Authors:

CALMUS, C.M., Vogelsang, D.A., Vohs, M., Kerkkanen, K.I.L., Hansov, S., Schomakler, J.

Reference:

Year of publication:

2026

CBU number:

9277

Abstract:

Studies in animals have robustly shown that exposure to novelty can promote memory for information presented in the temporal vicinity. In humans, however, evidence for such novelty-related memory benefits has been mixed. In this EEG study, we investigated the neurobiological mechanisms underlying novelty effects and whether individual differences in exploration patterns help explain these inconsistencies. We examined the role of theta oscillations in exploring a novel or familiar environment as well as whether spatial exploration behaviour can modulate the beneficial effects of novelty on memory. Participants first explored one of two virtual environments and subsequently explored the same (familiar condition) or a new environment (novel condition). After exploring novel and familiar environments, participants performed a word learning task followed by a free recall and recognition memory test. Neurologically, exploration of the familiar rather than novel environment increased theta power, which may reflect environment-related memory processes. However, we did not observe any differences in theta power associated with successful encoding of words after exploring a novel versus familiar environment. Behaviourally, no main effect of novelty on free recall was observed. Crucially, when accounting for variance in spatial exploration patterns, words encoded after exploring a novel environment were recalled better than words encoded after exploring a familiar environment. Furthermore, an interaction effect between the condition and exploratory behaviour revealed that increased exploration benefitted free recall specifically in the familiar condition. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the way in which individuals explore a virtual environment when examining novelty effects on memory. The scripts for the analyses are available on GitHub: https://github.com/davidamadeusvogelsang/NovMemEEG; the data cannot be shared due to ethics agreements at the institution where the research was conducted

URL:

Authors:

DEMETRIOU, I., ATTAHERI, A., BINGHAM, T., DUCKETT, W., BRIDGE, L., RAYKOV, P., Tsvestanov, K.A., CORREIA, M., APSVALKA, D., CRESPO-GARCIA, M., Campbell, K., Morcom, A., MITCHELL, D.J., ROWE, J., Wolpe, N., Henderson, S.E. Cam-CAN, HENSON, R.

Reference:

Year of publication:

2026

CBU number:

9276

Abstract:

The Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) started in 2010 to study the effect of healthy adult ageing on cognition and the brain in a population-derived sample. The study design and protocol for Phases 1–3 of Cam-CAN were detailed in 10.1186/s12883-014-0204-1; this paper outlines the design and protocol of Phases 4–5, which enable longitudinal investigation of cognitive and brain ageing over approximately 12 years. More details about the Cam-CAN project can be found here: www.cam-can.org. Phase 4 was an at-home assessment of cognition, demographics and lifestyle, performed approximately 6 years after Phase 1 (baseline assessment), for which all people from Phase 1 were invited. Phase 5 combined repeated online cognitive, demographics and lifestyle assessment, followed by in-lab attendance for MRI and MEG brain scanning, approximately 12 years after Phase 1, for which all people from Phase 2 (baseline brain assessment) were invited. Demographics, lifestyle and cognitive data are therefore now available for three timepoints, and MRI and MEG brain data for two timepoints. The Cam-CAN study offers deep and wide phenotyping of neurocognitive health across the adult lifespan (18–96). These rich data will allow researchers to address questions like: why do some people maintain their cognitive abilities better than others, in terms of their brain structure or function, their lifestyle and/or their genetics? Given the shifting demographics towards old age in most countries, this knowledge will be important to help people function independently for longer, reducing both individual and societal burden.

URL:

Authors:

Chan, M.M.Y., LAMBON RALPH, M.A. and ROBINSON, G.A.

Reference:

Year of publication:

In Press

CBU number:

9275

Abstract:

Humans can create impressive art, make major scientific breakthroughs, and generate creative solutions that solve everyday life problems. But how are these creative activities supported by the brain? This question is of great scientific interest but remains unanswered. New hypotheses, grounded in converging evidence from cognitive neuroscience, are needed to guide breakthroughs in understanding the neural basis of creative thought. It has long been suggested that creativity is a distinct mental function. However, converging clinical-cognitive neuroscience evidence is starting to suggest that creative thought is not functionally distinct but, instead, might arise from general purpose cognitive mechanisms supporting semantic cognition, controlled episodic memory retrieval, and executive mechanisms (i.e., Cognitive Cornerstones Hypothesis; Chan et al., 2023). Results from this large-scale activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis, based on 787 experiments with 10,357 foci from 17,228 healthy adult participants, showed that the brain regions implicated in creativity tasks heavily overlap with the brain regions implicated in the cognitive cornerstones of creative thought (i.e., pre-existing knowledge and executive mechanisms). These striking results suggest that innovative insights will arise from considering the roles of these fundamental cognitive functions and their interactions in supporting creative thought. Contact Prof Gail A. Robinson for requests related to data and scripts

Authors:

FRISBY, S., Cox, C.R., HALAI, A.D., LAMBON RALPH, M.A., & Rogers, T.T.

Reference:

Year of publication:

In Press

CBU number:

9274

Abstract:

The anterior temporal lobes (ATLs) are known to support semantic cognition, but theories about their precise representational coding vary. We collected 7T-fMRI data with a novel acquisition sequence designed to improve signal quality in the ATLs, then employed a pioneering analytical approach (comparative multivariate decoding) to adjudicate between theories. Specifically, we applied multiple decoding methods, each making different assumptions about the content, nature or location of representations within the ATLs, then used the pattern of results across methods to adjudicate competing hypotheses. The results suggest that the ATLs represent domain-general semantic information via a multidimensional vector-space code that is anatomically clustered within and across individuals, and that posterior temporal and occipitotemporal regions utilize a similar domain-general, vector-space code. More generally, the comparative multivariate analytical framework utilized here has the potential to reveal how the brain represents, not just semantic knowledge, but any kind of information.

Data available, click to request

Authors:

FRISBY, S., CORREIA, M.M., Zhang, M., Rodgers, C.T., Rogers, T.T., LAMBON RALPH, & HALAI, A.D.

Reference:

Year of publication:

In Press

CBU number:

9273

Abstract:

The temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is particularly poor in ventral anterior temporal and orbitofrontal regions because of B0 and B1+ magnetic field inhomogeneity, a problem that is exacerbated at higher field strengths. In this 7T-fMRI study we compared three methods of improving sensitivity in these areas: parallel transmit, which uses multiple transmit elements, controlled independently, to homogenise the flip angle experienced by the tissue; multi-echo, which entails collection of multiple volumes at different echo times following a single radiofrequency pulse; and multiband, in which multiple slices are acquired simultaneously. We found that parallel transmit and multi-echo increased the magnitude of the BOLD signal change, but only multi-echo increased BOLD magnitude in areas prone to susceptibility artefacts. Multiband and denoising of multi-echo data with independent components analysis (ICA) both improved precision of GLM fit. Exploratory results suggested that multi-echo and ICA denoising can both benefit multivariate analyses. In conclusion, a multi-echo, multiband sequence improved fMRI quality in areas prone to susceptibility artefacts while maintaining sensitivity across the whole brain. We recommend this approach for studies investigating the functional roles of ventral temporal and orbitofrontal regions with 7T fMRI.

Data available, click to request

Authors:

Santangelo, A.M., Ohlei, O., Mareva, S., Brkic, D., CALM Team, Bertram, L., Holmes, J., ASTLE, D., & BAKER, K.

Reference:

Year of publication:

2026

CBU number:

9272

Abstract:

Common genetic variants make a significant contribution to neurodevelopmental characteristics such as cognitive abilities and ADHD symptoms. The relevance and structure of these associations amongst children with transdiagnostic difficulties in cognition, attention and learning has not been explored. Polygenic scores (PGS) derived from the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) data at the time of this study on ADHD (38,691 individuals with ADHD and 186,843 controls) and Intelligence (269,867 individuals) were calculated for 524 children and young people (5-18 years old) referred to the Centre for Attention, Learning and Memory (CALM). PGS-trait associations were assessed via linear regression analyses, for a range of cognitive and behavioural dimensional measures, and factor scores from a hierarchical model of psychopathology. PGS associations were explored with and without co-varying for socio-economic status (SES). Within this sample, we found the expected positive associations between ADHD-PGS and ADHD primary symptoms, and between Intelligence-PGS and IQ. ADHD-PGS were also associated with broader externalising behaviours and intelligence scores, and these associations remained significant after removing ADHD-diagnosed participants, or after covarying with SES. Intelligence-PGS showed associations with verbal and non-verbal cognitive skills, but no significant associations with ADHD traits were detected. For the hierarchical model of psychopathology, ADHD-PGS, but not intelligence-PGS, showed associations with the general mental health factor, externalising factor, and social maladjustment factor, only when SES was not included as a covariate. In summary, PGS for neurodevelopmental traits may contribute to both general and specific cognitive and behavioural dimensions in a paediatric transdiagnostic sample. Future studies investigating PGS associations with neural correlates, as well as gene-by-environment interactions, will contribute to our understanding of developmental pathways and risk-resilience mechanisms in child mental health. Data files are available to collaborators via the CALM data repository

Data available, click to request

Authors:

Llchovska, Z.G., Lockwood, J., Proctor, E., Hosseini, A.A., LAMBON RALPH, M.A., & Jung, J.

Reference:

Year of publication:

2026

CBU number:

9271

Abstract:

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA) are a complex, partially overlapping neurodegenerative syndromes primarily affecting the frontal and temporal lobes, resulting in deficits in behaviour, executive function, and language. FTD is among the leading causes of early-onset dementia and has several subtypes including behavioural-variant FTD (bvFTD) and semantic dementia (SD). PPA is subdivided into three main variants: non-fluent variant PPA (nfvPPA), semantic variant PPA (svPPA)/semantic dementia (SD), and logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA), each characterised by distinct language and cognitive impairments. Although these syndromes are clinically distinguishable, overlapping cognitive, behavioural and neuroanatomical features are common. To provide a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of the associated neuroimaging findings for each subgroup, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of structural and functional neuroimaging studies across bvFTD and the major PPA syndromes. The analysis included coordinate-based data from 114 studies comprising 8,057 patients. Across syndromes, patients showed widespread brain abnormalities relative to healthy controls, involving frontal, temporal and parietal cortices as well as subcortical and limbic regions including the basal ganglia and thalamus. Each FTD subtype demonstrated distinct, yet partially overlapping, patterns of degeneration. bvFTD showed prominent degeneration in the frontal and medial temporal lobes, insula, cingulate cortex, and limbic system, consistent with impairments in social cognition and disinhibition. svPPA/SD exhibited focal atrophy in the anterior temporal lobes, disrupting the semantic network and impairing semantic processing. nfvPPA was associated with degeneration in the speech production network, particularly the insula and inferior frontal gyrus. lvPPA displayed left- lateralised abnormalities in the posterior temporal and inferior parietal lobes, affecting language function. In addition to these prototypical patterns, overlapping regions were observed between specific syndromes, including shared involvement of anterior temporal and limbic regions in bvFTD and svPPA/SD, frontal–insular regions in bvFTD and nfvPPA, and lateral temporal regions in svPPA/SD and lvPPA. Together, these findings provide a robust, synthesis of distinct and overlapping neuroanatomical alterations across FTD and PPA syndromes, clarifying how syndrome-specific and shared patterns of degeneration may contribute to clinical heterogeneity.

URL:

Authors:

Vuillier, L., SHALEV, I., Moseley, R.L., Uzefovsky, F.

Reference:

Year of publication:

2026

CBU number:

9270

Abstract:

Background: Emotional dysregulation is a core feature of eating disorders, yet research has predominantly focused on intrapersonal emotion processes rather than interpersonal emotional mechanisms. Empathy comprises affective empathy (AE; feeling others’ emotions) and cognitive empathy (CE; understanding others’ emotions), with recent research suggesting that empathic disequilibrium – imbalances between AE and CE – may contribute to psychopathology. We hypothesized that empathic disequilibrium characterized by AE-dominance underlies emotional difficulties in eating disorders through heightened emotional reactivity. Methods: We conducted a two-phase investigation. Study 1 examined empathy and eating disorder symptoms in 345 undergraduate students using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Study 2 replicated findings in 835 participants (including 103 with eating disorder diagnoses) and tested emotional reactivity as a mediator using the Emotional Reactivity Scale (ERS). Results: Both studies demonstrated consistent associations between empathic disequilibrium characterized by AE-dominance and eating disorder pathology (Study 1) and diagnosis (Study 2), with CE being unrelated to eating disorder symptoms. Mediation analyses revealed that emotional reactivity fully mediated the relationship between empathic disequilibrium and eating disorder symptoms, with sensitivity analyses supporting pathway robustness. Conclusions: This study provides first comprehensive evidence that empathic disequilibrium, rather than specific empathic deficits, represents a potential risk factor for eating psychopathology. AE-dominance appears to create emotional hyper-arousal when encountering others’ emotions, which may be regulated using disordered eating behaviours. These findings challenge traditional empathy approaches in psychopathology and highlight the importance of interpersonal emotional processes in eating disorder conceptualization and treatment, opening new therapeutic avenues targeting both intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional functioning.

URL:

Authors:

Deng, F, HENSON, R.N., Muniz-Terrera, G., Malhotra, P., O’Brien, J.T., Ritchie, C.W., Lawlor, B. & Naci, L.

Reference:

Year of publication:

In Press

CBU number:

9269

Abstract:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathology starts decades before clinical manifestations, but the early indicators of AD in midlife remain unclear. Functional segregation of brain networks is a key marker of brain health. It remains unknown, however, whether inherited risk of AD impacts network segregation from midlife in individuals who are cognitively healthy but carry inherited risk for late-life AD. To address this question, we investigate which brain networks show the strongest age-related segregation loss in the Cam-CAN lifespan cohort (18-88 years, N=652), and whether APOE ε4 genotype impacts segregation of age-vulnerable networks in the midlife PREVENT cohort (40-59 years, N=210), cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Higher-order networks showing the most significant age-related decline are the default mode (DMN), frontal-parietal control (FPN) and salience (SN) networks. Cognitively healthy midlife APOE ε4 carriers have higher segregation across the brain cross-sectionally, accompanied by greater longitudinal decline in the DMN over two years, relative to non-carriers. Higher DMN segregation is associated with better episodic and relational memory across the PREVENT cohort. These findings suggest that functional segregation may serve as a potential biomarker, providing insights into the mechanisms through which APOE influences brain function and cognition from healthy midlife, on average 23 years before dementia onset.

URL:

Data available, click to request

Authors:

NORRIS, D. & Kalm, K.

Reference:

Year of publication:

-

CBU number:

9268

Abstract:

Here we present a model of sequence learning and recall based on the idea that the function of memory is to maintain an up-to-date representation of the environment that can be used to guide future perception and action. The representation of the environment is considered to be a prior which is combined with information in short-term memory to construct a posterior representation. That posterior representation drives recall and, in turn, is used to update the priors. This prediction-update cycle is a form of Bayesian filter. We apply the model to data from the Hebb (1961) task in which participants learn sequences over repeated presentations in an immediate serial recall task. The model is shown to simulate a wide range of data on the Hebb effect including the ability to learn multiple lists at once, the effect of list spacing, the differential impact of variation in the beginning versus end of lists, learning from response errors, interference between similar lists, and the effects of repetition on forward and backward recall. The model’s ability to account for these phenomena follows directly from its basic computational principles.

Data for this project is available at: https://github.com/DennisNorris/Bayesian_filter_hebb