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Söderlund GBW, Åsberg Johnels J, Rothén B, Torstensson-Hultberg E, Magnusson A, Fälth L. Sensory white noise improves reading skills and memory recall in children with reading disability. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02114. [PMID: 34096202 PMCID: PMC8323032 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reading disability (RD) is characterized by slow and inaccurate word reading development, commonly reflecting underlying phonological problems. We have previously shown that exposure to white noise acutely improves cognitive performance in children with ADHD. The question addressed here is whether white noise exposure yields positive outcomes also for RD. There are theoretical reasons to expect such a possibility: a) RD and ADHD are two overlapping neurodevelopmental disorders and b) since prior research on white noise benefits has suggested that a central mechanism might be the phenomenon of stochastic resonance, then adding certain kinds of white noise might strengthen the signal-to-noise ratio during phonological processing and phoneme-grapheme mapping. METHODS The study was conducted with a group of 30 children with RD and phonological decoding difficulties and two comparison groups: one consisting of skilled readers (n = 22) and another of children with mild orthographic reading problems and age adequate phonological decoding (n = 30). White noise was presented experimentally in visual and auditory modalities, while the children performed tests of single word reading, orthographic word recognition, nonword reading, and memory recall. RESULTS For the first time, we show that visual and auditory white noise exposure improves some reading and memory capacities "on the fly" in children with RD and phonological decoding difficulties. By contrast, the comparison groups displayed either no benefit or a gradual decrease in performance with increasing noise. In interviews, we also found that the white noise exposure was tolerable or even preferred by many children. CONCLUSION These novel findings suggest that poor readers with phonological decoding difficulties may be immediately helped by white noise during reading. Future research is needed to determine the robustness, mechanisms, and long-term practical implications of the white noise benefits in children with reading disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran B W Söderlund
- Faculty of Teacher Education Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway.,Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit & the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Silvia Children's Hospital, University of Gothenburg & The Child Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bodil Rothén
- Department of Pedagogy and Learning, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
| | | | - Andreas Magnusson
- Complex Adaptive Systems, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Linda Fälth
- Department of Pedagogy and Learning, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
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Pickens TA, Khan SP, Berlau DJ. White noise as a possible therapeutic option for children with ADHD. Complement Ther Med 2018; 42:151-155. [PMID: 30670235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects many children and adults throughout the world. ADHD symptoms have been associated with changes in catecholamine release. Current therapies for ADHD have a variety of limitations that invite additional therapeutic options. White noise therapy has previously been utilized to improve sleep and aspects of cognition in a variety of patient populations. Through a proposed phenomenon called stochastic resonance, white noise may have the ability to improve symptoms in children with ADHD. Empirically, white noise therapy has been able to improve certain tasks affected by ADHD symptoms, including speech recognition and reading and writing speed. Not all tasks affected by ADHD are improved, however, and significant logistical challenges remain before this therapy could be realistically implemented. In this review, there appears to be evidence that white noise therapy could be beneficial for patients with ADHD, and therefore further research is encouraged to establish parameters for maximum therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Pickens
- Regis University School of Pharmacy, 3333 Regis Blvd H-28, Denver, CO, 80221, United States
| | - Sara P Khan
- Regis University School of Pharmacy, 3333 Regis Blvd H-28, Denver, CO, 80221, United States
| | - Daniel J Berlau
- Regis University School of Pharmacy, 3333 Regis Blvd H-28, Denver, CO, 80221, United States.
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3
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Liu YP, Yang YY, Wan FJ, Tung CS. Importance of intervention timing in the effectiveness of antipsychotics. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 81:493-500. [PMID: 28174128 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The use of early pharmacological intervention in treating young patients with schizophrenia is a debating issue for psychiatrists. However, on the basis of developmental theory, early antipsychotic intervention can be beneficial in terms of protecting neurons from further deterioration. This study investigated whether the initiation of second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) treatment at a younger age can effectively reverse schizophrenia-relevant behavioral and neurochemical features, namely acoustic prepulse inhibition (PPI) and accumbal dopamine (DA) efflux, respectively. Risperidone (RIS, 1mg/kg/day) or olanzapine (OLA, 2.5mg/kg/day) was administered for 6weeks in rats subjected to isolation rearing (IR) in adolescence or young adulthood. Behavioral testing was performed at 3 and 5 (for locomotor activity) and 2 and 4 (for PPI) weeks after the initiation of the pharmacological regimen. An additional PPI test was performed 6weeks after the initiation of the pharmacological regimen to assess the acute add-on effect of RIS or OLA. Dopamine (DA) efflux of the nucleus accumbens was evaluated through in vivo microdialysis at the end of the study, for measuring both the baseline levels after the chronic regimen and the responsiveness to acute add-on RIS or OLA treatment. Our results demonstrated that the effects of SGAs on PPI and accumbal DA efflux were dissociated. Specifically, RIS intervention was more beneficial for adolescent than young adult IR rats in restoring their PPI deficit, whereas OLA was age-independently effective in stimulating the accumbal DA efflux. Both PPI and accumbal DA could be employed to reflect IR-induced abnormalities, in which accumbal DA appeared to be more suitable in depicting the long-term effect of IR, whereas PPI might be a more accurate biological index for revealing the advantages of early RIS intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yia-Ping Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Yu-Yin Yang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Fang-Jung Wan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Che-Se Tung
- Division of Medical Research and Education, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
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Modelling ADHD: A review of ADHD theories through their predictions for computational models of decision-making and reinforcement learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:633-656. [PMID: 27608958 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by altered decision-making (DM) and reinforcement learning (RL), for which competing theories propose alternative explanations. Computational modelling contributes to understanding DM and RL by integrating behavioural and neurobiological findings, and could elucidate pathogenic mechanisms behind ADHD. This review of neurobiological theories of ADHD describes predictions for the effect of ADHD on DM and RL as described by the drift-diffusion model of DM (DDM) and a basic RL model. Empirical studies employing these models are also reviewed. While theories often agree on how ADHD should be reflected in model parameters, each theory implies a unique combination of predictions. Empirical studies agree with the theories' assumptions of a lowered DDM drift rate in ADHD, while findings are less conclusive for boundary separation. The few studies employing RL models support a lower choice sensitivity in ADHD, but not an altered learning rate. The discussion outlines research areas for further theoretical refinement in the ADHD field.
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Söderlund GBW, Björk C, Gustafsson P. Comparing Auditory Noise Treatment with Stimulant Medication on Cognitive Task Performance in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Results from a Pilot Study. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1331. [PMID: 27656153 PMCID: PMC5011143 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Recent research has shown that acoustic white noise (80 dB) can improve task performance in people with attention deficits and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is attributed to the phenomenon of stochastic resonance in which a certain amount of noise can improve performance in a brain that is not working at its optimum. We compare here the effect of noise exposure with the effect of stimulant medication on cognitive task performance in ADHD. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of auditory noise exposure with stimulant medication for ADHD children on a cognitive test battery. A group of typically developed children (TDC) took the same tests as a comparison. Methods: Twenty children with ADHD of combined or inattentive subtypes and twenty TDC matched for age and gender performed three different tests (word recall, spanboard and n-back task) during exposure to white noise (80 dB) and in a silent condition. The ADHD children were tested with and without central stimulant medication. Results: In the spanboard- and the word recall tasks, but not in the 2-back task, white noise exposure led to significant improvements for both non-medicated and medicated ADHD children. No significant effects of medication were found on any of the three tasks. Conclusion: This pilot study shows that exposure to white noise resulted in a task improvement that was larger than the one with stimulant medication thus opening up the possibility of using auditory noise as an alternative, non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran B W Söderlund
- Faculty of Teacher Education and Sport, Sogn og Fjordane University College Sogndal, Norway
| | - Christer Björk
- Department of Pupil Welfare, Municipality of Skellefteå Skellefteå, Sweden
| | - Peik Gustafsson
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Lund, Sweden
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Baijot S, Slama H, Söderlund G, Dan B, Deltenre P, Colin C, Deconinck N. Neuropsychological and neurophysiological benefits from white noise in children with and without ADHD. Behav Brain Funct 2016; 12:11. [PMID: 26979812 PMCID: PMC4791764 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-016-0095-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Optimal stimulation theory and moderate brain arousal (MBA) model hypothesize that extra-task stimulation (e.g. white noise) could improve cognitive functions of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We investigate benefits of white noise on attention and inhibition in children with and without ADHD (7–12 years old), both at behavioral and at neurophysiological levels. Methods Thirty children with and without ADHD performed a visual cued Go/Nogo task in two conditions (white noise or no-noise exposure), in which behavioral and P300 (mean amplitudes) data were analyzed. Spontaneous eye-blink rates were also recorded and participants went through neuropsychological assessment. Two separate analyses were conducted with each child separately assigned into two groups (1) ADHD or typically developing children (TDC), and (2) noise beneficiaries or non-beneficiaries according to the observed performance during the experiment. This latest categorization, based on a new index we called “Noise Benefits Index” (NBI), was proposed to determine a neuropsychological profile positively sensitive to noise. Results Noise exposure reduced omission rate in children with ADHD, who were no longer different from TDC. Eye-blink rate was higher in children with ADHD but was not modulated by white noise. NBI indicated a significant relationship between ADHD and noise benefit. Strong correlations were observed between noise benefit and neuropsychological weaknesses in vigilance and inhibition. Participants who benefited from noise had an increased Go P300 in the noise condition. Conclusion The improvement of children with ADHD with white noise supports both optimal stimulation theory and MBA model. However, eye-blink rate results question the dopaminergic hypothesis in the latter. The NBI evidenced a profile positively sensitive to noise, related with ADHD, and associated with weaker cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Baijot
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus du Solbosch CP 191, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 151, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. .,Research Unit in Cognitive Neurosciences (UNESCOG), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050, Brussels, Belgium. .,Department of Neurology, Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital (HUDERF), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue Jean-Joseph Crocq, 15, 1020, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Hichem Slama
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus du Solbosch CP 191, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 151, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Research Unit in Cognitive Neurosciences (UNESCOG), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Clinical and Cognitive Neuropsychology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808, 1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Göran Söderlund
- Faculty of Teacher Education and Sports, Sogn og Fjordane, University College, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Bernard Dan
- Department of Neurology, Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital (HUDERF), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue Jean-Joseph Crocq, 15, 1020, Brussels, Belgium.,Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital, Vlezenbeek, Belgium
| | - Paul Deltenre
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Sensory Neurophysiology, CHU Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Place Van Gehuchten, 4, 1020, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cécile Colin
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus du Solbosch CP 191, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 151, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Research Unit in Cognitive Neurosciences (UNESCOG), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Laboratory of Cognitive and Sensory Neurophysiology, CHU Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Place Van Gehuchten, 4, 1020, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Deconinck
- Department of Neurology, Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital (HUDERF), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue Jean-Joseph Crocq, 15, 1020, Brussels, Belgium
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Herweg NA, Bunzeck N. Differential effects of white noise in cognitive and perceptual tasks. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1639. [PMID: 26579024 PMCID: PMC4630540 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Beneficial effects of noise on higher cognition have recently attracted attention. Hypothesizing an involvement of the mesolimbic dopamine system and its functional interactions with cortical areas, the current study aimed to demonstrate a facilitation of dopamine-dependent attentional and mnemonic functions by externally applying white noise in five behavioral experiments including a total sample of 167 healthy human subjects. During working memory, acoustic white noise impaired accuracy when presented during the maintenance period (Experiments 1-3). In a reward based long-term memory task, white noise accelerated perceptual judgments for scene images during encoding but left subsequent recognition memory unaffected (Experiment 4). In a modified Posner task (Experiment 5), the benefit due to white noise in attentional orienting correlated weakly with reward dependence, a personality trait that has been associated with the dopaminergic system. These results suggest that white noise has no general effect on cognitive functions. Instead, they indicate differential effects on perception and cognition depending on a variety of factors such as task demands and timing of white noise presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora A Herweg
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nico Bunzeck
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany ; Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck Lübeck, Germany
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Helps SK, Bamford S, Sonuga-Barke EJS, Söderlund GBW. Different effects of adding white noise on cognitive performance of sub-, normal and super-attentive school children. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112768. [PMID: 25393410 PMCID: PMC4231104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Noise often has detrimental effects on performance. However, because of the phenomenon of stochastic resonance (SR), auditory white noise (WN) can alter the "signal to noise" ratio and improve performance. The Moderate Brain Arousal (MBA) model postulates different levels of internal "neural noise" in individuals with different attentional capacities. This in turn determines the particular WN level most beneficial in each individual case-with one level of WN facilitating poor attenders but hindering super-attentive children. The objective of the present study is to find out if added WN affects cognitive performance differently in children that differ in attention ability. METHODS Participants were teacher-rated super- (N = 25); normal- (N = 29) and sub-attentive (N = 36) children (aged 8 to 10 years). Two non-executive function (EF) tasks (a verbal episodic recall task and a delayed verbal recognition task) and two EF tasks (a visuo-spatial working memory test and a Go-NoGo task) were performed under three WN levels. The non-WN condition was only used to control for potential differences in background noise in the group testing situations. RESULTS There were different effects of WN on performance in the three groups-adding moderate WN worsened the performance of super-attentive children for both task types and improved EF performance in sub-attentive children. The normal-attentive children's performance was unaffected by WN exposure. The shift from moderate to high levels of WN had little further effect on performance in any group. SIGNIFICANCE The predicted differential effect of WN on performance was confirmed. However, the failure to find evidence for an inverted U function challenges current theories. Alternative explanations are discussed. We propose that WN therapy should be further investigated as a possible non-pharmacological treatment for inattention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzannah K. Helps
- Institute for Disorders of Impulse and Attention, Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Bamford
- Institute for Disorders of Impulse and Attention, Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Edmund J. S. Sonuga-Barke
- Institute for Disorders of Impulse and Attention, Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Clinical & Health Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Göran B. W. Söderlund
- Faculty of Teacher Education and Sports, Sogndal University College, Sogndal, Norway
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Rausch VH, Bauch EM, Bunzeck N. White noise improves learning by modulating activity in dopaminergic midbrain regions and right superior temporal sulcus. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 26:1469-80. [PMID: 24345178 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In neural systems, information processing can be facilitated by adding an optimal level of white noise. Although this phenomenon, the so-called stochastic resonance, has traditionally been linked with perception, recent evidence indicates that white noise may also exert positive effects on cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. The underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain unclear. Here, on the basis of recent theories, we tested the hypothesis that auditory white noise, when presented during the encoding of scene images, enhances subsequent recognition memory performance and modulates activity within the dopaminergic midbrain (i.e., substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area, SN/VTA). Indeed, in a behavioral experiment, we can show in healthy humans that auditory white noise-but not control sounds, such as a sinus tone-slightly improves recognition memory. In an fMRI experiment, white noise selectively enhances stimulus-driven phasic activity in the SN/VTA and auditory cortex. Moreover, it induces stronger connectivity between SN/VTA and right STS, which, in addition, exhibited a positive correlation with subsequent memory improvement by white noise. Our results suggest that the beneficial effects of auditory white noise on learning depend on dopaminergic neuromodulation and enhanced connectivity between midbrain regions and the STS-a key player in attention modulation. Moreover, they indicate that white noise could be particularly useful to facilitate learning in conditions where changes of the mesolimbic system are causally related to memory deficits including healthy and pathological aging.
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Samoudi G, Nissbrandt H, Dutia MB, Bergquist F. Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation promotes GABA release in the substantia nigra and improves locomotion in hemiparkinsonian rats. PLoS One 2012; 7:e29308. [PMID: 22238601 PMCID: PMC3253081 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The vestibular system is connected to spinal, cerebellar and cerebral motor control structures and can be selectively activated with external electrodes. The resulting sensation of disturbed balance can be avoided by using stochastic stimulation patterns. Adding noise to the nervous system sometimes improves function. Small clinical trials suggest that stochastic vestibular stimulation (SVS) may improve symptoms in Parkinson's disease. We have investigated this claim and possible mechanisms using the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) hemilesion model of Parkinson's disease. Methodology/Principal Findings Animals were tested in the accelerating rod test and the Montoya staircase test of skilled forelimb use. In 6-OHDA hemilesioned animals, SVS improved rod performance by 56±11 s. At group level L-DOPA treatment had no effect, but positive responders improved time on rod by 60±19 s. Skilled forelimb use was not altered by SVS. To investigate how SVS may influence basal ganglia network activity, intracerebral microdialysis was employed in four regions of interest during and after SVS. In presence of the γ-amino buturic acid (GABA) transporter inhibitor NNC 711, SVS induced an increase in GABA to 150±15% of baseline in the substantia nigra (SN) of unlesioned animals, but had no effect in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), the striatum or the ventromedial thalamus (VM). Dopamine release remained stable in all areas, as did GABA and amine concentrations in the SN of unstimulated controls. Following SVS, a sustained increase in GABA concentrations was observed in the ipsilesional, but not in the contralesional SN of 6-OHDA hemilesioned rats. In contrast, L-DOPA treatment produced a similar increase of GABA in the ipsi- and contra-lesional SN. Conclusions/Significance SVS improves rod performance in a rat model of Parkinson's disease, possibly by increasing nigral GABA release in a dopamine independent way. We propose that SVS could be useful for treating symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazaleh Samoudi
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Hans Nissbrandt
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Mayank B. Dutia
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Filip Bergquist
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Avital A, Dolev T, Aga-Mizrachi S, Zubedat S. Environmental enrichment preceding early adulthood methylphenidate treatment leads to long term increase of corticosterone and testosterone in the rat. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22059. [PMID: 21789212 PMCID: PMC3137618 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) has been emerging as a world-wide psychiatric disorder. There appears to be an increasing rate of stimulant drug abuse, specifically methylphenidate (MPH) which is the most common treatment for ADHD, among individuals who do not meet the criteria for ADHD and particularly for cognitive enhancement among university students. However, the long term effects of exposure to MPH are unknown. Thus, in light of a developmental approach in humans, we aimed to test the effects of adolescence exposure to enriched environment (EE) followed by MPH administration during early adulthood, on reactions to stress in adulthood. Specifically, at approximate adolescence [post natal days (PND) 30-60] rats were reared in EE and were treated with MPH during early adulthood (PND 60-90). Adult (PND 90-92) rats were exposed to mild stress and starting at PND 110, the behavioral and endocrine effects of the combined drug and environmental conditions were assessed. Following adolescence EE, long term exposure to MPH led to decreased locomotor activity and increased sucrose preference. EE had a beneficial effect on PPI (attentive abilities), which was impaired by long term exposure to MPH. Finally, the interaction between EE and, exposure to MPH led to long-term elevated corticosterone and testosterone levels. In view of the marked increase in MPH consumption over the past decade, vigilance is crucial in order to prevent potential drug abuse and its long term detrimental consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avi Avital
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Psychobiological Research, The Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
- Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Talya Dolev
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Psychobiological Research, The Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
| | - Shlomit Aga-Mizrachi
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Psychobiological Research, The Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
| | - Salman Zubedat
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Psychobiological Research, The Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
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