Information is represented in long-term memory as a network of associations among concepts. Information is retrieved by spreading activation from concepts in working memory through the network structure. The time required to retrieve information is a function of the level of activation that it achieves. Fanning of multiple paths from a node dissipates the activation the node sends down any path...

Most long-term memories are formed as a consequence of multiple experiences. The temporal spacing of these experiences is of considerable importance: experiences distributed over time (spaced training) are more easily encoded and remembered than either closely spaced experiences, or a single prolonged experience (massed training). In this article, we first review findings from studies in animal...

A behavioral analog of the synaptic tagging and capture process, a key property of synaptic plasticity, has been predicted recently. Here, we demonstrate that weak inhibitory avoidance training, which induces short- but not long-term memory (LTM), can be consolidated into LTM by an exploration to a novel, but not a familiar, environment occurring close in time to the training session. This memo...

Constipation is a common complaint and challenge for older adults. The prevalence of constipation increases with age and differs among settings. In individuals 65 years of age or older in the community, the prevalence is 26% for women and 16% for men.1 This rate increases to 34% for women and 26% for men in those 84 years of age and older.1 For long-term care residents, the prevalence is as hig...

In two experiments, we used a temporal integration task to investigate visual mental images based on information in short-term memory or generated from information stored in long-term memory (LTM). We specifically asked whether the two sorts of images rely on depictive representations. If mental images rely on depictive representations, then it should be possible to combine mental images and vi...

The recent patient safety literature has included less of an emphasis on long-term settings than on research in the acute care sector. Recognizing this knowledge gap in our understanding of safety in the long-term care sector, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Capital Health (Edmonton) and CapitalCare (Edmonton) have collaborated to create a research and action agenda for improving residen...