1
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Norberg J, McMains S, Persson J, Mitchell JP. Frontotemporal contributions to social and non-social semantic judgements. J Neuropsychol 2024; 18:66-80. [PMID: 37255262 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Semantic judgements involve the use of general knowledge about the world in specific situations. Such judgements are typically associated with activity in a number of brain regions that include the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). However, previous studies showed activity in brain regions associated with mentalizing, including the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ), in semantic judgements that involved social knowledge. The aim of the present study was to investigate if social and non-social semantic judgements are dissociated using a combination of fMRI and repetitive TMS. To study this, we asked participants to estimate the percentage of exemplars in a given category that shared a specified attribute. Categories could be either social (i.e., stereotypes) or non-social (i.e., object categories). As expected, fMRI results (n = 26) showed enhanced activity in the left IFG that was specific to non-social semantic judgements. However, statistical evidence did not support that repetitive TMS stimulation (n = 19) to this brain region specifically disrupted non-social semantic judgements. Also as expected, the right TPJ showed enhanced activity to social semantic judgements. However, statistical evidence did not support that repetitive TMS stimulation to this brain region specifically disrupted social semantic judgements. It is possible that the causal networks involved in social and non-social semantic judgements may be more complex than expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joakim Norberg
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | - Jonas Persson
- Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
- Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Coetzee JP, Johnson MA, Lee Y, Wu AD, Iacoboni M, Monti MM. Dissociating Language and Thought in Human Reasoning. Brain Sci 2022; 13:brainsci13010067. [PMID: 36672048 PMCID: PMC9856203 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
What is the relationship between language and complex thought? In the context of deductive reasoning there are two main views. Under the first, which we label here the language-centric view, language is central to the syntax-like combinatorial operations of complex reasoning. Under the second, which we label here the language-independent view, these operations are dissociable from the mechanisms of natural language. We applied continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), a form of noninvasive neuromodulation, to healthy adult participants to transiently inhibit a subregion of Broca's area (left BA44) associated in prior work with parsing the syntactic relations of natural language. We similarly inhibited a subregion of dorsomedial frontal cortex (left medial BA8) which has been associated with core features of logical reasoning. There was a significant interaction between task and stimulation site. Post hoc tests revealed that performance on a linguistic reasoning task, but not deductive reasoning task, was significantly impaired after inhibition of left BA44, and performance on a deductive reasoning task, but not linguistic reasoning task, was decreased after inhibition of left medial BA8 (however not significantly). Subsequent linear contrasts supported this pattern. These novel results suggest that deductive reasoning may be dissociable from linguistic processes in the adult human brain, consistent with the language-independent view.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Coetzee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Polytrauma Division, 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Micah A. Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Youngzie Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allan D. Wu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Brain Research Institute (BRI), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marco Iacoboni
- Brain Research Institute (BRI), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Martin M. Monti
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Brain Research Institute (BRI), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC), Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-310-825-8546
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3
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Kvamme TL, Ros T, Overgaard M. Can neurofeedback provide evidence of direct brain-behavior causality? Neuroimage 2022; 258:119400. [PMID: 35728786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurofeedback is a procedure that measures brain activity in real-time and presents it as feedback to an individual, thus allowing them to self-regulate brain activity with effects on cognitive processes inferred from behavior. One common argument is that neurofeedback studies can reveal how the measured brain activity causes a particular cognitive process. The causal claim is often made regarding the measured brain activity being manipulated as an independent variable, similar to brain stimulation studies. However, this causal inference is vulnerable to the argument that other upstream brain activities change concurrently and cause changes in the brain activity from which feedback is derived. In this paper, we outline the inference that neurofeedback may causally affect cognition by indirect means. We further argue that researchers should remain open to the idea that the trained brain activity could be part of a "causal network" that collectively affects cognition rather than being necessarily causally primary. This particular inference may provide a better translation of evidence from neurofeedback studies to the rest of neuroscience. We argue that the recent advent of multivariate pattern analysis, when combined with implicit neurofeedback, currently comprises the strongest case for causality. Our perspective is that although the burden of inferring direct causality is difficult, it may be triangulated using a collection of various methods in neuroscience. Finally, we argue that the neurofeedback methodology provides unique advantages compared to other methods for revealing changes in the brain and cognitive processes but that researchers should remain mindful of indirect causal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo L Kvamme
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, CFIN/MINDLab, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 3, Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research (CRF), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Tomas Ros
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Morten Overgaard
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, CFIN/MINDLab, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 3, Aarhus, Denmark
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4
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Cattaneo Z, Bona S, Ciricugno A, Silvanto J. The chronometry of symmetry detection in the lateral occipital (LO) cortex. Neuropsychologia 2022; 167:108160. [PMID: 35038443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The lateral occipital cortex (LO) has been shown to code the presence of both vertical and horizontal visual symmetry in dot patterns. However, the specific time window at which LO is causally involved in symmetry encoding has not been investigated. This was assessed using a chronometric transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) approach. Participants were presented with a series of dot configurations and instructed to judge whether they were symmetric along the vertical axis or not while receiving a double pulse of TMS over either the right LO (rLO) or the vertex (baseline) at different time windows (ranging from 50 ms to 290 ms from stimulus onset). We found that TMS delivered over the rLO significantly decreased participants' accuracy in discriminating symmetric from non-symmetric patterns when TMS was applied between 130 ms and 250 ms from stimulus onset, suggesting that LO is causally involved in symmetry perception within this time window. These findings confirm and extend prior neuroimaging and ERP evidence by demonstrating not only that LO is causally involved in symmetry encoding but also that its contribution occurs in a relatively large temporal window, at least in tasks requiring fast discrimination of mirror symmetry in briefly (75 ms) presented patterns as in our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaira Cattaneo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Silvia Bona
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Juha Silvanto
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK
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Guzmán López J, Hernandez-Pavon JC, Lioumis P, Mäkelä JP, Silvanto J. State-dependent TMS effects in the visual cortex after visual adaptation: A combined TMS-EEG study. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 134:129-136. [PMID: 34776356 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.08.020] [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: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The impact of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been shown to depend on the initial brain state of the stimulated cortical region. This observation has led to the development of paradigms that aim to enhance the specificity of TMS effects by using visual/luminance adaptation to modulate brain state prior to the application of TMS. However, the neural basis of interactions between TMS and adaptation is unknown. Here, we examined these interactions by using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the impact of TMS over the visual cortex after luminance adaptation. METHODS Single-pulses of neuronavigated TMS (nTMS) were applied at two different intensities over the left visual cortex after adaptation to either high or low luminance. We then analyzed the effects of adaptation on the global and local cortical excitability. RESULTS The analysis revealed a significant interaction between the TMS-evoked responses and the adaptation condition. In particular, when nTMS was applied with high intensity, the evoked responses were larger after adaptation to high than low luminance. CONCLUSION This result provides the first neural evidence on the interaction between TMS with visual adaptation. SIGNIFICANCE TMS can activate neurons differentially as a function of their adaptation state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Guzmán López
- BioMag Laboratory, HUS Medical Imaging Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; University of Surrey, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Psychology, Guildford, UK.
| | - Julio C Hernandez-Pavon
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Legs + Walking Lab, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Formerly The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC)), Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Brain Stimulation, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Pantelis Lioumis
- BioMag Laboratory, HUS Medical Imaging Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), Aalto University, School of Science, Espoo, Finland
| | - Jyrki P Mäkelä
- BioMag Laboratory, HUS Medical Imaging Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha Silvanto
- BioMag Laboratory, HUS Medical Imaging Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; University of Surrey, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Psychology, Guildford, UK
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6
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Kearney-Ramos T, Haney M. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a potential treatment approach for cannabis use disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 109:110290. [PMID: 33677045 PMCID: PMC9165758 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The expanding legalization of cannabis across the United States is associated with increases in cannabis use, and accordingly, an increase in the number and severity of individuals with cannabis use disorder (CUD). The lack of FDA-approved pharmacotherapies and modest efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions means that many of those who seek treatment for CUD relapse within the first few months. Consequently, there is a pressing need for innovative, evidence-based treatment development for CUD. Preliminary evidence suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be a novel, non-invasive therapeutic neuromodulation tool for the treatment of a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs), including recently receiving FDA clearance (August 2020) for use as a smoking cessation aid in tobacco cigarette smokers. However, the potential of rTMS for CUD has not yet been reviewed. This paper provides a primer on therapeutic neuromodulation techniques for SUDs, with a particular focus on reviewing the current status of rTMS research in people who use cannabis. Lastly, future directions are proposed for rTMS treatment development in CUD, with suggestions for study design parameters and clinical endpoints based on current gold-standard practices for therapeutic neuromodulation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonisha Kearney-Ramos
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Margaret Haney
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA,Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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7
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Functional specificity of the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in positive reappraisal: A single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation study. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 21:793-804. [PMID: 33751480 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00881-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimage studies have yielded evidence for a correlation between the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and a specific type of cognitive reappraisal strategy, positive reappraisal. However, evidence is still lacking for a direct relation. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the left VLPFC at different time points to investigate the functional specificity of the left VLPFC in the success of positive reappraisal and the timing at which the left VLPC was involved in positive reappraisal. Fifteen participants engaged in a baseline experiment and in TMS experiments. All participants successfully reduced their negative emotional ratings using positive reappraisal in the baseline experiment. In the TMS experiments, participants performed the same task as in the baseline experiment but single-pulse TMS was applied over the left VLPFC at 300 ms or/and 3,300 ms after stimulus onset, as well as over the vertex as a control stimulation. Valence ratings of negative stimuli increased (unpleasantness reduction) when participants reappraised negative stimuli with TMS stimulation over the left VLPFC, regardless of the timing of the stimulation at 300 ms or/and at 3,300 ms after the stimulus onset, relative to the vertex stimulation and the baseline experiment. Our study provided evidence of the functional specificity of the left VLPFC in regulation of negative emotions using positive reappraisal. The left VLPFC was believed to be involved in different stages of positive reappraisal. The prominent facilitation effect of TMS over the left VLPFC makes it possible to consider potential applications in clinical practice for mood disorders.
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8
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Yeager B, Dougher C, Cook R, Medaglia J. The role of transcranial magnetic stimulation in understanding attention-related networks in single subjects. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 2:100017. [PMID: 36246510 PMCID: PMC9559099 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2021.100017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention is a cognitive mechanism that has been studied through several methodological viewpoints, including animal models, MRI in stroke patients, and fMRI in healthy subjects. Activation-based fMRI research has also pointed to specific networks that activate during attention tasks. Most recently, network neuroscience has been used to study the functional connectivity of large-scale networks for attention to reveal how strongly correlated networks are to each other when engaged in specific behaviors. While neuroimaging has revealed important information about the neural correlates of attention, it is crucial to better understand how these processes are organized and executed in the brain in single subjects to guide theories and treatments for attention. Noninvasive brain stimulation is an effective tool to causally manipulate neural activity to detect the causal roles of circuits in behavior. We describe how combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with modern precision network analysis in single-subject neuroimaging could test the roles of regions, circuits, and networks in regulating attention as a pathway to improve treatment effect magnitudes and specificity. Though studied for over 100 years, the brain basis of attention is still queried. Complexity in frameworks for attention makes brain mapping difficult. Relevant brain networks vary significantly across subjects, challenging progress. Single-subject neuroimaging with TMS can improve our understanding of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- B.E. Yeager
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Stratton Hall, 3201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - C.C. Dougher
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Stratton Hall, 3201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - R.H. Cook
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Stratton Hall, 3201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - J.D. Medaglia
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Stratton Hall, 3201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N. 15th Street, Mail Stop 423, New College Building, Suite 7102, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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9
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Vitale F, Padrón I, Avenanti A, de Vega M. Enhancing Motor Brain Activity Improves Memory for Action Language: A tDCS Study. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:1569-1581. [PMID: 33136142 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The embodied cognition approach to linguistic meaning posits that action language understanding is grounded in sensory-motor systems. However, evidence that the human motor cortex is necessary for action language memory is meager. To address this issue, in two groups of healthy individuals, we perturbed the left primary motor cortex (M1) by means of either anodal or cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), before participants had to memorize lists of manual action and attentional sentences. In each group, participants received sham and active tDCS in two separate sessions. Following anodal tDCS (a-tDCS), participants improved the recall of action sentences compared with sham tDCS. No similar effects were detected following cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS). Both a-tDCS and c-tDCS induced variable changes in motor excitability, as measured by motor-evoked potentials induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Remarkably, across groups, action-specific memory improvements were positively predicted by changes in motor excitability. We provide evidence that excitatory modulation of the motor cortex selectively improves performance in a task requiring comprehension and memory of action sentences. These findings indicate that M1 is necessary for accurate processing of linguistic meanings and thus provide causal evidence that high-order cognitive functions are grounded in the human motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Vitale
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 38200, Spain
| | - Iván Padrón
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 38200, Spain
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Cesena 47521, Italy
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 38200, Spain
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10
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Different neural representations for detection of symmetry in dot-patterns and in faces: A state-dependent TMS study. Neuropsychologia 2020; 138:107333. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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11
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No Effect of cathodal tDCS of the posterior parietal cortex on parafoveal preprocessing of words. Neurosci Lett 2019; 705:219-226. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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12
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Marini M, Banaji MR, Pascual-Leone A. Studying Implicit Social Cognition with Noninvasive Brain Stimulation. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:1050-1066. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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13
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Wolff SB, Ölveczky BP. The promise and perils of causal circuit manipulations. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 49:84-94. [PMID: 29414070 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of increasingly sophisticated methods for recording and manipulating neural activity is revolutionizing neuroscience. By probing how activity patterns in different types of neurons and circuits contribute to behavior, these tools can help inform mechanistic models of brain function and explain the roles of distinct circuit elements. However, in systems where functions are distributed over large networks, interpreting causality experiments can be challenging. Here we review common assumptions underlying circuit manipulations in behaving animals and discuss the strengths and limitations of different approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Be Wolff
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Bence P Ölveczky
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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14
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Transcranial direct current stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex dampens mind-wandering in men. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16962. [PMID: 29209069 PMCID: PMC5717259 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17267-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mind-wandering, the mind’s capacity to stray from external events and generate task-unrelated thought, has been associated with activity in the brain default network. To date, little is understood about the contribution of individual nodes of this network to mind-wandering. Here, we investigated the role of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in mind-wandering, by perturbing this region with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Young healthy participants performed a choice reaction time task both before and after receiving cathodal tDCS over mPFC, and had their thoughts periodically sampled. We found that tDCS over mPFC - but not occipital or sham tDCS - decreased the propensity to mind-wander. The tDCS-induced reduction in mind-wandering occurred in men, but not in women, and was accompanied by a change in the content of task-unrelated though, which became more related to other people (as opposed to the self) following tDCS. These findings indicate that mPFC is crucial for mind-wandering, possibly by helping construction of self-relevant scenarios capable to divert attention inward, away from perceptual reality. Gender-related differences in tDCS-induced changes suggest that mPFC controls mind-wandering differently in men and women, which may depend on differences in the structural and functional organization of distributed brain networks governing mind-wandering, including mPFC.
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15
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Boly M, Massimini M, Tsuchiya N, Postle BR, Koch C, Tononi G. Are the Neural Correlates of Consciousness in the Front or in the Back of the Cerebral Cortex? Clinical and Neuroimaging Evidence. J Neurosci 2017; 37:9603-9613. [PMID: 28978697 PMCID: PMC5628406 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3218-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of the frontal cortex in consciousness remains a matter of debate. In this Perspective, we will critically review the clinical and neuroimaging evidence for the involvement of the front versus the back of the cortex in specifying conscious contents and discuss promising research avenues.Dual Perspectives Companion Paper: Should a Few Null Findings Falsify Prefrontal Theories of Conscious Perception?, by Brian Odegaard, Robert T. Knight, and Hakwan Lau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Boly
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705,
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53719
| | - Marcello Massimini
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Luigi Sacco, University of Milan, Milan 20157, Italy
- Instituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan 20148, Italy
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800 Victoria, Australia
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800 Victoria, Australia
| | - Bradley R Postle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53719
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, and
| | - Christof Koch
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, Washington 98109
| | - Giulio Tononi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53719,
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16
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Not all visual symmetry is equal: Partially distinct neural bases for vertical and horizontal symmetry. Neuropsychologia 2017; 104:126-132. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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17
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Navarro de Lara LI, Tik M, Woletz M, Frass-Kriegl R, Moser E, Laistler E, Windischberger C. High-sensitivity TMS/fMRI of the Human Motor Cortex Using a Dedicated Multichannel MR Coil. Neuroimage 2017; 150:262-269. [PMID: 28254457 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To validate a novel setup for concurrent TMS/fMRI in the human motor cortex based on a dedicated, ultra-thin, multichannel receive MR coil positioned between scalp and TMS system providing greatly enhanced sensitivity compared to the standard birdcage coil setting. METHODS A combined TMS/fMRI design was applied over the primary motor cortex based on 1Hz stimulation with stimulation levels of 80%, 90%, 100%, and 110% of the individual active motor threshold, respectively. Due to the use of a multichannel receive coil we were able to use multiband-accelerated (MB=2) EPI sequences for the acquisition of functional images. Data were analysed with SPM12 and BOLD-weighted signal intensity time courses were extracted in each subject from two local maxima (individual functional finger tapping localiser, fixed MNI coordinate of the hand knob) next to the hand area of the primary motor cortex (M1) and from the global maximum. RESULTS We report excellent image quality without noticeable signal dropouts or image distortions. Parameter estimates in the three peak voxels showed monotonically ascending activation levels over increasing stimulation intensities. Across all subjects, mean BOLD signal changes for 80%, 90%, 100%, 110% of the individual active motor threshold were 0.43%, 0.63%, 1.01%, 2.01% next to the individual functional finger tapping maximum, 0.73%, 0.91%, 1.34%, 2.21% next to the MNI-defined hand knob and 0.88%, 1.09%, 1.65%, 2.77% for the global maximum, respectively. CONCLUSION Our results show that the new setup for concurrent TMS/fMRI experiments using a dedicated MR coil array allows for high-sensitivity fMRI particularly at the site of stimulation. Contrary to the standard birdcage approach, the results also demonstrate that the new coil can be successfully used for multiband-accelerated EPI acquisition. The gain in flexibility due to the new coil can be easily combined with neuronavigation within the MR scanner to allow for accurate targeting in TMS/fMRI experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia I Navarro de Lara
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Vienna, Austria; MR Center of Excellence, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Tik
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Vienna, Austria; MR Center of Excellence, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Woletz
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Vienna, Austria; MR Center of Excellence, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roberta Frass-Kriegl
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Vienna, Austria; MR Center of Excellence, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ewald Moser
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Vienna, Austria; MR Center of Excellence, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elmar Laistler
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Vienna, Austria; MR Center of Excellence, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Windischberger
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Vienna, Austria; MR Center of Excellence, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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18
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Chiau HY, Muggleton NG, Juan CH. Exploring the contributions of the supplementary eye field to subliminal inhibition using double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:339-351. [PMID: 27611342 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that the supplementary eye fields (SEF) are involved in the control of voluntary eye movements. However, recent evidence suggests that SEF may also be important for unconscious and involuntary motor processes. Indeed, Sumner et al. ([2007]: Neuron 54:697-711) showed that patients with micro-lesions of the SEF demonstrated an absence of subliminal inhibition as evoked by masked-prime stimuli. Here, we used double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy volunteers to investigate the role of SEF in subliminal priming. We applied double-pulse TMS at two time windows in a masked-prime task: the first during an early phase, 20-70 ms after the onset of the mask but before target presentation, during which subliminal inhibition is present; and the second during a late phase, 20-70 ms after target onset, during which the saccade is being prepared. We found no effect of TMS with the early time window of stimulation, whereas a reduction in the benefit of an incompatible subliminal prime stimulus was found when SEF TMS was applied at the late time window. These findings suggest that there is a role for SEF related to the effects of subliminal primes on eye movements, but the results do not support a role in inhibiting the primed tendency. Hum Brain Mapp 38:339-351, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yan Chiau
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan.,Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Neil G Muggleton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chi-Hung Juan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan
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Lavidor M. tES Stimulation as a Tool to Investigate Cognitive Processes in Healthy Individuals. EUROPEAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2016. [DOI: 10.1027/1016-9040/a000248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. This paper is aimed at providing an introduction to up-to-date noninvasive brain stimulation tools that have been successful in modulating higher-level cognitive functions in healthy individuals. The current review focuses on transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) studies aiming to explore cognitive models from an experimental rather than clinical viewpoint. It focuses primarily on major advances in language, working memory, learning, response inhibition, and other executive functions in healthy individuals, and the use of different methods of electrical brain stimulation such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), and transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS). The final section summarizes the scientific novelty of the reviewed papers and discusses the possible roles of brain stimulation in future experimental research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Lavidor
- Department of Psychology, The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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20
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Jackson RL, Lambon Ralph MA, Pobric G. The Timing of Anterior Temporal Lobe Involvement in Semantic Processing. J Cogn Neurosci 2015; 27:1388-96. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Despite indications that regions within the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) might make a crucial contribution to pan-modal semantic representation, to date there have been no investigations of when during semantic processing the ATL plays a critical role. To test the timing of the ATL involvement in semantic processing, we studied the effect of double-pulse TMS on behavioral responses in semantic and difficulty-matched control tasks. Chronometric TMS was delivered over the left ATL (10 mm from the tip of the temporal pole along the middle temporal gyrus). During each trial, two pulses of TMS (40 msec apart) were delivered either at baseline (before stimulus presentation) or at one of the experimental time points 100, 250, 400, and 800 msec poststimulus onset. A significant disruption to performance was identified from 400 msec on the semantic task but not on the control assessment. Our results not only reinforce the key role of the left ATL in semantic representation but also indicate that its contribution is especially important around 400 msec poststimulus onset. Together, these facts suggest that the ATL may be one of the neural sources of the N400 ERP component.
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Neural Stimulation Has a Long-Term Effect on Foreign Vocabulary Acquisition. Neural Plast 2015; 2015:671705. [PMID: 26075102 PMCID: PMC4446492 DOI: 10.1155/2015/671705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of a foreign language is a challenging task that is becoming increasingly more important in the world nowadays. There is evidence suggesting that the frontal and temporal cortices are involved in language processing and comprehension, but it is still unknown whether foreign language acquisition recruits additional cortical areas in a causal manner. For the first time, we used transcranial random noise stimulation on the frontal and parietal brain areas, in order to compare its effect on the acquisition of unknown foreign words and a sham, or placebo, condition was also included. This type of noninvasive neural stimulation enhances cortical activity by boosting the spontaneous activity of neurons. Foreign vocabulary acquisition was tested both immediately and seven days after the stimulation. We found that stimulation on the posterior parietal, but not the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or sham stimulation, significantly improved the memory performance in the long term. These results suggest that the posterior parietal cortex is directly involved in acquisition of foreign vocabulary, thus extending the "linguistic network" to this area.
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22
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cTBS delivered to the left somatosensory cortex changes its functional connectivity during rest. Neuroimage 2015; 114:386-397. [PMID: 25882754 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary somatosensory cortex (SI) plays a critical role in somatosensation as well as in action performance and social cognition. Although the SI has been a major target of experimental and clinical research using non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), to date information on the effect of TMS over the SI on its resting-state functional connectivity is very scant. Here, we explored whether continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), a repetitive TMS protocol, administered over the SI can change the functional connectivity of the brain at rest, as measured using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). In a randomized order on two different days we administered active TMS or sham TMS over the left SI. TMS was delivered off-line before scanning by means of cTBS. The target area was selected previously and individually for each subject as the part of the SI activated both when the participant executes and observes actions. Three analytical approaches, both theory driven (partial correlations and seed based whole brain regression) and more data driven (Independent Component Analysis), indicated a reduction in functional connectivity between the stimulated part of the SI and several brain regions functionally associated with the SI including the dorsal premotor cortex, the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and anterior cingulate cortex. These findings highlight the impact of cTBS delivered over the SI on its functional connectivity at rest. Our data may have implications for experimental and therapeutic applications of cTBS over the SI.
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23
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Rodd JM, Vitello S, Woollams AM, Adank P. Localising semantic and syntactic processing in spoken and written language comprehension: an Activation Likelihood Estimation meta-analysis. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 141:89-102. [PMID: 25576690 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2014.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We conducted an Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to identify brain regions that are recruited by linguistic stimuli requiring relatively demanding semantic or syntactic processing. We included 54 functional MRI studies that explicitly varied the semantic or syntactic processing load, while holding constant demands on earlier stages of processing. We included studies that introduced a syntactic/semantic ambiguity or anomaly, used a priming manipulation that specifically reduced the load on semantic/syntactic processing, or varied the level of syntactic complexity. The results confirmed the critical role of the posterior left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (LIFG) in semantic and syntactic processing. These results challenge models of sentence comprehension highlighting the role of anterior LIFG for semantic processing. In addition, the results emphasise the posterior (but not anterior) temporal lobe for both semantic and syntactic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Rodd
- Department of Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvia Vitello
- Department of Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna M Woollams
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Patti Adank
- Department of Speech, Hearing, and Phonetic Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
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24
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Ahn HJ, Yoo WK. Chronometry TMS in Language Network. BRAIN & NEUROREHABILITATION 2015. [DOI: 10.12786/bn.2015.8.1.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Jung Ahn
- Hallym Institute for Interdisciplinary Program Molecular Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea
| | - Woo-Kyoung Yoo
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea
- Hallym Institute for Interdisciplinary Program Molecular Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea
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25
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Makovski T, Lavidor M. Stimulating occipital cortex enhances visual working memory consolidation. Behav Brain Res 2014; 275:84-7. [PMID: 25205369 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2014] [Revised: 08/31/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Visual working memory (WM) enables us to store and manipulate visual information for a short duration. Traditionally, prefrontal and parietal regions have been associated with visual WM processing; however recent fMRI studies have shown that visual WM information can be decoded from the visual cortex as well. In this study, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to investigate the role of the visual cortex in retaining visual WM information. All subjects participated in two sessions of sham and active tDCS followed by a standard visual WM task. Two conditions were tested: in short encoding trials, the memory array (6 colored circles) was presented for 200ms whereas in long encoding trials it was presented for 500ms. We hypothesized that if stimulation over visual cortex modulates WM retention, then performance should be enhanced in both encoding conditions. However, if stimulation over visual cortex modulates mainly WM consolidation, then performance should improve only in the short encoding condition. The results supported the latter possibility as stimulation improved performance in the short encoding condition but not in the long encoding condition. Consequently, the robust advantage of the long encoding condition over the short encoding condition after sham stimulation was eliminated after active stimulation. These results suggest that the visual cortex is significant for WM consolidation, while it plays a smaller part in holding visual WM representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Makovski
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Israel.
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Department of Psychology and The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Israel
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26
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Williams NR, Taylor JJ, Snipes JM, Short EB, Kantor EM, George MS. Interventional psychiatry: how should psychiatric educators incorporate neuromodulation into training? ACADEMIC PSYCHIATRY : THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF DIRECTORS OF PSYCHIATRIC RESIDENCY TRAINING AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR ACADEMIC PSYCHIATRY 2014; 38:168-76. [PMID: 24554501 PMCID: PMC4021584 DOI: 10.1007/s40596-014-0050-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Interventional psychiatry is an emerging subspecialty that uses a variety of procedural neuromodulation techniques in the context of an electrocircuit-based view of mental dysfunction as proximal causes for psychiatric diseases. METHODS The authors propose the development of an interventional psychiatry-training paradigm analogous to those found in cardiology and neurology. RESULTS The proposed comprehensive training in interventional psychiatry would include didactics in the theory, proposed mechanisms, and delivery of invasive and noninvasive brain stimulation. CONCLUSIONS The development and refinement of this subspecialty would facilitate safe, effective growth in the field of brain stimulation by certified and credentialed practitioners within the field of psychiatry while also potentially improving the efficacy of current treatments.
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27
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Jacquet PO, Avenanti A. Perturbing the action observation network during perception and categorization of actions' goals and grips: state-dependency and virtual lesion TMS effects. Cereb Cortex 2013; 25:598-608. [PMID: 24084126 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Watching others grasping and using objects activates an action observation network (AON), including inferior frontal (IFC), anterior intraparietal (AIP), and somatosensory cortices (S1). Yet, causal evidence of the differential involvement of such AON sensorimotor nodes in representing high- and low-level action components (i.e., end-goals and grip type) is meager. To address this issue, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation-adaptation (TMS-A) during 2 novel action perception tasks. Participants were shown adapting movies displaying a demonstrator performing goal-directed actions with a tool, using either power or precision grips. They were then asked to match the end-goal (Goal-recognition task) or the grip (Grip-recognition task) of actions shown in test pictures to the adapting movies. TMS was administered over IFC, AIP, or S1 during presentation of test pictures. Virtual lesion-like effects were found in the Grip-recognition task where IFC stimulation induced a general performance decrease, suggesting a critical role of IFC in perceiving grips. In the Goal-recognition task, IFC and S1 stimulation differently affected the processing of "adapted" and "nonadapted" goals. These "state-dependent" effects suggest that the overall goal of seen actions is encoded into functionally distinct and spatially overlapping neural populations in IFC-S1 and such encoding is critical for recognizing and understanding end-goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre O Jacquet
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, 69676 Bron cedex, France
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena, University of Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Roma, Italy
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28
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Avenanti A, Candidi M, Urgesi C. Vicarious motor activation during action perception: beyond correlational evidence. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:185. [PMID: 23675338 PMCID: PMC3653126 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurophysiological and imaging studies have shown that seeing the actions of other individuals brings about the vicarious activation of motor regions involved in performing the same actions. While this suggests a simulative mechanism mediating the perception of others' actions, one cannot use such evidence to make inferences about the functional significance of vicarious activations. Indeed, a central aim in social neuroscience is to comprehend how vicarious activations allow the understanding of other people's behavior, and this requires to use stimulation or lesion methods to establish causal links from brain activity to cognitive functions. In the present work, we review studies investigating the effects of transient manipulations of brain activity or stable lesions in the motor system on individuals' ability to perceive and understand the actions of others. We conclude there is now compelling evidence that neural activity in the motor system is critical for such cognitive ability. More research using causal methods, however, is needed in order to disclose the limits and the conditions under which vicarious activations are required to perceive and understand actions of others as well as their emotions and somatic feelings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Avenanti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna Bologna, Italy ; Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena Cesena, Italy ; Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia Roma, Italy
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Berkman ET, Falk EB. Beyond Brain Mapping: Using Neural Measures to Predict Real-World Outcomes. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2013; 22:45-50. [PMID: 24478540 DOI: 10.1177/0963721412469394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
One goal of social science in general, and of psychology in particular, is to understand and predict human behavior. Psychologists have traditionally used self-report measures and performance on laboratory tasks to achieve this end. However, these measures are limited in their ability to predict behavior in certain contexts. We argue that current neuroscientific knowledge has reached a point where it can complement other existing psychological measures in predicting behavior and other important outcomes. This brain-as-predictor approach integrates traditional neuroimaging methods with measures of behavioral outcomes that extend beyond the immediate experimental session. Previously, most neuroimaging experiments focused on understanding basic psychological processes that could be directly observed in the laboratory. However, recent experiments have demonstrated that brain measures can predict outcomes (e.g., purchasing decisions, clinical outcomes) over longer timescales in ways that go beyond what was previously possible with self-report data alone. This approach can be used to reveal the connections between neural activity in laboratory contexts and longer-term, ecologically valid outcomes. We describe this approach and discuss its potential theoretical implications. We also review recent examples of studies that have used this approach, discuss methodological considerations, and provide specific guidelines for using it in future research.
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Abstract
Learning and memory functions are crucial in the interaction of an individual with the environment and involve the interplay of large, distributed brain networks. Recent advances in technologies to explore neurobiological correlates of neuropsychological paradigms have increased our knowledge about human learning and memory. In this chapter we first review and define memory and learning processes from a neuropsychological perspective. Then we provide some illustrations of how noninvasive brain stimulation can play a major role in the investigation of memory functions, as it can be used to identify cause-effect relationships and chronometric properties of neural processes underlying cognitive steps. In clinical medicine, transcranial magnetic stimulation may be used as a diagnostic tool to understand memory and learning deficits in various patient populations. Furthermore, noninvasive brain stimulation is also being applied to enhance cognitive functions, offering exciting translational therapeutic opportunities in neurology and psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Katharine Brem
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Sehm B, Hoff M, Gundlach C, Taubert M, Conde V, Villringer A, Ragert P. A novel ring electrode setup for the recording of somatosensory evoked potentials during transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). J Neurosci Methods 2013; 212:234-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2012.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2012] [Revised: 10/10/2012] [Accepted: 10/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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