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Brignol A, Paas A, Sotelo-Castro L, St-Onge D, Beltrame G, Coffey EBJ. Overcoming boundaries: Interdisciplinary challenges and opportunities in cognitive neuroscience. Neuropsychologia 2024; 200:108903. [PMID: 38750788 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108903] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience has considerable untapped potential to translate our understanding of brain function into applications that maintain, restore, or enhance human cognition. Complex, real-world phenomena encountered in daily life, professional contexts, and in the arts, can also be a rich source of information for better understanding cognition, which in turn can lead to advances in knowledge and health outcomes. Interdisciplinary work is needed for these bi-directional benefits to be realized. Our cognitive neuroscience team has been collaborating on several interdisciplinary projects: hardware and software development for brain stimulation, measuring human operator state in safety-critical robotics environments, and exploring emotional regulation in actors who perform traumatic narratives. Our approach is to study research questions of mutual interest in the contexts of domain-specific applications, using (and sometimes improving) the experimental tools and techniques of cognitive neuroscience. These interdisciplinary attempts are described as case studies in the present work to illustrate non-trivial challenges that come from working across traditional disciplinary boundaries. We reflect on how obstacles to interdisciplinary work can be overcome, with the goals of enriching our understanding of human cognition and amplifying the positive effects cognitive neuroscientists have on society and innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Brignol
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Computer and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Anita Paas
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - David St-Onge
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Giovanni Beltrame
- Department of Computer and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Emily B J Coffey
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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2
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Guerreiro MJS, Puschmann S, Eck J, Rienäcker F, Van Gerven PWM, Thiel CM. The effect of hearing loss on age-related differences in neural distinctiveness. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024; 31:627-645. [PMID: 37306610 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2023.2223904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Age differences in cognitive performance have been shown to be overestimated if age-related hearing loss is not taken into account. Here, we investigated the role of age-related hearing loss on age differences in functional brain organization by assessing its impact on previously reported age differences in neural differentiation. To this end, we analyzed the data of 36 younger adults, 21 older adults with clinically normal hearing, and 21 older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss who had taken part in a functional localizer task comprising visual (i.e., faces, scenes) and auditory stimuli (i.e., voices, music) while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. Evidence for reduced neural distinctiveness in the auditory cortex was observed only in older adults with hearing loss relative to younger adults, whereas evidence for reduced neural distinctiveness in the visual cortex was observed both in older adults with normal hearing and in older adults with hearing loss relative to younger adults. These results indicate that age-related dedifferentiation in the auditory cortex is exacerbated by age-related hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J S Guerreiro
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Puschmann
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Judith Eck
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Franziska Rienäcker
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal W M Van Gerven
- Department of Educational Development & Research, School of Health Professions Education (SHE), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Christiane M Thiel
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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3
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Jin X, Zhang L, Wu G, Wang X, Du Y. Compensation or Preservation? Different Roles of Functional Lateralization in Speech Perception of Older Non-musicians and Musicians. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01234-x. [PMID: 38839688 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01234-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Musical training can counteract age-related decline in speech perception in noisy environments. However, it remains unclear whether older non-musicians and musicians rely on functional compensation or functional preservation to counteract the adverse effects of aging. This study utilized resting-state functional connectivity (FC) to investigate functional lateralization, a fundamental organization feature, in older musicians (OM), older non-musicians (ONM), and young non-musicians (YNM). Results showed that OM outperformed ONM and achieved comparable performance to YNM in speech-in-noise and speech-in-speech tasks. ONM exhibited reduced lateralization than YNM in lateralization index (LI) of intrahemispheric FC (LI_intra) in the cingulo-opercular network (CON) and LI of interhemispheric heterotopic FC (LI_he) in the language network (LAN). Conversely, OM showed higher neural alignment to YNM (i.e., a more similar lateralization pattern) compared to ONM in CON, LAN, frontoparietal network (FPN), dorsal attention network (DAN), and default mode network (DMN), indicating preservation of youth-like lateralization patterns due to musical experience. Furthermore, in ONM, stronger left-lateralized and lower alignment-to-young of LI_intra in the somatomotor network (SMN) and DAN and LI_he in DMN correlated with better speech performance, indicating a functional compensation mechanism. In contrast, stronger right-lateralized LI_intra in FPN and DAN and higher alignment-to-young of LI_he in LAN correlated with better performance in OM, suggesting a functional preservation mechanism. These findings highlight the differential roles of functional preservation and compensation of lateralization in speech perception in noise among elderly individuals with and without musical expertise, offering insights into successful aging theories from the lens of functional lateralization and speech perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhu Jin
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guowei Wu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiuyi Wang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yi Du
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China.
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4
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Prince JB, Davis HL, Tan J, Muller-Townsend K, Markovic S, Lewis DMG, Hastie B, Thompson MB, Drummond PD, Fujiyama H, Sohrabi HR. Cognitive and neuroscientific perspectives of healthy ageing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105649. [PMID: 38579902 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105649] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
With dementia incidence projected to escalate significantly within the next 25 years, the United Nations declared 2021-2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing, emphasising cognition as a crucial element. As a leading discipline in cognition and ageing research, psychology is well-equipped to offer insights for translational research, clinical practice, and policy-making. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the current state of knowledge on age-related changes in cognition and psychological health. We discuss cognitive changes during ageing, including (a) heterogeneity in the rate, trajectory, and characteristics of decline experienced by older adults, (b) the role of cognitive reserve in age-related cognitive decline, and (c) the potential for cognitive training to slow this decline. We also examine ageing and cognition through multiple theoretical perspectives. We highlight critical unresolved issues, such as the disparate implications of subjective versus objective measures of cognitive decline and the insufficient evaluation of cognitive training programs. We suggest future research directions, and emphasise interdisciplinary collaboration to create a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that modulate cognitive ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon B Prince
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia.
| | - Helen L Davis
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
| | - Jane Tan
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
| | - Katrina Muller-Townsend
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
| | - Shaun Markovic
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Discipline of Psychology, Counselling and Criminology, Edith Cowan University, WA, Australia
| | - David M G Lewis
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
| | | | - Matthew B Thompson
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
| | - Peter D Drummond
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
| | - Hakuei Fujiyama
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
| | - Hamid R Sohrabi
- School of Psychology, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, WA, Australia; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, WA, Australia; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia.
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5
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Arif Y, Son JJ, Okelberry HJ, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Wiesman AI, Wilson TW. Modulation of movement-related oscillatory signatures by cognitive interference in healthy aging. GeroScience 2024; 46:3021-3034. [PMID: 38175521 PMCID: PMC11009213 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-01057-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Age-related changes in the neurophysiology underlying motor control are well documented, but whether these changes are specific to motor function or more broadly reflect age-related alterations in fronto-parietal circuitry serving attention and other higher-level processes remains unknown. Herein, we collected high-density magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 72 healthy adults (age 28-63 years) as they completed an adapted version of the multi-source interference task that involved two subtypes of cognitive interference (i.e., flanker and Simon) and their integration (i.e., multi-source). All MEG data were examined for age-related changes in neural oscillatory activity using a whole-brain beamforming approach. Our primary findings indicated robust behavioral differences in task performance based on the type of interference, as well as stronger beta oscillations with increasing age in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (flanker and multi-source conditions), left parietal (flanker and Simon), and medial parietal regions (multi-source). Overall, these data indicate that healthy aging is associated with alterations in higher-order association cortices that are critical for attention and motor control in the context of cognitive interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasra Arif
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, 68010, USA.
| | - Jake J Son
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Hannah J Okelberry
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Hallie J Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Madelyn P Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Alex I Wiesman
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, 68010, USA
- Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
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Pauley C, Zeithamova D, Sander MC. Age differences in functional connectivity track dedifferentiation of category representations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.04.574135. [PMID: 38260463 PMCID: PMC10802339 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.04.574135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
With advancing age, the distinctiveness of neural representations of information declines. While the finding of this so-called 'age-related neural dedifferentiation' in category-selective neural regions is well-described, the contribution of age-related changes in network organization to dedifferentiation is unknown. Here, we asked whether age differences in a) whole-brain network segregation (i.e., network dedifferentiation) and b) functional connectivity to category-selective neural regions contribute to regional dedifferentiation of categorical representations. Younger and older adults viewed blocks of face and house stimuli in the fMRI scanner. We found an age-related decline in neural distinctiveness for faces in the fusiform gyrus (FG) and for houses in the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG). Functional connectivity analyses revealed age-related dedifferentiation of global network structure as well as age differences in connectivity between the FG and early visual cortices. Interindividual correlations demonstrated that regional distinctiveness was related to network segregation as well as connectivity of the FG to the visual network. Together, our findings reveal that dedifferentiation of categorical representations may be linked to age-related reorganization of functional networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Pauley
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dagmar Zeithamova
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 97403 Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Myriam C. Sander
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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7
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Krethlow G, Fargier R, Atanasova T, Ménétré E, Laganaro M. Asynchronous behavioral and neurophysiological changes in word production in the adult lifespan. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae187. [PMID: 38715409 PMCID: PMC11077060 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral and brain-related changes in word production have been claimed to predominantly occur after 70 years of age. Most studies investigating age-related changes in adulthood only compared young to older adults, failing to determine whether neural processes underlying word production change at an earlier age than observed in behavior. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating whether changes in neurophysiological processes underlying word production are aligned with behavioral changes. Behavior and the electrophysiological event-related potential patterns of word production were assessed during a picture naming task in 95 participants across five adult lifespan age groups (ranging from 16 to 80 years old). While behavioral performance decreased starting from 70 years of age, significant neurophysiological changes were present at the age of 40 years old, in a time window (between 150 and 220 ms) likely associated with lexical-semantic processes underlying referential word production. These results show that neurophysiological modifications precede the behavioral changes in language production; they can be interpreted in line with the suggestion that the lexical-semantic reorganization in mid-adulthood influences the maintenance of language skills longer than for other cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Krethlow
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Tanja Atanasova
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eric Ménétré
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marina Laganaro
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
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8
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Pindus DM, Ai M, Chaddock-Heyman L, Burzynska AZ, Gothe NP, Salerno EA, Fanning J, Arnold Anteraper SRA, Castanon AN, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Hillman CH, McAuley E, Kramer AF. Physical activity-related individual differences in functional human connectome are linked to fluid intelligence in older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 137:94-104. [PMID: 38460470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.02.002] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
The study examined resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MV-PA), sedentary time (ST), TV viewing, computer use, and their relationship to cognitive performance in older adults. We used pre-intervention data from 119 participants from the Fit & Active Seniors trial. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed two seeds associated with MV-PA: right superior frontal gyrus (SFG; spanning frontoparietal [FPN] and ventral attention networks [VAN]) and right precentral (PrG) and postcentral gyri (PoG) of the somatosensory network (SN). A positive correlation between the right SFG seed and a cluster spanning default mode (DMN), dorsal attention (DAN), FPN, and visual networks (VIS) was linked to higher fluid intelligence, as was FC between the right PrG/PoG seed and a cluster in VIS. No significant rs-FC patterns associated with ST, TV viewing, or computer use were found. Our findings suggest that greater functional integration within networks implementing top-down control and within those supporting visuospatial abilities, paired with segregation between networks critical and those not critical to top-down control, may help promote cognitive reserve in more physically active seniors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika M Pindus
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| | - Meishan Ai
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Agnieszka Z Burzynska
- College of Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Neha P Gothe
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason Fanning
- Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Charles H Hillman
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edward McAuley
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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Korte JA, Weakley A, Donjuan Fernandez K, Joiner WM, Fan AP. Neural Underpinnings of Learning in Dementia Populations: A Review of Motor Learning Studies Combined with Neuroimaging. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:734-755. [PMID: 38285732 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
The intent of this review article is to serve as an overview of current research regarding the neural characteristics of motor learning in Alzheimer disease (AD) as well as prodromal phases of AD: at-risk populations, and mild cognitive impairment. This review seeks to provide a cognitive framework to compare various motor tasks. We will highlight the neural characteristics related to cognitive domains that, through imaging, display functional or structural changes because of AD progression. In turn, this motivates the use of motor learning paradigms as possible screening techniques for AD and will build upon our current understanding of learning abilities in AD populations.
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Kasper J, Caspers S, Lotter LD, Hoffstaedter F, Eickhoff SB, Dukart J. Resting state changes in aging and Parkinson's disease are shaped by underlying neurotransmission - a normative modeling study. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00112-5. [PMID: 38679325 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human healthy and pathological aging is linked to a steady decline in brain resting state activity and connectivity measures. The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these changes remain poorly understood. METHODS Making use of recent developments in normative modeling and availability of in vivo maps for various neurochemical systems, we test in the UK Biobank cohort (N=25917) if and how age- and Parkinson's disease related resting state changes in commonly applied local and global activity and connectivity measures co-localize with underlying neurotransmitter systems. RESULTS We find the distributions of several major neurotransmitter systems including serotonergic, dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and glutamatergic neurotransmission to correlate with age-related changes as observed across functional activity and connectivity measures. Co-localization patterns in Parkinson's disease deviate from normative aging trajectories for these, as well as for cholinergic and GABAergic, neurotransmission. The deviation from normal co-localization of brain function and GABAa correlates with disease duration. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying age- and Parkinson's related brain functional changes by extending the existing evidence elucidating the vulnerability of specific neurochemical attributes to normal aging and Parkinson's disease. The results particularly indicate that alongside dopamine and serotonin, increased vulnerability of glutamatergic, cholinergic, and GABAergic systems may also contribute to Parkinson's disease-related functional alterations. Combining normative modeling and neurotransmitter mapping may aid future research and drug development through deeper understanding of neurophysiological mechanisms underlying specific clinical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kasper
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Leon D Lotter
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, Stephanstrasse 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Juergen Dukart
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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11
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Ehrlich I, Ortiz-Tudela J, Tan YY, Muckli L, Shing YL. Mnemonic But Not Contextual Feedback Signals Defy Dedifferentiation in the Aging Early Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0607232023. [PMID: 38395614 PMCID: PMC11026335 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0607-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Perception is an intricate interplay between feedforward visual input and internally generated feedback signals that comprise concurrent contextual and time-distant mnemonic (episodic and semantic) information. Yet, an unresolved question is how the composition of feedback signals changes across the lifespan and to what extent feedback signals undergo age-related dedifferentiation, that is, a decline in neural specificity. Previous research on this topic has focused on feedforward perceptual representation and episodic memory reinstatement, suggesting reduced fidelity of neural representations at the item and category levels. In this fMRI study, we combined an occlusion paradigm that filters feedforward input to the visual cortex and multivariate analysis techniques to investigate the information content in cortical feedback, focusing on age-related differences in its composition. We further asked to what extent differentiation in feedback signals (in the occluded region) is correlated to differentiation in feedforward signals. Comparing younger (18-30 years) and older female and male adults (65-75 years), we found that contextual but not mnemonic feedback was prone to age-related dedifferentiation. Semantic feedback signals were even better differentiated in older adults, highlighting the growing importance of generalized knowledge across ages. We also found that differentiation in feedforward signals was correlated with differentiation in episodic but not semantic feedback signals. Our results provide evidence for age-related adjustments in the composition of feedback signals and underscore the importance of examining dedifferentiation in aging for both feedforward and feedback processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Ehrlich
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
| | - Javier Ortiz-Tudela
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, Granada 18013, Spain
| | - Yi You Tan
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
| | - Lars Muckli
- School of Psychology and of Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, United Kingdom
| | - Yee Lee Shing
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main 60323, Germany
- IDeA Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education, Frankfurt am Main 60323, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
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12
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Fu Z, Batta I, Wu L, Abrol A, Agcaoglu O, Salman MS, Du Y, Iraji A, Shultz S, Sui J, Calhoun VD. Searching Reproducible Brain Features using NeuroMark: Templates for Different Age Populations and Imaging Modalities. Neuroimage 2024; 292:120617. [PMID: 38636639 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
A primary challenge to the data-driven analysis is the balance between poor generalizability of population-based research and characterizing more subject-, study- and population-specific variability. We previously introduced a fully automated spatially constrained independent component analysis (ICA) framework called NeuroMark and its functional MRI (fMRI) template. NeuroMark has been successfully applied in numerous studies, identifying brain markers reproducible across datasets and disorders. The first NeuroMark template was constructed based on young adult cohorts. We recently expanded on this initiative by creating a standardized normative multi-spatial-scale functional template using over 100,000 subjects, aiming to improve generalizability and comparability across studies involving diverse cohorts. While a unified template across the lifespan is desirable, a comprehensive investigation of the similarities and differences between components from different age populations might help systematically transform our understanding of the human brain by revealing the most well-replicated and variable network features throughout the lifespan. In this work, we introduced two significant expansions of NeuroMark templates first by generating replicable fMRI templates for infants, adolescents, and aging cohorts, and second by incorporating structural MRI (sMRI) and diffusion MRI (dMRI) modalities. Specifically, we built spatiotemporal fMRI templates based on 6,000 resting-state scans from four datasets. This is the first attempt to create robust ICA templates covering dynamic brain development across the lifespan. For the sMRI and dMRI data, we used two large publicly available datasets including more than 30,000 scans to build reliable templates. We employed a spatial similarity analysis to identify replicable templates and investigate the degree to which unique and similar patterns are reflective in different age populations. Our results suggest remarkably high similarity of the resulting adapted components, even across extreme age differences. With the new templates, the NeuroMark framework allows us to perform age-specific adaptations and to capture features adaptable to each modality, therefore facilitating biomarker identification across brain disorders. In sum, the present work demonstrates the generalizability of NeuroMark templates and suggests the potential of new templates to boost accuracy in mental health research and advance our understanding of lifespan and cross-modal alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zening Fu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
| | - Ishaan Batta
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Lei Wu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Anees Abrol
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Oktay Agcaoglu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Mustafa S Salman
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Yuhui Du
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Armin Iraji
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Sarah Shultz
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Jing Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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13
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Li H, Han Y, Niu H. Greater up-modulation of intra-individual brain signal variability makes a high-load cognitive task more arduous for older adults. Neuroimage 2024; 290:120577. [PMID: 38490585 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120577] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The extent to which brain responses are less distinctive across varying cognitive loads in older adults is referred to as neural dedifferentiation. Moment-to-moment brain signal variability, an emerging indicator, reveals not only the adaptability of an individual's brain as an inter-individual trait, but also the allocation of neural resources within an individual due to ever-changing task demands, thus shedding novel insight into the process of neural dedifferentiation. However, how the modulation of intra-individual brain signal variability reflects behavioral differences related to cognitively demanding tasks remains unclear. In this study, we employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging to capture the variability of brain signals, which was quantified by the standard deviation, during both the resting state and an n-back task (n = 1, 2, 3) in 57 healthy older adults. Using multivariate Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis, we found that fNIRS signal variability increased from the resting state to the task and increased with working memory load in older adults. We further confirmed that greater fNIRS signal variability generally supported faster and more stable response time in the 2- and 3-back conditions. However, the intra-individual level analysis showed that the greater the up-modulation in fNIRS signal variability with cognitive loads, the more its accuracy decreases and mean response time increases, suggesting that a greater intra-individual brain signal variability up-modulation may reflect decreased efficiency in neural information processing. Taken together, our findings offer new insights into the nature of brain signal variability, suggesting that inter- and intra-individual brain signal variability may index distinct theoretical constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Neurology, XuanWu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China.
| | - Haijing Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.
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14
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Zając-Lamparska L, Zabielska-Mendyk E, Zapała D, Augustynowicz P. Compensatory brain activity pattern is not present in older adults during the n-back task performance-Findings based on EEG frequency analysis. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1371035. [PMID: 38666231 PMCID: PMC11043891 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1371035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cognitive ability is one of the most important enablers for successful aging. At the same time, cognitive decline is a well-documented phenomenon accompanying the aging process. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that aging can also be related to positive processes that allow one to compensate for the decline. These processes include the compensatory brain activity of older adults primarily investigated using fMRI and PET. To strengthen the cognitive interpretation of compensatory brain activity in older adults, we searched for its indicators in brain activity measured by EEG. Methods The study sample comprised 110 volunteers, including 50 older adults (60-75 years old) and 60 young adults (20-35 years old) who performed 1-back, 2-back, and 3-back tasks while recording the EEG signal. The study analyzed (1) the level of cognitive performance, including sensitivity index, the percentage of correct answers to the target, and the percentage of false alarm errors; (2) theta and alpha power for electrodes located in the frontal-midline (Fz, AF3, AF4, F3, F4, FC1, and FC2) and the centro-parietal (CP1, CP2, P3, P4, and Pz) areas. Results Cognitive performance was worse in older adults than in young adults, which manifested in a significantly lower sensitivity index and a significantly higher false alarm error rate at all levels of the n-back task difficulty. Simultaneously, performance worsened with increasing task difficulty regardless of age. Significantly lower theta power in the older participants was observed at all difficulty levels, even at the lowest one, where compensatory activity was expected. At the same time, at this difficulty level, cognitive performance was worse in older adults than in young adults, which could reduce the chances of observing compensatory brain activity. The significant decrease in theta power observed in both age groups with rising task difficulty can reflect a declining capacity for efficient cognitive functioning under increasing demands rather than adapting to this increase. Moreover, in young adults, alpha power decreased to some extent with increasing cognitive demand, reflecting adaptation to them, while in older adults, no analogous pattern was observed. Discussion In conclusion, based on the results of the current study, the presence of compensatory activity in older adults cannot be inferred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmiła Zając-Lamparska
- Department of General and Human Development Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Emilia Zabielska-Mendyk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Zapała
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Augustynowicz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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15
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Kolev V, Falkenstein M, Yordanova J. A distributed theta network of error generation and processing in aging. Cogn Neurodyn 2024; 18:447-459. [PMID: 38699606 PMCID: PMC11061062 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-023-10018-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Based on previous concepts that a distributed theta network with a central "hub" in the medial frontal cortex is critically involved in movement regulation, monitoring, and control, the present study explored the involvement of this network in error processing with advancing age in humans. For that aim, the oscillatory neurodynamics of motor theta oscillations was analyzed at multiple cortical regions during correct and error responses in a sample of older adults. Response-related potentials (RRPs) of correct and incorrect reactions were recorded in a four-choice reaction task. RRPs were decomposed in the time-frequency domain to extract oscillatory theta activity. Motor theta oscillations at extended motor regions were analyzed with respect to power, temporal synchronization, and functional connectivity. Major results demonstrated that errors had pronounced effects on motor theta oscillations at cortical regions beyond the medial frontal cortex by being associated with (1) theta power increase in the hemisphere contra-lateral to the movement, (2) suppressed spatial and temporal synchronization at pre-motor areas contra-lateral to the responding hand, (2) inhibited connections between the medial frontal cortex and sensorimotor areas, and (3) suppressed connectivity and temporal phase-synchronization of motor theta networks in the posterior left hemisphere, irrespective of the hand, left, or right, with which the error was made. The distributed effects of errors on motor theta oscillations demonstrate that theta networks support performance monitoring. The reorganization of these networks with aging implies that in older individuals, performance monitoring is associated with a disengagement of the medial frontal region and difficulties in controlling the focus of motor attention and response selection. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-023-10018-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasil Kolev
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str., bl. 23, Sofia, 1113 Bulgaria
| | | | - Juliana Yordanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str., bl. 23, Sofia, 1113 Bulgaria
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16
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Denaro CM, Reed CL, Joshi J, Petropoulos A, Thapar A, Hartley AA. Age-related similarities and differences in cognitive and neural processing revealed by task-related microstate analysis. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 136:9-22. [PMID: 38286071 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.01.007] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
We explored neural processing differences associated with aging across four cognitive functions. In addition to ERP analysis, we included task-related microstate analyses, which identified stable states of neural activity across the scalp over time, to explore whole-head neural activation differences. Younger and older adults (YA, OA) completed face perception (N170), word-pair judgment (N400), visual oddball (P3), and flanker (ERN) tasks. Age-related effects differed across tasks. Despite age-related delayed latencies, N170 ERP and microstate analyses indicated no age-related differences in amplitudes or microstates. However, age-related condition differences were found for P3 and N00 amplitudes and scalp topographies: smaller condition differences were found for in OAs as well as broader centroparietal scalp distributions. Age group comparisons for the ERN revealed similar focal frontocentral activation loci, but differential activation patterns. Our findings of differential age effects across tasks are most consistent with the STAC-r framework which proposes that age-related effects differ depending on the resources available and the kinds of processing and cognitive load required of various tasks.
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17
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Luppi AI, Rosas FE, Mediano PAM, Menon DK, Stamatakis EA. Information decomposition and the informational architecture of the brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:352-368. [PMID: 38199949 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.11.005] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
To explain how the brain orchestrates information-processing for cognition, we must understand information itself. Importantly, information is not a monolithic entity. Information decomposition techniques provide a way to split information into its constituent elements: unique, redundant, and synergistic information. We review how disentangling synergistic and redundant interactions is redefining our understanding of integrative brain function and its neural organisation. To explain how the brain navigates the trade-offs between redundancy and synergy, we review converging evidence integrating the structural, molecular, and functional underpinnings of synergy and redundancy; their roles in cognition and computation; and how they might arise over evolution and development. Overall, disentangling synergistic and redundant information provides a guiding principle for understanding the informational architecture of the brain and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I Luppi
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fernando E Rosas
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pedro A M Mediano
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David K Menon
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emmanuel A Stamatakis
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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18
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Pauley C, Karlsson A, Sander MC. Early visual cortices reveal interrelated item and category representations in aging. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0337-23.2023. [PMID: 38413198 PMCID: PMC10960632 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0337-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural dedifferentiation, the finding that neural representations tend to be less distinct in older adults compared with younger adults, has been associated with age-related declines in memory performance. Most studies assessing the relation between memory and neural dedifferentiation have evaluated how age impacts the distinctiveness of neural representations for different visual categories (e.g., scenes and objects). However, how age impacts the quality of neural representations at the level of individual items is still an open question. Here, we present data from an age-comparative fMRI study that aimed to understand how the distinctiveness of neural representations for individual stimuli differs between younger and older adults and relates to memory outcomes. Pattern similarity searchlight analyses yielded indicators of neural dedifferentiation at the level of individual items as well as at the category level in posterior occipital cortices. We asked whether age differences in neural distinctiveness at each representational level were associated with inter- and/or intraindividual variability in memory performance. While age-related dedifferentiation at both the item and category level related to between-person differences in memory, neural distinctiveness at the category level also tracked within-person variability in memory performance. Concurrently, neural distinctiveness at the item level was strongly associated with neural distinctiveness at the category level both within and across participants, elucidating a potential representational mechanism linking item- and category-level distinctiveness. In sum, we provide evidence that age-related neural dedifferentiation co-exists across multiple representational levels and is related to memory performance.Significance Statement Age-related memory decline has been associated with neural dedifferentiation, the finding that older adults have less distinctive neural representations than younger adults. This has been mostly shown for category information, while evidence for age differences in the specificity of item representations is meager. We used pattern similarity searchlight analyses to find indicators of neural dedifferentiation at both levels of representation (category and item) and linked distinctiveness to memory performance. Both item- and category-level dedifferentiation in the calcarine cortex were related to interindividual differences in memory performance, while category-level distinctiveness further tracked intraindividual variability. Crucially, neural distinctiveness was strongly tied between the item and category levels, indicating that intersecting representational properties of posterior occipital cortices reflect both individual exemplars and categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Pauley
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Anna Karlsson
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Myriam C. Sander
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin 14195, Germany
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19
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Liu J, Guo Y, Zhang Y, Zhao X, Fu R, Hua S, Xu S. Astrocytes in ischemic stroke: Crosstalk in central nervous system and therapeutic potential. Neuropathology 2024; 44:3-20. [PMID: 37345225 DOI: 10.1111/neup.12928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
In the central nervous system (CNS), a large group of glial cells called astrocytes play important roles in both physiological and disease conditions. Astrocytes participate in the formation of neurovascular units and interact closely with other cells of the CNS, such as microglia and neurons. Stroke is a global disease with high mortality and disability rate, most of which are ischemic stroke. Significant strides in understanding astrocytes have been made over the past few decades. Astrocytes respond strongly to ischemic stroke through a process known as activation or reactivity. Given the important role played by reactive astrocytes (RAs) in different spatial and temporal aspects of ischemic stroke, there is a growing interest in the potential therapeutic role of astrocytes. Currently, interventions targeting astrocytes, such as mediating astrocyte polarization, reducing edema, regulating glial scar formation, and reprogramming astrocytes, have been proven in modulating the progression of ischemic stroke. The aforementioned potential interventions on astrocytes and the crosstalk between astrocytes and other cells of the CNS will be summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jueling Liu
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuying Guo
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Translational Research of TCM Prescription and Syndrome, Tianjin, China
| | - Yunsha Zhang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zhao
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Rong Fu
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shengyu Hua
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shixin Xu
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Translational Research of TCM Prescription and Syndrome, Tianjin, China
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20
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Yordanova J, Falkenstein M, Kolev V. Aging alters functional connectivity of motor theta networks during sensorimotor reactions. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 158:137-148. [PMID: 38219403 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.12.132] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Both cognitive and primary motor networks alter with advancing age in humans. The networks activated in response to external environmental stimuli supported by theta oscillations remain less well explored. The present study aimed to characterize the effects of aging on the functional connectivity of response-related theta networks during sensorimotor tasks. METHODS Electroencephalographic signals were recorded in young and middle-to-older age adults during three tasks performed in two modalities, auditory and visual: a simple reaction task, a Go-NoGo task, and a choice-reaction task. Response-related theta oscillations were computed. The phase-locking value (PLV) was used to analyze the spatial synchronization of primary motor and motor control theta networks. RESULTS Performance was overall preserved in older adults. Independently of the task, aging was associated with reorganized connectivity of the contra-lateral primary motor cortex. In younger adults, it was synchronized with motor control regions (intra-hemispheric premotor/frontal and medial frontal). In older adults, it was only synchronized with intra-hemispheric sensorimotor regions. CONCLUSIONS Motor theta networks of older adults manifest a functional decoupling between the response-generating motor cortex and motor control regions, which was not modulated by task variables. The overall preserved performance in older adults suggests that the increased connectivity within the sensorimotor network is associated with an excessive reliance on sensorimotor feedback during movement execution compensating for a deficient cognitive regulation of motor regions during sensorimotor reactions. SIGNIFICANCE New evidence is provided for the reorganization of motor networks during sensorimotor reactions already at the transition from middle to old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Yordanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
| | | | - Vasil Kolev
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
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21
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Korbmacher M, van der Meer D, Beck D, de Lange AMG, Eikefjord E, Lundervold A, Andreassen OA, Westlye LT, Maximov II. Brain asymmetries from mid- to late life and hemispheric brain age. Nat Commun 2024; 15:956. [PMID: 38302499 PMCID: PMC10834516 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45282-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The human brain demonstrates structural and functional asymmetries which have implications for ageing and mental and neurological disease development. We used a set of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics derived from structural and diffusion MRI data in N=48,040 UK Biobank participants to evaluate age-related differences in brain asymmetry. Most regional grey and white matter metrics presented asymmetry, which were higher later in life. Informed by these results, we conducted hemispheric brain age (HBA) predictions from left/right multimodal MRI metrics. HBA was concordant to conventional brain age predictions, using metrics from both hemispheres, but offers a supplemental general marker of brain asymmetry when setting left/right HBA into relationship with each other. In contrast to WM brain asymmetries, left/right discrepancies in HBA are lower at higher ages. Our findings outline various sex-specific differences, particularly important for brain age estimates, and the value of further investigating the role of brain asymmetries in brain ageing and disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Korbmacher
- Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway.
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre (MMIV), Bergen, Norway.
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Dani Beck
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Marie G de Lange
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eli Eikefjord
- Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre (MMIV), Bergen, Norway
| | - Arvid Lundervold
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre (MMIV), Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T Westlye
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ivan I Maximov
- Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway.
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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22
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Srokova S, Aktas ANZ, Koen JD, Rugg MD. Dissociative Effects of Age on Neural Differentiation at the Category and Item Levels. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0959232023. [PMID: 38050137 PMCID: PMC10860568 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0959-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing age is associated with age-related neural dedifferentiation, a reduction in the selectivity of neural representations, which has been proposed to contribute to cognitive decline in older age. Recent findings indicate that when operationalized in terms of selectivity for different perceptual categories, age-related neural dedifferentiation and the apparent age-invariant association of neural selectivity with cognitive performance are largely restricted to the cortical regions typically recruited during scene processing. It is currently unknown whether this category-level dissociation extends to metrics of neural selectivity defined at the level of individual stimulus items. Here, we examined neural selectivity at the category and item levels using multivoxel pattern similarity analysis (PSA) of fMRI data. Healthy young and older male and female adults viewed images of objects and scenes. Some items were presented singly, while others were either repeated or followed by a "similar lure." In agreement with recent findings, category-level PSA revealed robustly lower differentiation in older than in younger adults in scene-selective, but not object-selective, cortical regions. By contrast, at the item level, robust age-related declines in neural differentiation were evident for both stimulus categories. Additionally, we identified an age-invariant association between category-level scene selectivity in the parahippocampal place area and subsequent memory performance, but no such association was evident for item-level metrics. Lastly, category- and item-level neural metrics were uncorrelated. Thus, the present findings suggest that age-related category- and item-level dedifferentiation depend on distinct neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Srokova
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Ayse N Z Aktas
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | - Joshua D Koen
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - Michael D Rugg
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
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23
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Gellersen HM, McMaster J, Abdurahman A, Simons JS. Demands on perceptual and mnemonic fidelity are a key determinant of age-related cognitive decline throughout the lifespan. J Exp Psychol Gen 2024; 153:200-223. [PMID: 38236240 PMCID: PMC10795485 DOI: 10.1037/xge0001476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Aging results in less detailed memories, reflecting reduced fidelity of remembered compared to real-world representations. We tested whether poorer representational fidelity across perception, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM) are among the earliest signs of cognitive aging. Our paradigm probed target-lure object mnemonic discrimination and precision of object-location binding. Across the lifespan, cognitive deficits were observed in midlife when detailed stimulus representations were required for perceptual and short/long-term forced choice mnemonic discrimination. A continuous metric of object-location source memory combined with computational modeling demonstrated that errors in STM and LTM in middle-aged adults were largely driven by a loss of precision for retrieved memories, not necessarily by forgetting. On a trial-by-trial basis, fidelity of item and spatial information was more tightly bound in LTM compared to STM with this association being unaffected by age. Standard neuropsychological tests without demands on memory quality (digit span, verbal learning) were less sensitive to age effects than STM and LTM precision. Perceptual discrimination predicted mnemonic discrimination. Neuropsychological proxies for prefrontal executive functions correlated with STM, but not LTM fidelity. Conversely, neuropsychological indicators of hippocampal integrity correlated with mnemonic discrimination and precision of both STM and LTM, suggesting partially dissociable mechanisms of interindividual variability in STM and LTM fidelity. These findings suggest that reduced representational fidelity is a hallmark of cognitive aging across perception, STM, and LTM and can be observed from midlife onward. Continuous memory precision tasks may be promising for the early detection of subtle age-related cognitive decline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jon S Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge
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24
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Bouffard NR, Fidalgo C, Brunec IK, Lee ACH, Barense MD. Older adults can use memory for distinctive objects, but not distinctive scenes, to rescue associative memory deficits. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024; 31:362-386. [PMID: 36703496 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2023.2170966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Associative memory deficits in aging are frequently characterized by false recognition of novel stimulus associations, particularly when stimuli are similar. Introducing distinctive stimuli, therefore, can help guide item differentiation in memory and can further our understanding of how age-related brain changes impact behavior. How older adults use different types of distinctive information to distinguish overlapping events in memory and to avoid false associative recognition is still unknown. To test this, we manipulated the distinctiveness of items from two stimulus categories, scenes and objects, across three conditions: (1) distinct scenes paired with similar objects, (2) similar scenes paired with distinct objects, and (3) similar scenes paired with similar objects. Young and older adults studied scene-object pairs and then made both remember/know judgments toward single items as well as associative memory judgments to old and novel scene-object pairs ("Were these paired together?"). Older adults showed intact single item recognition of scenes and objects, regardless of whether those objects and scenes were similar or distinct. In contrast, relative to younger adults, older adults showed elevated false recognition for scene-object pairs, even when the scenes were distinct. These age-related associative memory deficits, however, disappeared if the pair contained an object that was visually distinct. In line with neural evidence that hippocampal functioning and scene processing decline with age, these results suggest that older adults can rely on memory for distinct objects, but not for distinct scenes, to distinguish between memories with overlapping features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole R Bouffard
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Celia Fidalgo
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Iva K Brunec
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andy C H Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Morgan D Barense
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Ranchod S, Rakobowchuk M, Gonzalez C. Distinct age-related brain activity patterns in the prefrontal cortex when increasing cognitive load: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293394. [PMID: 38091335 PMCID: PMC10718428 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Researchers have long observed distinct brain activity patterns in older adults compared with younger adults that correlate with cognitive performance. Mainly, older adults tend to show over-recruitment of bilateral brain regions during lower task loads and improved performance interpreted as compensation, but not observed at higher loads. However, there are discrepancies about whether increases in activity are compensatory and whether older adults can show compensation at higher loads. Our aim was to examine age-related differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity and cognitive performance using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during single and dual N-back tasks. Twenty-seven young adults (18-27 years) and 31 older adults (64-84 yrs) took part in the study. We used a robust fNIRS data methodology consisting of channel and region of interest analyses. Results showed differences in performance between task load conditions and age-related differences in reaction times but no age-group effects for accuracy. Older adults exhibited more bilateral PFC activation compared with young adults across all tasks and showed increases in brain activity in high compared to low load conditions. Our findings further support previous reports showing that older adults use compensatory recruitment of additional brain regions in PFC to maintain cognitive performance but go against the notion that such compensation is not present at higher cognitive loads. Additionally, our results indicate that fNIRS is a sensitive tool that can characterize adaptive cortical changes in healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supreeta Ranchod
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Arts, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mark Rakobowchuk
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Claudia Gonzalez
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Arts, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
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26
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Zheng L, Gao Z, Doner S, Oyao A, Forloines M, Grilli MD, Barnes CA, Ekstrom AD. Hippocampal contributions to novel spatial learning are both age-related and age-invariant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307884120. [PMID: 38055735 PMCID: PMC10723126 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307884120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Older adults show declines in spatial memory, although the extent of these alterations is not uniform across the healthy older population. Here, we investigate the stability of neural representations for the same and different spatial environments in a sample of younger and older adults using high-resolution functional MRI of the medial temporal lobes. Older adults showed, on average, lower neural pattern similarity for retrieving the same environment and more variable neural patterns compared to young adults. We also found a positive association between spatial distance discrimination and the distinctiveness of neural patterns between environments. Our analyses suggested that one source for this association was the extent of informational connectivity to CA1 from other subfields, which was dependent on age, while another source was the fidelity of signals within CA1 itself, which was independent of age. Together, our findings suggest both age-dependent and independent neural contributions to spatial memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zheng
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
| | - Zhiyao Gao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Stephanie Doner
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
| | - Alexis Oyao
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
| | - Martha Forloines
- Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA95816
| | - Matthew D. Grilli
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
| | - Carol A. Barnes
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
| | - Arne D. Ekstrom
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721
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27
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Ao Y, Yang C, Drewes J, Jiang M, Huang L, Jing X, Northoff G, Wang Y. Spatiotemporal dedifferentiation of the global brain signal topography along the adult lifespan. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5906-5918. [PMID: 37800366 PMCID: PMC10619384 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related variations in many regions and/or networks of the human brain have been uncovered using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. However, these findings did not account for the dynamical effect the brain's global activity (global signal [GS]) causes on local characteristics, which is measured by GS topography. To address this gap, we tested GS topography including its correlation with age using a large-scale cross-sectional adult lifespan dataset (n = 492). Both GS topography and its variation with age showed frequency-specific patterns, reflecting the spatiotemporal characteristics of the dynamic change of GS topography with age. A general trend toward dedifferentiation of GS topography with age was observed in both spatial (i.e., less differences of GS between different regions) and temporal (i.e., less differences of GS between different frequencies) dimensions. Further, methodological control analyses suggested that although most age-related dedifferentiation effects remained across different preprocessing strategies, some were triggered by neuro-vascular coupling and physiological noises. Together, these results provide the first evidence for age-related effects on global brain activity and its topographic-dynamic representation in terms of spatiotemporal dedifferentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Ao
- Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Chengxiao Yang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jan Drewes
- Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina
| | - Muliang Jiang
- First Affiliated HospitalGuangxi Medical UniversityNanningChina
| | - Lihui Huang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiujuan Jing
- Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Yifeng Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina
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Purcell J, Wiley R, Won J, Callow D, Weiss L, Alfini A, Wei Y, Carson Smith J. Increased neural differentiation after a single session of aerobic exercise in older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 132:67-84. [PMID: 37742442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.008] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with decreased cognitive function. One theory posits that this decline is in part due to multiple neural systems becoming dedifferentiated in older adults. Exercise is known to improve cognition in older adults, even after only a single session. We hypothesized that one mechanism of improvement is a redifferentiation of neural systems. We used a within-participant, cross-over design involving 2 sessions: either 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or 30 minutes of seated rest (n = 32; ages 55-81 years). Both functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Stroop performance were acquired soon after exercise and rest. We quantified neural differentiation via general heterogeneity regression. There were 3 prominent findings following the exercise. First, participants were better at reducing Stroop interference. Second, while there was greater neural differentiation within the hippocampal formation and cerebellum, there was lower neural differentiation within frontal cortices. Third, this greater neural differentiation in the cerebellum and temporal lobe was more pronounced in the older ages. These data suggest that exercise can induce greater neural differentiation in healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Purcell
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Robert Wiley
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Junyeon Won
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Daniel Callow
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Lauren Weiss
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Alfonso Alfini
- National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, Division of Lung Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yi Wei
- Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - J Carson Smith
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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29
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Kassaw C, Demareva V. Determinants of academic achievement among higher education student found in low resource setting, A systematic review. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294585. [PMID: 37983225 PMCID: PMC10659171 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Academic success is a measure of students' ability to attain their educational objectives, often assessed through regular evaluations or examinations. To establish effective policies and programs that align with academic accomplishments, conducting comprehensive data analysis is pivotal. Hence, this systematic review aimed to synthesize the factors impeding the academic achievements of Ethiopian students in higher education. METHODS A comprehensive review was conducted on studies involving Ethiopian university students from 2013 to 2022. The review encompassed 24 papers that were gathered from different databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, Scopus, and Web of Science. RESULTS The findings of this research revealed that inadequate classroom environments, experiencing dysmenorrhea, and engaging in excessive social media usage were all linked to a decline in academic performance. Conversely, adopting healthy sleep habits, achieving high scores in entrance exams, and avoiding recent substance abuse were all factors positively influencing academic success. In addition, there was a positive correlation between academic excellence and being a health science college student and age range of 20 to 24 years old. CONCLUSION To enhance academic performance, it is crucial to address the negative factors identified, such as inadequate classroom environments, dysmenorrhea, and excessive social media usage, while promoting positive factors like healthy sleep habits, high scores in exams, and avoiding substance abuse. Additionally, being a health science college student and belonging to the age range of 20 to 24 were found to be associated with academic excellence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chalachew Kassaw
- Department of psychiatry, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Lobachevsky State, University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Valeriia Demareva
- Department of Social Security and Humanitarian Technologies, Nizhny Novgorod State University, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia
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30
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Giannopoulou P, Vrahatis AG, Papalaskari MA, Vlamos P. The RODI mHealth app Insight: Machine-Learning-Driven Identification of Digital Indicators for Neurodegenerative Disorder Detection. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2985. [PMID: 37998477 PMCID: PMC10671821 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11222985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurocognitive Disorders (NCDs) pose a significant global health concern, and early detection is crucial for optimizing therapeutic outcomes. In parallel, mobile health apps (mHealth apps) have emerged as a promising avenue for assisting individuals with cognitive deficits. Under this perspective, we pioneered the development of the RODI mHealth app, a unique method for detecting aligned with the criteria for NCDs using a series of brief tasks. Utilizing the RODI app, we conducted a study from July to October 2022 involving 182 individuals with NCDs and healthy participants. The study aimed to assess performance differences between healthy older adults and NCD patients, identify significant performance disparities during the initial administration of the RODI app, and determine critical features for outcome prediction. Subsequently, the results underwent machine learning processes to unveil underlying patterns associated with NCDs. We prioritize the tasks within RODI based on their alignment with the criteria for NCDs, thus acting as key digital indicators for the disorder. We achieve this by employing an ensemble strategy that leverages the feature importance mechanism from three contemporary classification algorithms. Our analysis revealed that tasks related to visual working memory were the most significant in distinguishing between healthy individuals and those with an NCD. On the other hand, processes involving mental calculations, executive working memory, and recall were less influential in the detection process. Our study serves as a blueprint for future mHealth apps, offering a guide for enhancing the detection of digital indicators for disorders and related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiota Giannopoulou
- Bioinformatics and Human Electrophysiology Laboratory, Department of Informatics, Ionian University, 49100 Corfu, Greece; (P.G.); (A.G.V.)
| | - Aristidis G. Vrahatis
- Bioinformatics and Human Electrophysiology Laboratory, Department of Informatics, Ionian University, 49100 Corfu, Greece; (P.G.); (A.G.V.)
| | | | - Panagiotis Vlamos
- Bioinformatics and Human Electrophysiology Laboratory, Department of Informatics, Ionian University, 49100 Corfu, Greece; (P.G.); (A.G.V.)
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31
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Zhang Z, Chan MY, Han L, Carreno CA, Winter-Nelson E, Wig GS. Dissociable Effects of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Cognitive Dysfunction and Aging on Functional Brain Network Segregation. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7879-7892. [PMID: 37714710 PMCID: PMC10648516 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0579-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with changes in large-scale functional brain network organization. Individuals with AD exhibit less segregated resting-state brain networks compared with individuals without dementia. However, declines in brain network segregation are also evident as adult individuals grow older. Determining whether these observations reflect unique or overlapping alterations on the functional connectome of the brain is essential for understanding the impact of AD on network organization and incorporating measures of functional brain network organization toward AD characterization. Relationships between AD dementia severity and participant's age on resting-state brain system segregation were examined in 326 cognitively healthy and 275 cognitively impaired human individuals recruited through the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (N = 601; age range, 55-96 years; 320 females). Greater dementia severity and increasing age were independently associated with lower brain system segregation. Further, dementia versus age relationships with brain network organization varied according to the processing roles of brain systems and types of network interactions. Aging was associated with alterations to association systems, primarily among within-system relationships. Conversely, dementia severity was associated with alterations that included both association systems and sensory-motor systems and was most prominent among cross-system interactions. Dementia-related network alterations were evident regardless of the presence of cortical amyloid burden, revealing that the measures of functional network organization are unique from this marker of AD-related pathology. Collectively, these observations demonstrate the specific and widespread alterations in the topological organization of large-scale brain networks that accompany AD and highlight functionally dissociable brain network vulnerabilities associated with AD-related cognitive dysfunction versus aging.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated cognitive dysfunction is hypothesized to be a consequence of brain network damage. It is unclear exactly how brain network alterations vary with dementia severity and whether they are distinct from alterations associated with aging. We evaluated functional brain network organization measured at rest among individuals who varied in age and dementia status. AD and aging exerted dissociable impacts on the brain's functional connectome. AD-associated brain network alterations were widespread and involved systems that subserve not only higher-order cognitive operations, but also sensory and motor operations. Notably, AD-related network alterations were independent of amyloid pathology. The research furthers our understanding of AD-related brain dysfunction and motivates refining existing frameworks of dementia characterization with measures of functional network organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Zhang
- Center for Vital Longevity and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | - Micaela Y Chan
- Center for Vital Longevity and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | - Liang Han
- Center for Vital Longevity and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | - Claudia A Carreno
- Center for Vital Longevity and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | - Ezra Winter-Nelson
- Center for Vital Longevity and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | - Gagan S Wig
- Center for Vital Longevity and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
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32
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Eppinger B, Ruel A, Bolenz F. Diminished State Space Theory of Human Aging. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023:17456916231204811. [PMID: 37931229 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231204811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Many new technologies, such as smartphones, computers, or public-access systems (like ticket-vending machines), are a challenge for older adults. One feature that these technologies have in common is that they involve underlying, partially observable, structures (state spaces) that determine the actions that are necessary to reach a certain goal (e.g., to move from one menu to another, to change a function, or to activate a new service). In this work we provide a theoretical, neurocomputational account to explain these behavioral difficulties in older adults. Based on recent findings from age-comparative computational- and cognitive-neuroscience studies, we propose that age-related impairments in complex goal-directed behavior result from an underlying deficit in the representation of state spaces of cognitive tasks. Furthermore, we suggest that these age-related deficits in adaptive decision-making are due to impoverished neural representations in the orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Eppinger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden
| | - Alexa Ruel
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University
- Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg
| | - Florian Bolenz
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence/Cluster of Excellence, Technical University of Berlin
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33
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Zheng L, Gao Z, Doner S, Oyao A, Forloines M, Grilli MD, Barnes CA, Ekstrom AD. Hippocampal contributions to novel spatial learning are both age-related and age-invariant. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.28.546918. [PMID: 37425879 PMCID: PMC10326977 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.28.546918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Older adults show declines in spatial memory, although the extent of these alterations is not uniform across the healthy older population. Here, we investigate the stability of neural representations for the same and different spatial environments in a sample of younger and older adults using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the medial temporal lobe. Older adults showed, on average, lower neural pattern similarity for retrieving the same environment and more variable neural patterns compared to young adults. We also found a positive association between spatial distance discrimination and the distinctiveness of neural patterns between environments. Our analyses suggested that one source for this association was the extent of informational connectivity to CA1 from other subfields, which was dependent on age, while another source was the fidelity of signals within CA1 itself, which was independent of age. Together, our findings suggest both age-dependent and independent neural contributions to spatial memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zheng
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
| | - Zhiyao Gao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Stephanie Doner
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
| | - Alexis Oyao
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
| | - Martha Forloines
- Alzheimer s Disease Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95816
| | - Matthew D Grilli
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
- Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
| | - Carol A Barnes
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
- Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
| | - Arne D Ekstrom
- Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
- Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
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Naspi L, Stensholt C, Karlsson AE, Monge ZA, Cabeza R. Effects of Aging on Successful Object Encoding: Enhanced Semantic Representations Compensate for Impaired Visual Representations. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7337-7350. [PMID: 37673674 PMCID: PMC10621770 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2265-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although episodic memory and visual processing decline substantially with healthy aging, semantic knowledge is generally spared. There is evidence that older adults' spared semantic knowledge can support episodic memory. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combined with representational similarity analyses (RSAs) to examine how novel visual and preexisting semantic representations at encoding predict subjective memory vividness at retrieval. Eighteen young and seventeen older adults (female and male participants) encoded images of objects during fMRI scanning and recalled these images while rating the vividness of their memories. After scanning, participants discriminated between studied images and similar lures. RSA based on a deep convolutional neural network and normative concept feature data were used to link patterns of neural activity during encoding to visual and semantic representations. Relative to young adults, the specificity of activation patterns for visual features was reduced in older adults, consistent with dedifferentiation. However, the specificity of activation patterns for semantic features was enhanced in older adults, consistent with hyperdifferentiation. Despite dedifferentiation, visual representations in early visual cortex (EVC) predicted high memory vividness in both age groups. In contrast, semantic representations in lingual gyrus (LG) and fusiform gyrus (FG) were associated with high memory vividness only in the older adults. Intriguingly, data suggests that older adults with lower specificity of visual representations in combination with higher specificity of semantic representations tended to rate their memories as more vivid. Our findings suggest that memory vividness in aging relies more on semantic representations over anterior regions, potentially compensating for age-related dedifferentiation of visual information in posterior regions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Normal aging is associated with impaired memory for events while semantic knowledge might even improve. We investigated the effects of aging on the specificity of visual and semantic information in the brain when viewing common objects and how this information enables subsequent memory vividness for these objects. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combined with modeling of the stimuli we found that visual information was represented with less specificity in older than young adults while still supporting memory vividness. In contrast semantic information supported memory vividness only in older adults and especially in those individuals that had the lowest specificity of visual information. These findings provide evidence for a spared semantic memory system increasingly recruited to compensate for degraded visual representations in older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loris Naspi
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Charlotte Stensholt
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Anna E Karlsson
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Zachary A Monge
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - Roberto Cabeza
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708
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Wu W, Hoffman P. Age differences in the neural processing of semantics, within and beyond the core semantic network. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 131:88-105. [PMID: 37603932 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with functional activation changes in domain-specific regions and large-scale brain networks. This preregistered Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated these effects within the domain of semantic cognition. Participants completed 1 nonsemantic and 2 semantic tasks. We found no age differences in semantic activation in core semantic regions. However, the right inferior frontal gyrus showed difficulty-related increases in both age groups. This suggests that age-related upregulation of this area may be a compensatory response to increased processing demands. At a network level, older people showed more engagement in the default mode network and less in the executive multiple-demand network, aligning with older people's greater knowledge reserves and executive declines. In contrast, activation was age-invariant in semantic control regions. Finally, older adults showed reduced demand-related modulation of multiple-demand network activation in the nonsemantic task but not the semantic tasks. These findings provide a new perspective on the neural basis of semantic cognition in aging, suggesting that preserved function in specialized semantic networks may help to maintain semantic cognition in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wu
- School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Paul Hoffman
- School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Hrybouski S, Das SR, Xie L, Wisse LEM, Kelley M, Lane J, Sherin M, DiCalogero M, Nasrallah I, Detre J, Yushkevich PA, Wolk DA. Aging and Alzheimer's disease have dissociable effects on local and regional medial temporal lobe connectivity. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad245. [PMID: 37767219 PMCID: PMC10521906 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional disruption of the medial temporal lobe-dependent networks is thought to underlie episodic memory deficits in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies revealed that the anterior medial temporal lobe is more vulnerable to pathological and neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, cognitive and structural imaging literature indicates posterior, as opposed to anterior, medial temporal lobe vulnerability in normal aging. However, the extent to which Alzheimer's and aging-related pathological processes relate to functional disruption of the medial temporal lobe-dependent brain networks is poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we examined functional connectivity alterations in the medial temporal lobe and its immediate functional neighbourhood-the Anterior-Temporal and Posterior-Medial brain networks-in normal agers, individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease and patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. In the Anterior-Temporal network and in the perirhinal cortex, in particular, we observed an inverted 'U-shaped' relationship between functional connectivity and Alzheimer's stage. According to our results, the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease is characterized by increased functional connectivity between the perirhinal cortex and other regions of the medial temporal lobe, as well as between the anterior medial temporal lobe and its one-hop neighbours in the Anterior-Temporal system. This effect is no longer present in symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. Instead, patients with symptomatic Alzheimer's disease displayed reduced hippocampal connectivity within the medial temporal lobe as well as hypoconnectivity within the Posterior-Medial system. For normal aging, our results led to three main conclusions: (i) intra-network connectivity of both the Anterior-Temporal and Posterior-Medial networks declines with age; (ii) the anterior and posterior segments of the medial temporal lobe become increasingly decoupled from each other with advancing age; and (iii) the posterior subregions of the medial temporal lobe, especially the parahippocampal cortex, are more vulnerable to age-associated loss of function than their anterior counterparts. Together, the current results highlight evolving medial temporal lobe dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease and indicate different neurobiological mechanisms of the medial temporal lobe network disruption in aging versus Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislau Hrybouski
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory (PICSL), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sandhitsu R Das
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory (PICSL), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Long Xie
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory (PICSL), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Laura E M Wisse
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory (PICSL), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Melissa Kelley
- Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jacqueline Lane
- Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Monica Sherin
- Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael DiCalogero
- Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ilya Nasrallah
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John Detre
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Paul A Yushkevich
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory (PICSL), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David A Wolk
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Cespón J, Chupina I, Carreiras M. Cognitive reserve counteracts typical neural activity changes related to ageing. Neuropsychologia 2023; 188:108625. [PMID: 37364777 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108625] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Studies have shown that older adults with high Cognitive Reserve (HCR) exhibit better executive functioning than their low CR (LCR) counterparts. However, the neural processes linked to those differences are unclear. This study investigates (1) the neural processes underlying executive functions in older adults with HCR compared to older adults with LCR and (2) how executive control differences between HCR and LCR groups are modulated by increased task difficulty. We recruited 74 participants (37 in each group) with diverse CR levels, as determined by a standardised CR questionnaire. Participants performed two executive control tasks with lower and higher difficulty levels (i.e., Simon and spatial Stroop tasks, respectively) while recording the electroencephalogram. The accuracy on both tasks requiring inhibition of irrelevant information was better in the HCR than the LCR group. Also, in the task with higher difficulty level (i.e., the spatial Stroop task), event-related potential (ERP) latencies associated with inhibition (i.e., frontal N200) and updating of working memory (i.e., P300) were earlier in HCR than LCR. Moreover, the HCR, but not the LCR group, showed larger P300 amplitude in parietal than frontal regions and in the left than right hemisphere, suggesting a posterior to anterior shift of activity and loss of inter-hemispheric asymmetries in LCR participants. These results suggest that high CR counteracts neural activity changes related to ageing. Thus, high levels of CR may be related to maintenance of neural activity patterns typically observed in young adults rather than to deployment of neural compensatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Cespón
- BCBL Basque Center on Cognition, Brain, and Language, Mikeletegi Pasealekua, 69, Donostia/San Sebastián, 20009, Spain.
| | - Irina Chupina
- Radboud University, Donders Centre for Cognition, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6525 GD, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Manuel Carreiras
- BCBL Basque Center on Cognition, Brain, and Language, Mikeletegi Pasealekua, 69, Donostia/San Sebastián, 20009, Spain; Ikerbasque. Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Bilbao, Spain
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Craik FI. Memory, aging and the brain: Old findings and current issues. AGING BRAIN 2023; 4:100096. [PMID: 37701730 PMCID: PMC10494262 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2023.100096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In this article I reprise some selected findings and issues from my previous behavioural work on age-related differences in memory, and relate them to current work on the neural correlates of encoding, retrieval and representation. In particular, I describe the case study of a woman who had persistent experiences of erroneous recollection. I also describe the results of a study showing a double dissociation of implicit and explicit memory in younger and older adults. Finally, I assess recent work on loss of specificity in older adults' encoding and retrieval processes of episodic events. In all cases I attempt to relate these older findings to current ideas and empirical results in the area of memory, aging, and the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fergus I.M. Craik
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy, 3560 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada
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Dahl MJ, Bachman SL, Dutt S, Düzel S, Bodammer NC, Lindenberger U, Kühn S, Werkle-Bergner M, Mather M. The integrity of dopaminergic and noradrenergic brain regions is associated with different aspects of late-life memory performance. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1128-1143. [PMID: 37653256 PMCID: PMC10501910 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00469-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Changes in dopaminergic neuromodulation play a key role in adult memory decline. Recent research has also implicated noradrenaline in shaping late-life memory. However, it is unclear whether these two neuromodulators have distinct roles in age-related cognitive changes. Here, combining longitudinal MRI of the dopaminergic substantia nigra-ventral tegmental area (SN-VTA) and noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) in younger (n = 69) and older (n = 251) adults, we found that dopaminergic and noradrenergic integrity are differentially associated with memory performance. While LC integrity was related to better episodic memory across several tasks, SN-VTA integrity was linked to working memory. Longitudinally, we found that older age was associated with more negative change in SN-VTA and LC integrity. Notably, changes in LC integrity reliably predicted future episodic memory. These differential associations of dopaminergic and noradrenergic nuclei with late-life cognitive decline have potential clinical utility, given their degeneration in several age-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Shelby L Bachman
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shubir Dutt
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sandra Düzel
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nils C Bodammer
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Kühn
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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40
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Baxter LC, Limback-Stokin M, Patten KJ, Arreola AC, Locke DE, Hu L, Zhou Y, Caselli RJ. Hippocampal connectivity and memory decline in cognitively intact APOE ε4 carriers. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:3806-3814. [PMID: 36906845 PMCID: PMC11105018 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) graph theory may help detect subtle functional connectivity changes affecting memory prior to impairment. METHODS Cognitively normal apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers/noncarriers underwent longitudinal cognitive assessment and one-time MRI. The relationship of left/right hippocampal connectivity and memory trajectory were compared between carriers/noncarriers. RESULTS Steepness of verbal memory decline correlated with decreased connectivity in the left hippocampus, only among APOE ε4 carriers. Right hippocampal metrics were not correlated with memory and there were no significant correlations in the noncarriers. Verbal memory decline correlated with left hippocampal volume loss for both carriers and noncarriers, with no other significant volumetric findings. DISCUSSION Findings support early hippocampal dysfunction in intact carriers, the AD disconnection hypothesis, and left hippocampal dysfunction earlier than the right. Combining lateralized graph theoretical metrics with a sensitive measure of memory trajectory allowed for detection of early-stage changes in APOE ε4 carriers before symptoms of mild cognitive impairment are present. HIGHLIGHTS Graph theory connectivity detects preclinical hippocampal changes in APOE ε4 carriers. The AD disconnection hypothesis was supported in unimpaired APOE ε4 carriers. Hippocampal dysfunction starts asymmetrically on the left.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie C. Baxter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | | | - K. Jakob Patten
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Tempe, Arizona, 85281 USA
| | | | - Dona E.C. Locke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Leland Hu
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, 85054 USA
| | - Yuxiang Zhou
- Department of Medical Physics, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, 85054 USA
| | - Richard J. Caselli
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, 85259 USA
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Lin FV, Heffner KL. Autonomic nervous system flexibility for understanding brain aging. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102016. [PMID: 37459967 PMCID: PMC10530154 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
A recent call was made for autonomic nervous system (ANS) measures as digital health markers for early detection of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (AD/ADRD). Nevertheless, contradictory or inconclusive findings exist. To help advance understanding of ANS' role in dementia, we draw upon aging and dementia-related literature, and propose a framework that centers on the role of ANS flexibility to guide future work on application of ANS function to differentiating the degree and type of dementia-related brain pathologies. We first provide a brief review of literature within the past 10 years on ANS and dementia-related brain pathologies. Next, we present an ANS flexibility model, describing how the model can be applied to understand these brain pathologies, as well as differentiate or even be leveraged to modify typical brain aging and dementia. Lastly, we briefly discuss the implication of the model for understanding resilience and vulnerability to dementia-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng V Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, USA.
| | - Kathi L Heffner
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester, USA; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, USA
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Flaim M, Blaisdell AP. The effect of age on delay performance and associative learning tasks in pigeons. Learn Behav 2023; 51:281-294. [PMID: 36624334 PMCID: PMC10506936 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-022-00565-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Pigeons are commonly utilized in psychological research, and their cognitive abilities have been thoroughly investigated. Yet very little is known about how these abilities change with age. In contrast, age-related changes in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents are well documented. Mammalian research consistently shows that older subjects show deficits in a variety of learning and memory processes, particularly those that rely on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. This research expands the avian aging literature by administering a memory task, the delayed match to sample procedure, and an associative learning task, a conditional or symbolic match to sample procedure, to nine young and 11 old pigeons. Previous research has indicated that these tasks rely on the avian equivalent to the mammalian prefrontal cortex, and we predicted that performance on both tasks would decline with age. In contrast to our predictions, only the associative learning task was sensitive to age-related decline. Performance on the memory task was maintained in older subjects. These results highlight further potential differences in avian versus mammalian aging, particularly when it comes to the prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Flaim
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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Zhen Y, Gao L, Chen J, Gu L, Shu H, Wang Z, Liu D, Zhang Z. EEG Reveals Alterations in Motor Imagery in People With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:1474-1483. [PMID: 37216647 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad076] [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: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Motor imagery has been used to investigate the cognitive mechanism of motor control. Although behavioral and electrophysiological changes in motor imagery in people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) have been reported, deficits in different types of imagery remain unclear. To explore this question, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to study neural correlates of visual imagery (VI) and kinesthetic imagery (KI) and their relationship to cognitive function in people with aMCI. METHODS A hand laterality judgment task was used to induce implicit motor imagery in 29 people with aMCI and 40 healthy controls during EEG recording. Mass univariate and multivariate EEG analysis was applied to explore group differences in a data-driven manner. RESULTS Modulation of stimuli orientation to event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes differed significantly between groups at 2 clusters located in the posterior-parietal and frontal areas. Multivariate decoding revealed sufficient representation of VI-related orientation features in both groups. Relative to healthy controls, the aMCI group lacked accurate representation of KI-related biomechanical features, suggesting deficits in automatic activation of KI strategy. Electrophysiological correlates were associated with episodic memory, visuospatial function, and executive function. Higher decoding accuracy of biomechanical features predicted better executive function via longer response time in the imagery task in the aMCI group. DISCUSSION These findings reveal electrophysiological correlates related to motor imagery deficits in aMCI, including local ERP amplitudes and large-scale activity patterns. Alterations in EEG activity are related to cognitive function in multiple domains, including episodic memory, suggesting the potential of these EEG indices as biomarkers of cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfen Zhen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lijuan Gao
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Research Institution of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiu Chen
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Research Institution of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lihua Gu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Research Institution of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Shu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Research Institution of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Research Institution of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Duan Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Research Institution of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Research Institution of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Manelis A, Hu H, Miceli R, Satz S, Schwalbe M. Neural correlates of the sound facilitation effect in the modified Simon task in older adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1207707. [PMID: 37644962 PMCID: PMC10461020 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1207707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The ability to resolve interference declines with age and is attributed to neurodegeneration and reduced cognitive function and mental alertness in older adults. Our previous study revealed that task-irrelevant but environmentally meaningful sounds improve performance on the modified Simon task in older adults. However, little is known about neural correlates of this sound facilitation effect. Methods Twenty right-handed older adults [mean age = 72 (SD = 4), 11 female] participated in the fMRI study. They performed the modified Simon task in which the arrows were presented either in the locations matching the arrow direction (congruent trials) or in the locations mismatching the arrow direction (incongruent trials). A total of 50% of all trials were accompanied by task-irrelevant but environmentally meaningful sounds. Results Participants were faster on the trials with concurrent sounds, independently of whether trials were congruent or incongruent. The sound effect was associated with activation in the distributed network of auditory, posterior parietal, frontal, and limbic brain regions. The magnitude of the behavioral facilitation effect due to sound was associated with the changes in activation of the bilateral auditory cortex, cuneal cortex, and occipital fusiform gyrus, precuneus, left superior parietal lobule (SPL) for No Sound vs. Sound trials. These changes were associated with the corresponding changes in reaction time (RT). Older adults with a recent history of falls showed greater activation in the left SPL than those without falls history. Conclusion Our findings are consistent with the dedifferentiation hypothesis of cognitive aging. The facilitatory effect of sound could be achieved through recruitment of excessive neural resources, which allows older adults to increase attention and mental alertness during task performance. Considering that the SPL is critical for integration of multisensory information, individuals with slower task responses and those with a history of falls may need to recruit this region more actively than individuals with faster responses and those without a fall history to overcome increased difficulty with interference resolution. Future studies should examine the relationship among activation in the SPL, the effect of sound, and falls history in the individuals who are at heightened risk of falls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Manelis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Hang Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rachel Miceli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Skye Satz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Marie Schwalbe
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Pauley C, Kobelt M, Werkle-Bergner M, Sander MC. Age differences in neural distinctiveness during memory encoding, retrieval, and reinstatement. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9489-9503. [PMID: 37365853 PMCID: PMC10431749 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Robust evidence points to mnemonic deficits in older adults related to dedifferentiated, i.e. less distinct, neural responses during memory encoding. However, less is known about retrieval-related dedifferentiation and its role in age-related memory decline. In this study, younger and older adults were scanned both while incidentally learning face and house stimuli and while completing a surprise recognition memory test. Using pattern similarity searchlight analyses, we looked for indicators of neural dedifferentiation during encoding, retrieval, and encoding-retrieval reinstatement. Our findings revealed age-related reductions in neural distinctiveness during all memory phases in visual processing regions. Interindividual differences in retrieval- and reinstatement-related distinctiveness were strongly associated with distinctiveness during memory encoding. Both item- and category-level distinctiveness predicted trial-wise mnemonic outcomes. We further demonstrated that the degree of neural distinctiveness during encoding tracked interindividual variability in memory performance better than both retrieval- and reinstatement-related distinctiveness. All in all, we contribute to meager existing evidence for age-related neural dedifferentiation during memory retrieval. We show that neural distinctiveness during retrieval is likely tied to recapitulation of encoding-related perceptual and mnemonic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Pauley
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Malte Kobelt
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Myriam C Sander
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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46
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Schoeller F. Primary states of consciousness: A review of historical and contemporary developments. Conscious Cogn 2023; 113:103536. [PMID: 37321024 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Primary states of consciousness are conceived as phylogenetically older states of consciousness as compared to secondary states governed by sociocultural inhibition. The historical development of the concept in psychiatry and neurobiology is reviewed, along with its relationship to theories of consciousness. We suggest that primary states of consciousness are characterized by a temporary breakdown of self-control accompanied by a merging of action, communication, and emotion (ACE fusion), ordinarily segregated in human adults. We examine the neurobiologic basis of this model, including its relation to the phenomenon of neural dedifferentiation, the loss of modularity during altered states of consciousness, and increased corticostriatal connectivity. By shedding light on the importance of primary states of consciousness, this article provides a novel perspective on the role of consciousness as a mechanism of differentiation and control. We discuss potential differentiators underlying a gradient from primary to secondary state of consciousness, suggesting changes in thalamocortical interactions and arousal function. We also propose a set of testable, neurobiologically plausible working hypotheses to account for their distinct phenomenological and neural signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, United States; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.
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Chiang HS, Lydon EA, Kraut MA, Hart J, Mudar RA. Differences in electroencephalography oscillations between normal aging and mild cognitive impairment during semantic memory retrieval. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:2278-2296. [PMID: 37122187 PMCID: PMC10531984 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Semantic memory remains relatively stable with normal cognitive aging and declines in early stages of neurodegenerative disease. We measured electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory correlates of semantic memory retrieval to examine the effects of normal and pathological aging. Twenty-nine cognitively healthy young adults (YA), 22 cognitively healthy aging adults (HA) and 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) completed a semantic memory retrieval task with concurrent EEG recording in which they judged whether two words (features of objects) led to retrieval of an object (retrieval) or not (non-retrieval). Event-related power changes contrasting the two conditions (retrieval vs. non-retrieval) within theta, alpha, low-beta and high-beta EEG frequency bands were examined for normal aging (YA vs. HA) and pathological aging effects (HA vs. MCI). With no behavioural differences between the two normal age groups, we found later theta and alpha event-related power differences between conditions only in YA and a high-beta event-related power difference only in HA. For pathological aging effects, with reduced accuracy in MCI, we found different EEG patterns of early event-related beta power differences between conditions in MCI compared with HA and an event-related low-beta power difference only in HA. Beta oscillations were correlated with behavioural performance only in HA. We conclude that the aging brain relies on faster (beta) oscillations during the semantic memory task. With pathological aging, retrieval accuracy declines and pattern of beta oscillation changes. The findings provide insights about age-related neural mechanisms underlying semantic memory and have implications for early detection of pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsueh-Sheng Chiang
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 5303 Harry Hines Blvd 8th floor, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Lydon
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 901 S 6th St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Michael A. Kraut
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University. 1800 Orleans St. Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - John Hart
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 5303 Harry Hines Blvd 8th floor, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Raksha A. Mudar
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 901 S 6th St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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Pedersen R, Johansson J, Salami A. Dopamine D1-signaling modulates maintenance of functional network segregation in aging. AGING BRAIN 2023; 3:100079. [PMID: 37408790 PMCID: PMC10318303 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2023.100079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Past research has shown that as individuals age, there are decreases in within-network connectivity and increases in between-network connectivity, a pattern known as functional dedifferentiation. While the mechanisms behind reduced network segregation are not fully understood, evidence suggests that age-related differences in the dopamine (DA) system may play a key role. The DA D1-receptor (D1DR) is the most abundant and age-sensitive receptor subtype in the dopaminergic system, known to modulate synaptic activity and enhance the specificity of the neuronal signals. In this study from the DyNAMiC project (N = 180, 20-79y), we set out to investigate the interplay among age, functional connectivity, and dopamine D1DR availability. Using a novel application of multivariate Partial Least squares (PLS), we found that older age, and lower D1DR availability, were simultaneously associated with a pattern of decreased within-network and increased between-network connectivity. Individuals who expressed greater distinctiveness of large-scale networks exhibited more efficient working memory. In line with the maintenance hypotheses, we found that older individuals with greater D1DR in caudate exhibited less dedifferentiation of the connectome, and greater working memory, compared to their age-matched counterparts with less D1DR. These findings suggest that dopaminergic neurotransmission plays an important role in functional dedifferentiation in aging with consequences for working memory function at older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Pedersen
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jarkko Johansson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Lin FV, Zuo Y, Conwell Y, Wang KH. New horizons in emotional well-being and brain aging: Potential lessons from cross-species research. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2023; 38:e5936. [PMID: 37260057 PMCID: PMC10652707 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Emotional wellbeing (EWB) is a multi-faceted concept of immediate relevance to human health. NIH recently initiated a series of research networks to advance understanding of EWB. Our network (NEW Brain Aging) focuses on mechanistic understanding of EWB in relation to brain aging. Here, by synthesizing the literature on emotional processing and the underlying brain circuit mechanisms in human and non-human animals, we propose a reactivity and reappraisal model for understanding EWB and its age-related changes. This model emphasizes the dynamic interactions between affective stimuli, behavioral/physiological responses, brain emotional states, and subjective feelings. It also aims to integrate the unique emotional processes involved in explaining EWB in aging humans with the emerging mechanistic insight of topologically conserved emotional brain networks from cross-species studies. We also highlight the research opportunities and challenges in EWB and brain aging research and the potential application of the model in addressing these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Vankee Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Yi Zuo
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
| | - Yeates Conwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
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Srokova S, Aktas ANZ, Koen JD, Rugg MD. Dissociative effects of age on neural differentiation at the category and item level. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.24.542148. [PMID: 37293054 PMCID: PMC10245847 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.24.542148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing age is associated with age-related neural dedifferentiation, a reduction in the selectivity of neural representations which has been proposed to contribute to cognitive decline in older age. Recent findings indicate that when operationalized in terms of selectivity for different perceptual categories, age-related neural dedifferentiation, and the apparent age-invariant association of neural selectivity with cognitive performance, are largely restricted to the cortical regions typically recruited during scene processing. It is currently unknown whether this category-level dissociation extends to metrics of neural selectivity defined at the level of individual stimulus items. Here, we examined neural selectivity at the category and item levels using multivoxel pattern similarity analysis (PSA) of fMRI data. Healthy young and older male and female adults viewed images of objects and scenes. Some items were presented singly, while others were either repeated or followed by a 'similar lure'. Consistent with recent findings, category-level PSA revealed robustly lower differentiation in older than younger adults in scene-selective, but not object-selective, cortical regions. By contrast, at the item level, robust age-related declines in neural differentiation were evident for both stimulus categories. Moreover, we identified an age-invariant association between category-level scene-selectivity in the parahippocampal place area and subsequent memory performance, but no such association was evident for item-level metrics. Lastly, category and item-level neural metrics were uncorrelated. Thus, the present findings suggest that age-related category- and item-level dedifferentiation depend on distinct neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Srokova
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, 1600 Viceroy Dr. #800, Dallas, TX 75235
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080
| | - Ayse N. Z. Aktas
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, 1600 Viceroy Dr. #800, Dallas, TX 75235
| | - Joshua D. Koen
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, IN, 90 Corbett Family Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Michael D. Rugg
- Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, 1600 Viceroy Dr. #800, Dallas, TX 75235
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080
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