Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks
The Immediate and Delayed Memory Task (IMT/DMT) program is a modified Continuous Performance Test that produces levels of performance that are sensitive to both group differences and pharmacological manipulation, even in high functioning populations. The IMT/DMT is designed to measure response initiation in impulsive behavior. |
Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks (IMT/DMT)
The IMT/DMT is a continuous performance test that was designed to assess impulsive behavior. The Immediate Memory Task involves comparison of consecutively presented number and responding in those instances when the current number matches the number immediately before it (called a correct detection). The Delayed Memory Task similarly involves responding to matching numbers, but the numbers to be compared a separated by a filler sequence (e.g. 12345).
Like all continuous performance tests, the IMT/DMT involves selectively responding target stimuli and avoiding responses to non-target stimuli that are presented in rapid sequence. For many years, continuous performance tests were primarily analyzed in terms of success in identifying target stimuli, which have been interpreted as measuring sustained attention. The characteristics of these test were selected to maximize sensitivity to individual differences in target responding and typically rates of non-target responding were low.
The IMT/DMT was created to test the notion that the non-target responding could be a sensitive measure impulsivity. The parameters of this new continuous performance test were modified so that certain types of non-target responding could be interpreted within a definition of impulsive behavior. The innovation of the IMT/DMT is the inclusion of catch stimuli that are very similar to targets: they match on all but one digit with the target sequence. This is in contrast with other non-target stimuli that
are random and share very little overlap with the target. The concept here is that these very similar,
catch stimuli, require a long period of information processing in order to resolve as different from the target. More impulsive individuals will respond to these catch trials more often, because they emit the behavior prior to the completion of information processing. This is called by the authors Response Initiation Impulsivity. Another perspective has been to refer to this type of impulsivity as Rapid Response Impulsivity.
Inclusion of the catch trials and the timing of the stimulus delivery produce a response range that is broad and normally distributed. Additionally, the rates of impulsive responding) were sufficiently high that the test (1) avoids floor effects among higher functioning populations; and (2) is sensitive to detection of not just increases, but also decreases, in impulsive responding in response to an intervention.
*While these are the default task settings, many aspects of the IMT/DMT stimulus parameters are readily modifiable using the setup screen.
Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks Setup Screen
Analyses of the Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks
What variable is used to test impulsivity?
The impulsive responses on the IMT/DMT are commission errors: the responses to the catch stimuli. However, in many populations or treatment settings these commission errors must be interpreted within the context of the overall response rates and accuracy of performance. For this reason, it has often been more useful to report the impulsive response as the ratio of commission errors to correct detections. This formula is defined as:
(Number of commission errors / number of catch trials) / (Number of correct detections / number of target trials)
How is interpretability of performance assessed?
Performance based measures of impulsivity must be evaluated for the interpretability of their scores. While most scores will be interpretable, some data may be excluded when participant cooperation, effort, and/or comprehension is in question.
Evaluation of performance interpretability requires thoughtful examination of responses to the non-impulsive stimuli.
Questions must be asked about how low of correct detection rates and how high of filler error rates are acceptable. There is a range of correct detections reflecting low to high levels of sustained attention. However at some low level of correct responding to target stimuli, there arises uncertainty about the interpretability of performance. If correct detections are too low, it is likely because the participant either did not understand the response requirements of the test or was unable to exert effort to perform the task. In these situations, impulsive performance should not be interpreted. A similar concept applies to filler errors; response rates to the random non-matching should be low, and when they rise too high, again understanding or effort of the participant is called into question.
What are recommended cut-off’s for correct detection and filler error rates?
This really depends on your local population. Having examined large, international datasets with diverse populations, it is apparent that that exclusion criteria must be based on your local population. We encourage you to contact the test authors to develop an algorithm for selecting an inclusion criterion. Additionally, we recommend reporting these criteria as well as the correct detection and filler error rates in publications with the IMT/DMT.
Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks Citation
When citing this instrument in a publication, please use the following reference:
Immediate and delayed memory tasks: a computerized behavioral measure of memory, attention, and impulsivity.
Dougherty DM, Marsh DM, Mathias CW (2002).
Behavioral Research Methods: Instruments and Computers, 34, 391-398.
Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks Bibliography
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P50, N100, and P200 sensory gating: Relationships with behavioral inhibition, attention, and working memory.
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Are personality and behavioral measures of impulse control convergent or distinct predictors of health behaviors?
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A test of alcohol dose effects on multiple behavioral measures of impulsivity.
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Interactive effects of sex and 5-HTTLPR on mood and impulsivity during tryptophan depletion in health people.
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The effects of alcohol on laboratory-measured
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Behavioral impulsivity in adolescents with Conduct Disorder who use marijuana.
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Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with recurrent self-harm: Single-centre double-blind randomised controlled trial.
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Manic symptoms and impulsivity during bipolar depressive episodes.
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Impulsivity and Bipolar Disorder.
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Measuring impulsivity in adolescents with serious substance and conduct problems.
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Assessment, 13, 3-15.
Reduced anterior
corpus callosum white matter integrity is related to increased impulsivity
and reduced discriminability in cocaine-dependent subjects: Diffusion tensor
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Neuropsychopharmacology, 30, 610-617.
Acute yohimbine increased laboratory-measured impulsivity in normal
subjects.
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Biological Psychiatry, 57, 1209-1211.
Increased impulsivity associated with severity of suicide attempt history in patients with bipolar disorder.
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American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 1680-1687.
Impulsivity in abstinent
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Suicidal behaviors and drug abuse: impulsivity and its assessment.
Dougherty DM, Mathias CW, Marsh DM, Moeller FG, Swann AC (2004).
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 76s, s93-s105.
Laboratory measured impulsivity relates to
suicide attempt history.
Dougherty DM, Mathias CW, Marsh DM, Papageorgiou TD, Swann AC Moeller FG (2004).
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Age at first drink
relates to behavioral measures of impulsivity: the immediate and
delayed memory tasks.
Dougherty DM, Mathias CW, Tester ML, Marsh DM (2004).
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research,
28, 408-414.
P300 event-related potential amplitude and impulsivity in cocaine-dependent subjects.
Moeller FG, Barratt ES, Fischer CJ, Dougherty DM, Reilly EL, Mathias CW, Swann AC (2004).
Neuropsychobiology, 50, 167-173.
Functional MRI study of working memory in MDMA users.
Moeller FG, Steinberg JL, Dougherty DM, Narayana PA, Kramer LA, Renshaw PF (2004).
Psychopharmacology, 177, 185-194.
Impulsivity in abstinent alcohol-dependent patients: Relation to control subjects and type-1/type-2 like traits
Bjork JM, Hommer DW, Grant SJ, Canube C (2004)
Alcohol, 34, 133-150
Impulsivity: A link between bipolar disorder and substance abuse.
Swann AC, Dougherty DM, Pazzaglia PJ, Pham M, Moeller FG (2004).
Bipolar Disorders, 6, 204-212.
Behavioral impulsivity paradigms: A comparison in
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Dougherty DM, Bjork JM, Harper RA, Marsh DM, Moeller FG, Mathias CW,
Swann AC (2003).
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44, 1145-1157.
Validation of the Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks in
hospitalized adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders.
Dougherty DM, Bjork JM, Harper RA, Mathias CW, Moeller FG, Marsh DM (2003).
Psychological Record, 53, 509-532.
Familial transmission of Continuous Performance Test behavior: Attentional and impulsive response characteristics.
Dougherty DM, Bjork JM, Moeller FG, Harper RA, Marsh DM, Mathias CW,
Swann AC (2003).
Journal of General Psychology, 130, 5-21.
Immediate and delayed memory
tasks: a computerized behavioral measure of memory, attention, and impulsivity.
Dougherty DM, Marsh DM, Mathias CW (2002).
Behavioral Research Methods: Instruments and Computers, 34, 391-398.
Comparison of women with high and low trait impulsivity using behavioral models of response-disinhibition and reward-choice.
Marsh DM, Dougherty DM, Mathias CW, Moeller FG, Hicks LR (2002).
Personality and
Individual Differences, 33, 1291-1310.
Reliability estimates for the Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks.
Mathias CW, Marsh DM, Dougherty DM (2002).
Perceptual and Motor Skills,95, 559-569.
Two models of impulsivity:
Relationship to personality traits and psychopathology.
Swann AC, Bjork JM, Moeller FG, Dougherty DM (2002).
Biological Psychiatry, 15, 988-994.
Effects of moderate and high doses of alcohol on attention, impulsivity,
discriminability, and response bias in immediate and delayed
memory task performance.
Dougherty DM, Marsh DM, Moeller FG, Chokshi RV, Rosen VC (2000).
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 24, 1702-1711.
Alcohol increases commission errors for a continuous performance test.
Dougherty DM, Moeller FG, Steinberg JL, Marsh DM, Hines SE, Bjork JM (1999).
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23, 1342-1351.
Immediate versus delayed visual memory task performance among schizophrenic
patients and normal control subjects.
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Psychiatry Research, 79, 255-265.