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Irwin MR, Boyle CC, Cho JH, Piber D, Breen EC, Sadeghi N, Castillo D, Smith M, Eisenberger NI, Olmstead R. Sleep and Healthy Aging Research on Depression (SHARE-D) randomized controlled trial: Protocol overview of an experimental model of depression with insomnia, inflammation, and affect mechanisms in older adults. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 28:100601. [PMID: 36879913 PMCID: PMC9984307 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression, one of the most common diseases in older adults, carries significant risk for morbidity and mortality. Because of the burgeoning population of older adults, the enormous burden of late-life depression, and the limited efficacy of current antidepressants in older adults, biologically plausible models that translate into selective depression prevention strategies are needed. Insomnia predicts depression recurrence and is a modifiable target to prevent incident and recurrent depression in older adults. Yet, it is not known how insomnia gets converted into biological- and affective risk for depression, which is critical for identification of molecular targets for pharmacologic interventions, and for refinement of insomnia treatments that target affective responding to improve efficacy. Sleep disturbance activates inflammatory signaling and primes immune responses to subsequent inflammatory challenge. In turn, inflammatory challenge induces depressive symptoms, which correlate with activation of brain regions implicated in depression. This study hypothesizes that insomnia serves as a vulnerability factor for inflammation-related depression; older adults with insomnia will show heightened inflammatory- and affective responding to inflammatory challenge as compared to those without insomnia. To test this hypothesis, this protocol paper describes a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study of low dose endotoxin in older adults (n = 160; 60-80 y) with insomnia vs. comparison controls without insomnia. The aims of this study are to examine differences in depressive symptoms, measures of negative affective responding, and measures of positive affective responding as a function of insomnia and inflammatory challenge. If the hypotheses are confirmed, older adults with two "hits", insomnia and inflammatory activation, would represent a high risk group to be prioritized for monitoring and for depression prevention efforts using treatments that target insomnia or inflammation. Moreover, this study will inform the development of mechanism-based treatments that target affect responses in addition to sleep behaviors, and which might also be coupled with efforts to reduce inflammation to optimize efficacy of depression prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Irwin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chloe C Boyle
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua H Cho
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dominique Piber
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Elizabeth C Breen
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nina Sadeghi
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daisy Castillo
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Naomi I Eisenberger
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Richard Olmstead
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
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2
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Sanchez B, Delemos CD, Sandhu KS, Peterson C, Cord BJ, Gurkoff GG, Waldau B. Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage survivors show long-term deficits in spatial reference memory in a pilot study of a virtual water maze paradigm. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2021; 207:106788. [PMID: 34230004 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.106788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited data exists on the long-term effects of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) on spatial memory. Herein, we used a computerized virtual water maze to evaluate the feasibility of spatial memory testing in pilot cohort of ten patients who survived previous SAH. METHODS Ten SAH survivors (5.8 ± 5.1 years after initial hemorrhage) and 7 age-matched controls underwent testing in a virtual water maze computer program. Additional subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate spatial reference memory correlation for ventricular size on admission, placement of an external ventricular drain and placement of a shunt. RESULTS With respect to the spatial memory acquisition phase, there was no significant difference of pathway length traveled to reach the platform between SAH survivors and control subjects. During the probe trial, control subjects spent significantly longer time in target quadrants compared to SAH survivors (F(3, 24) = 10.32, p = 0.0001; Target vs. Right: Mean percent difference 0.16 [0-0.32], p = 0.045; Target vs. Across: Mean percent difference 0.35 [0.19-0.51], p < 0.0001; Target vs. Left: Mean percent difference 0.21 [0.05-0.37], p = 0.0094). Furthermore, patients who initially presented with smaller ventricles performed worse that those patients who had ventriculomegaly and/or required surgical management of hydrocephalus. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that SAH survivors have persistent spatial reference memory deficits years after the hemorrhage. Hydrocephalus at presentation and external ventricular drainage were not found to be associated with poor spatial memory outcomes in this pilot cohort. Therefore, other causes such as global cerebral edema or magnitude of initial ICP spike, need to be considered to be examined as root cause as well in subsequent studies. The protocol described in this manuscript is able to demonstrate a spatial reference memory deficit and can be used to study risk factors for spatial memory impairment on a larger scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breana Sanchez
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, 4680 Y Street, ACC 3740, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Christi D Delemos
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, 4680 Y Street, ACC 3740, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Kamal S Sandhu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, 4680 Y Street, ACC 3740, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Catherine Peterson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, 4680 Y Street, ACC 3740, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Branden J Cord
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, 4680 Y Street, ACC 3740, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Gene G Gurkoff
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, 4680 Y Street, ACC 3740, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Ben Waldau
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, 4680 Y Street, ACC 3740, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States.
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3
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Ustaoglu SG, Ali MHM, Rakib F, Blezer ELA, Van Heijningen CL, Dijkhuizen RM, Severcan F. Biomolecular changes and subsequent time-dependent recovery in hippocampal tissue after experimental mild traumatic brain injury. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12468. [PMID: 34127773 PMCID: PMC8203626 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92015-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the main cause of disability and mortality in individuals under the age of 45 years. Elucidation of the molecular and structural alterations in brain tissue due to TBI is crucial to understand secondary and long-term effects after traumatic brain injury, and to develop and apply the correct therapies. In the current study, the molecular effects of TBI were investigated in rat brain at 24 h and 1 month after the injury to determine acute and chronic effects, respectively by Fourier transform infrared imaging. This study reports the time-dependent contextual and structural effects of TBI on hippocampal brain tissue. A mild form of TBI was induced in 11-week old male Sprague Dawley rats by weight drop. Band area and intensity ratios, band frequency and bandwidth values of specific spectral bands showed that TBI causes significant structural and contextual global changes including decrease in carbonyl content, unsaturated lipid content, lipid acyl chain length, membrane lipid order, total protein content, lipid/protein ratio, besides increase in membrane fluidity with an altered protein secondary structure and metabolic activity in hippocampus 24 h after injury. However, improvement and/or recovery effects in these parameters were observed at one month after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebnem Garip Ustaoglu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Altinbas University, Bakirkoy, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Mohamed H M Ali
- Diabetes Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), P.O. Box 34110, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Fazle Rakib
- Department of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Erwin L A Blezer
- Biomedical MR Imaging and Spectroscopy Group, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline L Van Heijningen
- Biomedical MR Imaging and Spectroscopy Group, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rick M Dijkhuizen
- Biomedical MR Imaging and Spectroscopy Group, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Feride Severcan
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Altinbas University, Bakirkoy, Istanbul, Turkey.,Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
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4
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Thornberry C, Cimadevilla JM, Commins S. Virtual Morris water maze: opportunities and challenges. Rev Neurosci 2021; 32:887-903. [PMID: 33838098 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The ability to accurately recall locations and navigate our environment relies on multiple cognitive mechanisms. The behavioural and neural correlates of spatial navigation have been repeatedly examined using different types of mazes and tasks with animals. Accurate performances of many of these tasks have proven to depend on specific circuits and brain structures and some have become the standard test of memory in many disease models. With the introduction of virtual reality (VR) to neuroscience research, VR tasks have become a popular method of examining human spatial memory and navigation. However, the types of VR tasks used to examine navigation across laboratories appears to greatly differ, from open arena mazes and virtual towns to driving simulators. Here, we examined over 200 VR navigation papers, and found that the most popular task used is the virtual analogue of the Morris water maze (VWM). Although we highlight the many advantages of using the VWM task, there are also some major difficulties related to the widespread use of this behavioural method. Despite the task's popularity, we demonstrate an inconsistency of use - particularly with respect to the environmental setup and procedures. Using different versions of the virtual water maze makes replication of findings and comparison of results across researchers very difficult. We suggest the need for protocol and design standardisation, alongside other difficulties that need to be addressed, if the virtual water maze is to become the 'gold standard' for human spatial research similar to its animal counterpart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor Thornberry
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, John Hume Building, North Campus, Maynooth, Co KildareW23 F2H6, Ireland
| | - Jose M Cimadevilla
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120La Cañada, Almería, Spain
| | - Sean Commins
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, John Hume Building, North Campus, Maynooth, Co KildareW23 F2H6, Ireland
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5
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Allison SL, Rodebaugh TL, Johnston C, Fagan AM, Morris JC, Head D. Developing a Spatial Navigation Screening Tool Sensitive to the Preclinical Alzheimer Disease Continuum. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 34:1138-1155. [PMID: 31197326 PMCID: PMC6849466 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acz019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There remains a need for a non-invasive and cost-effective screening measure that could be administered prior to the provision of a lumbar puncture or positron emission tomography scan for the detection of preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD). Previous findings suggest that a hippocampally-based spatial navigation task may be effective for screening individuals for the preclinical AD continuum (i.e., low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42). Unfortunately, this task took 1.5-2 hours to administer, which would be time-prohibitive in a clinical setting. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare psychometric properties of six spatial navigation-related tasks in order to take the next steps in developing a clinically appropriate screening measure. METHODS Psychometric properties (i.e., reliability, diagnostic accuracy, validity) of a modified version of the cognitive mapping task, two binding tasks, a visual perspective taking task, and self- and informant report versions of a questionnaire were examined in a sample of 91 clinically normal (CN) individuals. CSF Aβ42 and ptau181 were available for 30 individuals. RESULTS The learning phase of the cognitive mapping task and the self-report questionnaire were sensitive to identifying individuals in the preclinical AD continuum (93% and 87% sensitivity, 60% and 67% specificity, respectively). These two measures also demonstrated good test-retest stability (intraclass correlation coefficients = .719 and .838, respectively) and internal consistency (Cronbach's αs = .825 and .965, respectively). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that a self-report questionnaire and aspects of a cognitive mapping task may be particularly appropriate for development as screening tools for identifying individuals in the preclinical AD continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Allison
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Thomas L Rodebaugh
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Chiharu Johnston
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Anne M Fagan
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Neurology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - John C Morris
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Neurology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Denise Head
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Radiology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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6
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Trofimiuk E, Wielgat P, Braszko JJ, Car H. Stress and Ketamine, Bimodal Influence on Cognitive Functions. Behav Brain Res 2018; 360:354-364. [PMID: 30562568 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) non-selective antagonist, ketamine, has been recently repurposed as a rapidly acting antidepressant, catalyzing the vigorous investigation of glutamate-signaling modulators as novel therapeutic agents for depressive disorders. Beneficial effects of this drug in the quick-acting treatment of depression are recognized. The long-term effects of ketamine have not been known, including the cognitive sphere. It is well acknowledged that prolonged exposure to stress induces depression and cognitive impairment. It seemed reasonable to ask how the long-term ketamine administration would affect stressed animals in the aspect of cognitive functions. In the current study we tested whether it is possible for ketamine, used in prolonged-regimen in rats, to alleviate stress-evoked memory deficits? Stressed (restraint 2 h daily for 21 days) and non-stressed rats (6-weeks-old) were treated with ketamine for 21 days and next subjected to a battery of behavioral tests: for the assessment of working and reference spatial memory (Morris water maze (MWM) and Barnes maze (BM)), stereotypy (stereotypy test - ST), locomotor functions (Open field - OF) and anxiety behavior (Elevated plus maze - EPM). Ketamine administration resulted in a significant stereotype behaviour in rats tested in ST. Stressed rats displayed a significant decline in the spatial working and reference memory. The effect of chronic ketamine administration depended on the type of test and differed between control rats and animals simultaneously exposed to chronic stress. However, in the MWM the impact was quite unequivocal, as we observed an improvement in spatial memory in stressed animals and a deterioration in non-stressed animals after ketamine administration. In the BM, the effect of ketamine changed in successive attempts, from favorable in the initial period to negative at the end of the test in the group of stressed animals and without a significant impact on control animals. We found no significant effects of ketamine on locomotor performance and on the level of anxiety. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that ketamine potently abolishes or prevents some kinds of stress-induced memory impairments and cognitive decline in rats, although in some circumstances, it could even increase damage to memory, especially in unstressed animals. It seems that the prolonged use of ketamine in the prevention of stress-induced memory declines can fulfill its role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Trofimiuk
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A, 15-274 Bialystok, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Wielgat
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A, 15-274 Bialystok, Poland
| | - Jan J Braszko
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A, 15-274 Bialystok, Poland
| | - Halina Car
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A, 15-274 Bialystok, Poland
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7
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Bader M, Li Y, Lecca D, Rubovitch V, Tweedie D, Glotfelty E, Rachmany L, Kim HK, Choi HI, Hoffer BJ, Pick CG, Greig NH, Kim DS. Pharmacokinetics and efficacy of PT302, a sustained-release Exenatide formulation, in a murine model of mild traumatic brain injury. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 124:439-453. [PMID: 30471415 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a neurodegenerative disorder for which no effective pharmacological treatment is available. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogues such as Exenatide have previously demonstrated neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects in cellular and animal models of TBI. However, chronic or repeated administration was needed for efficacy. In this study, the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of PT302, a clinically available sustained-release Exenatide formulation (SR-Exenatide) were evaluated in a concussive mild (m)TBI mouse model. A single subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of PT302 (0.6, 0.12, and 0.024 mg/kg) was administered and plasma Exenatide concentrations were time-dependently measured over 3 weeks. An initial rapid regulated release of Exenatide in plasma was followed by a secondary phase of sustained-release in a dose-dependent manner. Short- and longer-term (7 and 30 day) cognitive impairments (visual and spatial deficits) induced by weight drop mTBI were mitigated by a single post-injury treatment with Exenatide delivered by s.c. injection of PT302 in clinically translatable doses. Immunohistochemical evaluation of neuronal cell death and inflammatory markers, likewise, cross-validated the neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of SR-Exenatide in this mouse mTBI model. Exenatide central nervous system concentrations were 1.5% to 2.0% of concomitant plasma levels under steady-state conditions. These data demonstrate a positive beneficial action of PT302 in mTBI. This convenient single, sustained-release dosing regimen also has application for other neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and multiple sclerosis where prior preclinical studies, likewise, have demonstrated positive Exenatide actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaad Bader
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yazhou Li
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniela Lecca
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vardit Rubovitch
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - David Tweedie
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elliot Glotfelty
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lital Rachmany
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Hee Kyung Kim
- Peptron Inc., Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho-Il Choi
- Peptron Inc., Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Barry J Hoffer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Chaim G Pick
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Dong Seok Kim
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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8
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Macêdo PT, Aquino ACQ, Meurer YSR, Brandão LEM, Campêlo CLC, Lima RH, Costa MR, Ribeiro AM, Silva RH. Subtle Alterations in Spatial Memory Induced by Amyloid Peptides Infusion in Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:18. [PMID: 29441014 PMCID: PMC5797637 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains uncertain. The accumulation of amyloid peptides (Aβ) is the main pathophysiological hallmark of the disease. Spatial deficit is an important initial sign of AD, while other types of memory impairments that appear in later stages. The Barnes maze allows the detection of subtle alterations in spatial search by the analysis of use of different strategies. Previous findings showed a general performance deficit in this task following long-term (35 days) infusion of Aβ, which corresponds to the moderate or severe impairments of the disease. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of a low-dose 15-day long treatment with Aβ peptides on spatial and non-spatial strategies of rats tested in the Barnes maze. Aβ peptides (0.5 μL/site/day; 30 pmoL solution of Aβ1-40:Aβ1-42 10:1) or saline were bilaterally infused into the CA1 (on the first treatment day) and intraventricularly (on the following 15 days) in 6-month-old Wistar male rats. Aβ infusion induced a deficit in the performance (increased latency and distance traveled to reach the target compared to saline group). In addition, a significant association between treatment and search strategy in the retrieval trial was found: Aβ group preferred the non-spatial search strategy, while saline group preferred the spatial search. In conclusion, the protocol of Aβ infusion used here induced a subtle cognitive deficit that was specific to spatial aspects. Indeed, animals under Aβ treatment still showed retrieval, but using non-spatial strategies. We suggest that this approach is potentially useful to the study of the initial memory deficits in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Tavares Macêdo
- Memory Studies Laboratory, Physiology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Brain Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Antônio C Q Aquino
- Memory Studies Laboratory, Physiology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ywlliane S R Meurer
- Memory Studies Laboratory, Physiology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Pharmacology Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luiz E M Brandão
- Memory Studies Laboratory, Physiology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Clarissa L C Campêlo
- Memory Studies Laboratory, Physiology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ramon H Lima
- Memory Studies Laboratory, Physiology Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Marcos R Costa
- Brain Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Alessandra M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Bioprospecting of Natural Products, Department of Biosciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Regina H Silva
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Pharmacology Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Marshall J, Szmydynger-Chodobska J, Rioult-Pedotti MS, Lau K, Chin AT, Kotla SKR, Tiwari RK, Parang K, Threlkeld SW, Chodobski A. TrkB-enhancer facilitates functional recovery after traumatic brain injury. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10995. [PMID: 28887487 PMCID: PMC5591207 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11316-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a key player in regulating synaptic strength and learning, is dysregulated following traumatic brain injury (TBI), suggesting that stimulation of BDNF signaling pathways may facilitate functional recovery. This study investigates whether CN2097, a peptidomimetic ligand which targets the synaptic scaffold protein, postsynaptic density protein 95, to enhance downstream signaling of tropomyosin-related kinase B, a receptor for BDNF, can improve neurological function after TBI. Moderate to severe TBI elicits neuroinflammation and c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, which is associated with memory deficits. Here we demonstrate that CN2097 significantly reduces the post-traumatic synthesis of proinflammatory mediators and inhibits the post-traumatic activation of JNK in a rodent model of TBI. The recordings of field excitatory post-synaptic potentials in the hippocampal CA1 subfield demonstrate that TBI inhibits the expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) evoked by high-frequency stimulation of Schaffer collaterals, and that CN2097 attenuates this LTP impairment. Lastly, we demonstrate that CN2097 significantly improves the complex auditory processing deficits, which are impaired after injury. The multifunctionality of CN2097 strongly suggests that CN2097 could be highly efficacious in targeting complex secondary injury processes resulting from neurotrauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Marshall
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Joanna Szmydynger-Chodobska
- Neurotrauma and Brain Barriers Research Laboratory, Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Mengia S Rioult-Pedotti
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Kara Lau
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Andrea T Chin
- Neurotrauma and Brain Barriers Research Laboratory, Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Siva K Reddy Kotla
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Rakesh Kumar Tiwari
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Keykavous Parang
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | | | - Adam Chodobski
- Neurotrauma and Brain Barriers Research Laboratory, Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
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10
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Piber D, Nowacki J, Mueller SC, Wingenfeld K, Otte C. Sex effects on spatial learning but not on spatial memory retrieval in healthy young adults. Behav Brain Res 2017; 336:44-50. [PMID: 28847444 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sex differences have been found in spatial learning and spatial memory, with several studies indicating that males outperform females. We tested in the virtual Morris Water Maze (vMWM) task, whether sex differences in spatial cognitive processes are attributable to differences in spatial learning or spatial memory retrieval in a large student sample. METHODS We tested 90 healthy students (45 women and 45 men) with a mean age of 23.5 years (SD=3.5). Spatial learning and spatial memory retrieval were measured by using the vMWM task, during which participants had to search a virtual pool for a hidden platform, facilitated by visual cues surrounding the pool. Several learning trials assessed spatial learning, while a separate probe trial assessed spatial memory retrieval. RESULTS We found a significant sex effect during spatial learning, with males showing shorter latency and shorter path length, as compared to females (all p<0.001). Yet, there was no significant sex effect in spatial memory retrieval (p=0.615). Furthermore, post-hoc analyses revealed significant sex differences in spatial search strategies (p<0.05), but no difference in the number of platform crossings (p=0.375). CONCLUSION Our results indicate that in healthy young adults, males show faster spatial learning in a virtual environment, as compared to females. Interestingly, we found no significant sex differences during spatial memory retrieval. Our study raises the question, whether men and women use different learning strategies, which nevertheless result in equal performances of spatial memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Piber
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jan Nowacki
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
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11
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Ceccanti M, Coriale G, Hamilton DA, Carito V, Coccurello R, Scalese B, Ciafrè S, Codazzo C, Messina MP, Chaldakov GN, Fiore M. Virtual Morris task responses in individuals in an abstinence phase from alcohol. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2017; 96:128-136. [PMID: 28763626 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2017-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The present study was aimed at examining spatial learning and memory, in 33 men and 12 women with alcohol use disorder (AUD) undergoing ethanol detoxification, by using a virtual Morris task. As controls, we recruited 29 men and 10 women among episodic drinkers without a history of alcohol addiction or alcohol-related diseases. Elevated latency to the first movement in all trials was observed only in AUD persons; furthermore, control women had longer latencies compared with control men. Increased time spent to reach the hidden platform in the learning phase was found for women of both groups compared with men, in particular during trial 3. As predicted, AUD persons (more evident in men) spent less time in the target quadrant during the probe trial; however, AUD women had longer latencies to reach the platform in the visible condition during trials 6 and 7 that resulted in a greater distance moved. As for the probe trial, men of both groups showed increased virtual locomotion compared with the women of both groups. The present investigation confirms and extends previous studies showing (i) different gender responses in spatial learning tasks, (ii) some alterations due to alcohol addiction in virtual spatial learning, and (iii) differences between AUD men and AUD women in spatial-behaviour-related paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Ceccanti
- a Center for Alcohol Abuse (Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio-CRARL), Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Coriale
- a Center for Alcohol Abuse (Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio-CRARL), Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Derek A Hamilton
- b Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA
| | - Valentina Carito
- c Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council (IBCN-CNR)/Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Coccurello
- c Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council (IBCN-CNR)/Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Bruna Scalese
- a Center for Alcohol Abuse (Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio-CRARL), Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Ciafrè
- c Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council (IBCN-CNR)/Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Codazzo
- a Center for Alcohol Abuse (Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio-CRARL), Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Marisa Patrizia Messina
- a Center for Alcohol Abuse (Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio-CRARL), Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - George N Chaldakov
- d Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy and Histology, Medical University, Varna, 9002 Bulgaria
| | - Marco Fiore
- c Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council (IBCN-CNR)/Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
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12
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Tamargo IA, Bader M, Li Y, Yu SJ, Wang Y, Talbot K, DiMarchi RD, Pick CG, Greig NH. Novel GLP-1R/GIPR co-agonist "twincretin" is neuroprotective in cell and rodent models of mild traumatic brain injury. Exp Neurol 2017; 288:176-186. [PMID: 27845037 PMCID: PMC5878017 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Several single incretin receptor agonists that are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been shown to be neuroprotective in cell and animal models of neurodegeneration. Recently, a synthetic dual incretin receptor agonist, nicknamed "twincretin," was shown to improve upon the metabolic benefits of single receptor agonists in mouse and monkey models of T2DM. In the current study, the neuroprotective effects of twincretin are probed in cell and mouse models of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a prevalent cause of neurodegeneration in toddlers, teenagers and the elderly. Twincretin is herein shown to have activity at two different receptors, dose-dependently increase levels of intermediates in the neurotrophic CREB pathway and enhance viability of human neuroblastoma cells exposed to toxic concentrations of glutamate and hydrogen peroxide, insults mimicking the inflammatory conditions in the brain post-mTBI. Additionally, twincretin is shown to improve upon the neurotrophic effects of single incretin receptor agonists in these same cells. Finally, a clinically translatable dose of twincretin, when administered post-mTBI, is shown to fully restore the visual and spatial memory deficits induced by mTBI, as evaluated in a mouse model of weight drop close head injury. These results establish twincretin as a novel neuroprotective agent and suggest that it may improve upon the effects of the single incretin receptor agonists via dual agonism.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Body Temperature/drug effects
- Brain Injuries, Traumatic/complications
- Brain Injuries, Traumatic/drug therapy
- CREB-Binding Protein/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cells, Cultured
- Disease Models, Animal
- Embryo, Mammalian
- Glucagon-Like Peptide 1/metabolism
- Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/agonists
- Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/metabolism
- Humans
- Incretins/therapeutic use
- Male
- Maze Learning/drug effects
- Memory Disorders/etiology
- Memory Disorders/prevention & control
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred ICR
- Neuroblastoma/pathology
- Neuroprotective Agents/therapeutic use
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone/agonists
- Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone/metabolism
- Recognition, Psychology/drug effects
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A Tamargo
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Miaad Bader
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yazhou Li
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Seong-Jin Yu
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yun Wang
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Chaim G Pick
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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13
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Ogier M, Belmeguenai A, Lieutaud T, Georges B, Bouvard S, Carré E, Canini F, Bezin L. Cognitive Deficits and Inflammatory Response Resulting from Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats Are Exacerbated by Repeated Pre-Exposure to an Innate Stress Stimulus. J Neurotrauma 2017; 34:1645-1657. [PMID: 27901414 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2016.4741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in both military and civilian populations, and often results in neurobehavioral sequelae that impair quality of life in both patients and their families. Although individuals who are chronically exposed to stress are more likely to experience TBI, it is still unknown whether pre-injury stress influences the outcome after TBI. The present study tested whether behavioral and cognitive long-term outcome after TBI in rats is affected by prior exposure to an innate stress stimulus. Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to the predator odor 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT) or to water (WAT); exposure was repeated eight times at irregular intervals over a 2-week period. Rats were subsequently subjected to either mild-to-moderate bilateral brain injury (lateral fluid percussion [LFP]) or sham surgery (Sham). Four experimental groups were studied: Sham-WAT, Sham-TMT, LFP-WAT and LFP-TMT. Compared with Sham-WAT rats, LFP-WAT rats exhibited transient locomotor hyperactivity without signs of anxiety, minor spatial learning acquisition and hippocampal long-term potentiation deficits, and lower baseline activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with slightly stronger reactivity to restraint stress. Exposure to TMT had only negligible effects on Sham rats, whereas it exacerbated all deficits in LFP rats except for locomotor hyperactivity. Early brain inflammatory response (8 h post-trauma) was aggravated in rats pre-exposed to TMT, suggesting that increased brain inflammation may sustain functional deficits in these rats. Hence, these data suggest that pre-exposure to stressful conditions can aggravate long-term deficits induced by TBI, leading to severe stress response deficits, possibly due to dysregulated inflammatory response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Ogier
- 1 Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées , Brétigny-sur-Orge, France .,2 Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Bron, France .,3 Institute for Epilepsy , IDÉE, Bron, France
| | - Amor Belmeguenai
- 2 Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Bron, France .,3 Institute for Epilepsy , IDÉE, Bron, France
| | - Thomas Lieutaud
- 2 Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Bron, France .,3 Institute for Epilepsy , IDÉE, Bron, France
| | - Béatrice Georges
- 2 Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Bron, France .,3 Institute for Epilepsy , IDÉE, Bron, France
| | - Sandrine Bouvard
- 2 Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Bron, France .,3 Institute for Epilepsy , IDÉE, Bron, France
| | - Emilie Carré
- 1 Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées , Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Frédéric Canini
- 1 Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées , Brétigny-sur-Orge, France .,4 Ecole du Val de Grâce , Paris, France
| | - Laurent Bezin
- 2 Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Bron, France .,3 Institute for Epilepsy , IDÉE, Bron, France
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14
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Piber D, Schultebraucks K, Mueller SC, Deuter CE, Wingenfeld K, Otte C. Mineralocorticoid receptor stimulation effects on spatial memory in healthy young adults: A study using the virtual Morris Water Maze task. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 136:139-146. [PMID: 27725248 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Stress hormones such as cortisol are known to influence a wide range of cognitive functions, including hippocampal based spatial memory. In the brain, cortisol acts via two different receptors: the glucocorticoid (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). As the MR has a high density in the hippocampus, we examined the effects of pharmacological MR stimulation on spatial memory. METHODS Eighty healthy participants (40 women, 40 men, mean age=23.9years±SD=3.3) completed the virtual Morris Water Maze (vMWM) task to test spatial encoding and spatial memory retrieval after receiving 0.4mg fludrocortisone, a MR agonist, or placebo. RESULTS There was no effect of MR stimulation on spatial encoding during the vMWM task. However, participants who received fludrocortisone exhibited improved spatial memory retrieval performance. There was neither a main effect of sex nor a sex-by-treatment interaction. CONCLUSION In young healthy participants, MR stimulation improved hippocampal based spatial memory retrieval in a virtual Morris Water Maze task. Our study not only confirms the importance of MR function in spatial memory, but suggests beneficial effects of acute MR stimulation on spatial memory retrieval in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Piber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Katharina Schultebraucks
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christian Eric Deuter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Mueller SC, Verwilst T, Van Branteghem A, T'Sjoen G, Cools M. The contribution of the androgen receptor (AR) in human spatial learning and memory: A study in women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). Horm Behav 2016; 78:121-6. [PMID: 26522496 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the impact of androgen insensitivity on human spatial learning and memory. In the present study, we tested 11 women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), a rare genetic disorder characterized by complete absence of AR activity, and compared their performance against 20 comparison males and 19 comparison females on a virtual analog of the Morris Water Maze task. The results replicated a main sex effect showing that men relative to women were faster in finding the hidden platform and had reduced heading error. Furthermore, findings indicated that mean performance of women with CAIS was between control women and control men, though the differences were not statistically significant. Effect size estimates (and corresponding confidence intervals) of spatial learning trials showed little difference between women with CAIS and control women but CAIS women differed from men, but not women, on two variables, latency to find the platform and first-move latency. No differences between groups were present during visible platform trials or the probe trial, a measure of spatial memory. Moreover, groups also did not differ on estimates of IQ and variability of performance. The findings are discussed in relation to androgen insensitivity in human spatial learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - T Verwilst
- Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - A Van Branteghem
- Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - G T'Sjoen
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Sexology and Gender Problems, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - M Cools
- Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital
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16
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The Virtual Tray of Objects Task as a novel method to electrophysiologically measure visuo-spatial recognition memory. Int J Psychophysiol 2015; 98:477-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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17
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Spatial learning in men undergoing alcohol detoxification. Physiol Behav 2015; 149:324-30. [PMID: 26143187 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is a major public health problem worldwide. Brain and behavioral disruptions including changes in cognitive abilities are common features of alcohol addiction. Thus, the present study was aimed to investigate spatial learning and memory in 29 alcoholic men undergoing alcohol detoxification by using a virtual Morris maze task. As age-matched controls we recruited 29 men among occasional drinkers without history of alcohol dependence and/or alcohol related diseases and with a negative blood alcohol level at the time of testing. We found that the responses to the virtual Morris maze are impaired in men undergoing alcohol detoxification. Notably they showed increased latencies in the first movement during the trials, increased latencies in retrieving the hidden platform and increased latencies in reaching the visible platform. These findings were associated with reduced swimming time in the target quadrant of the pool where the platform had been during the 4 hidden platform trials of the learning phase compared to controls. Such increasing latency responses may suggest motor control, attentional and motivational deficits due to alcohol detoxification.
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18
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Lavenex PB, Bostelmann M, Brandner C, Costanzo F, Fragnière E, Klencklen G, Lavenex P, Menghini D, Vicari S. Allocentric spatial learning and memory deficits in Down syndrome. Front Psychol 2015; 6:62. [PMID: 25762946 PMCID: PMC4329802 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that persons with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit relatively poor language capacities, and impaired verbal and visuoperceptual memory, whereas their visuospatial memory capacities appear comparatively spared. Individuals with DS recall better where an object was previously seen than what object was previously seen. However, most of the evidence concerning preserved visuospatial memory comes from tabletop or computerized experiments which are biased toward testing egocentric (viewpoint-dependent) spatial representations. Accordingly, allocentric (viewpoint-independent) spatial learning and memory capacities may not be necessary to perform these tasks. Thus, in order to more fully characterize the spatial capacities of individuals with DS, allocentric processes underlying real-world navigation must also be investigated. We tested 20 participants with DS and 16 mental age-matched, typically developing (TD) children in a real-world, allocentric spatial (AS) memory task. During local cue (LC) trials, participants had to locate three rewards marked by local color cues, among 12 locations distributed in a 4 m × 4 m arena. During AS trials, participants had to locate the same three rewards, in absence of LCs, based on their relations to distal environmental cues. All TD participants chose rewarded locations in LC and AS trials at above chance level. In contrast, although all but one of the participants with DS exhibited a preference for the rewarded locations in LC trials, only 50% of participants with DS chose the rewarded locations at above chance level in AS trials. As a group, participants with DS performed worse than TD children on all measures of task performance. These findings demonstrate that individuals with DS are impaired at using an AS representation to learn and remember discrete locations in a controlled environment, suggesting persistent and pervasive deficits in hippocampus-dependent memory in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Banta Lavenex
- Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mathilde Bostelmann
- Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Brandner
- Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Floriana Costanzo
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital Rome, Italy
| | - Emilie Fragnière
- Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giuliana Klencklen
- Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Lavenex
- Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Deny Menghini
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital Rome, Italy
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19
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Mueller SC, Grissom EM, Dohanich GP. Assessing gonadal hormone contributions to affective psychopathologies across humans and animal models. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 46:114-28. [PMID: 24882164 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite increasing acknowledgement of hormonal contributions to mood and anxiety disorders, the underlying mechanisms by which gonadal hormones influence psychopathology-related behaviours remain unknown. This review focuses on recent research that examines the influence of gonadal steroid hormones, including androgens, oestrogens, and progesterone, on mood and anxiety-related behaviours in human health and disease. To this aim, the literature was surveyed for studies that assess conditions with suspected underlying hormonal imbalances in otherwise healthy participants (e.g., premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postmenopausal depression) as well as conditions linked to congenital endocrine abnormalities (e.g., Turner Syndrome, Klinefelter Syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, familial male precocious puberty, androgen insensitivity syndrome). Furthermore, to better inform clinical work and to create a translational bridge, a second goal was to set human psychopathologies and animal models of these conditions side-by-side. In the second part of the review, based on consistencies revealed in the existing literature across conditions, a new model for the impact of gonadal hormones on anxious and depressed behavioural states is proposed. Finally, we conclude by proposing directions for future research, including the development of specific tasks suitable for cross-species comparisons to increase our knowledge of the role of gonadal hormones in mood and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - E M Grissom
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - G P Dohanich
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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20
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Yamamoto N, Philbeck JW, Woods AJ, Gajewski DA, Arthur JC, Potolicchio SJ, Levy L, Caputy AJ. Medial temporal lobe roles in human path integration. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96583. [PMID: 24802000 PMCID: PMC4011851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Path integration is a process in which observers derive their location by integrating self-motion signals along their locomotion trajectory. Although the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is thought to take part in path integration, the scope of its role for path integration remains unclear. To address this issue, we administered a variety of tasks involving path integration and other related processes to a group of neurosurgical patients whose MTL was unilaterally resected as therapy for epilepsy. These patients were unimpaired relative to neurologically intact controls in many tasks that required integration of various kinds of sensory self-motion information. However, the same patients (especially those who had lesions in the right hemisphere) walked farther than the controls when attempting to walk without vision to a previewed target. Importantly, this task was unique in our test battery in that it allowed participants to form a mental representation of the target location and anticipate their upcoming walking trajectory before they began moving. Thus, these results put forth a new idea that the role of MTL structures for human path integration may stem from their participation in predicting the consequences of one's locomotor actions. The strengths of this new theoretical viewpoint are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohide Yamamoto
- Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - John W. Philbeck
- Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Adam J. Woods
- Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research Program, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Daniel A. Gajewski
- Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Joeanna C. Arthur
- Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Office of Basic & Applied Research, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Springfield, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Samuel J. Potolicchio
- Department of Neurology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Lucien Levy
- Department of Radiology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Anthony J. Caputy
- Department of Neurological Surgery, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
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Mueller SC, Cornwell BR, Grillon C, Macintyre J, Gorodetsky E, Goldman D, Pine DS, Ernst M. Evidence of MAOA genotype involvement in spatial ability in males. Behav Brain Res 2014; 267:106-10. [PMID: 24671068 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Although the monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA) gene has been linked to spatial learning and memory in animal models, convincing evidence in humans is lacking. Performance on an ecologically-valid, virtual computer-based equivalent of the Morris Water Maze task was compared between 28 healthy males with the low MAOA transcriptional activity and 41 healthy age- and IQ-matched males with the high MAOA transcriptional activity. The results revealed consistently better performance (reduced heading error, shorter path length, and reduced failed trials) for the high MAOA activity individuals relative to the low activity individuals. By comparison, groups did not differ on pre-task variables or strategic measures such as first-move latency. The results provide novel evidence of MAOA gene involvement in human spatial navigation using a virtual analogue of the Morris Water Maze task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | | | - Christian Grillon
- Section Neurobiology of Fear & Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jessica Macintyre
- Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elena Gorodetsky
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David Goldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Monique Ernst
- Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Navigational strategy may be more a matter of environment and experience than gender. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2013.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Possible nitric oxide modulation in the protective effects of rutin against experimental head trauma-induced cognitive deficits: behavioral, biochemical, and molecular correlates. J Surg Res 2014; 188:268-79. [PMID: 24484907 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2013.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic head injury is turning out to be a major cause of disability and death. Nitric oxide (NO), an intercellular messenger plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of several neurologic disorders. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of rutin, a well-known flavonoid against cognitive deficits and neuroinflammation associated with traumatic head injury and the probable role of NO pathway in this effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS Wistar rats were exposed to head trauma using weight drop method and kept for a postsurgical rehabilitation period of 2 wk. Later, animals were administered with rutin (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg; per oral) alone and in combination with NO modulators such as N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and L-arginine, daily for another 2 wk. RESULTS Head injury caused impaired spatial navigation in Morris water maze test and poor retention in elevated plus maze task. Furthermore, there was a significant rise in acetylcholinesterase activity, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation (tumor necrosis factor α), and neuronal apoptosis (caspase-3) in both cortex and hippocampal regions of traumatized rat brain. Rutin significantly attenuated these behavioral, biochemical, and molecular alterations associated with head trauma. Furthermore, pretreatment of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), a nonspecific nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, with subeffective dose of rutin (40 mg/kg) potentiated the protective effects; however, pretreatment of L-arginine (100 mg/kg; intraperitoneally), an NO donor, reversed the effects of rutin. CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that NO modulation could possibly be involved in the neuroprotective effects of rutin against head trauma-induced cognitive deficits, neuroinflammation, and apoptotic signaling cascade.
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The topographical N170: Electrophysiological evidence of a neural mechanism for human spatial navigation. Biol Psychol 2013; 94:90-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Revised: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dvorkin AY, Ramaiya M, Larson EB, Zollman FS, Hsu N, Pacini S, Shah A, Patton JL. A "virtually minimal" visuo-haptic training of attention in severe traumatic brain injury. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2013; 10:92. [PMID: 23938101 PMCID: PMC3750632 DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-10-92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although common during the early stages of recovery from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), attention deficits have been scarcely investigated. Encouraging evidence suggests beneficial effects of attention training in more chronic and higher functioning patients. Interactive technology may provide new opportunities for rehabilitation in inpatients who are earlier in their recovery. Methods We designed a “virtually minimal” approach using robot-rendered haptics in a virtual environment to train severely injured inpatients in the early stages of recovery to sustain attention to a visuo-motor task. 21 inpatients with severe TBI completed repetitive reaching toward targets that were both seen and felt. Patients were tested over two consecutive days, experiencing 3 conditions (no haptic feedback, a break-through force, and haptic nudge) in 12 successive, 4-minute blocks. Results The interactive visuo-haptic environments were well-tolerated and engaging. Patients typically remained attentive to the task. However, patients exhibited attention loss both before (prolonged initiation) and during (pauses during motion) a movement. Compared to no haptic feedback, patients benefited from haptic nudge cues but not break-through forces. As training progressed, patients increased the number of targets acquired and spontaneously improved from one day to the next. Conclusions Interactive visuo-haptic environments could be beneficial for attention training for severe TBI patients in the early stages of recovery and warrants further and more prolonged clinical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Y Dvorkin
- Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E, Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Taillade M, Sauzéon H, Arvind Pala P, Déjos M, Larrue F, Gross C, N’Kaoua B. Age-related wayfinding differences in real large-scale environments: detrimental motor control effects during spatial learning are mediated by executive decline? PLoS One 2013; 8:e67193. [PMID: 23843992 PMCID: PMC3699574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate motor control activity (active vs. passive condition) with regards to wayfinding and spatial learning difficulties in large-scale spaces for older adults. We compared virtual reality (VR)-based wayfinding and spatial memory (survey and route knowledge) performances between 30 younger and 30 older adults. A significant effect of age was obtained on the wayfinding performances but not on the spatial memory performances. Specifically, the active condition deteriorated the survey measure in all of the participants and increased the age-related differences in the wayfinding performances. Importantly, the age-related differences in the wayfinding performances, after an active condition, were further mediated by the executive measures. All of the results relative to a detrimental effect of motor activity are discussed in terms of a dual task effect as well as executive decline associated with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Taillade
- Université Bordeaux, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, IFR Handicap, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hélène Sauzéon
- Université Bordeaux, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, IFR Handicap, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
- Inria, Equipe Phoenix, Talence, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Prashant Arvind Pala
- Université Bordeaux, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, IFR Handicap, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marie Déjos
- Université Bordeaux, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, IFR Handicap, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Christian Gross
- Université Bordeaux, Institut des maladies neurodégénératives - UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Bernard N’Kaoua
- Université Bordeaux, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, IFR Handicap, Handicap et système nerveux, EA 4136, Bordeaux, France
- Inria, Equipe Phoenix, Talence, France
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Phosphodiesterase inhibition rescues chronic cognitive deficits induced by traumatic brain injury. J Neurosci 2013; 33:5216-26. [PMID: 23516287 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5133-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) modulates several cell signaling pathways in the hippocampus critical for memory formation. Previous studies have found that the cAMP-protein kinase A signaling pathway is downregulated after TBI and that treatment with a phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 inhibitor rolipram rescues the decrease in cAMP. In the present study, we examined the effect of rolipram on TBI-induced cognitive impairments. At 2 weeks after moderate fluid-percussion brain injury or sham surgery, adult male Sprague Dawley rats received vehicle or rolipram (0.03 mg/kg) 30 min before water maze acquisition or cue and contextual fear conditioning. TBI animals treated with rolipram showed a significant improvement in water maze acquisition and retention of both cue and contextual fear conditioning compared with vehicle-treated TBI animals. Cue and contextual fear conditioning significantly increased phosphorylated CREB levels in the hippocampus of sham animals, but not in TBI animals. This deficit in CREB activation during learning was rescued in TBI animals treated with rolipram. Hippocampal long-term potentiation was reduced in TBI animals, and this was also rescued with rolipram treatment. These results indicate that the PDE4 inhibitor rolipram rescues cognitive impairments after TBI, and this may be mediated through increased CREB activation during learning.
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Kober SE, Wood G, Hofer D, Kreuzig W, Kiefer M, Neuper C. Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2013; 10:17. [PMID: 23394289 PMCID: PMC3583670 DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-10-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool for the assessment and rehabilitation of TD. In VR training programs different degrees of active motor control over navigation may be implemented (i.e. more passive spatial navigation vs. more active). Increasing demands of active motor control may overload those visuo-spatial resources necessary for learning spatial orientation and navigation. In the present study we used a VR-based verbally-guided passive navigation training program to improve general spatial abilities in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation. Methods Eleven neurologic patients with focal brain lesions, which showed deficits in spatial orientation, as well as 11 neurologic healthy controls performed a route finding training in a virtual environment. Participants learned and recalled different routes for navigation in a virtual city over five training sessions. Before and after VR training, general spatial abilities were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests. Results Route finding ability in the VR task increased over the five training sessions. Moreover, both groups improved different aspects of spatial abilities after VR training in comparison to the spatial performance before VR training. Conclusions Verbally-guided passive navigation training in VR enhances general spatial cognition in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation as well as in healthy controls and can therefore be useful in the rehabilitation of spatial deficits associated with TD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Erika Kober
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2/III, 8010, Graz, Austria.
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Sorita E, N’Kaoua B, Larrue F, Criquillon J, Simion A, Sauzéon H, Joseph PA, Mazaux JM. Do patients with traumatic brain injury learn a route in the same way in real and virtual environments? Disabil Rehabil 2012; 35:1371-9. [DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2012.738761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Foster TC, Defazio RA, Bizon JL. Characterizing cognitive aging of spatial and contextual memory in animal models. Front Aging Neurosci 2012; 4:12. [PMID: 22988436 PMCID: PMC3439636 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2012.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory, especially memory for contextual or spatial information, is particularly vulnerable to age-related decline in humans and animal models of aging. The continuing improvement of virtual environment technology for testing humans signifies that widely used procedures employed in the animal literature for examining spatial memory could be developed for examining age-related cognitive decline in humans. The current review examines cross species considerations for implementing these tasks and translating findings across different levels of analysis. The specificity of brain systems as well as gaps in linking human and animal laboratory models is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
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31
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Taillade M, Sauzéon H, Dejos M, Arvind Pala P, Larrue F, Wallet G, Gross C, N'Kaoua B. Executive and memory correlates of age-related differences in wayfinding performances using a virtual reality application. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2012; 20:298-319. [DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2012.706247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Taillade
- a Université Bordeaux Segalen , Laboratoire EA 4136, Handicap & Système Nerveux, Bordeaux , France
| | - Hélène Sauzéon
- a Université Bordeaux Segalen , Laboratoire EA 4136, Handicap & Système Nerveux, Bordeaux , France
| | - Marie Dejos
- a Université Bordeaux Segalen , Laboratoire EA 4136, Handicap & Système Nerveux, Bordeaux , France
| | - Prashant Arvind Pala
- a Université Bordeaux Segalen , Laboratoire EA 4136, Handicap & Système Nerveux, Bordeaux , France
| | - Florian Larrue
- a Université Bordeaux Segalen , Laboratoire EA 4136, Handicap & Système Nerveux, Bordeaux , France
| | - Grégory Wallet
- a Université Bordeaux Segalen , Laboratoire EA 4136, Handicap & Système Nerveux, Bordeaux , France
| | - Christian Gross
- b Université Bordeaux Segalen , CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des maladies neurodégénératives, Bordeaux , France
| | - Bernard N'Kaoua
- a Université Bordeaux Segalen , Laboratoire EA 4136, Handicap & Système Nerveux, Bordeaux , France
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Davis RL, Therrien BA. Cue Color and Familiarity in Place Learning for Older Adults. Res Gerontol Nurs 2012; 5:138-48. [PMID: 22007897 DOI: 10.3928/19404921-20111004-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2011] [Accepted: 06/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Pai MC, Lee CC, Yang YC, Lee YT, Chen KC, Lin SH, Jheng SS, Sun PW, Cheng PJ. Development of a questionnaire on everyday navigational ability to assess topographical disorientation in Alzheimer's disease. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 2012; 27:65-72. [PMID: 22467415 PMCID: PMC10697366 DOI: 10.1177/1533317512436805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2024]
Abstract
We developed a Questionnaire on Everyday Navigational Ability (QuENA) to detect topographical disorientation (TD) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (PwAD). In the QuENA, 3 items were designed to assess landmark agnosia, 2 for egocentric disorientation, 3 for heading disorientation, and 2 for inattention. The PwAD and their caregivers rated QuENA according to which TD symptoms would occur. Regarding the construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis showed that the caregiver version of the QuENA fits the proposed TD model well but the patient version does not. Regarding the internal consistency, the Cronbach's α for the caregiver version was 0.91 and that for the patient version was 0.87. A discrepancy existed between the appraisal of navigational abilities by PwAD and by caregivers, and it was correlated with the number of getting lost (GL) events. The caregiver version of QuENA is a feasible, reliable, and valid instrument to assess TD and it also discriminates well between the PwAD with GL and those without.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Chyi Pai
- Division of Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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Foster TC. Dissecting the age-related decline on spatial learning and memory tasks in rodent models: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in senescent synaptic plasticity. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 96:283-303. [PMID: 22307057 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2011] [Revised: 01/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
In humans, heterogeneity in the decline of hippocampal-dependent episodic memory is observed during aging. Rodents have been employed as models of age-related cognitive decline and the spatial water maze has been used to show variability in the emergence and extent of impaired hippocampal-dependent memory. Impairment in the consolidation of intermediate-term memory for rapidly acquired and flexible spatial information emerges early, in middle-age. As aging proceeds, deficits may broaden to include impaired incremental learning of a spatial reference memory. The extent and time course of impairment has been be linked to senescence of calcium (Ca²⁺) regulation and Ca²⁺-dependent synaptic plasticity mechanisms in region CA1. Specifically, aging is associated with altered function of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels (VDCCs), and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) linked to intracellular Ca²⁺ stores (ICS). In young animals, NMDAR activation induces long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission (NMDAR-LTP), which is thought to mediate the rapid consolidation of intermediate-term memory. Oxidative stress, starting in middle-age, reduces NMDAR function. In addition, VDCCs and ICS can actively inhibit NMDAR-dependent LTP and oxidative stress enhances the role of VDCC and RyR-ICS in regulating synaptic plasticity. Blockade of L-type VDCCs promotes NMDAR-LTP and memory in older animals. Interestingly, pharmacological or genetic manipulations to reduce hippocampal NMDAR function readily impair memory consolidation or rapid learning, generally leaving incremental learning intact. Finally, evidence is mounting to indicate a role for VDCC-dependent synaptic plasticity in associative learning and the consolidation of remote memories. Thus, VDCC-dependent synaptic plasticity and extrahippocampal systems may contribute to incremental learning deficits observed with advanced aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, PO Box 100244, Gainesville, FL 32610-0244, USA. ,
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Darwish H, Dawish H, Mahmood A, Schallert T, Chopp M, Therrien B. Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) leads to spatial learning deficits. Brain Inj 2012; 26:151-65. [PMID: 22360521 PMCID: PMC3925503 DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2011.635362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mild and severe TBI on young male Wistar rats' spatial learning. RESEARCH DESIGN Randomized repeated measure experimental design was used to examine spatial learning in three independent animal groups. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Twenty-four (severe n = 9, mild n = 8, sham n = 7) male rats were included in the study. Animals received controlled mild (1.5 mm), severe (2.5 mm) cortical impact injury or sham surgery. Spatial learning was assessed daily using a modified Morris water maze test, 20 days post-trauma, for 5 consecutive days. Percentage time travelled within each quadrant and escape latency were calculated. All animals' hippocampal brain regions were examined post-injury using neuron (MAP2) and pre-synaptic protein (Synaptophysin) biomarkers. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS It took the animals with mild injury until day 3 to reach the platform; and animals with mild and severe injury spent significantly less time in the target quadrant than the sham. The hippocampal neuron numbers differed proportionately between animals with severe and mild injury, but the percentage of synaptophysin density was significantly less in the dentate gyrus of both animals with mild and severe injury than sham group. CONCLUSION Persistent spatial learning deficits exist after mild TBI; these deficits appear equivalent to deficits exhibited after a more severe injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala Darwish
- Faculty of Medicine-School of Nursing, American University of Beirut, New York, NY 10017-2303, USA.
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Lapeyre B, Hourlier S, Servantie X, N'Kaoua B, Sauzéon H. Using the landmark-route-survey framework to evaluate spatial knowledge obtained from synthetic vision systems. HUMAN FACTORS 2011; 53:647-661. [PMID: 22235527 DOI: 10.1177/0018720811421171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using the landmark-route-survey framework, this research investigated the effect of synthetic vision systems (SVS) in either low or high visibility conditions on performance in wayfinding and spatial-knowledge-based tasks that probed spatial awareness. BACKGROUND SVS are cockpit displays that depict computer-generated views of the terrain surrounding an aircraft and have been developed to support flight efficiency through improved spatial awareness. No studies have directly measured SVS impact on the three levels of spatial knowledge (landmark, route, and survey). METHOD A total of 55 nonpilots learned a route in four different experimental conditions (high or low visibility, either with or without SVS). Subsequently, they underwent four recall tasks: way finding, scene recognition, scene classification, and sketch map. Six dependent measures were used to probe the three levels of spatial knowledge (selection errors, sorting errors, number of landmarks depicted, bidimensional regression) and their use in the wayfinding task (direction errors, designated landmark errors, and wayfinding verbalized hesitations). RESULTS SVS produced higher performance in all four tasks. The low visibility condition lowered the wayfinding and scene-recognition performance. CONCLUSION The overall results indicated that visibility mostly affected the first level of spatial knowledge (landmark) inducing a decreased wayfinding performance, whereas the use of SVS influenced the three levels of spatial knowledge (route and survey) inducing an increased wayfinding performance. APPLICATION Potential applications of this work include spatial knowledge-based measures to evaluate SVS prototypes as well as to assess the relationship between spatial knowledge and spatial awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Lapeyre
- Université Bordeaux Segalen, Laboratoire Cognition et Facteurs Humains, 146 rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux 33076, France.
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Mueller SC, Merke DP, Leschek EW, Fromm S, Grillon C, Cornwell BR, Vanryzin C, Ernst M. Grey matter volume correlates with virtual water maze task performance in boys with androgen excess. Neuroscience 2011; 197:225-32. [PMID: 21964472 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 09/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Major questions remain about the specific role of testosterone in human spatial navigation. We tested 10 boys (mean age 11.65 years) with an extremely rare disorder of androgen excess (Familial Male Precocious Puberty, FMPP) and 40 healthy boys (mean age 12.81 years) on a virtual version of the Morris Water Maze task. In addition, anatomical magnetic resonance images were collected for all patients and a subsample of the controls (n=21) after task completion. Behaviourally, no significant differences were found between both groups. However, in the MRI analyses, grey matter volume (GMV) was correlated with performance using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Group differences in correlations of performance with GMV were apparent in medial regions of the prefrontal cortex as well as the middle occipital gyrus and the cuneus. By comparison, similar correlations for both groups were found in the inferior parietal lobule. These data provide novel insight into the relation between testosterone and brain development and suggest that morphological differences in a spatial navigation network covary with performance in spatial ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
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Carelli L, Rusconi ML, Scarabelli C, Stampatori C, Mattioli F, Riva G. The transfer from survey (map-like) to route representations into Virtual Reality Mazes: effect of age and cerebral lesion. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2011; 8:6. [PMID: 21281510 PMCID: PMC3039572 DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-8-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2010] [Accepted: 01/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To go from one place to another, we routinely generate internal representations of surrounding spaces, which can include egocentric (body-centred) and allocentric (world-centred) coordinates, combined into route and survey representations.Recent studies have shown how both egocentric and allocentric representations exist in parallel and are joined to support behaviour according to the task.Our study investigated the transfer from survey (map-like) to route representations in healthy and brain-damaged subjects. The aim was two-fold: first, to understand how this ability could change with age in a sample of healthy participants, aged from 40 to 71 years old; second, to investigate how it is affected after a brain lesion in a 8 patients' sample, with reference to specific neuropsychological frames. METHODS Participants were first required to perform the paper and pencil version of eight mazes, then to translate the map-like paths into egocentric routes, in order to find the right way into equivalent Virtual Reality (VR) mazes.Patients also underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation, including a specific investigation of some topographical orientation components. RESULTS As regards the healthy sample, we found age-related deterioration in VR task performance. While education level and gender were not found to be related to performance, global cognitive level (Mini Mental State Examination), previous experience with computer and fluidity of navigation into the VR appeared to influence VR task results.Considering the clinical sample, there was a difficulty in performing the VR Maze task; executive functions and visuo-spatial abilities deficits appeared to be more relevant for predicting patients' results. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests the importance of developing tools aimed at investigating the survey to route transfer ability in both healthy elderly and clinical samples, since this skill seems high cognitive demanding and sensitive to cognitive decline.Human-computer interaction issues should be considered in employing new technologies, such as VR environments, with elderly subjects and neurological patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Carelli
- Department of Human Science, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
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Spain A, Daumas S, Lifshitz J, Rhodes J, Andrews PJD, Horsburgh K, Fowler JH. Mild fluid percussion injury in mice produces evolving selective axonal pathology and cognitive deficits relevant to human brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2010; 27:1429-38. [PMID: 20528171 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2010.1288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounts for up to 80% of clinical TBI and can result in cognitive impairment and white matter damage that may develop and persist over several years. Clinically relevant models of mild TBI for investigation of neurobiological changes and the development of therapeutic strategies are poorly developed. In this study we investigated the temporal profile of axonal and somal injury that may contribute to cognitive impairments in a mouse model of mild TBI. Neuronal perikaryal damage (hematoxylin and eosin and Fluoro-Jade C), myelin integrity (myelin basic protein and myelin-associated glycoprotein), and axonal damage (amyloid precursor protein), were evaluated by immunohistochemistry at 4 h, 24 h, 72 h, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks after mild lateral fluid percussion brain injury (0.9 atm; righting time 167 +/- 15 sec). At 3 weeks post-injury spatial reference learning and memory were tested in the Morris water maze (MWM). Levels of damage to neuronal cell bodies were comparable in the brain-injured and sham groups. Myelin integrity was minimally altered following injury. Clear alterations in axonal damage were observed at various time points after injury. Axonal damage was localized to the cingulum at 4 h post-injury. At 4 and 6 weeks post-injury, axonal damage was evident in the external capsule, and was seen at 6 weeks in the dorsal thalamic nuclei. At 3 weeks post-injury, injured mice showed an impaired ability to learn the water maze task, suggesting injury-induced alterations in search strategy learning. The evolving localization of axonal damage points to ongoing degeneration after injury that is concomitant with a deficit in learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisling Spain
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Ullrich NJ, Ayr L, Leaffer E, Irons MB, Rey-Casserly C. Pilot study of a novel computerized task to assess spatial learning in children and adolescents with neurofibromatosis type 1. J Child Neurol 2010; 25:1195-202. [PMID: 20139412 DOI: 10.1177/0883073809358454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Difficulties with visual-spatial learning are frequently observed and often considered to be the hallmark of neurocognitive impairment in neurofibromatosis type 1. The computerized Arena Maze is a virtual environment task that has been developed as a human paradigm to the Morris Water Maze, which is used to evaluate spatial learning in animal models. The authors evaluated this task as a measure of spatial learning in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 compared with their unaffected siblings. Affected children were able to learn the task and navigate the virtual environment; however, they performed more poorly on standard measures of spatial learning and spatial working memory than their siblings. The group with neurofibromatosis type 1 demonstrated decreased proficiency in earlier target trials and had more difficulty in remembering target location. This study demonstrates the potential utility of a novel virtual task to assess spatial learning deficits in children with neurofibromatosis type 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J Ullrich
- Departments of Neurology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02446, USA.
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Abstract
Neurocognitive assessment in individuals with intellectual disabilities requires a well-validated test battery. To meet this need, the Arizona Cognitive Test Battery (ACTB) has been developed specifically to assess the cognitive phenotype in Down syndrome (DS). The ACTB includes neuropsychological assessments chosen to 1) assess a range of skills, 2) be non-verbal so as to not confound the neuropsychological assessment with language demands, 3) have distributional properties appropriate for research studies to identify genetic modifiers of variation, 4) show sensitivity to within and between sample differences, 5) have specific correlates with brain function, and 6) be applicable to a wide age range and across contexts. The ACTB includes tests of general cognitive ability and prefrontal, hippocampal and cerebellar function. These tasks were drawn from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB) and other established paradigms. Alongside the cognitive testing battery we administered benchmark and parent-report assessments of cognition and behavior. Individuals with DS (n=74, ages 7-38 years) and mental age (MA) matched controls (n=50, ages 3-8 years) were tested across 3 sites. A subsample of these groups were used for between-group comparisons, including 55 individuals with DS and 36 mental age matched controls. The ACTB allows for low floor performance levels and participant loss. Floor effects were greater in younger children. Individuals with DS were impaired on a number ACTB tests in comparison to a MA-matched sample, with some areas of spared ability, particularly on tests requiring extensive motor coordination. Battery measures correlated with parent report of behavior and development. The ACTB provided consistent results across contexts, including home vs. lab visits, cross-site, and among individuals with a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds and differences in ethnicity. The ACTB will be useful in a range of outcome studies, including clinical trials and the identification of important genetic components of cognitive disability.
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Goodrich-Hunsaker NJ, Livingstone SA, Skelton RW, Hopkins RO. Spatial deficits in a virtual water maze in amnesic participants with hippocampal damage. Hippocampus 2010; 20:481-91. [PMID: 19554566 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Morris water maze is a standard paradigm for the testing of hippocampal function in laboratory animals. Virtual versions of the Morris water maze are now available and can be used to assess spatial learning and memory ability in both healthy and brain injured participants. To evaluate the importance of the hippocampus in spatial learning and memory, we tested five amnesic participants with selective hippocampal damage using a virtual water maze called the Arena Maze. The amnesic participants with hippocampal damage were impaired on the invisible platform (place) task that required them to use distal cues, but were able to navigate almost as well as comparison participants when the invisible platform was marked by a single proximal cue. These results not only confirm that the hippocampus plays a necessary role in human navigation in large-scale environments but also provides a new link between the mnemonic and navigational roles of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi J Goodrich-Hunsaker
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA.
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Schoenfeld R, Moenich N, Mueller FJ, Lehmann W, Leplow B. Search strategies in a human water maze analogue analyzed with automatic classification methods. Behav Brain Res 2010; 208:169-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2009] [Revised: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Thomas KG, Laurance HE, Nadel L, Jacobs WJ. Stress-Induced Impairment of Spatial Navigation in Females. SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1177/008124631004000104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Earlier work predicted that the physiological effects of an acute stressor disrupt a neurological system underlying cognitive-map (CM) guided navigation, but leave intact systems underlying landmark (LM) guided navigation. This prediction has been only partially confirmed. Furthermore, no-one has investigated sex differences in the relations between acute stress and spatial navigation, even though stress affects verbal memory and decision-making performance of males and females differently. We administered the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a standardized laboratory procedure designed to induce mild psychosocial stress, to 15 healthy undergraduates to examine the effects of acute stress on CM- and LM-guided navigation in men and women. They, and a demographically matched control group of 14 undergraduates, completed a virtual environment navigation task. Exposure to the TSST disrupted CM-guided (but not LM-guided) navigation in women, but affected neither in men. The data partially support the previous work, and offer novel findings regarding the relative vulnerability to acute psychosocial stress of CM-based navigation in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G.F. Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Lynn Nadel
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, U S A
| | - W. Jake Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, U S A
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Lemoncello R, Sohlberg MM, Fickas S. When directions fail: Investigation of getting lost behaviour in adults with acquired brain injury. Brain Inj 2010; 24:550-9. [DOI: 10.3109/02699050903446807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Davis RL, Therrien BA, West BT. Cue conditions and wayfinding in older and younger women. Res Gerontol Nurs 2010; 1:252-63. [PMID: 20078000 DOI: 10.3928/19404921-20081001-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study examined how varying the salience and complexity of environmental cues affects place learning in older versus younger women. Place learning is a critical cognitive function for wayfinding in new or changed environments that becomes impaired with age in many people. Environments such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities typically have poorly differentiated environments. Environmental modifications that influence how older adults learn places more effectively are not known. It was hypothesized that salient cues (prominent and distinctive) are particularly important to place learning. The Computer-Generated Arena was used to test this hypothesis in 20 healthy older (age 65+) women and 6 healthy younger (ages 18 to 35) women. Analyses of the data showed differences in place learning with respect to cue salience, complexity, and age, with younger women being much more proficient in the place learning task and with the best overall learning in the salient and complex cue conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Davis
- Kirkhof College of Nursing, grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504, USA.
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Kim JS, Kim OL, Seo WS, Koo BH, Joo Y, Bai DS. Memory Dysfunctions after Mild and Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury : Comparison between Patients with and without Frontal Lobe Injury. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2009; 46:459-67. [PMID: 20041056 PMCID: PMC2796352 DOI: 10.3340/jkns.2009.46.5.459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2009] [Revised: 06/26/2009] [Accepted: 10/25/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess memory dysfunction in patients with mild and moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) with and without frontal lobe injury (FLI). METHODS The subjects were 110 TBI patients, who had recovered from the acute clinical phase, and comprised 20 (18.2%) mild TBI (MTBI) patients with FLI, 16 (14.5%) MTBI patients without FLI, 51 (46.4%) moderate TBI (MOTBI) patients with FLI and 23 (20.9%) MTBI patients without FLI. All patients were administrated the Korean version of the Memory Assessment Scale (K-MAS). RESULTS Almost all the Summary Scale scores on the K-MAS failed to show any differences between TBI patients with and without FLI, but differences did emerge by types at severities. TBI patients with FLI showed higher Global Memory ability than TBI patients without FLI if their TBI was only mild, but when their TBI was more severe, this finding was reversed, and TBI patients with FLI showed lower Verbal and Global Memory abilities than TBI patients without FLI. CONCLUSION Different kinds of assessment tools are needed for the measurement of memory abilities in TBI patients with FLI, and that the selection of the appropriate tool depends on the severity of the TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Sung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea
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Fitting S, Wedell DH, Allen GL. Cue effects on memory for location when navigating spatial displays. Cogn Sci 2009; 33:1267-300. [PMID: 21585505 DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2009.01056.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Participants maneuvered a rat image through a circular region on the computer screen to find a hidden target platform, blending aspects of two well-known spatial tasks. Like the Morris water maze task, participants first experienced a series of learning trials before having to navigate to the hidden target platform from different locations and orientations. Like the dot-location task, they determined the location of a position within a two-dimensional circular region. This procedure provided a way to examine how the number of surrounding cues (1, 2, or 3) affects the memory for spatial location in navigation. Memory performance was better when there were more cues and when targets were close to cues, consistent with the idea that cues bolster fine-grain memory, especially in proximal regions. Early and late measures of bias in memory reflected biases in a direction toward the nearest cue, implicating a cue-based category structure of the navigational space. Collectively, results suggest cue-based spatial memory representations that have been inferred from the dot-location task generalize to a navigation task within a simple, computer-based environment, as demonstrated by the good fits of the spatial model developed for the dot-location task (Fitting, Wedell, & Allen, 2005, 2007).
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Lloyd J, Persaud NV, Powell TE. Equivalence of Real-World and Virtual-Reality Route Learning: A Pilot Study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 12:423-7. [PMID: 19514820 DOI: 10.1089/cpb.2008.0326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Lloyd
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan V. Persaud
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Theresa E. Powell
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Moor Green, South Birmingham PCT, Moseley Hall Hospital, Moseley, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Skelton RW, Ross SP, Nerad L, Livingstone SA. Human spatial navigation deficits after traumatic brain injury shown in the arena maze, a virtual Morris water maze. Brain Inj 2009; 20:189-203. [PMID: 16421068 DOI: 10.1080/02699050500456410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have spatial navigation deficits. This study examined such deficits and conducted a detailed analysis of navigational behaviour in a virtual environment. DESIGN TBI survivors were tested in a computer simulation of the Morris water maze task that required them to find and remember the location of an invisible platform that was always in the same location. A follow-up questionnaire assessed everyday spatial ability. METHOD Fourteen survivors of moderate-to-severe TBI were compared to 12 non-injured participants. RESULTS TBI survivors navigated to a visible platform but could not learn the location of the invisible platform. The difference between TBI survivors and uninjured participants was best indicated by two new dependent variables, path efficacy and spatial scores. CONCLUSION This study confirms the capacity of virtual environments to reveal spatial navigation deficits after TBI and establishes the best way to identify such deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald W Skelton
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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