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Tona KD, Revers H, Verkuil B, Nieuwenhuis S. Noradrenergic Regulation of Cognitive Flexibility: No Effects of Stress, Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation, and Atomoxetine on Task-switching in Humans. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:1881-1895. [PMID: 32644883 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility allows us to adaptively switch between different responsibilities in important domains of our daily life. Previous work has elucidated the neurochemical basis underlying the ability to switch responses to a previously nonreinforced exemplar and to switch between attentional sets. However, the role of neuromodulators in task switching, the ability to rapidly switch between two or more cognitive tasks afforded by the same stimuli, is still poorly understood. We attempted to fill this gap by manipulating norepinephrine levels using stress manipulation (Study 1a, n = 48; between-group design), transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation at two different intensities (Study 1b, n = 48; sham-controlled between-group design), and pharmacological manipulation (Study 2, n = 24; double-blind crossover design), all of which increased salivary cortisol measures. Participants repeatedly switched between two cognitive tasks (classifying a digit as high/low [Task 1] or as odd/even [Task 2]), depending on the preceding cue. On each trial, a cue indicated the task to be performed. The cue-stimulus interval was varied to manipulate the time to prepare for the switch. Participants showed typical switch costs, which decreased with the time available for preparation. None of the manipulations modulated the size of the switch costs or the preparation effect, as supported by frequentist and Bayesian model comparisons. Task-switching performance reflects a complex mix of cognitive control and bottom-up dynamics of task-set representations. Our findings suggest that norepinephrine does not affect either of these aspects of cognitive flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bart Verkuil
- Leiden University.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
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Steenbergen L, Colzato LS. Overweight and Cognitive Performance: High Body Mass Index Is Associated with Impairment in Reactive Control during Task Switching. Front Nutr 2017; 4:51. [PMID: 29164126 PMCID: PMC5671535 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2017.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of weight problems is increasing worldwide. There is growing evidence that high body mass index (BMI) is associated with frontal lobe dysfunction and deficits in cognitive control. The present study aims to clarify the association between weight status and the degree of impairment in cognitive flexibility, i.e., the ability to efficiently switch from one task to another, by disentangling the preparatory and residual domains of task switching. Twenty-six normal weight (BMI < 25, five males) and twenty-six overweight (BMI ≥ 25, seven males) university students performed a task-switching paradigm that provides a relatively well-established diagnostic measure of proactive vs. reactive control with regard to cognitive flexibility. Compared to individuals with a BMI lower than 25, overweight (i.e., ≥25) was associated with increased switching costs in the reactive switching condition (i.e., when preparation time is short), representing reduced cognitive flexibility in the preparatory domain. In addition, the overweight group reported significantly more depression and binge eating symptoms, although still indicating minimal depression. No between-group differences were found with regard to self-reported autism spectrum symptoms, impulsiveness, state- and trait anxiety, and cognitive reactivity to depression. The present findings are consistent with and extend previous literature showing that elevated BMI in young, otherwise healthy individuals is associated with significantly more switching costs due to inefficiency in the retrieval, implementation, and maintenance of task sets, indicating less efficient cognitive control functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Steenbergen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lorenza S Colzato
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Institute of Sports and Sport Science, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
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Wolff N, Mückschel M, Ziemssen T, Beste C. The role of phasic norepinephrine modulations during task switching: evidence for specific effects in parietal areas. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:925-940. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1531-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Atzori M, Cuevas-Olguin R, Esquivel-Rendon E, Garcia-Oscos F, Salgado-Delgado RC, Saderi N, Miranda-Morales M, Treviño M, Pineda JC, Salgado H. Locus Ceruleus Norepinephrine Release: A Central Regulator of CNS Spatio-Temporal Activation? Front Synaptic Neurosci 2016; 8:25. [PMID: 27616990 PMCID: PMC4999448 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2016.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Norepinephrine (NE) is synthesized in the Locus Coeruleus (LC) of the brainstem, from where it is released by axonal varicosities throughout the brain via volume transmission. A wealth of data from clinics and from animal models indicates that this catecholamine coordinates the activity of the central nervous system (CNS) and of the whole organism by modulating cell function in a vast number of brain areas in a coordinated manner. The ubiquity of NE receptors, the daunting number of cerebral areas regulated by the catecholamine, as well as the variety of cellular effects and of their timescales have contributed so far to defeat the attempts to integrate central adrenergic function into a unitary and coherent framework. Since three main families of NE receptors are represented-in order of decreasing affinity for the catecholamine-by: α2 adrenoceptors (α2Rs, high affinity), α1 adrenoceptors (α1Rs, intermediate affinity), and β adrenoceptors (βRs, low affinity), on a pharmacological basis, and on the ground of recent studies on cellular and systemic central noradrenergic effects, we propose that an increase in LC tonic activity promotes the emergence of four global states covering the whole spectrum of brain activation: (1) sleep: virtual absence of NE, (2) quiet wake: activation of α2Rs, (3) active wake/physiological stress: activation of α2- and α1-Rs, (4) distress: activation of α2-, α1-, and β-Rs. We postulate that excess intensity and/or duration of states (3) and (4) may lead to maladaptive plasticity, causing-in turn-a variety of neuropsychiatric illnesses including depression, schizophrenic psychoses, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit. The interplay between tonic and phasic LC activity identified in the LC in relationship with behavioral response is of critical importance in defining the short- and long-term biological mechanisms associated with the basic states postulated for the CNS. While the model has the potential to explain a large number of experimental and clinical findings, a major challenge will be to adapt this hypothesis to integrate the role of other neurotransmitters released during stress in a centralized fashion, like serotonin, acetylcholine, and histamine, as well as those released in a non-centralized fashion, like purines and cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Atzori
- Neurobiology of Stress Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis PotosíSan Luis Potosí, Mexico; School for Behavior and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX, USA
| | - Roberto Cuevas-Olguin
- Neurobiology of Stress Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Eric Esquivel-Rendon
- Neurobiology of Stress Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | | | - Roberto C Salgado-Delgado
- Neurobiology of Stress Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Nadia Saderi
- Neurobiology of Stress Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Marcela Miranda-Morales
- Neurobiology of Stress Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Mario Treviño
- Laboratory of Cortical Plasticity and Learning, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Juan C Pineda
- Electrophysiology Laboratory, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida, Mexico
| | - Humberto Salgado
- Electrophysiology Laboratory, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida, Mexico
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Rajkumar R, Kumar JR, Dawe GS. Priming locus coeruleus noradrenergic modulation of medial perforant path-dentate gyrus synaptic plasticity. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 138:215-225. [PMID: 27400867 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Priming phenomenon, in which an earlier exposure to a stimulus or condition alters synaptic plasticity in response to a subsequent stimulus or condition, known as a challenge, is an example of metaplasticity. In this review, we make the case that the locus coeruleus noradrenergic system-medial perforant path-dentate gyrus pathway is a neural ensemble amenable to studying priming-challenge effects on synaptic plasticity. Accumulating evidence points to a tyrosine hydroxylase-dependent priming effect achieved by pharmacological (nicotine and antipsychotics) or physiological (septal theta driving) manipulations of the locus coeruleus noradrenergic system that can facilitate noradrenaline-induced synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The evidence suggests the hypothesis that behavioural experiences inducing tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the locus coeruleus may be sufficient to prime this form of metaplasticity. We propose exploring this phenomenon of priming and challenge physiologically, to determine whether behavioural experiences are sufficient to prime the locus coeruleus, enabling subsequent pharmacological or behavioural challenge conditions that increase locus coeruleus firing to release sufficient noradrenaline to induce long-lasting potentiation in the dentate gyrus. Such an approach may contribute to unravelling mechanisms underlying this form of metaplasticity and its importance in stress-related mnemonic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramamoorthy Rajkumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, 117600, Singapore; Neurobiology and Ageing Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore; Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), 117456, Singapore
| | - Jigna Rajesh Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, 117600, Singapore; Neurobiology and Ageing Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore; Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), 117456, Singapore; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Gavin S Dawe
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, 117600, Singapore; Neurobiology and Ageing Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore; Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), 117456, Singapore; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore.
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Colzato LS, van der Wel P, Sellaro R, Hommel B. A single bout of meditation biases cognitive control but not attentional focusing: Evidence from the global–local task. Conscious Cogn 2016; 39:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Colzato LS, Barone H, Sellaro R, Hommel B. More attentional focusing through binaural beats: evidence from the global-local task. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 81:271-277. [PMID: 26612201 PMCID: PMC5233742 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-015-0727-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A recent study showed that binaural beats have an impact on the efficiency of allocating attention over time. We were interested to see whether this impact affects attentional focusing or, even further, the top-down control over irrelevant information. Healthy adults listened to gamma-frequency (40 Hz) binaural beats, which are assumed to increase attentional concentration, or a constant tone of 340 Hz (control condition) for 3 min before and during a global–local task. While the size of the congruency effect (indicating the failure to suppress task-irrelevant information) was unaffected by the binaural beats, the global-precedence effect (reflecting attentional focusing) was considerably smaller after gamma-frequency binaural beats than after the control condition. Our findings suggest that high-frequency binaural beats bias the individual attentional processing style towards a reduced spotlight of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza S Colzato
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333, AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Hayley Barone
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333, AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roberta Sellaro
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333, AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333, AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Steenbergen L, Sellaro R, Hommel B, Colzato LS. Tyrosine promotes cognitive flexibility: evidence from proactive vs. reactive control during task switching performance. Neuropsychologia 2015; 69:50-5. [PMID: 25598314 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Tyrosine (TYR), an amino acid found in various foods, has been shown to increase dopamine (DA) levels in the brain. Recent studies have provided evidence that TYR supplementation can improve facets of cognitive control in situations with high cognitive demands. Here we investigated whether TYR promotes cognitive flexibility, a cognitive-control function that is assumed to be modulated by DA. We tested the effect of TYR on proactive vs. reactive control during task switching performance, which provides a relatively well-established diagnostic of cognitive flexibility. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design, 22 healthy adults performed in a task-switching paradigm. Compared to a neutral placebo, TYR promoted cognitive flexibility (i.e. reduced switching costs). This finding supports the idea that TYR can facilitate cognitive flexibility by repleting cognitive resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Steenbergen
- Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Roberta Sellaro
- Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lorenza S Colzato
- Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
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