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Kemp AF, Kinnerup M, Johnsen B, Jakobsen S, Nahimi A, Gjedde A. EEG Frequency Correlates with α 2-Receptor Density in Parkinson's Disease. Biomolecules 2024; 14:209. [PMID: 38397446 PMCID: PMC10886955 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Increased theta and delta power and decreased alpha and beta power, measured with quantitative electroencephalography (EEG), have been demonstrated to have utility for predicting the development of dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Noradrenaline modulates cortical activity and optimizes cognitive processes. We claim that the loss of noradrenaline may explain cognitive impairment and the pathological slowing of EEG waves. Here, we test the relationship between the number of noradrenergic α2 adrenoceptors and changes in the spectral EEG ratio in patients with PD. METHODS We included nineteen patients with PD and thirteen healthy control (HC) subjects in the study. We used positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]yohimbine to quantify α2 adrenoceptor density. We used EEG power in the delta (δ, 1.5-3.9 Hz), theta (θ, 4-7.9 Hz), alpha (α, 8-12.9 Hz) and beta (β, 13-30 Hz) bands in regression analyses to test the relationships between α2 adrenoceptor density and EEG band power. RESULTS PD patients had higher power in the theta and delta bands compared to the HC volunteers. Patients' theta band power was inversely correlated with α2 adrenoceptor density in the frontal cortex. In the HC subjects, age was correlated with, and occipital background rhythm frequency (BRF) was inversely correlated with, α2 adrenoceptor density in the frontal cortex, while occipital BRF was inversely correlated with α2 adrenoceptor density in the thalamus. CONCLUSIONS The findings support the claim that the loss or dysfunction of noradrenergic neurotransmission may relate to the parallel processes of cognitive decline and EEG slowing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam F. Kemp
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense, Denmark;
| | - Martin Kinnerup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (M.K.); (B.J.); (S.J.)
| | - Birger Johnsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (M.K.); (B.J.); (S.J.)
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Steen Jakobsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (M.K.); (B.J.); (S.J.)
| | - Adjmal Nahimi
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, 211 46 Malmö, Sweden;
- Department of Neurology, Skåne University Hospital, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Albert Gjedde
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (M.K.); (B.J.); (S.J.)
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 1172 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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The Attention Network Test in Parkinson and Lewy Body Disease: A Systematic Review. Cogn Behav Neurol 2022; 35:1-13. [PMID: 35239595 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Attention Network Test (ANT) is a well-established measure of efficiency for the alerting, orienting, and executive attentional networks. However, its novel application in Parkinson disease (PD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD) research more broadly has yet to be evaluated systematically. OBJECTIVE To compare and consolidate the outcomes of studies reporting use of the ANT in PD and LBD groups and to identify the methodological considerations for the conduct of such studies. METHOD We performed a systematic literature search for articles exploring attention in PD and LBD groups using the ANT. We excluded articles on the basis of irrelevant scope, non-English, and groups other than PD and LBD. Once the full text articles were identified, we extracted the data and assessed the studies' quality. RESULTS The final sample included 16 articles ranging from low to moderate quality. Behavioral findings suggested a general slowing of responses yet preserved accuracy from the PD group compared with controls. Overall, the evidence was inconclusive regarding the state of the alerting network in the PD and LBD groups, mostly supportive of an intact orienting network, and strongly suggestive of an impaired executive network. Differences in sample stratification, patient symptomatology, and dopaminergic medication levels were identified as influential factors in the attentional results across studies. CONCLUSION Although sparse, the existing evidence indicates that the ANT is a viable option for measuring attention in PD; it can also be harnessed to explore the impact of symptoms and medications on attentional networks in PD and LBD groups.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with cognitive deficits but little is known to what degree this is caused by genetically influenced traits, i.e. endophenotypes, present before the onset of the disorder. The aim of the current study was to investigate to what degree family history (FH) of AUD is associated with cognitive functions. METHODS Case-control cross-sectional study at an outpatient addiction research clinic. Treatment-seeking AUD patients (n = 106) were compared to healthy controls (HC; n = 90), matched for age and sex. The HC group was further subdivided into AUD FH positive (FH+; n = 47) or negative (FH-; n = 39) based on the Family Tree Questionnaire. Participants underwent psychiatric and substance use assessments, completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and performed a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests assessing response inhibition, decision making, attention, working memory, and emotional recognition. RESULTS Compared to HC, AUD patients exhibited elevated self-rated impulsivity (p < 0.001; d = 0.62), as well as significantly poorer response inhibition (p = 0.001; d = 0.51), attention (p = 0.021; d = 0.38) and information gathering in decision making (p = 0.073; d = 0.34). Similar to AUD patients, FH+ individuals exhibited elevated self-rated impulsivity (p = 0.096; d = 0.46), and in addition significantly worse future planning capacity (p < 0.001; d = 0.76) and prolonged emotional recognition response time (p = 0.010; d = 0.60) compared to FH-, while no other significant differences were found between FH+ and FH-. CONCLUSIONS Elevated impulsivity, poor performance in future planning and emotional processing speed may be potential cognitive endophenotypes in AUD. These cognitive domains represent putative targets for prevention strategies and treatment of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotfi Khemiri
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Franck
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nitya Jayaram-Lindström
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
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Holland N, Robbins TW, Rowe JB. The role of noradrenaline in cognition and cognitive disorders. Brain 2021; 144:2243-2256. [PMID: 33725122 PMCID: PMC8418349 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Many aspects of cognition and behaviour are regulated by noradrenergic projections to the forebrain originating from the locus coeruleus, acting through alpha and beta adrenoreceptors. Loss of these projections is common in neurodegenerative diseases and contributes to their cognitive and behavioural deficits. We review the evidence for a noradrenergic modulation of cognition in its contribution to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other cognitive disorders. We discuss the advances in human imaging and computational methods that quantify the locus coeruleus and its function in humans, and highlight the potential for new noradrenergic treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Holland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
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Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A viable option? PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2021; 264:171-190. [PMID: 34167655 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suffer from a range of cognitive and behavioral problems that severely impair their educational and occupational attainment. ADHD symptoms have been linked to structural and functional changes within and between different brain regions, particularly the prefrontal cortex. At the system level, reduced availability of the neurotransmitters dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) but also γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) have been repeatedly demonstrated. Recently, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques have been explored as treatment alternatives to alter dysfunctional activation patterns in specified brain areas or networks. In the current paper, we introduce transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) as a systemic approach to directly affect NE and GABA neurotransmission. TVNS is a non-drug intervention with low risk and proven efficacy in improving cognitive particularly executive functions. It is easy to apply and therefore well-suited to provide home-based or mobile treatment options allowing a significant increase in treatment intensity and providing easier access to medical care for individuals who are unable to regularly visit a clinician. We describe in detail the underlying mechanisms of tVNS and current fields of application and discuss its potential as an adjuvant treatment for ADHD.
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Chassignolle M, Jovanovic L, Schmidt-Mutter C, Behr G, Giersch A, Coull JT. Dopamine Precursor Depletion in Healthy Volunteers Impairs Processing of Duration but Not Temporal Order. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:946-963. [PMID: 33656394 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Studies in animals and humans have implicated the neurotransmitter dopamine in duration processing. However, very few studies have examined dopamine's involvement in other forms of temporal processing such as temporal order judgments. In a randomized within-subject placebo-controlled design, we used acute phenylalanine/tyrosine depletion (APTD) to reduce availability of the dopamine precursors tyrosine and phenylalanine in healthy human volunteers. As compared to a nutritionally balanced drink, APTD significantly impaired the ability to accurately reproduce interval duration in a temporal reproduction task. In addition, and confirming previous findings, the direction of error differed as a function of individual differences in underlying dopamine function. Specifically, APTD caused participants with low baseline dopamine precursor availability to overestimate the elapse of time, whereas those with high dopamine availability underestimated time. In contrast to these effects on duration processing, there were no significant effects of APTD on the accuracy of discriminating the temporal order of visual stimuli. This pattern of results does not simply represent an effect of APTD on motor, rather than perceptual, measures of timing because APTD had no effect on participants' ability to use temporal cues to speed RT. Our results demonstrate, for the first time in healthy volunteers, a dopaminergic dissociation in judging metrical (duration) versus ordinal (temporal order) aspects of time.
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Effects of the monoamine stabilizer (-)OSU6162 on cognitive function in alcohol dependence. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:69-82. [PMID: 31628507 PMCID: PMC6952337 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05345-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alcohol dependence (AD) is associated with a dysregulated mesolimbocortical dopamine system-a pathway which is also implicated in both reward and cognition. The monoamine stabilizer (-)-OSU6162 (OSU) is a novel pharmacological compound with the ability to reduce ethanol intake and ethanol seeking in long-term drinking rats as well as reducing alcohol craving in AD patients. Dopaminergic drugs can both impair and improve cognitive functions, and the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of OSU treatment on cognitive functioning in AD patients. METHOD In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, 56 individuals with AD received 14 days of OSU or placebo treatment. Neuropsychological tasks from the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery (CANTAB®) and other tasks were used to evaluate treatment effect on executive function/impulsivity, working memory, attention, emotional recognition, and divergent thinking. RESULTS Treatment with OSU did not impair neuropsychological function in any of the cognitive domains investigated (all p > 0.1). In fact, OSU treatment did, compared to placebo, improve future planning ability (F(1,46) = 6.9; p = 0.012; Cohen's d = 0.54), verbal divergent thinking (F(1,44) = 10.1; p = 0.003; d = 0.96), and response time for emotional recognition (F(1,47) = 6.7; p = 0.013; d = 0.44). CONCLUSION OSU treatment did not cause short-term cognitive side effects, further supporting the potential of OSU as a clinically feasible pharmacological treatment in AD patients. OSU treatment might improve future planning, verbal divergent thinking, and emotional recognition latency, which in turn may have a beneficial impact on alcohol use outcomes. Future studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
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Wanke N, Müller JC, Wiedemann K, Schwabe L. (Lack of) Effects of noradrenergic stimulation on human working memory performance. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3033-3046. [PMID: 32583013 PMCID: PMC7524848 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05590-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Working memory depends on prefrontal cortex functioning, which is particularly sensitive to levels of noradrenaline. Studies in non-human primates have shown that modest levels of noradrenaline improve working memory, and that higher levels of noradrenaline impair working memory performance. However, research in humans provided inconsistent findings concerning noradrenergic effects on working memory. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed at assessing dose-dependent effects of yohimbine, an alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist, on working memory performance in healthy humans. We further aimed to explore a potential interactive effect between noradrenergic arousal and lack of control over aversive events on working memory performance. METHODS We used a double-blind, fully crossed, placebo-controlled, between-subject design. Participants (N = 121) performed an adaptive n-back task before and after oral administration of either a placebo, 20 mg, or 40 mg yohimbine and a manipulation of controllability, during which participants could either learn to avoid electric shocks (controllability groups), had no instrumental control over shock administration (uncontrollability groups), or did not receive any shocks (no-shock control group). RESULTS While no significant results of noradrenergic stimulation through yohimbine were obtained using conventional frequentist analyses, additional Bayesian analyses provided strong evidence for the absence of an association between pharmacological treatment and working memory performance. We further observed no effect of controllability and no interaction between noradrenergic stimulation and the manipulation of controllability. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that noradrenergic stimulation through yohimbine does not affect (non-spatial) working memory in healthy human participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Wanke
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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Guedj C, Reynaud A, Monfardini E, Salemme R, Farnè A, Meunier M, Hadj-Bouziane F. Atomoxetine modulates the relationship between perceptual abilities and response bias. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:3641-3653. [PMID: 31384989 PMCID: PMC6954008 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05336-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Elucidation of how neuromodulators influence motivated behaviors is a major challenge of neuroscience research. It has been proposed that the locus-cœruleus-norepinephrine system promotes behavioral flexibility and provides resources required to face challenges in a wide range of cognitive processes. Both theoretical models and computational models suggest that the locus-cœruleus-norepinephrine system tunes neural gain in brain circuits to optimize behavior. However, to the best of our knowledge, empirical proof demonstrating the role of norepinephrine in performance optimization is scarce. Here, we modulated norepinephrine transmission in monkeys performing a Go/No-Go discrimination task using atomoxetine, a norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitor. We tested the optimization hypothesis by assessing perceptual sensitivity, response bias, and their functional relationship within the framework of the signal detection theory. We also manipulated the contingencies of the task (level of stimulus discriminability, target stimulus frequency, and decision outcome values) to modulate the relationship between sensitivity and response bias. We found that atomoxetine increased the subject's perceptual sensitivity to discriminate target stimuli regardless of the task contingency. Atomoxetine also improved the functional relationship between sensitivity and response bias, leading to a closer fit with the optimal strategy in different contexts. In addition, atomoxetine tended to reduce reaction time variability. Taken together, these findings support a role of norepinephrine transmission in optimizing response strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Guedj
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France. .,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Amélie Reynaud
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Elisabetta Monfardini
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Romeo Salemme
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alessandro Farnè
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Martine Meunier
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fadila Hadj-Bouziane
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France. .,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000, Villeurbanne, France.
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Khemiri L, Brynte C, Stunkel A, Klingberg T, Jayaram-Lindström N. Working Memory Training in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 43:135-146. [PMID: 30462837 PMCID: PMC6587824 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with cognitive deficits such as impaired executive functions, which are hypothesized to contribute to the progression of the disease and worsen treatment outcome. Training of working memory (WM) to improve cognitive functions and thereby reduce alcohol use has been proposed as a novel treatment strategy. Methods Patients with AUD (n = 50) who were recruited to an outpatient addiction clinic were randomized to receive 5 weeks of active WM training or control training. Participants had weekly follow‐up visits, and all cognitive training sessions were done online at home. Primary outcomes were WM function and change in self‐reported heavy drinking. Secondary outcomes were craving, other drinking outcomes, and performance on a range of neuropsychological tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Results The active training group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in verbal WM compared with the control group. No statistically significant effect of training was found on the primary drinking outcome, but a trend was observed indicating that WM training reduces the number of drinks per drinking occasion. WM training had no statistically significant effect on any of the other neuropsychological tasks. Conclusions Cognitive training can improve WM function in individuals with AUD, suggesting that such interventions are feasible to administer in this patient population. The results do not support an effect of WM training on heavy drinking or transfer effects to other cognitive domains. Future studies should evaluate WM training as an adjunct to evidence‐based treatments for AUD to assess potential synergistic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotfi Khemiri
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christoffer Brynte
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angela Stunkel
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Torkel Klingberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nitya Jayaram-Lindström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
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Wallis A, Ball M, Butt H, Lewis DP, McKechnie S, Paull P, Jaa-Kwee A, Bruck D. Open-label pilot for treatment targeting gut dysbiosis in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: neuropsychological symptoms and sex comparisons. J Transl Med 2018; 16:24. [PMID: 29409505 PMCID: PMC5801817 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1392-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preliminary evidence suggests that the enteric microbiota may play a role in the expression of neurological symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Overlapping symptoms with the acute presentation of D-lactic acidosis has prompted the use of antibiotic treatment to target the overgrowth of species within the Streptococcus genus found in commensal enteric microbiota as a possible treatment for neurological symptoms in ME/CFS. METHODS An open-label, repeated measures design was used to examine treatment efficacy and enable sex comparisons. Participants included 44 adult ME/CFS patients (27 females) from one specialist medical clinic with Streptococcus viable counts above 3.00 × 105 cfu/g (wet weight of faeces) and with a count greater than 5% of the total count of aerobic microorganisms. The 4-week treatment protocol included alternate weeks of Erythromycin (400 mg of erythromycin as ethyl succinate salt) twice daily and probiotic (D-lactate free multistrain probiotic, 5 × 1010 cfu twice daily). 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVAs were used to assess sex-time interactions and effects across pre- and post-intervention for microbial, lactate and clinical outcomes. Ancillary non-parametric correlations were conducted to examine interactions between change in microbiota and clinical outcomes. RESULTS Large treatment effects were observed for the intention-to-treat sample with a reduction in Streptococcus viable count and improvement on several clinical outcomes including total symptoms, some sleep (less awakenings, greater efficiency and quality) and cognitive symptoms (attention, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, story memory and verbal fluency). Mood, fatigue and urine D:L lactate ratio remained similar across time. Ancillary results infer that shifts in microbiota were associated with more of the variance in clinical changes for males compared with females. CONCLUSIONS Results support the notion that specific microorganisms interact with some ME/CFS symptoms and offer promise for the therapeutic potential of targeting gut dysbiosis in this population. Streptococcus spp. are not the primary or sole producers of D-lactate. Further investigation of lactate concentrations are needed to elucidate any role of D-lactate in this population. Concurrent microbial shifts that may be associated with clinical improvement (i.e., increased Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium or decreased Clostridium in males) invite enquiry into alternative strategies for individualised treatment. Trial Registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12614001077651) 9th October 2014. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=366933&isReview=true.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Wallis
- Psychology Department, College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michelle Ball
- Psychology Department, College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Henry Butt
- Bioscreen (Aust) Pty Ltd., Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Sandra McKechnie
- College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Amber Jaa-Kwee
- College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Dorothy Bruck
- Psychology Department, College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
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12
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Mueller A, Hong DS, Shepard S, Moore T. Linking ADHD to the Neural Circuitry of Attention. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:474-488. [PMID: 28483638 PMCID: PMC5497785 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex condition with a heterogeneous presentation. Current diagnosis is primarily based on subjective experience and observer reports of behavioral symptoms - an approach that has significant limitations. Many studies show that individuals with ADHD exhibit poorer performance on cognitive tasks than neurotypical controls, and at least seven main functional domains appear to be implicated in ADHD. We discuss the underlying neural mechanisms of cognitive functions associated with ADHD, with emphasis on the neural basis of selective attention, demonstrating the feasibility of basic research approaches for further understanding cognitive behavioral processes as they relate to human psychopathology. The study of circuit-level mechanisms underlying executive functions in nonhuman primates holds promise for advancing our understanding, and ultimately the treatment, of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Mueller
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - David S Hong
- Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Steven Shepard
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tirin Moore
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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13
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Hui L, Han M, Yin GZ, Zhang Y, Huang XF, Qian ZK, Gu WG, Gu XC, Zhu XM, Soares JC, Ning Y, Zheng Y, Du XD, Zhang XY. Association between DBH 19bp insertion/deletion polymorphism and cognition in schizophrenia with and without tardive dyskinesia. Schizophr Res 2017; 182:104-109. [PMID: 27776953 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Long-term antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia is associated with the development of tardive dyskinesia (TD), which is involved in increased cognitive impairment. Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene associated with dopamine and norepinephrine systems influences cognition. Schizophrenia with TD have higher DBH activity than those without TD. This study examined whether DBH5'-insertion/deletion (-Ins/Del) polymorphism could influence cognitive function in schizophrenia with and without TD. The presence of DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism was determined in 345 schizophrenia with TD and 397 schizophrenia without TD. The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale and Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were used to assess TD severity and cognition. The allele and genotype frequencies of DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism did not differ between patients with and without TD (both p>0.05). RBANS total score and subscales did not differ by DBH5'-Ins/Del genotype groups in patients with TD (all p>0.05). However, attention score significantly differed by DBH5'-Ins/Del genotype groups in those without TD (p<0.05). Patients without TD who were Del homozygous had significantly lower attention score than those without TD who were Ins alleles (p<0.05). Immediate memory and attention scores were lower in patients with TD than without TD (both p<0.05). This study indicated that DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism may not play a role in the susceptibility to TD and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia with TD, but it may influence cognitive function in schizophrenia with non-TD. Moreover, schizophrenia with TD experienced greater cognitive deficits than those with non-TD, especially in immediate memory and attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hui
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Mei Han
- School of Medicine, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Guang Zhong Yin
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yingyang Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xu Feng Huang
- School of Medicine, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Zheng Kang Qian
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Wei Guo Gu
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xiao Chu Gu
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xiao Min Zhu
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Yingjun Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Xiang Dong Du
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Xiang Yang Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, PR China.
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van den Brink RL, Murphy PR, Nieuwenhuis S. Pupil Diameter Tracks Lapses of Attention. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165274. [PMID: 27768778 PMCID: PMC5074493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to sustain attention for prolonged periods of time is limited. Studies on the relationship between lapses of attention and psychophysiological markers of attentional state, such as pupil diameter, have yielded contradicting results. Here, we investigated the relationship between tonic fluctuations in pupil diameter and performance on a demanding sustained attention task. We found robust linear relationships between baseline pupil diameter and several measures of task performance, suggesting that attentional lapses tended to occur when pupil diameter was small. However, these observations were primarily driven by the joint effects of time-on-task on baseline pupil diameter and task performance. The linear relationships disappeared when we statistically controlled for time-on-task effects and were replaced by consistent inverted U-shaped relationships between baseline pupil diameter and each of the task performance measures, such that most false alarms and the longest and most variable response times occurred when pupil diameter was both relatively small and large. Finally, we observed strong linear relationships between the temporal derivative of pupil diameter and task performance measures, which were largely independent of time-on-task. Our results help to reconcile contradicting findings in the literature on pupil-linked changes in attentional state, and are consistent with the adaptive gain theory of locus coeruleus-norepinephrine function. Moreover, they suggest that the derivative of baseline pupil diameter is a potentially useful psychophysiological marker that could be used in the on-line prediction and prevention of attentional lapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruud L. van den Brink
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Peter R. Murphy
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sander Nieuwenhuis
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study of D-Cycloserine in Chronic Stroke. Rehabil Res Pract 2015; 2015:534239. [PMID: 26587287 PMCID: PMC4637506 DOI: 10.1155/2015/534239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA. Up to 60% of patients do not fully recover despite intensive physical therapy treatment. N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA-R) have been shown to play a role in synaptic plasticity when activated. D-Cycloserine promotes NMDA receptor function by binding to receptors with unoccupied glycine sites. These receptors are involved in learning and memory. We hypothesized that D-cycloserine, when combined with robotic-assisted physiotherapy (RAP), would result in greater gains compared with placebo + RAP in stroke survivors. Participants (n = 14) were randomized to D-cycloserine plus RAP or placebo plus RAP. Functional, cognitive, and quality-of-life measures were used to assess recovery. There was significant improvement in grip strength of the affected hand within both groups from baseline to 3 weeks (95% confidence interval for mean change, 3.95 ± 2.96 to 4.90 ± 3.56 N for D-cycloserine and 5.72 ± 3.98 to 8.44 ± 4.90 N for control). SIS mood domain showed improvement for both groups (95% confidence interval for mean change, 72.6 ± 16.3 to 82.9 ± 10.9 for D-cycloserine and 82.9 ± 13.5 to 90.3 ± 9.9 for control). This preliminary study does not provide evidence that D-cycloserine can provide greater gains in learning compared with placebo for stroke survivors.
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Fallon SJ, Smulders K, Esselink RA, van de Warrenburg BP, Bloem BR, Cools R. Differential optimal dopamine levels for set-shifting and working memory in Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychologia 2015; 77:42-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Kehagia AA, Housden CR, Regenthal R, Barker RA, Müller U, Rowe J, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW. Targeting impulsivity in Parkinson's disease using atomoxetine. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 137:1986-97. [PMID: 24893708 PMCID: PMC4065022 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Noradrenergic dysfunction may play a significant role in cognition in Parkinson's disease due to the early degeneration of the locus coeruleus. Converging evidence from patient and animal studies points to the role of noradrenaline in dopaminergically insensitive aspects of the parkinsonian dysexecutive syndrome, yet the direct effects of noradrenergic enhancement have not to date been addressed. Our aim was to directly investigate these, focusing on impulsivity during response inhibition and decision making. To this end, we administered 40 mg atomoxetine, a selective noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor to 25 patients with Parkinson's disease (12 female /13 male; 64.4 ± 6.9 years old) in a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled design. Patients completed an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests addressing response inhibition, decision-making, attention, planning and verbal short term memory. Atomoxetine improved stopping accuracy on the Stop Signal Task [F(1,19) = 4.51, P = 0.047] and reduced reflection impulsivity [F(1,9) = 7.86, P = 0.02] and risk taking [F(1,9) = 9.2, P = 0.01] in the context of gambling. The drug also conferred effects on performance as a function of its measured blood plasma concentration: it reduced reflection impulsivity during information sampling [adjusted R(2) = 0.23, F(1,16) = 5.83, P = 0.03] and improved problem solving on the One Touch Stockings of Cambridge [adjusted R(2) = 0.29, F(1,17) = 8.34, P = 0.01]. It also enhanced target sensitivity during sustained attention [F(1,9) = 5.33, P = 0.046]. The results of this exploratory study represent the basis of specific predictions in future investigations on the effects of atomoxetine in Parkinson's disease and support the hypothesis that targeting noradrenergic dysfunction may represent a new parallel avenue of therapy in some of the cognitive and behavioural deficits seen in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angie A Kehagia
- 1 Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Charlotte R Housden
- 2 Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK3 Cambridge Cognition Limited, Cambridge, UK4 Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ralf Regenthal
- 5 Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Rudolf-Boehm-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roger A Barker
- 6 Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ulrich Müller
- 2 Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK4 Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK7 Adult ADHD Service, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - James Rowe
- 2 Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK6 Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK8 MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- 2 Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK4 Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- 2 Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK9 Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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18
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Oulis P, Kalogerakou S, Anyfandi E, Konstantakopoulos G, Papakosta VM, Masdrakis V, Tsaltas E. Cognitive effects of pregabalin in the treatment of long-term benzodiazepine-use and dependence. Hum Psychopharmacol 2014; 29:224-9. [PMID: 24532157 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Long-term benzodiazepine (BDZ) use and dependence affect cognitive functioning adversely and partly irreversibly. Emerging evidence suggests that pregabalin (PGB) might be a safe and efficacious treatment of long-term BDZ use. The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in several core cognitive functions after successful treatment of long-term BDZ use and dependence with PGB. METHODS Fourteen patients with long-term BDZ use (mean duration >15 years) underwent neuropsychological assessment with the mini-mental state examination and four tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) battery before the initiation of PGB treatment and at a two months follow-up after the cessation of BDZs. Patients' CANTAB percentile score distributions were compared with normative CANTAB data. RESULTS Patients improved on cognitive measures of global cognitive functioning, time orientation, psychomotor speed, and visuospatial memory and learning with strong effect sizes. By contrast, they failed to improve on measures of attentional flexibility. Despite their significant improvement, patients' scores on most tests remained still at the lower percentiles of CANTAB normative scores. CONCLUSIONS Although preliminary, our findings suggest that successful treatment of long-term BDZ use with PGB is associated with a substantial, though only partial, recovery of BDZ-compromised neuropsychological functioning, at least at a 2-month follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Oulis
- First Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece
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19
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Coull JT. Getting the timing right: experimental protocols for investigating time with functional neuroimaging and psychopharmacology. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 829:237-64. [PMID: 25358714 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1782-2_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is an effective tool for identifying brain areas and networks implicated in human timing. But fMRI is not just a phrenological tool: by careful design, fMRI can be used to disentangle discrete components of a timing task and control for the underlying cognitive processes (e.g. sustained attention and WM updating) that are critical for estimating stimulus duration in the range of hundreds of milliseconds to seconds. Moreover, the use of parametric designs and correlational analyses allows us to better understand not just where, but also how, the brain processes temporal information. In addition, by combining fMRI with psychopharmacological manipulation, we can begin to uncover the complex relationship between cognition, neurochemistry and anatomy in the healthy human brain. This chapter provides an overview of some of the key findings in the functional imaging literature of both duration estimation and temporal prediction, and outlines techniques that can be used to allow timing-related activations to be interpreted more unambiguously. In our own studies, we have found that estimating event duration, whether that estimate is provided by a motor response or a perceptual discrimination, typically recruits basal ganglia, SMA and right inferior frontal cortex, and can be modulated by dopaminergic activity in these areas. By contrast, orienting attention to predictable moments in time in order to optimize behaviour, whether that is to speed motor responding or improve perceptual accuracy, recruits left inferior parietal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T Coull
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille, Cedex 3, France,
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20
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Chamberlain SR, Odlaug BL, Schreiber LRN, Grant JE. Association between tobacco smoking and cognitive functioning in young adults. Am J Addict 2013; 21 Suppl 1:S14-9. [PMID: 23786505 DOI: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2012.00290.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tobacco smoking represents a considerable public health burden globally. Smoking in older adults is associated with cognitive impairment and more rapid age-associated cognitive decline, but there is a paucity of studies in younger people. METHOD Adults aged 18-29 years were recruited from a longitudinal study investigating impulsivity in young people. Exclusion criteria were presence of any axis-I morbidity or cannabis use. Subjects undertook neurocognitive assessment using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Demographic, clinical, and cognitive differences between smokers (N = 37) and nonsmokers (N = 177) were characterized. RESULTS Groups were well matched in terms of age, education, income, and gender. In comparison to nonsmokers, nicotine users showed significant cognitive impairments on sustained attention (target detection: p= .005), spatial working memory (errors: p= .023, strategy use: p= .004), executive planning (p= .002), and did not appropriately adjust behavior as a function of risk (Gamble task risk adjustment: p= .004). Smokers were intact on general response speeds and response inhibition. CONCLUSIONS These data, using objective translational paradigms, support an association between tobacco smoking and cognitive problems in young people, with implications for such individuals and for society. Future studies should extend these results longitudinally to explore causality, and evaluate effects of nicotinic agents (including anti-smoking medications) on cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel R Chamberlain
- Department of Psychiatry & MRC, Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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21
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Abstract
The noradrenaline (norepinephrine) system exerts profound influences on cognition via ascending projections to the forebrain, mostly originating from the locus coeruleus. This paper provides an overview of available infrahuman and healthy human studies, exploring the effects of specific noradrenergic manipulations on dissociable cognitive functions, including attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, response inhibition and emotional memory. Remarkable parallels across species have been reported which may account for the mechanisms by which noradrenergic medications exert their beneficial effects in disorders such as depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The literature is discussed in relation to prevailing models of noradrenergic influences over cognition and novel therapeutic directions, including in relation to investigating the effects of noradrenergic manipulations on other disorders characterized by impulsivity, and dementias. Unanswered questions are also highlighted, along with key avenues for future research, both proof-of-concept and clinical.
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22
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Makaron L, Moran CA, Namjoshi O, Rallapalli S, Cook JM, Rowlett JK. Cognition-impairing effects of benzodiazepine-type drugs: role of GABAA receptor subtypes in an executive function task in rhesus monkeys. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 104:62-8. [PMID: 23290931 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The present studies evaluated the role of α1 and α5 subunit-containing GABAA receptors (α1GABAA and α5GABAA receptors, respectively) in the ability of benzodiazepine (BZ)-type drugs to alter performance in the cognitive domain of executive function. Five adult female rhesus monkeys (ages of 9-17years old) were trained on the object retrieval with detours (ORD) task of executive function. For the ORD task, the monkeys were required to retrieve food items from a clear box with one open end that was rotated to different positions along with varying placements of food. When the non-selective BZ triazolam and the α1GABAA-preferring agonists zolpidem and zaleplon were evaluated in the ORD task, deficits in performance occurred at doses that did not increase the latency of monkeys to initiate responding and/or increase the percentage of reaches that were incorrect (i.e., reaches in which food was not obtained). Cognition-impairing effects of triazolam and zolpidem in ORD were blocked by the α1GABAA-preferring antagonist, βCCT, whereas the α5GABAA-preferring antagonist XLi-093 blocked the effects of triazolam but not zolpidem. While these findings suggest a role for both α1GABAA and α5GABAA receptor mechanisms, α1GABAA receptor mechanisms appear to be sufficient for impairments in executive function induced by BZ-type drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Makaron
- Division of Neuroscience, New England Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Box 9102, 1 Pine Hill Drive, Southborough, MA 01772, USA.
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Young JW, Jentsch JD, Bussey TJ, Wallace TL, Hutcheson DM. Consideration of species differences in developing novel molecules as cognition enhancers. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 37:2181-93. [PMID: 23064177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The NIH-funded CNTRICS initiative has coordinated efforts to promote the vertical translation of novel procognitive molecules from testing in mice, rats and non-human primates, to clinical efficacy in patients with schizophrenia. CNTRICS highlighted improving construct validation of tasks across species to increase the likelihood that the translation of a candidate molecule to humans will be successful. Other aspects of cross-species behaviors remain important however. This review describes cognitive tasks utilized across species, providing examples of differences and similarities of innate behavior between species, as well as convergent construct and predictive validity. Tests of attention, olfactory discrimination, reversal learning, and paired associate learning are discussed. Moreover, information on the practical implication of species differences in drug development research is also provided. The issues covered here will aid in task development and utilization across species as well as reinforcing the positive role preclinical research can have in developing procognitive treatments for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA.
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24
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Noradrenergic moderation of working memory impairments in adults with autism spectrum disorder. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2012; 18:556-64. [PMID: 22414705 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617712000070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In addition to having difficulties with social communications, individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often also experience impairment in higher-order, executive skills. The present study examined the effects of pharmacological modulation of the norepinephrine system on the severity of such impairments. A sample of 14 high-functioning adults with ASD and a demographically-matched comparison group of 13 typically developing individuals participated. An AX continuous performance test (AX-CPT) was used to evaluate working memory and inhibitory control. AX-CPT performance was assessed following administration of a single dose of propranolol (a beta adrenergic antagonist) and following placebo (sugar pill) administration. Individuals with ASD performed more poorly than non-ASD individuals in the working memory condition (BX trials). Importantly, administration of propranolol attenuated this impairment, with the ASD group performing significantly better in the propranolol condition than the placebo condition. Working memory performance of the non-ASD group was unaffected by propranolol/placebo administration. No group or medication effects were observed for the inhibition condition (AY trials). The present findings suggest that norepinephrine may play a role in some, but not necessarily all, cognitive impairments associated with ASD. Additional research is needed to fully understand whether this role is primarily causal or compensatory in nature.
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Grant JE, Chamberlain SR, Schreiber L, Odlaug BL. Neuropsychological deficits associated with cannabis use in young adults. Drug Alcohol Depend 2012; 121:159-62. [PMID: 21920674 PMCID: PMC3242860 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2011] [Revised: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance and has been associated with cognitive impairment. It is unclear whether such impairment can occur in the absence of potential confounding influences of co-morbid axis-I disorders and use of other illicit substances. METHOD Young adult volunteers (18-29 years) were recruited from the general community on the basis of having no axis-I disorders or history of illicit substance use other than cannabis use. Subjects were then grouped according to presence or absence of cannabis use (>1 time/week over past 12 months). Cognition was compared between groups using selected paradigms from the CANTAB. RESULTS Cannabis users (N=16) and controls (N=214) did not differ significantly on salient demographic characteristics. Compared to controls, cannabis users showed significant impairments on quality of decision-making (Cambridge Gamble task), and executive planning (One Touch Stockings of Cambridge task). Response inhibition, spatial working memory, and sustained attention were intact. CONCLUSIONS This study identified cognitive deficits in cannabis users even in the absence of axis-I disorders and a history of using other illicit drugs. Future work should use longitudinal designs to track whether these deficits predate cannabis use or are due to its consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon E Grant
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, 2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454, United States.
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26
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Hauck M, Bischoff P, Schmidt G, Zimmermann R, Lorenz J, Morrow TJ, Bromm B. Clonidine effects on pain evoked SII activity in humans. Eur J Pain 2012; 10:757-65. [PMID: 16439173 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2005.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2005] [Revised: 12/09/2005] [Accepted: 12/13/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigated pain evoked activity in the human secondary sensory cortex (SII) following clonidine administration in six healthy volunteers using multi-channel magnetoencephalography (MEG). Pain was elicited by electrical shocks applied intracutaneously to the fingertip. Subjects rated pain intensity and perceptions of tiredness and passiveness by numerical ranking scales. Each subject underwent two investigations, one week apart from each other, with clonidine doses of 1.5 or 3.0microg/kg, administered intravenously in a random order and double-blinded. We applied a total number of seven blocks, each consisting of 60 painful stimuli, with one adaptation block, one pre-medication block, four post-medication blocks and one recovery block at the end of the session. MEG data were analysed by dipole reconstruction using CURRY(R) (Neuroscan, Hamburg) software package. Cortical activity in the contralateral SII cortex appeared with peak latencies of 118.5+/-10ms. This activity was significantly reduced by clonidine, in parallel with a reduction of pain intensity and enhancement of subjective tiredness and passiveness. There was, however, no significant correlation between MEG and subjective effects. Although both clonidine doses had similar effects, the higher dose induced longer changes. Results indicate that intravenous clonidine is able to relieve pain, but the exact mechanism of clonidine at the level of the SII cortex remains unclear. It is possible that clonidine interacts with the brainstem ascending system regulating vigilance and arousal which would explain the observed decrement of pain induced activity in SII. An additional more specific analgesic action at spinal level cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hauck
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Hamburg, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany
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α-Adrenergic receptors in auditory cue detection: α2 receptor blockade suppresses false alarm responding in the rat. Neuropharmacology 2012; 62:2178-83. [PMID: 22277718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have suggested a facilitatory role of the noradrenergic system in attention. Cognitive functions relating to attentive states--arousal, motivation, behavioral flexibility, and working memory--are enhanced by norepinephrine release throughout the brain. The present study addresses the role of the adrenergic system on stimulus validity and sustained attention within the auditory system. We examined the effects of adrenoceptor stimulation via systemic injection of α1 and α2-adrenoceptor antagonist and agonist drugs, prazosin (1 mg/kg), phenylephrine (0.1 mg/kg), yohimbine (1 mg/kg), and clonidine (0.0375 mg/kg), respectively. Our results indicate that α1-adrenergic stimulation is ineffective in modulating the biological assessment of auditory signal validity in the non-stressed rat, while α2-adrenoceptor antagonist and agonist drugs were effective in modulating both accuracy and response latencies in the habituated animal. Remarkably, blockade of α2-adrenoceptors significantly improved the animal's ability to correctly reject non-signal events. These findings indicate not only a state dependent noradrenergic component of auditory attentional processing, but a potential therapeutic use for drugs targeting norepinephrine release in neurological disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to schizophrenia.
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O'Halloran AM, Pénard N, Galli A, Fan CW, Robertson IH, Kenny RA. Falls and falls efficacy: the role of sustained attention in older adults. BMC Geriatr 2011; 11:85. [PMID: 22182487 PMCID: PMC3267797 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2318-11-85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous evidence indicates that older people allocate more of their attentional resources toward their gait and that the attention-related changes that occur during aging increase the risk of falls. The aim of this study was to investigate whether performance and variability in sustained attention is associated with falls and falls efficacy in older adults. METHODS 458 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Mean and variability of reaction time (RT), commission errors and omission errors were recorded during a fixed version of the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). RT variability was decomposed using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) procedure, to help characterise variability associated with the arousal and vigilance aspects of sustained attention.The number of self-reported falls in the previous twelve months, and falls efficacy (Modified Falls Efficacy Scale) were also recorded. RESULTS Significant increases in the mean and variability of reaction time on the SART were significantly associated with both falls (p < 0.01) and reduced falls efficacy (p < 0.05) in older adults. An increase in omission errors was also associated with falls (p < 0.01) and reduced falls efficacy (p < 0.05). Upon controlling for age and gender affects, logistic regression modelling revealed that increasing variability associated with the vigilance (top-down) aspect of sustained attention was a retrospective predictor of falling (p < 0.01, OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03-1.26) in the previous year and was weakly correlated with reduced falls efficacy in non-fallers (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS Greater variability in sustained attention is strongly correlated with retrospective falls and to a lesser degree with reduced falls efficacy. This cognitive measure may provide a novel and valuable biomarker for falls in older adults, potentially allowing for early detection and the implementation of preventative intervention strategies.
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Okuno K, Yoshimura R, Ueda N, Ikenouchi-Sugita A, Umene-Nakano W, Hori H, Hayashi K, Katsuki A, Chen HI, Nakamura J. Relationships between stress, social adaptation, personality traits, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol plasma concentrations in employees at a publishing company in Japan. Psychiatry Res 2011; 186:326-32. [PMID: 20832122 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2010.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2009] [Revised: 07/21/2010] [Accepted: 07/23/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), a major metabolite of noradrenaline, are related to depression-associated personality traits as well as to depressive, suicidal and anxious states. Psychological job stress is well known to lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicide. We have recently reported that psychological job stress among hospital employees altered blood levels of BDNF and MHPG (Mitoma et al., 2008). In the present study, we re-examined the effects of social adaptation and personality traits, as well as those of psychological job stress, on plasma levels of BDNF and MHPG in healthy employees (n=269, male/female=210/59, age=49 ± 10years) working in a publishing company in Japan. The values (mean ± SD) of scores on the Stress and Arousal Check Lists (s-SACL and a-SACL), Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS), plasma MHPG levels and plasma BDNF levels were 6.0 ± 3.4, 5.7 ± 2.3, 33.7 ± 6.8, 5.8 ± 4.3 and 4.6 ± 3.1ngml(-1), respectively. A positive correlation was found between plasma MHPG levels and scores on the s-SACL, but not the a-SACL. A positive correlation was also found between SASS scores and plasma MHPG levels and between SASS scores and plasma BDNF levels. A negative correlation was found between plasma BDNF levels and s-SACL scores. Furthermore, a positive correlation between NEO-Five factor Inventory (Openness) scores and plasma MHPG levels was observed, as well as between NEO-Five factor Inventory (Extroversion) scores and plasma BDNF levels. These results suggest that levels of plasma BDNF and plasma MHPG might be associated with psychological job stress and certain personality traits among employees in the publishing industry in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanae Okuno
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan
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Coull JT, Cheng RK, Meck WH. Neuroanatomical and neurochemical substrates of timing. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:3-25. [PMID: 20668434 PMCID: PMC3055517 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2010.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 508] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2010] [Revised: 06/29/2010] [Accepted: 06/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We all have a sense of time. Yet, there are no sensory receptors specifically dedicated for perceiving time. It is an almost uniquely intangible sensation: we cannot see time in the way that we see color, shape, or even location. So how is time represented in the brain? We explore the neural substrates of metrical representations of time such as duration estimation (explicit timing) or temporal expectation (implicit timing). Basal ganglia (BG), supplementary motor area, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex have all been linked to the explicit estimation of duration. However, each region may have a functionally discrete role and will be differentially implicated depending upon task context. Among these, the dorsal striatum of the BG and, more specifically, its ascending nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway seems to be the most crucial of these regions, as shown by converging functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological, and psychopharmacological investigations in humans, as well as lesion and pharmacological studies in animals. Moreover, neuronal firing rates in both striatal and interconnected frontal areas vary as a function of duration, suggesting a neurophysiological mechanism for the representation of time in the brain, with the excitatory-inhibitory balance of interactions among distinct subtypes of striatal neuron serving to fine-tune temporal accuracy and precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T Coull
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition, Pole 3C, Université de Provence and CNRS, Marseille, France.
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Takahashi M, Iwamoto K, Kawamura Y, Nakamura Y, Ishihara R, Uchiyama Y, Ebe K, Noda A, Noda Y, Yoshida K, Iidaka T, Ozaki N. The effects of acute treatment with tandospirone, diazepam, and placebo on driving performance and cognitive function in healthy volunteers. Hum Psychopharmacol 2010; 25:260-7. [PMID: 20373478 DOI: 10.1002/hup.1105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of two anxiolytics, diazepam and tandospirone, on driving performance from methodological viewpoints taking frequent rear-end collisions into account. METHODS In this double-blinded, three-way crossover trial, 18 healthy males received acute doses of 20 mg tandospirone (TSP), 5 mg diazepam (DZP), and placebo (PCB). The subjects were administered three driving tasks-road tracking, car following, and harsh braking-performed using a driving simulator and three cognitive tasks-Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Continuous Performance Test, and N-back test-at baseline and at 1 and 4 h post-dosing. The Stanford Sleepiness Scale scores were also assessed. RESULTS DZP nonsignificantly increased the percent change of brake reaction time (BRT) as compared to PCB at 4 h post-dosing. TSP nonsignificantly decreased the percent change of BRT as compared to PCB. Consequently, there was a significant difference in the percent change of BRT between DZP and TSP at 4 h post-dosing. For the remaining tasks, no statistically significant effects of treatment were observed. CONCLUSIONS Acute doses of DZP significantly impaired the harsh-braking performance as compared to acute doses of TSP. These findings suggest that TSP may be used more safely in patients' driving activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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Greene CM, Bellgrove MA, Gill M, Robertson IH. Noradrenergic genotype predicts lapses in sustained attention. Neuropsychologia 2008; 47:591-4. [PMID: 18973765 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2008] [Revised: 09/01/2008] [Accepted: 10/03/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sustained attention is modulated by the neurotransmitter noradrenaline. The balance of dopamine and noradrenaline in the cortex is controlled by the DBH gene. The principal variant in this gene is a C/T change at position -1021, and the T allele at this locus is hypothesised to result in a slower rate of dopamine to noradrenaline conversion than the C allele. Two hundred participants who were genotyped for the DBH C-1021T marker performed the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). DBH genotype was found to significantly predict performance; participants with more copies of the T allele made more errors of commission, indicative of lapses in sustained attention. A significant negative correlation was also observed for all participants between errors of commission and mean reaction time. The decrease in noradrenaline occasioned by the T allele may impair sustained attention by reducing participants' ability to remain alert throughout the task and by increasing their susceptibility to distractors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara M Greene
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
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Mitoma M, Yoshimura R, Sugita A, Umene W, Hori H, Nakano H, Ueda N, Nakamura J. Stress at work alters serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) levels in healthy volunteers: BDNF and MHPG as possible biological markers of mental stress? Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008; 32:679-85. [PMID: 18160197 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2007.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2007] [Revised: 11/09/2007] [Accepted: 11/09/2007] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and catecholamine, and cytokines are related to not only to depressive, suicidal, and anxious states but also to depression-associated personality traits. Psychological job stress is well known to lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety. In the present study, we examined effects of psychological job stress on serum levels of BDNF and plasma levels of catecholamine metabolites, and cytokines in healthy volunteers (n=106, male/female=42/64, age=36+/-12 yr) working in a hospital setting. The values (mean+/-SD) of scores for stress items in the Stress and Arousal Check List (s-SACL), plasma MHPG levels, and, serum BDNF levels in all participants were 7.2+/-3.3, 5.2+/-3.4 ng/mL, and 23.3+/-14.7 ng/mL, respectively. A negative correlation was found between scores for s-SACL and serum BDNF levels (rho=-0.211, p=0.022). A positive correlation was also found between scores on the s-SACL and plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) (rho=0.416, p=0.01), but not homovanillic acid (HVA). No relationship was found between s-SACL scores and plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). These results suggest that serum BDNF levels and plasma MHPG levels might be biological markers reflective of psychological job stress in hospital employees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masae Mitoma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 8078555, Japan
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Navarra R, Graf R, Huang Y, Logue S, Comery T, Hughes Z, Day M. Effects of atomoxetine and methylphenidate on attention and impulsivity in the 5-choice serial reaction time test. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008; 32:34-41. [PMID: 17714843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2007.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2007] [Revised: 05/25/2007] [Accepted: 06/21/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in attention and response inhibition are apparent across several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders for which current pharmacotherapy is inadequate. The 5-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRTT), which originated from the continuous performance test (CPT) in humans, may serve as a useful translational assay for efficacy in these key behavioral domains. The selective norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor, atomoxetine, represents the first non-stimulant based drug approved for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and has replaced methylphenidate (Ritalin) as the first line in pharmacotherapy for the treatment of ADHD. Methylphenidate and atomoxetine have different cortical and sub-cortical neurochemical signatures that could predict differences in cognitive and non-cognitive functions. The present experiments investigated the effects of acute methylphenidate and atomoxetine in male long Evans rats in the 5-choice serial reaction time (5CSRT) test that is hypothesized to serve as a model of vigilance and impulsivity behaviors associated with ADHD. Long Evans rats were trained to perform at 75% correct responses with fewer than 20% missed trials in the 5CSRT test (500 ms stimulus duration, 5 s inter-trial interval (ITI)). By varying the ITI (10, 7, 5, and 4 s) on drug test days, impulsivity (as defined by premature responses) was dramatically increased with a concomitant decrease in attention (percent correct). Subsequently, animals were treated with methylphenidate (2.5 and 5 mg/kg, i.p.) or atomoxetine (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg, i.p.) using this design. In Experiment 1, treatment with methylphenidate modestly improved overall attention but the highest dose of methylphenidate (5.0 mg/kg) significantly increased impulsivity. In contrast, treatment with atomoxetine induced a marked decrease in impulsivity whilst modestly improving overall attention. Interestingly, no effect was observed on measures of performance (e.g. motivation/sedation) with atomoxetine, whilst moderate hyperactivity (faster overall response latencies; magazine, correct, incorrect) was observed in the methylphenidate group. Those data suggest that the 5CSRT test can be used to differentiate stimulant and non-stimulant pharmacotherapies on measures of impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Navarra
- Discovery Neuroscience, Wyeth Research, 500 Arcola Road, PA 19426 USA
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Nieuwenhuis S, van Nieuwpoort IC, Veltman DJ, Drent ML. Effects of the noradrenergic agonist clonidine on temporal and spatial attention. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2007; 193:261-9. [PMID: 17431591 PMCID: PMC1915624 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0770-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2006] [Accepted: 03/05/2007] [Indexed: 10/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Recent theories posit an important role for the noradrenergic system in attentional selection in the temporal domain. In contrast, the spatially diffuse topographical projections of the noradrenergic system are inconsistent with a direct role in spatial selection. OBJECTIVES To test the hypotheses that pharmacological attenuation of central noradrenergic activity should (1) impair performance on the attentional blink task, a task requiring the selection of targets in a rapid serial visual stream of stimuli; and (2) leave intact the efficiency of the search for a target in a two-dimensional visuospatial stimulus array. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-two healthy adult human subjects performed an attentional blink task and a visual search task in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject study investigating the effects of the alpha2 adrenoceptor agonist clonidine (150 microg, oral dose). RESULTS No differential effects of clonidine vs placebo were found on the attentional blink performance. Clonidine slowed overall reaction times in the visual search task but did not impair the efficiency of the visual search. CONCLUSIONS The attentional blink results are inconsistent with recent theories about the role of the noradrenergic system in temporal filtering and in mediating the attentional blink. This discrepancy between theory and data is discussed in detail. The visual search results, in combination with previous findings, suggest that the noradrenergic system is not directly involved in spatial attention processes but instead can modulate these processes in an indirect fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Nieuwenhuis
- Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Shalgi S, O'Connell RG, Deouell LY, Robertson IH. Absent minded but accurate: delaying responses increases accuracy but decreases error awareness. Exp Brain Res 2007; 182:119-24. [PMID: 17634930 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-007-1054-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2007] [Accepted: 06/26/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Previous work has suggested that conscious error awareness may fluctuate with levels of attention. Here, we explore this relationship by showing that error awareness can be impaired when exogenous support to attentional systems is reduced by decreasing task demands. Twenty participants performed a manual Go/No-Go response-inhibition task optimized to examine error awareness. In one condition (Immediate), participants were asked to respond as quickly and as accurately as possible to each Go stimulus, and in the other condition (Delayed) they were asked to time their responses to the offset of the stimulus, thereby decreasing task difficulty and imposing a more automated response set. As expected, speeding increased the error rate. However, contrary to the expectation (and to participants' subjective reports) that speeding would impair awareness of performance, we found the opposite to be true: errors were more likely to be unnoticed when the task was easier. We suggest that this tradeoff reflects two qualitatively different types of errors arising from the different cognitive demands of the Immediate and Delayed conditions. We propose that unaware errors reflect pure lapses of sustained attention and are therefore more susceptible to changes in task demands, while aware errors mostly reflect failures to inhibit responses, and are therefore most susceptible to increased response speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Shalgi
- Department of Cognitive Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel.
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Milstein JA, Lehmann O, Theobald DEH, Dalley JW, Robbins TW. Selective depletion of cortical noradrenaline by anti-dopamine beta-hydroxylase-saporin impairs attentional function and enhances the effects of guanfacine in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2007; 190:51-63. [PMID: 17096085 PMCID: PMC1892793 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0594-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2006] [Accepted: 08/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Previous data indicate that depletion of cortical noradrenaline (NA) impairs performance of an attentional five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRT) under certain conditions. This study employed a novel immunotoxin, anti-dopamine-beta hydroylase (DbetaH)-saporin, to make relatively selective lesions of the noradrenergic projections to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in rats trained to perform the 5CSRT. OBJECTIVES The aim of this work is to examine (1) the effect of cortical noradrenaline depletion on sustained attentional performance in the 5CSRT under a variety of test conditions and (2) the effects of guanfacine, a selective alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist on attentional performance in sham and NA-depleted rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals received either intramedial prefrontal anti-DbetaH-saporin or vehicle and were tested on the baseline task with a variety of additional manipulations including (1) decreasing target duration, (2) increasing rate and (3) temporal unpredictability of target presentation and (4) systemic guanfacine. RESULTS Anti-DbetaH-saporin infused into the PFC produced a substantial loss of DbetaH-positive fibers in that region and in other adjacent cortical areas. There was no significant depletion of DA or 5-HT. NA-depleted animals were not impaired on the baseline task, but were slower to respond correctly under high event rate conditions, and their discriminative accuracy was reduced when stimulus predictability decreased. Guanfacine significantly reduced discriminative accuracy in NA-depleted animals only. CONCLUSION Selective cortical NA depletion produced deficits on the 5CSRT test of sustained attention, especially when the attentional load was increased and in response to systemic guanfacine. These results are consistent with a role of coeruleo-cortical NA in the regulation of effortful attentional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean A. Milstein
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK e-mail:
| | - Olivia Lehmann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK e-mail:
| | - David E. H. Theobald
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK e-mail:
| | - Jeffrey W. Dalley
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK e-mail:
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK e-mail:
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Easton N, Shah YB, Marshall FH, Fone KC, Marsden CA. Guanfacine produces differential effects in frontal cortex compared with striatum: assessed by phMRI BOLD contrast. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006; 189:369-85. [PMID: 17016709 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0558-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2006] [Accepted: 08/02/2006] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Guanfacine (an alpha-(2A) adrenoreceptor agonist) is a drug of benefit in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Taylor FB, Russo J, J Clin Psychopharmacol 21:223-228, 2001). Assessment of this drug using neuroimaging will provide information about the brain regions involved in its effects. OBJECTIVES The pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response was determined in rat brain regions following administration of guanfacine. METHODS Male rats were individually placed into a 2.35 T Bruker magnet for 60 min to achieve basal recording of changes in signal intensity. Either saline (n = 9) or guanfacine (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.; n = 9) was then administered and recording was continued for a further 90 min. Data were analysed for BOLD effects using statistical parametric maps. Respiration rate, blood pressure and blood gases were monitored and remained constant throughout scanning. RESULTS The main changes observed were negative BOLD effects in the caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens with positive BOLD effects in frontal association, prelimbic and motor cortex areas. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that guanfacine can decrease neuronal activity in the caudate while increasing frontal cortex activity. This ability to change neuronal activity in specific areas of rat brain that are known to be impaired in ADHD (Solanto MV, Behav Brain Res 130:65-71, 2002) may contribute to guanfacine's beneficial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Easton
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.
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Chamberlain SR, Müller U, Blackwell AD, Robbins TW, Sahakian BJ. Noradrenergic modulation of working memory and emotional memory in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006; 188:397-407. [PMID: 16642355 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0391-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2006] [Accepted: 03/15/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Noradrenaline (NA) is implicated in arousal. Working memory is dependent upon prefrontal cortex, and moderate levels of NA are thought to facilitate working memory whereas higher levels during extreme stress may impair working memory and engage more posterior cortical and sub-cortical circuitry. The NA system also influences emotional memory via modulation of the amygdalae and related mediotemporal structures. NA dysfunction and abnormalities in arousal-dependent memory functions are evident in a variety of neuropsychiatric illnesses. OBJECTIVES The authors provide a concise overview of pharmacological studies that have investigated effects of selective NA manipulations on working memory and emotional memory functions in healthy human volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Selection of relevant peer-reviewed publications was based on a PubMed search. RESULTS Studies to date indicate that: (1) the beta-blocker propranolol impaired working and emotional memory, (2) clonidine frequently impaired working memory, and (3) reboxetine, a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, enhanced emotional memory for positive material. CONCLUSIONS Improved understanding of coupling between NA, cortico-subcortical circuitry and human mnemonic functions will suggest novel therapeutic directions for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Future research directions are discussed in relation to neuroimaging techniques, functional central nervous system polymorphisms and study designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel R Chamberlain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK.
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Mitchell DGV, Avny SB, Blair RJR. Divergent patterns of aggressive and neurocognitive characteristics in acquired versus developmental psychopathy. Neurocase 2006; 12:164-78. [PMID: 16801152 DOI: 10.1080/13554790600611288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
An analogy is often drawn between patients with personality changes following orbitofrontal cortex lesions and individuals with developmental psychopathy. We present patient CL, who had acquired psychopathy following an orbitofrontal cortex lesion. Unlike previous studies, CL was assessed on a valid and reliable measure of psychopathy and was compared with controls and patients with developmental psychopathy on measures of instrumental (re)learning, extinction, emotional processing, and social cognition. The results provide further support for the notion that acquired and developmental forms of psychopathy are associated with dissociable neurocognitive deficits that leave each at different levels of risk for reactive and instrumental aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G V Mitchell
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Acheson A, Reynolds B, Richards JB, de Wit H. Diazepam impairs behavioral inhibition but not delay discounting or risk taking in healthy adults. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2006; 14:190-8. [PMID: 16756423 DOI: 10.1037/1064-1297.14.2.190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
There are reports that diazepam can increase, decrease, or have no effect on measures of impulsive behavior, which may be related, in part, to differences among the tasks used to measure impulsivity. This study examined the effects of a relatively high dose of diazepam (20 mg) on 5 measures of impulsive behavior in healthy adult men and women. Volunteers (N = 18) participated in a 2-session double-blind randomized design in which they received 20 mg diazepam or placebo. One hour after ingesting the capsule, participants completed mood questionnaires and several impulsivity tasks to measure subtypes of impulsive behavior, including behavioral inhibition, delay and probability discounting, and risk taking. Diazepam impaired behavioral inhibition but had no effect on measures of discounting or risk taking. These results are discussed in the context of other recent findings suggesting that different behavioral indices of impulsivity are dissociable and governed by separate underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Acheson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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42
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Greco B, Carli M. Reduced attention and increased impulsivity in mice lacking NPY Y2 receptors: Relation to anxiolytic-like phenotype. Behav Brain Res 2006; 169:325-34. [PMID: 16529827 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2005] [Revised: 01/23/2006] [Accepted: 02/02/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptide (NPY) Y2 receptors play an important role in some anxiety-related and stress-related behaviours in mice. Changes in the level of anxiety can affect some cognitive functions such as memory, attention and inhibitory response control. We investigated the effects of NPY Y2 receptor deletion (Y2(-/-)) in mice on visual attention and response control using the five-choice serial reaction time (5-CSRT) task in which accuracy of detection of a brief visual stimulus across five spatial locations may serve as a valid behavioural index of attentional functioning. Anticipatory and perseverative responses provide a measure of inhibitory response control. During training, the Y2(-/-) mice had lower accuracy (% correct), and made more anticipatory responses. At stimulus durations of 2 and 4s the Y2(-/-) were as accurate as the Y2(+/+) mice but still more impulsive than Y(+/+). At stimulus durations of 0.25 and 0.5s both groups performed worse but the Y2(-/-) mice made significantly fewer correct responses than the Y2(+/+) controls. The anxiolytic drug diazepam at 2mg/kg IP greatly increased the anticipatory responding of Y2(-/-) mice compared to Y2(+/+). The anxiogenic inverse benzodiazepine agonist, FG 7142, at 10mg/kg IP reduced the anticipatory responding of Y2(-/-) but not Y2(+/+) mice. These data suggest that NPY Y2 receptors make an important contribution to mechanisms controlling attentional functioning and "impulsivity". They also show that "impulsivity" of NPY Y2(-/-) mice may depend on their level of anxiety. These findings may help in understanding the pathophysiology of stress disorders and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Greco
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milano, Italy
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43
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Stroganova TA, Posikera IN, Pisarevskii MV, Tsetlin MM. Regulation of sinus cardiac rhythm during different states of attention in full-term and preterm 5-month-old infants. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1134/s0362119706020071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Poltavski DV, Petros T. Effects of transdermal nicotine on attention in adult non-smokers with and without attentional deficits. Physiol Behav 2006; 87:614-24. [PMID: 16466655 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2005] [Revised: 12/16/2005] [Accepted: 12/16/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Extant evidence suggests a possibility of self-medication to account for greater prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults with ADHD as they tend to show improvements on affective and cognitive measures, particularly on measures of sustained attention following nicotine administration. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether adult non-smokers with low attentiveness might exhibit greater improvements on measures of sustained attention than those with higher attentiveness using neuropsychological tests that had previously shown sensitivity to ADHD. On the basis of their scores on attention scales used in the diagnosis of adult ADHD, 62 male non-smokers were divided into 2 groups of either low or high attentiveness and treated with either a placebo or 7 mg nicotine patch. After 6 h of patch application each participant completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), classic Stroop task, and Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), which were administered in a counterbalanced order and a double-blind manner. No significant drug or group differences were observed on the Stroop task. On the Conners' CPT participants in the low attention group treated with nicotine committed significantly fewer errors of commission, showed improved stimulus detectability and fewer perseverations than those in the low attention placebo group. On the WCST nicotine significantly impaired the ability of participants in the high attention group to learn effective strategies to complete the test with fewer trials. The results showed nicotine-induced improvement on some measures of sustained attention in the low attention group and some decrement in working memory in the high attention group, which suggests that nicotine tends to optimize rather than improve performance on cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- D V Poltavski
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Health Promotion and Translation Research, 501 N. Columbia Road, P.O. Box 9037, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9037, USA.
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Nieuwenhuis S, Gilzenrat MS, Holmes BD, Cohen JD. The role of the locus coeruleus in mediating the attentional blink: a neurocomputational theory. J Exp Psychol Gen 2006; 134:291-307. [PMID: 16131265 DOI: 10.1037/0096-3445.134.3.291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink refers to the transient impairment in perceiving the 2nd of 2 targets presented in close temporal proximity. In this article, the authors propose a neurobiological mechanism for this effect. The authors extend a recently developed computational model of the potentiating influence of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system on information processing and hypothesize that a refractoriness in the function of this system may account for the attentional blink. The model accurately simulates the time course of the attentional blink, including Lag 1 sparing. The theory also offers an account of the close relationship of the attentional blink to the electrophysiological P3 component. The authors report results from two behavioral experiments that support a critical prediction of their theory regarding the time course of Lag 1 sparing. Finally, the relationship between the authors' neurocomputational theory and existing cognitive theories of the attentional blink is discussed.
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Nieuwenhuis S, Aston-Jones G, Cohen JD. Decision making, the P3, and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system. Psychol Bull 2005; 131:510-32. [PMID: 16060800 DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.4.510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1119] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Psychologists and neuroscientists have had a long-standing interest in the P3, a prominent component of the event-related brain potential. This review aims to integrate knowledge regarding the neural basis of the P3 and to elucidate its functional role in information processing. The authors review evidence suggesting that the P3 reflects phasic activity of the neuromodulatory locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. They discuss the P3 literature in the light of empirical findings and a recent theory regarding the information-processing function of the LC-NE phasic response. The theoretical framework emerging from this research synthesis suggests that the P3 reflects the response of the LC-NE system to the outcome of internal decision-making processes and the consequent effects of noradrenergic potentiation of information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Nieuwenhuis
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Clarke HF, Walker SC, Crofts HS, Dalley JW, Robbins TW, Roberts AC. Prefrontal serotonin depletion affects reversal learning but not attentional set shifting. J Neurosci 2005; 25:532-8. [PMID: 15647499 PMCID: PMC6725478 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3690-04.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, we have shown that serotonin (5-HT) depletion from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the marmoset monkey impairs performance on a serial discrimination reversal (SDR) task, resulting in perseverative responding to the previously correct stimulus (Clarke et al., 2004). This pattern of impairment is just one example of inflexible responding seen after damage to the PFC, with performance on the SDR task being dependent on the integrity of the orbitofrontal cortex. However, the contribution of 5-HT to other forms of flexible responding, such as attentional set shifting, an ability dependent on lateral PFC (Dias et al., 1996a), is unknown. The present study addresses this issue by examining the effects of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine-induced PFC 5-HT depletions on the ability to shift attention between two perceptual dimensions of a compound visual stimulus (extradimensional shift). Monkeys with selective PFC 5-HT lesions, despite being impaired in their ability to reverse a stimulus-reward association, were unimpaired in their ability to make an extradimensional shift when compared with sham-operated controls. These findings suggest that 5-HT is critical for flexible responding at the level of changing stimulus-reward contingencies but is not essential for the higher-order shifting of attentional set. Thus, psychological functions dependent on different loci within the PFC are differentially sensitive to serotonergic modulation, a finding of relevance to our understanding of cognitive inflexibility apparent in disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- H F Clarke
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
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Tiplady B, Bowness E, Stien L, Drummond G. Selective effects of clonidine and temazepam on attention and memory. J Psychopharmacol 2005; 19:259-65. [PMID: 15888511 DOI: 10.1177/0269881105051529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The present study compared the effects of clonidine and temazepam on performance on a range of tasks aiming to assess the role of central noradrenergic mechanisms in cognitive function. Fifteen healthy volunteers (seven male, eight female), aged 18-25 years, took part in a five-period crossover study in which they received placebo, temazepam (15 and 30 mg) and clonidine (150 and 300 microg) by mouth in counterbalanced order in sessions at least 4 days apart. A test battery was administered before treatment and at 45, 90 and 135 min after the dose. Performance on most tests was significantly impaired in a dose-related fashion, and subjective sedation was recorded for both drugs. The greatest impairments with clonidine were on attention in the presence of distractors. Clonidine did not affect the formation of new long-term memories, in contrast to temazepam, but did impair measures of working memory. Subjective effects, especially feelings of drunkenness and abnormality, were particularly marked with clonidine. These results support the suggestion that central noradrenergic function may be involved in preventing distraction, but do not confirm other reports suggesting that some aspects of performance are improved with clonidine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Tiplady
- Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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49
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Li GY, Ueki H, Kawashima T, Sugataka K, Muraoka T, Yamada S. Involvement of the noradrenergic system in performance on a continuous task requiring effortful attention. Neuropsychobiology 2005; 50:336-40. [PMID: 15539866 DOI: 10.1159/000080962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
To determine the effects of noradrenergic neuronal activity on performance in continuous tasks requiring effortful attention, the performance of 23 male students in the Uchida-Kraepelin test (UKT) was examined. The UKT requires continuous arithmetic addition of single-digit figures for 25 min. The relationship of performance with saliva levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (sMHPG) was analyzed. Saliva samples were taken before, during and after test performance, and sMHPG levels determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. There was no significant change in mean sMHPG as a result of test performance. However, when initial effort was calculated, defined as number of items completed during the 1st min subtracted from the average completed per minute in the 1st and the 2nd halves (blocks) of the test, significant correlations with sMHPG (p = 0.0002 for the 1st block and p < 0.0001 for the 2nd block) were found. Thus the data indicate that noradrenergic neuronal activity affects the performance on continuous tasks requiring effortful attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Y Li
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Saga University School of Medicine, Saga, Japan
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50
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Clark L, Kempton MJ, Scarnà A, Grasby PM, Goodwin GM. Sustained attention-deficit confirmed in euthymic bipolar disorder but not in first-degree relatives of bipolar patients or euthymic unipolar depression. Biol Psychiatry 2005; 57:183-7. [PMID: 15652878 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2004] [Revised: 07/14/2004] [Accepted: 11/03/2004] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction persists in the euthymic phase of bipolar disorder and may provide a marker of underlying neuropathology and disease vulnerability. This study aimed to replicate a deficit in sustained attention in euthymic bipolar patients and investigate sustained attention in first-degree relatives of bipolar probands and in remitted patients with major depressive disorder. METHODS The rapid visual information processing (RVIP) task was used to measure sustained attention in 15 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 15 control subjects in experiment 1 and in 27 first-degree relatives of bipolar probands, 15 remitted patients with major depressive disorder, and 46 control subjects in experiment 2. RESULTS Sustained attention deficit was confirmed in the euthymic bipolar patients in experiment 1, but the deficit was not statistically significant in remitted major depressed patients or in the relatives of bipolar probands. CONCLUSIONS A deficit of sustained attention is not present in patients with recurrent major depression tested during remission nor is it discriminable in the first-degree relatives of bipolar probands. Thus, the confirmed abnormality in euthymic bipolar patients may be acquired as a consequence of bipolar illness. However, future studies of relatives will require larger sample sizes to exclude or utilize small genetic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Clark
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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