"long-term memory" no longer means "forever": analysis of accelerated long-term forgetting in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy. ' Neuropsychologia 48 (6) [1707][1708][1709][1710][1711][1712][1713][1714][1715] Link to published version: A case study is presented of a patient, RY, with temporal lobe epilepsy, who exhibited such a profile of "accelerated long-term forgetting". To investigate the effect of recalling information on later retention, recall and recognition for pairs of novel stories were tested at five intervals ranging from 30 minutes to 4 weeks; we also manipulated whether or not recall and recognition were repeatedly tested for stories. Two studies are reported, one before RY commenced treatment with anticonvulsant medication, and one following 6 months of treatment. Very similar memory profiles were observed in both settings. Against a background of above average cognitive function, results showed that RY's free recall, although initially average or above, was significantly impaired at extended delays (within 24 hours) for non-repeatedly recalled episodic information. However, this contrasted with normal performance for information that had been repeatedly recalled. An unresolved issue in the field is the impact of anticonvulsant medication on alleviating long-term forgetting, and the current study shows that anticonvulsant medication can have negligible beneficial effects in improving the rate of long-term forgetting in this type of patient. In addition, our study highlights the possible protective effect of active review of recent episodic memories.

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Cabin air on commercial aircraft is sometimes contaminated with jet engine oils containing organophosphates (OP). Aircrew have complained of chronic ill health and cognitive impairment following exposure to contaminated air, but a debate is ongoing about causation, diagnosis and treatment of long-term effects. The incidence of contaminated air events is difficult to quantify, as commercial aircraft do not have air quality monitoring systems on board. According to statistical records, certain types of aircraft suffer more fume events than others (e.g. the BAe 146 and Boeing 757) and it has been suggested that airframe may serve as a proxy measure of exposure. The current study sought to investigate this claim, and to determine whether an association exists between exposure to contaminated air and neuropsychological impairment. Twenty-nine pilots were recruited and split into two exposure groups according to aircraft type flown, but few differences were noted between groups in terms of exposure history or cognitive function. Pilots' profile of cognitive performance deviates from that seen in the normal population, but mirrors that seen in other OP-exposed cohorts. In particular they show decrements in performance on tests of attention, psychomotor speed and visual sequencing. Given the safety implications of these findings, further research is warranted.