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Cao L, Palmisano C, Chen X, Isaias IU, Händel BF. Spontaneous blink-related beta power increase and theta phase reset in subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson patients during walking. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 161:17-26. [PMID: 38432185 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.02.019] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Both blinking and walking are altered in Parkinson's disease and both motor outputs have been shown to be linked in healthy subjects. Additionally, studies suggest an involvement of basal ganglia activity and striatal dopamine in blink generation. We investigated the role of the basal ganglia circuitry on spontaneous blinking and if this role is dependent on movement state and striatal dopamine. METHODS We analysed subthalamic nucleus (STN) activity in seven chronically implanted patients for deep brain stimulation (DBS) with respect to blinks and movement state (resting state and unperturbed walking). Neurophysiological recordings were combined with individual molecular brain imaging assessing the dopamine reuptake transporter (DAT) density for the left and right striatum separately. RESULTS We found a significantly higher blink rate during walking compared to resting. The blink rate during walking positively correlated with the DAT density of the left caudate nucleus. During walking only, spontaneous blinking was followed by an increase in the right STN beta power and a bilateral subthalamic phase reset in the low frequencies. The right STN blink-related beta power modulation correlated negatively with the DAT density of the contralateral putamen. The left STN blink-related beta power correlated with the DAT density of the putamen in the less dopamine-depleted hemisphere. Both correlations were specific to the walking condition and to beta power following a blink. CONCLUSION Our findings show that spontaneous blinking is related to striatal dopamine and has a frequency specific deployment in the STN. This correlation depends on the current movement state such as walking. SIGNIFICANCE This work indicates that subcortical activity following a motor event as well as the relationship between dopamine and motor events can be dependent on the motor state. Accordingly, disease related changes in brain activity should be assessed during natural movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyu Cao
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilian-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chiara Palmisano
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Xinyu Chen
- Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilian-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ioannis U Isaias
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Parkinson Institute Milan, ASST G. Pini CTO, Milano, Italy
| | - Barbara F Händel
- Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilian-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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Abstract
The pupil of the eye provides a rich source of information for cognitive scientists, as it can index a variety of bodily states (e.g., arousal, fatigue) and cognitive processes (e.g., attention, decision-making). As pupillometry becomes a more accessible and popular methodology, researchers have proposed a variety of techniques for analyzing pupil data. Here, we focus on time series-based, signal-to-signal approaches that enable one to relate dynamic changes in pupil size over time with dynamic changes in a stimulus time series, continuous behavioral outcome measures, or other participants' pupil traces. We first introduce pupillometry, its neural underpinnings, and the relation between pupil measurements and other oculomotor behaviors (e.g., blinks, saccades), to stress the importance of understanding what is being measured and what can be inferred from changes in pupillary activity. Next, we discuss possible pre-processing steps, and the contexts in which they may be necessary. Finally, we turn to signal-to-signal analytic techniques, including regression-based approaches, dynamic time-warping, phase clustering, detrended fluctuation analysis, and recurrence quantification analysis. Assumptions of these techniques, and examples of the scientific questions each can address, are outlined, with references to key papers and software packages. Additionally, we provide a detailed code tutorial that steps through the key examples and figures in this paper. Ultimately, we contend that the insights gained from pupillometry are constrained by the analysis techniques used, and that signal-to-signal approaches offer a means to generate novel scientific insights by taking into account understudied spectro-temporal relationships between the pupil signal and other signals of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Fink
- Department of Music, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behavior, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada.
| | - Jaana Simola
- Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Education, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alessandro Tavano
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Elke Lange
- Department of Music, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wallot
- Department of Literature, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Sustainability Education and Psychologyy, Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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3
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Newbolds SF, Wenger MJ. Assessing the pattern electroretinogram as a proxy measure for dopamine in the context of iron deficiency. Nutr Neurosci 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38272898 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2024.2304943] [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] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Animal studies have suggested that dietary iron deficiency (ID) negatively affects dopamine (DA) synthesis and re-uptake, which in turn negatively affects memory and cognition. This study was intended to assess whether the pattern electroretinogram (pattern ERG) could be used as an indirect measure of DA in college-age women with and without ID by determining the extent to which features of the ERG were sensitive to iron status and were related to other indirect measures of DA. METHODS The pattern ERG was measured in 21 iron deficient non-anemic (IDNA) and 21 iron sufficient (IS) women, who also performed a contrast detection and probabilistic selection task, both with concurrent electroencephalography (EEG). Both spontaneous and task-related blink rates were also measured. RESULTS The implicit times of the A- and B-waves were significantly longer for the IDNA than for the IS women. Both the amplitudes and implicit times of the A- and B-waves were significantly correlated with levels of serum ferritin (sFt). Only the amplitude of the A-wave was correlated with spontaneous blink rate. It was possible to accurately identify a woman's iron status solely on the basis of the implicit time of the B-wave. Finally, the implicit times of the ERG features mediated the relationship between iron levels and accuracy in the probabilistic selection task. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest the utility of the pattern ERG in testing the hypothesis that iron deficiency affects DA levels in humans and that this may be one of the mechanisms by which iron deficiency negatively affects cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Newbolds
- Psychology and Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Michael J Wenger
- Psychology and Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
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4
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Raihani NJ, Kamboj SK, Peniket MJ, Norman J, Ozturk OC, Iskandar G, Bell V. The effects of paranoia and dopamine on perception of cohesion and conspiracy: a pre-registered, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:195-205. [PMID: 37848635 PMCID: PMC10774203 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06476-7] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Paranoia is a common symptom of psychotic disorders but is also present on a spectrum of severity in the general population. Although paranoia is associated with an increased tendency to perceive cohesion and conspiracy within groups, the mechanistic basis of this variation remains unclear. One potential avenue involves the brain's dopaminergic system, which is known to be altered in psychosis. In this study, we used large-N online samples to establish the association between trait paranoia and perceptions of cohesion and conspiracy. We further evaluated the role of dopamine on perceptions of cohesion and conspiracy using a double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory experiment where participants received levodopa or a placebo control. Our results were mixed: group perceptions and perceptions of cohesion were higher among more paranoid individuals but were not altered under dopamine administration. We outline the potential reasons for these discrepancies and the broader implications for understanding paranoia in terms of dopamine dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Raihani
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - S K Kamboj
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, WC1E 7HB, London, UK
| | - M J Peniket
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, WC1E 7HB, London, UK
| | - J Norman
- Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, WC1E 7HB, London, UK
| | - O C Ozturk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - G Iskandar
- Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, UCLH, London, UK
| | - V Bell
- Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, WC1E 7HB, London, UK
- South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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5
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Mathar D, Wiebe A, Tuzsus D, Knauth K, Peters J. Erotic cue exposure increases physiological arousal, biases choices toward immediate rewards, and attenuates model-based reinforcement learning. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14381. [PMID: 37435973 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14381] [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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Computational psychiatry focuses on identifying core cognitive processes that appear altered across distinct psychiatric disorders. Temporal discounting of future rewards and model-based control during reinforcement learning have proven as two promising candidates. Despite its trait-like stability, temporal discounting may be at least partly under contextual control. Highly arousing cues were shown to increase discounting, although evidence to date remains somewhat mixed. Whether model-based reinforcement learning is similarly affected by arousing cues remains unclear. Here, we tested cue-reactivity effects (erotic pictures) on subsequent temporal discounting and model-based reinforcement learning in a within-subjects design in n = 39 healthy heterosexual male participants. Self-reported and physiological arousal (cardiac activity and pupil dilation) were assessed before and during cue exposure. Arousal was increased during exposure of erotic versus neutral cues both on the subjective and autonomic level. Erotic cue exposure increased discounting as reflected by more impatient choices. Hierarchical drift diffusion modeling (DDM) linked increased discounting to a shift in the starting point bias of evidence accumulation toward immediate options. Model-based control during reinforcement learning was reduced following erotic cues according to model-agnostic analysis. Notably, DDM linked this effect to attenuated forgetting rates of unchosen options, leaving the model-based control parameter unchanged. Our findings replicate previous work on cue-reactivity effects in temporal discounting and for the first time show similar effects in model-based reinforcement learning in a heterosexual male sample. This highlights how environmental cues can impact core human decision processes and reveal that comprehensive modeling approaches can yield novel insights in reward-based decision processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mathar
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Annika Wiebe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Deniz Tuzsus
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kilian Knauth
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Peters
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Zou L, Herold F, Ludyga S, Kamijo K, Müller NG, Pontifex MB, Heath M, Kuwamizu R, Soya H, Hillman CH, Ando S, Alderman BL, Cheval B, Kramer AF. Look into my eyes: What can eye-based measures tell us about the relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance? J Sport Health Sci 2023; 12:568-591. [PMID: 37148971 PMCID: PMC10466196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing interest to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that drive the positive associations of physical activity and fitness with measures of cognitive performance. To better understand those mechanisms, several studies have employed eye-based measures (e.g., eye movement measures such as saccades, pupillary measures such as pupil dilation, and vascular measures such as retinal vessel diameter) deemed to be proxies for specific neurobiological mechanisms. However, there is currently no systematic review providing a comprehensive overview of these studies in the field of exercise-cognition science. Thus, this review aimed to address that gap in the literature. METHODS To identify eligible studies, we searched 5 electronic databases on October 23, 2022. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using a modified version of the Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise (TESTEX scale, for interventional studies) and the critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute (for cross-sectional studies). RESULTS Our systematic review (n = 35 studies) offers the following main findings: (a) there is insufficient evidence available to draw solid conclusions concerning gaze-fixation-based measures; (b) the evidence that pupillometric measures, which are a proxy for the noradrenergic system, can explain the positive effect of acute exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive performance is mixed; (c) physical training- or fitness-related changes of the cerebrovascular system (operationalized via changes in retinal vasculature) are, in general, positively associated with cognitive performance improvements; (d) acute and chronic physical exercises show a positive effect based on an oculomotor-based measure of executive function (operationalized via antisaccade tasks); and (e) the positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive performance is partly mediated by the dopaminergic system (operationalized via spontaneous eye-blink rate). CONCLUSION This systematic review offers confirmation that eye-based measures can provide valuable insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that may drive positive associations between physical activity and fitness and measures of cognitive performance. However, due to the limited number of studies utilizing specific methods for obtaining eye-based measures (e.g., pupillometry, retinal vessel analysis, spontaneous eye blink rate) or investigating a possible dose-response relationship, further research is necessary before more nuanced conclusions can be drawn. Given that eye-based measures are economical and non-invasive, we hope this review will foster the future application of eye-based measures in the field of exercise-cognition science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liye Zou
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany.
| | - Fabian Herold
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ludyga
- Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, University of Basel, Basel 4052, Switzerland
| | - Keita Kamijo
- Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya 466-8666, Japan
| | - Notger G Müller
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Matthew B Pontifex
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Matthew Heath
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London ON N6A 3K7, Canada; Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Ryuta Kuwamizu
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan
| | - Hideaki Soya
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan; Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Soichi Ando
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Brandon L Alderman
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Boris Cheval
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland; Laboratory for the Study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression (E3Lab), Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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Nieto-Escamez F, Obrero-Gaitán E, Cortés-Pérez I. Visual Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1173. [PMID: 37626529 PMCID: PMC10452537 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081173] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) include ocular, visuoperceptive, and visuospatial impairments, which can occur as a result of the underlying neurodegenerative process. Ocular impairments can affect various aspects of vision and eye movement. Thus, patients can show dry eyes, blepharospasm, reduced blink rate, saccadic eye movement abnormalities, smooth pursuit deficits, and impaired voluntary and reflexive eye movements. Furthermore, visuoperceptive impairments affect the ability to perceive and recognize visual stimuli accurately, including impaired contrast sensitivity and reduced visual acuity, color discrimination, and object recognition. Visuospatial impairments are also remarkable, including difficulties perceiving and interpreting spatial relationships between objects and difficulties judging distances or navigating through the environment. Moreover, PD patients can present visuospatial attention problems, with difficulties attending to visual stimuli in a spatially organized manner. Moreover, PD patients also show perceptual disturbances affecting their ability to interpret and determine meaning from visual stimuli. And, for instance, visual hallucinations are common in PD patients. Nevertheless, the neurobiological bases of visual-related disorders in PD are complex and not fully understood. This review intends to provide a comprehensive description of visual disturbances in PD, from sensory to perceptual alterations, addressing their neuroanatomical, functional, and neurochemical correlates. Structural changes, particularly in posterior cortical regions, are described, as well as functional alterations, both in cortical and subcortical regions, which are shown in relation to specific neuropsychological results. Similarly, although the involvement of different neurotransmitter systems is controversial, data about neurochemical alterations related to visual impairments are presented, especially dopaminergic, cholinergic, and serotoninergic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Nieto-Escamez
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
- Center for Neuropsychological Assessment and Rehabilitation (CERNEP), 04120 Almeria, Spain
| | - Esteban Obrero-Gaitán
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaen, Paraje Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaen, Spain;
| | - Irene Cortés-Pérez
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaen, Paraje Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaen, Spain;
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Chen CS, Mueller D, Knep E, Ebitz RB, Grissom NM. Dopamine and norepinephrine differentially mediate the exploration-exploitation tradeoff. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.09.523322. [PMID: 36711959 PMCID: PMC9881999 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The catecholamines dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) have been repeatedly implicated in neuropsychiatric vulnerability, in part via their roles in mediating the decision making processes. Although the two neuromodulators share a synthesis pathway and are co-activated under states of arousal, they engage in distinct circuits and roles in modulating neural activity across the brain. However, in the computational neuroscience literature, they have been assigned similar roles in modulating the latent cognitive processes of decision making, in particular the exploration-exploitation tradeoff. Revealing how each neuromodulator contributes to this explore-exploit process will be important in guiding mechanistic hypotheses emerging from computational psychiatric approaches. To understand the differences and overlaps of the roles of these two catecholamine systems in regulating exploration and exploitation, a direct comparison using the same dynamic decision making task is needed. Here, we ran mice in a restless two-armed bandit task, which encourages both exploration and exploitation. We systemically administered a nonselective DA receptor antagonist (flupenthixol), a nonselective DA receptor agonist (apomorphine), a NE beta-receptor antagonist (propranolol), and a NE beta-receptor agonist (isoproterenol), and examined changes in exploration within subjects across sessions. We found a bidirectional modulatory effect of dopamine receptor activity on the level of exploration. Increasing dopamine activity decreased exploration and decreasing dopamine activity increased exploration. Beta-noradrenergic receptor activity also modulated exploration, but the modulatory effect was mediated by sex. Reinforcement learning model parameters suggested that dopamine modulation affected exploration via decision noise and norepinephrine modulation affected exploration via outcome sensitivity. Together, these findings suggested that the mechanisms that govern the transition between exploration and exploitation are sensitive to changes in both catecholamine functions and revealed differential roles for NE and DA in mediating exploration.
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Abstract
Seasonality patterns are reported in various psychiatric disorders. The current paper summarizes findings on brain adaptations associated with seasonal changes, factors that contribute to individual differences and their implications for psychiatric disorders. Changes in circadian rhythms are likely to prominently mediate these seasonal effects since light strongly entrains the internal clock modifying brain function. Inability of circadian rhythms to accommodate to seasonal changes might increase the risk for mood and behavior problems as well as worse clinical outcomes in psychiatric disorders. Understanding the mechanisms that account for inter-individual variations in seasonality is relevant to the development of individualized prevention and treatment for psychiatric disorders. Despite promising findings, seasonal effects are still understudied and only controlled as a covariate in most brain research. Rigorous neuroimaging studies with thoughtful experimental designs, powered sample sizes and high temporal resolution alongside deep characterization of the environment are needed to better understand the seasonal adaptions of the human brain as a function of age, sex, and geographic latitude and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the alterations in seasonal adaptation in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1013, USA.
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1013 USA
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Demiral ŞB, Kure Liu C, Benveniste H, Tomasi D, Volkow ND. Activation of brain arousal networks coincident with eye blinks during resting state. Cereb Cortex 2023:6991186. [PMID: 36653022 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad001] [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: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Eye-blinking has been implicated in arousal and attention. Here we test the hypothesis that blinking-moments represent arousal surges associated with activation of the ascending arousal network (AAN) and its thalamic projections. For this purpose, we explored the temporal relationship between eye-blinks and fMRI BOLD activity in AAN and thalamic nuclei, as well as whole brain cluster corrected activations during eyes-open, resting-state fMRI scanning. We show that BOLD activations in the AAN nuclei peaked prior to the eye blinks and in thalamic nuclei peaked prior to and during the blink, consistent with the role of eye blinking in arousal surges. Additionally, we showed visual cortex peak activation prior to the eye blinks, providing further evidence of the visual cortex's role in arousal, and document cerebellar peak activation post eye blinks, which might reflect downstream engagement from arousal surges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şükrü Barış Demiral
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Kure Liu
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA
| | - Helene Benveniste
- Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Dardo Tomasi
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA.,National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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11
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Mathar D, Erfanian Abdoust M, Marrenbach T, Tuzsus D, Peters J. The catecholamine precursor Tyrosine reduces autonomic arousal and decreases decision thresholds in reinforcement learning and temporal discounting. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010785. [PMID: 36548401 PMCID: PMC9822114 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010785] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplementation with the catecholamine precursor L-Tyrosine might enhance cognitive performance, but overall findings are mixed. Here, we investigate the effect of a single dose of tyrosine (2g) vs. placebo on two catecholamine-dependent trans-diagnostic traits: model-based control during reinforcement learning (2-step task) and temporal discounting, using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject design (n = 28 healthy male participants). We leveraged drift diffusion models in a hierarchical Bayesian framework to jointly model participants' choices and response times (RTS) in both tasks. Furthermore, comprehensive autonomic monitoring (heart rate, heart rate variability, pupillometry, spontaneous eye blink rate) was performed both pre- and post-supplementation, to explore potential physiological effects of supplementation. Across tasks, tyrosine consistently reduced participants' RTs without deteriorating task-performance. Diffusion modeling linked this effect to attenuated decision-thresholds in both tasks and further revealed increased model-based control (2-step task) and (if anything) attenuated temporal discounting. On the physiological level, participants' pupil dilation was predictive of the individual degree of temporal discounting. Tyrosine supplementation reduced physiological arousal as revealed by increases in pupil dilation variability and reductions in heart rate. Supplementation-related changes in physiological arousal predicted individual changes in temporal discounting. Our findings provide first evidence that tyrosine supplementation might impact psychophysiological parameters, and suggest that modeling approaches based on sequential sampling models can yield novel insights into latent cognitive processes modulated by amino-acid supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mathar
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Mani Erfanian Abdoust
- Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Marrenbach
- Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Deniz Tuzsus
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Peters
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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12
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Villa R, Ponsi G, Scattolin M, Panasiti MS, Aglioti SM. Social, affective, and non-motoric bodily cues to the Sense of Agency: A systematic review of the experience of control. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104900. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104900] [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: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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13
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Bigliassi M, Filho E. Functional significance of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during exhaustive exercise. Biol Psychol 2022; 175:108442. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108442] [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: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Nagino K, Sung J, Oyama G, Hayano M, Hattori N, Okumura Y, Fujio K, Akasaki Y, Huang T, Midorikawa-Inomata A, Fujimoto K, Eguchi A, Hurramhon S, Miura M, Ohno M, Hirosawa K, Morooka Y, Murakami A, Kobayashi H, Inomata T. Prevalence and characteristics of dry eye disease in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18348. [PMID: 36319814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22037-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated and characterized the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) in Parkinson's disease (PD). PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant studies between January 1, 1979 and March 10, 2022. Quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. Study-specific estimates were combined using the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. Prevalence of subjective DED symptoms in patients with PD and mean differences in blink rate, corneal thickness, tear film breakup time, and tear secretion volume on Schirmer test I were compared to those in controls. Of 383 studies, 13 (1519 patients with PD) and 12 were included in qualitative and quantitative syntheses, respectively. Meta-analysis revealed a 61.1% prevalence of subjective DED symptoms in PD and that, compared with controls, patients with PD had significantly lower blink rate, thinner corneal thickness, shorter tear film breakup time, and lower tear secretion volumes on Schirmer test I, without and with anesthesia.
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15
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Demiral ŞB, Manza P, Biesecker E, Wiers C, Shokri-Kojori E, McPherson K, Dennis E, Johnson A, Tomasi D, Wang GJ, Volkow ND. Striatal D1 and D2 receptor availability are selectively associated with eye-blink rates after methylphenidate treatment. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1015. [PMID: 36163254 PMCID: PMC9513088 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03979-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye-blink rate has been proposed as a biomarker of the brain dopamine system, however, findings have not been consistent. This study assessed the relationship between blink rates, measured after oral placebo) (PL) and after a challenge with oral methylphenidate (MP; 60 mg) and striatal D1 receptor (D1R) (measured at baseline) and D2 receptor (D2R) availability (measured after PL and after MP) in healthy participants. PET measures of baseline D1R ([11C]NNC112) (BL-D1R) and D2R availability ([11C]raclopride) after PL (PL-D2R) and after MP (MP-D2R) were quantified in the striatum as non-displaceable binding potential. MP reduced the number of blinks and increased the time participants kept their eyes open. Correlations with dopamine receptors were only significant for the eye blink measures obtained after MP; being positive for BL-D1R in putamen and MP-D2R in caudate (PL-D2R were not significant). MP-induced changes in blink rates (PL minus MP) were negatively correlated with BL-D1R in caudate and putamen. Our findings suggest that eye blink measures obtained while stressing the dopamine system might provide a more sensitive behavioral biomarker of striatal D1R or D2R in healthy volunteers than that obtained at baseline or after placebo. PET imaging in human participants revealed that D1 and D2 dopamine receptor availability was associated with eye-blink rates following treatment with oral methylphenidate, but not a placebo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şükrü B Demiral
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Peter Manza
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erin Biesecker
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Corinde Wiers
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Evan Dennis
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Allison Johnson
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dardo Tomasi
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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16
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Ortega J, Plaska CR, Gomes BA, Ellmore TM. Spontaneous Eye Blink Rate During the Working Memory Delay Period Predicts Task Accuracy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:788231. [PMID: 35242077 PMCID: PMC8886217 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.788231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) has been linked to attention and memory, specifically working memory (WM). sEBR is also related to striatal dopamine (DA) activity with schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease showing increases and decreases, respectively, in sEBR. A weakness of past studies of sEBR and WM is that correlations have been reported using blink rates taken at baseline either before or after performance of the tasks used to assess WM. The goal of the present study was to understand how fluctuations in sEBR during different phases of a visual WM task predict task accuracy. In two experiments, with recordings of sEBR collected inside and outside of a magnetic resonance imaging bore, we observed sEBR to be positively correlated with WM task accuracy during the WM delay period. We also found task-related modulation of sEBR, including higher sEBR during the delay period compared to rest, and lower sEBR during task phases (e.g., stimulus encoding) that place demands on visual attention. These results provide further evidence that sEBR could be an important predictor of WM task performance with the changes during the delay period suggesting a role in WM maintenance. The relationship of sEBR to DA activity and WM maintenance is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jefferson Ortega
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chelsea Reichert Plaska
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bernard A Gomes
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Timothy M Ellmore
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
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17
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Martin SL, Jones AKP, Brown CA, Kobylecki C, Whitaker GA, El-Deredy W, Silverdale MA. Altered Pain Processing Associated with Administration of Dopamine Agonist and Antagonist in Healthy Volunteers. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12030351. [PMID: 35326306 PMCID: PMC8946836 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Striatal dopamine dysfunction is associated with the altered top-down modulation of pain processing. The dopamine D2-like receptor family is a potential substrate for such effects due to its primary expression in the striatum, but evidence for this is currently lacking. Here, we investigated the effect of pharmacologically manipulating striatal dopamine D2 receptor activity on the anticipation and perception of acute pain stimuli in humans. Participants received visual cues that induced either certain or uncertain anticipation of two pain intensity levels delivered via a CO2 laser. Rating of the pain intensity and unpleasantness was recorded. Brain activity was recorded with EEG and analysed via source localisation to investigate neural activity during the anticipation and receipt of pain. Participants completed the experiment under three conditions, control (Sodium Chloride), D2 receptor agonist (Cabergoline), and D2 receptor antagonist (Amisulpride), in a repeated-measures, triple-crossover, double-blind study. The antagonist reduced an individuals’ ability to distinguish between low and high pain following uncertain anticipation. The EEG source localisation showed that the agonist and antagonist reduced neural activations in specific brain regions associated with the sensory integration of salient stimuli during the anticipation and receipt of pain. During anticipation, the agonist reduced activity in the right mid-temporal region and the right angular gyrus, whilst the antagonist reduced activity within the right postcentral, right mid-temporal, and right inferior parietal regions. In comparison to control, the antagonist reduced activity within the insula during the receipt of pain, a key structure involved in the integration of the sensory and affective aspects of pain. Pain sensitivity and unpleasantness were not changed by D2R modulation. Our results support the notion that D2 receptor neurotransmission has a role in the top-down modulation of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Martin
- Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6GX, UK
- The Human Pain Research Group, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (A.K.P.J.); (C.A.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anthony K. P. Jones
- The Human Pain Research Group, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (A.K.P.J.); (C.A.B.)
| | - Christopher A. Brown
- The Human Pain Research Group, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (A.K.P.J.); (C.A.B.)
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Christopher Kobylecki
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Neurology, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford M6 8HD, UK; (C.K.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Grace A. Whitaker
- Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Federico Santa María Technical University, Valparaíso 1680, Chile;
| | - Wael El-Deredy
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso 1680, Chile;
| | - Monty A. Silverdale
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Neurology, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford M6 8HD, UK; (C.K.); (M.A.S.)
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18
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Tavano A, Kotz SA. Overt Oculomotor Behavior Reveals Covert Temporal Predictions. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:758138. [PMID: 35221954 PMCID: PMC8874352 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.758138] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Our eyes move in response to stimulus statistics, reacting to surprising events, and adapting to predictable ones. Cortical and subcortical pathways contribute to generating context-specific eye-movement dynamics, and oculomotor dysfunction is recognized as one the early clinical markers of Parkinson's disease (PD). We asked if covert computations of environmental statistics generating temporal expectations for a potential target are registered by eye movements, and if so, assuming that temporal expectations rely on motor system efficiency, whether they are impaired in PD. We used a repeating tone sequence, which generates a hazard rate distribution of target probability, and analyzed the distribution of blinks when participants were waiting for the target, but the target did not appear. Results show that, although PD participants tend to produce fewer and less temporally organized blink events relative to healthy controls, in both groups blinks became more suppressed with increasing target probability, leading to a hazard rate of oculomotor inhibition effects. The covert generation of temporal predictions may reflect a key feature of cognitive resilience in Parkinson's Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tavano
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- *Correspondence: Alessandro Tavano ;
| | - Sonja A. Kotz
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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19
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Nilsson EJ, Bärgman J, Ljung Aust M, Matthews G, Svanberg B. Let Complexity Bring Clarity: A Multidimensional Assessment of Cognitive Load Using Physiological Measures. Front Neurogenom 2022; 3:787295. [PMID: 38235474 PMCID: PMC10790847 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2022.787295] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The effects of cognitive load on driver behavior and traffic safety are unclear and in need of further investigation. Reliable measures of cognitive load for use in research and, subsequently, in the development and implementation of driver monitoring systems are therefore sought. Physiological measures are of interest since they can provide continuous recordings of driver state. Currently, however, a few issues related to their use in this context are not usually taken into consideration, despite being well-known. First, cognitive load is a multidimensional construct consisting of many mental responses (cognitive load components) to added task demand. Yet, researchers treat it as unidimensional. Second, cognitive load does not occur in isolation; rather, it is part of a complex response to task demands in a specific operational setting. Third, physiological measures typically correlate with more than one mental state, limiting the inferences that can be made from them individually. We suggest that acknowledging these issues and studying multiple mental responses using multiple physiological measures and independent variables will lead to greatly improved measurability of cognitive load. To demonstrate the potential of this approach, we used data from a driving simulator study in which a number of physiological measures (heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, skin conductance, pupil diameter, eye blink rate, eye blink duration, EEG alpha power, and EEG theta power) were analyzed. Participants performed a cognitively loading n-back task at two levels of difficulty while driving through three different traffic scenarios, each repeated four times. Cognitive load components and other coinciding mental responses were assessed by considering response patterns of multiple physiological measures in relation to multiple independent variables. With this approach, the construct validity of cognitive load is improved, which is important for interpreting results accurately. Also, the use of multiple measures and independent variables makes the measurements (when analyzed jointly) more diagnostic-that is, better able to distinguish between different cognitive load components. This in turn improves the overall external validity. With more detailed, diagnostic, and valid measures of cognitive load, the effects of cognitive load on traffic safety can be better understood, and hence possibly mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J. Nilsson
- Volvo Cars Safety Centre, Volvo Car Corporation, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jonas Bärgman
- Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Gerald Matthews
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Bo Svanberg
- Volvo Cars Safety Centre, Volvo Car Corporation, Gothenburg, Sweden
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20
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Abstract
Creativity, specifically divergent thinking, has been shown to benefit from unrestrained walking. Despite these findings, it is not clear if it is the lack of restriction that leads to the improvement. Our goal was to explore the effects of motor restrictions on divergent thinking for different movement states. In addition, we assessed whether spontaneous eye blinks, which are linked to motor execution, also predict performance. In experiment 1, we compared the performance in Guilford’s alternate uses task (AUT) during walking vs. sitting, and analysed eye blink rates during both conditions. We found that AUT scores were higher during walking than sitting. Albeit eye blinks differed significantly between movement conditions (walking vs. sitting) and task phase (baseline vs. thinking vs. responding), they did not correlate with task performance. In experiment 2 and 3, participants either walked freely or in a restricted path, or sat freely or fixated on a screen. When the factor restriction was explicitly modulated, the effect of walking was reduced, while restriction showed a significant influence on the fluency scores. Importantly, we found a significant correlation between the rate of eye blinks and creativity scores between subjects, depending on the restriction condition. Our study shows a movement state-independent effect of restriction on divergent thinking. In other words, similar to unrestrained walking, unrestrained sitting also improves divergent thinking. Importantly, we discuss a mechanistic explanation of the effect of restriction on divergent thinking based on the increased size of the focus of attention and the consequent bias towards flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriya Murali
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Barbara Händel
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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21
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Abstract
The blink rate increases if a person indulges in a conversation compared to quiet rest. Since various factors were suggested to explain this increase, the present series of studies tested the influence of different motor activities, cognitive processes and auditory input on the blink behavior but at the same time minimized visual stimulation as well as social influences. Our results suggest that neither cognitive demands without verbalization, nor isolated lip, jaw or tongue movements, nor auditory input during vocalization or listening influence our blinking behavior. In three experiments, we provide evidence that complex facial movements during unvoiced speaking are the driving factors that increase blinking. If the complexity of the motor output increased such as during the verbalization of speech, the blink rate rose even more. Similarly, complex facial movements without cognitive demands, such as sucking on a lollipop, increased the blink rate. Such purely motor-related influences on blinking advise caution particularly when using blink rates assessed during patient interviews as a neurological indicator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Brych
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Supriya Murali
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Händel
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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22
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Stebbins HE, Jacobs ME, Hatton KT, Kaila EN, Rhoades MM. Spontaneous eye blink rate mediates the relationship between sleepiness and impulsivity to negative stimuli. Biol Psychol 2021; 165:108191. [PMID: 34530069 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108191] [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: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that sleep deprivation results in a negativity bias, especially in the context of impaired response inhibition. In the present study we investigated spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR), a correlate of dopamine function, as a mediator of the relationship between subjective sleepiness and impulsivity toward negative stimuli on a Go/NoGo task. Participants rated their sleepiness on a number of measures including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) and subscales of the Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire (CSRQ). The findings revealed that EBR mediated the relationship between sleepiness as measured by the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) and commission errors on negatively valanced stimuli. These findings suggest that reduced inhibition in responding to negative stimuli can be found as a function of subjective sleepiness and that changes in dopamine function may be one contributing factor explaining this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary E Stebbins
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA.
| | - Megan E Jacobs
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA
| | | | - Erin N Kaila
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA
| | - Mollie M Rhoades
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA
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23
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Mueller D, Halfmann K. Dopamine, religiosity, and utilitarian moral judgment. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:627-638. [PMID: 34461025 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1974935] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Our goal was to examine the relationship between biological and sociocultural factors that predict utilitarian moral judgment. Utilitarian moral judgments occur when a specific action is based on the outcome rather than its consistency with social norms. We predicted that (1) individuals with higher levels of dopamine will make more utilitarian decisions and (2) individuals who express greater religiosity will make less utilitarian judgments. We measured dopamine using spontaneous eyeblink rate, an indirect measure associated with striatal dopaminergic transmission. A total of 96 participants completed a utilitarian moral judgment task where they made judgments regarding nonmoral, impersonal, personal low-conflict, and personal high-conflict moral dilemmas. Then, participants completed a questionnaire measuring religiosity. We found a negative relationship between religiosity and the proportion of "yes" judgments participants made in the high-conflict personal dilemmas, which was consistent with our second hypothesis. None of our other hypotheses were supported. Understanding biological and cultural factors that relate to utilitarian moral judgment may also help in developing artificial intelligence that more closely mimic human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Mueller
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI, USA
| | - Kameko Halfmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI, USA
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24
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Kuwamizu R, Suwabe K, Damrongthai C, Fukuie T, Ochi G, Hyodo K, Hiraga T, Nagano-Saito A, Soya H. Spontaneous Eye Blink Rate Connects Missing Link between Aerobic Fitness and Cognition. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2021; 53:1425-1433. [PMID: 33433152 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Higher aerobic fitness, a physiological marker of habitual physical activity, is likely to predict higher executive function based on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), according to current cross-sectional studies. The exact biological link between the brain and the brawn remains unclear, but the brain dopaminergic system, which acts as a driving force for physical activity and exercise, can be hypothesized to connect the missing link above. Recently, spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) was proposed and has been used as a potential, noninvasive marker of brain dopaminergic activity in the neuroscience field. To address the hypothesis above, we sought to determine whether sEBR is a mediator of the association between executive function and aerobic fitness. METHODS Thirty-five healthy young males (18-24 yr old) had their sEBR measured while staring at a fixation cross while at rest. They underwent an aerobic fitness assessment using a graded exercise test to exhaustion and performed a color-word Stroop task as an index of executive function. Stroop task-related cortical activation in the left dorsolateral PFC (l-DLPFC) was monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS Correlation analyses revealed significant correlations among higher aerobic fitness, less Stroop interference, and higher sEBR. Moreover, mediation analyses showed that sEBR significantly mediated the association between aerobic fitness and Stroop interference. In addition, higher sEBR was correlated with higher neural efficiency of the l-DLPFC (i.e., executive function was high, and the corresponding l-DLPFC activation was relatively low). CONCLUSION These results indicate that the sEBR mediates the association between aerobic fitness and executive function through prefrontal neural efficiency, which clearly supports the hypothesis that brain dopaminergic function works to connect, at least in part, the missing link between aerobic fitness and executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuta Kuwamizu
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JAPAN
| | | | | | - Takemune Fukuie
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JAPAN
| | | | - Kazuki Hyodo
- Physical Fitness Research Institute, Meiji Yasuda Life Foundation of Health and Welfare, Tokyo, JAPAN
| | - Taichi Hiraga
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JAPAN
| | - Atsuko Nagano-Saito
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JAPAN
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25
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Buitenweg JIV, Murre JMJ, Ridderinkhof KR. Spontaneous Eye Blinks Predict Executive Functioning in Seniors. J Cogn Enhanc 2021; 5:468-79. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-021-00217-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAs the world’s population is aging rapidly, cognitive training is an extensively used approach to attempt improvement of age-related cognitive functioning. With increasing numbers of older adults required to remain in the workforce, it is important to be able to reliably predict future functional decline, as well as the individual advantages of cognitive training. Given the correlation between age-related decline and striatal dopaminergic function, we investigated whether eye blink rate (EBR), a non-invasive, indirect indicator of dopaminergic activity, could predict executive functioning (response inhibition, switching and working memory updating) as well as trainability of executive functioning in older adults. EBR was collected before and after a cognitive flexibility training, cognitive training without flexibility, or a mock training. EBR predicted working memory updating performance on two measures of updating, as well as trainability of working memory updating, whereas performance and trainability in inhibition and switching tasks could not be predicted by EBR. Our findings tentatively indicate that EBR permits prediction of working memory performance in older adults. To fully interpret the relationship with executive functioning, we suggest future research should assess both EBR and dopamine receptor availability among seniors.
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26
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Dave AA, Lehet M, Diwadkar VA, Thakkar KN. Ocular measures during associative learning predict recall accuracy. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 166:103-15. [PMID: 34052234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.05.010] [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: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to form associations between stimuli and commit those associations to memory is a cornerstone of human cognition. Dopamine and noradrenaline are critical neuromodulators implicated in a range of cognitive functions, including learning and memory. Eye blink rate (EBR) and pupil diameter have been shown to index dopaminergic and noradrenergic activity. Here, we examined how these ocular measures relate to accuracy in a paired-associate learning task where participants (N = 73) learned consistent object-location associations over eight trials consisting of pre-trial fixation, encoding, delay, and retrieval epochs. In order to examine how within-subject changes and between-subject changes in ocular metrics related to accuracy, we mean centered individual metric values on each trial based on within-person and across-subject means for each epoch. Within-participant variation in EBR was positively related to accuracy in both encoding and delay epochs: faster EBR within the individual predicted better retrieval. Differences in EBR across participants was negatively related to accuracy in the encoding epoch and in early trials of the pre-trial fixation: faster EBR, relative to other subjects, predicted poorer retrieval. Visual scanning behavior in pre-trial fixation and delay epochs was also positively related to accuracy in early trials: more scanning predicted better retrieval. We found no relationship between pupil diameter and accuracy. These results provide novel evidence supporting the utility of ocular metrics in illuminating cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms of paired-associate learning.
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Westbrook A, Ghosh A, van den Bosch R, Määttä JI, Hofmans L, Cools R. Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity reflects smartphone social activity. iScience 2021; 24:102497. [PMID: 34113831 PMCID: PMC8170001 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Striatal dopamine and smartphone behavior have both been linked with behavioral variability. Here, we leverage day-to-day logs of natural, unconstrained smartphone behavior and establish a correlation between a measure of smartphone social activity previously linked with behavioral variability and a measure of striatal dopamine synthesis capacity using [18F]-DOPA PET in (N = 22) healthy adult humans. Specifically, we find that a higher proportion of social app interactions correlates with lower dopamine synthesis capacity in the bilateral putamen. Permutation tests and penalized regressions provide evidence that this link between dopamine synthesis capacity and social versus non-social smartphone interactions is specific. These observations provide a key empirical grounding for current speculations about dopamine's role in digital social behavior. Putamen dopamine synthesis capacity correlates with smartphone social app use. The correlation parallels a prior link between social app use and motor variability. It is selective to social app use, controlling for multiple smartphone use factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Westbrook
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands.,Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Arko Ghosh
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden 2333 AK, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben van den Bosch
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands.,Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica I Määttä
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands.,Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Lieke Hofmans
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands.,Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Roshan Cools
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands.,Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
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Simkute D, Nagula I, Tarailis P, Burkauskas J, Griskova-Bulanova I. Internet Usage Habits and Experienced Levels of Psychopathology: A Pilot Study on Association with Spontaneous Eye Blinking Rate. J Pers Med 2021; 11:288. [PMID: 33918557 PMCID: PMC8068990 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11040288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing availability of the internet has resulted in the increased prevalence of problematic online behaviors. Reliable and affordable neurobiological and psychological biomarkers that distinguish problematic internet use (PIU) from functional online activities are of utmost importance. Previous studies have shown a relationship between spontaneous eye blinking rate (sEBR) and changes in dopamine regulation in neurological and psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. In this study, we utilized sEBR to examine the potential link between individual differences in dopaminergic neurotransmission and PIU. In sum, 62 subjects participated in this study (median age 25, IQR 6 years, 34 females). The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-9), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Clark-Beck Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (CBOCI) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) were used for psychological assessment. The sEBRs were assessed with an electrooculogram recorded from above and below the left eye and from the right and left outer canthi. The group with PIU (PIUQ-9 > 20) expressed higher levels of impulsivity and compulsive behavior symptoms than the control group. In the group with PIU, impulsivity levels were inversely related to sEBR, and a trend of negative association of sEBR with compulsive behavior was observed. Future research should enroll subjects with high levels of PIU and strongly expressed psychopathology levels to further address the utility of sEBR as a potential biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dovile Simkute
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
| | - Igor Nagula
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
| | - Povilas Tarailis
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
| | - Julius Burkauskas
- Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vyduno Str. 4, LT-00135 Palanga, Lithuania;
| | - Inga Griskova-Bulanova
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
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29
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Imburgio MJ, Ballard HK, Cornwall AC, Worthy DA, Bernard JA, Orr JM. Preliminary effects of prefrontal tDCS on dopamine-mediated behavior and psychophysiology. Behav Brain Res 2021; 402:113091. [PMID: 33359843 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The ability to manipulate dopamine in vivo through non-invasive, reversible mechanisms has the potential to impact clinical, translational, and basic research. Recent PET studies have demonstrated increased dopamine release in the striatum after bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We sought to extend this work by examining whether bifrontal tDCS could demonstrate an effect on behavioral and physiological correlates of subcortical dopamine activity. We conducted a preliminary between-subjects study (n = 30) with active and sham tDCS and used spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR), facial attractiveness ratings, and greyscales orienting bias as indirect proxies for dopamine functioning. The initial design and analyses were pre-registered (https://osf.io/gmnpc). Stimulation did not significantly affect any of the three measures, though effect sizes were often moderately large and were all in the predicted directions. Additional exploratory analyses suggested that stimulation's effect on EBR might depend on pre-stimulation dopamine levels. Our results suggest that larger samples than those that are standard in tDCS literature should be used to assess the effect of tDCS on dopamine using indirect measures. Further, exploratory results add to a growing body of work demonstrating the importance of accounting for individual differences in tDCS response.
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Chen HY, Dix A, Goh JOS, Smolka MN, Thurm F, Li SC. Effects and mechanisms of information saliency in enhancing value-based decision-making in younger and older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 99:86-98. [PMID: 33422897 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aging attenuates frontostriatal network functioning, which could lead to deficits in value computation when decision-making involves uncertainty. Although it has been shown that visually enhancing information saliency of outcome probability can improve decision-making in old age, mechanisms of this effect are still unclear. In the present study, the saliency of outcome probability was increased using a color-coding scheme as a decision aid in a mixed lottery choice task, and spontaneous eye-blink rate and pupillary responses were assessed in younger and older adults. Older adults showed lower value sensitivity than younger adults; however, increasing information saliency benefitted choice behaviors in both age groups. Furthermore, the decision aid reduced pupil size during decision-making in both age groups, suggesting that enhancing information saliency decreases cognitive demands of value computation. Baseline value sensitivity was negatively correlated with benefit of enhancing information saliency only in older adults. As value representations in older decision makers are less distinctive at baseline, they may have required more environmental compensation than younger adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Yu Chen
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Annika Dix
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Chair of Engineering Psychology and Applied Cognitive Research, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joshua Oon Soo Goh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franka Thurm
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Shu-Chen Li
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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McGovern JE, Masucci MD, Le TP, Cohen AS. The (b)link between amotivation and psychosis: Insights through phasic eye blink rate. Psychiatry Res 2020; 294:113490. [PMID: 33038790 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Motivation deficits within Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSDs) are associated with abnormal striatal dopamine responses during reward processing. Eye blink rate (EBR) has been used as a proxy for striatal dopamine; however, it is unclear whether EBR is sensitive to individual differences in amotivation. Amotivation (clinician-rated and self-reported) and EBR during an effort-based reward task were assessed in 28 outpatients with SSDs. EBR was lower during more "active" task phases relative to rest periods. Higher EBR during reward anticipation was associated with lower self-reported, but not clinician-rated, motivation. These preliminary results support a task-engagement, rather than striatal dopamine, account of EBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E McGovern
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States; Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, United States.
| | - Michael D Masucci
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States; Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, United States
| | - Thanh P Le
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States
| | - Alex S Cohen
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States; Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, United States
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Hidalgo-Lopez E, Zimmermann G, Pletzer B. Intra-subject consistency of spontaneous eye blink rate in young women across the menstrual cycle. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15666. [PMID: 32973291 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72749-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR) has been linked to different cognitive processes and neurobiological factors. It has also been proposed as a putative index for striatal dopaminergic function. While estradiol is well-known to increase dopamine levels through multiple mechanisms, no study up to date has investigated whether the EBR changes across the menstrual cycle. This question is imperative however, as women have sometimes been excluded from studies using the EBR due to potential effects of their hormonal profile. Fifty-four women were tested for spontaneous EBR at rest in three different phases of their menstrual cycle: during menses (low progesterone and estradiol), in the pre-ovulatory phase (when estradiol levels peak and progesterone is still low), and during the luteal phase (high progesterone and estradiol). No significant differences were observed across the menstrual cycle and Bayes factors show strong support for the null hypothesis. Instead, we observed high intra-individual consistency of the EBR in our female sample. Accordingly, we strongly encourage including female participants in EBR studies, regardless of their cycle phase.
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Boonstra EA, van Schouwenburg MR, Seth AK, Bauer M, Zantvoord JB, Kemper EM, Lansink CS, Slagter HA. Conscious perception and the modulatory role of dopamine: no effect of the dopamine D2 agonist cabergoline on visual masking, the attentional blink, and probabilistic discrimination. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2855-2872. [PMID: 32621073 PMCID: PMC7501106 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05579-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Conscious perception is thought to depend on global amplification of sensory input. In recent years, striatal dopamine has been proposed to be involved in gating information and conscious access, due to its modulatory influence on thalamocortical connectivity. OBJECTIVES Since much of the evidence that implicates striatal dopamine is correlational, we conducted a double-blind crossover pharmacological study in which we administered cabergoline-a dopamine D2 agonist-and placebo to 30 healthy participants. Under both conditions, we subjected participants to several well-established experimental conscious-perception paradigms, such as backward masking and the attentional blink task. RESULTS We found no evidence in support of an effect of cabergoline on conscious perception: key behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) findings associated with each of these tasks were unaffected by cabergoline. CONCLUSIONS Our results cast doubt on a causal role for dopamine in visual perception. It remains an open possibility that dopamine has causal effects in other tasks, perhaps where perceptual uncertainty is more prominent.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Boonstra
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA) Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - M R van Schouwenburg
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - A K Seth
- Department of Informatics Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Azrieli Programme on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness, Toronto, Canada
| | - M Bauer
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - J B Zantvoord
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Bascule, Academic Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - E M Kemper
- Department of Pharmacy, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - C S Lansink
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - H A Slagter
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA) Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Frank GKW, Kalina C, DeGuzman MC, Shott ME. Eye blink and reward prediction error response in anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 2020; 53:1544-1549. [PMID: 32567716 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional brain imaging has been used to study brain reward function and behavioral traits in anorexia nervosa (AN). Here we tested whether eye blink relates to behavior and brain imaging response as a method that is less costly and more accessible. METHOD We recruited 26 women with AN and 50 healthy matched controls. All underwent a reward-learning prediction error task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, eye blink was measured for spontaneous blink rate, baseline blink amplitude, and startle response to an auditory stimulus. RESULTS Baseline blink rate, amplitude and startle response were similar between groups. In AN, there were significant positive correlations between spontaneous blink rate and bulimia symptoms, and baseline blink amplitude and prediction error response in right-sided caudate, insula, and nucleus accumbens. Correlations between eye blink measures and body dissatisfaction or harm avoidance were no longer significant after multiple comparison adjustments. DISCUSSION This study provides evidence that measures of eye blink response can be related to brain prediction error response and eating disorder behavior in AN. The catecholamine dopamine contributes to both eye blink and prediction error response providing indirect evidence that it could be a neurobiological correlate that contributes to behaviors relevant to AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | - Megan E Shott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
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Unsworth N, Robison MK, Miller AL. Individual differences in baseline oculometrics: Examining variation in baseline pupil diameter, spontaneous eye blink rate, and fixation stability. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. [PMID: 30888645 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-019-00709-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in baseline oculometrics (baseline pupil diameter, spontaneous eye blink rate, fixation stability), and their relation with cognitive abilities, personality traits, and self-report assessments were examined. Participants performed a baseline eye measure in which they were instructed to stare at a fixation point onscreen for 5 min. Following the baseline eye measure, participants completed a questionnaire asking what they were thinking about during the baseline eye measure. Participants also completed various cognitive ability measures assessing working memory capacity, attention control, and off-task thinking. Finally, participants completed a number of questionnaires assessing personality, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptomology, mind wandering, and morningness-eveningness. Overall, the vast majority of correlations with the baseline eye measures were weak and nonsignificant, suggesting that these associations may not be very robust. The results also demonstrated the importance of examining what participants are thinking about during the baseline measure. These results add to the growing body of findings suggesting inconsistent relations between different baseline eye measures and various individual differences constructs.
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Chakroun K, Mathar D, Wiehler A, Ganzer F, Peters J. Dopaminergic modulation of the exploration/exploitation trade-off in human decision-making. eLife 2020; 9:e51260. [PMID: 32484779 PMCID: PMC7266623 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [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: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Involvement of dopamine in regulating exploration during decision-making has long been hypothesized, but direct causal evidence in humans is still lacking. Here, we use a combination of computational modeling, pharmacological intervention and functional magnetic resonance imaging to address this issue. Thirty-one healthy male participants performed a restless four-armed bandit task in a within-subjects design under three drug conditions: 150 mg of the dopamine precursor L-dopa, 2 mg of the D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol, and placebo. Choices were best explained by an extension of an established Bayesian learning model accounting for perseveration, directed exploration and random exploration. Modeling revealed attenuated directed exploration under L-dopa, while neural signatures of exploration, exploitation and prediction error were unaffected. Instead, L-dopa attenuated neural representations of overall uncertainty in insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Our results highlight the computational role of these regions in exploration and suggest that dopamine modulates how this circuit tracks accumulating uncertainty during decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karima Chakroun
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - David Mathar
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Antonius Wiehler
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière - ICM, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche - CENIR, Sorbonne Universités, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Florian Ganzer
- German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Jan Peters
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of CologneCologneGermany
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Shaafi Kabiri N, Brooks C, Comery T, Kelley ME, Fried P, Bhangu J, Thomas K. The Hawthorne Effect in Eye-blinking: Awareness that One's Blinks are Being Counted Alters Blink Behavior. Curr Eye Res 2020; 45:1380-1384. [PMID: 32272023 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2020.1752736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Spontaneous eye-blink rate is the number of involuntary blinks performed during a certain period of time. Assessing blink rate in humans provides valuable physiological and behavioral data for studying neuropathology and emotional states. Cognitive states, including awareness on the part of the subject that his or her blinks are being counted, may influence blink activity and confound blink rate measurements. The goal of this study was to provide direct experimental evaluation of the hypothesis that subject awareness affects tasked-based blink activity. Materials and methods: 30 young healthy adult males with normal vision underwent a series of tasks - viewing images, talking, sitting quietly, and cross fixation - while being video recorded. Each subject completed the tasks naively, then repeated them after being explicitly told their blink rate was being measured. Blink rate was measured through minute-by-minute blink counts by human raters. Results: We found a transitory impact on blink count during the first and third minute of a passive image-viewing task that occurred immediately after subjects were informed of their eye blinks being counted. However, the overall blink rate across the 7-min passive image-viewing task was not influenced. In three other tasks - fixation, silence, and conversation - we observed no statistically significant difference in minute-by-minute blink count or overall blink rate. Conclusions: We conclude that informing a subject that his eye blinks are being counted exerts a modest but significant acute influence on blinking activity, but critically does not appear to confound blink rate over prolonged tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Shaafi Kabiri
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chris Brooks
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tom Comery
- Early Clinical Development, Pfizer Inc ., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Pete Fried
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaspreet Bhangu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kevin Thomas
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Byrne KA, Otto AR, Pang B, Patrick CJ, Worthy DA. Substance use is associated with reduced devaluation sensitivity. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2019; 19:40-55. [PMID: 30377929 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Substance use has been linked to impairments in reward processing and decision-making, yet empirical research on the relationship between substance use and devaluation of reward in humans is limited. We report findings from two studies that tested whether individual differences in substance use behavior predicted reward learning strategies and devaluation sensitivity in a nonclinical sample. Participants in Experiment 1 (N = 66) and Experiment 2 (N = 91) completed subscales of the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory and then performed a two-stage reinforcement learning task that included a devaluation procedure. Spontaneous eye blink rate was used as an indirect proxy for dopamine functioning. In Experiment 1, correlational analysis revealed a negative relationship between substance use and devaluation sensitivity. In Experiment 2, regression modeling revealed that while spontaneous eyeblink rate moderated the relationship between substance use and reward learning strategies, substance use alone was related to devaluation sensitivity. These results suggest that once reward-action associations are established during reinforcement learning, substance use predicted reduced sensitivity to devaluation independently of variation in eyeblink rate. Thus, substance use is not only related to increased habit formation but also to difficulty disengaging from learned habits. Implications for the role of the dopaminergic system in habitual responding in individuals with substance use problems are discussed.
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Schutte I, Deschamps PKH, van Harten PN, Kenemans JL. Dopaminergic and noradrenergic manipulation of anticipatory reward and probability event-related potentials. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2019-2030. [PMID: 32313980 PMCID: PMC7306042 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05515-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Predicting what will happen in the future in terms of potential reward is essential in daily life. The aim of the current study was to investigate the neurotransmitter systems involved in the anticipation of reward value and probability. We hypothesized that dopaminergic and noradrenergic antagonism would affect anticipation of reward value and probability, respectively. Twenty-three healthy participants were included in a haloperidol (2 mg) × clonidine (0.150 mg) × placebo cross-over design and subjected to a Go/NoGo experimental task during which cues signaled the probability of subsequent target appearance. Reward value (amount of money that could be won for correct and fast responding to the target) as well as probability of target appearance was orthogonally manipulated across four task blocks. Cue-elicited EEG event-related potentials were recorded to assess anticipation of value and probability, respectively. The processing of reward value was affected by dopaminergic antagonism (haloperidol), as evidenced by reduction of the reward-related positivity and P300 to reward cues. This reduction was specifically significant for subjects with high baseline dopamine levels for the P300 and most pronounced for these subjects for the reward-related positivity. In contrast, the processing of reward probability was affected by noradrenergic antagonism (clonidine). In addition, both drugs reduced overall performance (omission rate, response speed variability). We conclude that at least anticipation of reward value and probability, respectively, is specifically affected by dopaminergic versus noradrenergic antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Schutte
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter K. H. Deschamps
- grid.7692.a0000000090126352Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter N. van Harten
- grid.412966.e0000 0004 0480 1382Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.491215.a0000 0004 0468 1456Psychiatric Center GGZ Centraal, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - J. Leon Kenemans
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Hornung T, Chan WH, Müller RA, Townsend J, Keehn B. Dopaminergic hypo-activity and reduced theta-band power in autism spectrum disorder: A resting-state EEG study. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 146:101-106. [PMID: 31669326 PMCID: PMC6933439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies using a variety of methodologies have reported inconsistent dopamine (DA) findings in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ranging from dopaminergic hypo- to hyper-activity. Theta-band power derived from scalp-recorded electroencephalography (EEG), which may be associated with dopamine levels in frontal cortex, has also been shown to be atypical in ASD. The present study examined spontaneous eye-blink rate (EBR), an indirect, non-invasive measure of central dopaminergic activity, and theta power in children with ASD to determine: 1) whether ASD may be associated with atypical DA levels, and 2) whether dopaminergic dysfunction may be associated with aberrant theta-band activation. METHOD Participants included thirty-two children with ASD and thirty-two age-, IQ-, and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. Electroencephalography and eye-tracking data were acquired while participants completed an eyes-open resting-state session. Blinks were counted and EBR was determined by dividing blink frequency by session duration and theta power (4-7.5 Hz) was extracted from midline leads. RESULTS Eye-blink rate and theta-band activity were significantly reduced in children with ASD as compared to their TD peers. For all participants, greater midline theta power was associated with increased EBR (related to higher DA levels). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that ASD may be associated with dopaminergic hypo-activity, and that this may contribute to atypical theta-band power. Lastly, EBR may be a useful tool to non-invasively index dopamine levels in ASD and could potentially have many clinical applications, including selecting treatment options and monitoring treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hornung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Wen-Hsuan Chan
- Research on Autism and Development Lab, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Jeanne Townsend
- Research on Autism and Development Lab, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Brandon Keehn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America; Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America.
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Van Slooten JC, Jahfari S, Theeuwes J. Spontaneous eye blink rate predicts individual differences in exploration and exploitation during reinforcement learning. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17436. [PMID: 31758031 PMCID: PMC6874684 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53805-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) has been linked to striatal dopamine function and to how individuals make value-based choices after a period of reinforcement learning (RL). While sEBR is thought to reflect how individuals learn from the negative outcomes of their choices, this idea has not been tested explicitly. This study assessed how individual differences in sEBR relate to learning by focusing on the cognitive processes that drive RL. Using Bayesian latent mixture modelling to quantify the mapping between RL behaviour and its underlying cognitive processes, we were able to differentiate low and high sEBR individuals at the level of these cognitive processes. Further inspection of these cognitive processes indicated that sEBR uniquely indexed explore-exploit tendencies during RL: lower sEBR predicted exploitative choices for high valued options, whereas higher sEBR predicted exploration of lower value options. This relationship was additionally supported by a network analysis where, notably, no link was observed between sEBR and how individuals learned from negative outcomes. Our findings challenge the notion that sEBR predicts learning from negative outcomes during RL, and suggest that sEBR predicts individual explore-exploit tendencies. These then influence value sensitivity during choices to support successful performance when facing uncertain reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne C Van Slooten
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sara Jahfari
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Royal Academy of Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Trutti AC, Sjoerds Z, Hommel B. Attentional blink and putative noninvasive dopamine markers: Two experiments to consolidate possible associations. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2019; 19:1444-57. [PMID: 31396846 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-019-00717-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive behavioral control involves a balance between top-down persistence and flexible updating of goals under changing demands. According to the metacontrol state model (MSM), this balance emerges from the interaction between the frontal and the striatal dopaminergic system. The attentional blink (AB) task has been argued to tap into the interaction between persistence and flexibility, as it reflects overpersistence—the too-exclusive allocation of attentional resources to the processing of the first of two consecutive targets. Notably, previous studies are inconclusive about the association between the AB and noninvasive proxies of dopamine including the spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR), which allegedly assesses striatal dopamine levels. We aimed to substantiate and extend previous attempts to predict individual sizes of the AB in two separate experiments with larger sample sizes (N = 71 & N = 65) by means of noninvasive behavioral and physiological proxies of dopamine (DA), such as sEBR and mood measures, which are likely to reflect striatal dopamine levels, and color discrimination, which has been argued to tap into the frontal dopamine levels. Our findings did not confirm the prediction that AB size covaries with sEBR, mood, or color discrimination. The implications of this inconsistency with previous observations are discussed.
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Ehinger BV, Groß K, Ibs I, König P. A new comprehensive eye-tracking test battery concurrently evaluating the Pupil Labs glasses and the EyeLink 1000. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7086. [PMID: 31328028 PMCID: PMC6625505 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [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: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Eye-tracking experiments rely heavily on good data quality of eye-trackers. Unfortunately, it is often the case that only the spatial accuracy and precision values are available from the manufacturers. These two values alone are not sufficient to serve as a benchmark for an eye-tracker: Eye-tracking quality deteriorates during an experimental session due to head movements, changing illumination or calibration decay. Additionally, different experimental paradigms require the analysis of different types of eye movements; for instance, smooth pursuit movements, blinks or microsaccades, which themselves cannot readily be evaluated by using spatial accuracy or precision alone. To obtain a more comprehensive description of properties, we developed an extensive eye-tracking test battery. In 10 different tasks, we evaluated eye-tracking related measures such as: the decay of accuracy, fixation durations, pupil dilation, smooth pursuit movement, microsaccade classification, blink classification, or the influence of head motion. For some measures, true theoretical values exist. For others, a relative comparison to a reference eye-tracker is needed. Therefore, we collected our gaze data simultaneously from a remote EyeLink 1000 eye-tracker as the reference and compared it with the mobile Pupil Labs glasses. As expected, the average spatial accuracy of 0.57° for the EyeLink 1000 eye-tracker was better than the 0.82° for the Pupil Labs glasses (N = 15). Furthermore, we classified less fixations and shorter saccade durations for the Pupil Labs glasses. Similarly, we found fewer microsaccades using the Pupil Labs glasses. The accuracy over time decayed only slightly for the EyeLink 1000, but strongly for the Pupil Labs glasses. Finally, we observed that the measured pupil diameters differed between eye-trackers on the individual subject level but not on the group level. To conclude, our eye-tracking test battery offers 10 tasks that allow us to benchmark the many parameters of interest in stereotypical eye-tracking situations and addresses a common source of confounds in measurement errors (e.g., yaw and roll head movements). All recorded eye-tracking data (including Pupil Labs' eye videos), the stimulus code for the test battery, and the modular analysis pipeline are freely available (https://github.com/behinger/etcomp).
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt V. Ehinger
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Katharina Groß
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Inga Ibs
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Peter König
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Maremmani C, Monastero R, Orlandi G, Salvadori S, Pieroni A, Baschi R, Pecori A, Dolciotti C, Berchina G, Rovini E, Cuddemi F, Cavallo F. Objective assessment of blinking and facial expressions in Parkinson's disease using a vertical electro-oculogram and facial surface electromyography. Physiol Meas 2019; 40:065005. [PMID: 31018181 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/ab1c05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hypomimia is a common and early symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), which reduces the ability of PD patients to manifest emotions. Currently, it is visually evaluated by the neurologist during neurological examinations for PD diagnosis, as described in task 3.2 of the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Since such an evaluation is semi-quantitative and affected by inter-variability, this paper aims to measure the physiological parameters related to eye blink and facial expressions extracted from a vertical electro-oculogram (VEOG) and facial surface electromyography (fsEMG) to differentiate PD patients from healthy control subjects (HCs). APPROACH The spontaneous eye blink rate-minute (sEBR), its maximum amplitude (BMP), and facial cutaneous muscle activity were measured in 24 PD patients and 24 HCs while the subjects looked at a visual-tester composed of three main parts: static vision, dynamic vision and reading silently. Specificity and sensitivity for each parameter were calculated. MAIN RESULTS The VEOG and the fsEMG allowed the identification of some parameters related to eye blink and facial expressions (i.e. sEBR, BMP, frontal and peribuccal muscular activities), being able to distinguish between PD patients and HCs with high sensitivity and specificity. SIGNIFICANCE The demonstration that the combination of parameters related to eye blink and facial expressions can discriminate (with high accuracy) between PD patients versus HCs, thus resulting in a useful tool to support the neurologist in objective assessment of hypomimia for improving PD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Maremmani
- Unità Operativa di Neurologia, Laboratorio Congiunto di Neuro-Biorobotica, Ospedale delle Apuane, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Massa, Italia
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Maffei A, Angrilli A. Spontaneous blink rate as an index of attention and emotion during film clips viewing. Physiol Behav 2019; 204:256-263. [PMID: 30822434 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Spontaneous blinking is a non-invasive indicator known to reflect dopaminergic influence over frontal cortex and attention allocation in perceptual tasks. 38 participants watched eighteen short film clips (2 min), designed to elicit specific affective states, and arranged in six different emotional categories, while their eye movements were recorded from the vertical electroculogram. The largest blink rate inhibition, reflecting greater attention allocation to the movie, was observed during the presentation of Erotic clips, excerpts on wilderness depicting beautiful landscapes (Scenery), as well as clips showing crying characters (Compassion). Instead, the minimum blink rate inhibition was found for Fear clips, which induced a defensive response with stimulus rejection. Blink rate across time evidenced how Compassion clips elicited early inhibition while Sadness clips induced a slower, later inhibition. Correlation analyses also revealed a negative correlation (r < -0.40) between total blink rate recorded during Erotic and Compassion clips and self-reported interest. Overall, the main variable explaining blink rate was emotional Valence. Results suggest that blink modulation is related with the motivational relevance and biological significance of the stimuli, tracking their differential recruitment of attentional resources. Furthermore, they provide a solid background for studying the emotion-attention patterns and their deficits also in clinical samples (e.g., neurological and psychiatric patients) using spontaneous blinking as a not-interfering psychophysiological measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy; IN CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova Section, Italy; PNC - Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy.
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Byrne KA, Worthy DA. Examining the link between reward and response inhibition in individuals with substance abuse tendencies. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 194:518-525. [PMID: 30544087 PMCID: PMC6340392 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use problems are often characterized by dysregulation in reward sensitivity and inhibitory control. In line with this representation, the goal of this investigation was to determine how substance abuse tendencies among university students affect incentivized response inhibition. Additionally, this study examined whether striatal dopamine moderates the impact of substance use on response inhibition performance. METHODS The sample included ninety-eight university students. Participants completed this prospective experimental study at an on-campus laboratory. All participants completed substance abuse and disinhibition subscales of the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory-Brief Form. Using a within-subjects design, participants then performed the Stop Signal Task under both neutral (unrewarded) and reward conditions, in which correct response cancellations resulted in a monetary reward. Striatal tonic dopamine levels were operationalized using spontaneous eyeblink rate. RESULTS The outcome measures were Stop Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) performance in the unrewarded and rewarded phases of the task. A hierarchical linear regression analysis, controlling for trait disinhibition, age, gender, and cigarette smoking status, identified an interactive effect of substance use and striatal dopamine levels on incentivized SSRT. Substance abuse tendencies were associated with slower SSRT and thus poorer inhibitory control under reward conditions among individuals with low levels of striatal dopamine (F = 7.613, p = .007). CONCLUSIONS This work has implications for research examining advanced drug use trajectories. In situations in which rewards are at stake, drug users with low tonic dopamine may be more motivated to seek those rewards at the expense of regulating inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaileigh A. Byrne
- Department of Psychology, Clemson University, 418 Brackett Hall Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Darrell A. Worthy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A and M University, 400 Bizzell St., College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Hartley CA, Coelho CAO, Boeke E, Ramirez F, Phelps EA. Individual differences in blink rate modulate the effect of instrumental control on subsequent Pavlovian responding. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:87-97. [PMID: 30386862 PMCID: PMC6373194 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5082-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Pavlovian conditioned responses to cues that signal threat are rapidly acquired and tend to persist over time. However, recent research suggests that the ability to actively avoid or exert control over an anticipated threat can diminish the subsequent expression of Pavlovian responses. Studies in animal models suggest that active avoidance behavior and its consequences may be mediated by dopaminergic function. In the present study, we sought to replicate the finding that active control over threat can attenuate subsequent Pavlovian responding in humans and conducted exploratory analyses testing whether individual differences in blink rate, a putative index of dopaminergic function, might modulate this effect. METHODS Participants underwent Pavlovian aversive conditioning, followed immediately by one of two conditions. In the active avoidance condition, participants had the opportunity to actively prevent the occurrence of an anticipated shock, whereas in a yoked extinction condition, participants passively observed the cessation of shocks, but with no ability to influence their occurrence. The following day, the conditioned stimuli were presented without shock, but both groups of participants had no opportunity to employ active instrumental responses. Blink rate was measured throughout the task, and skin conductance responses served as our index of Pavlovian conditioned responding. RESULTS Consistent with our previous findings, we observed that the group that could actively avoid the shock on day 1 exhibited attenuated recovery of Pavlovian conditioned responses. Further, we found that individuals in the active avoidance group with higher blink rates exhibited a more robust attenuation of spontaneous recovery. CONCLUSION This finding suggests that individual variation in dopaminergic function may modulate the efficacy with which active avoidance strategies can attenuate reactive Pavlovian responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Hartley
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, USA.
| | - Cesar A O Coelho
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emily Boeke
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Phelps
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, USA
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, USA
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Nakano T, Miyazaki Y. Blink synchronization is an indicator of interest while viewing videos. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 135:1-11. [PMID: 30428333 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The temporal pattern of spontaneous blinks changes greatly depending on an individual's internal cognitive state. For instance, when several individuals watch the same video, blinks can be synchronized at attentional breakpoints. The present study examined the degree of this blink synchronization, as reflecting an interest level, while viewing various video clips. In the first experiment, participants interested in soccer, shogi (Japanese chess), or a specific musical group watched a video clip related to each category and rated their interest level after viewing. Results revealed that blink synchronization increased with a rise in interest level in the video clips of soccer and shogi. Moreover, while blink synchronization increased when viewing preferred video clips for the soccer and music group fans, synchronization decreased when viewing videos from the other categories, except for the shogi fans. In contrast, the blink rates did not correlate with the interest level on the video content but changed with the number of shot transitions of it. In the second experiment, participants viewed a video in which a professional salesperson gave descriptions of several products for a few minutes each. When participants reported an interest in the product, blinks were synchronized to the salesperson's blinks. However, when feeling uninterested, blink synchronization did not occur. These results suggest that blink synchronization could be used as an involuntary index to assess a person's interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamami Nakano
- Graduate School of Frontiers Bioscience, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; JST PRESTO, Japan.
| | - Yuta Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Information, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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Mathar D, Wiehler A, Chakroun K, Goltz D, Peters J. A potential link between gambling addiction severity and central dopamine levels: Evidence from spontaneous eye blink rates. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13371. [PMID: 30190487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31531-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence points at similarities between substance use disorders (SUD) and gambling disorder on the behavioral and neural level. In SUD, attenuation of striatal D2/3-receptor availability is a consistent finding, at least for stimulating substances. For gambling disorder, no clear association with striatal D2/3-receptor availability has been unveiled so far. With its presumably negligible dopaminergic toxicity, possible differences in receptor availability in gambling disorder might constitute a vulnerability marker. Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) is discussed as a potential proxy measure for striatal dopamine D2/3-receptor availability. Here we examined sEBR in 21 male problem gamblers and 20 healthy control participants. In addition, participants completed a screening questionnaire for overall psychopathology and self-reported measures of alcohol and nicotine consumption. We found no significant difference in sEBR between gamblers and controls. However, in gamblers, sEBR was negatively associated with gambling severity and positively associated with psychopathology. A final exploratory analysis revealed that healthy controls with low sEBR displayed higher alcohol and nicotine consumption than healthy participants with high sEBR. Although the exact association between dopamine transmission and sEBR is still debated, our findings reveal that sEBR is sensitive to inter-individual differences in gambling disorder severity in problem gamblers.
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