Processing and memory for emotional and neutral material in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

Several studies have reported changes in emotional memory and processing in people with ALS (pwALS). In this study, we sought to analyse differences in emotional processing and memory between pwALS and healthy controls and to investigate the relationship between emotional memory and self-reported depression. Nineteen pwALS and 19 healthy controls were assessed on measures of emotional processing, emotional memory, verbal memory and depression. Although pwALS and controls did not differ significantly on measures of emotional memory, a subgroup of patients performed poorly on an emotional recognition task. With regard to emotional processing, pwALS gave significantly stronger ratings of emotional valence to positive words than to negative words. Higher ratings of emotional words were associated with better recall in controls but not pwALS. Self-reported depression and emotional processing or memory variables were not associated in either group. In conclusion, the results from this small study suggest that a subgroup of pwALS may show weakened ‘emotional enhancement’, although in the current sample this may reflect general memory impairment rather than specific changes in emotional memory. Nonetheless, different patterns of processing of emotionally-salient material by pwALS may have care and management-related implications.

Key words::

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• emotional processing
• memory
• depression

Declaration of interest: M. Cuddy, B. J. Papps and M. Thambisetty have no interests to declare.

P. N. Leigh has received honoraria or consultancy fees and travel expenses from Sanofi Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Acceleron, Cytokinetics, Neuyronova, and is/or has been a member of advisory boards for GSK, Acceleron, Cytokinetics, Neuronova, TauPx. He has received research support from the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Wellcome Trust UK. L. H. Goldstein receives salary support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Dementia Biomedical Research Unit at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. She serves on the Scientific Awards Panel for Epilepsy Action (UK); has received travel expenses and honoraria for speaking and educational activities not funded by industry; receives royalties from the publication of Clinical Neuropsychology (Wiley, 2004) and The Clinical Psychologist's Handbook of Epilepsy (Routledge, 1997); and receives research support from Department of Health/National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UK and the Motor Neurone Disease Association UK. She has also received research support from Epilepsy Research UK, the Institute of Social Psychiatry and the Wellcome Trust UK.

The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.