Brain research
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In this study, the interaction between individual differences in working memory capacity, which were assessed by the Korean version of the California Verbal Learning Test (K-CVLT), and the effects of oculomotor task load on word recall performance are examined in a dual-task experiment. We hypothesized that varying levels of oculomotor task load should result in different demands on cognitive resources. The verbal working memory task used in this study involved a brief exposure to seven words to be remembered, followed by a 30-second delay during which the subject carried out an oculomotor task. ⋯ Subjects with high K-CVLT scores evidenced steady word recall performances, regardless of the type of oculomotor task performed. The concurrent oculomotor performance measured by velocity error did not differ significantly among the K-CVLT groups. However, the high-scoring subjects evidenced smaller phase errors under predictive SPEM conditions than did the low-scoring subjects; this suggests that different resource allocation strategies may be adopted, depending on individuals' working memory capacity.
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Rac1, a protein of the Rho GTPase subfamily, has been implicated in neuronal and spine development as well as the formation of synapses with appropriate partners. Dendrite and spine abnormalities have been implicated in several psychiatric disorders such as Fragile X syndrome, where neurons show a high density of long, thin, and immature dendritic spines. Although abnormalities in dendrites and spines have been correlated with impaired cognitive abilities in mental retardation, the causes of these malformations are not yet well understood. ⋯ We further showed that, in Fmr1 knockout mice, lack of FMRP induces an overactivation of Rac1 in the mouse brain and other organs that have been shown to be altered in Fragile X syndrome. In those animals, pharmacological manipulation of Rac1 partially reverses their altered long-term plasticity. Thus, regulation of Rac1 may provide a functional link among deficient neuronal morphology, aberrant synaptic plasticity and cognition impairment in Fragile X syndrome.