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Huang Y, Zhan L, Zhong S, Sun M, Wang C, Yang C, Wu X. Sustaining attention in visuomotor timing is associated with location-based binding. Vision Res 2024; 219:108405. [PMID: 38569222 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining focus of attention over prolonged periods can be challenging, especially when the target stimulus is absent from the temporal sequence. Prior research has shown that a temporal attentional cue filling in the temporal blank can improve sustained attention: in a sustained visual attention task requiring synchronizing finger tapping with a temporally regular sequence composed of brief flash disks interleaved with blank periods, task performance was improved when a continuous fixation point that served as a temporal attentional cue was presented superimposed on the disk stimulus. To test the hypothesis that binding the temporal attentional cue with the target temporal sequence by spatial overlapping is crucial for enhancing sustained attention, the present study conducted a series of three experiments that deconstructed the bound connection between the cue and the sequence stimulus. In Experiment 1, the cue was placed above or below a flash disk. In Experiment 2, the cue was between two vertically arranged flash disks. In Experiment 3, the cue was in a flash ring. No significant effect of sustained attention improvement was found in any of the three experiments. Experiment 4 further replicated these null results and the previously observed effect of sustained attention improvement when the temporal cue was superimposed on the sequence stimulus. Our finding demonstrates that binding by spatial overlapping during the temporal blank when the sequence stimulus is absent is critical for enhancing sustained attention, which should be beneficial for improving performance across a broader range of tasks that require prolonged maintenance of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingyu Huang
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Liying Zhan
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; School of Education, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China
| | - Shengqi Zhong
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Mi Sun
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chaolun Wang
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengbin Yang
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiang Wu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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2
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Jones HM, Yoo K, Chun MM, Rosenberg MD. Edge-Based General Linear Models Capture Moment-to-Moment Fluctuations in Attention. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1543232024. [PMID: 38316565 PMCID: PMC10993033 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1543-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Although we must prioritize the processing of task-relevant information to navigate life, our ability to do so fluctuates across time. Previous work has identified fMRI functional connectivity (FC) networks that predict an individual's ability to sustain attention and vary with attentional state from 1 min to the next. However, traditional dynamic FC approaches typically lack the temporal precision to capture moment-to-moment network fluctuations. Recently, researchers have "unfurled" traditional FC matrices in "edge cofluctuation time series" which measure timepoint-by-timepoint cofluctuations between regions. Here we apply event-based and parametric fMRI analyses to edge time series to capture moment-to-moment fluctuations in networks related to attention. In two independent fMRI datasets examining young adults of both sexes in which participants performed a sustained attention task, we identified a reliable set of edges that rapidly deflects in response to rare task events. Another set of edges varies with continuous fluctuations in attention and overlaps with a previously defined set of edges associated with individual differences in sustained attention. Demonstrating that edge-based analyses are not simply redundant with traditional regions-of-interest-based approaches, up to one-third of reliably deflected edges were not predicted from univariate activity patterns alone. These results reveal the large potential in combining traditional fMRI analyses with edge time series to identify rapid reconfigurations in networks across the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry M Jones
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Kwangsun Yoo
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 06355, Korea
- Data Science Research Institute, Research Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul 06351, Korea
| | - Marvin M Chun
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Monica D Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
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3
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Hawks ZW, Beck ED, Jung L, Fonseca LM, Sliwinski MJ, Weinstock RS, Grinspoon E, Xu I, Strong RW, Singh S, Van Dongen HPA, Frumkin MR, Bulger J, Cleveland MJ, Janess K, Kudva YC, Pratley R, Rickels MR, Rizvi SR, Chaytor NS, Germine LT. Dynamic associations between glucose and ecological momentary cognition in Type 1 Diabetes. NPJ Digit Med 2024; 7:59. [PMID: 38499605 PMCID: PMC10948782 DOI: 10.1038/s41746-024-01036-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic condition characterized by glucose fluctuations. Laboratory studies suggest that cognition is reduced when glucose is very low (hypoglycemia) and very high (hyperglycemia). Until recently, technological limitations prevented researchers from understanding how naturally-occurring glucose fluctuations impact cognitive fluctuations. This study leveraged advances in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and cognitive ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to characterize dynamic, within-person associations between glucose and cognition in naturalistic environments. Using CGM and EMA, we obtained intensive longitudinal measurements of glucose and cognition (processing speed, sustained attention) in 200 adults with T1D. First, we used hierarchical Bayesian modeling to estimate dynamic, within-person associations between glucose and cognition. Consistent with laboratory studies, we hypothesized that cognitive performance would be reduced at low and high glucose, reflecting cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations. Second, we used data-driven lasso regression to identify clinical characteristics that predicted individual differences in cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations. Large glucose fluctuations were associated with slower and less accurate processing speed, although slight glucose elevations (relative to person-level means) were associated with faster processing speed. Glucose fluctuations were not related to sustained attention. Seven clinical characteristics predicted individual differences in cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations: age, time in hypoglycemia, lifetime severe hypoglycemic events, microvascular complications, glucose variability, fatigue, and neck circumference. Results establish the impact of glucose on processing speed in naturalistic environments, suggest that minimizing glucose fluctuations is important for optimizing processing speed, and identify several clinical characteristics that may exacerbate cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z W Hawks
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - E D Beck
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - L Jung
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - L M Fonseca
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
- Programa Terceira Idade (PROTER, Old Age Research Group), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M J Sliwinski
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Center for Healthy Aging, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | | | - E Grinspoon
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - I Xu
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - R W Strong
- The Many Brains Project, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - S Singh
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - H P A Van Dongen
- Sleep and Performance Research Center & Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - M R Frumkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Bulger
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - M J Cleveland
- Department of Human Development, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - K Janess
- Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Y C Kudva
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - R Pratley
- AdventHealth Translational Research Institute, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - M R Rickels
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S R Rizvi
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - N S Chaytor
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - L T Germine
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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4
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Wooten T, Esterman M, Brunyé TT, Taylor HA, Ward N. The relationship between sustained attention and parasympathetic functioning. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 197:112298. [PMID: 38199297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Sustained attention (SA) is an important cognitive ability that plays a crucial role in successful cognitive control. Resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) has emerged as an informative index of parasympathetic nervous system activity and a sensitive correlate of individual differences in cognitive control. However, it is unclear how resting vmHRV is associated with individual differences in sustained attention. The primary aim of the current study was to assess if resting vmHRV was associated with individual differences in performance on a neuropsychological assessment of sustained attention. We further aimed to characterize the relationship between resting vmHRV and dispositional factors related to sustained attention, specifically attentional errors in daily life, self-regulation, mindfulness and media-multitasking. Based on previous work, we hypothesized higher resting vmHRV would be associated with better sustained attention across task-based and self-report measures. We did not find resting vmHRV to be significantly associated with performance measures on a task-based assessment of sustained attention. Further, resting vmHRV was not significantly associated with attention errors, self-regulation, mindfulness, or media-multitasking. This work stands to expand the current understanding between parasympathetic functioning, cognition, and behavior, investigating the unexplored domain of sustained attention and related dispositional factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wooten
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
| | - Michael Esterman
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tad T Brunyé
- Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA; U.S. Army DEVCOM, Natick, MA, USA
| | - Holly A Taylor
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA; Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Nathan Ward
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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Seeburger DT, Xu N, Ma M, Larson S, Godwin C, Keilholz SD, Schumacher EH. Time-varying functional connectivity predicts fluctuations in sustained attention in a serial tapping task. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2024; 24:111-125. [PMID: 38253775 PMCID: PMC10979291 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01156-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The mechanisms for how large-scale brain networks contribute to sustained attention are unknown. Attention fluctuates from moment to moment, and this continuous change is consistent with dynamic changes in functional connectivity between brain networks involved in the internal and external allocation of attention. In this study, we investigated how brain network activity varied across different levels of attentional focus (i.e., "zones"). Participants performed a finger-tapping task, and guided by previous research, in-the-zone performance or state was identified by low reaction time variability and out-of-the-zone as the inverse. In-the-zone sessions tended to occur earlier in the session than out-of-the-zone blocks. This is unsurprising given the way attention fluctuates over time. Employing a novel method of time-varying functional connectivity, called the quasi-periodic pattern analysis (i.e., reliable, network-level low-frequency fluctuations), we found that the activity between the default mode network (DMN) and task positive network (TPN) is significantly more anti-correlated during in-the-zone states versus out-of-the-zone states. Furthermore, it is the frontoparietal control network (FPCN) switch that differentiates the two zone states. Activity in the dorsal attention network (DAN) and DMN were desynchronized across both zone states. During out-of-the-zone periods, FPCN synchronized with DMN, while during in-the-zone periods, FPCN switched to synchronized with DAN. In contrast, the ventral attention network (VAN) synchronized more closely with DMN during in-the-zone periods compared with out-of-the-zone periods. These findings demonstrate that time-varying functional connectivity of low frequency fluctuations across different brain networks varies with fluctuations in sustained attention or other processes that change over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolly T Seeburger
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Nan Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marcus Ma
- College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sam Larson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christine Godwin
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shella D Keilholz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric H Schumacher
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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6
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Yang S, Dong H, Albitos PJ, Wang Y, Fang Y, Cao L, Wang J, Sun L, Zhang H. Low-frequency variability in theta activity modulates the attention-fluctuation across task and resting states. Neuropsychologia 2024; 193:108757. [PMID: 38103680 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Sustained attention is not constant but fluctuates influencing our task performance. Albeit intensive investigations, it remains unclear whether the attention-fluctuation during tasks is derived from its spontaneous fluctuation in the resting state. Here, we addressed this issue by investigating the attention-fluctuation in both task and resting states, through the EEG measurement of theta-variability. We found significant rest-task modulation of theta-variability, i.e., reduced theta-variability in the task state compared to the resting state. This task and rest modulation was manifested in the low-frequency of theta-variability (<0.1 Hz). Furthermore, the low-frequency theta-variability exhibited a significant rest-task correlation, however, only the low-frequency theta-variability in the task state but not in the resting state was correlated with the behavioral performance. These findings shed light on the low-frequency feature of attention-fluctuation, and advanced our understanding of sustained attention by suggesting that the theta-variability in low-frequencies was relevant to attention level in task state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyou Yang
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Huimei Dong
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Princess Jane Albitos
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yaoyao Wang
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yantong Fang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Longfei Cao
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinghua Wang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Neurology the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Hang Zhang
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairment, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Welhaf MS, Wilks H, Aschenbrenner AJ, Balota DA, Schindler SE, Benzinger TLS, Gordon BA, Cruchaga C, Xiong C, Morris JC, Hassenstab J. Naturalistic assessment of reaction time variability in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38282413 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617723011475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Maintaining attention underlies many aspects of cognition and becomes compromised early in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). The consistency of maintaining attention can be measured with reaction time (RT) variability. Previous work has focused on measuring such fluctuations during in-clinic testing, but recent developments in remote, smartphone-based cognitive assessments can allow one to test if these fluctuations in attention are evident in naturalistic settings and if they are sensitive to traditional clinical and cognitive markers of AD. METHOD Three hundred and seventy older adults (aged 75.8 +/- 5.8 years) completed a week of remote daily testing on the Ambulatory Research in Cognition (ARC) smartphone platform and also completed clinical, genetic, and conventional in-clinic cognitive assessments. RT variability was assessed in a brief (20-40 seconds) processing speed task using two different measures of variability, the Coefficient of Variation (CoV) and the Root Mean Squared Successive Difference (RMSSD) of RTs on correct trials. RESULTS Symptomatic participants showed greater variability compared to cognitively normal participants. When restricted to cognitively normal participants, APOE ε4 carriers exhibited greater variability than noncarriers. Both CoV and RMSSD showed significant, and similar, correlations with several in-clinic cognitive composites. Finally, both RT variability measures significantly mediated the relationship between APOE ε4 status and several in-clinic cognition composites. CONCLUSIONS Attentional fluctuations over 20-40 seconds assessed in daily life, are sensitive to clinical status and genetic risk for AD. RT variability appears to be an important predictor of cognitive deficits during the preclinical disease stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Welhaf
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hannah Wilks
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrew J Aschenbrenner
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David A Balota
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Suzanne E Schindler
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tammie L S Benzinger
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Brian A Gordon
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chengjie Xiong
- Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - John C Morris
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jason Hassenstab
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neurology. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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8
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Zhang R, Wang Z. Aggressive behaviors predict greater intraindividual reaction time variability in children: Evidence from cross-lagged panel models. Aggress Behav 2024; 50:e22110. [PMID: 37624086 DOI: 10.1002/ab.22110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in attentional control or inhibitory control are distinct features of childhood aggressive behaviors. Lower attentional control or inhibitory control is considered to predict more aggressive behaviors, while few studies have documented the possible predictive effects of aggressive behaviors on attentional control or inhibitory control. The present study examined the bidirectional relations between aggressive behaviors and both inhibitory control and attentional control in 169 Chinese primary school children (75 girls, Mage = 7.15, SDage = 0.33), annually for 3 years starting at age 7. The No-go accuracy on a Go/No-go task was used as the index of inhibitory control, and the intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV) of correct Go trials indicated attentional control. The aggressive behaviors subscale of the child behavior checklist-Chinese version was used to assess the children's aggressive behaviors. The results demonstrated a significant and stable predictive effect of previous aggressive behaviors on subsequent attentional control, with more aggressive behaviors predicting greater IIRTV at both the between-child and within-child levels. No significant effects of inhibitory control or attentional control on aggressive behaviors or sex-specific patterns were found. The findings suggest the negative impact of childhood aggressive behaviors on attentional control and underscore the importance of early prevention and intervention for childhood aggressive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runzhu Zhang
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhenhong Wang
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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9
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Decker AL, Duncan K, Finn AS. Fluctuations in Sustained Attention Explain Moment-to-Moment Shifts in Children's Memory Formation. Psychol Sci 2023; 34:1377-1389. [PMID: 37930955 DOI: 10.1177/09567976231206767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Why do children's memories often differ from adults' after the same experience? Whereas prior work has focused on children's immature memory mechanisms to answer this question, here we focus on the costs of attentional lapses for learning. We track sustained attention and memory formation across time in 7- to 10-year-old children and adults (n = 120) to show that sustained attention causally shapes the fate of children's individual memories. Moreover, children's attention lapsed twice as frequently as adults', and attention fluctuated with memory formation more closely in children than adults. In addition, although attentional lapses impaired memory for expected events in both children and adults, they impaired memory for unexpected events in children only. Our work reveals that sustained attention is an important cognitive factor that controls access to children's long-term memory stores. Our work also raises the possibility that developmental differences in cognitive performance stem from developmental shifts in the ability to sustain attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L Decker
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| | | | - Amy S Finn
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
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10
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Breault MS, Sacré P, Fitzgerald ZB, Gale JT, Cullen KE, González-Martínez JA, Sarma SV. Internal states as a source of subject-dependent movement variability are represented by large-scale brain networks. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7837. [PMID: 38030611 PMCID: PMC10687170 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43257-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans' ability to adapt and learn relies on reflecting on past performance. These experiences form latent representations called internal states that induce movement variability that improves how we interact with our environment. Our study uncovered temporal dynamics and neural substrates of two states from ten subjects implanted with intracranial depth electrodes while they performed a goal-directed motor task with physical perturbations. We identified two internal states using state-space models: one tracking past errors and the other past perturbations. These states influenced reaction times and speed errors, revealing how subjects strategize from trial history. Using local field potentials from over 100 brain regions, we found large-scale brain networks such as the dorsal attention and default mode network modulate visuospatial attention based on recent performance and environmental feedback. Notably, these networks were more prominent in higher-performing subjects, emphasizing their role in improving motor performance by regulating movement variability through internal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macauley Smith Breault
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Pierre Sacré
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, School of Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Zachary B Fitzgerald
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Kathleen E Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Sridevi V Sarma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Zhang Z, Rosenberg MD. Assessing the impact of attention fluctuations on statistical learning. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023:10.3758/s13414-023-02805-2. [PMID: 37985597 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02805-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Attention fluctuates between optimal and suboptimal states. However, whether these fluctuations affect how we learn visual regularities remains untested. Using web-based real-time triggering, we investigated the impact of sustained attentional state on statistical learning using online and offline measures of learning. In three experiments (N = 450), participants performed a continuous performance task (CPT) with shape stimuli. Unbeknownst to participants, we measured response times (RTs) preceding each trial in real time and inserted distinct shape triplets in the trial stream when RTs indicated that a participant was attentive or inattentive. We measured online statistical learning using changes in RTs to regular triplets relative to random triplets encountered in the same attentional states. We measured offline statistical learning with a target detection task in which participants responded to target shapes selected from the regular triplets and with tasks in which participants explicitly re-created the regular triplets or selected regular shapes from foils. Online learning evidence was greater in high vs. low attentional states when combining data from all three experiments, although this was not evident in any experiment alone. On the other hand, we saw no evidence of impacts of attention fluctuations on measures of statistical learning collected offline, after initial exposure in the CPT. These results suggest that attention fluctuations may impact statistical learning while regularities are being extracted online, but that these effects do not persist to subsequent tests of learning about regularities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, 5848 S University Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Monica D Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, 5848 S University Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, 5812 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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12
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DeGutis J, Aul C, Barthelemy OJ, Davis BL, Alshuaib S, Marin A, Kinger SB, Ellis TD, Cronin-Golomb A. Side of motor symptom onset predicts sustained attention deficits and motor improvements after attention training in Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychologia 2023; 190:108698. [PMID: 37806442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parkinson's disease (PD) side of motor symptom onset has been associated with distinct cognitive deficits; individuals with left-side onset (LPD) show more visuospatial impairments, whereas those with right-side onset (RPD) show more verbal impairments. Non-spatial attention is a critical cognitive ability associated with motor functioning that is right hemisphere lateralized but has not been characterized with regard to PD side of onset. We compared individuals with LPD and RPD on non-spatial attention tasks and examined differential responses to a 4-week sustained attention training program. METHOD Participants included 9 with LPD and 12 with RPD, who performed both brief and extended go/no-go continuous performance tasks and an attentional blink task. Participants also engaged in an at-home sustained attention training program, Tonic and Phasic Alertness Training (TAPAT), 5 days/week for 4 weeks. We assessed cognitive and motor symptoms before and after training, and after a 4-week no-contact period. RESULTS At baseline, participants with LPD exhibited worse performance than those with RPD on the extended continuous performance task, indicating specific deficits in sustaining attention. Poorer attention was associated with worse clinical motor scores. Notably, side of onset had a significant effect on clinical motor changes after sustained attention training, with only LPD participants improving after training, and 4/9 showing clinically meaningful improvements. CONCLUSIONS Compared to RPD, participants with LPD had poorer sustained attention pre-training and were more likely to improve on clinical motor functioning after sustained attention training. These findings support mechanistic differences between LPD and RPD and suggest potential differential treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph DeGutis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Courtney Aul
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olivier J Barthelemy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Breanna L Davis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shaikhah Alshuaib
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna Marin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shraddha B Kinger
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Terry D Ellis
- Department of Physical Therapy, Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alice Cronin-Golomb
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Duong A, Quabs J, Kucyi A, Lusk Z, Buch V, Caspers S, Parvizi J. Subjective states induced by intracranial electrical stimulation matches the cytoarchitectonic organization of the human insula. Brain Stimul 2023; 16:1653-1665. [PMID: 37949296 PMCID: PMC10893903 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Functions of the human insula have been explored extensively with neuroimaging methods and intracranial electrical stimulation studies that have highlighted a functional segregation across its subregions. A recently developed cytoarchitectonic map of the human insula has also segregated this brain region into various areas. Our knowledge of the functional organization of this brain region at the level of these fine-parceled microstructural areas remains only partially understood. We address this gap of knowledge by applying a multimodal approach linking direct electrical stimulation and task-evoked intracranial EEG recordings with microstructural subdivisions of the human insular cortex. In 17 neurosurgical patients with 142 implanted electrodes, stimulation of 40 % of the sites induced a reportable change in the conscious experience of the subjects in visceral/autonomic, anxiety, taste/olfactory, pain/temperature as well as somatosensory domains. These subjective responses showed a topographical allocation to microstructural areas defined by probabilistic cytoarchitectonic parcellation maps of the human insula. We found the pain and thermal responses to be located in areas lg2/ld2, while non-painful/non-thermal somatosensory responses corresponded to area ld3 and visceroceptive responses to area Id6. Lastly, the stimulation of area Id7 in the dorsal anterior insula, failed to induce reportable changes to subjective experience even though intracranial EEG recordings from this region captured significant time-locked high-frequency activity (HFA). Our results provide a multimodal map of functional subdivisions within the human insular cortex at the individual brain basis and characterize their anatomical association with fine-grained cytoarchitectonic parcellations of this brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Duong
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Julian Quabs
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Aaron Kucyi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zoe Lusk
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Vivek Buch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Josef Parvizi
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
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14
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Gyles SP, McCarley JS, Yamani Y. Psychometric curves reveal changes in bias, lapse rate, and guess rate in an online vigilance task. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023; 85:2879-2893. [PMID: 37115493 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02652-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
When human monitors are required to detect infrequent signals among noise, they typically exhibit a decline in correct detections over time. Researchers have attributed this vigilance decrement to three alternative mechanisms: shifts in response bias, losses of sensitivity, and attentional lapses. The current study examined the extent to which changes in these mechanisms contributed to the vigilance decrement in an online monitoring task. Participants in two experiments (N = 102, N = 192) completed an online signal detection task, judging whether the separation between two probes each trial exceeded a criterion value. Separation was varied across trials and data were fit with logistic psychometric curves using Bayesian hierarchical parameter estimation. Parameters representing sensitivity, response bias, attentional lapse rate, and guess rate were compared across the first and last 4 minutes of the vigil. Data gave decisive evidence of conservative bias shifts, an increased attentional lapse rate, and a decreased positive guess rate over time on task, but no strong evidence for or against an effect of sensitivity. Sensitivity decrements appear less robust than criterion shifts or attention lapses as causes of the vigilance loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon P Gyles
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, 2950 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Jason S McCarley
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, 2950 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Yusuke Yamani
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
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15
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Strayer DL, Robison MK, Unsworth N. Effects of goal-setting on sustained attention and attention lapses. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023:10.3758/s13414-023-02803-4. [PMID: 37872435 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02803-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
In three experiments, we examined the effects of goal-setting on sustained attention and attention lapses. We measured both behavioral task performance and subjective attentional states during a four -choice reaction time task (Experiments 1 and 2 administered online; Experiment 3 conducted in-person). Experiment 1 compared a vague goal versus a specific goal. The specific goal reduced lapses in the form of long response times (RTs) but did not impact task-unrelated thoughts. Experiment 2 expanded on E1 by making the specific goal progressively harder. Behavioral lapses (i.e., long RTs) were reduced in the harder-over-time goal condition compared to the control condition. Additionally, while RTs increased with time-on-task in the control condition, RTs in the harder-over-time goal condition remained stable with time-on-task. Experiment 3 aimed to replicate the results of E2 in-person and adjusted the difficulty of the harder-over-time goals to be slightly harder. The results largely replicated E2. Overall, setting specific and difficult task goals led to a reduction in lapses of attention and increased sustained attention performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna L Strayer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
| | - Matthew K Robison
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Nash Unsworth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
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16
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Kondo HM, Terashima H, Kihara K, Kochiyama T, Shimada Y, Kawahara JI. Prefrontal GABA and glutamate-glutamine levels affect sustained attention. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10441-10452. [PMID: 37562851 PMCID: PMC10545440 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention levels fluctuate during the course of daily activities. However, factors underlying sustained attention are still unknown. We investigated mechanisms of sustained attention using psychological, neuroimaging, and neurochemical approaches. Participants were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing gradual-onset, continuous performance tasks (gradCPTs). In gradCPTs, narrations or visual scenes gradually changed from one to the next. Participants pressed a button for frequent Go trials as quickly as possible and withheld responses to infrequent No-go trials. Performance was better for the visual gradCPT than for the auditory gradCPT, but the 2 were correlated. The dorsal attention network was activated during intermittent responses, regardless of sensory modality. Reaction-time variability of gradCPTs was correlated with signal changes (SCs) in the left fronto-parietal regions. We also used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure levels of glutamate-glutamine (Glx) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the left prefrontal cortex (PFC). Glx levels were associated with performance under undemanding situations, whereas GABA levels were related to performance under demanding situations. Combined fMRI-MRS results demonstrated that SCs of the left PFC were positively correlated with neurometabolite levels. These findings suggest that a neural balance between excitation and inhibition is involved in attentional fluctuations and brain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohito M Kondo
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Chukyo University, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8666, Japan
| | - Hiroki Terashima
- Human Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
| | - Ken Kihara
- Department of Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Takanori Kochiyama
- Brain Activity Imaging Center, ATR-Promotions, Seika-cho, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Shimada
- Brain Activity Imaging Center, ATR-Promotions, Seika-cho, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
| | - Jun I Kawahara
- Department of Psychology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
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17
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Smith DD, Meca A, Bottenhorn KL, Bartley JE, Riedel MC, Salo T, Peraza JA, Laird RW, Pruden SM, Sutherland MT, Brewe E, Laird AR. Task-based attentional and default mode connectivity associated with science and math anxiety profiles among university physics students. Trends Neurosci Educ 2023; 32:100204. [PMID: 37689430 PMCID: PMC10501206 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2023.100204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Attentional control theory (ACT) posits that elevated anxiety increases the probability of re-allocating cognitive resources needed to complete a task to processing anxiety-related stimuli. This process impairs processing efficiency and can lead to reduced performance effectiveness. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students frequently experience anxiety about their coursework, which can interfere with learning and performance and negatively impact student retention and graduation rates. The objective of this study was to extend the ACT framework to investigate the neurobiological associations between science and math anxiety and cognitive performance among 123 physics undergraduate students. PROCEDURES Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four profiles of science and math anxiety among STEM students, including two profiles that represented the majority of the sample (Low Science and Math Anxiety; 59.3% and High Math Anxiety; 21.9%) and two additional profiles that were not well represented (High Science and Math Anxiety; 6.5% and High Science Anxiety; 4.1%). Students underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session in which they performed two tasks involving physics cognition: the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) task and the Physics Knowledge (PK) task. FINDINGS No significant differences were observed in FCI or PK task performance between High Math Anxiety and Low Science and Math Anxiety students. During the three phases of the FCI task, we found no significant brain connectivity differences during scenario and question presentation, yet we observed significant differences during answer selection within and between the dorsal attention network (DAN), ventral attention network (VAN), and default mode network (DMN). Further, we found significant group differences during the PK task were limited to the DAN, including DAN-VAN and within-DAN connectivity. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the different cognitive processes required for physics conceptual reasoning compared to physics knowledge retrieval, provide new insight into the underlying brain dynamics associated with anxiety and physics cognition, and confirm the relevance of ACT theory for science and math anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donisha D Smith
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America.
| | - Alan Meca
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, United States of America
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Jessica E Bartley
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Michael C Riedel
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Taylor Salo
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Julio A Peraza
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Robert W Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Shannon M Pruden
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Matthew T Sutherland
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Eric Brewe
- Department of Physics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Angela R Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
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18
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DeGutis J, Agnoli S, Bernstein JPK, Jagger-Rickels A, Evans TC, Fortier CB, McGlinchey RE, Milberg WP, Esterman M. Poorer Inhibitory Control Uniquely Contributes to Greater Functional Disability in Post-9/11 Veterans. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2023; 38:944-961. [PMID: 36781401 PMCID: PMC10456219 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Post-9/11 Veterans endorse greater self-reported functional disability than 80% of the adult population. Previous studies of trauma-exposed populations have shown that increased post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms are consistently associated with greater disability. Additionally, poorer cognitive performance in the domain of executive functions, particularly inhibitory control, has been associated with disability, though it is unclear if this effect is independent of and/or interacts with PTSD and depression. METHOD Three overlapping samples of n = 582, 297, and 183 combat-deployed post-9/11 Veterans completed comprehensive assessments of executive functions, PTSD and depressive symptoms, and self-reported World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-II (WHODAS II). RESULTS Poorer performance on measures of inhibitory control (Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System Color-Word Interference-CWI Test and gradual-onset Continuous Performance Test-gradCPT), but not other executive functions, were significantly associated with greater disability on the WHODAS II (ρ's = -.13 and -.13, p = .002 and .026, respectively). CWI inhibitory control measures accounted for unique variance in disability after controlling for PTSD and depressive symptoms (R2 change = 0.02, p < .001). Further, CWI significantly moderated the effect of depressive symptoms on disability, such that better inhibitory control weakened the relationship between depression and disability. CONCLUSIONS Inhibitory control deficits are uniquely associated with increased disability in combat-deployed post-9/11 Veterans, and better inhibitory control abilities may serve as a protective factor for depressive symptoms leading to increased disability. KEY POINTS
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph DeGutis
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Attention and Learning (BAL) Lab, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sam Agnoli
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Attention and Learning (BAL) Lab, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John P K Bernstein
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Audreyana Jagger-Rickels
- Boston Attention and Learning (BAL) Lab, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Travis C Evans
- Boston Attention and Learning (BAL) Lab, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine B Fortier
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Regina E McGlinchey
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William P Milberg
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Esterman
- Boston Attention and Learning (BAL) Lab, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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Aul C, Brau JM, Sugarman A, DeGutis JM, Germine LT, Esterman M, McGlinchey RE, Fortenbaugh FC. The functional relevance of visuospatial processing speed across the lifespan. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2023; 8:51. [PMID: 37542181 PMCID: PMC10403489 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00504-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Visuospatial processing speed underlies several cognitive functions critical for successful completion of everyday tasks, including driving and walking. While it is widely accepted that visuospatial processing speed peaks in early adulthood, performance across the lifespan remains incompletely characterized. Additionally, there remains a lack of paradigms available to assess visuospatial processing speed in unsupervised web-based testing environments. To address these gaps, we developed a novel visuospatial processing speed (VIPS) task adapted from two tests sensitive to visuospatial processing speed declines in older adults, the Useful Field of View paradigm and the PERformance CEntered Portable Test. The VIPS task requires participants to make a central orientation discrimination and complete a simultaneous peripheral visual search task. Data were collected from 86 in-lab volunteers (18-30 years) to compare performance to traditional neuropsychological measures. Consistent with previous literature, performance on the novel VIPS task significantly correlated with measures of selective attention, executive functioning, visual speed, and working memory. An additional 4395 volunteers (12-62 years) were recruited on TestMyBrain.org to establish lifespan trajectories of visuospatial processing speed and associations with functional disability. VIPS task performance peaked in the early 20's, and steadily decreased such that thresholds doubled in 60-year-olds relative to 20-year-olds (817 ms vs. 412 ms). VIPS task performance significantly correlated with self-reported cognitive functioning deficits broadly across the lifespan but was specifically related to mobility issues in middle-age. These findings have important implications for early detection of cognitive decline and provide insights into potential early intervention targets for younger and middle-aged adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Aul
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia M Brau
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Sugarman
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph M DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura T Germine
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Michael Esterman
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Regina E McGlinchey
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesca C Fortenbaugh
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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20
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Hawks ZW, Strong R, Jung L, Beck ED, Passell EJ, Grinspoon E, Singh S, Frumkin MR, Sliwinski M, Germine LT. Accurate Prediction of Momentary Cognition From Intensive Longitudinal Data. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2023; 8:841-851. [PMID: 36922302 PMCID: PMC10264553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in cognitive performance are implicated in the development and maintenance of psychopathology. Emerging evidence further suggests that within-person fluctuations in cognitive performance may represent sensitive early markers of neuropsychiatric decline. Incorporating routine cognitive assessments into standard clinical care-to identify between-person differences and monitor within-person fluctuations-has the potential to improve diagnostic screening and treatment planning. In support of these goals, it is critical to understand to what extent cognitive performance varies under routine, remote assessment conditions (i.e., momentary cognition) in relation to a wide range of possible predictors. METHODS Using data-driven, high-dimensional methods, we ranked strong predictors of momentary cognition and evaluated out-of-sample predictive accuracy. Our approach leveraged innovations in digital technology, including ambulatory assessment of cognition and behavior 1) at scale (n = 122 participants, n = 94 females), 2) in naturalistic environments, and 3) within an intensive longitudinal study design (mean = 25.5 assessments/participant). RESULTS Reaction time (R2 > 0.70) and accuracy (0.56 >R2 > 0.35) were strongly predicted by age, between-person differences in mean performance, and time of day. Effects of self-reported, intraindividual fluctuations in environmental (e.g., noise) and internal (e.g., stress) states were also observed. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide robust estimates of effect size to characterize sources of cognitive variability, to support the identification of optimal windows for psychosocial interventions, and to possibly inform clinical evaluation under remote neuropsychological assessment conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë W Hawks
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | - Roger Strong
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Laneé Jung
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Emorie D Beck
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Eliza J Passell
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth Grinspoon
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Shifali Singh
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Madelyn R Frumkin
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Martin Sliwinski
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Laura T Germine
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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21
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Jones HM, Yoo K, Chun MM, Rosenberg MD. Edge-based general linear models capture high-frequency fluctuations in attention. bioRxiv 2023:2023.07.06.547966. [PMID: 37503244 PMCID: PMC10369861 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.06.547966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Although we must prioritize the processing of task-relevant information to navigate life, our ability to do so fluctuates across time. Previous work has identified fMRI functional connectivity (FC) networks that predict an individual's ability to sustain attention and vary with attentional state from one minute to the next. However, traditional dynamic FC approaches typically lack the temporal precision to capture moment-by-moment network fluctuations. Recently, researchers have 'unfurled' traditional FC matrices in 'edge cofluctuation time series' which measure time point-by-time point cofluctuations between regions. Here we apply event-based and parametric fMRI analyses to edge time series to capture high-frequency fluctuations in networks related to attention. In two independent fMRI datasets in which participants performed a sustained attention task, we identified a reliable set of edges that rapidly deflects in response to rare task events. Another set of edges varies with continuous fluctuations in attention and overlaps with a previously defined set of edges associated with individual differences in sustained attention. Demonstrating that edge-based analyses are not simply redundant with traditional regions-of-interest based approaches, up to one-third of reliably deflected edges were not predicted from univariate activity patterns alone. These results reveal the large potential in combining traditional fMRI analyses with edge time series to identify rapid reconfigurations in networks across the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marvin M Chun
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
| | - Monica D Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago
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22
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Simon AJ, Gallen CL, Ziegler DA, Mishra J, Marco EJ, Anguera JA, Gazzaley A. Quantifying attention span across the lifespan. Front Cognit 2023; 2:1207428. [PMID: 37920687 PMCID: PMC10621754 DOI: 10.3389/fcogn.2023.1207428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Studies examining sustained attention abilities typically utilize metrics that quantify performance on vigilance tasks, such as response time and response time variability. However, approaches that assess the duration that an individual can maintain their attention over time are lacking. Methods Here we developed an objective attention span metric that quantified the maximum amount of time that a participant continuously maintained an optimal "in the zone" sustained attention state while performing a continuous performance task. Results In a population of 262 individuals aged 7-85, we showed that attention span was longer in young adults than in children and older adults. Furthermore, declines in attention span over time during task engagement were related to clinical symptoms of inattention in children. Discussion These results suggest that quantifying attention span is a unique and meaningful method of assessing sustained attention across the lifespan and in populations with inattention symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Simon
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences & Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Courtney L. Gallen
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences & Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - David A. Ziegler
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences & Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jyoti Mishra
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Elysa J. Marco
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Medicine, Cortica Healthcare, San Rafael, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joaquin A. Anguera
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences & Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adam Gazzaley
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences & Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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23
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Di Muccio F, Simonet M, Brandner C, Ruggeri P, Barral J. Cardiorespiratory fitness modulates prestimulus EEG microstates during a sustained attention task. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1188695. [PMID: 37397452 PMCID: PMC10308046 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1188695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with an increased ability to perform sustained attention tasks and detect rare and unpredictable signals over prolonged periods. The electrocortical dynamics underlying this relationship were mainly investigated after visual stimulus onset in sustained attention tasks. Prestimulus electrocortical activity supporting differences in sustained attention performance according to the level of cardiorespiratory fitness have yet to be examined. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate EEG microstates 2 seconds before the stimulus onset in 65 healthy individuals aged 18-37, differing in cardiorespiratory fitness, while performing a psychomotor vigilance task. The analyses showed that a lower duration of the microstate A and a higher occurrence of the microstate D correlated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness in the prestimulus periods. In addition, increased global field power and occurrence of microstate A were associated with slower response times in the psychomotor vigilance task, while greater global explained variance, coverage, and occurrence of microstate D were linked to faster response times. Our collective findings showed that individuals with higher cardiorespiratory fitness exhibit typical electrocortical dynamics that allow them to allocate their attentional resources more efficiently when engaged in sustained attention tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Muccio
- Brain Electrophysiology Attention Movement Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie Simonet
- Brain Electrophysiology Attention Movement Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Brandner
- Brain Electrophysiology Attention Movement Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Ruggeri
- Brain Electrophysiology Attention Movement Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Barral
- Brain Electrophysiology Attention Movement Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Huang H, Li R, Zhang J. A review of visual sustained attention: neural mechanisms and computational models. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15351. [PMID: 37334118 PMCID: PMC10274610 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustained attention is one of the basic abilities of humans to maintain concentration on relevant information while ignoring irrelevant information over extended periods. The purpose of the review is to provide insight into how to integrate neural mechanisms of sustained attention with computational models to facilitate research and application. Although many studies have assessed attention, the evaluation of humans' sustained attention is not sufficiently comprehensive. Hence, this study provides a current review on both neural mechanisms and computational models of visual sustained attention. We first review models, measurements, and neural mechanisms of sustained attention and propose plausible neural pathways for visual sustained attention. Next, we analyze and compare the different computational models of sustained attention that the previous reviews have not systematically summarized. We then provide computational models for automatically detecting vigilance states and evaluation of sustained attention. Finally, we outline possible future trends in the research field of sustained attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for E-learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Rui Li
- National Engineering Research Center for E-learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junsong Zhang
- Brain Cognition and Intelligent Computing Lab, Department of Artificial Intelligence, School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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25
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Steinkrauss AC, Shaikh AF, O'Brien Powers E, Moher J. Performance-linked visual feedback slows response times during a sustained attention task. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2023; 8:32. [PMID: 37247039 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00487-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we tested a visual feedback triggering system based on real-time tracking of response time (RT) in a sustained attention task. In our task, at certain points, brief visual feedback epochs were presented without interrupting the task itself. When these feedback epochs were performance-linked-meaning that they were triggered because participants were responding more quickly than usual-RTs were slowed after the presentation of feedback. However, visual feedback epochs displayed at predetermined times that were independent of participants' performance did not slow RTs. Results from a second experiment support the idea that this is not simply a return to baseline that would have occurred had the feedback not been presented, but instead suggest that the feedback itself was effective in altering participants' responses. In a third experiment, we replicated this result across with both written word feedback and visual symbolic feedback, as well as in cases where the participant was explicitly told that the feedback was linked to their performance. All together, these data provide insight into potential mechanisms for detecting and disrupting lapses in sustained attention without interrupting a continuous task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley C Steinkrauss
- Department of Psychology, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT, 06320, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Anjum F Shaikh
- Department of Psychology, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT, 06320, USA
| | - Erin O'Brien Powers
- Department of Psychology, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT, 06320, USA
| | - Jeff Moher
- Department of Psychology, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT, 06320, USA.
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26
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Gallen CL, Schachtner JN, Anguera-Singla R, Anguera JA, Gazzaley A. Influence of game features on attention in adults. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1123306. [PMID: 37228349 PMCID: PMC10203248 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The incorporation of game features into cognitive tasks can inform us about the influence of reward and motivation on attention. Continuous performance tasks (CPTs), designed to assess attention abilities, are examples of cognitive tasks that have been targeted for the addition of game features. However, previous results have been mixed regarding how game elements affect attention abilities and task performance. Methods Here, we studied if there were factors that predict which individuals exhibit changes in attention from game features added to a CPT. Participants (N = 94, aged 21-71) played a traditional CPT and a game CPT with identical mechanics, but featured engaging game elements (aesthetics, storyline, competition, feedback, and reward). Results We first found corroborating evidence that game features have mixed effects on attention performance: most attention metrics of interest exhibited no overall difference between the traditional and game CPT, while game elements reduced performance for a few metrics. Importantly, we also found that specific behavioral and demographic profiles predicted individual differences in performance on the game CPT compared to the traditional CPT. Those with more attention difficulties (ADHD symptoms), more reward responsiveness, and younger adults performed better on the game CPT while, conversely, those with fewer ADHD symptoms, less reward responsiveness, and older adults performed better on the traditional CPT. Discussion These findings provide insights into how game features can influence attention in different individuals and have important implications for the use of game elements in cognitive tasks and training interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L. Gallen
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jessica N. Schachtner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Roger Anguera-Singla
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joaquin A. Anguera
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, 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
- Neuroscape Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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27
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Horien C, Greene AS, Shen X, Fortes D, Brennan-Wydra E, Banarjee C, Foster R, Donthireddy V, Butler M, Powell K, Vernetti A, Mandino F, O’Connor D, Lake EMR, McPartland JC, Volkmar FR, Chun M, Chawarska K, Rosenberg MD, Scheinost D, Constable RT. A generalizable connectome-based marker of in-scan sustained attention in neurodiverse youth. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:6320-6334. [PMID: 36573438 PMCID: PMC10183743 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Difficulty with attention is an important symptom in many conditions in psychiatry, including neurodiverse conditions such as autism. There is a need to better understand the neurobiological correlates of attention and leverage these findings in healthcare settings. Nevertheless, it remains unclear if it is possible to build dimensional predictive models of attentional state in a sample that includes participants with neurodiverse conditions. Here, we use 5 datasets to identify and validate functional connectome-based markers of attention. In dataset 1, we use connectome-based predictive modeling and observe successful prediction of performance on an in-scan sustained attention task in a sample of youth, including participants with a neurodiverse condition. The predictions are not driven by confounds, such as head motion. In dataset 2, we find that the attention network model defined in dataset 1 generalizes to predict in-scan attention in a separate sample of neurotypical participants performing the same attention task. In datasets 3-5, we use connectome-based identification and longitudinal scans to probe the stability of the attention network across months to years in individual participants. Our results help elucidate the brain correlates of attentional state in youth and support the further development of predictive dimensional models of other clinically relevant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey Horien
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- MD-PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Abigail S Greene
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- MD-PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xilin Shen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Diogo Fortes
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | | | - Rachel Foster
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | | | - Kelly Powell
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Francesca Mandino
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - David O’Connor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Evelyn M R Lake
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Fred R Volkmar
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Marvin Chun
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Katarzyna Chawarska
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Monica D Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - R Todd Constable
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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28
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Corriveau A, Yoo K, Kwon YH, Chun MM, Rosenberg MD. Functional connectome stability and optimality are markers of cognitive performance. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5025-5041. [PMID: 36408606 PMCID: PMC10110430 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of whole-brain fMRI functional connectivity, or connectomes, are unique to individuals. Previous work has identified subsets of functional connections within these patterns whose strength predicts aspects of attention and cognition. However, overall features of these connectomes, such as how stable they are over time and how similar they are to a group-average (typical) or high-performance (optimal) connectivity pattern, may also reflect cognitive and attentional abilities. Here, we test whether individuals who express more stable, typical, optimal, and distinctive patterns of functional connectivity perform better on cognitive tasks using data from three independent samples. We find that individuals with more stable task-based functional connectivity patterns perform better on attention and working memory tasks, even when controlling for behavioral performance stability. Additionally, we find initial evidence that individuals with more typical and optimal patterns of functional connectivity also perform better on these tasks. These results demonstrate that functional connectome stability within individuals and similarity across individuals predicts individual differences in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Corriveau
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kwangsun Yoo
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Young Hye Kwon
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Marvin M Chun
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Monica D Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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29
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Jayakumar M, Balusu C, Aly M. Attentional fluctuations and the temporal organization of memory. Cognition 2023; 235:105408. [PMID: 36893523 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Event boundaries and temporal context shape the organization of episodic memories. We hypothesized that attentional fluctuations during encoding serve as "events" that affect temporal context representations and recall organization. Individuals encoded trial-unique objects during a modified sustained attention task. Memory was tested with free recall. Response time variability during the encoding tasks was used to characterize "in the zone" and "out of the zone" attentional states. We predicted that: 1) "in the zone", vs. "out of the zone", attentional states should be more conducive to maintaining temporal context representations that can cue temporally organized recall; and 2) temporally distant "in the zone" states may enable more recall "leaps" across intervening items. We replicated several important findings in the sustained attention and memory fields, including more online errors during "out of the zone" vs. "in the zone" attentional states and recall that was temporally structured. Yet, across four studies, we found no evidence for either of our main hypotheses. Recall was robustly temporally organized, and there was no difference in recall organization for items encoded "in the zone" vs. "out of the zone". We conclude that temporal context serves as a strong scaffold for episodic memory, one that can support organized recall even for items encoded during relatively poor attentional states. We also highlight the numerous challenges in striking a balance between sustained attention tasks (long blocks of a repetitive task) and memory recall tasks (short lists of unique items) and describe strategies for researchers interested in uniting these two fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasi Jayakumar
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States of America.
| | - Chinmayi Balusu
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States of America
| | - Mariam Aly
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States of America
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30
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Kawashima I, Hinuma T, Tanaka SC. Ecological momentary assessment of mind-wandering: meta-analysis and systematic review. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2873. [PMID: 36801931 PMCID: PMC9938857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29854-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mind-wandering (MW) is a universal human phenomenon and revealing its nature contributes to understanding consciousness. The ecological momentary assessment (EMA), in which subjects report a momentary mental state, is a suitable method to investigate MW in a natural environment. Previous studies employed EMA to study MW and attempted to answer the most fundamental question: How often do we let our minds wander? However, reported MW occupancies vary widely among studies. Further, while some experimental settings may induce bias in MW reports, these designs have not been explored. Therefore, we searched PubMed and Web of Science for articles published until the end of 2020 and systematically reviewed 25 articles, and performed meta-analyses on 17 of them. Our meta-analysis found that people spend 34.504% of daily life in mind-wandering, and meta-regression revealed that using subject smartphones for EMA, frequent sampling, and long experimental duration significantly affect MW reports. This result indicates that EMA using subject smartphones may tend to collect sampling under habitual smartphone use. Furthermore, these results indicate the existence of reactivity, even in MW research. We provide fundamental knowledge of MW and discuss rough standards for EMA settings in future MW studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issaku Kawashima
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Tomoko Hinuma
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan
| | - Saori C Tanaka
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan.
- Division of Information Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan.
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31
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Godwin CA, Smith DM, Schumacher EH. Beyond mind wandering: Performance variability and neural activity during off-task thought and other attention lapses. Conscious Cogn 2023; 108:103459. [PMID: 36709724 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
To study the characteristics of attention lapses, a metronome response task and experience sampling were employed while recording fMRI data. Thought prompts queried several attention states (on-task, task-related interference, off-task, inattention). Off-task thoughts were probed on whether they arose in a spontaneous or constrained (i.e., directed) manner. Increased fMRI activation was observed in the default mode network during off-task thought and in subregions of the anterior cingulate cortex and inferior frontal gyrus during inattention. Activation also increased in the left hippocampus during constrained thoughts. Functional connectivity increased between the left superior temporal sulcus and right temporoparietal junction for constrained compared to spontaneous thoughts. Overall, behavioral results indicated a monotonic increase in performance variability from on-task to inattention. However, subtle but consistent differences were observed between self-reported attention state and performance. Results are discussed from perspectives of mind wandering frameworks, the function of brain networks, and the role of engagement in off-task thought.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Derek M Smith
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA; Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive Neurology/Neuropsychology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
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32
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Ojeda A, Wagner M, Maric V, Ramanathan D, Mishra J. EEG source derived salience network coupling supports real-world attention switching. Neuropsychologia 2023; 178:108445. [PMID: 36502931 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
While the brain mechanisms underlying selective attention have been studied in great detail in controlled laboratory settings, it is less clear how these processes function in the context of a real-world self-paced task. Here, we investigated engagement on a real-world computerized task equivalent to a standard academic test that consisted of solving high-school level problems in a self-paced manner. In this task, we used EEG-source derived estimates of effective coupling between brain sources to characterize the neural mechanisms underlying switches of sustained attention from the attentive on-task state to the distracted off-task state. Specifically, since the salience network has been implicated in sustained attention and attention switching, we conducted a hypothesis-driven analysis of effective coupling between the core nodes of the salience network, the anterior insula (AI) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). As per our hypothesis, we found an increase in AI - > ACC effective coupling that occurs during the transitions of attention from on-task focused to off-task distracted state. This research may inform the development of future neural function-targeted brain-computer interfaces to enhance sustained attention.
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Li Y, Chen X, Zhang Q, Xu W, Li J, Ji F, Dong Q, Chen C, Li J. Effects of working memory span training on top-down attentional asymmetry at both neural and behavioral levels. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5937-5946. [PMID: 36617305 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The leftward asymmetry of the visual field and posterior brain regions, a feature of the normal attention process, can be strengthened by brain stimulation, e.g. administering alpha frequency stimulation to the left posterior cortex. However, whether it can be strengthened by cognitive training, especially with nonlateralized tasks, is unknown. We used a dataset from a 2-month-long randomized controlled trial and compared the control group with 2 training groups trained with backward or forward memory span tasks. A lateralized change detection task with varied memory loads was administered as the pre-, mid-, and post-tests with simultaneous electroencephalographic recording. Intrasubject response variability (IRV) and the alpha modulation index (MI) were calculated. Analysis of IRV showed more enhanced leftward attentional bias in the backward group than in the other groups. Consistently, analysis of MI found that its enhancements in the left hemisphere (but not the right hemisphere) of the backward group were significantly higher than those of the other groups. Further analysis revealed that left MI changes predicted left IRV improvement. All of these results indicated that backward memory span training enhanced leftward attentional asymmetry at both the behavioral and neural levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No.19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, P.R. China
| | - Xiongying Chen
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital & the Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, No.5, Ankang Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing 100088, P.R. China
| | - Qiumei Zhang
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining, Shandong 272013, P.R. China
| | - Wending Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No.19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, P.R. China
| | - Jin Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
| | - Feng Ji
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining, Shandong 272013, P.R. China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No.19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, P.R. China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, 4201 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway,CA 92697, United States
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No.19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, P.R. China
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Narhi-Martinez W, Dube B, Golomb JD. Attention as a multi-level system of weights and balances. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci 2023; 14:e1633. [PMID: 36317275 PMCID: PMC9840663 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
This opinion piece is part of a collection on the topic: "What is attention?" Despite the word's place in the common vernacular, a satisfying definition for "attention" remains elusive. Part of the challenge is there exist many different types of attention, which may or may not share common mechanisms. Here we review this literature and offer an intuitive definition that draws from aspects of prior theories and models of attention but is broad enough to recognize the various types of attention and modalities it acts upon: attention as a multi-level system of weights and balances. While the specific mechanism(s) governing the weighting/balancing may vary across levels, the fundamental role of attention is to dynamically weigh and balance all signals-both externally-generated and internally-generated-such that the highest weighted signals are selected and enhanced. Top-down, bottom-up, and experience-driven factors dynamically impact this balancing, and competition occurs both within and across multiple levels of processing. This idea of a multi-level system of weights and balances is intended to incorporate both external and internal attention and capture their myriad of constantly interacting processes. We review key findings and open questions related to external attention guidance, internal attention and working memory, and broader attentional control (e.g., ongoing competition between external stimuli and internal thoughts) within the framework of this analogy. We also speculate about the implications of failures of attention in terms of weights and balances, ranging from momentary one-off errors to clinical disorders, as well as attentional development and degradation across the lifespan. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Attention Neuroscience > Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Blaire Dube
- The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology
| | - Julie D. Golomb
- Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Julie Golomb, Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210.
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Kawashima I, Nagahama T, Kumano H, Momose K, Tanaka SC. Pavlovian-based neurofeedback enhances meta-awareness of mind-wandering. Neural Netw 2023; 158:239-48. [PMID: 36473291 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2022.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Absorption in mind-wandering (MW) may worsen our mood and can cause psychological disorders. Researchers indicate the possibility that meta-awareness of MW prevents these mal-effects and enhances favorable consequences of MW, such as boosting creativity; thus, meta-awareness has attracted psychological and clinical attention. However, few studies have investigated the nature of meta-awareness of MW, because there has been no method to isolate and operate this ability. Therefore, we propose a new approach to manipulate the ability of meta-awareness. We used Pavlovian conditioning, tying to it an occurrence of MW and a neutral tone sound inducing the meta-awareness of MW. To perform paired presentations of the unconditioned stimulus (neutral tone) and the conditioned stimulus (perception accompanying MW), we detected participants' natural occurrence of MW via electroencephalogram and a machine-learning estimation method. The double-blinded randomized controlled trial with 37 participants found that a single 20-min conditioning session significantly increased the meta-awareness of MW as assessed by behavioral and neuroscientific measures. The core protocol of the proposed method is real-time feedback on participants' neural information, and in that sense, we can refer to it as neurofeedback. However, there are some differences from typical neurofeedback protocols, and we discuss them in this paper. Our novel classical conditioning is expected to contribute to future research on the modulation effect of meta-awareness on MW.
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Yoshida K, Sawamura D, Yagi M, Nakashima Y, Saito R, Yamamura N, Ogasawara K, Sakai S. Detecting inattentiveness caused by mind-wandering during a driving task: A behavioral study. Appl Ergon 2023; 106:103892. [PMID: 36191405 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate whether behavioral variability and participants' self-ratings can be used to detect mind-wandering while driving and to examine their effects on braking performance during a driving task. We created a novel driving task and added a sustained attention response task (SART). We examined the effects of mind-wandering on braking performance and whether mind-wandering could be detected from SART response variability. The within-subjects results showed that self-reports of inattentiveness during driving correlated significantly with SART response variability. Multiple regression analysis with brake reaction time as the dependent variable revealed a significant relationship between self-reports of inattentiveness and mind-wandering. However, there were no other consistent linear associations between mind-wandering and SART response variability. Our results not only suggest that inattentiveness to driving caused by mind-wandering impairs braking performance but also emphasize the importance and difficulty of detecting this state from behavioral data alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Yoshida
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12-W5, Kitaku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Sawamura
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12-W5, Kitaku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Mikio Yagi
- Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd., 4261, Ikonobe-cho, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 224-8520, Japan
| | - Yu Nakashima
- Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd., 4261, Ikonobe-cho, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 224-8520, Japan
| | - Ryuji Saito
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12-W5, Kitaku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Nao Yamamura
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12-W5, Kitaku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Ogasawara
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12-W5, Kitaku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Shinya Sakai
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12-W5, Kitaku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
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Singh S, Strong R, Xu I, Fonseca L, Hawks Z, Grinspoon E, Jung L, Li F, Weinstock R, Sliwinski M, Chaytor N, Germine L. Reliability and Validity of Ecological Momentary Assessment of Cognition in Type 1 Diabetes and Community Samples (Preprint). J Med Internet Res 2022. [DOI: 10.2196/45028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
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Decker A, Dubois M, Duncan K, Finn AS. Pay attention and you might miss it: Greater learning during attentional lapses. Psychon Bull Rev 2022. [PMID: 36510094 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02226-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Attentional lapses have been found to impair everything from basic perception to learning and memory. Yet, despite the well-documented costs of lapses on cognition, recent work suggests that lapses might unexpectedly confer some benefits. One potential benefit is that lapses broaden our learning to integrate seemingly irrelevant content that could later prove useful-a benefit that prior research focusing only on goal-relevant memory would miss. Here, we measure how fluctuations in sustained attention influence the learning of seemingly goal-irrelevant content that competes for attention with target content. Participants completed a correlated flanker task in which they categorized central targets (letters or numbers) while ignoring peripheral flanking symbols that shared hidden probabilistic relationships with the targets. We found that across participants, higher rates of attentional lapses correlated with greater learning of the target-flanker relationships. Moreover, within participants, learning was more evident during attentional lapses. These findings address long-standing theoretical debates and reveal a benefit of attentional lapses: they expand the scope of learning and decisions beyond the strictly relevant.
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Kardan O, Stier AJ, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Schertz KE, Pruin JC, Deng Y, Chamberlain T, Meredith WJ, Zhang X, Bowman JE, Lakhtakia T, Tindel L, Avery EW, Lin Q, Yoo K, Chun MM, Berman MG, Rosenberg MD. Differences in the functional brain architecture of sustained attention and working memory in youth and adults. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001938. [PMID: 36542658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained attention (SA) and working memory (WM) are critical processes, but the brain networks supporting these abilities in development are unknown. We characterized the functional brain architecture of SA and WM in 9- to 11-year-old children and adults. First, we found that adult network predictors of SA generalized to predict individual differences and fluctuations in SA in youth. A WM model predicted WM performance both across and within children-and captured individual differences in later recognition memory-but underperformed in youth relative to adults. We next characterized functional connections differentially related to SA and WM in youth compared to adults. Results revealed 2 network configurations: a dominant architecture predicting performance in both age groups and a secondary architecture, more prominent for WM than SA, predicting performance in each age group differently. Thus, functional connectivity (FC) predicts SA and WM in youth, with networks predicting WM performance differing more between youths and adults than those predicting SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Kardan
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Andrew J Stier
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | | | - Julia C Pruin
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Yuting Deng
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | - Wesley J Meredith
- University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Xihan Zhang
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jillian E Bowman
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Tanvi Lakhtakia
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Lucy Tindel
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Emily W Avery
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Qi Lin
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Kwangsun Yoo
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Marvin M Chun
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Marc G Berman
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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Thomson P, Vijayakumar N, Fuelscher I, Malpas CB, Hazell P, Silk TJ. White matter and sustained attention in children with attention/deficit-hyperactivity disorder: A longitudinal fixel-based analysis. Cortex 2022; 157:129-141. [PMID: 36283135 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sustained attention is a cognitive function with known links to academic success and mental health disorders such as attention/deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Several functional networks are critical to sustained attention, however the association between white matter maturation in tracts linking functional nodes and sustained attention in typical and atypical development is unknown. 309 diffusion-weighted imaging scans were acquired from 161 children and adolescents (80 ADHD, 81 control) at up to three timepoints over ages 9-14. A fixel-based analysis approach was used to calculate mean fiber density and fiber-bundle cross section in tracts of interest. Sustained attention was measured using omission errors and response time variability on the out-of-scanner sustained attention to response task. Linear mixed effects models examined associations of age, group and white matter metrics with sustained attention. Greater fiber density in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) I and right SLF II was associated with fewer attention errors in the control group only. In ADHD and control groups, greater fiber density in the left ILF and right thalamo-premotor pathway, as well as greater fiber cross-section in the left SLF I and II and right SLF III, was associated with better sustained attention. Relationships were consistent across the age span. Results suggest that greater axon diameter or number in the dorsal and middle SLF may facilitate sustained attention in neurotypical children but does not assist those with ADHD potentially due to disorder-related alterations in this region. Greater capacity for information transfer across the SLF was associated with attention maintenance in 9-14-year-olds regardless of diagnostic status, suggesting white matter macrostructure may also be important for attention maintenance. White matter and sustained attention associations were consistent across the longitudinal study, according with the stability of structural organization over this time. Future studies can investigate modifiability of white matter properties through ADHD medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Thomson
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
| | | | - Ian Fuelscher
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Charles B Malpas
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Philip Hazell
- Discipline of Psychiatry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Timothy J Silk
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
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Wilson A, Stevens WD, Sergio L, Wojtowicz M. Altered Brain Functional Connectivity in Female Athletes Over the Course of a Season of Collision or Contact Sports. Neurotrauma Rep 2022; 3:377-387. [PMID: 36204391 PMCID: PMC9531888 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2022.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
University athletes are exposed to numerous impacts to the body and head, though the potential cumulative effects of such hits remain elusive. This study examined resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of brain networks in female varsity athletes over the course of a season. Nineteen female university athletes involved in collision (N = 12) and contact (N = 7) sports underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at both pre- and post-season. A group-level independent component analysis (ICA) was used to investigate differences in rsFC over the course of a season and differences between contact and collision sport athletes. Decreased rsFC was observed over the course of the season between the default mode network (DMN) and regions in the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobe (p false discovery rate, ≤0.05) driven by differences in the contact group. There was also a main effect of group in the dorsal attention network (DAN) driven by differences between contact and collision groups at pre-season. Differences identified over the course of a season of play indicate largely decreased rsFC within the DMN, and level of contact was associated with differences in rsFC of the DAN. The association between exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHIs) and observed changes in network rsFC supplements the growing literature suggesting that even non-concussed athletes may be at risk for changes in brain functioning. However, the complexity of examining the direct effects of RHIs highlights the need to consider multiple factors, including mental health and sport-specific training and expertise, that may potentially be associated with neural changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssia Wilson
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - W. Dale Stevens
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Sergio
- School of Kinesiology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Prakash RS, Fountain-Zaragoza S, Fisher M, Gbadeyan O, Andridge R, Kiecolt-Glaser J, Manglani HR, Duraney EJ, Shankar A, McKenna MR, Teng J, Phansikar M, Canter R. Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction to improve attentional control in older adults (HealthyAgers trial). BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:666. [PMID: 35964000 PMCID: PMC9375078 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03334-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness meditation is a form of mind-body intervention that has increasing scientific support for its ability to reduce age-related declines in cognitive functioning, improve affective health, and strengthen the neural circuitry supporting improved cognitive and affective health. However, the majority of existent studies have been pilot investigations with small sample sizes, limited follow-up data, and a lack of attention to expectancy effects. Here, we present the study design of a Phase I/II, efficacy trial-HealthyAgers trial-that examines the benefits of a manualized mindfulness-based stress reduction program in improving attentional control and reducing mind-wandering in older adults. METHODS One hundred fifty older adults (ages 65-85 years) will be randomized into one of two groups: an eight-week mindfulness program or an eight-week, placebo-controlled, lifestyle education program. Behavioral and neuroimaging assessments are conducted before and after the training. Participants are then invited to booster sessions once every three months for a period of 12 months with post-intervention follow-up assessments conducted at 6-months and 12-months. The primary outcomes for the study are behavioral measures of attentional control and mind-wandering. Additional, secondary outcomes include network strength in an a priori defined neuromarker of attentional control, fluid and everyday cognition, emotion regulation strategy use, and markers of inflammation. DISCUSSION This study will establish the efficacy of a group-based, low-cost mind-body intervention for the inter-related facets of attentional control and mind-wandering in older adults. Strengths of this study include a well-designed, placebo-controlled comparison group, use of web/mobile application to track study adherence, and longitudinal follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov (# NCT03626532 ). Registered August 4, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchika Shaurya Prakash
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Stephanie Fountain-Zaragoza
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Megan Fisher
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Oyetunde Gbadeyan
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- National Centre for Healthy Ageing, Peninsula Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rebecca Andridge
- Department of Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Heena R Manglani
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Duraney
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Anita Shankar
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael R McKenna
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - James Teng
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Madhura Phansikar
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Rosie Canter
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 62 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Evans TC, Alonso MR, Jagger-Rickels A, Rothlein D, Zuberer A, Bernstein J, Fortier CB, Fonda JR, Villalon A, Jorge R, Milberg W, McGlinchey R, DeGutis J, Esterman M. PTSD symptomatology is selectively associated with impaired sustained attention ability and dorsal attention network synchronization. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103146. [PMID: 36055063 PMCID: PMC9437905 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology is associated with dysregulated sustained attention, which produces functional impairments. Performance on sustained attention paradigms such as continuous performance tasks are influenced by both the ability to sustain attention and response strategy. However, previous studies have not dissociated PTSD-related associations with sustained attention ability and strategy, which limits characterization of neural circuitry underlying PTSD-related attentional impairments. Therefore, we characterized and replicated PTSD-related associations with sustained attention ability and response strategy in trauma-exposed Veterans, which guided characterization of PTSD-related differences in neural circuit function. In Study 1, PTSD symptoms were selectively associated with reduced sustained attention ability, but not more impulsive response strategies. In Study 2, we utilized task and resting-state fMRI to characterize neural circuitry underlying PTSD-related differences in sustained attention ability. Both PTSD symptomatology and sustained attention ability exhibited converging associations with reduced dorsal attention network (DAN) synchronization to endogeneous attentional fluctuations. Post-hoc time course analyses demonstrated that PTSD symptoms were most accurately characterized by delayed, rather than globally reduced, DAN synchronization to endogenous attentional fluctuations. Together, these findings suggest that PTSD symptomatology may selectively impair sustained attention ability by disrupting proactive engagement of attentional control circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis C. Evans
- Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA,Corresponding author at: VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, USA.
| | | | - Audreyana Jagger-Rickels
- Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - David Rothlein
- Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - Agnieszka Zuberer
- Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Germany,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - John Bernstein
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - Catherine B. Fortier
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Fonda
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA,Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - Audri Villalon
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA,Beth K. and Stuart C. Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, USA
| | - Ricardo Jorge
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA,Beth K. and Stuart C. Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, USA
| | - William Milberg
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - Regina McGlinchey
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - Joseph DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
| | - Michael Esterman
- Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA,National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA,Neuroimaging Research for Veterans (NeRVe) Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA
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44
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Madore KP, Wagner AD. Readiness to remember: predicting variability in episodic memory. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:707-723. [PMID: 35786366 PMCID: PMC9622362 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Learning and remembering are fundamental to our lives, so what causes us to forget? Answers often highlight preparatory processes that precede learning, as well as mnemonic processes during the act of encoding or retrieval. Importantly, evidence now indicates that preparatory processes that precede retrieval attempts also have powerful influences on memory success or failure. Here, we review recent work from neuroimaging, electroencephalography, pupillometry, and behavioral science to propose an integrative framework of retrieval-period dynamics that explains variance in remembering in the moment and across individuals as a function of interactions among preparatory attention, goal coding, and mnemonic processes. Extending this approach, we consider how a 'readiness to remember' (R2R) framework explains variance in high-level functions of memory and mnemonic disruptions in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Madore
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Anthony D Wagner
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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45
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Zhang H, Yang S, Qiao Y, Ge Q, Tang Y, Northoff G, Zang Y. Default mode network mediates low-frequency fluctuations in brain activity and behavior during sustained attention. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5478-5489. [PMID: 35903957 PMCID: PMC9704793 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) fluctuation in sustained attention attracts enormous interest in cognitive neuroscience and clinical research since it always leads to cognitive and behavioral lapses. What is the source of the spontaneous fluctuation in sustained attention in neural activity, and how does the neural fluctuation relate to behavioral fluctuation? Here, we address these questions by collecting and analyzing two independent fMRI and behavior datasets. We show that the neural (fMRI) fluctuation in a key brain network, the default-mode network (DMN), mediate behavioral (reaction time) fluctuation during sustained attention. DMN shows the increased amplitude of fluctuation, which correlates with the behavioral fluctuation in a similar frequency range (0.01-0.1 Hz) but not in the lower (<0.01 Hz) or higher (>0.1 Hz) frequency range. This was observed during both auditory and visual sustained attention and was replicable across independent datasets. These results provide a novel insight into the neural source of attention-fluctuation and extend the former concept that DMN was deactivated in cognitive tasks. More generally, our findings highlight the temporal dynamic of the brain-behavior relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhang
- Centre for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Shi‐You Yang
- Centre for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Yang Qiao
- Centre for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Qiu Ge
- Centre for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Yi‐Yuan Tang
- College of Health SolutionsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Georg Northoff
- Centre for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Institute of Mental Health ResearchUniversity of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Yu‐Feng Zang
- Centre for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
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46
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Cao S, Liu X, Wu H. The neural mechanisms underlying effort process modulated by efficacy. Neuropsychologia 2022; 173:108314. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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47
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Zhou R, Zhou J, Xiao Y, Bi J, Biagi MC, Ruffini G, Gouskova NA, Manor B, Liu Y, Lü J, Lo OY. Network-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation May Modulate Gait Variability in Young Healthy Adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:877241. [PMID: 35754767 PMCID: PMC9220095 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.877241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Previous studies have linked gait variability to resting-state functional connectivity between the dorsal attention network (DAN) and the default network (DN) in the brain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a novel transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) paradigm designed to simultaneously facilitate the excitability of the DAN and suppress the excitability of the DN (i.e., DAN+/DN-tDCS) on gait variability and other gait characteristics in young healthy adults. Methods In this double-blinded randomized and sham-controlled study, 48 healthy adults aged 22 ± 2 years received one 20-min session of DAN+/DN-tDCS (n = 24) or no stimulation (the Sham group, n = 24). Immediately before and after stimulation, participants completed a gait assessment under three conditions: walking at self-selected speed (i.e., normal walking), walking as fast as possible (i.e., fast walking), and walking while counting backward (i.e., dual-task walking). Primary outcomes included gait stride time variability and gait stride length variability in normal walking conditions. Secondary outcomes include gait stride time and length variability in fast and dual-task conditions, and other gait metrics derived from the three walking conditions. Results Compared to the Sham group, DAN+/DN-tDCS reduced stride length variability in normal and fast walking conditions, double-limb support time variability in fast and dual-task walking conditions, and step width variability in fast walking conditions. In contrast, DAN+/DN-tDCS did not alter average gait speed or the average value of any other gait metrics as compared to the sham group. Conclusion In healthy young adults, a single exposure to tDCS designed to simultaneously modulate DAN and DN excitability reduced gait variability, yet did not alter gait speed or other average gait metrics, when tested just after stimulation. These results suggest that gait variability may be uniquely regulated by these spatially-distinct yet functionally-connected cortical networks. These results warrant additional research on the short- and longer-term effects of this type of network-based tDCS on the cortical control of walking in younger and older populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Junhong Zhou
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yanwen Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiawei Bi
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | - Natalia A Gouskova
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brad Manor
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaojiao Lü
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - On-Yee Lo
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
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48
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Jagger-Rickels A, Rothlein D, Stumps A, Evans TC, Bernstein J, Milberg W, McGlinchey R, DeGutis J, Esterman M. An executive function subtype of PTSD with unique neural markers and clinical trajectories. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:262. [PMID: 35760805 PMCID: PMC9237057 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02011-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work identified a cognitive subtype of PTSD with impaired executive function (i.e., impaired EF-PTSD subtype) and aberrant resting-state functional connectivity between frontal parietal control (FPCN) and limbic (LN) networks. To better characterize this cognitive subtype of PTSD, this study investigated (1) alterations in specific FPCN and LN subnetworks and (2) chronicity of PTSD symptoms. In a post-9/11 veteran sample (N = 368, 89% male), we identified EF subgroups using a standardized neuropsychological battery and a priori cutoffs for impaired, average, and above-average EF performance. Functional connectivity between two subnetworks of the FPCN and three subnetworks of the LN was assessed using resting-state fMRI (n = 314). PTSD chronicity over a 1-2-year period was assessed using a reliable change index (n = 175). The impaired EF-PTSD subtype had significantly reduced negative functional connectivity between the FPCN subnetwork involved in top-down control of emotion and two LN subnetworks involved in learning/memory and social/emotional processing. This impaired EF-PTSD subtype had relatively chronic PTSD, while those with above-average EF and PTSD displayed greater symptom reduction. Lastly, FPCN-LN subnetworks partially mediated the relationship between EF and PTSD chronicity (n = 121). This study reveals (1) that an impaired EF-PTSD subtype has a specific pattern of FPCN-LN subnetwork connectivity, (2) a novel above-average EF-PTSD subtype displays reduced PTSD chronicity, and (3) both cognitive and neural functioning predict PTSD chronicity. The results indicate a need to investigate how individuals with this impaired EF-PTSD subtype respond to treatment, and how they might benefit from personalized and novel approaches that target these neurocognitive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audreyana Jagger-Rickels
- National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA. .,Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - David Rothlein
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA
| | - Anna Stumps
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.33489.350000 0001 0454 4791Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA
| | - Travis Clark Evans
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - John Bernstein
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA
| | - William Milberg
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA
| | - Regina McGlinchey
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA
| | - Joseph DeGutis
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Michael Esterman
- grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Boston Attention and Learning Lab (BALLAB), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA ,grid.410370.10000 0004 4657 1992Neuroimaging Research for Veterans (NeRVe) Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA USA
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49
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Hawkins GE, Mittner M, Forstmann BU, Heathcote A. Self-reported mind wandering reflects executive control and selective attention. Psychon Bull Rev 2022. [PMID: 35672655 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02110-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Mind wandering is ubiquitous in everyday life and has a pervasive and profound impact on task-related performance. A range of psychological processes have been proposed to underlie these performance-related decrements, including failures of executive control, volatile information processing, and shortcomings in selective attention to critical task-relevant stimuli. Despite progress in the development of such theories, existing descriptive analyses have limited capacity to discriminate between the theories. We propose a cognitive-model based analysis that simultaneously explains self-reported mind wandering and task performance. We quantitatively compare six explanations of poor performance in the presence of mind wandering. The competing theories are distinguished by whether there is an impact on executive control and, if so, how executive control acts on information processing, and whether there is an impact on volatility of information processing. Across two experiments using the sustained attention to response task, we find quantitative evidence that mind wandering is associated with two latent factors. Our strongest conclusion is that executive control is impaired: increased mind wandering is associated with reduced ability to inhibit habitual response tendencies. Our nuanced conclusion is that executive control deficits manifest in reduced ability to selectively attend to the information value of rare but task-critical events.
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Sisk CA, Toh YN, Jun J, Remington RW, Lee VG. Impact of active and latent concerns about COVID-19 on attention. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2022; 7:48. [PMID: 35657440 PMCID: PMC9164188 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00401-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions between emotion and attention are complex due to the multifaceted nature of attention. Adding to this complexity, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the emotional landscape, broadly heightening health and financial concerns. Can the heightened concerns about COVID-19 impair one or more of the components of attention? To explore the connection between heightened concerns about COVID-19 and attention, in a preregistered study, we collected survey responses from 234 participants assessing levels of concerns surrounding COVID-19, followed by four psychophysics tasks hypothesized to tap into different aspects of attention: visual search, working memory, sustained attention, and cognitive control. We also measured task-unrelated thoughts. Results showed that task-unrelated thoughts, but not survey reports of concern levels, negatively correlated with sustained attention and cognitive control, while visual search and working memory remained robust to task-unrelated thoughts and survey-indicated concern levels. As a whole, these findings suggest that being concerned about COVID-19 does not interfere with cognitive function unless the concerns are active in the form of task-unrelated thoughts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Sisk
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, S504 Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Yi Ni Toh
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, S504 Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Jihyang Jun
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, S504 Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Roger W Remington
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, S504 Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, S504 Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Vanessa G Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, S504 Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, S504 Elliott Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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