1
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Yang H, Bao Y. Three-phase temporal dynamics in random number generation. Psych J 2023; 12:787-792. [PMID: 37681229 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.676] [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: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
"Inhibition of return" (IOR) was originally described in the field of spatial attention, but it has also been observed in random number generation tasks. Subjects showed a tendency of "repetition avoidance," which can be considered as equivalent to IOR in another cognitive domain. As temporal factors have been suspected to play an important role in random number generation, we aimed to examine how such factors might influence regularities such as repetition avoidance in random number generation tasks. Participants were instructed to verbally generate a sequence of numbers at a certain pace, that is, with either 0.5, 1.5, 3 or 4 s between each response. Each number in the sequence should have the same probability of appearance and should be independent from the others. However, it was observed that the human-generated sequences differed drastically from computer-simulated pseudo-random sequences. The distribution of the repetition gap, which indicates how many different numbers are reported between two identical numbers in the generated sequences, showed a "three-phase" characteristic: a phase of avoidance of the same number, an oscillatory component for coming back to the same number, and finally an exponential decay of number selection frequencies. This three-phase characteristic was independent of the time interval between responses. These observations indicate an item-based process in random number generation, making a time-based control in this task rather unlikely as has been hypothetically assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiming Yang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig Maximillian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Yan Bao
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig Maximillian University, Munich, Germany
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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2
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Soto-León V, Díez-Rodríguez E, Herrera-Pérez S, Rosa JM, Aguilar J, Hernando A, Bravo-Sánchez C, López-González V, Pérez-Borrego Y, Bestmann S, Oliviero A. Effects of transcranial static magnetic field stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on random number generation. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 149:18-24. [PMID: 36867915 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.02.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Focal application of transcranial static magnetic field stimulation (tSMS) is a neuromodulation technique, with predominantly inhibitory effects when applied to the motor, somatosensory or visual cortex. Whether this approach can also transiently interact with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) function remains unclear. The suppression of habitual or competitive responses is one of the core executive functions linked to DLPFC function. This study aimed to assess the impact of tSMS on the prefrontal contributions to inhibitory control and response selection by means of a RNG task. METHODS We applied 20 min of tSMS over the left DLPFC of healthy subjects, using a real/sham cross-over design, during performance of a RNG task. We used an index of randomness calculated with the measures of entropy and correlation to assess the impact of stimulation on DLPFC function. RESULTS The randomness index of the sequences generated during the tSMS intervention was significantly higher compared to those produced in the sham condition. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that application of tSMS transiently modulates specific functional brain networks in DLPFC, which indicate a potential use of tSMS for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. SIGNIFICANCE This study provides evidence for the capacity of tSMS for modulating DLPFC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Soto-León
- FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain.
| | - Eva Díez-Rodríguez
- FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Salvador Herrera-Pérez
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Juliana M Rosa
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Juan Aguilar
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Antonio Hernando
- Instituto Magnetismo Aplicado, Laboratorio Salvador Velayos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid-Consejo Superior Investigación Científica-Administrador Infraestructuras Ferroviarias, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia, Madrid, Spain; Donostia International Physics Centre, San Sebastián, Spain; Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlota Bravo-Sánchez
- FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Verónica López-González
- FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Yolanda Pérez-Borrego
- FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Sven Bestmann
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Antonio Oliviero
- FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo, Spain; Hospital Los Madroños, Brunete, Madrid, Spain
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3
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Guseva M, Bogler C, Allefeld C, Haynes JD. Instruction effects on randomness in sequence generation. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1113654. [PMID: 37034908 PMCID: PMC10075230 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113654] [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: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Randomness is a fundamental property of human behavior. It occurs both in the form of intrinsic random variability, say when repetitions of a task yield slightly different behavioral outcomes, or in the form of explicit randomness, say when a person tries to avoid being predicted in a game of rock, paper and scissors. Randomness has frequently been studied using random sequence generation tasks (RSG). A key finding has been that humans are poor at deliberately producing random behavior. At the same time, it has been shown that people might be better randomizers if randomness is only an implicit (rather than an explicit) requirement of the task. We therefore hypothesized that randomization performance might vary with the exact instructions with which randomness is elicited. To test this, we acquired data from a large online sample (n = 388), where every participant made 1,000 binary choices based on one of the following instructions: choose either randomly, freely, irregularly, according to an imaginary coin toss or perform a perceptual guessing task. Our results show significant differences in randomness between the conditions as quantified by conditional entropy and estimated Markov order. The randomization scores were highest in the conditions where people were asked to be irregular or mentally simulate a random event (coin toss) thus yielding recommendations for future studies on randomization behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Guseva
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Maja Guseva,
| | - Carsten Bogler
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Allefeld
- Department of Psychology, City University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John-Dylan Haynes
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, City University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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4
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Load-Dependent Prefrontal Cortex Activation Assessed by Continuous-Wave Near-Infrared Spectroscopy during Two Executive Tasks with Three Cognitive Loads in Young Adults. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12111462. [PMID: 36358387 PMCID: PMC9688545 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined the evolution of the behavioral performance, subjectively perceived difficulty, and hemodynamic activity of the prefrontal cortex as a function of cognitive load during two different cognitive tasks tapping executive functions. Additionally, it investigated the relationships between these behavioral, subjective, and neuroimaging data. Nineteen right-handed young adults (18–22 years) were scanned using continuous-wave functional near-infrared spectroscopy during the performance of n-back and random number generation tasks in three cognitive load conditions. Four emitter and four receptor optodes were fixed bilaterally over the ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices to record the hemodynamic changes. A self-reported scale measured the perceived difficulty. The findings of this study showed that an increasing cognitive load deteriorated the behavioral performance and increased the perceived difficulty. The hemodynamic activity increased parametrically for the three cognitive loads of the random number generation task and in a two-back and three-back compared to a one-back condition. In addition, the hemodynamic activity was specifically greater in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex than in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for both cognitive tasks (random number generation and n-back tasks). Finally, the results highlighted some links between cerebral oxygenation and the behavioral performance, but not the subjectively perceived difficulty. Our results suggest that cognitive load affects the executive performance and perceived difficulty and that fNIRS can be used to specify the prefrontal cortex’s implications for executive tasks involving inhibition and working memory updating.
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Agbangla NF, Pater Maire M, Maillot P, Vitiello D. Is there a relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and executive performance as function of mental workload in young adults? Front Psychol 2022; 13:932345. [PMID: 35936329 PMCID: PMC9353114 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.932345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current study, we have decided to investigate the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and executive functions in young adults as a function of mental workload. To achieve our objectives, we have solicited 29 young adults (18–25 years; 12 women) who have first realized the Random Number Generation (RNG) task with two levels of complexity. After each level of complexity, the participants were asked to report on their perceived difficulty. Secondly, participants performed the RABIT® test, during which oxygen consumption was measured through the Metamax 3B-R2. The results showed that executive performance and perceived difficulty deteriorate with increasing task complexity. Additionally, oxygen consumption increased significantly to reach a peak during the hardest phase of the RABIT® test. Finally, as in previous studies, we could not observe a correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and executive functions. Our findings support the lack of a direct relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and executive functions. Future studies should explore the relationship between the composite measure of executive function, hemodynamic activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy youth and their peers with cardiovascular disease. This will examine an indirect effect of Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on Executive functions (EFs) through brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nounagnon Frutueux Agbangla
- Laboratory URePSSS – SHERPAS (ULR 7369), Université d’Artois, Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, Université de Lille, UFR STAPS, Liévin, France
- *Correspondence: Nounagnon Frutueux Agbangla,
| | - Marion Pater Maire
- Institut des Sciences du Sport-Santé de Paris (I3SP - URP 3625), Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Maillot
- Institut des Sciences du Sport-Santé de Paris (I3SP - URP 3625), Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Damien Vitiello
- Institut des Sciences du Sport-Santé de Paris (I3SP - URP 3625), Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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Mylius V, Maes L, Negele K, Schmid C, Sylvester R, Brook CS, Brugger F, Perez-Lloret S, Bansi J, Aminian K, Paraschiv-Ionescu A, Gonzenbach R, Brugger P. Dual-Task Treadmill Training for the Prevention of Falls in Parkinson's Disease: Rationale and Study Design. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2022; 2:774658. [PMID: 36188827 PMCID: PMC9397829 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2021.774658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Various factors, such as fear of falling, postural instability, and altered executive function, contribute to the high risk of falling in Parkinson's disease (PD). Dual-task training is an established method to reduce this risk. Motor-perceptual task combinations typically require a patient to walk while simultaneously engaging in a perceptual task. Motor-executive dual-tasking (DT) combines locomotion with executive function tasks. One augmented reality treadmill training (AR-TT) study revealed promising results of a perceptual dual-task training with a markedly reduced frequency of falls especially in patients with PD. We here propose to compare the effects of two types of concurrent tasks, perceptual and executive, on high-intensity TT). Patients will be trained with TT alone, in combination with an augmented reality perceptual DT (AR-TT) or with an executive DT (Random Number Generation; RNG-TT). The results are expected to inform research on therapeutic strategies for the training of balance in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veit Mylius
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Veit Mylius
| | - Laura Maes
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Negele
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
| | - Christine Schmid
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
| | - Ramona Sylvester
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
| | | | - Florian Brugger
- Department of Neurology, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Santiago Perez-Lloret
- Biomedical Research Center (CAECIHS-UAI), National Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jens Bansi
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
- Department of Health, Physiotherapy, OST–Eastern Swiss University of Applied Sciences, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Kamiar Aminian
- Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Roman Gonzenbach
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
| | - Peter Brugger
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurorehabilitation, Valens, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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7
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Rozen-Blay O, Novogrodsky R, Degani T. Talking While Signing: The Influence of Simultaneous Communication on the Spoken Language of Bimodal Bilinguals. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:785-796. [PMID: 35050718 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine how speech while sign (simultaneous communication [SimCom]) affects the spoken language of bimodal bilingual teachers and how individual differences in sign-language vocabulary knowledge, SimCom teaching experience, and the ability to perform speech under dual-task conditions explain the variability in SimCom performance. METHOD Forty experienced teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students participated in a story narration task under different conditions. Speech rate, lexical richness, and syntactic complexity were measured and compared across speech-only versus SimCom conditions. Furthermore, participants' score on a sign-language vocabulary test, their self-reported SimCom teaching experience, and their performance in a dual-task condition were taken as predictors of SimCom narration performance. RESULTS The findings revealed slower speech rate, lower lexical richness, and lower syntactic complexity in the SimCom condition compared with the speech-only condition. Sign-language vocabulary score and SimCom teaching experience explained speech rate and lexical richness. Participant's ability to speak under a dual-task condition did not modulate performance. CONCLUSIONS The findings may suggest that the production of the less dominant (sign) language during SimCom entails inhibition of the dominant (spoken) language relative to the speech-only condition. At the same time, the findings are also compatible with the suggestion that SimCom serves as a unique complex communication unit that cannot be reduced to the combination of two languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Rozen-Blay
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Rama Novogrodsky
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Tamar Degani
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Israel
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8
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Groot JM, Csifcsák G, Wientjes S, Forstmann BU, Mittner M. Catching Wandering Minds with Tapping Fingers: Neural and Behavioral Insights into Task-unrelated Cognition. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4447-4463. [PMID: 35034114 PMCID: PMC9574234 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab494] [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: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
When the human mind wanders, it engages in episodes during which attention is focused on self-generated thoughts rather than on external task demands. Although the sustained attention to response task is commonly used to examine relationships between mind wandering and executive functions, limited executive resources are required for optimal task performance. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between mind wandering and executive functions more closely by employing a recently developed finger-tapping task to monitor fluctuations in attention and executive control through task performance and periodical experience sampling during concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and pupillometry. Our results show that mind wandering was preceded by increases in finger-tapping variability, which was correlated with activity in dorsal and ventral attention networks. The entropy of random finger-tapping sequences was related to activity in frontoparietal regions associated with executive control, demonstrating the suitability of this paradigm for studying executive functioning. The neural correlates of behavioral performance, pupillary dynamics, and self-reported attentional state diverged, thus indicating a dissociation between direct and indirect markers of mind wandering. Together, the investigation of these relationships at both the behavioral and neural level provided novel insights into the identification of underlying mechanisms of mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine M Groot
- Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø 9037 , Norway
- Integrative Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1018 WB , The Netherlands
| | - Gábor Csifcsák
- Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø 9037 , Norway
| | - Sven Wientjes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent 9000 , Belgium
| | - Birte U Forstmann
- Integrative Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1018 WB , The Netherlands
| | - Matthias Mittner
- Address correspondence to Matthias Mittner, Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Huginbakken 32, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
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9
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Wong A, Merholz G, Maoz U. Characterizing human random-sequence generation in competitive and non-competitive environments using Lempel-Ziv complexity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20662. [PMID: 34667239 PMCID: PMC8526708 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99967-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human ability for random-sequence generation (RSG) is limited but improves in a competitive game environment with feedback. However, it remains unclear how random people can be during games and whether RSG during games can improve when explicitly informing people that they must be as random as possible to win the game. Nor is it known whether any such improvement in RSG transfers outside the game environment. To investigate this, we designed a pre/post intervention paradigm around a Rock-Paper-Scissors game followed by a questionnaire. During the game, we manipulated participants’ level of awareness of the computer’s strategy; they were either (a) not informed of the computer’s algorithm or (b) explicitly informed that the computer used patterns in their choice history against them, so they must be maximally random to win. Using a compressibility metric of randomness, our results demonstrate that human RSG can reach levels statistically indistinguishable from computer pseudo-random generators in a competitive-game setting. However, our results also suggest that human RSG cannot be further improved by explicitly informing participants that they need to be random to win. In addition, the higher RSG in the game setting does not transfer outside the game environment. Furthermore, we found that the underrepresentation of long repetitions of the same entry in the series explains up to 29% of the variability in human RSG, and we discuss what might make up the variance left unexplained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Wong
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, Irvine, CA, USA.,Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Garance Merholz
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Université de Paris, CNRS, Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Uri Maoz
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, Irvine, CA, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA. .,Anderson School of Management, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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10
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A cognitive fingerprint in human random number generation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20217. [PMID: 34642344 PMCID: PMC8511021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98315-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Is the cognitive process of random number generation implemented via person-specific strategies corresponding to highly individual random generation behaviour? We examined random number sequences of 115 healthy participants and developed a method to quantify the similarity between two number sequences on the basis of Damerau and Levenshtein’s edit distance. “Same-author” and “different author” sequence pairs could be distinguished (96.5% AUC) based on 300 pseudo-random digits alone. We show that this phenomenon is driven by individual preference and inhibition of patterns and stays constant over a period of 1 week, forming a cognitive fingerprint.
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11
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Travers E, Friedemann M, Haggard P. The Readiness Potential reflects planning-based expectation, not uncertainty, in the timing of action. Cogn Neurosci 2020; 12:14-27. [PMID: 33153362 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2020.1824176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Actions are guided by a combination of external cues, internal intentions, and stored knowledge. Self-initiated voluntary actions, produced without immediate external cues, may be preceded by a slow EEG Readiness Potential (RP) that progressively increases prior to action. The cognitive significance of this neural event is controversial. Some accounts link the RP to the fact that timing of voluntary actions is generated endogenously, without external constraints. Others link it to the unique role of a planning process, and therefore of temporal expectation, in voluntary actions. In many previous experiments, actions are unconstrained by external cues, but also potentially involve preplanning and anticipation. To separate these factors, we developed a reinforcement learning paradigm where participants learned, through trial and error, the optimal time to act. If the RP reflects freedom from external constraint, its amplitude should be greater early in learning, when participants do not yet know when to act. Conversely, if the RP reflects planning, it should be greater later on, when participants have learned, and plan in advance, the time of action. We found that RP amplitudes grew with learning, suggesting that this neural activity reflects planning and anticipation for the forthcoming action, rather than freedom from external constraint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eoin Travers
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London , London, UK
| | - Maja Friedemann
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London , London, UK.,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford , Oxford, UK
| | - Patrick Haggard
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London , London, UK
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12
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Delogu F, Barnewold M, Meloni C, Toffalini E, Zizi A, Fanari R. The Morra Game as a Naturalistic Test Bed for Investigating Automatic and Voluntary Processes in Random Sequence Generation. Front Psychol 2020; 11:551126. [PMID: 33071869 PMCID: PMC7541701 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.551126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Morra is a 3,000-years-old hand game of prediction and numbers. The two players reveal their hand simultaneously, presenting a number of fingers between 1 and 5, while calling out a number between 2 and 10. Any player who successfully guesses the summation of fingers revealed by both players scores a point. While the game is extremely fast-paced, making it very difficult for players to achieve a conscious control of their game strategies, expert players regularly outperform non-experts, possibly with strategies residing out of conscious control. In this study, we used Morra as a naturalistic setting to investigate the necessity of attentive control in generation of sequence of items and the ability to proceduralize random number generation, which are both a crucial defensive strategy in Morra and a well-known empirical procedure to test the central executive capacity within the working memory model. We recorded the sequence of numbers generated by expert players in a Morra tournament in Sardinia (Italy) and by undergraduate students enrolled in a course-based research experience (CRE) course at Lawrence Technological University in the United States. Number sequences generated by non-expert and expert players both while playing Morra and in a random number generation task (RNGT) were compared in terms of randomness scores. Results indicate that expert players of Morra largely outperformed non-experts in the randomness scores only within Morra games, whereas in RNGT the two groups were very similar. Importantly, survey data acquired after the games indicate that expert players have very poor conscious recall of their number generation strategies used during the Morra game. Our results indicate that the ability of generating random sequences can be proceduralized and do not necessarily require attentive control. Results are discussed in the framework of the dual processing theory and its automatic-parallel-fast vs. controlled-sequential-slow polarities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franco Delogu
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Communication, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI, United States
| | - Madison Barnewold
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Communication, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI, United States
| | - Carla Meloni
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Enrico Toffalini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Antonello Zizi
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Rachele Fanari
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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13
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Swanson HL. The relationship between executive processing and computational growth among monolingual and english learners with and without math difficulties: Does it help to be bilingual? COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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14
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Leinders S, Vansteensel MJ, Branco MP, Freudenburg ZV, Pels EGM, Van der Vijgh B, Van Zandvoort MJE, Ramsey NF, Aarnoutse EJ. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-based control with an implanted brain-computer interface. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15448. [PMID: 32963279 PMCID: PMC7508852 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71774-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of using the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as a signal source for brain-computer interface control in people with severe motor impairment. We implanted two individuals with locked-in syndrome with a chronic brain-computer interface designed to restore independent communication. The implanted system (Utrecht NeuroProsthesis) included electrode strips placed subdurally over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In both participants, counting backwards activated the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex consistently over the course of 47 and 22 months, respectively. Moreover, both participants were able to use this signal to control a cursor in one dimension, with average accuracy scores of 78 ± 9% (standard deviation) and 71 ± 11% (chance level: 50%), respectively. Brain-computer interface control based on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity is feasible in people with locked-in syndrome and may become of relevance for those unable to use sensorimotor signals for control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sacha Leinders
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska J Vansteensel
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mariana P Branco
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Zac V Freudenburg
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elmar G M Pels
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Benny Van der Vijgh
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nicolas F Ramsey
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Erik J Aarnoutse
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Swanson HL, Kong J, Petcu SD. Growth in Math Computation among Monolingual and English Language Learners:Does the Executive System have a Role? Dev Neuropsychol 2019; 44:566-593. [PMID: 31709824 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2019.1688328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This cohort-sequential study explored the components of working memory that underlie math calculation in elementary school children who are monolingual (English) or English language learners (ELLs) whose first language is Spanish. To this end, children (N = 789) in grades 1, 2, and 3 at wave 1 were administered a battery of math, vocabulary, reading and cognitive (short-term memory [STM], working memory [WM], rapid naming, and inhibition) measures. The battery of tests was administered again one year and two years later to the same participants. Three important findings emerged. First, along with naming speed, the results suggest that growth in the executive component of WM was significantly related to growth in calculation performance. Second, performance on measures of reading, fluid intelligence, naming speed and executive processes in wave 1 were significantly related to wave 3 math calculation performance. Finally, the full latent growth model showed that monolingual and ELL children were statistically comparable in computation at wave 3. Thus, strong support was found for the notion that the executive component of WM was related to math computation but weak support for the notion ELL children experienced a math achievement gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Lee Swanson
- Educational Psychology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.,Educational Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jennifer Kong
- Educational Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.,Special Education, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Stefania D Petcu
- Office of Research and Community Engagement, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Analyzing Human Random Generation: an Approach Based on the Zener Card Test. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-018-0097-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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17
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Executive Functions in School-age Children: Influence of Age, Gender, School Type and Parental Education. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Gauvrit N, Zenil H, Soler-Toscano F, Delahaye JP, Brugger P. Human behavioral complexity peaks at age 25. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005408. [PMID: 28406953 PMCID: PMC5390965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Random Item Generation tasks (RIG) are commonly used to assess high cognitive abilities such as inhibition or sustained attention. They also draw upon our approximate sense of complexity. A detrimental effect of aging on pseudo-random productions has been demonstrated for some tasks, but little is as yet known about the developmental curve of cognitive complexity over the lifespan. We investigate the complexity trajectory across the lifespan of human responses to five common RIG tasks, using a large sample (n = 3429). Our main finding is that the developmental curve of the estimated algorithmic complexity of responses is similar to what may be expected of a measure of higher cognitive abilities, with a performance peak around 25 and a decline starting around 60, suggesting that RIG tasks yield good estimates of such cognitive abilities. Our study illustrates that very short strings of, i.e., 10 items, are sufficient to have their complexity reliably estimated and to allow the documentation of an age-dependent decline in the approximate sense of complexity. It has been unclear how this ability evolves over a person’s lifetime and it had not been possible to be assessed with previous classical tools for statistical randomness. To better understand how age impacts behavior, we have assessed more than 3,400 people aged 4 to 91 years old. Each participant performed a series of online tasks that assessed their ability to behave randomly. The five tasks included listing the hypothetical results of a series of 12 coin flips so that they would “look random to somebody else,” guessing which card would appear when selected from a randomly shuffled deck, and listing the hypothetical results of 10 rolls of a die. We analyzed the participants’ choices according to their algorithmic randomness, which is based on the idea that patterns that are more random are harder to encode in a short computer program. After controlling for characteristics such as gender, language, and education. We have found that age was the only factor that affected the ability to behave randomly. This ability peaked at age 25, on average, and declined from then on. We also demonstrate that a relatively short list of choices, say 10 hypothetical coin flips, can be used to reliably gauge randomness of human behavior. A similar approach could be then used to study potential connections between the ability to behave randomly, cognitive decline, neurodegenerative diseases and abilities such as human creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gauvrit
- Algorithmic Nature Group, Laboratoire de Recherche Scientifique LABORES For the Natural and Digital Sciences, Paris, France
- Human and Artificial Cognition Lab, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Hector Zenil
- Algorithmic Nature Group, Laboratoire de Recherche Scientifique LABORES For the Natural and Digital Sciences, Paris, France
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Information Dynamics Lab, Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine Solna, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Fernando Soler-Toscano
- Algorithmic Nature Group, Laboratoire de Recherche Scientifique LABORES For the Natural and Digital Sciences, Paris, France
- Grupo de Lógica, Lenguaje e Información. Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jean-Paul Delahaye
- Algorithmic Nature Group, Laboratoire de Recherche Scientifique LABORES For the Natural and Digital Sciences, Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche en Informatique, Signal et Automatique de Lille (CRISTAL), UMR CNRS 9189, University of Lille 1, Lille, France
| | - Peter Brugger
- Algorithmic Nature Group, Laboratoire de Recherche Scientifique LABORES For the Natural and Digital Sciences, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Neuropsychology Unit, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
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Sheppard DP, Woods SP, Doyle KL, Verduzco M. Random Number Generation in HIV Disease: Associations with Neuropsychological Functions and Activities of Daily Living. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2016; 32:53-62. [PMID: 28122765 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acw086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE HIV is associated with frontostriatal dysregulation and executive dysfunction. This study evaluated whether HIV-infected individuals evidence deficits in random number generation (RNG), which is a strategic task requiring paced, rule-guided production of digits. METHOD In total, 74 HIV+ adults and 54 seronegative comparison participants completed a comprehensive research neuropsychological battery. Participants produced a random digit sequence by avoiding any order and using numbers 1 through 10 for 100 s at a pace of 1 digit/s. Outcomes included intrusions, repetitions, seriation (1-2-3-4), and cycling (median length of gaps between repeating digits). RESULTS HIV disease was associated with higher levels of seriation and cycling (ps < .05) but not intrusions or repetitions (ps > .10). Among HIV+ individuals, higher seriation was associated with neuropsychological performance including poorer auditory attention, verbal learning, and delayed memory, whereas higher cycling scores were associated with poorer delayed memory and verbal fluency (ps < .05). Higher seriation also was independently associated with self-reported declines in activities of daily living (ADLs) in the HIV+ group. CONCLUSIONS Individuals living with HIV disease evidence moderate difficulties in inhibiting statistically unlikely non-random sequences, which showed medium associations with higher order verbal abilities and may contribute to greater declines in everyday functioning outcomes. Future studies might examine RNG's role in health behaviors such as medical decision-making or medication adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Sheppard
- Department of Psychology, The University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Steven Paul Woods
- Department of Psychology, The University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA .,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Katie L Doyle
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Marizela Verduzco
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Multani N, Rudzicz F, Wong WYS, Namasivayam AK, van Lieshout P. Random Item Generation Is Affected by Age. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2016; 59:1172-1178. [PMID: 27681687 DOI: 10.1044/2016_jslhr-l-15-0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Random item generation (RIG) involves central executive functioning. Measuring aspects of random sequences can therefore provide a simple method to complement other tools for cognitive assessment. We examine the extent to which RIG relates to specific measures of cognitive function, and whether those measures can be estimated using RIG only. METHOD Twelve healthy older adults (age: M = 70.3 years, SD = 4.9; 8 women and 4 men) and 20 healthy young adults (age: M = 24 years, SD = 4.0; 12 women and 8 men) participated in this pilot study. Each completed a RIG task, along with the color Stroop test, the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition (Dunn & Dunn, 2007). Several statistical features extracted from RIG sequences, including recurrence quantification, were found to be related to the other measures through correlation, regression, and a neural-network model. RESULTS The authors found significant effects of age in RIG and demonstrate that nonlinear machine learning can use measures of RIG to accurately predict outcomes from other tools. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that RIG can be used as a relatively simple predictor for other tools and in particular seems promising as a potential screening tool for selective attention in healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namita Multani
- Oral Dynamics Lab, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank Rudzicz
- University of Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Ontario, CanadaToronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Aravind Kumar Namasivayam
- Oral Dynamics Lab, University of Toronto, Ontario, CanadaToronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pascal van Lieshout
- Oral Dynamics Lab, University of Toronto, Ontario, CanadaUniversity of Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Ontario, CanadaToronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network, Ontario, CanadaInstitute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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21
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Linking cognitive abilities with the propensity for risk-taking: the balloon analogue risk task. Neurol Sci 2016; 37:2003-2007. [PMID: 27658788 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-016-2721-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
There is great interest about the individual differences that influence the ability of dealing with risky decisions. In this light, an intriguing question is whether decision-making during risk is related to other cognitive abilities, especially executive functions. To investigate, in healthy subjects, the existence of a possible correlation between risk-taking and cognitive abilities, the balloon analogue risk task (BART) has been exploited to assess risk-taking propensity and the random number generation (RNG), to investigate cognitive functions. The risk-taking propensity is significantly correlated with the Cycling factor, a feature of RNG performance specifically related to the ability of updating and monitoring information. In particular, an excessive activity of monitoring (expressed by lower values of Cycling factor) is related to a more risk-averse behavior. An overlapping between the circuits involved in both RNG and BART, centered on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, could be the possible neurophysiological substrate for this correlation. This study suggests a relevant contribution of executive functions in risk-taking behavior. This could have relevant implications in neuroeconomics and neuropsychiatry of addiction and pathological gambling.
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Geisseler O, Pflugshaupt T, Buchmann A, Bezzola L, Reuter K, Schuknecht B, Weller D, Linnebank M, Brugger P. Random number generation deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis: Characteristics and neural correlates. Cortex 2016; 82:237-243. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Gutiérrez-Roig M, Segura C, Duch J, Perelló J. Market Imitation and Win-Stay Lose-Shift Strategies Emerge as Unintended Patterns in Market Direction Guesses. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159078. [PMID: 27532219 PMCID: PMC4988703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Decisions made in our everyday lives are based on a wide variety of information so it is generally very difficult to assess what are the strategies that guide us. Stock market provides a rich environment to study how people make decisions since responding to market uncertainty needs a constant update of these strategies. For this purpose, we run a lab-in-the-field experiment where volunteers are given a controlled set of financial information -based on real data from worldwide financial indices- and they are required to guess whether the market price would go "up" or "down" in each situation. From the data collected we explore basic statistical traits, behavioural biases and emerging strategies. In particular, we detect unintended patterns of behavior through consistent actions, which can be interpreted as Market Imitation and Win-Stay Lose-Shift emerging strategies, with Market Imitation being the most dominant. We also observe that these strategies are affected by external factors: the expert advice, the lack of information or an information overload reinforce the use of these intuitive strategies, while the probability to follow them significantly decreases when subjects spends more time to make a decision. The cohort analysis shows that women and children are more prone to use such strategies although their performance is not undermined. Our results are of interest for better handling clients expectations of trading companies, to avoid behavioural anomalies in financial analysts decisions and to improve not only the design of markets but also the trading digital interfaces where information is set down. Strategies and behavioural biases observed can also be translated into new agent based modelling or stochastic price dynamics to better understand financial bubbles or the effects of asymmetric risk perception to price drops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Gutiérrez-Roig
- Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlota Segura
- Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Duch
- Departament d’Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Josep Perelló
- Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems UBICS, Barcelona, Spain
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Williams IA, Wilkinson L, Limousin P, Jahanshahi M. Load-Dependent Interference of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus with Switching from Automatic to Controlled Processing During Random Number Generation in Parkinson's Disease. JOURNAL OF PARKINSONS DISEASE 2016; 5:321-31. [PMID: 25720447 PMCID: PMC5389041 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-140355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) ameliorates the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, some aspects of executive control are impaired with STN DBS. OBJECTIVE We tested the prediction that (i) STN DBS interferes with switching from automatic to controlled processing during fast-paced random number generation (RNG) (ii) STN DBS-induced cognitive control changes are load-dependent. METHODS Fifteen PD patients with bilateral STN DBS performed paced-RNG, under three levels of cognitive load synchronised with a pacing stimulus presented at 1, 0.5 and 0.33 Hz (faster rates require greater cognitive control), with DBS on or off. Measures of output randomness were calculated. Countscore 1 (CS1) indicates habitual counting in steps of one (CS1). Countscore 2 (CS2) indicates a more controlled strategy of counting in twos. RESULTS The fastest rate was associated with an increased CS1 score with STN DBS on compared to off. At the slowest rate, patients had higher CS2 scores with DBS off than on, such that the differences between CS1 and CS2 scores disappeared. CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence for a load-dependent effect of STN DBS on paced RNG in PD. Patients could switch to more controlled RNG strategies during conditions of low cognitive load at slower rates only when the STN stimulators were off, but when STN stimulation was on, they engaged in more automatic habitual counting under increased cognitive load. These findings are consistent with the proposal that the STN implements a switch signal from the medial frontal cortex which enables a shift from automatic to controlled processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marjan Jahanshahi
- Correspondence to: Prof. M. Jahanshahi, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience & Movement Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, 33 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. Tel.: +44 020 7837 3611;
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Batistela S, Bueno OFA, Vaz LJ, Galduróz JCF. Methylphenidate as a cognitive enhancer in healthy young people. Dement Neuropsychol 2016; 10:134-142. [PMID: 29213444 PMCID: PMC5642404 DOI: 10.1590/s1980-5764-2016dn1002009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The so-called cognitive enhancers have been widely and increasingly used by healthy individuals who seek improvements in cognitive performance despite having no pathologies. One drug used for this purpose is methylphenidate, a first-line drug for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objective The aim of the present study was to test the effect of acute administration of varying doses of methylphenidate (10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and placebo) on a wide range of cognitive functions in healthy young people. Methods A total of 36 young university students and graduates participated in the study. The participants underwent tests of attention and of episodic, and working memory. Results No differences in performance were observed on any of the tests. There was a dose-dependent (40 mg > placebo) effect on self-reported wellbeing. Conclusions According to the recent literature, psychostimulant medications, such as methylphenidate, improve performance when cognitive processes are below an optimal level, which was not the case for the subjects of the present study. We suggest the impression that methylphenidate enhances cognitive performance in healthy young people, justifying its use, may be due to improvements in subjective wellbeing promoted by the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silmara Batistela
- MS, Departamento de Psicobiologia - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo SP, Brazil
| | | | - Leonardo José Vaz
- PhD,Departamento de Psicobiologia - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo SP, Brazil
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Information-Theoretic Neuro-Correlates Boost Evolution of Cognitive Systems. ENTROPY 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/e18010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Neural correlates of executive dysfunction in schizophrenia: failure to modulate brain activity with task demands. Neuroreport 2015; 25:1308-15. [PMID: 25275638 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000000264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In schizophrenia, executive functions are impaired and are associated with altered activation of prefrontal areas. We used H2[15]O PET to examine patients with schizophrenia and matched controls on a random number generation (RNG) task and a control counting (COUNT) task. To assess the effects of increasing task demand, both tasks were performed at three different rates (intervals 1, 2 or 3 s). Both groups showed a significant increase in the nonrandomness of responses at faster rates of RNG. Despite similar performances, patients but not controls showed higher activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and atypically reduced activation of the right anterior cingulate gyrus and the right medial frontal gyrus in RNG compared with COUNT, whereas only for controls, activation of the left DLPFC was increased and activation of the right superior temporal gyrus and the right superior frontal gyrus was reduced in the same comparison. Whereas for the controls several cortical areas including the bilateral superior temporal gyrus and the bilateral DLPFC, together with the right cerebellum, showed significant changes in regional cerebral blood flow with faster or slower rates, patients with schizophrenia showed rate-dependent changes only in the left cerebellum. In conclusion, the patients' failure to modulate cortical activation with changing demands of rate, particularly in prefrontal areas and in the cerebellum, and even when performance is similar to that in healthy controls, is a characteristic of their abnormal pattern of executive processing.
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Abstract
We examined the effects of divided attention on the spontaneous retrieval of a prospective memory intention. Participants performed an ongoing lexical decision task with an embedded prospective memory demand, and also performed a divided-attention task during some segments of lexical decision trials. In all experiments, monitoring was highly discouraged, and we observed no evidence that participants engaged monitoring processes. In Experiment 1, performing a moderately demanding divided-attention task (a digit detection task) did not affect prospective memory performance. In Experiment 2, performing a more challenging divided-attention task (random number generation) impaired prospective memory. Experiment 3 showed that this impairment was eliminated when the prospective memory cue was perceptually salient. Taken together, the results indicate that spontaneous retrieval is not automatic and that challenging divided-attention tasks interfere with spontaneous retrieval and not with the execution of a retrieved intention.
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Hadzibeganovic T, Stauffer D, Han XP. Randomness in the evolution of cooperation. Behav Processes 2015; 113:86-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Krix AC, Sauerland M, Merckelbach H, Gabbert F, Hope L. How effective is retrieval support for witnesses with different levels of working and source memory? JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2014.1003219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Berryman N, Bherer L, Nadeau S, Lauzière S, Lehr L, Bobeuf F, Lussier M, Kergoat MJ, Vu TTM, Bosquet L. Multiple roads lead to Rome: combined high-intensity aerobic and strength training vs. gross motor activities leads to equivalent improvement in executive functions in a cohort of healthy older adults. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2014; 36:9710. [PMID: 25194940 PMCID: PMC4156938 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-014-9710-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The effects of physical activity on cognition in older adults have been extensively investigated in the last decade. Different interventions such as aerobic, strength, and gross motor training programs have resulted in improvements in cognitive functions. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between physical activity and cognition are still poorly understood. Recently, it was shown that acute bouts of exercise resulted in reduced executive control at higher relative exercise intensities. Considering that aging is characterized by a reduction in potential energy ([Formula: see text] max - energy cost of walking), which leads to higher relative walking intensity for the same absolute speed, it could be argued that any intervention aimed at reducing the relative intensity of the locomotive task would improve executive control while walking. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of a short-term (8 weeks) high-intensity strength and aerobic training program on executive functions (single and dual task) in a cohort of healthy older adults. Fifty-one participants were included and 47 (age, 70.7 ± 5.6) completed the study which compared the effects of three interventions: lower body strength + aerobic training (LBS-A), upper body strength + aerobic training (UBS-A), and gross motor activities (GMA). Training sessions were held 3 times every week. Both physical fitness (aerobic, neuromuscular, and body composition) and cognitive functions (RNG) during a dual task were assessed before and after the intervention. Even though the LBS-A and UBS-A interventions increased potential energy to a higher level (Effect size: LBS-A-moderate, UBS-A-small, GMA-trivial), all groups showed equivalent improvement in cognitive function, with inhibition being more sensitive to the intervention. These findings suggest that different exercise programs targeting physical fitness and/or gross motor skills may lead to equivalent improvement in cognition in healthy older adults. Such results call for further investigation of the multiple physiological pathways by which physical exercise can impact cognition in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Berryman
- />Département de Kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, QC Canada H3C 3J7
- />Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Laboratoire MOVE (EA 6314), Université de Poitiers, 8, Allée Jean Monnet, 86000 Poitiers, France
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
| | - Louis Bherer
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
- />Centre Perform, Université Concordia, 7200, Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, QC Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Sylvie Nadeau
- />Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation (CRIR) Institut de Réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay de Montréal (IRGLM), École de Réadaptation - Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, QC Canada H3C 3J7
| | - Séléna Lauzière
- />Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation (CRIR) Institut de Réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay de Montréal (IRGLM), École de Réadaptation - Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, QC Canada H3C 3J7
| | - Lora Lehr
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
| | - Florian Bobeuf
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
| | - Maxime Lussier
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
| | - Marie Jeanne Kergoat
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
| | - Thien Tuong Minh Vu
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
- />Département de Médecine, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Service de Gériatrie, 1058 St-Denis, Montréal, QC Canada H2X3J4
| | - Laurent Bosquet
- />Département de Kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, QC Canada H3C 3J7
- />Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Laboratoire MOVE (EA 6314), Université de Poitiers, 8, Allée Jean Monnet, 86000 Poitiers, France
- />Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire d’étude de la santé cognitive des aînés (LESCA), 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC Canada H3W 1W5
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Sexton NJ, Cooper RP. An architecturally constrained model of random number generation and its application to modeling the effect of generation rate. Front Psychol 2014; 5:670. [PMID: 25071644 PMCID: PMC4076660 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Random number generation (RNG) is a complex cognitive task for human subjects, requiring deliberative control to avoid production of habitual, stereotyped sequences. Under various manipulations (e.g., speeded responding, transcranial magnetic stimulation, or neurological damage) the performance of human subjects deteriorates, as reflected in a number of qualitatively distinct, dissociable biases. For example, the intrusion of stereotyped behavior (e.g., counting) increases at faster rates of generation. Theoretical accounts of the task postulate that it requires the integrated operation of multiple, computationally heterogeneous cognitive control (“executive”) processes. We present a computational model of RNG, within the framework of a novel, neuropsychologically-inspired cognitive architecture, ESPro. Manipulating the rate of sequence generation in the model reproduced a number of key effects observed in empirical studies, including increasing sequence stereotypy at faster rates. Within the model, this was due to time limitations on the interaction of supervisory control processes, namely, task setting, proposal of responses, monitoring, and response inhibition. The model thus supports the fractionation of executive function into multiple, computationally heterogeneous processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Sexton
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Cognition, Computation and Modelling, Birkbeck, University of London London, UK
| | - Richard P Cooper
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Cognition, Computation and Modelling, Birkbeck, University of London London, UK
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Ziegler E, Rouillard M, André E, Coolen T, Stender J, Balteau E, Phillips C, Garraux G. Mapping track density changes in nigrostriatal and extranigral pathways in Parkinson's disease. Neuroimage 2014; 99:498-508. [PMID: 24956065 PMCID: PMC4121087 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD) the demonstration of neuropathological disturbances in nigrostriatal and extranigral brain pathways using magnetic resonance imaging remains a challenge. Here, we applied a novel diffusion-weighted imaging approach-track density imaging (TDI). Twenty-seven non-demented Parkinson's patients (mean disease duration: 5 years, mean score on the Hoehn & Yahr scale=1.5) were compared with 26 elderly controls matched for age, sex, and education level. Track density images were created by sampling each subject's spatially normalized fiber tracks in 1mm isotropic intervals and counting the fibers that passed through each voxel. Whole-brain voxel-based analysis was performed and significance was assessed with permutation testing. Statistically significant increases in track density were found in the Parkinson's patients, relative to controls. Clusters were distributed in disease-relevant areas including motor, cognitive, and limbic networks. From the lower medulla to the diencephalon and striatum, clusters encompassed the known location of the locus coeruleus and pedunculopontine nucleus in the pons, and from the substantia nigra up to medial aspects of the posterior putamen, bilaterally. The results identified in brainstem and nigrostriatal pathways show a large overlap with the known distribution of neuropathological changes in non-demented PD patients. Our results also support an early involvement of limbic and cognitive networks in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Ziegler
- Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Maud Rouillard
- MoVeRe Group, Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Elodie André
- Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Tim Coolen
- MoVeRe Group, Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Johan Stender
- Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Evelyne Balteau
- Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Christophe Phillips
- Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Gaëtan Garraux
- MoVeRe Group, Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Department of Neurology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Capone F, Capone G, Ranieri F, Di Pino G, Oricchio G, Di Lazzaro V. The effect of practice on random number generation task: a transcranial direct current stimulation study. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 114:51-7. [PMID: 24811195 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Random number generation (RNG) is a procedurally-simple task related to specific executive functions, such as updating and monitoring of information and inhibition of automatic responses. The effect of practice on executive functions has been widely investigated, however little is known on the impact of practice on RNG. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) allows to modulate, non-invasively, brain activity and to enhance the effects of training on executive functions. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effect of practice on RNG and to explore the possibility to influence it by tDCS applied over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Twenty-six healthy volunteers have been evaluated within single session and between different sessions of RNG using several measures of randomness, which are informative of separable cognitive components servicing random behavior. We found that repetition measures significantly change within single session, seriation measures significantly change both within and between sessions, while cycling measures are not affected by practice. tDCS does not produce any additional effect, however a sub-analysis limited to the first session revealed an increasing trend in seriation measure after anodal compared to cathodal stimulation. Our findings support the hypothesis that practice selectively and consistently influences specific cognitive components related to random behavior, while tDCS transiently affects RNG performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fioravante Capone
- Institute of Neurology, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Alberto Sordi - Research Institute for Ageing, Rome, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Capone
- Department of Economic Geography, Urban and Regional Research Centre Utrecht (URU), Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Federico Ranieri
- Institute of Neurology, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Alberto Sordi - Research Institute for Ageing, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Pino
- Institute of Neurology, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Alberto Sordi - Research Institute for Ageing, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Oricchio
- Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Lazzaro
- Institute of Neurology, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Alberto Sordi - Research Institute for Ageing, Rome, Italy
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Lorains FK, Stout JC, Bradshaw JL, Dowling NA, Enticott PG. Self-reported impulsivity and inhibitory control in problem gamblers. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2014; 36:144-57. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2013.873773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Jahanshahi M. Effects of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on inhibitory and executive control over prepotent responses in Parkinson's disease. Front Syst Neurosci 2013; 7:118. [PMID: 24399941 PMCID: PMC3872293 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2013.00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of inappropriate, habitual or prepotent responses is an essential component of executive control and a cornerstone of self-control. Via the hyperdirect pathway, the subthalamic nucleus (STN) receives inputs from frontal areas involved in inhibition and executive control. Evidence is reviewed from our own work and the literature suggesting that in Parkinson's disease (PD), deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the STN has an impact on executive control during attention-demanding tasks or in situations of conflict when habitual or prepotent responses have to be inhibited. These results support a role for the STN in an inter-related set of processes: switching from automatic to controlled processing, inhibitory and executive control, adjusting response thresholds and influencing speed-accuracy trade-offs. Such STN DBS-induced deficits in inhibitory and executive control may contribute to some of the psychiatric problems experienced by a proportion of operated cases after STN DBS surgery in PD. However, as no direct evidence for such a link is currently available, there is a need to provide direct evidence for such a link between STN DBS-induced deficits in inhibitory and executive control and post-surgical psychiatric complications experienced by operated patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Jahanshahi
- Cognitive Motor Neuroscience Group and Unit of Functional Neurosurgery, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery London, UK
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Naim-Feil J, Fitzgerald PB, Bradshaw JL, Lubman DI, Sheppard D. Neurocognitive deficits, craving, and abstinence among alcohol-dependent individuals following detoxification. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2013; 29:26-37. [PMID: 24334264 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/act090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol dependence, a chronic relapsing disorder, is characterized by an impaired ability to regulate compulsive urges to consume alcohol. Very few empirical studies have examined the presence of these executive deficits, how they relate to craving, and the enduring nature of these deficits during abstinence. As such, the current study aimed to characterize these cognitive deficits within a sample of 24 alcohol-dependent participants post-detoxification and 23 non-alcohol-dependent participants. Participants were administered the Sustained Attention to Response Task to measure response inhibition and sustained attention and the Random Number Generation Task to examine executive deficits. Correlations between cognitive performance and clinical measures of alcohol dependence were examined. As predicted, the alcohol-dependent group exhibited poorer performance across the domains of response inhibition, executive function, and attentional control. Cognitive performance was related to clinical measures of craving and years of alcohol consumption, whereas the duration of abstinence was not associated with improved cognitive performance. These findings highlight the need for therapeutic strategies to target these enduring neurocognitive deficits in improving the treatment of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodie Naim-Feil
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Monash University, Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
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Di Bono MG, Zorzi M. The Spatial Representation of Numerical and Non-Numerical Ordered Sequences: Insights from a Random Generation Task. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2013; 66:2348-62. [DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2013.779730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
It is widely believed that numbers are spatially represented from left to right on the mental number line. Whether this spatial format of representation is specific to numbers or is shared by non-numerical ordered sequences remains controversial. When healthy participants are asked to randomly generate digits they show a systematic small-number bias that has been interpreted in terms of “pseudoneglect in number space”. Here we used a random generation task to compare numerical and non-numerical order. Participants performed the task at three different pacing rates and with three types of stimuli (numbers, letters, and months). In addition to a small-number bias for numbers, we observed a bias towards “early” items for letters and no bias for months. The spatial biases for numbers and letters were rate independent and similar in size, but they did not correlate across participants. Moreover, letter generation was qualified by a systematic forward direction along the sequence, suggesting that the ordinal dimension was more salient for letters than for numbers in a task that did not require its explicit processing. The dissociation between numerical and non-numerical orders is consistent with electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies and suggests that they rely on at least partially different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Zorzi
- Department of General Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Lido-Venezia, Italy
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Abstract
Rumination, defined as repetitive thinking about negative information, has been found to lead to serious maladaptive consequences, including longer and more severe episodes of major depression. In this review, we present and discuss research findings motivated by the formulation that individual differences in cognitive processes that control how information is processed influence the likelihood that thoughts will become repetitive and negative. Several studies have demonstrated that a tendency to ruminate (i.e., trait rumination) is related to difficulties updating working memory (WM) and disengaging from and forgetting no-longer-relevant information. Other investigators have documented that trait rumination is also associated with an enhanced ability to ignore distracting information and with more stable maintenance of task-relevant information. In contrast to trait rumination, a state of rumination has been found to be related to widespread deficits in cognitive control. In this article, we discuss how the current accounts of control functioning cannot explain this pattern of anomalous control functioning. To explain these findings, including unexpected and contradictory results, we present an attentional scope model of rumination that posits that a constricted array of thoughts, percepts, and actions that are activated in WM or available for selection from long-term memory affects the control functioning of trait ruminators. This model explains, at a cognitive level, why rumination is particularly likely to arise when individuals are in a negative mood state; it also accounts for a number of findings outside of the rumination-control literature and generates several novel predictions.
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Marsh JE, Sörqvist P, Halin N, Nöstl A, Jones DM. Auditory distraction compromises random generation. Falling back into old habits? Exp Psychol 2013; 60:279-92. [PMID: 23548984 DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Auditory distraction of random generation--a quintessentially executive control task--was explored in three experiments. Random number generation was impaired by the mere presence of irrelevant auditory sequences that comprise digits, but not letters, and then only if the digits were heard in a canonical order (1, 2, 3 … or 3, 2, 1 …), not in random order (Experiments 1 and 2). Random letter generation was impaired by irrelevant letters heard in alphabetical order (a, b, c …) and reversed alphabetical order (i, h, g …), but not by numbers in canonical order or letters in random order (Experiment 3). Attempting to ignore canonical sequences--with items that are members of the same category as the to-be-generated items--reduced the randomness of the generated sequence, by decreasing the tendency to change the direction of the produced sequence for random number generation, and by increasing resampling of responses for random letter generation. Like other selective attention tasks, the cost of distraction to random generation appears to stem from preventing habitual responses assuming the control of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Marsh
- School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
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41
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Gaschler R, Nattkemper D. Instructed task demands and utilization of action effect anticipation. Front Psychol 2012; 3:578. [PMID: 23431066 PMCID: PMC3577050 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Automatic acquisition of action effect associations may serve as a parsimonious account of how people acquire the basis for intentionally controlled action. However, recent research suggests that learning or the expression of action effect links might depend on whether task demands impose either a stimulus based mode of action control or an intention based action control mode. In the current study we develop a paradigm that allows the mode of action control to be varied via instructions while keeping stimuli identical. Participants were to respond to the location of a cloud of dots. Their actions were followed by predictable visual effects, either consistently congruent or incongruent with the location of the action. In Experiment 1, a displaced new cloud of random dots was presented as a spatial action effect. In Experiment 2 an arrow was presented as effect with a pointing direction congruent or incongruent to the response position. The location of the stimulus in the reference frame was easy to detect in some of the trials while the location of the cloud of dots was completely ambiguous in others. The instruction manipulation targeted the latter trials, suggesting to one group of participants to freely choose a key in a difficult trial, while asking another group to react to their spontaneous impression in the event of a difficult stimulus. In this way, we aimed at rendering actions either as stimulus driven or internally generated. By this we could investigate how effect anticipation changed with practice depending on action mode. We employed the impact of action effect compatibility on speed and choice of action as a measure for action effect anticipation. Our results suggest that action effect associations can be acquired when instructions suggest stimulus based action control or intention based action control. Instructions aiming at the mode of task processing can influence when and how action effect links influence behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gaschler
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Universität Koblenz-LandauLandau, Germany
- Berlin Research Center Image Knowledge GestaltungBerlin, Germany
| | - Dieter Nattkemper
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlin, Germany
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Kemper M, Umbach VJ, Schwager S, Gaschler R, Frensch PA, Stürmer B. What I Say is What I Get: Stronger Effects of Self-Generated vs. Cue-Induced Expectations in Event-Related Potentials. Front Psychol 2012; 3:562. [PMID: 23403896 PMCID: PMC3565970 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Expectations regarding future events enable preparatory processes and allow for faster responses to expected stimuli compared to unexpected stimuli. Expectations can have internal sources or follow external cues. While many studies on expectation effects use some form of cueing, a direct comparison with self-generated expectations involving behavioral and psychophysiological measures is lacking. In the present study we compare cue-induced expectations with self-generated expectations that are both expressed verbally in a within-subjects design, measuring behavioral performance, and event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Response time benefits for expected stimuli are much larger when expectations are self-generated as compared to externally cued. Increased amplitudes in both the N2 and P3 components for violations of self-generated expectations suggest that this advantage can at least partially be ascribed to greater perceptual preparation. This goes along with a missing benefit for stimuli matching the expected response only and is mirrored in the lateralized readiness potential (LRP). Taken together, behavioral and ERP findings indicate that self-generated expectations lead to increased premotoric preparation compared to cue-induced expectations. Underlying cognitive or neuronal functional differences between these types of expectation remain a subject for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maike Kemper
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | | | - Sabine Schwager
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Robert Gaschler
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Peter A. Frensch
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Stürmer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlin, Germany
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Subthalamic nucleus gamma oscillations mediate a switch from automatic to controlled processing: a study of random number generation in Parkinson's disease. Neuroimage 2012; 64:284-9. [PMID: 22960249 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.08.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Revised: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In paced random number generation (RNG) participants are asked to generate numbers between 1 and 9 in a random fashion, in synchrony with a pacing stimulus. Successful task performance can be achieved through control of the main biases known to exist in human RNG compared to a computer generated series: seriation, cycling through a set of available numbers, and repetition avoidance. A role in response inhibition and switching from automatic to controlled processing has previously been ascribed to the subthalamic nucleus (STN). We sought evidence of frequency-specific changes in STN oscillatory activity which could be directly related to use of such strategies during RNG. Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from depth electrodes implanted in the STN of 7 patients (14 sides) with Parkinson's disease (PD), when patients were on dopaminergic medication. Patients were instructed to (1) generate a series of 100 numbers between 1 and 9 in a random fashion, and (2) undertake a control serial counting task, both in synchrony with a 0.5 Hz pacing stimulus. Significant increases in LFP power (p ≤ 0.05) across a narrow gamma frequency band (45-60 Hz) during RNG, compared to the control counting task, were observed. Further, the number of 'repeated pairs' (a decline in which reflects repetition avoidance bias in human RNG) was positively correlated with these gamma increases. We therefore suggest that STN gamma activity is relevant for controlled processing, in particular the active selection and repetition of the same number on successive trials. These results are consistent with a frequency-specific role of the STN in executive processes such as suppression of habitual responses and 'switching-on' of more controlled processing strategies.
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Wierzchoń M, Gaillard V, Asanowicz D, Cleeremans A. Manipulating attentional load in sequence learning through random number generation. Adv Cogn Psychol 2012; 8:179-95. [PMID: 22723816 PMCID: PMC3376889 DOI: 10.2478/v10053-008-0114-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2010] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Implicit learning is often assumed to be an effortless process. However, some artificial grammar learning and sequence learning studies using dual tasks seem to suggest that attention is essential for implicit learning to occur. This discrepancy probably results from the specific type of secondary task that is used. Different secondary tasks may engage attentional resources differently and therefore may bias performance on the primary task in different ways. Here, we used a random number generation (RNG) task, which may allow for a closer monitoring of a participant's engagement in a secondary task than the popular secondary task in sequence learning studies: tone counting (TC). In the first two experiments, we investigated the interference associated with performing RNG concurrently with a serial reaction time (SRT) task. In a third experiment, we compared the effects of RNG and TC. In all three experiments, we directly evaluated participants' knowledge of the sequence with a subsequent sequence generation task. Sequence learning was consistently observed in all experiments, but was impaired under dual-task conditions. Most importantly, our data suggest that RNG is more demanding and impairs learning to a greater extent than TC. Nevertheless, we failed to observe effects of the secondary task in subsequent sequence generation. Our studies indicate that RNG is a promising task to explore the involvement of attention in the SRT task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Wierzchoń
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow,
Poland
| | - Vinciane Gaillard
- Consciousness, Cognition, and Computation Group, Université Libre de
Bruxelles, Belgium
| | | | - Axel Cleeremans
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow,
Poland
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45
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Vaz LJ, Pradella-Hallinan M, Bueno OFA, Pompéia S. Acute glucocorticoid effects on the multicomponent model of working memory. Hum Psychopharmacol 2011; 26:477-87. [PMID: 21953602 DOI: 10.1002/hup.1230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2011] [Revised: 07/21/2011] [Accepted: 08/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In comparison with basal physiological levels, acute, high levels of cortisol affect learning and memory. Despite reports of cortisol-induced episodic memory effects, no study has used a comprehensive battery of tests to evaluate glucocorticoid effects on the multicomponent model of working memory. Here, we report the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects study. METHODS Twenty healthy young men were randomly assigned to either acute cortisol (30 mg hydrocortisone) or placebo administration. Participants were subjected to an extensive cognitive test battery that evaluated all systems of the multicomponent model of working memory, including various executive domains (shifting, updating, inhibition, planning and access to long-term memory). RESULTS Compared with placebo, hydrocortisone administration increased cortisol blood levels and impaired working memory in storage of multimodal information in the episodic buffer and maintenance/reverberation of information in the phonological loop. Hydrocortisone also decreased performance in planning and inhibition tasks, the latter having been explained by changes in storage of information in working memory. CONCLUSIONS Thus, hydrocortisone acutely impairs various components of working memory, including executive functioning. This effect must be considered when administering similar drugs, which are widely used for the treatment of many clinical disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo José Vaz
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil
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Schmitz F, Teige-Mocigemba S, Voss A, Klauer KC. When scoring algorithms matter: effects of working memory load on different IAT scores. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2011; 52:103-21. [PMID: 21895706 DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02057.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In most process accounts of the Implicit Association Test (IAT), it is assumed that compatible and incompatible IAT blocks require different amounts of working memory capacity (WMC) and recruit executive functions such as task switching and inhibition to different extents. In the present study (N= 120), cognitive load during the completion of an IAT was experimentally manipulated by means of an oral random-number generation secondary task. Cognitive load led to slower latencies and more errors, especially in the incompatible block. However, different IAT scores, including conventional scores and D-scores, were affected differentially by the load manipulation: scores based on raw data of task performance such as latencies and errors were increased whereas scores that use transformations such as log-latency scores and D-scores were decreased. A number of analyses shed light on the reasons for the unexpected dissociation between scoring algorithms. Remarkably, external correlations of the IAT scores were not affected by the experimental manipulation.
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Cook R, Bird G, Lünser G, Huck S, Heyes C. Automatic imitation in a strategic context: players of rock-paper-scissors imitate opponents' gestures. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:780-6. [PMID: 21775334 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A compelling body of evidence indicates that observing a task-irrelevant action makes the execution of that action more likely. However, it remains unclear whether this 'automatic imitation' effect is indeed automatic or whether the imitative action is voluntary. The present study tested the automaticity of automatic imitation by asking whether it occurs in a strategic context where it reduces payoffs. Participants were required to play rock-paper-scissors, with the aim of achieving as many wins as possible, while either one or both players were blindfolded. While the frequency of draws in the blind-blind condition was precisely that expected at chance, the frequency of draws in the blind-sighted condition was significantly elevated. Specifically, the execution of either a rock or scissors gesture by the blind player was predictive of an imitative response by the sighted player. That automatic imitation emerges in a context where imitation reduces payoffs accords with its 'automatic' description, and implies that these effects are more akin to involuntary than to voluntary actions. These data represent the first evidence of automatic imitation in a strategic context, and challenge the abstraction from physical aspects of social interaction typical in economic and game theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Cook
- Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences Research Department, University College London, London W1H 0AP, UK.
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Maes JHR, Eling PATM, Reelick MF, Kessels RPC. Assessing executive functioning: on the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of a click/point random number generation task in healthy adults and patients with cognitive decline. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2011; 33:366-78. [PMID: 21302171 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2010.524149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In random number generation (RNG) tasks, used to assess executive functioning, participants are asked to generate a random sequence of digits at a paced rate, either verbally or by writing. Some previous studies used an alternative format in which participants had to randomly press different response keys, assuming that this task version demands the same cognitive processes as those implied in the standard version. The present study examined the validity of this assumption. To this end, the construct validity, reliability, and sensitivity of a conceptually similar task version of the key-press task were examined. Participants had to randomly click on, or point to, the digits 1-9, laid out orderly in a 3 × 3 grid on a computer screen. Psychometric properties of this task were examined, based on the performance of 131 healthy participants and 80 patients with cognitive decline. The results suggest that the click/point RNG task version can be used as a reliable and valid substitute for standard task versions that use the same response set and response pacing rate as those used in the present study. This task might be a useful alternative, demanding no separate recording and recoding of responses, and being suitable for use with patients with speech or writing problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H R Maes
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Chan KKS, Hui CLM, Tang JYM, Chiu CPY, Chan SKW, Lam MML, Chen EYH. Random Number Generation Deficit in Early Schizophrenia. Percept Mot Skills 2011; 112:91-103. [DOI: 10.2466/02.15.19.22.pms.112.1.91-103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Random number generation with a written response mode provides a potentially appealing marker for executive processes. Impaired performance on written random number generation tasks has been reported in chronic schizophrenic patients. However, no study has investigated whether such a deficit occurs in early schizophrenia and whether its profile and severity are similar to those in patients with chronic illness. This study investigated the ability to generate random numbers in patients with early schizophrenia ( n = 44) and a healthy control group ( n = 48). Patients were less able to maintain several production strategies and generated more stereotyped response sequences, whereas their abilities to identify randomness with an even-handed treatment of digits and to monitor the equality of occurrence of single digits appeared to remain intact. These results provide evidence that some aspects of the deficits in random number generation among chronic schizophrenic patients are also present at early psychotic episode, while some other aspects are relatively less affected in the early years.
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Appetitive and regulatory processes in young adolescent drinkers. Addict Behav 2011; 36:18-26. [PMID: 20833481 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2009] [Revised: 06/25/2010] [Accepted: 08/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Dual-process models of addiction propose that alcohol (mis)use develops because of an imbalance between a fast automatic appetitive system, in which stimuli are valued in terms of their emotional and motivational significance and a slower controlled regulatory system, which acts on deliberate considerations. This study focused on the automatic and regulatory processes that are involved in the early stages of young adolescent alcohol use. Participants were 43 young adolescent drinkers, who completed an explicit alcohol valence measure, two versions of an Affective Simon Task (AST), a working memory task and an alcohol use questionnaire. Alcohol use was associated with relatively positive self-reported valence of alcohol pictures, especially for adolescents with lower inhibition capacity. The Affective Simon Tasks did not show stronger automatic approach tendencies in heavier drinkers. This study suggests that in early stages of alcohol use appetitive valence is a more important stimulator for the initiation of alcohol use than automatic approach tendencies, and supports the view that young adolescents with low inhibition capacity are especially at risk for developing alcohol misuse. Prevention therefore should be focused on reducing the attractive valence of alcoholic drinks and strengthening the cognitive control of at-risk children.
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