1
|
Lossi L, Castagna C, Merighi A. An Overview of the Epigenetic Modifications in the Brain under Normal and Pathological Conditions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3881. [PMID: 38612690 PMCID: PMC11011998 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073881] [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: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes are changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence. These changes lead to establishing a so-called epigenetic code that dictates which and when genes are activated, thus orchestrating gene regulation and playing a central role in development, health, and disease. The brain, being mostly formed by cells that do not undergo a renewal process throughout life, is highly prone to the risk of alterations leading to neuronal death and neurodegenerative disorders, mainly at a late age. Here, we review the main epigenetic modifications that have been described in the brain, with particular attention on those related to the onset of developmental anomalies or neurodegenerative conditions and/or occurring in old age. DNA methylation and several types of histone modifications (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, lactylation, and crotonylation) are major players in these processes. They are directly or indirectly involved in the onset of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Therefore, this review briefly describes the roles of these epigenetic changes in the mechanisms of brain development, maturation, and aging and some of the most important factors dynamically regulating or contributing to these changes, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adalberto Merighi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (L.L.); (C.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Owens CD, Bonin Pinto C, Detwiler S, Olay L, Pinaffi-Langley ACDC, Mukli P, Peterfi A, Szarvas Z, James JA, Galvan V, Tarantini S, Csiszar A, Ungvari Z, Kirkpatrick AC, Prodan CI, Yabluchanskiy A. Neurovascular coupling impairment as a mechanism for cognitive deficits in COVID-19. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae080. [PMID: 38495306 PMCID: PMC10943572 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Components that comprise our brain parenchymal and cerebrovascular structures provide a homeostatic environment for proper neuronal function to ensure normal cognition. Cerebral insults (e.g. ischaemia, microbleeds and infection) alter cellular structures and physiologic processes within the neurovascular unit and contribute to cognitive dysfunction. COVID-19 has posed significant complications during acute and convalescent stages in multiple organ systems, including the brain. Cognitive impairment is a prevalent complication in COVID-19 patients, irrespective of severity of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, overwhelming evidence from in vitro, preclinical and clinical studies has reported SARS-CoV-2-induced pathologies in components of the neurovascular unit that are associated with cognitive impairment. Neurovascular unit disruption alters the neurovascular coupling response, a critical mechanism that regulates cerebromicrovascular blood flow to meet the energetic demands of locally active neurons. Normal cognitive processing is achieved through the neurovascular coupling response and involves the coordinated action of brain parenchymal cells (i.e. neurons and glia) and cerebrovascular cell types (i.e. endothelia, smooth muscle cells and pericytes). However, current work on COVID-19-induced cognitive impairment has yet to investigate disruption of neurovascular coupling as a causal factor. Hence, in this review, we aim to describe SARS-CoV-2's effects on the neurovascular unit and how they can impact neurovascular coupling and contribute to cognitive decline in acute and convalescent stages of the disease. Additionally, we explore potential therapeutic interventions to mitigate COVID-19-induced cognitive impairment. Given the great impact of cognitive impairment associated with COVID-19 on both individuals and public health, the necessity for a coordinated effort from fundamental scientific research to clinical application becomes imperative. This integrated endeavour is crucial for mitigating the cognitive deficits induced by COVID-19 and its subsequent burden in this especially vulnerable population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron D Owens
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Camila Bonin Pinto
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Sam Detwiler
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
| | - Lauren Olay
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
| | - Ana Clara da C Pinaffi-Langley
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
| | - Peter Mukli
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Departments of Public Health, Translational Medicine and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Anna Peterfi
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Departments of Public Health, Translational Medicine and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Zsofia Szarvas
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Departments of Public Health, Translational Medicine and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Judith A James
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Veronica Galvan
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Stefano Tarantini
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Departments of Public Health, Translational Medicine and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
- The Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Anna Csiszar
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Departments of Public Health, Translational Medicine and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Ungvari
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Departments of Public Health, Translational Medicine and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Angelia C Kirkpatrick
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Cardiovascular Section, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
| | - Calin I Prodan
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Andriy Yabluchanskiy
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Departments of Public Health, Translational Medicine and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Alqudah S, Zuriekat M, Shatarah A. Impact of hearing impairment on the mental status of the adults and older adults in Jordanian society. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298616. [PMID: 38437235 PMCID: PMC10911586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hearing loss is a common disorder, affecting both children and adults worldwide. Individuals with hearing loss suffer from mental health problems that affect their quality of life. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the social and emotional consequences of hearing loss in a Jordanian population using Arabic versions of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE). METHODS This study included 300 Jordanian participants aged 18-90 years with hearing loss. Each participant underwent a complete audiological evaluation before answering the questionnaires. RESULTS The median overall scores of the HHIA and HHIE groups were 39 and 65, respectively. Both HHIA (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79, p < 0.001) and HHIE (Cronbach's alpha = 0.78, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the social, emotional, and overall scores. Compared to the adult group, the median emotional and social scores of the older adults group were significantly higher than the adults group (Z = -4.721, p = 0.001), using the Mann-Whitney test. CONCLUSION The present research revealed that psychological disabilities associated with hearing loss in the adult Jordanian population are more frequent and severe than in other nations. This may be attributed to the lack of awareness of the mental consequences of hearing loss among Jordanian healthcare providers and the public.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Safa Alqudah
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Margaret Zuriekat
- Department of Special Surgery, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan & Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan
| | - Aya Shatarah
- Bachelor in Speech and Hearing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nakuci J, Yeon J, Haddara N, Kim JH, Kim SP, Rahnev D. Multiple brain activation patterns for the same task. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.08.536107. [PMID: 37066155 PMCID: PMC10104176 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.08.536107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Meaningful variation in internal states that impacts cognition and behavior remains challenging to discover and characterize. Here we leveraged trial-to-trial fluctuations in the brain-wide signal recorded using functional MRI to test if distinct sets of brain regions are activated on different trials when accomplishing the same task. Across three different perceptual decision-making experiments, we estimated the brain activations for each trial. We then clustered the trials based on their similarity using modularity-maximization, a data-driven classification method. In each experiment, we found multiple distinct but stable subtypes of trials, suggesting that the same task can be accomplished in the presence of widely varying brain activation patterns. Surprisingly, in all experiments, one of the subtypes exhibited strong activation in the default mode network, which is typically thought to decrease in activity during tasks that require externally focused attention. The remaining subtypes were characterized by activations in different task-positive areas. The default mode network subtype was characterized by behavioral signatures that were similar to the other subtypes exhibiting activation with task-positive regions. Finally, in a fourth experiment, we tested whether multiple activation patterns would also appear for a qualitatively different, working memory task. We again found multiple subtypes of trials with differential activation in frontoparietal control, dorsal attention, and ventral attention networks. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the same cognitive tasks are accomplished through multiple brain activation patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johan Nakuci
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Jiwon Yeon
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Nadia Haddara
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Ji-Hyun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Sung-Phil Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Dobromir Rahnev
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lee HJ, Kang J, Yu H, Lim CE, Oh E, Choi JM, You S, Cho YS. Reactive control in suicide ideators and attempters: An examination of the congruency sequence effect in cognitive and emotional Simon tasks. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295041. [PMID: 38032975 PMCID: PMC10688694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295041] [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] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactive control is the cognitive ability to adjust thoughts and behaviors when encountering conflict. We investigated how this ability to manage conflict and stress distinguishes suicidal from nonsuicidal individuals. The hypothesis was that suicidal individuals would show poorer reactive control when faced with conflict generated by emotional than neutral stimuli. Hence, individuals with a lifetime history of suicide ideation or attempt and nonsuicidal controls were tested in cognitive and emotional Simon tasks. We examined the congruency sequence effect (CSE) in the Simon tasks as an indication of the efficiency of reactive control in resolving conflict. Whereas controls demonstrated significant CSEs in both tasks, suicide attempters showed a significant CSE in the cognitive task but not in the emotional task. Suicide ideators, on the other hand, displayed marginally significant CSEs in both tasks. Comparing groups with pairwise comparison demonstrated that the difference in CSE was significant only in the emotional task between attempters and controls. Our findings of attempters' inefficiency in adjusting reactive control during the emotional task reflect cognitive inflexibility in coping with conflicting situations during which suicidal individuals become vulnerable to suicide attempts in states of negative emotion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyejin J. Lee
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohyang Kang
- Department of Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwajeong Yu
- Department of Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Chae Eun Lim
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - EunByeol Oh
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Moon Choi
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungeun You
- Department of Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Yang Seok Cho
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Arif Y, Wiesman AI, Christopher-Hayes N, Okelberry HJ, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Wilson TW. Altered age-related alpha and gamma prefrontal-occipital connectivity serving distinct cognitive interference variants. Neuroimage 2023; 280:120351. [PMID: 37659656 PMCID: PMC10545948 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of conflicting stimuli adversely affects behavioral outcomes, which could either be at the level of stimulus (Flanker), response (Simon), or both (Multisource). Briefly, flanker interference involves conflicting stimuli requiring selective attention, Simon interference is caused by an incongruity between the spatial location of the task-relevant stimulus and prepotent motor mapping, and multisource is combination of both. Irrespective of the variant, interference resolution necessitates cognitive control to filter irrelevant information and allocate neural resources to task-related goals. Though previously studied in healthy young adults, the direct quantification of changes in oscillatory activity serving such cognitive control and associated inter-regional interactions in healthy aging are poorly understood. Herein, we used an adapted version of the multisource interference task and magnetoencephalography to investigate age-related alterations in the neural dynamics governing both divergent and convergent cognitive interference in 78 healthy participants (age range: 20-66 years). We identified weaker alpha connectivity between bilateral visual and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC) and left dorsomedial prefrontal cortices (dmPFC), as well as weaker gamma connectivity between bilateral occipital regions and the right dmPFC during flanker interference with advancing age. Further, an age-related decrease in gamma power was observed in the left cerebellum and parietal region for Simon and differential interference effects (i.e., flanker-Simon), respectively. Moreover, the superadditivity model showed decreased gamma power in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) with increasing age. Overall, our findings suggest age-related declines in the engagement of top-down attentional control secondary to reduced alpha and gamma coupling between prefrontal and occipital cortices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasra Arif
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA.
| | - Alex I Wiesman
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Hannah J Okelberry
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Hallie J Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Madelyn P Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mitra S, Boatman C, Baker J. Age-related changes in the interference between cognitive task components and concurrent sensorimotor coordination. Brain Res 2022; 1790:147985. [PMID: 35714710 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147985] [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: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Continuous sensorimotor coordinations (CSCs) such as driving, walking, using control interfaces or maintaining the body's balance are often performed alongside concurrent cognitive tasks involving attention and executive function. A range of these task combinations show interference, particularly in older adults, but the timing, direction and reciprocity of interference is not yet understood at the level of the tasks' information-processing operations. This paper compares the chronometry of dual task interference between a visual oddball task and a continuous visuomanual tracking task performed by young and older adults. The oddball task's constituent operations were identified using electrophysiological correlates, and deviations in the tracking task reflected perturbations to state monitoring and adjustment characteristics of CSC tasks. Despite instructions to give equal priority to both tasks, older participants maintained a high level of resourcing of the oddball task when dual tasking whereas young participants reduced resourcing to accommodate the demands of the tracking task. Older participants had a longer period of tracking inaccuracy during the executive function component of the oddball task, and unlike in young participants, this decrement was also observed when the stimulus was not a target and the executive function of updating the target tally was not required. These detailed chronometric results clarify that age-related amplification of CSC-cognitive interference are largely due to greater inflexibility in task prioritization. Prioritization of the cognitive task over the CSC in this type of dual tasking may have safety implications in everyday task settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joshua Baker
- NTU Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, UK; Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Liebrand M, Solbakk AK, Funderud I, Buades-Rotger M, Knight RT, Krämer UM. Intact Proactive Motor Inhibition after Unilateral Prefrontal Cortex or Basal Ganglia Lesions. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1862-1879. [PMID: 34375417 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Previous research provided evidence for the critical importance of the PFC and BG for reactive motor inhibition, that is, when actions are cancelled in response to external signals. Less is known about the role of the PFC and BG in proactive motor inhibition, referring to preparation for an upcoming stop signal. In this study, patients with unilateral lesions to the BG or lateral PFC performed in a cued go/no-go task, whereas their EEG was recorded. The paradigm called for cue-based preparation for upcoming, lateralized no-go signals. Based on previous findings, we focused on EEG indices of cognitive control (prefrontal beta), motor preparation (sensorimotor mu/beta, contingent negative variation [CNV]), and preparatory attention (occipital alpha, CNV). On a behavioral level, no differences between patients and controls were found, suggesting an intact ability to proactively prepare for motor inhibition. Patients showed an altered preparatory CNV effect, but no other differences in electrophysiological activity related to proactive and reactive motor inhibition. Our results suggest a context-dependent role of BG and PFC structures in motor inhibition, being critical in reactive, unpredictable contexts, but less so in situations where one can prepare for stopping on a short timescale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne-Kristin Solbakk
- University of Oslo, Norway.,Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Helgeland Hospital, Mosjøen, Norway
| | - Ingrid Funderud
- University of Oslo, Norway.,Helgeland Hospital, Mosjøen, Norway
| | - Macià Buades-Rotger
- University of Lübeck, Germany.,Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hanenberg C, Schlüter MC, Getzmann S, Lewald J. Short-Term Audiovisual Spatial Training Enhances Electrophysiological Correlates of Auditory Selective Spatial Attention. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:645702. [PMID: 34276281 PMCID: PMC8280319 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.645702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Audiovisual cross-modal training has been proposed as a tool to improve human spatial hearing. Here, we investigated training-induced modulations of event-related potential (ERP) components that have been associated with processes of auditory selective spatial attention when a speaker of interest has to be localized in a multiple speaker ("cocktail-party") scenario. Forty-five healthy participants were tested, including younger (19-29 years; n = 21) and older (66-76 years; n = 24) age groups. Three conditions of short-term training (duration 15 min) were compared, requiring localization of non-speech targets under "cocktail-party" conditions with either (1) synchronous presentation of co-localized auditory-target and visual stimuli (audiovisual-congruency training) or (2) immediate visual feedback on correct or incorrect localization responses (visual-feedback training), or (3) presentation of spatially incongruent auditory-target and visual stimuli presented at random positions with synchronous onset (control condition). Prior to and after training, participants were tested in an auditory spatial attention task (15 min), requiring localization of a predefined spoken word out of three distractor words, which were presented with synchronous stimulus onset from different positions. Peaks of ERP components were analyzed with a specific focus on the N2, which is known to be a correlate of auditory selective spatial attention. N2 amplitudes were significantly larger after audiovisual-congruency training compared with the remaining training conditions for younger, but not older, participants. Also, at the time of the N2, distributed source analysis revealed an enhancement of neural activity induced by audiovisual-congruency training in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 9) for the younger group. These findings suggest that cross-modal processes induced by audiovisual-congruency training under "cocktail-party" conditions at a short time scale resulted in an enhancement of correlates of auditory selective spatial attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephan Getzmann
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jörg Lewald
- Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Edgcumbe DR. Age Differences in Open-Mindedness: From 18 to 87-Years of Age. Exp Aging Res 2021; 48:24-41. [PMID: 34030607 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2021.1923330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As health care improves and more people work into later age, it is important to understand what impacts open-mindedness has on decision-making. This paper examined the role of aging on open-mindedness. METHODS Open-mindedness was measured across 12 studies before data amalgamation. The Actively Open-minded Thinking (AOT) scale and Actively Open-minded Thinking about Evidence (AOT-e) scale measured open-mindedness in this sample (n = 9010) of participants between 18 and 87-years of age. RESULTS Summary AOT positively correlated with AOT-e (r = 0.27). For two subfactors derived from factor analysis based on the AOT, scores for both subfactors positively correlated with AOT-e (subfactor-1: r = 0.17/subfactor-2: r = 0.31) but negatively correlated with age (subfactor-1: r = -0.01/subfactor-2: r = -0.16). Age negatively correlated with both AOT (r = -0.11) and AOT-e (r = -0.13). Regressions revealed that open-mindedness decreased with aging. Age marginally predicted the change in open-mindedness, and sex differences were not a predictor. CONCLUSION It is proposed that the observed differences are the result of a reluctance to change long-established values and ideas at the cognitive level and cortical changes that occur with aging. In an aging population where more adults work into later age, the decrease in open-mindedness could influence many areas of judgments of decision-making. Importantly, this demonstrates that open-mindedness varies across lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Edgcumbe
- Department of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Newman University, Birmingham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Age-related differences in structural and functional prefrontal networks during a logical reasoning task. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:1085-1102. [PMID: 32556885 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-020-00315-5] [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] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In logical reasoning, difficulties in inhibition of currently-held beliefs may lead to unwarranted conclusions, known as belief bias. Aging is associated with difficulties in inhibitory control, which may lead to deficits in inhibition of currently-held beliefs. No study to date, however, has investigated the underlying neural substrates of age-related differences in logical reasoning and the impact of belief load. The aim of the present study was to delineate age differences in brain activity during a syllogistic logical reasoning task while the believability load of logical inferences was manipulated. Twenty-nine, healthy, younger and thirty, healthy, older adults (males and females) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment in which they were asked to determine the logical validity of conclusions. Unlike younger adults, older adults engaged a large-scale network including anterior cingulate cortex and inferior frontal gyrus during conclusion stage. Our functional connectivity results suggest that while older adults engaged the anterior cingulate network to overcome their intuitive responses for believable inferences, the inferior frontal gyrus network contributed to higher control over responses during both believable and unbelievable conditions. Our functional results were further supported by structure-function-behavior analyses indicating the importance of cingulum bundle and uncinate fasciculus integrity in rejection of believable statements. These novel findings lend evidence for age-related differences in belief bias, with potentially important implications for decision making where currently-held beliefs and given assumptions are in conflict.
Collapse
|
12
|
Poulakis K, Reid RI, Przybelski SA, Knopman DS, Graff-Radford J, Lowe VJ, Mielke MM, Machulda MM, Jack CR, Petersen RC, Westman E, Vemuri P. Longitudinal deterioration of white-matter integrity: heterogeneity in the ageing population. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcaa238. [PMID: 33615218 PMCID: PMC7884606 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Deterioration in white-matter health plays a role in cognitive ageing. Our goal was to discern heterogeneity of white-matter tract vulnerability in ageing using longitudinal imaging data (two to five imaging and cognitive assessments per participant) from a population-based sample of 553 elderly participants (age ≥60 years). We found that different clusters (healthy white matter, fast white-matter decliners and intermediate white-matter group) were heterogeneous in the spatial distribution of white-matter integrity, systemic health and cognitive trajectories. White-matter health of specific tracts (genu of corpus callosum, posterior corona radiata and anterior internal capsule) informed about cluster assignments. Not surprisingly, brain amyloidosis was not significantly different between clusters. Clusters had differential white-matter tract vulnerability to ageing (commissural fibres > association/brainstem fibres). Identification of vulnerable white-matter tracts is a valuable approach to assessing risk for cognitive decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Poulakis
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 141 52, Sweden
| | - Robert I Reid
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - David S Knopman
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - Val J Lowe
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - Mary M Machulda
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | - Clifford R Jack
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - Eric Westman
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 141 52, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Preventing dementia? Interventional approaches in mild cognitive impairment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 122:143-164. [PMID: 33440197 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined as an intermediate state between normal cognitive aging and dementia. It describes a status of the subjective impression of cognitive decline and objectively detectible memory impairment beyond normal age-related changes. Activities of daily living are not affected. As the population ages, there is a growing need for early, proactive programs that can delay the consequences of dementia and improve the well-being of people with MCI and their caregivers. Various forms and approaches of intervention for older people with MCI have been suggested to delay cognitive decline. Pharmacological as well as non-pharmacological approaches (cognitive, physiological, nutritional supplementation, electric stimulation, psychosocial therapeutic) and multicomponent interventions have been proposed. Interventional approaches in MCI from 2009 to April 2019 concerning the cognitive performance are presented in this review.
Collapse
|
14
|
Sghirripa S, Graetz L, Merkin A, Rogasch NC, Semmler JG, Goldsworthy MR. Load-dependent modulation of alpha oscillations during working memory encoding and retention in young and older adults. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13719. [PMID: 33141460 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is vulnerable to age-related decline, particularly under high loads. Visual alpha oscillations contribute to WM performance in younger adults, and although alpha decreases in power and frequency with age, it is unclear if alpha activity supports WM in older adults. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) while 24 younger (aged 18-35 years) and 30 older (aged 50-86) adults performed a modified Sternberg task with varying load conditions. Older adults demonstrated slower reaction times at all loads, but there were no significant age differences in WM capacity. Regardless of age, alpha power decreased and alpha frequency increased with load during encoding, and the magnitude of alpha suppression during retention was larger at higher loads. While alpha power during retention was lower than fixation in older, but not younger adults, the relative change from fixation was not significantly different between age groups. Individual differences in alpha power did not predict performance for either age groups or at any WM loads. We demonstrate that alpha power and frequency are modulated in a similar task- and load-dependent manner during WM in both older and younger adults when WM performance is comparable across age groups. IMPACT STATEMENT: Aging is associated with a marked decrease in the power and frequency of alpha oscillations. Here, we demonstrate that when verbal working memory performance is matched across age groups, alpha power and frequency are modulated in a similar task- and load-dependent manner in both young and older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Sghirripa
- Lifespan Human Neurophysiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Lifelong Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Lynton Graetz
- Lifespan Human Neurophysiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Lifelong Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ashley Merkin
- Lifespan Human Neurophysiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Lifelong Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Nigel C Rogasch
- Lifelong Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Discipline of Psychiatry, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Brain, Mind and Society Research Hub, School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - John G Semmler
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Mitchell R Goldsworthy
- Lifespan Human Neurophysiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Lifelong Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Discipline of Psychiatry, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Qin S, Basak C. Influence of Multiple Cardiovascular Risk Factors on Task-Switching in Older Adults: An fMRI Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:561877. [PMID: 33033477 PMCID: PMC7509111 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.561877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Not only are the effects of cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and low fitness on executive functions and brain activations in older adults scarcely investigated, no fMRI study has investigated the combined effects of multiple risk factors on brain activations in older adults. This fMRI study examined the independent and combined effects of two cardiovascular risk factors, arterial plasticity, and physical fitness, on brain activations during task-switching in older adults. The effects of these two risk factors on age-related differences in activation between older and younger adults were also examined. Independently, low physical fitness and low arterial plasticity were related to reduced suppressions of occipital brain regions. The combined effects of these two risks on occipital regions were greater than the independent effects of either risk factor. Age-related overactivations in frontal cortex were observed in low fitness older adults. Brain-behavior correlation indicates that these frontal overactivations are maladaptive to older adults' task performance. It is possible that the resulting effects of cardiovascular risks on the aging brain, especially the maladaptive overactivations of frontal brain regions by high risk older adults, contribute to often found posterior-anterior shift in aging (PASA) brain activations. Furthermore, observed age-related differences in brain activations during task-switching can be partially attributed to individual differences in cardiovascular risks among older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Qin
- Center for Vital Longevity, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Chandramallika Basak
- Center for Vital Longevity, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Williams SE, Lenze EJ, Waring JD. Positive information facilitates response inhibition in older adults only when emotion is task-relevant. Cogn Emot 2020; 34:1632-1645. [PMID: 32677540 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1793303] [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] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Emotional information is integral to everyday life and impacts a variety of cognitive abilities including response inhibition, a critical skill for maintaining appropriate and flexible behaviour. However, reported effects of emotion on response inhibition are inconsistent in younger adults, and very limited in older adults. Effects of aging are especially relevant because emotion regulation improves with aging despite declining inhibitory control over neutral information. Across three studies, we assessed the impact of emotional facial expressions on response inhibition in younger and older adults while manipulating attention to task stimuli. Emotional faces (versus neutral faces) altered response inhibition only when task instructions required explicit attention to emotional attributes of the faces. When directly comparing fear faces to happy faces, both age groups had better response inhibition to happy faces. Age further influenced differences across conditions, in that happy faces enhanced response inhibition relative to neutral faces in older adults but not younger adults. Thus, emotional response inhibition for task-relevant (but not task-irrelevant) positive information is enhanced in late life compared to early adulthood. The present work extends the nascent literature on emotional response inhibition in aging, and proffers a framework to reconcile the mixed literature on this topic in younger adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric J Lenze
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jill D Waring
- Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Rodrigues PFS, Pandeirada JNS. The influence of the visual surrounding environment in older adults and young adults’ cognitive performance: an alternative paradigm. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2020.1749642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro F. S. Rodrigues
- CINTESIS, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
- IBILI, Faculty of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Josefa N. S. Pandeirada
- CINTESIS, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
- William James Center for Research, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
ElShafei HA, Fornoni L, Masson R, Bertrand O, Bidet-Caulet A. Age-related modulations of alpha and gamma brain activities underlying anticipation and distraction. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229334. [PMID: 32163441 PMCID: PMC7067396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention operates through top-down (TD) and bottom-up (BU) mechanisms. Recently, it has been shown that slow (alpha) frequencies index facilitatory and suppressive mechanisms of TD attention and faster (gamma) frequencies signal BU attentional capture. Ageing is characterized by increased behavioral distractibility, resulting from either a reduced efficiency of TD attention or an enhanced triggering of BU attention. However, only few studies have investigated the impact of ageing upon the oscillatory activities involved in TD and BU attention. MEG data were collected from 14 elderly and 14 matched young healthy human participants while performing the Competitive Attention Task. Elderly participants displayed (1) exacerbated behavioral distractibility, (2) altered TD suppressive mechanisms, indexed by a reduced alpha synchronization in task-irrelevant regions, (3) less prominent alpha peak-frequency differences between cortical regions, (4) a similar BU system activation indexed by gamma activity, and (5) a reduced activation of lateral prefrontal inhibitory control regions. These results show that the ageing-related increased distractibility is of TD origin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hesham A. ElShafei
- Brain Dynamics and Cognition Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Lesly Fornoni
- Brain Dynamics and Cognition Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Rémy Masson
- Brain Dynamics and Cognition Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Olivier Bertrand
- Brain Dynamics and Cognition Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Aurélie Bidet-Caulet
- Brain Dynamics and Cognition Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Pehlivanoglu D, Duarte A, Verhaeghen P. Multiple identity tracking strategies vary by age: An ERP study. Neuropsychologia 2020; 138:107357. [PMID: 31982481 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Top-down modulation underlies our ability to focus attention on task-relevant stimuli and ignore irrelevant distractions. Although age-related differences in neural correlates of top-down modulation have been investigated in multiple studies using variety of tasks (Gazzaley et al., 2005; Störmer et al., 2013), the effect of age on top-down modulation in a multiple identity tracking (MIT) task is still unknown. Thus, we investigated age-related differences in the MIT task by employing event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants tracked ten uniquely colored disks, two of which were randomly designated as targets at the beginning of each trial; the targets moved among four stationary distractors (serving as ERP baseline) and four moving distractors. Each type of stimulus was probed during the trial to capture differential patterns of brain activation. Tracking performance was similar across age groups. ERP data showed that younger adults performed the MIT task by enhancing the unique identities associated with targets relative to distractors through feature-based tracking. Older adults showed a pattern of distractor suppression engaging both location- and feature-based tracking strategies. Thus, our findings suggest that compared to younger adults, older adults engage greater levels of neural activity to achieve the same level of performance. These findings are discussed in light of theories of cognitive aging.
Collapse
|
20
|
Brain oscillations in cognitive control: A cross-sectional study with a spatial stroop task. Neuropsychologia 2019; 133:107190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
21
|
Effects of a Mixed Reality-based Cognitive Training System Compared to a Conventional Computer-assisted Cognitive Training System on Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study. Cogn Behav Neurol 2019; 32:172-178. [DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
22
|
Borges MT, Fernandes EG, Coco MI. Age-related differences during visual search: the role of contextual expectations and cognitive control mechanisms. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2019; 27:489-516. [DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2019.1632256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel T. Borges
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Moreno I. Coco
- School of Psychology, University of East London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Cerebellar Structural Variations in Subjects with Different Hypnotizability. THE CEREBELLUM 2019; 18:109-118. [PMID: 30022466 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-018-0965-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hypnotizability-the proneness to accept suggestions and behave accordingly-has a number of physiological and behavioral correlates (postural, visuomotor, and pain control) which suggest a possible involvement of cerebellar function and/or structure. The present study was aimed at investigating the association between cerebellar macro- or micro-structural variations (analyzed through a voxel-based morphometry and a diffusion tensor imaging approach) and hypnotic susceptibility. We also estimated morphometric variations of cerebral gray matter structures, to support current evidence of hypnotizability-related differences in some cerebral areas. High (highs, N = 12), and low (lows, N = 37) hypnotizable healthy participants (according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, form A) were submitted to a high field (3 T) magnetic resonance imaging protocol. In comparison to lows, highs showed smaller gray matter volumes in left cerebellar lobules IV/V and VI at uncorrected level, with the results in left lobule IV/V maintained also at corrected level. Highs showed also gray matter volumes smaller than lows in right inferior temporal gyrus, middle and superior orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and supramarginal parietal gyrus, as well as in left gyrus rectus, insula, and middle temporal cortex at uncorrected level. Results of right inferior temporal gyrus survived also at corrected level. Analyses on micro-structural data failed to reveal any significant association. The here found morphological variations allow to extend the traditional cortico-centric view of hypnotizability to the cerebellar regions, suggesting that cerebellar peculiarities may sustain hypnotizability-related differences in sensorimotor integration and emotional control.
Collapse
|
24
|
Waring JD, Greif TR, Lenze EJ. Emotional Response Inhibition Is Greater in Older Than Younger Adults. Front Psychol 2019; 10:961. [PMID: 31118913 PMCID: PMC6504835 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional information rapidly captures our attention and also often invokes automatic response tendencies, whereby positive information motivates approach, while negative information encourages avoidance. However, many circumstances require the need to override or inhibit these automatic responses. Control over responses to emotional information remains largely intact in late life, in spite of age-related declines in cognitive control and inhibition of responses to non-emotional information. The goal of this behavioral study was to understand how the aging process influences emotional response inhibition for positive and negative information in older adults. We examined emotional response inhibition in 36 healthy older adults (ages 60–89) and 44 younger adults (ages 18–22) using an emotional Go/No-Go task presenting happy (positive), fearful (negative), and neutral faces. In both younger and older adults, happy faces produced more approach-related behavior (i.e., fewer misses), while fearful faces produced more avoidance-related behavior, in keeping with theories of approach/avoidance-motivated responses. Calculation of speed/accuracy trade-offs between response times and false alarm rates revealed that younger and older adults both favored speed at the expense of accuracy, most robustly within blocks with fearful faces. However, there was no indication that the strength of the speed/accuracy trade-off differed between younger and older adults. The key finding was that although younger adults were faster to respond to all types of faces, older adults had greater emotional response inhibition (i.e., fewer false alarms). Moreover, younger adults were particularly prone to false alarms for happy faces. This is the first study to directly test effects of aging on emotional response inhibition. Complementing previous literature in the domains of attention and memory, these results provide new evidence that in the domain of response inhibition older adults may more effectively employ emotion regulatory ability, albeit on a slower time course, compared to younger adults. Older adults’ enhanced adaptive emotion regulation strategies may facilitate resistance to emotional distraction. The present study extends the literature of emotional response inhibition in younger adulthood into late life, and in doing so further elucidates how cognitive aging interacts with affective control processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jill D Waring
- Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Taylor R Greif
- Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Eric J Lenze
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jones P. Mindfulness Training: Can It Create Superheroes? Front Psychol 2019; 10:613. [PMID: 30971978 PMCID: PMC6443831 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
With the emergence of the science of heroism there now exists both theoretical and empirical literature on the characteristics of our everyday hero. We seek to expand this inquiry and ask what could be the causes and conditions of a superhero. To address this we investigate the origins of mindfulness, Buddhist psychology and the assertion that its practitioners who have attained expertise in mindfulness practices can develop supernormal capabilities. Examining first their foundational eight "jhana" states (levels of attention) and the six consequent "abhinnas" (siddhis or special abilities) that arise from such mental mastery, we then explore any evidence that mindfulness practices have unfolded the supernormal potential of its practitioners. We found a growing base of empirical literature suggesting some practitioners exhibit indicators of enhanced functioning including elevated physical health and resistance to disease, increased immunity to aging and improved cognitive processing, greater resilience and fearlessness, more self-less and pro-social behaviors, some control over normally autonomic responses, and possibly some paranormal functionality. These improvements in normal human functioning provide some evidence that there are practices that develop these abilities, and as such we might want to consider adopting them to develop this capability. There are however insufficient studies of expert meditators and more research of adepts is called for that explores the relationship between levels of attentional skill and increases in functionality. We propose in search of the superhero, that if conventional mindfulness training can already augment mental and physical capabilities, a more serious inquiry and translation of its advanced methods into mainstream psychological theory is warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Jones
- School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Verhaeghen P, Geigerman S, Yang H, Montoya AC, Rahnev D. Resolving Age-Related Differences in Working Memory: Equating Perception and Attention Makes Older Adults Remember as Well as Younger Adults. Exp Aging Res 2019; 45:120-134. [PMID: 30849028 PMCID: PMC6689224 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2019.1586120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Older adults show clear deficits in working memory functioning. Here, we investigate the often-reported decline in focus switching, that is, the ability to shift items from the focus of attention into working memory, and back. Specifically, we examined whether equating subjects on early processing (perception and attention) might ameliorate the deficit. METHOD We examined 1-Back and 2-Back performance in younger and older adults, with line segments of different orientation as the stimuli. Stimuli were calibrated depending on each individual's 75% threshold for 1-Back performance. Subjects made match/mismatch judgments. RESULTS After the calibration on 1-Back performance, no age-related differences were found on either accuracy or sensitivity in the 2-Back task. Additionally, when investigating focus-switch trials versus non-focus-switch trials in a random-order 2-Back task, older adults were more efficient at switching the focus of attention than younger adults. DISCUSSION These results provide evidence for the view that age-related limitations in focus switching in working memory are caused (at least in part) by changes in early processing (perception and attention), suggesting that (at least some of the) age-related differences in working memory functioning may be due to shifts in trade-off between early processing and memory-related processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Verhaeghen
- a School of Psychology , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Haoxiang Yang
- b Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences , Northwestern University , Evanston, IL
| | | | - Dobromir Rahnev
- a School of Psychology , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, GA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Extrinsic and default mode networks in psychiatric conditions: Relationship to excitatory-inhibitory transmitter balance and early trauma. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 99:90-100. [PMID: 30769024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Over the last three decades there has been an accumulation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies reporting that aberrant functional networks may underlie cognitive deficits and other symptoms across a range of psychiatric diagnoses. The use of pharmacological MRI and 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) has allowed researchers to investigate how changes in network dynamics are related to perturbed excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in individuals with psychiatric conditions. More recently, changes in functional network dynamics and excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) neurotransmission have been linked to early childhood trauma, a major antecedents for psychiatric illness in adulthood. Here we review studies investigating whether perturbed network dynamics seen across psychiatric conditions are related to changes in E/I neurotransmission, and whether such changes could be linked to childhood trauma. Whilst there is currently a paucity of studies relating early traumatic experiences to altered E/I balance and network function, the research discussed here lead towards a plausible mechanistic hypothesis, linking early traumatic experiences to cognitive dysfunction and symptoms mediated by E/I neurotransmitter imbalances.
Collapse
|
28
|
Abstract
Healthy aging is associated with numerous deficits in cognitive function, which have been attributed to changes within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This chapter summarizes some of the most prominent cognitive changes associated with age-related alterations in the anatomy and physiology of the PFC. Specifically, aging of the PFC results in deficient aspects of cognitive control, including sustained attention, selective attention, inhibitory control, working memory, and multitasking abilities. Yet, not all cognitive functions associated with the PFC exhibit age-related declines, such as arithmetic, comprehension, emotion perception, and emotional control. Moreover, not all older adults exhibit declines in cognition. Multiple life-course and lifestyle factors, as well as genetics, play a role in the trajectory of cognitive performance across the life span. Thus many adults retain cognitive function well into advanced age. Moreover, the brain remains plastic throughout life and there is increasing evidence that most age-related declines in cognition can be remediated by various methods such as physical exercise, cognitive training, or noninvasive brain stimulation. Overall, because cognitive aging is associated with numerous life-course and lifestyle factors, successful aging likely begins in early life, while maintaining cognition or remediating declines is a life-long process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theodore P Zanto
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adam Gazzaley
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Terrasa JL, Montoya P, González-Roldán AM, Sitges C. Inhibitory Control Impairment on Somatosensory Gating Due to Aging: An Event-Related Potential Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:280. [PMID: 30050421 PMCID: PMC6052091 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The capacity to suppress irrelevant incoming input, termed sensory gating, is one of the most investigated inhibitory processes associated with cognitive impairments due to aging. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of aging on sensory gating by using somatosensory event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by repetitive non-painful tactile stimulation (paired-pulsed task). Somatosensory ERPs were recorded in 20 healthy young adults and 20 healthy older adults while they received two identical pneumatic stimuli (S1 and S2) of 100 ms duration with an inter-stimulus interval of 550 ± 50 ms on both forefingers. The difference between the somatosensory ERPs amplitude elicited by S1 and S2 was computed as a sensory gating measure. The amplitude and the latency of P50, N100 and late positive complex (LPC) were analyzed as well as the source generators of the gating effect. Reduced sensory gating was found in older individuals for N100 at frontal and centro-parietal electrodes and for LPC at fronto-central electrodes. Source localization analyses also revealed a reduced current density during gating effect in the older group in frontal areas in N100 and LPC. Moreover, older individuals showed delayed latencies in N100. No significant gating effect differences were found between groups in P50. These findings suggest an age-related slowing of processing speed and a reduced efficiency of inhibitory mechanisms in response to repetitive somatosensory information during stimulus evaluation, and a preservation of processing speed and inhibitory control during early stimulus coding in aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan L Terrasa
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology, Research Institute of Health Sciences (IUNICS), Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - Pedro Montoya
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology, Research Institute of Health Sciences (IUNICS), Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - Ana M González-Roldán
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology, Research Institute of Health Sciences (IUNICS), Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - Carolina Sitges
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology, Research Institute of Health Sciences (IUNICS), Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
VanVleet T, Voss M, Dabit S, Mitko A, DeGutis J. Randomized control trial of computer-based training targeting alertness in older adults: the ALERT trial protocol. BMC Psychol 2018; 6:22. [PMID: 29724228 PMCID: PMC5934832 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-018-0233-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Healthy aging is associated with a decline in multiple functional domains including perception, attention, short and long-term memory, reasoning, decision-making, as well as cognitive and motor control functions; all of which are significantly modulated by an individual’s level of alertness. The control of alertness also significantly declines with age and contributes to increased lapses of attention in everyday life, ranging from minor memory slips to a lack of vigilance and increased risk of falls or motor-vehicle accidents. Several experimental behavioral therapies designed to remediate age-related cognitive decline have been developed, but differ widely in content, method and dose. Preliminary studies demonstrate that Tonic and Phasic Alertness Training (TAPAT) can improve executive functions in older adults and may be a useful adjunct treatment to enhance benefits gained in other clinically validated treatments. The purpose of the current trial (referred to as the Attention training for Learning Enhancement and Resilience Trial or ALERT) is to compare TAPAT to an active control training condition, include a larger sample of patients, and assess both cognitive and functional outcomes. Methods/design We will employ a multi-site, longitudinal, blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with a target sample of 120 patients with age-related cognitive decline. Patients will be asked to complete 36 training sessions remotely (30 min/day, 5 days a week, over 3 months) of either the experimental TAPAT training program or an active control computer games condition. Patients will be assessed on a battery of cognitive and functional outcomes at four time points, including: a) immediately before training, b) halfway through training, c) within forty-eight hours post completion of total training, and d) after a three-month no-contact period post completion of total training, to assess the longevity of potential training effects. Discussion The strengths of this protocol are that it tests an innovative, in-home administered treatment that targets a fundamental deficit in adults with age-related cognitive decline; employs highly sensitive computer-based assessments of cognition as well as functional abilities, and incorporates a large sample size in an RCT design. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02416401.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas VanVleet
- Posit Science Corporation, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Medical Center, Martinez, CA, USA.
| | - Michelle Voss
- Health, Brain and Cognition Lab, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sawsan Dabit
- Posit Science Corporation, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alex Mitko
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Effects of acute alcohol and driving complexity in older and younger adults. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:887-896. [PMID: 29214468 PMCID: PMC5823740 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4806-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Our previous work demonstrated differential neurobehavioral effects of low-dose alcohol consumption on older and younger adults in a driving simulator. However, the ability to enhance or suppress a response in such context has yet to be examined. OBJECTIVES The current study contrasted older and younger drivers' responses to specific stimuli (i.e., relevant, irrelevant) in scenarios of differing complexity following low-dose acute alcohol administration. METHODS Healthy older (55-70) and younger (25-35) adults completed two driving scenarios (i.e., country and metropolis) both before and after consuming beverages targeted to reach peak BrACs of 0.00, 0.04, or 0.065%. Throughout the simulation, participants encountered relevant stimuli (e.g., pedestrians walking into the street) and irrelevant stimuli (e.g., pedestrians walking parallel). Peak deceleration, range of steering, and distance until brake application were assessed within a 450-ft window preceding each stimulus. RESULTS Following low-dose alcohol consumption, older adults shifted from a strategy using both deceleration and steering to relying solely on deceleration in responding to relevant stimuli in the country. Older adults under both low and moderate alcohol conditions displayed an inability to withhold responses to irrelevant stimuli in the metropolis. CONCLUSION These findings are consistent with our prior work showing differential effects of low-dose alcohol on older, relative to younger, adults. The interactive effects of age and alcohol, however, depend on stimulus type and environmental complexity. Continued investigation of neurobehavioral mechanisms in ecologically valid paradigms is necessary for understanding the implications of the combined impairing effects of alcohol and older age.
Collapse
|
32
|
Differential Impact of Interference on Internally- and Externally-Directed Attention. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2498. [PMID: 29410407 PMCID: PMC5802789 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20498-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention can be oriented externally to the environment or internally to the mind, and can be derailed by interference from irrelevant information originating from either external or internal sources. However, few studies have explored the nature and underlying mechanisms of the interaction between different attentional orientations and different sources of interference. We investigated how externally- and internally-directed attention was impacted by external distraction, how this modulated internal distraction, and whether these interactions were affected by healthy aging. Healthy younger and older adults performed both an externally-oriented visual detection task and an internally-oriented mental rotation task, performed with and without auditory sound delivered through headphones. We found that the addition of auditory sound induced a significant decrease in task performance in both younger and older adults on the visual discrimination task, and this was accompanied by a shift in the type of distractions reported (from internal to external). On the internally-oriented task, auditory sound only affected performance in older adults. These results suggest that the impact of external distractions differentially impacts performance on tasks with internal, as opposed to external, attentional orientations. Further, internal distractibility is affected by the presence of external sound and increased suppression of internal distraction.
Collapse
|
33
|
Hsiao FJ, Chen WT, Lin YY. Association between stimulus-evoked somatosensory inhibition and movement-related sensorimotor oscillation: A magnetoencephalographic study. Neurosci Lett 2017; 664:74-78. [PMID: 29128631 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between the somatosensory and motor cortices is understood; however, their functional relationship remains elusive. To elucidate the association between somatosensory and sensorimotor functions, this study investigated the correlation between somatosensory activities in response to paired-pulse stimulation and sensorimotor oscillations during self-paced finger movement in 18 healthy male subjects by using a magnetoencephalographic recording. The main finding was that stimulus-evoked somatosensory gating activities were significantly correlated with movement-related sensorimotor oscillatory responses. Specifically, the gating ratios of somatosensory N20m were related to the power changes of sensorimotor beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) (p=0.003) and event-related synchronization (ERS) (p=0.05). In conclusion, we confirmed that the inhibition of stimulus-evoked somatosensory responses is associated with the oscillatory characteristics of movement-related sensorimotor activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Jung Hsiao
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Ta Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Yang Lin
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Adnan A, Chen AJ, Novakovic-Agopian T, D'Esposito M, Turner GR. Brain Changes Following Executive Control Training in Older Adults. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2017; 31:910-922. [PMID: 28868974 PMCID: PMC5729113 DOI: 10.1177/1545968317728580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While older adults are able to attend to goal-relevant information, the capacity to ignore irrelevant or distracting information declines with advancing age. This decline in selective attention has been associated with poor modulation of brain activity in sensory cortices by anterior brain regions implicated in cognitive control. OBJECTIVE Here we investigated whether participation in an executive control training program would result in improved selective attention and associated functional brain changes in a sample of healthy older adults (N = 24, age 60-85 years). METHODS Participants were enrolled in a goal-oriented attentional self-regulation (GOALS) program (n = 11) or a brain health education workshop as an active control condition (n = 13). All participants performed a working memory task requiring attention to or suppression of visual stimuli based on goal-relevance during functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS We observed a pattern of enhanced activity in right frontal, parietal and temporal brain regions from pre- to posttraining in the GOALS intervention group, which predicted the selectivity of subsequent memory for goal-relevant stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Executive control training in older adults alters functional activity in brain regions associated with attentional control, and selectively predicts behavioral outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony J.W. Chen
- Veteran's Administration Northern California Health Care System
- University of California, Berkeley
| | - Tatjana Novakovic-Agopian
- Veteran's Administration Northern California Health Care System
- University of California, San Francisco
- California Pacific Medical Centre
| | - Mark D'Esposito
- Veteran's Administration Northern California Health Care System
- University of California, Berkeley
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Bekkers EMJ, Hoogkamer W, Bengevoord A, Heremans E, Verschueren SMP, Nieuwboer A. Freezing-related perception deficits of asymmetrical walking in Parkinson's disease. Neuroscience 2017; 364:122-129. [PMID: 28927894 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and especially those with freezing of gait (FOG), are known to experience impairments in gait rhythmicity, symmetry, and bilateral coordination between both legs. In the current study, we investigated whether deficits in perception of gait speed between limbs were more pronounced in freezers than in non-freezers and could explain some of these gait impairments. We also assessed cognitive ability and proprioception. Twenty-five PD patients (13 freezers, 12 non-freezers) and 12 healthy controls walked on a split-belt treadmill, while the speed of one of the belts was gradually increased. Participants had to indicate the moment at which they perceived belt speeds to be different. The main outcome variables were the number of correct responses (perception accuracy) and the difference in belt speeds at the moment the participants perceived belt speeds to be different (perception threshold). In addition, gait characteristics during both split- and tied-belt walking were determined. Results showed significantly lower perception accuracy in freezers, whereas the perception threshold did not differ between groups. During tied-belt walking, freezers exhibited more asymmetrical step lengths and limb excursions than non-freezers and healthy controls. Greater step length and limb excursions were associated with better perception, whereas more variable gait was associated with more impaired perception. The results confirm the hypothesis that freezers have impaired perception of locomotor asymmetry. While proprioceptive and cognitive ability did not explain these findings, the possible causal link with the occurrence of FOG needs further corroboration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther M J Bekkers
- Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Wouter Hoogkamer
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Aniek Bengevoord
- Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Elke Heremans
- Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Sabine M P Verschueren
- Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Alice Nieuwboer
- Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Interaction between attentional systems and episodic memory encoding: the impact of conflict on binding of information. Exp Brain Res 2017; 235:3553-3560. [PMID: 28879596 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-017-5081-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory (EM) is defined as a long-term memory system that stores information that can be retrieved along with details of the context of the original events (binding). Several studies have shown that manipulation of attention during encoding can impact subsequent memory performance. An influential model of attention distinguishes between three partially independent attentional networks: the alerting, the orienting and the executive or conflict resolution component. To date, the impact of the engagement of these sub-systems during encoding on item and relational context binding has not been investigated. Here, we developed a new task combining the Attentional Network Test and an incidental episodic memory encoding task to study this issue. We reported that when the alerting network was not solicited, resolving conflict hindered item encoding. Moreover, resolving conflict, independently of the cueing condition, had a negative impact on context binding. These novel findings could have a potential impact in the understanding EM formation, and memory disorders in different populations, including healthy elderly people.
Collapse
|
37
|
Heinzel S, Lorenz RC, Duong QL, Rapp MA, Deserno L. Prefrontal-parietal effective connectivity during working memory in older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 57:18-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
38
|
Tardiff N, Bascandziev I, Sandor K, Carey S, Zaitchik D. Some consequences of normal aging for generating conceptual explanations: A case study of vitalist biology. Cogn Psychol 2017; 95:145-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
39
|
Lee HH, Hsieh S. Resting-State fMRI Associated with Stop-Signal Task Performance in Healthy Middle-Aged and Elderly People. Front Psychol 2017; 8:766. [PMID: 28553253 PMCID: PMC5427072 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Several brain regions and connectivity networks may be altered as aging occurs. We are interested in investigating if resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) can also be valid as an indicator of individual differences in association with inhibition performance among aged (including middle-aged) people. Seventy-two healthy adults (40–77 years of age) were recruited. Their RS-fMRI images were acquired and analyzed via two cluster-analysis methods: local synchronization of spontaneous brain activity measured by regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) of blood oxygenation level-dependent signals. After the RS-fMRI acquisition, participants were instructed to perform a stop-signal task, in which the stop signal reaction time (SSRT) was calculated based on the horse-race model. Among participants, the ReHo/fALFF and SSRT were correlated with and without partialling-out the effect of age. The results of this study showed that, although aging may alter brain networks, the spontaneous activity of the age-related brain networks can still serve as an effective indicator of individual differences in association with inhibitory performance in healthy middle-aged and elderly people. This is the first study to use both ReHo and fALFF on the same dataset for conjunction analyses showing the relationship between stopping performance and RS-fMRI in the elderly population. The relationship may have practical clinical applications. Based on the overall results, the current study demonstrated that the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and parts of the default mode network activation were negatively correlated with SSRT, suggesting that they have crucial roles in inhibitory function. However, the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and SMA played only a small role during the resting state in association with stopping performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-Hao Lee
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan
| | - Shulan Hsieh
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan.,Institue of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan.,Department and Institute of Public Health, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Madill M, Murray JE. Processing Distracting Non-face Emotional Images: No Evidence of an Age-Related Positivity Effect. Front Psychol 2017; 8:591. [PMID: 28450848 PMCID: PMC5389978 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive aging may be accompanied by increased prioritization of social and emotional goals that enhance positive experiences and emotional states. The socioemotional selectivity theory suggests this may be achieved by giving preference to positive information and avoiding or suppressing negative information. Although there is some evidence of a positivity bias in controlled attention tasks, it remains unclear whether a positivity bias extends to the processing of affective stimuli presented outside focused attention. In two experiments, we investigated age-related differences in the effects of to-be-ignored non-face affective images on target processing. In Experiment 1, 27 older (64-90 years) and 25 young adults (19-29 years) made speeded valence judgments about centrally presented positive or negative target images taken from the International Affective Picture System. To-be-ignored distractor images were presented above and below the target image and were either positive, negative, or neutral in valence. The distractors were considered task relevant because they shared emotional characteristics with the target stimuli. Both older and young adults responded slower to targets when distractor valence was incongruent with target valence relative to when distractors were neutral. Older adults responded faster to positive than to negative targets but did not show increased interference effects from positive distractors. In Experiment 2, affective distractors were task irrelevant as the target was a three-digit array and did not share emotional characteristics with the distractors. Twenty-six older (63-84 years) and 30 young adults (18-30 years) gave speeded responses on a digit disparity task while ignoring the affective distractors positioned in the periphery. Task performance in either age group was not influenced by the task-irrelevant affective images. In keeping with the socioemotional selectivity theory, these findings suggest that older adults preferentially process task-relevant positive non-face images but only when presented within the main focus of attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Madill
- Department of Psychology, University of OtagoDunedin, New Zealand
| | - Janice E Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of OtagoDunedin, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Fontan A, Cignetti F, Nazarian B, Anton JL, Vaugoyeau M, Assaiante C. How does the body representation system develop in the human brain? Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 24:118-128. [PMID: 28314184 PMCID: PMC6987789 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Exploration of the body representation system (BRS) from kinaesthetic illusions in fMRI has revealed a complex network composed of sensorimotor and frontoparietal components. Here, we evaluated the degree of maturity of this network in children aged 7-11 years, and the extent to which structural factors account for network differences with adults. Brain activation following tendon vibration at 100Hz ('illusion') and 30Hz ('no illusion') were analysed using the two-stage random effects model, with or without white and grey matter covariates. The BRS was already well established in children as revealed by the contrast 'illusion' vs 'no illusion', although still immature in some aspects. This included a lower level of activation in primary somatosensory and posterior parietal regions, and the exclusive activation of the frontopolar cortex (FPC) in children compared to adults. The former differences were related to structure, while the latter difference reflected a functional strategy where the FPC may serve as the 'top' in top-down modulation of the activity of the other BRS regions to facilitate the establishment of body representations. Hence, the development of the BRS not only relies on structural maturation, but also involves the disengagement of an executive region not classically involved in body processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurelie Fontan
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Fédération 3C, Marseille, France
| | - Fabien Cignetti
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Fédération 3C, Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Nazarian
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INT UMR 7289, Centre IRM, France
| | - Jean-Luc Anton
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INT UMR 7289, Centre IRM, France
| | - Marianne Vaugoyeau
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Fédération 3C, Marseille, France
| | - Christine Assaiante
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Fédération 3C, Marseille, France.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Lu M, Doñamayor N, Münte TF, Bahlmann J. Event-related potentials and neural oscillations dissociate levels of cognitive control. Behav Brain Res 2017; 320:154-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
43
|
Effects of mild cognitive impairment on emotional scene memory. Neuropsychologia 2017; 96:240-248. [PMID: 28089697 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Young and older adults experience benefits in attention and memory for emotional compared to neutral information, but this memory benefit is greatly diminished in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Little is known about whether this impairment arises early or late in the time course between healthy aging and AD. This study compared memory for positive, negative, and neutral items with neutral backgrounds between patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy older adults. We also used a divided attention condition in older adults as a possible model for the deficits observed in MCI patients. Results showed a similar pattern of selective memory for emotional items while forgetting their backgrounds in older adults and MCI patients, but MCI patients had poorer memory overall. Dividing attention during encoding disproportionately reduced memory for backgrounds (versus items) relative to a full attention condition. Participants performing in the lower half on the divided attention task qualitatively and quantitatively mirrored the results in MCI patients. Exploratory analyses comparing lower- and higher-performing MCI patients showed that only higher-performing MCI patients had the characteristic scene memory pattern observed in healthy older adults. Together, these results suggest that the effects of emotion on memory are relatively well preserved for patients with MCI, although emotional memory patterns may start to be altered once memory deficits become more pronounced.
Collapse
|
44
|
Dagley A, LaPoint M, Huijbers W, Hedden T, McLaren DG, Chatwal JP, Papp KV, Amariglio RE, Blacker D, Rentz DM, Johnson KA, Sperling RA, Schultz AP. Harvard Aging Brain Study: Dataset and accessibility. Neuroimage 2017; 144:255-258. [PMID: 25843019 PMCID: PMC4592689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Harvard Aging Brain Study is sharing its data with the global research community. The longitudinal dataset consists of a 284-subject cohort with the following modalities acquired: demographics, clinical assessment, comprehensive neuropsychological testing, clinical biomarkers, and neuroimaging. To promote more extensive analyses, imaging data was designed to be compatible with other publicly available datasets. A cloud-based system enables access to interested researchers with blinded data available contingent upon completion of a data usage agreement and administrative approval. Data collection is ongoing and currently in its fifth year.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Dagley
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
| | - Molly LaPoint
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Willem Huijbers
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Population Health Sciences, Bonn, Germany
| | - Trey Hedden
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Harvard University, Department of Psychology, Center for Brain Science, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Donald G McLaren
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jasmeer P Chatwal
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Kathryn V Papp
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rebecca E Amariglio
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Deborah Blacker
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dorene M Rentz
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Reisa A Sperling
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aaron P Schultz
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Ziaei M, Salami A, Persson J. Age-related alterations in functional connectivity patterns during working memory encoding of emotional items. Neuropsychologia 2017; 94:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
|
46
|
Duque J, Petitjean C, Swinnen SP. Effect of Aging on Motor Inhibition during Action Preparation under Sensory Conflict. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:322. [PMID: 28082896 PMCID: PMC5186800 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor behaviors often require refraining from selecting options that may be part of the repertoire of natural response tendencies but that are in conflict with ongoing goals. The presence of sensory conflict has a behavioral cost but the latter can be attenuated in contexts where control processes are recruited because conflict is expected in advance, producing a behavioral gain compared to contexts where conflict occurs in a less predictable way. In the present study, we investigated the corticospinal correlates of these behavioral effects (both conflict-driven cost and context-related gain). To do so, we measured motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) of young and healthy older adults performing the Eriksen Flanker Task. Subjects performed button-presses according to a central arrow, flanked by irrelevant arrows pointing in the same (congruent trial) or opposite direction (incongruent trial). Conflict expectation was manipulated by changing the probability of congruent and incongruent trials in a given block. It was either high (mostly incongruent blocks, MIB, 80% incongruent trials) or low (mostly congruent blocks, MCB, 80% congruent). The MEP data indicate that the conflict-driven behavioral cost is associated with a strong increase in inappropriate motor activity regardless of the age of individuals, as revealed by larger MEPs in the non-responding muscle in incongruent than in congruent trials. However, this aberrant facilitation disappeared in both groups of subjects when conflict could be anticipated (i.e., in the MIBs) compared to when it occurred in a less predictably way (MCBs), probably allowing the behavioral gain observed in both the young and the older individuals. Hence, the ability to overcome and anticipate conflict was surprisingly preserved in the older adults. Nevertheless, some control processes are likely to evolve with age because the behavioral gain observed in the MIB context was associated with an attenuated suppression of MEPs at the time of the imperative signal (i.e., before conflict is actually detected) in older individuals, suggesting altered motor inhibition, compared to young individuals. In addition, the behavioral analysis suggests that young and older adults rely on different strategies to cope with conflict, including a change in speed-accuracy tradeoff.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Duque
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Petitjean
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Inhibiting prepotent responses in the elderly: Distraction and disinhibition. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016; 16:124-34. [PMID: 26369924 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-015-0378-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to examine whether older adults, relative to younger adults, suffer from generic inhibition, selective inhibition, and/or distraction deficits, as assessed by behavioral and electrophysiological measures in a go/no-go task paradigm that included manipulations of no-go stimulus type (irrelevant vs. conflict) and no-go probability. A total of 96 individuals were recruited; each of three experiments included 32 participants (16 adults above and 16 adults below 60 years of age). The older adults performed more poorly than the younger adults in our behavioral test; however, the event-related potential results showed that irrelevant and conflict no-go stimuli incurred different processes that were differentially impacted by aging, as was reflected in the N2 and P3. That is, the older adults' inhibition deficits might be due to different underlying mechanisms: disproportionate processing of irrelevant no-go stimuli, and disproportionate suppression of conflicting information when executing or withholding a response to conflict no-go stimuli. The present results therefore support the theories of age-related selective inhibition and distraction deficits.
Collapse
|
48
|
Brain Networks and α-Oscillations: Structural and Functional Foundations of Cognitive Control. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:805-817. [PMID: 27707588 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The most salient electrical signal measured from the human brain is the α-rhythm, neural activity oscillating at ∼100ms intervals. Recent findings challenge the longstanding dogma of α-band oscillations as the signature of a passively idling brain state but diverge in terms of interpretation. Despite firm correlations with behavior, the mechanistic role of the α-rhythm in brain function remains debated. We suggest that three large-scale brain networks involved in different facets of top-down cognitive control differentially modulate α-oscillations, ranging from power within and synchrony between brain regions. Thereby, these networks selectively influence local signal processing, widespread information exchange, and ultimately perception and behavior.
Collapse
|
49
|
Dimitriadis SI, Sun Y, Thakor NV, Bezerianos A. Causal Interactions between Frontal(θ) - Parieto-Occipital(α2) Predict Performance on a Mental Arithmetic Task. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:454. [PMID: 27683547 PMCID: PMC5022172 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the different functional contributions of spatially distinct brain areas to working memory (WM) subsystems in cognitive tasks that demand both local information processing and interregional coordination. In WM cognitive task paradigms employing electroencephalography (EEG), brain rhythms such as θ and α have been linked to specific functional roles over given brain areas, but their functional coupling has not been extensively studied. Here we analyzed an arithmetic task with five cognitive workload levels (CWLs) and demonstrated functional/effective coupling between the two WM subsystems: the central executive located over frontal (F) brain areas that oscillates on the dominant θ rhythm (Frontalθ/Fθ) and the storage buffer located over parieto-occipital (PO) brain areas that operates on the α2 dominant brain rhythm (Parieto-Occipitalα2/POα2). We focused on important differences between and within WM subsystems in relation to behavioral performance. A repertoire of brain connectivity estimators was employed to elucidate the distinct roles of amplitude, phase within and between frequencies, and the hierarchical role of functionally specialized brain areas related to the task. Specifically, for each CWL, we conducted a) a conventional signal power analysis within both frequency bands at Fθ and POα2, b) the intra- and inter-frequency phase interactions between Fθ and POα2, and c) their causal phase and amplitude relationship. We found no significant statistical difference of signal power or phase interactions between correct and wrong answers. Interestingly, the study of causal interactions between Fθ and POα2 revealed frontal brain region(s) as the leader, while the strength differentiated between correct and wrong responses in every CWL with absolute accuracy. Additionally, zero time-lag between bilateral Fθ and right POa2 could serve as an indicator of mental calculation failure. Overall, our study highlights the significant role of coordinated activity between Fθ and POα2 via their causal interactions and the timing for arithmetic performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stavros I Dimitriadis
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of MedicineCardiff, UK; Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center, School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiff, UK; Artificial Intelligence and Information Analysis Laboratory, Department of Informatics, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiThessaloniki, Greece; Neuroinformatics.Group, Department of Informatics, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiThessaloniki, Greece
| | - Yu Sun
- Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nitish V Thakor
- Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anastasios Bezerianos
- Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Gray DT, Smith AC, Burke SN, Gazzaley A, Barnes CA. Attentional updating and monitoring and affective shifting are impacted independently by aging in macaque monkeys. Behav Brain Res 2016; 322:329-338. [PMID: 27368416 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.06.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
One hallmark of the normal cognitive aging process involves alterations in executive function. Executive function can be divided into at least three separable components, including set shifting, attentional updating and monitoring, and inhibition of prepotent responses. The ability to study the neural basis of cognitive aging has been enriched by the use of animal models such as the macaque monkey. In aged macaques, changes in attentional updating and monitoring systems are poorly understood compared to changes in shifting and inhibition. A partial explanation for this is the fact that the tasks designed to study executive function in aged monkeys, to date, primarily have probed shifting and inhibition processes. Here we examine how aging impacts attentional updating and monitoring processes in monkeys using an interference task designed after a paradigm used to examine multi-tasking in older humans. Young and aged macaque monkeys were tested on this interference task as well as on an object reversal learning task to study these processes in the same animals. Relative to the young monkeys, aged animals were impaired on both tasks. Proactive and retroactive interference did not differ between age groups on an array of 40 object pairs presented each day in the object reversal learning task. The levels of performance on the interference task were not correlated with levels of performance in the object reversal task. These results suggest that attentional updating and monitoring and affective shifting are separable functions in the macaque, and that normal aging affects these mental operations independently.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T Gray
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Division of Neural System, Memory & Aging, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Anne C Smith
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Sara N Burke
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Adam Gazzaley
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Carol A Barnes
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Division of Neural System, Memory & Aging, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Department of Psychology, Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
| |
Collapse
|