c levels. Implications on patients' outcome and suggestions for future studies are discussed.

Psychological Research, 2019

Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, Jan 4, 2018

The current study examined how negative and positive mood influence the recognition memory of peo... more The current study examined how negative and positive mood influence the recognition memory of people with varying levels of perfectionism. An experiment was conducted in which 314 students were assigned randomly to either a positive, negative, or neutral mood induction condition. Participants completed measures of perfectionism cognitions and trait perfectionism and were tested for their ability to accurately recognize and remember previously presented words that varied in type of content (i.e., positive, negative, neutral, or perfectionism-related words). Analyses revealed that while in a negative mood state, participants high in the cognitive salience of perfectionism (as reflected by the experience of automatic thoughts) and participants high in socially prescribed perfectionism had enhanced recognition memory for negative words. The results suggest that certain perfectionists are cognitively predisposed to process negative information that will highlight discrepancies from perfectionistic standards and ideals. The cognitive processes and structures involved in perfectionism are discussed. Extensive research over the past 25 years has examined the effects of mood on memory. Much of this work has been guided by Bower's (1981) affect-cognition congruency hypothesis. According to Bower (1981), when people experience a

Psychology, 2011

Several recent studies have indicated that retrieval, unlike encoding, is only minimally affected... more Several recent studies have indicated that retrieval, unlike encoding, is only minimally affected by dividing attention, but is associated with significant secondary task costs. The reported experiment manipulated the strength of pre-experimental semantic associations, using a cued-recall paradigm and a multi-measure approach. This allowed the assessment of accuracy and latency of retrievals, as well as of overall attentional costs and the temporal distribution of attentional costs incurred by these retrievals. By simultaneously inspecting the different measures, we identified a common set of retrieval types and retrieval components. The results presented different patterns for semantically related or unrelated words under full or divided attention as a function of the dependent measure used. The results emphasize the advantage of using multi-measure approach to the uncovering of different properties of cognitive processes.

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2004

This research was supported in part by grants from the Ben-Gurion University Faculty of Humanitie... more This research was supported in part by grants from the Ben-Gurion University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and from the Zlotowski Center for the Neurosciences to M.N.-B. Parts of the manuscript were written while the first author was a visiting scientist at the Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto. We thank Marcia Johnson for helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.

Psychology and Aging, 2004

Previous studies have established an associative deficit hypothesis (Naveh-Benjamin, 2000), which... more Previous studies have established an associative deficit hypothesis (Naveh-Benjamin, 2000), which attributes part of older adults' deficient episodic memory performance to their difficulty in creating cohesive episodes. In this article, the authors further evaluate this hypothesis, using ecologically relevant materials. Young and old participants studied name-face pairs and were then tested on their recognition memory for the names, faces, and the name-face pairs. The results extend the conditions under which older adults exhibit an associative deficit. They also show that reduced attentional resources are not the sole mediator of this deficit.

Psychiatry Research, 2013

Stress and episodic memory impairment have previously been associated. Acute stress disorder (ASD... more Stress and episodic memory impairment have previously been associated. Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a maladaptive stress response, which develops in some individuals following traumatic life events. Recently, the authors demonstrated a specific deficit in associative memory for emotionally neutral stimuli in ASD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study further tested the relationship between this memory impairment and the course of ASD. We assessed new learning and memory for item and associative information in patients diagnosed with ASD (n ¼ 14) and matched trauma naïve controls (n ¼ 14). Memory performance and posttraumatic symptoms were examined for approximately 1 and 10 week periods following the traumatic experience. In the two experiments, participants studied a list of stimuli pairs (verbal or visual) and were then tested for their memory of the items (item recognition test), or for the association between items in each pair (associative recognition test). In both experiments, ASD patients showed a marked associative memory deficit compared to the control group. After 10 weeks, ASD symptoms were resolved in most patients. Interestingly, their performance on associative recognition for verbal stimuli improved, while the associative deficit for visual stimuli remained unchanged. Potential mechanisms underlying such an associative memory deficit in posttrauma patients are discussed.