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Subramaniapillai S, Rajagopal S, Ankudowich E, Pasvanis S, Misic B, Rajah MN. Age- and Episodic Memory-related Differences in Task-based Functional Connectivity in Women and Men. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1500-1520. [PMID: 35579987 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with episodic memory decline and changes in functional brain connectivity. Understanding whether and how biological sex influences age- and memory performance-related functional connectivity has important theoretical implications for the cognitive neuroscience of memory and aging. Here, we scanned 161 healthy adults between 19 and 76 years of age in an event-related fMRI study of face-location spatial context memory. Adults were scanned while performing easy and difficult versions of the task at both encoding and retrieval. We used multivariate whole-brain partial least squares connectivity to test the hypothesis that there are sex differences in age- and episodic memory performance-related functional connectivity. We examined how individual differences in age and retrieval accuracy correlated with task-related connectivity. We then repeated this analysis after disaggregating the data by self-reported sex. We found that increased encoding and retrieval-related connectivity within the dorsal attention network (DAN), and between DAN and frontoparietal network and visual networks, were positively correlated to retrieval accuracy and negatively correlated with age in both sexes. We also observed sex differences in age- and performance-related functional connectivity: (a) Greater between-networks integration was apparent at both levels of task difficulty in women only, and (b) increased DAN-default mode network connectivity with age was observed in men and was correlated with poorer memory performance. Therefore, the neural correlates of age-related episodic memory decline differ in women and men and have important theoretical and clinical implications for the cognitive neuroscience of memory, aging, and dementia prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivaniya Subramaniapillai
- McGill University, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
| | | | - Elizabeth Ankudowich
- McGill University, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
| | | | - Bratislav Misic
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
| | - M Natasha Rajah
- McGill University, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
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Guardia T, Geerligs L, Tsvetanov KA, Ye R, Campbell KL. The role of the arousal system in age-related differences in cortical functional network architecture. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:985-997. [PMID: 34713955 PMCID: PMC8764482 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A common finding in the aging literature is that of the brain's decreased within- and increased between-network functional connectivity. However, it remains unclear what is causing this shift in network organization with age. Given the essential role of the ascending arousal system (ARAS) in cortical activation and previous findings of disrupted ARAS functioning with age, it is possible that age differences in ARAS functioning contribute to disrupted cortical connectivity. We test this possibility here using resting state fMRI data from over 500 individuals across the lifespan from the Cambridge Center for Aging and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) population-based cohort. Our results show that ARAS-cortical connectivity declines with age and, consistent with our expectations, significantly mediates some age-related differences in connectivity within and between association networks (specifically, within the default mode and between the default mode and salience networks). Additionally, connectivity between the ARAS and association networks predicted cognitive performance across several tasks over and above the effects of age and connectivity within the cortical networks themselves. These findings suggest that age differences in cortical connectivity may be driven, at least in part, by altered arousal signals from the brainstem and that ARAS-cortical connectivity relates to cognitive performance with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Guardia
- Department of PsychologyBrock UniversitySt. CatharinesOntarioCanada
| | - Linda Geerligs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and BehaviourRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Rong Ye
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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Silveri MM, Sneider JT, Cohen-Gilbert JE, Oot EN, Seraikas AM, Schuttenberg EM, Hamilton DA, Sabolek H, Harris SK, Nickerson LD. Perceived stress and rejection associated with functional network strength during memory retrieval in adolescents. Cogn Neurosci 2022; 13:99-112. [PMID: 35086436 PMCID: PMC8935633 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2022.2026313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The brain undergoes substantial structural and functional remodeling during adolescence, including alterations in memory-processing regions influenced by stress. This study evaluated brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during spatial memory performance using a virtual Morris water task (MWT) and examined the associations between default mode network (DMN) activation, task performance, and perceived stress and rejection. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired at 3 Tesla from 59 (34 female) adolescents (13-14 years). The NIH Emotion Toolbox was used to measure perceived stress and rejection. During the MWT, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex showed greater activation during memory retrieval relative to motor performance. Templates of brain functional networks from the Human Connectome Project study were used to extract individual participants' brain network activation strengths for the retrieval > motor contrast for two sub-networks of the default mode network: medial temporal lobe (MTL-DMN) and dorsomedial prefrontal (dMPFC-DMN). For the MTL-DMN sub-network only, activation was significantly associated with worse MWT performance (p = .008) and greater perceived stress (p = .008) and perceived rejection (p = .002). Further, MWT performance was negatively associated with perceived rejection (p = .007). These findings suggest that perceived stress and rejection are related to engagement of MTL-DMN during spatial memory and that engagement of this network impacts performance. These findings also demonstrate the utility of examining task-related network activation strength to identify the impact of perceived stress and rejection on large-scale brain network functioning during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa M. Silveri
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer T. Sneider
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia E. Cohen-Gilbert
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily N. Oot
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna M. Seraikas
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Eleanor M. Schuttenberg
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Sion K. Harris
- Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa D. Nickerson
- Applied Neuroimaging Statistics Lab, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Kliesch M, Giroud N, Meyer M. EEG Resting-State and Event-Related Potentials as Markers of Learning Success in Older Adults Following Second Language Training: A Pilot Study. Brain Plast 2021; 7:143-162. [PMID: 34868879 PMCID: PMC8609485 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-200117] [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] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In this pilot study, we evaluated the use of electrophysiological measures at rest as paradigm-independent predictors of second language (L2) development for the first time in older adult learners. We then assessed EEG correlates of the learning outcome in a language-switching paradigm after the training, which to date has only been done in younger adults and at intermediate to advanced L2 proficiency. METHODS Ten (Swiss) German-speaking adults between 65-74 years of age participated in an intensive 3-week English training for beginners. A resting-state EEG was recorded before the training to predict the ensuing L2 development (Experiment 1). A language-switching ERP experiment was conducted after the training to assess the learning outcome (Experiment 2). RESULTS All participants improved their L2 skills but differed noticeably in their individual development. Experiment 1 showed that beta1 oscillations at rest (13-14.5 Hz) predicted these individual differences. We interpret resting-state beta1 oscillations as correlates of attentional capacities and semantic working memory that facilitate the extraction and processing of novel forms and meanings from the L2 input.In Experiment 2, we found that language switching from the L2 into the native language (L1) elicited an N400 component, which was reduced in the more advanced learners. Thus, for learners beginning the acquisition of an L2 in third age, language switching appears to become less effortful with increasing proficiency, suggesting that the lexicons of the L1 and L2 become more closely linked. CONCLUSIONS In sum, our findings extend the available evidence of neurological processes in L2 learning from younger to older adults, suggesting that electrophysiological mechanisms are similar across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kliesch
- Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Linguistics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Romance Linguistics, Institute of Romance Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Giroud
- Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Phonetics and Speech Sciences, Institute of Computational Linguistics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich & ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Meyer
- Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Psychology Institute, Alpen-Adria University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt am Woerthersee, Austria
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich & ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Salami A, Rieckmann A, Karalija N, Avelar-Pereira B, Andersson M, Wåhlin A, Papenberg G, Garrett DD, Riklund K, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Bäckman L, Nyberg L. Neurocognitive Profiles of Older Adults with Working-Memory Dysfunction. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:2525-2539. [PMID: 29901790 PMCID: PMC5998950 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in how they perceive, remember, and think. There is evidence for the existence of distinct subgroups that differ in cognitive performance within the older population. However, it is less clear how individual differences in cognition in old age are linked to differences in brain-based measures. We used latent-profile analysis on n-back working-memory (WM) performance to identify subgroups in a large sample of older adults (n = 181; age = 64–68 years). Our analysis identified one larger normal subgroup with higher performance (n = 113; 63%), and a second smaller subgroup (n = 55; 31%) with lower performance. The low-performing subgroup showed weaker load-dependent BOLD modulation and lower connectivity within the fronto-parietal network (FPN) as well as between FPN and striatum during n-back, along with lower FPN connectivity at rest. This group also exhibited lower FPN structural integrity, lower frontal dopamine D2 binding potential, inferior performance on offline WM tests, and a trend-level genetic predisposition for lower dopamine-system efficiency. By contrast, this group exhibited relatively intact episodic memory and associated brain measures (i.e., hippocampal volume, structural, and functional connectivity within the default-mode network). Collectively, these data provide converging evidence for the existence of a group of older adults with impaired WM functioning characterized by reduced cortico-striatal coupling and aberrant cortico-cortical integrity within FPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Salami
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckmann
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nina Karalija
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bárbara Avelar-Pereira
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Lövdén
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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6
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On the relation between theory of mind and executive functioning: A developmental cognitive neuroscience perspective. Psychon Bull Rev 2018; 25:2119-2140. [DOI: 10.3758/s13423-018-1459-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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