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Li S, May C, Hannan AJ, Johnson KA, Burrows EL. Assessing attention orienting in mice: a novel touchscreen adaptation of the Posner-style cueing task. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:432-441. [PMID: 33007776 PMCID: PMC7853131 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00873-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Atypical attention orienting has been found to be impaired in many neuropsychological disorders, but the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. Attention can be oriented exogenously (i.e., driven by salient stimuli) or endogenously (i.e., driven by one's goals or intentions). Genetic mouse models are useful tools to investigate the neurobiology of cognition, but a well-established assessment of attention orienting in mice is missing. This study aimed to adapt the Posner task, a widely used attention orienting task in humans, for use in mice using touchscreen technology and to test the effects of two attention-modulating drugs, methylphenidate (MPH) and atomoxetine (ATX), on the performance of mice during this task. In accordance with human performance, mice responded more quickly and more accurately to validly cued targets compared to invalidly cued targets, thus supporting mice as a valid animal model to study the neural mechanisms of attention orienting. This is the first evidence that mice can be trained to voluntarily maintain their nose-poke on a touchscreen and to complete attention orienting tasks using exogenous peripheral cues and endogenous symbolic cues. The results also showed no significant effects of MPH and ATX on attention orienting, although MPH improved overall response times in mice during the exogenous orienting task. In summary, the current study provides a critical translational task for assessing attention orienting in mice and to investigate the effects of attention-modulating drugs on attention orienting.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Li
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XMelbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - C. May
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - A. J. Hannan
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - K. A. Johnson
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XMelbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - E. L. Burrows
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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Ahrens S, Laux J, Müller C, Thiel CM. Increased dopamine availability magnifies nicotine effects on cognitive control: A pilot study. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:548-556. [PMID: 32133910 PMCID: PMC7370651 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120907989] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The ability to adapt to new task demands flexibly and to stabilise performance in the presence of distractors is termed cognitive control and is mediated by dopaminergic and cholinergic neurotransmission. We aimed to test the hypothesis that the effect of the cholinergic agonist nicotine on cognitive control depends on baseline dopamine levels. METHODS Thirty-eight healthy non-smokers (16 males; Mage=24.05 years) performed a cognitive control task including distractor and switch trials twice. Subjects were split into two parallel groups. One group received 2 g of L-tyrosine two hours prior to testing to manipulate dopamine availability experimentally, while the other group received placebo on both days. One hour later, both groups received in a within-subject design: on one day, a 7 mg nicotine patch; on the other day, a matched placebo. Response time costs for distractor and switch trials served as measures of cognitive stability and flexibility. RESULTS Nicotinic modulation reduced response time costs in switch trials and increased costs in distractor trials (nicotine×condition, p=0.027) with a trend-wise interaction between nicotine, L-tyrosine and trial type (nicotine×L-tyrosine×condition, p=0.068), which was due to stronger nicotine effects under L-tyrosine. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide preliminary evidence that nicotine has opponent effects on cognitive stability and flexibility. Subjects who received the dopamine precursor L-tyrosine were more prone to nicotine effects on behaviours, which are improvements in cognitive flexibility at the cost of decreased cognitive stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ahrens
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Stefan Ahrens, Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany. Emails: ;
| | - Joana Laux
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christina Müller
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christiane M Thiel
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Cluster of Excellence ‘Hearing4all’, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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Garcia‐Rivas V, Deroche‐Gamonet V. Not all smokers appear to seek nicotine for the same reasons: implications for preclinical research in nicotine dependence. Addict Biol 2019; 24:317-334. [PMID: 29480575 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Tobacco use leads to 6 million deaths every year due to severe long-lasting diseases. The main component of tobacco, nicotine, is recognized as one of the most addictive drugs, making smoking cessation difficult, even when 70 percent of smokers wish to do so. Clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated consistently that nicotine seeking is a complex behavior involving various psychopharmacological mechanisms. Evidence supports that the population of smokers is heterogeneous, particularly as regards the breadth of motives that determine the urge to smoke. Here, we review converging psychological, genetic and neurobiological data from clinical and preclinical studies supporting that the mechanisms controlling nicotine seeking may vary from individual to individual. It appears timely that basic neuroscience integrates this heterogeneity to refine our understanding of the neurobiology of nicotine seeking, as tremendous progress has been made in modeling the various psychopharmacological mechanisms driving nicotine seeking in rodents. For a better understanding of the mechanisms that drive nicotine seeking, we emphasize the need for individual-based research strategies in which nicotine seeking, and eventually treatment efficacy, are determined while taking into account individual variations in the mechanisms of nicotine seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vernon Garcia‐Rivas
- Université de Bordeaux France
- INSERM U1215, Psychobiology of Drug AddictionNeuroCentre Magendie France
| | - Véronique Deroche‐Gamonet
- Université de Bordeaux France
- INSERM U1215, Psychobiology of Drug AddictionNeuroCentre Magendie France
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Vila-Castelar C, Ly JJ, Kaplan L, Van Dyk K, Berger JT, Macina LO, Stewart JL, Foldi NS. Attention Measures of Accuracy, Variability, and Fatigue Detect Early Response to Donepezil in Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 34:277-289. [PMID: 29635383 PMCID: PMC6487534 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acy032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Revised: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Donepezil is widely used to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), but detecting early response remains challenging for clinicians. Acetylcholine is known to directly modulate attention, particularly under high cognitive conditions, but no studies to date test whether measures of attention under high load can detect early effects of donepezil. We hypothesized that load-dependent attention tasks are sensitive to short-term treatment effects of donepezil, while global and other domain-specific cognitive measures are not. METHOD This longitudinal, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03073876) evaluated 23 participants newly diagnosed with AD initiating de novo donepezil treatment (5 mg). After baseline assessment, participants were randomized into Drug (n = 12) or Placebo (n = 11) groups, and retested after approximately 6 weeks. Cognitive assessment included: (a) attention tasks (Foreperiod Effect, Attentional Blink, and Covert Orienting tasks) measuring processing speed, top-down accuracy, orienting, intra-individual variability, and fatigue; (b) global measures (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, Mini-Mental Status Examination, Dementia Rating Scale); and (c) domain-specific measures (memory, language, visuospatial, and executive function). RESULTS The Drug but not the Placebo group showed benefits of treatment at high-load measures by preserving top-down accuracy, improving intra-individual variability, and averting fatigue. In contrast, other global or cognitive domain-specific measures could not detect treatment effects over the same treatment interval. CONCLUSIONS The pilot-study suggests that attention measures targeting accuracy, variability, and fatigue under high-load conditions could be sensitive to short-term cholinergic treatment. Given the central role of acetylcholine in attentional function, load-dependent attentional measures may be valuable cognitive markers of early treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Vila-Castelar
- Department of Psychology, Queens College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jenny J Ly
- eResearch Technology, Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lillian Kaplan
- Department of Occupational Therapy, York College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kathleen Van Dyk
- Department of Psychiatry, UCLA - Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Berger
- Division of Palliative Medicine and Bioethics, Department of Medicine, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA
| | - Lucy O Macina
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer L Stewart
- Department of Psychology, Queens College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nancy S Foldi
- Department of Psychology, Queens College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA
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Fuhr K, Werle D. Mental Training for Better Achievement: Effects of Verbal Suggestions and Evaluation (of Effectiveness) on Cognitive Performance. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:510. [PMID: 30405453 PMCID: PMC6204405 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: There is only some literature regarding the influence of verbal suggestions on cognitive performance in healthy volunteers. For example, the performance in a knowledge test was enhanced when participants were told that they had subliminally received the correct answer. However, enhancing cognitive performance only via verbal suggestions without prior conditioning phases has not yet been examined. The goal of our study was therefore to investigate the effects of a mental training based on verbal suggestions compared to a control training on cognitive performance in a student population using a balanced-placebo-design. Methods: In total, 103 participants were randomly assigned either to listening to a 20 min audio-taped mental training or to a 20 min philosophy lecture (control training) via headphones. Participants were individually tested before and after the training concerning their cognitive performance. Information about the type of training were varied in both intervention conditions ("You are part of our experimental condition and you will receive an effective mental training" or "You are part of our control group and you will receive the control condition"). At the end of the assessment, participants were asked what kind of training they believed they had received and how effective they would rate the received training. Results: Overall, the cognitive performance improved in all participants, F (1, 99) = 490.01, p < 0.001. Contrary to our hypotheses, we found no interaction of the type of training and type of instruction on the cognitive performance. Participants who rated the received training as being effective at the end of the experiment (regardless if it was the mental or the control training), have before experienced a greater improvement in their cognitive performance [F (2,100) = 7.26, p = 0.001] and showed higher scores in the ability to absorb [F (2, 99) = 3.75, p = 0.027]. Conclusion: The subjects' own experiences in the task might have influenced the rating of the training rather than the actual training or the information they receive regarding the type of training. This finding underlines the relevance of enhancing the subjective beliefs and self-efficacy in situations where cognitive attention processes are important and of individually tailoring mental trainings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Fuhr
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Dustin Werle
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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