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Zahedi A, Jay Lynn S, Sommer W. How hypnotic suggestions work - A systematic review of prominent theories of hypnosis. Conscious Cogn 2024; 123:103730. [PMID: 39032268 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
In recent decades, hypnosis has increasingly moved into the mainstream of scientific inquiry. Hypnotic suggestions are frequently implemented in behavioral, neurocognitive, and clinical investigations and interventions. Despite abundant reports about the effectiveness of suggestions in altering behavior, perception, cognition, and agency, no consensus exists regarding the mechanisms driving these changes. This article reviews competing theoretical accounts that address the genesis of subjective, behavioral, and neurophysiological responses to hypnotic suggestions. We systematically analyze the broad landscape of hypnosis theories that best represent our estimation of the current status and future avenues of scientific thinking. We start with procedural descriptions of hypnosis, suggestions, and hypnotizability, followed by a comparative analysis of systematically selected theories. Considering that prominent theoretical perspectives emphasize different aspects of hypnosis, our review reveals that each perspective possesses salient strengths, limitations, and heuristic values. We highlight the necessity of revisiting extant theories and formulating novel evidence-based accounts of hypnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anoushiravan Zahedi
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Germany; Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Germany; Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
| | - Steven Jay Lynn
- Psychology Department, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Werner Sommer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jin Hua, China
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Ngetich R, Villalba-García C, Soborun Y, Vékony T, Czakó A, Demetrovics Z, Németh D. Learning and memory processes in behavioural addiction: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105747. [PMID: 38870547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Similar to addictive substances, addictive behaviours such as gambling and gaming are associated with maladaptive modulation of key brain areas and functional networks implicated in learning and memory. Therefore, this review sought to understand how different learning and memory processes relate to behavioural addictions and to unravel their underlying neural mechanisms. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we systematically searched four databases - PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using the agreed-upon search string. Findings suggest altered executive function-dependent learning processes and enhanced habit learning in behavioural addiction. Whereas the relationship between working memory and behavioural addiction is influenced by addiction type, working memory aspect, and task nature. Additionally, long-term memory is incoherent in individuals with addictive behaviours. Consistently, neurophysiological evidence indicates alterations in brain areas and networks implicated in learning and memory processes in behavioural addictions. Overall, the present review argues that, like substance use disorders, alteration in learning and memory processes may underlie the development and maintenance of behavioural addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Ngetich
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar
| | | | - Yanisha Soborun
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar
| | - Teodóra Vékony
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France; Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Andrea Czakó
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Demetrovics
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Dezső Németh
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France; Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; BML-NAP Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University & Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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3
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Lum JAG, Barham MP, Hyde C, Hill AT, White DJ, Hughes ME, Clark GM. Top-down and bottom-up oscillatory dynamics regulate implicit visuomotor sequence learning. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae266. [PMID: 39046456 PMCID: PMC11267723 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Implicit visuomotor sequence learning is crucial for acquiring skills that result in automated behaviors. The oscillatory dynamics underpinning this learning process are not well understood. To address this gap, the current study employed electroencephalography with a medium-density array (64 electrodes) to investigate oscillatory activity associated with implicit visuomotor sequence learning in the Serial Reaction Time task. In the task, participants unknowingly learn a series of finger movements. Eighty-five healthy adults participated in the study. Analyses revealed that theta activity at the vertex and alpha/beta activity over the motor areas decreased over the course of learning. No associations between alpha/beta and theta power were observed. These findings are interpreted within a dual-process framework: midline theta activity is posited to regulate top-down attentional processes, whereas beta activity from motor areas underlies the bottom-up encoding of sensory information from movement. From this model, we suggest that during implicit visuomotor sequence learning, top-down processes become disengaged (indicated by a reduction in theta activity), and modality specific bottom-up processes encode the motor sequence (indicated by a reduction in alpha/beta activity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrad A G Lum
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Michael P Barham
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Aron T Hill
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - David J White
- Centre for Mental Health & Brain Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Matthew E Hughes
- Centre for Mental Health & Brain Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Gillian M Clark
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
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Kóbor A, Janacsek K, Hermann P, Zavecz Z, Varga V, Csépe V, Vidnyánszky Z, Kovács G, Nemeth D. Finding Pattern in the Noise: Persistent Implicit Statistical Knowledge Impacts the Processing of Unpredictable Stimuli. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1239-1264. [PMID: 38683699 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Humans can extract statistical regularities of the environment to predict upcoming events. Previous research recognized that implicitly acquired statistical knowledge remained persistent and continued to influence behavior even when the regularities were no longer present in the environment. Here, in an fMRI experiment, we investigated how the persistence of statistical knowledge is represented in the brain. Participants (n = 32) completed a visual, four-choice, RT task consisting of statistical regularities. Two types of blocks constantly alternated with one another throughout the task: predictable statistical regularities in one block type and unpredictable ones in the other. Participants were unaware of the statistical regularities and their changing distribution across the blocks. Yet, they acquired the statistical regularities and showed significant statistical knowledge at the behavioral level not only in the predictable blocks but also in the unpredictable ones, albeit to a smaller extent. Brain activity in a range of cortical and subcortical areas, including early visual cortex, the insula, the right inferior frontal gyrus, and the right globus pallidus/putamen contributed to the acquisition of statistical regularities. The right insula, inferior frontal gyrus, and hippocampus as well as the bilateral angular gyrus seemed to play a role in maintaining this statistical knowledge. The results altogether suggest that statistical knowledge could be exploited in a relevant, predictable context as well as transmitted to and retrieved in an irrelevant context without a predictable structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Kóbor
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Petra Hermann
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
| | | | - Vera Varga
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
- University of Pannonia, Hungary
| | - Valéria Csépe
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
- University of Pannonia, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Vidnyánszky
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
| | | | - Dezso Nemeth
- INSERM, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, France
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University & HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
- University of Atlántico Medio, Spain
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Schönberger DK, Bruns P, Röder B. Visual artificial grammar learning across 1 year in 7-year-olds and adults. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 241:105864. [PMID: 38335709 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Acquiring sequential information is of utmost importance, for example, for language acquisition in children. Yet, the long-term storage of statistical learning in children is poorly understood. To address this question, 27 7-year-olds and 28 young adults completed four sessions of visual sequence learning (Year 1). From this sample, 16 7-year-olds and 20 young adults participated in another four equivalent sessions after a 12-month-delay (Year 2). The first three sessions of each year used Stimulus Set 1, and the last session used Stimulus Set 2 to investigate transfer effects. Each session consisted of alternating learning and test phases in a modified artificial grammar learning task. In Year 1, 7-year-olds and adults learned the regularities and showed transfer to Stimulus Set 2. Both groups retained their final performance level over the 1-year period. In Year 2, children and adults continued to improve with Stimulus Set 1 but did not show additional transfer gains. Adults overall outperformed children, but transfer effects were indistinguishable between both groups. The current results suggest that long-term memory traces are formed from repeated sequence learning that can be used to generalize sequence rules to new visual input. However, the current study did not provide evidence for a childhood advantage in learning and remembering sequence rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela K Schönberger
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Patrick Bruns
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany; LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad 500 034, India
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Pedraza F, Farkas BC, Vékony T, Haesebaert F, Phelipon R, Mihalecz I, Janacsek K, Anders R, Tillmann B, Plancher G, Németh D. Evidence for a competitive relationship between executive functions and statistical learning. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:30. [PMID: 38609413 PMCID: PMC11014972 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00243-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The ability of the brain to extract patterns from the environment and predict future events, known as statistical learning, has been proposed to interact in a competitive manner with prefrontal lobe-related networks and their characteristic cognitive or executive functions. However, it remains unclear whether these cognitive functions also possess a competitive relationship with implicit statistical learning across individuals and at the level of latent executive function components. In order to address this currently unknown aspect, we investigated, in two independent experiments (NStudy1 = 186, NStudy2 = 157), the relationship between implicit statistical learning, measured by the Alternating Serial Reaction Time task, and executive functions, measured by multiple neuropsychological tests. In both studies, a modest, but consistent negative correlation between implicit statistical learning and most executive function measures was observed. Factor analysis further revealed that a factor representing verbal fluency and complex working memory seemed to drive these negative correlations. Thus, the antagonistic relationship between implicit statistical learning and executive functions might specifically be mediated by the updating component of executive functions or/and long-term memory access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Pedraza
- Laboratoire d'Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Bron, France
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Bence C Farkas
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
- LNC2, Département d'études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Teodóra Vékony
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500, Bron, France.
- Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
| | - Frederic Haesebaert
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Romane Phelipon
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Imola Mihalecz
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Centre for Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, 150 Dreadnought, London, SE10 9LS, UK
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Kazinczy u. 23-27, H-1075, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Royce Anders
- EPSYLON Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, F34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Barbara Tillmann
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500, Bron, France
- Laboratory for Research on Learning and Development, LEAD - CNRS UMR5022, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Gaën Plancher
- Laboratoire d'Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Bron, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Dezső Németh
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500, Bron, France.
- Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
- BML-NAP Research Group, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University & HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Damjanich utca 41, H-1072, Budapest, Hungary.
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Berger S, Batterink LJ. Children extract a new linguistic rule more quickly than adults. Dev Sci 2024:e13498. [PMID: 38517035 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Children achieve better long-term language outcomes than adults. However, it remains unclear whether children actually learn language more quickly than adults during real-time exposure to input-indicative of true superior language learning abilities-or whether this advantage stems from other factors. To examine this issue, we compared the rate at which children (8-10 years) and adults extracted a novel, hidden linguistic rule, in which novel articles probabilistically predicted the animacy of associated nouns (e.g., "gi lion"). Participants categorized these two-word phrases according to a second, explicitly instructed rule over two sessions, separated by an overnight delay. Both children and adults successfully learned the hidden animacy rule through mere exposure to the phrases, showing slower response times and decreased accuracy to occasional phrases that violated the rule. Critically, sensitivity to the hidden rule emerged much more quickly in children than adults; children showed a processing cost for violation trials from very early on in learning, whereas adults did not show reliable sensitivity to the rule until the second session. Children also showed superior generalization of the hidden animacy rule when asked to classify nonword trials (e.g., "gi badupi") according to the hidden animacy rule. Children and adults showed similar retention of the hidden rule over the delay period. These results provide insight into the nature of the critical period for language, suggesting that children have a true advantage over adults in the rate of implicit language learning. Relative to adults, children more rapidly extract hidden linguistic structures during real-time language exposure. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Children and adults both succeeded in implicitly learning a novel, uninstructed linguistic rule, based solely on exposure to input. Children learned the novel linguistic rules much more quickly than adults. Children showed better generalization performance than adults when asked to apply the novel rule to nonsense words without semantic content. Results provide insight into the nature of critical period effects in language, indicating that children have an advantage over adults in real-time language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Berger
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Laura J Batterink
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Szücs-Bencze L, Vékony T, Pesthy O, Szabó N, Kincses TZ, Turi Z, Nemeth D. Modulating Visuomotor Sequence Learning by Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: What Do We Know So Far? J Intell 2023; 11:201. [PMID: 37888433 PMCID: PMC10607545 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11100201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Predictive processes and numerous cognitive, motor, and social skills depend heavily on sequence learning. The visuomotor Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) can measure this fundamental cognitive process. To comprehend the neural underpinnings of the SRTT, non-invasive brain stimulation stands out as one of the most effective methodologies. Nevertheless, a systematic list of considerations for the design of such interventional studies is currently lacking. To address this gap, this review aimed to investigate whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a viable method of modulating visuomotor sequence learning and to identify the factors that mediate its efficacy. We systematically analyzed the eligible records (n = 17) that attempted to modulate the performance of the SRTT with rTMS. The purpose of the analysis was to determine how the following factors affected SRTT performance: (1) stimulated brain regions, (2) rTMS protocols, (3) stimulated hemisphere, (4) timing of the stimulation, (5) SRTT sequence properties, and (6) other methodological features. The primary motor cortex (M1) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were found to be the most promising stimulation targets. Low-frequency protocols over M1 usually weaken performance, but the results are less consistent for the DLPFC. This review provides a comprehensive discussion about the behavioral effects of six factors that are crucial in designing future studies to modulate sequence learning with rTMS. Future studies may preferentially and synergistically combine functional neuroimaging with rTMS to adequately link the rTMS-induced network effects with behavioral findings, which are crucial to develop a unified cognitive model of visuomotor sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Szücs-Bencze
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis utca 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Teodóra Vékony
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Orsolya Pesthy
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd Universiry, Izabella utca 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nikoletta Szabó
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis utca 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamás Zsigmond Kincses
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis utca 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Radiology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis utca 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Turi
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 17, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 95 Boulevard Pinel, F-69500 Bron, France
- BML-NAP Research Group, Institute of Psychology & Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University & Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Damjanich utca 41, H-1072 Budapest, Hungary
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Békés V, Roberts K, Németh D. Competitive Neurocognitive Processes Following Bereavement. Brain Res Bull 2023; 199:110663. [PMID: 37172799 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110663] [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: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Bereavement is a common human experience that often involves significant impacts on psychological, emotional and even cognitive functioning. Though various psychological theories have been proposed to conceptualize the grief process, our current understanding of the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of grief is limited. The present paper proposes a neurocognitive model to understand phenomena in typical grief, which links loss-related reactions to underlying learning and executive processes. We posit that the competitive relationship between the basal ganglia (BG) and circuitry involving the medial temporal lobe (MTL) underlies common cognitive experiences in grief such as a sense of "brain fog." Due to the intense stressor of bereavement, we suggest that these two systems' usually flexible interactive relationship become imbalanced. The resulting temporary dominance of either the BG or the MTL system is then manifested in perceived cognitive changes. Understanding the underlying neurocognitive mechanism in grief could inform ways to best support bereaved individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Békés
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University.
| | - Kailey Roberts
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University
| | - Dezs Németh
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Bron, France; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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10
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Takacs A, Beste C. A neurophysiological perspective on the integration between incidental learning and cognitive control. Commun Biol 2023; 6:329. [PMID: 36973381 PMCID: PMC10042851 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04692-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractAdaptive behaviour requires interaction between neurocognitive systems. Yet, the possibility of concurrent cognitive control and incidental sequence learning remains contentious. We designed an experimental procedure of cognitive conflict monitoring that follows a pre-defined sequence unknown to participants, in which either statistical or rule-based regularities were manipulated. We show that participants learnt the statistical differences in the sequence when stimulus conflict was high. Neurophysiological (EEG) analyses confirmed but also specified the behavioural results: the nature of conflict, the type of sequence learning, and the stage of information processing jointly determine whether cognitive conflict and sequence learning support or compete with each other. Especially statistical learning has the potential to modulate conflict monitoring. Cognitive conflict and incidental sequence learning can engage in cooperative fashion when behavioural adaptation is challenging. Three replication and follow-up experiments provide insights into the generalizability of these results and suggest that the interaction of learning and cognitive control is dependent on the multifactorial aspects of adapting to a dynamic environment. The study indicates that connecting the fields of cognitive control and incidental learning is advantageous to achieve a synergistic view of adaptive behaviour.
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Lum JAG, Clark GM, Barhoun P, Hill AT, Hyde C, Wilson PH. Neural basis of implicit motor sequence learning: Modulation of cortical power. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14179. [PMID: 36087042 PMCID: PMC10078012 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Implicit sequence learning describes the acquisition of serially ordered movements and sequentially structured cognitive information, that occurs without awareness. Theta, alpha and beta cortical oscillations are present during implicit motor sequence learning, but their role in this process is unclear. The current study addressed this gap in the literature. A total of 50 healthy adults aged between 19 and 37 years participated in the study. Implicit motor sequence learning was examined using the Serial Reaction Time task where participants unknowingly repeat a sequence of finger movements in response to a visual stimulus. Sequence learning was examined by comparing reaction times and oscillatory power between sequence trials and a set of control trials comprising random stimulus presentations. Electroencephalography was recorded as participants completed the task. Analyses of the behavioral data revealed participants learnt the sequence. Analyses of oscillatory activity, using permutation testing, revealed sequence learning was associated with a decrease in theta band (4-7 Hz) power recorded over frontal and central electrode sites. Sequence learning effects were not observed in the alpha (7-12 Hz) or beta bands (12-20 Hz). Even though alpha and beta power modulations have long been associated with executing a motor response, it seems theta power is a correlate of sequence learning in the manual domain. Theta power modulations on the serial reaction time task may reflect disengagement of attentional resources, either promoting or occurring as a consequence of implicit motor sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrad A G Lum
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gillian M Clark
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pamela Barhoun
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aron T Hill
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter H Wilson
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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12
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Vékony T, Pleche C, Pesthy O, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. Speed and accuracy instructions affect two aspects of skill learning differently. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2022; 7:27. [PMID: 36273000 PMCID: PMC9588023 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-022-00144-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Procedural learning is key to optimal skill learning and is essential for functioning in everyday life. The findings of previous studies are contradictory regarding whether procedural learning can be modified by prioritizing speed or accuracy during learning. The conflicting results may be due to the fact that procedural learning is a multifaceted cognitive function. The purpose of our study is to determine whether and how speed and accuracy instructions affect two aspects of procedural learning: the learning of probability-based and serial-order-based regularities. Two groups of healthy individuals were instructed to practice on a cued probabilistic sequence learning task: one group focused on being fast and the other on being accurate during the learning phase. The speed instruction resulted in enhanced expression of probability-based but not serial-order-based knowledge. After a retention period, we instructed the participants to focus on speed and accuracy equally, and we tested their acquired knowledge. The acquired knowledge was comparable between groups in both types of learning. These findings suggest that different aspects of procedural learning can be affected differently by instructions. However, only momentary performance might be boosted by speed instruction; the acquired knowledge remains intact. In addition, as the accuracy instruction resulted in accuracy near ceiling level, the results illustrate that response errors are not needed for humans to learn in the procedural domain and draw attention to the fact that different instructions can separate competence from performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodóra Vékony
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Claire Pleche
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Orsolya Pesthy
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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13
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Reduced functional connectivity supports statistical learning of temporally distributed regularities. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119459. [PMID: 35820582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Statistical learning is a powerful ability that extracts regularities from our environment and makes predictions about future events. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we aimed to probe how a wide range of brain areas are intertwined to support statistical learning, characterising its architecture in the whole-brain functional connectivity (FC). Participants performed a statistical learning task of temporally distributed regularities. We used refined behavioural learning scores to associate individuals' learning performances with the FC changed by statistical learning. As a result, the learning performance was mediated by the activation strength in the lateral occipital cortex, angular gyrus, precuneus, anterior cingulate cortex, and superior frontal gyrus. Through a group independent component analysis, activations of the superior frontal network showed the largest correlation with the statistical learning performances. Seed-to-voxel whole-brain and seed-to-ROI FC analyses revealed that the FC between the superior frontal gyrus and the salience, language, and dorsal attention networks were reduced during statistical learning. We suggest that the weakened functional connections between the superior frontal gyrus and brain regions involved in top-down control processes serve a pivotal role in statistical learning, supporting better processing of novel information such as the extraction of new patterns from the environment.
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14
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Smalle EHM, Daikoku T, Szmalec A, Duyck W, Möttönen R. Unlocking adults' implicit statistical learning by cognitive depletion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2026011119. [PMID: 34983868 PMCID: PMC8764693 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2026011119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Human learning is supported by multiple neural mechanisms that maturate at different rates and interact in mostly cooperative but also sometimes competitive ways. We tested the hypothesis that mature cognitive mechanisms constrain implicit statistical learning mechanisms that contribute to early language acquisition. Specifically, we tested the prediction that depleting cognitive control mechanisms in adults enhances their implicit, auditory word-segmentation abilities. Young adults were exposed to continuous streams of syllables that repeated into hidden novel words while watching a silent film. Afterward, learning was measured in a forced-choice test that contrasted hidden words with nonwords. The participants also had to indicate whether they explicitly recalled the word or not in order to dissociate explicit versus implicit knowledge. We additionally measured electroencephalography during exposure to measure neural entrainment to the repeating words. Engagement of the cognitive mechanisms was manipulated by using two methods. In experiment 1 (n = 36), inhibitory theta-burst stimulation (TBS) was applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or to a control region. In experiment 2 (n = 60), participants performed a dual working-memory task that induced high or low levels of cognitive fatigue. In both experiments, cognitive depletion enhanced word recognition, especially when participants reported low confidence in remembering the words (i.e., when their knowledge was implicit). TBS additionally modulated neural entrainment to the words and syllables. These findings suggest that cognitive depletion improves the acquisition of linguistic knowledge in adults by unlocking implicit statistical learning mechanisms and support the hypothesis that adult language learning is antagonized by higher cognitive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore H M Smalle
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Tatsuya Daikoku
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan
| | - Arnaud Szmalec
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Psychological Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Wouter Duyck
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Riikka Möttönen
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2QL, United Kingdom
- Cognitive Science, Department of Digital Humanities, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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15
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Ghasemi F. Revisiting the effects of hypnotic suggestion on reading comprehension: The role of emotional intelligence and hypnotic suggestibility. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02422-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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16
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Vékony T, Ambrus GG, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. Cautious or causal? Key implicit sequence learning paradigms should not be overlooked when assessing the role of DLPFC (Commentary on Prutean et al.). Cortex 2021; 148:222-226. [PMID: 34789384 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in implicit sequence/statistical learning has received considerable attention in recent cognitive neuroscience research. Studies have used non-invasive brain stimulation methods to test whether the DLPFC plays a role in the incidental acquisition and expression of implicit sequence learning. In a recent study, Prutean et al. has concluded that stimulating the left or the right DLPFC might not affect the expression of implicit sequence learning measured by the Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task. The authors speculated that the previous results revealing improved implicit sequence learning following DLPFC stimulation might have been found because explicit awareness accumulated with the use of Alternating Serial Reaction Time (ASRT) task. Our response presents solid evidence that the ASRT task measures implicit sequence learning that remains unconscious both at the judgment and structural level. Therefore, contrary to the conclusion of Prutean et al., we argue that the DLPFC could have a crucial effect on implicit sequence learning that may be task-dependent. We suggest that future research should focus on the specific cognitive processes that may be differentially involved in the SRT versus ASRT tasks, and test what the role of the DLPFC is in those specific cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodóra Vékony
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | | | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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17
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Takács Á, Kóbor A, Kardos Z, Janacsek K, Horváth K, Beste C, Nemeth D. Neurophysiological and functional neuroanatomical coding of statistical and deterministic rule information during sequence learning. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3182-3201. [PMID: 33797825 PMCID: PMC8193527 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are capable of acquiring multiple types of information presented in the same information stream. It has been suggested that at least two parallel learning processes are important during learning of sequential patterns-statistical learning and rule-based learning. Yet, the neurophysiological underpinnings of these parallel learning processes are not fully understood. To differentiate between the simultaneous mechanisms at the single trial level, we apply a temporal EEG signal decomposition approach together with sLORETA source localization method to delineate whether distinct statistical and rule-based learning codes can be distinguished in EEG data and can be related to distinct functional neuroanatomical structures. We demonstrate that concomitant but distinct aspects of information coded in the N2 time window play a role in these mechanisms: mismatch detection and response control underlie statistical learning and rule-based learning, respectively, albeit with different levels of time-sensitivity. Moreover, the effects of the two learning mechanisms in the different temporally decomposed clusters of neural activity also differed from each other in neural sources. Importantly, the right inferior frontal cortex (BA44) was specifically implicated in visuomotor statistical learning, confirming its role in the acquisition of transitional probabilities. In contrast, visuomotor rule-based learning was associated with the prefrontal gyrus (BA6). The results show how simultaneous learning mechanisms operate at the neurophysiological level and are orchestrated by distinct prefrontal cortical areas. The current findings deepen our understanding on the mechanisms of how humans are capable of learning multiple types of information from the same stimulus stream in a parallel fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Takács
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Andrea Kóbor
- Brain Imaging CentreResearch Centre for Natural SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Zsófia Kardos
- Brain Imaging CentreResearch Centre for Natural SciencesBudapestHungary
- Department of Cognitive ScienceBudapest University of Technology and EconomicsBudapestHungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of PsychologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and PsychologyResearch Centre for Natural SciencesBudapestHungary
- Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human SciencesUniversity of GreenwichLondonUK
| | - Kata Horváth
- Institute of PsychologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and PsychologyResearch Centre for Natural SciencesBudapestHungary
- Doctoral School of PsychologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of PsychologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and PsychologyResearch Centre for Natural SciencesBudapestHungary
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL)Université de LyonLyonFrance
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18
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Kimura T, Nakano W. Enhancement of prefrontal area excitability induced by a cognitive task: Impact on subsequence visuomotor task performance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 181:107436. [PMID: 33831512 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive tasks may have the potential to improve visuomotor task performance; however, the reason for this is unclear. If this can be clarified, it may be possible to develop clinically valuable outcomes, such as promotion of motor learning though cognitive tasks. The present study aimed to investigate whether changes in prefrontal area excitability induced by cognitive tasks, especially within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), influenced the speed of improvement during visuomotor task performance. Twenty young healthy adults were recruited. The serial reaction time task (SRTT) was used to assess visuomotor task performance. Cognitive tasks included an adjusted N-back task, a non-adjusted N-back task, and a control task, which were evaluated on different days. Additionally, we measured cerebral hemodynamic activity using near-infrared spectroscopy while each cognitive task was being performed. We observed that the adjusted N-back task significantly enhanced the speed of improvement during the SRTT performance compared to the control task. However, there was no relationship between the speed of improvement during the SRTT performance and changes in prefrontal area excitability induced by the cognitive tasks. Our findings contribute towards developing an effective method that uses cognitive tasks to promote visuomotor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehide Kimura
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tsukuba International University, 6-8-33 Manabe, Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan.
| | - Wataru Nakano
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Tokoha University, 1-30 Mizuochityou, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
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19
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Kóbor A, Kardos Z, Horváth K, Janacsek K, Takács Á, Csépe V, Nemeth D. Implicit anticipation of probabilistic regularities: Larger CNV emerges for unpredictable events. Neuropsychologia 2021; 156:107826. [PMID: 33716039 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anticipation of upcoming events plays a crucial role in automatic behaviors. It is, however, still unclear whether the event-related brain potential (ERP) markers of anticipation could track the implicit acquisition of probabilistic regularities that can be considered as building blocks of automatic behaviors. Therefore, in a four-choice reaction time (RT) task performed by young adults (N = 36), the contingent negative variation (CNV) as an ERP marker of anticipation was measured from the onset of a cue stimulus until the presentation of a target stimulus. Due to the probability structure of the task, target stimuli were either predictable or unpredictable, but this was unknown to participants. The cue did not contain predictive information on the upcoming target. Results showed that the CNV amplitude during response preparation was larger before the unpredictable than before the predictable target stimuli. In addition, although RTs increased, the P3 amplitude decreased for the unpredictable as compared with the predictable target stimuli, possibly due to the stronger response preparation that preceded stimulus presentation. These results suggest that enhanced attentional resources are allocated to the implicit anticipation and processing of unpredictable events. This might originate from the formation of internal models on the probabilistic regularities of the stimulus stream, which primarily facilitates the processing of predictable events. Overall, we provide ERP evidence that supports the role of implicit anticipation and predictive processes in the acquisition of probabilistic regularities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Kóbor
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Zsófia Kardos
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Egry József utca 1, H-1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kata Horváth
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, H-1064, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, H-1064, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, H-1064, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, 150 Dreadnought, SE10 9LS, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ádám Takács
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Valéria Csépe
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Modern Philology and Social Sciences, University of Pannonia, Egyetem utca 10, H-8200, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, H-1064, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Université de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Bâtiment 462, Neurocampus 95 Boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron, Lyon, France.
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20
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Horváth K, Török C, Pesthy O, Nemeth D, Janacsek K. Divided attention does not affect the acquisition and consolidation of transitional probabilities. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22450. [PMID: 33384423 PMCID: PMC7775459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Statistical learning facilitates the efficient processing and prediction of environmental events and contributes to the acquisition of automatic behaviors. Whereas a minimal level of attention seems to be required for learning to occur, it is still unclear how acquisition and consolidation of statistical knowledge are affected when attention is divided during learning. To test the effect of divided attention on statistical learning and consolidation, ninety-six healthy young adults performed the Alternating Serial Reaction Time task in which they incidentally acquired second-order transitional probabilities. Half of the participants completed the task with a concurrent secondary intentional sequence learning task that was applied to the same stimulus stream. The other half of the participants performed the task without any attention manipulation. Performance was retested after a 12-h post-learning offline period. Half of each group slept during the delay, while the other half had normal daily activity, enabling us to test the effect of delay activity (sleep vs. wake) on the consolidation of statistical knowledge. Divided attention had no effect on statistical learning: The acquisition of second-order transitional probabilities was comparable with and without the secondary task. Consolidation was neither affected by divided attention: Statistical knowledge was similarly retained over the 12-h delay, irrespective of the delay activity. Our findings can contribute to a better understanding of the role of attentional processes in and the robustness of visuomotor statistical learning and consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kata Horváth
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, 1064, Hungary.,Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, 1064, Hungary.,Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Csenge Török
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, 1064, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Pesthy
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, 1064, Hungary.,Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, 1064, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, 1064, Hungary. .,Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, Budapest, 1117, Hungary. .,Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Inserm U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier - Bâtiment 462 - Neurocampus 95 Boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron Cedex, Lyon, France.
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, 1064, Hungary.,Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.,Centre for Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, 150 Dreadnought, Park Row, London, SE10 9LS, UK
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21
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Vékony T, Török L, Pedraza F, Schipper K, Pleche C, Tóth L, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. Retrieval of a well-established skill is resistant to distraction: Evidence from an implicit probabilistic sequence learning task. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243541. [PMID: 33301471 PMCID: PMC7728172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The characteristics of acquiring new sequence information under dual-task situations have been extensively studied. A concurrent task has often been found to affect performance. In real life, however, we mostly perform a secondary task when the primary task is already well acquired. The effect of a secondary task on the ability to retrieve well-established sequence representations remains elusive. The present study investigates whether accessing well-acquired probabilistic sequence knowledge is affected by a concurrent task. Participants acquired non-adjacent regularities in an implicit probabilistic sequence learning task. After a 24-hour offline period, participants were tested on the same probabilistic sequence learning task under dual-task or single-task conditions. Here, we show that although the secondary task significantly prolonged the overall reaction times in the primary (sequence learning) task, access to the previously learned probabilistic representations remained intact. Our results highlight the importance of studying the dual-task effect not only in the learning phase but also during memory access to reveal the robustness of the acquired skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodóra Vékony
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Lilla Török
- Department of Psychology and Sport Psychology, University of Physical Education, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Felipe Pedraza
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Institute of Psychology, Université Lumière - Lyon 2, Lyon, France
| | - Kate Schipper
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Claire Pleche
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - László Tóth
- Department of Psychology and Sport Psychology, University of Physical Education, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Centre for Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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22
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Perceiving structure in unstructured stimuli: Implicitly acquired prior knowledge impacts the processing of unpredictable transitional probabilities. Cognition 2020; 205:104413. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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23
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Potential and efficiency of statistical learning closely intertwined with individuals' executive functions: a mathematical modeling study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18843. [PMID: 33139784 PMCID: PMC7606401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75157-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Statistical learning (SL) is essential in enabling humans to extract probabilistic regularities from the world. The ability to accomplish ultimate learning performance with training (i.e., the potential of learning) has been known to be dissociated with performance improvement per amount of learning time (i.e., the efficiency of learning). Here, we quantified the potential and efficiency of SL separately through mathematical modeling and scrutinized how they were affected by various executive functions. Our results showed that a high potential of SL was associated with poor inhibition and good visuo-spatial working memory, whereas high efficiency of SL was closely related to good inhibition and good set-shifting. We unveiled the distinct characteristics of SL in relation to potential and efficiency and their interaction with executive functions.
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24
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Can posthypnotic suggestions boost updating in working memory? Behavioral and ERP evidence. Neuropsychologia 2020; 148:107632. [PMID: 32976853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Updating is an essential executive function (EF), responsible for storing, retrieving, and substituting information in working memory (WM). Here we investigated whether posthypnotic suggestions (PHS) given to high-hypnotizable participants can enhance updating in WM and measured neural correlates of the observed effects by recording event-related brain potentials (ERP). In a tone-monitoring task different syllables were presented in random order, requiring a response to every fourth presentation of a given syllable. Experiment 1 (n = 19) established the relationship between performance and several ERP components across updating load (different numbers of syllables). In Experiment 2 (n = 18), a no-hypnosis (NH) and a hypnosis-plus-PHS session were administrated in counterbalanced order. Task instructions, presented at the beginning of the sessions, emphasized a cognitive strategy, demanding imagination of visual counters, a strategy that was also emphasized during PHS. PHS additionally contained suggestions stimulating cognitive simulation of the task, where participants were advised to apply the suggested strategy. Relative to the NH session, PHS enhanced WM performance with medium to large effect sizes. In ERPs, PHS increased the P2 and P3 components, indicating the proactive recruitment of control-related attention and updating-related cognitive control processes, respectively. PHS also reduced updating load effects in the posterior recognition component, suggesting diminished demands on WM buffers. These ERP findings suggest that PHS enhanced updating in WM by strengthening proactive control, which may have diminished the necessity for reactive control. Hence, the present results suggest that our PHS had worked like mental practice helping participants to develop an efficient and context-dependent trigger-action contingency. Consequentially, the present study provides a new framework for employing PHSs, which may be used as a basis for developing new training regimes for modifying WM or other EFs.
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Kéri S, Kállai I, Csigó K. Enhanced Verbal Statistical Learning in Glossolalia. Cogn Sci 2020; 44:e12865. [PMID: 32573809 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Glossolalia ("speaking in tongues") is a rhythmic utterance of word-like strings of sounds, regularly occurring in religious mass gatherings or various forms of private religious practices (e.g., prayer and meditation). Although specific verbal learning capacities may characterize glossolalists, empirical evidence is lacking. We administered three statistical learning tasks (artificial grammar, phoneme sequence, and visual-response sequence) to 30 glossolalists and 30 matched control volunteers. In artificial grammar, participants decide whether pseudowords and sentences follow previously acquired implicit rules or not. In sequence learning, they gradually draw out rules from repeating regularities in sequences of speech sounds or motor responses. Results revealed enhanced artificial grammar and phoneme sequence learning performances in glossolalists compared to control volunteers. There were significant positive correlations between daily glossolalia activity and artificial grammar learning. These results indicate that glossolalists exhibit enhanced abilities to extract the statistical regularities of verbal information, which may be related to their unusual language abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Kéri
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics.,Nyírő Gyula National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions.,Department of Physiology, University of Szeged
| | - Imre Kállai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Debrecen
| | - Katalin Csigó
- Nyírő Gyula National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions
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Zavecz Z, Horváth K, Solymosi P, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. Frontal-midline theta frequency and probabilistic learning: A transcranial alternating current stimulation study. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112733. [PMID: 32505660 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Probabilistic learning is a fundamental cognitive ability that extracts and represents regularities of our environment enabling predictive processing during perception and acquisition of perceptual, motor, cognitive, and social skills. Previous studies show competition between neural networks related to executive function/working memory vs. probabilistic learning. Theta synchronization has been associated with the former while desynchronization with the latter in correlational studies. In the present paper our aim was to test causal relationship between fronto-parietal midline theta synchronization and probabilistic learning with non-invasive transcranial alternating current (tACS) stimulation. We hypothesize that theta synchronization disrupts probabilistic learning performance by modulating the competitive relationship. Twenty-six young adults performed the Alternating Serial Reaction Time (ASRT) task to assess probabilistic learning in two sessions that took place one week apart. Stimulation was applied in a double-blind cross-over within-subject design with an active theta tACS and a sham stimulation in a counter-balanced order between participants. Sinusoidal current was administered with 1 mA peak-to-peak intensity throughout the task (approximately 20 min) for the active stimulation and 30 s for the sham. We did not find an effect of fronto-parietal midline theta tACS on probabilistic learning comparing performance during active and sham stimulation. To influence probabilistic learning, we suggest applying higher current intensity and stimulation parameters more precisely aligned to endogenous brain activity for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Zavecz
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kata Horváth
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Solymosi
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
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Du Y, Clark JE. Beyond the mean reaction time: Trial-by-trial reaction time reveals the distraction effect on perceptual-motor sequence learning. Cognition 2020; 202:104287. [PMID: 32353467 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Perceptual-motor sequences can be learned quickly under distraction, often demonstrated by the mean reaction time (RT) change in a serial reaction time (SRT) task. However, any arbitrary mean RT can arise from one of many distinct trial-by-trial RT patterns. It is surprising that previous sequence learning studies have hinged only on the mean RT metrics while little is known about the distraction effect on its trial-by-trial processes. In an SRT task with or without distraction, we found that initially learning a fixed repeating sequence without distraction was expressed by a micro-online learning process where reaction time (RT) progressively improved within learning blocks as adults continuously performed the SRT task. Such online RT improvements, however, vanished when the SRT task was performed under distraction. Despite the detrimental effect of distraction on micro-online RT improvements, we observed offline enhancements in RT following rest intervals of 3 min that emerged to secure sequence learning under distraction. We reasoned that distraction may exert influence on the micro-online and offline learning by mediating the engagement of explicit and implicit memory. Given the offline RT change under distraction, a short rest between learning blocks may be a key player in early perceptual-motor sequence learning under distraction. We thus suggest that future studies investigating the distraction effect on sequence learning need to control the length of rest between learning blocks, while previous research with equivocal interpretations of the distraction effect failed to do so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Du
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21287, USA.
| | - Jane E Clark
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA.
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Conway CM. How does the brain learn environmental structure? Ten core principles for understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of statistical learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 112:279-299. [PMID: 32018038 PMCID: PMC7211144 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite a growing body of research devoted to the study of how humans encode environmental patterns, there is still no clear consensus about the nature of the neurocognitive mechanisms underpinning statistical learning nor what factors constrain or promote its emergence across individuals, species, and learning situations. Based on a review of research examining the roles of input modality and domain, input structure and complexity, attention, neuroanatomical bases, ontogeny, and phylogeny, ten core principles are proposed. Specifically, there exist two sets of neurocognitive mechanisms underlying statistical learning. First, a "suite" of associative-based, automatic, modality-specific learning mechanisms are mediated by the general principle of cortical plasticity, which results in improved processing and perceptual facilitation of encountered stimuli. Second, an attention-dependent system, mediated by the prefrontal cortex and related attentional and working memory networks, can modulate or gate learning and is necessary in order to learn nonadjacent dependencies and to integrate global patterns across time. This theoretical framework helps clarify conflicting research findings and provides the basis for future empirical and theoretical endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Conway
- Center for Childhood Deafness, Language, and Learning, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.
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29
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Zavecz Z, Nagy T, Galkó A, Nemeth D, Janacsek K. The relationship between subjective sleep quality and cognitive performance in healthy young adults: Evidence from three empirical studies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4855. [PMID: 32184462 PMCID: PMC7078271 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61627-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of subjective sleep quality in cognitive performance has gained increasing attention in recent decades. In this paper, our aim was to test the relationship between subjective sleep quality and a wide range of cognitive functions in a healthy young adult sample combined across three studies. Sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Athens Insomnia Scale, and a sleep diary to capture general subjective sleep quality, and the Groningen Sleep Quality Scale to capture prior night’s sleep quality. Within cognitive functions, we tested working memory, executive functions, and several sub-processes of procedural learning. To provide more reliable results, we included robust frequentist as well as Bayesian statistical analyses. Unequivocally across all analyses, we showed that there is no association between subjective sleep quality and cognitive performance in the domains of working memory, executive functions and procedural learning in healthy young adults. Our paper can contribute to a deeper understanding of subjective sleep quality and its measures, and we discuss various factors that may affect whether associations can be observed between subjective sleep quality and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Zavecz
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Nagy
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adrienn Galkó
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. .,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary. .,Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. .,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary. .,School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom.
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30
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Zavecz Z, Nagy T, Galkó A, Nemeth D, Janacsek K. The relationship between subjective sleep quality and cognitive performance in healthy young adults: Evidence from three empirical studies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4855. [PMID: 32184462 DOI: 10.1101/328369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of subjective sleep quality in cognitive performance has gained increasing attention in recent decades. In this paper, our aim was to test the relationship between subjective sleep quality and a wide range of cognitive functions in a healthy young adult sample combined across three studies. Sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Athens Insomnia Scale, and a sleep diary to capture general subjective sleep quality, and the Groningen Sleep Quality Scale to capture prior night's sleep quality. Within cognitive functions, we tested working memory, executive functions, and several sub-processes of procedural learning. To provide more reliable results, we included robust frequentist as well as Bayesian statistical analyses. Unequivocally across all analyses, we showed that there is no association between subjective sleep quality and cognitive performance in the domains of working memory, executive functions and procedural learning in healthy young adults. Our paper can contribute to a deeper understanding of subjective sleep quality and its measures, and we discuss various factors that may affect whether associations can be observed between subjective sleep quality and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Zavecz
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Nagy
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adrienn Galkó
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
- School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom.
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A positive influence of basal ganglia iron concentration on implicit sequence learning. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:735-749. [PMID: 32055981 PMCID: PMC7046582 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02032-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Iron homeostasis is important for maintaining normal physiological brain functioning. In two independent samples, we investigate the link between iron concentration in the basal ganglia (BG) and implicit sequence learning (ISL). In Study 1, we used quantitative susceptibility mapping and task-related fMRI to examine associations among regional iron concentration measurements, brain activation, and ISL in younger and older adults. In Study 2, we examined the link between brain iron and ISL using a metric derived from fMRI in an age-homogenous sample of older adults. Three main findings were obtained. First, BG iron concentration was positively related to ISL in both studies. Second, ISL was robust for both younger and older adults, and performance-related activation was found in fronto-striatal regions across both age groups. Third, BG iron was positively linked to task-related BOLD signal in fronto-striatal regions. This is the first study investigating the relationship among brain iron accumulation, functional brain activation, and ISL, and the results suggest that higher brain iron concentration may be linked to better neurocognitive functioning in this particular task.
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Marinella C, Tiziana R, Giuseppe V, Antonino G, Gregorio GD, Andrea B. Hypnosis and learning: Pilot study on a group of students. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 17:/j/jcim.ahead-of-print/jcim-2017-0082/jcim-2017-0082.xml. [PMID: 31809262 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2017-0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Milton Erickson was the first to introduce hypnosis as a form of therapy during the post-war period. Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of hypnosis on memory, focusing principally on post-hypnotic amnesia, post-hypnotic hypermnesia, faux memories and learning growth. The aim of the present study was to determine if hypnosis can influence visual-spatial memory by increasing its performance and learning; to do this, we chose to utilise the Corsi Test (backward and forward). Methods Three hundred second-year students enrolled in the psychology faculty at the University of Catania were informed of the research and its modalities, and an e-mail was sent to inquire if they wanted to participate in the experiment. Seventy female students took part in the research; 10 were excluded because they presented a high risk of being influenced under hypnosis. The 60 subjects in the research sample were randomly divided into two groups: the Experimental Group and Control Group. The protocol prescribed administration of the Corsi Test at Time 0 (start) followed by a resting phase of 30 min. The hypnotic state was subsequently introduced, and the Corsi Test was administered again. Results The results of the Corsi Test for the Experimental Group showed statistically significant results (p<0.0004 and p<0.0001), while the results obtained in the Control Group did not show any significance. Conclusions These results led us to believe that hypnosis has the capacity to induce a nervous plasticity that supports learning of visual-spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coco Marinella
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Ramaci Tiziana
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, School of Sport Sciences, Kore University, Enna, Italy
| | | | - Guglielmino Antonino
- Psychotherapist expert in clinical hypnosis, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Kóbor A, Horváth K, Kardos Z, Takács Á, Janacsek K, Csépe V, Nemeth D. Tracking the implicit acquisition of nonadjacent transitional probabilities by ERPs. Mem Cognit 2019; 47:1546-1566. [PMID: 31236822 PMCID: PMC6823303 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-019-00949-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The implicit acquisition of complex probabilistic regularities has been found to be crucial in numerous automatized cognitive abilities, including language processing and associative learning. However, it has not been completely elucidated how the implicit extraction of second-order nonadjacent transitional probabilities is reflected by neurophysiological processes. Therefore, this study investigated the sensitivity of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to these probabilistic regularities embedded in a sequence of visual stimuli without providing explicit information on the structure of the stimulus stream. Healthy young adults (N = 32) performed a four-choice RT task that included a sequential regularity between nonadjacent trials yielding a complex transitional probability structure. ERPs were measured relative to both stimulus and response onset. RTs indicated the rapid acquisition of the sequential regularity and the transitional probabilities. The acquisition process was also tracked by the stimulus-locked and response-locked P3 component: The P3 peak was larger for the sequence than for the random stimuli, while the late P3 was larger for less probable than for more probable short-range relations among the random stimuli. According to the RT and P3 effects, sensitivity to the sequential regularity is assumed to be supported by the initial sensitivity to the transitional probabilities. These results suggest that stimulus-response contingencies on the probabilistic regularities of the ongoing stimulus context are implicitly mapped and constantly revised. Overall, this study (1) highlights the role of predictive processes during implicit memory formation, and (2) delineates a potential to gain further insight into the dynamics of implicit acquisition processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Kóbor
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, H–1117 Hungary
| | - Kata Horváth
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, H–1064 Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, H–1064 Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, H–1117 Hungary
| | - Zsófia Kardos
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, H–1117 Hungary
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Egry József utca 1, Budapest, H-1111 Hungary
| | - Ádám Takács
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, H–1064 Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, H–1064 Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, H–1117 Hungary
| | - Valéria Csépe
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, H–1117 Hungary
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Egry József utca 1, Budapest, H-1111 Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, Budapest, H–1064 Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, H–1117 Hungary
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier–Bâtiment 462–Neurocampus 95 Boulevard Pinel, 69675 Bron, Lyon France
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Daprati E, Sirigu A, Desmurget M, Nico D. Superstitious beliefs and the associative mind. Conscious Cogn 2019; 75:102822. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.102822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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35
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Medimorec S, Milin P, Divjak D. Working memory affects anticipatory behavior during implicit pattern learning. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2019; 85:291-301. [PMID: 31562540 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01251-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the relation between implicit sequence learning and individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity. Participants performed an oculomotor version of the serial reaction time (SRT) task and three computerized WM tasks. Implicit learning was measured using anticipation measures only, as they represent strong indicators of learning. Our results demonstrate that anticipatory behavior in the SRT task changes as a function of WM capacity, such that it increases with decreased WM capacity. On the other hand, WM capacity did not affect the overall number of correct anticipations in the task. In addition, we report a positive relation between WM capacity and the number of consecutive correct anticipations (or chunks), and a negative relation between WM capacity and the overall number of errors, indicating different learning strategies during implicit sequence learning. The results of the current study are theoretically important, because they demonstrate that individual differences in WM capacity could account for differences in learning processes, and ultimately change individuals' anticipatory behavior, even when learning is implicit, without intention and awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srdan Medimorec
- Department of Modern Languages, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Petar Milin
- Department of Modern Languages, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Dagmar Divjak
- Department of Modern Languages, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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36
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Szegedi-Hallgató E, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. Different levels of statistical learning - Hidden potentials of sequence learning tasks. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221966. [PMID: 31536512 PMCID: PMC6752858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we reexamined the typical analysis methods of a visuomotor sequence learning task, namely the ASRT task (J. H. Howard & Howard, 1997). We pointed out that the current analysis of data could be improved by paying more attention to pre-existing biases (i.e. by eliminating artifacts by using new filters) and by introducing a new data grouping that is more in line with the task's inherent statistical structure. These suggestions result in more types of learning scores that can be quantified and also in purer measures. Importantly, the filtering method proposed in this paper also results in higher individual variability, possibly indicating that it had been masked previously with the usual methods. The implications of our findings relate to other sequence learning tasks as well, and opens up opportunities to study different types of implicit learning phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emese Szegedi-Hallgató
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Prevention of Mental Illnesses Interdisciplinary Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
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Batterink LJ, Paller KA, Reber PJ. Understanding the Neural Bases of Implicit and Statistical Learning. Top Cogn Sci 2019; 11:482-503. [PMID: 30942536 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Both implicit learning and statistical learning focus on the ability of learners to pick up on patterns in the environment. It has been suggested that these two lines of research may be combined into a single construct of "implicit statistical learning." However, by comparing the neural processes that give rise to implicit versus statistical learning, we may determine the extent to which these two learning paradigms do indeed describe the same core mechanisms. In this review, we describe current knowledge about neural mechanisms underlying both implicit learning and statistical learning, highlighting converging findings between these two literatures. A common thread across all paradigms is that learning is supported by interactions between the declarative and nondeclarative memory systems of the brain. We conclude by discussing several outstanding research questions and future directions for each of these two research fields. Moving forward, we suggest that the two literatures may interface by defining learning according to experimental paradigm, with "implicit learning" reserved as a specific term to denote learning without awareness, which may potentially occur across all paradigms. By continuing to align these two strands of research, we will be in a better position to characterize the neural bases of both implicit and statistical learning, ultimately improving our understanding of core mechanisms that underlie a wide variety of human cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Batterink
- Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, Western University.,Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | - Paul J Reber
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
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38
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Kóbor A, Takács Á, Kardos Z, Janacsek K, Horváth K, Csépe V, Nemeth D. ERPs differentiate the sensitivity to statistical probabilities and the learning of sequential structures during procedural learning. Biol Psychol 2018; 135:180-193. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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39
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Jiang H, White MP, Greicius MD, Waelde LC, Spiegel D. Brain Activity and Functional Connectivity Associated with Hypnosis. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:4083-4093. [PMID: 27469596 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypnosis has proven clinical utility, yet changes in brain activity underlying the hypnotic state have not yet been fully identified. Previous research suggests that hypnosis is associated with decreased default mode network (DMN) activity and that high hypnotizability is associated with greater functional connectivity between the executive control network (ECN) and the salience network (SN). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate activity and functional connectivity among these three networks in hypnosis. We selected 57 of 545 healthy subjects with very high or low hypnotizability using two hypnotizability scales. All subjects underwent four conditions in the scanner: rest, memory retrieval, and two different hypnosis experiences guided by standard pre-recorded instructions in counterbalanced order. Seeds for the ECN, SN, and DMN were left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), respectively. During hypnosis there was reduced activity in the dACC, increased functional connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC;ECN) and the insula in the SN, and reduced connectivity between the ECN (DLPFC) and the DMN (PCC). These changes in neural activity underlie the focused attention, enhanced somatic and emotional control, and lack of self-consciousness that characterizes hypnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA.,Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Matthew P White
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Michael D Greicius
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Lynn C Waelde
- Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - David Spiegel
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
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40
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Daltrozzo J, Valdez GE. ENHANCING IMPLICIT LEARNING WITH POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION: An ERP Study. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2018; 66:174-210. [PMID: 29601280 PMCID: PMC6130821 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2018.1421358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Can posthypnotic suggestion (PHS) enhance cognitive abilities? The authors tested behaviorally and with event-related potentials (ERP) if sequential learning (SL), the ability to learn statistical regularities, can be enhanced with PHS. Thirty adults were assessed with the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (Form C) and an auditory SL task. Before this task, half the sample received a PHS to enhance SL, and the other half received the same suggestion under normal waking state. Response times and ERPs indicated a strong effect of PHS. Compared to the control group, PHS inverted, attenuated, or left unaffected the response time SL effect in low, medium, and high hypnotizability participants, respectively. These results suggest that PHS cannot be used to enhance SL.
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41
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Amer T, Campbell KL, Hasher L. Cognitive Control As a Double-Edged Sword. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 20:905-915. [PMID: 27863886 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control, the ability to limit attention to goal-relevant information, aids performance on a wide range of laboratory tasks. However, there are many day-to-day functions which require little to no control and others which even benefit from reduced control. We review behavioral and neuroimaging evidence demonstrating that reduced control can enhance the performance of both older and, under some circumstances, younger adults. Using healthy aging as a model, we demonstrate that decreased cognitive control benefits performance on tasks ranging from acquiring and using environmental information to generating creative solutions to problems. Cognitive control is thus a double-edged sword - aiding performance on some tasks when fully engaged, and many others when less engaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarek Amer
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karen L Campbell
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lynn Hasher
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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42
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Deroost N, Coomans D. Is sequence awareness mandatory for perceptual sequence learning: An assessment using a pure perceptual sequence learning design. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2018; 183:58-65. [PMID: 29331549 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the role of sequence awareness in a pure perceptual sequence learning design. Participants had to react to the target's colour that changed according to a perceptual sequence. By varying the mapping of the target's colour onto the response keys, motor responses changed randomly. The effect of sequence awareness on perceptual sequence learning was determined by manipulating the learning instructions (explicit versus implicit) and assessing the amount of sequence awareness after the experiment. In the explicit instruction condition (n = 15), participants were instructed to intentionally search for the colour sequence, whereas in the implicit instruction condition (n = 15), they were left uninformed about the sequenced nature of the task. Sequence awareness after the sequence learning task was tested by means of a questionnaire and the process-dissociation-procedure. The results showed that the instruction manipulation had no effect on the amount of perceptual sequence learning. Based on their report to have actively applied their sequence knowledge during the experiment, participants were subsequently regrouped in a sequence strategy group (n = 14, of which 4 participants from the implicit instruction condition and 10 participants from the explicit instruction condition) and a no-sequence strategy group (n = 16, of which 11 participants from the implicit instruction condition and 5 participants from the explicit instruction condition). Only participants of the sequence strategy group showed reliable perceptual sequence learning and sequence awareness. These results indicate that perceptual sequence learning depends upon the continuous employment of strategic cognitive control processes on sequence knowledge. Sequence awareness is suggested to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for perceptual learning to take place.
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43
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Smalle EHM, Page MPA, Duyck W, Edwards M, Szmalec A. Children retain implicitly learned phonological sequences better than adults: a longitudinal study. Dev Sci 2017; 21:e12634. [PMID: 29250874 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Whereas adults often rely on explicit memory, children appear to excel in implicit memory, which plays an important role in the acquisition of various cognitive skills, such as those involved in language. The current study aimed to test the assertion of an age-dependent shift in implicit versus explicit learning within a theoretical framework that explains the link between implicit sequence memory and word-form acquisition, using the Hebb repetition paradigm. We conducted a one-year, multiple-session longitudinal study in which we presented auditory sequences of syllables, co-presented with pictures of aliens, for immediate serial recall by a group of children (8-9 years) and by an adult group. The repetition of one Hebb sequence was explicitly announced, while the repetition of another Hebb sequence was unannounced and, therefore, implicit. Despite their overall inferior recall performance, the children showed better offline retention of the implicit Hebb sequence, compared with adults who showed a significant decrement across the delays. Adults had gained more explicit knowledge of the implicit sequence than children, but this could not explain the age-dependent decline in the delayed memory for it. There was no significant age-effect for delayed memory of the explicit Hebb sequence, with both age groups showing retention. Overall performance by adults was positively correlated with measures of post-learning awareness. Performance by children was positively correlated with vocabulary knowledge. We conclude that children outperform adults in the retention over time of implicitly learned phonological sequences that will gradually consolidate into novel word-forms. The findings are discussed in the light of maturational differences for implicit versus explicit memory systems that also play a role in language acquisition. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/G5nOfJB72t4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore H M Smalle
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Mike P A Page
- Department of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Wouter Duyck
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Martin Edwards
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Szmalec
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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44
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Smalle EHM, Panouilleres M, Szmalec A, Möttönen R. Language learning in the adult brain: disrupting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex facilitates word-form learning. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13966. [PMID: 29070879 PMCID: PMC5656634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14547-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults do not learn languages as easily as children do. It has been hypothesized that the late-developing prefrontal cortex that supports executive functions competes with procedural learning mechanisms that are important for language learning. To address this hypothesis, we tested whether a temporary neural disruption of the left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) can improve implicit, procedural learning of word-forms in adults. Young adults were presented with repeating audio-visual sequences of syllables for immediate serial recall in a Hebb repetition learning task that simulates word-form learning. Inhibitory theta-burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation was applied to the left DLPFC or to the control site before the Hebb task. The DLPFC-disrupted group showed enhanced learning of the novel phonological sequences relative to the control group. Moreover, learning was negatively correlated with executive functions that rely on the DLPFC in the control group, but not in the DLPFC-disrupted group. The results support the hypothesis that a mature prefrontal cortex competes with implicit learning of word-forms. The findings provide new insight into the competition between brain mechanisms that contribute to language learning in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore H M Smalle
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. .,Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Muriel Panouilleres
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Arnaud Szmalec
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Riikka Möttönen
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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45
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Tóth B, Janacsek K, Takács Á, Kóbor A, Zavecz Z, Nemeth D. Dynamics of EEG functional connectivity during statistical learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 144:216-229. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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46
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Unoka Z, Vizin G, Bjelik A, Radics D, Nemeth D, Janacsek K. Intact implicit statistical learning in borderline personality disorder. Psychiatry Res 2017; 255:373-381. [PMID: 28662479 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.06.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Wide-spread neuropsychological deficits have been identified in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Previous research found impairments in decision making, declarative memory, working memory and executive functions; however, no studies have focused on implicit learning in BPD yet. The aim of our study was to investigate implicit statistical learning by comparing learning performance of 19 BPD patients and 19 healthy, age-, education- and gender-matched controls on a probabilistic sequence learning task. Moreover, we also tested whether participants retain the acquired knowledge after a delay period. To this end, participants were retested on a shorter version of the same task 24h after the learning phase. We found intact implicit statistical learning as well as retention of the acquired knowledge in this personality disorder. BPD patients seem to be able to extract and represent regularities implicitly, which is in line with the notion that implicit learning is less susceptible to illness compared to the more explicit processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Unoka
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Vizin
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Bjelik
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Radics
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46., H-1064 Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE NAP B Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46., H-1064 Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE NAP B Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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47
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Kóbor A, Janacsek K, Takács Á, Nemeth D. Statistical learning leads to persistent memory: Evidence for one-year consolidation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:760. [PMID: 28396586 PMCID: PMC5429700 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00807-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Statistical learning is a robust mechanism of the brain that enables the extraction of environmental patterns, which is crucial in perceptual and cognitive domains. However, the dynamical change of processes underlying long-term statistical memory formation has not been tested in an appropriately controlled design. Here we show that a memory trace acquired by statistical learning is resistant to inference as well as to forgetting after one year. Participants performed a statistical learning task and were retested one year later without further practice. The acquired statistical knowledge was resistant to interference, since after one year, participants showed similar memory performance on the previously practiced statistical structure after being tested with a new statistical structure. These results could be key to understand the stability of long-term statistical knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Kóbor
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46., H-1064, Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-ELTE NAP B Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Takács
- Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46., H-1064, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46., H-1064, Budapest, Hungary. .,MTA-ELTE NAP B Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
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48
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Unaware yet reliant on attention: Experience sampling reveals that mind-wandering impedes implicit learning. Psychon Bull Rev 2016; 23:223-9. [PMID: 26122895 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-015-0885-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although implicit learning has been widely studied, controversy remains regarding its reliance on attentional resources. A central issue in this controversy is the question of how best to manipulate attention. The usual approach of comparing implicit learning in a serial reaction time (SRT) task under single- versus dual-task conditions is known to be problematic, because the secondary task may not only divert attention away from the primary task, but also interfere with the implicit-learning process itself. To address this confound, in the present study we used an experience-sampling instead of a dual-task approach. We assessed lapses of attention (mind-wandering) with experience-sampling thought probes during a standard implicit-learning SRT task. The results revealed a significant negative correlation between mind-wandering and implicit learning. Thus, greater task focus was associated with improved implicit sequence learning. This result suggests that, at least in the context of this SRT task, optimal implicit learning relies on attention.
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49
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Physical Activity Is Associated with Reduced Implicit Learning but Enhanced Relational Memory and Executive Functioning in Young Adults. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162100. [PMID: 27584059 PMCID: PMC5008769 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that physical activity improves explicit memory and executive cognitive functioning at the extreme ends of the lifespan (i.e., in older adults and children). However, it is unknown whether these associations hold for younger adults who are considered to be in their cognitive prime, or for implicit cognitive functions that do not depend on motor sequencing. Here we report the results of a study in which we examine the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and (1) explicit relational memory, (2) executive control, and (3) implicit probabilistic sequence learning in a sample of healthy, college-aged adults. The main finding was that physical activity was positively associated with explicit relational memory and executive control (replicating previous research), but negatively associated with implicit learning, particularly in females. These results raise the intriguing possibility that physical activity upregulates some cognitive processes, but downregulates others. Possible implications of this pattern of results for physical health and health habits are discussed.
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50
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Stillman CM, You X, Seaman KL, Vaidya CJ, Howard JH, Howard DV. Task-related functional connectivity of the caudate mediates the association between trait mindfulness and implicit learning in older adults. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016; 16:736-53. [PMID: 27121302 PMCID: PMC4955759 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-016-0427-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence shows a positive relationship between mindfulness and explicit cognitive functioning, i.e., that which occurs with conscious intent and awareness. However, recent evidence suggests that there may be a negative relationship between mindfulness and implicit types of learning, or those that occur without conscious awareness or intent. Here we examined the neural mechanisms underlying the recently reported negative relationship between dispositional mindfulness and implicit probabilistic sequence learning in both younger and older adults. We tested the hypothesis that the relationship is mediated by communication, or functional connectivity, of brain regions once traditionally considered to be central to dissociable learning systems: the caudate, medial temporal lobe (MTL), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). We first replicated the negative relationship between mindfulness and implicit learning in a sample of healthy older adults (60-90 years old) who completed three event-related runs of an implicit sequence learning task. Then, using a seed-based connectivity approach, we identified task-related connectivity associated with individual differences in both learning and mindfulness. The main finding was that caudate-MTL connectivity (bilaterally) was positively correlated with learning and negatively correlated with mindfulness. Further, the strength of task-related connectivity between these regions mediated the negative relationship between mindfulness and learning. This pattern of results was limited to the older adults. Thus, at least in healthy older adults, the functional communication between two interactive learning-relevant systems can account for the relationship between mindfulness and implicit probabilistic sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea M Stillman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 4805 Sennott Square, 203 S Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Xiaozhen You
- Department of Psychology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kendra L Seaman
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chandan J Vaidya
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - James H Howard
- Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Darlene V Howard
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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