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Beattie BC, Batista García-Ramó K, Biggs K, Boissé Lomax L, Brien DC, Gallivan JP, Ikeda K, Schmidt M, Shukla G, Whatley B, Woodroffe S, Omisade A, Winston GP. Literature review and protocol for a prospective multicentre cohort study on multimodal prediction of seizure recurrence after unprovoked first seizure. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e086153. [PMID: 38582538 PMCID: PMC11002401 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterised by recurrent seizures. Almost half of patients who have an unprovoked first seizure (UFS) have additional seizures and develop epilepsy. No current predictive models exist to determine who has a higher risk of recurrence to guide treatment. Emerging evidence suggests alterations in cognition, mood and brain connectivity exist in the population with UFS. Baseline evaluations of these factors following a UFS will enable the development of the first multimodal biomarker-based predictive model of seizure recurrence in adults with UFS. METHODS AND ANALYSIS 200 patients and 75 matched healthy controls (aged 18-65) from the Kingston and Halifax First Seizure Clinics will undergo neuropsychological assessments, structural and functional MRI, and electroencephalography. Seizure recurrence will be assessed prospectively. Regular follow-ups will occur at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months to monitor recurrence. Comparisons will be made between patients with UFS and healthy control groups, as well as between patients with and without seizure recurrence at follow-up. A multimodal machine-learning model will be trained to predict seizure recurrence at 12 months. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study was approved by the Health Sciences and Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board at Queen's University (DMED-2681-22) and the Nova Scotia Research Ethics Board (1028519). It is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (PJT-183906). Findings will be presented at national and international conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals and presented to the public via patient support organisation newsletters and talks. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05724719.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke C Beattie
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karla Batista García-Ramó
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Krista Biggs
- Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Lysa Boissé Lomax
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason P Gallivan
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kristin Ikeda
- Department of Medicine/Neurology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Matthias Schmidt
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Garima Shukla
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin Whatley
- Department of Medicine/Neurology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Stephanie Woodroffe
- Department of Medicine/Neurology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Gavin P Winston
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Falby MR, Brien DC, Boissé Lomax L, Shukla G, Winston GP. Canadian Practice and Recommendations on Functional MRI to Lateralize Language in Epilepsy. Can J Neurol Sci 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38572544 DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2024.56] [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: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Identifying a patient's dominant language hemisphere is an important evaluation performed prior to epilepsy surgery and is commonly assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, the lack of standardization and resultant heterogeneity of fMRI paradigms used in clinical practice limits the ability of cross-center comparisons to be made regarding language laterality results. METHODS Through surveying Canadian Epilepsy Centres in combination with reviewing supporting literature, current fMRI language lateralization practices for the clinical evaluation of patients with epilepsy were assessed. To encourage standardization of this practice, we outlined a two-part paradigm series that demonstrates widespread acceptance, reliability and accessibility in lateralizing various aspects of language functioning in individuals with average or near-average IQ and normal literacy skills. RESULTS The collected data confirm a lack of standardization in fMRI laterality assessments leading to clinical heterogeneity in stimulation and control tasks, paradigm design and timing, laterality index calculations, thresholding values and analysis software and technique. We suggest a Sentence Completion (SC) and Word Generation (WG) paradigm series as it was most commonly employed across Canada, demonstrated reliability in lateralizing both receptive and expressive language areas in supporting literature, and could be readily intelligible to an inclusive population. CONCLUSION Through providing recommendations for a two-part paradigm series, we hope to contribute to the standardization of this practice across Canada to reduce clinical heterogeneity, encourage communicability between institutions, and enhance methodologies for the surgical treatment of epilepsy for the benefit of all individuals living with epilepsy in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine R Falby
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Lysa Boissé Lomax
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Garima Shukla
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Gavin P Winston
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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3
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Pitigoi IC, Coe BC, Calancie OG, Brien DC, Yep R, Riek HC, Kirkpatrick RH, Noyes BK, White BJ, Blohm G, Munoz DP. Attentional modulation of eye blinking is altered by sex, age, and task structure. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0296-23.2024. [PMID: 38331578 PMCID: PMC10915461 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0296-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous eye blinking is gaining popularity as a proxy for higher cognitive functions, as it is readily modulated by both environmental demands and internal processes. Prior studies were impoverished in sample size, sex representation and age distribution, making it difficult to establish a complete picture of the behavior. Here we present eye-tracking data from a large cohort of normative participants (n=604, 393 F, aged 5-93 years) performing two tasks: one with structured, discrete trials (interleaved pro/anti-saccade task; IPAST) and one with a less structured, continuous organization in which participants watch movies (free-viewing; FV). Sex- and age-based analyses revealed that females had higher blink rates between the ages of 22 and 58 years in the IPAST, and 22 and 34 years in FV. We derived a continuous measure of blink probability to reveal behavioral changes driven by stimulus appearance in both paradigms. In the IPAST, blinks were suppressed near stimulus appearance, particularly on correct anti-saccade trials, which we attribute to the stronger inhibitory control required for anti-saccades compared to pro-saccades. In FV, blink suppression occurred immediately after scene changes, and the effect was sustained on scenes where gaze clustered among participants (indicating engagement of attention). Females were more likely than males to blink during appearance of novel stimuli in both tasks, but only within the age bin of 18-44 years. The consistency of blink patterns in each paradigm endorses blinking as a sensitive index for changes in visual processing and attention, while sex and age differences drive interindividual variability.Significance Statement Eye-tracking is becoming useful as a non-invasive tool for detecting preclinical markers of neurological and psychiatric disease. Blinks are understudied despite being an important supplement to saccade and pupil eye-tracking metrics. The present study is a crucial step in developing a healthy baseline for blink behavior to compare to clinical groups. While many prior blink studies suffered from small sample sizes with relatively low age- and sex-diversity (review by Jongkees & Colzato, 2016), our large cohort of healthy participants has permitted a more detailed analysis of sex and age effects in blink behavior. Furthermore, our analysis techniques are robust to temporal changes in blink probability, greatly clarifying the relationship between blinking, visual processing, and inhibitory control mechanisms on visual tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell C Pitigoi
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Olivia G Calancie
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Rachel Yep
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Heidi C Riek
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Ryan H Kirkpatrick
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Blake K Noyes
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Brian J White
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Gunnar Blohm
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
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4
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Riek HC, Brien DC, Coe BC, Huang J, Perkins JE, Yep R, McLaughlin PM, Orange JB, Peltsch AJ, Roberts AC, Binns MA, Lou W, Abrahao A, Arnott SR, Beaton D, Black SE, Dowlatshahi D, Finger E, Fischer CE, Frank AR, Grimes DA, Kumar S, Lang AE, Lawrence-Dewar JM, Mandzia JL, Marras C, Masellis M, Pasternak SH, Pollock BG, Rajji TK, Sahlas DJ, Saposnik G, Seitz DP, Shoesmith C, Steeves TDL, Strother SC, Sunderland KM, Swartz RH, Tan B, Tang-Wai DF, Tartaglia MC, Turnbull J, Zinman L, Munoz DP. Cognitive correlates of antisaccade behaviour across multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad049. [PMID: 36970045 PMCID: PMC10036290 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad049] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Oculomotor tasks generate a potential wealth of behavioural biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. Overlap between oculomotor and disease-impaired circuitry reveals the location and severity of disease processes via saccade parameters measured from eye movement tasks such as prosaccade and antisaccade. Existing studies typically examine few saccade parameters in single diseases, using multiple separate neuropsychological test scores to relate oculomotor behaviour to cognition; however, this approach produces inconsistent, ungeneralizable results and fails to consider the cognitive heterogeneity of these diseases. Comprehensive cognitive assessment and direct inter-disease comparison are crucial to accurately reveal potential saccade biomarkers.
We remediate these issues by characterizing twelve behavioural parameters, selected to robustly describe saccade behaviour, derived from an interleaved pro- and antisaccade task in a large cross-sectional dataset comprising five disease cohorts (Alzheimer’s disease/mild cognitive impairment, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular disease; n=391, age 40-87) and healthy controls (n=149, age 42-87). These participants additionally completed an extensive neuropsychological test battery. We further subdivided each cohort by diagnostic subgroup (for Alzheimer’s disease/mild cognitive impairment and frontotemporal dementia) or degree of cognitive impairment based on neuropsychological testing (all other cohorts). We sought to understand links between oculomotor parameters, their relationships to robust cognitive measures, and their alterations in disease. We performed a factor analysis evaluating interrelationships among the twelve oculomotor parameters and examined correlations of the four resultant factors to five neuropsychology-based cognitive domain scores. We then compared behaviour between the abovementioned disease subgroups and controls at the individual parameter level.
We theorized that each underlying factor measured the integrity of a distinct task-relevant brain process. Notably, factor 3 (voluntary saccade generation) and factor 1 (task disengagements) significantly correlated with attention/working memory and executive function scores. Factor 3 also correlated with memory and visuospatial function scores. Factor 2 (preemptive global inhibition) correlated only with attention/working memory scores, and factor 4 (saccade metrics) correlated with no cognitive domain scores. Impairment on several mostly antisaccade-related individual parameters scaled with cognitive impairment across disease cohorts, while few subgroups differed from controls on prosaccade parameters.
The interleaved pro- and antisaccade task detects cognitive impairment, and subsets of parameters likely index disparate underlying processes related to different cognitive domains. This suggests that the task represents a sensitive paradigm that can simultaneously evaluate a variety of clinically relevant cognitive constructs in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases and could be developed into a screening tool applicable to multiple diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Riek
- Correspondence to: Heidi C. Riek Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University Botterell Hall, 18 Stuart Street Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada E-mail:
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6Canada
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6Canada
| | - Jeff Huang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6Canada
| | - Julia E Perkins
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6Canada
| | - Rachel Yep
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6Canada
| | - Paula M McLaughlin
- Nova Scotia Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3S 0H6, Canada
- Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Joseph B Orange
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario N6G 1H1, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario N6G 1H1, Canada
| | - Alicia J Peltsch
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Angela C Roberts
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario N6G 1H1, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Malcolm A Binns
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, North York, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Wendy Lou
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Agessandro Abrahao
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Stephen R Arnott
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, North York, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Derek Beaton
- Present address: Data Science and Advanced Analytics, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Sandra E Black
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Dar Dowlatshahi
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Corinne E Fischer
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Andrew R Frank
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
- Bruyere Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada
| | - David A Grimes
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario M6J 1H4, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Anthony E Lang
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s Disease, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Jane M Lawrence-Dewar
- Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 7A5, Canada
| | - Jennifer L Mandzia
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Connie Marras
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s Disease, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Mario Masellis
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Cognitive and Movement Disorders Clinic, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Stephen H Pasternak
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centre, Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, Ontario N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Bruce G Pollock
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario M6J 1H4, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Tarek K Rajji
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Demetrios J Sahlas
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Gustavo Saposnik
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
| | - Dallas P Seitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Christen Shoesmith
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Thomas D L Steeves
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Division of Neurology, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Stephen C Strother
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, North York, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Kelly M Sunderland
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, North York, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Richard H Swartz
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Brian Tan
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, North York, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - David F Tang-Wai
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- University Health Network Memory Clinic, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Maria Carmela Tartaglia
- University Health Network Memory Clinic, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - John Turnbull
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Lorne Zinman
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
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5
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Brien DC, Riek HC, Yep R, Huang J, Coe B, Areshenkoff C, Grimes D, Jog M, Lang A, Marras C, Masellis M, McLaughlin P, Peltsch A, Roberts A, Tan B, Beaton D, Lou W, Swartz R, Munoz DP. Classification and staging of Parkinson's disease using video-based eye tracking. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2023; 110:105316. [PMID: 36822878 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2023.105316] [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] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION 83% of those diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD) eventually progress to PD with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) followed by dementia (PDD) - suggesting a complex spectrum of pathology concomitant with aging. Biomarkers sensitive and specific to this spectrum are required if useful diagnostics are to be developed that may supplement current clinical testing procedures. We used video-based eye tracking and machine learning to develop a simple, non-invasive test sensitive to PD and the stages of cognitive dysfunction. METHODS From 121 PD (45 Cognitively Normal/45 MCI/20 Dementia/11 Other) and 106 healthy controls, we collected video-based eye tracking data on an interleaved pro/anti-saccade task. Features of saccade, pupil, and blink behavior were used to train a classifier to predict confidence scores for PD/PD-MCI/PDD diagnosis. RESULTS The Receiver Operator Characteristic Area Under the Curve (ROC-AUC) of the classifier was 0.88, with the cognitive-dysfunction subgroups showing progressively increased AUC, and the AUC of PDD being 0.95. The classifier reached a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 78%. The confidence scores predicted PD motor and cognitive performance scores. CONCLUSION Biomarkers of saccade, pupil, and blink were extracted from video-based eye tracking to create a classifier with high sensitivity to the landscape of PD cognitive and motor dysfunction. A complex landscape of PD is revealed through a quick, non-invasive eye tracking task and our model provides a framework for such a task to be used as a supplementary screening tool in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Heidi C Riek
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Rachel Yep
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Jeff Huang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Brian Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Corson Areshenkoff
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - David Grimes
- Ottawa Hospital, uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Mandar Jog
- PF Centre of Excellence, London Movement Disorders Centre, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Anthony Lang
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, University Health Network and the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Connie Marras
- Toronto Western Hospital Movement Disorders Centre and the Edmond J Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Mario Masellis
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Medicine (Neurology), Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Paula McLaughlin
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Nova Scotia Health, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Alicia Peltsch
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Angela Roberts
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Department of Computer Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Brian Tan
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Derek Beaton
- Data Science & Advanced Analytics (DSAA), St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Wendy Lou
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Richard Swartz
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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6
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Yep R, Smorenburg ML, Riek HC, Calancie OG, Kirkpatrick RH, Perkins JE, Huang J, Coe BC, Brien DC, Munoz DP. Interleaved Pro/Anti-saccade Behavior Across the Lifespan. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:842549. [PMID: 35663573 PMCID: PMC9159803 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.842549] [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: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity for inhibitory control is an important cognitive process that undergoes dynamic changes over the course of the lifespan. Robust characterization of this trajectory, considering age continuously and using flexible modeling techniques, is critical to advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms that differ in healthy aging and neurological disease. The interleaved pro/anti-saccade task (IPAST), in which pro- and anti-saccade trials are randomly interleaved within a block, provides a simple and sensitive means of assessing the neural circuitry underlying inhibitory control. We utilized IPAST data collected from a large cross-sectional cohort of normative participants (n = 604, 5–93 years of age), standardized pre-processing protocols, generalized additive modeling, and change point analysis to investigate the effect of age on saccade behavior and identify significant periods of change throughout the lifespan. Maturation of IPAST measures occurred throughout adolescence, while subsequent decline began as early as the mid-20s and continued into old age. Considering pro-saccade correct responses and anti-saccade direction errors made at express (short) and regular (long) latencies was crucial in differentiating developmental and aging processes. We additionally characterized the effect of age on voluntary override time, a novel measure describing the time at which voluntary processes begin to overcome automated processes on anti-saccade trials. Drawing on converging animal neurophysiology, human neuroimaging, and computational modeling literature, we propose potential frontal-parietal and frontal-striatal mechanisms that may mediate the behavioral changes revealed in our analysis. We liken the models presented here to “cognitive growth curves” which have important implications for improved detection of neurological disease states that emerge during vulnerable windows of developing and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Yep
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Rachel Yep,
| | | | - Heidi C. Riek
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Olivia G. Calancie
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan H. Kirkpatrick
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Julia E. Perkins
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Jeff Huang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Brian C. Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Donald C. Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas P. Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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7
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Perkins JE, Janzen A, Bernhard FP, Wilhelm K, Brien DC, Huang J, Coe BC, Vadasz D, Mayer G, Munoz DP, Oertel WH. Saccade, Pupil, and Blink Responses in Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder. Mov Disord 2021; 36:1720-1726. [PMID: 33754406 PMCID: PMC8359943 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibit deficits in saccade performance, pupil function, and blink rate. Isolated REM (rapid eye movement) Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a harbinger to PD making them candidates to investigate for early oculomotor abnormalities as PD biomarkers. Objectives We tested whether saccade, pupillary, and blink responses in RBD were similar to PD. Methods RBD (n = 22), PD (n = 22) patients, and healthy controls (CTRL) (n = 74) were studied with video‐based eye‐tracking. Results RBD patients did not have significantly different saccadic behavior compared to CTRL, but PD patients differed from CTRL and RBD. Both patient groups had significantly lower blink rates, dampened pupil constriction, and dilation responses compared to CTRL. Conclusion RBD and PD patients had altered pupil and blink behavior compared to CTRL. Because RBD saccade parameters were comparable to CTRL, pupil and blink brain areas may be impacted before saccadic control areas, making them potential prodromal PD biomarkers. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Perkins
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Annette Janzen
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Karén Wilhelm
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeff Huang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Vadasz
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Geert Mayer
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Easson K, Al Dahhan NZ, Brien DC, Kirby JR, Munoz DP. Developmental Trends of Visual Processing of Letters and Objects Using Naming Speed Tasks. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:562712. [PMID: 33362487 PMCID: PMC7758467 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.562712] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the typical development of reading is key to understanding the precise deficits that underlie reading disabilities. An important correlate of efficient reading is the speed of naming arrays of simple stimuli such as letters and pictures. In this cross-sectional study, we examined developmental changes in visual processing that occurs during letter and object naming from childhood to early adulthood in terms of behavioral task efficiency, associated articulation and eye movement parameters, and the coordination between them, as measured by eye-voice span in both the spatial and temporal domains. We used naming speed (NS) tasks, in which participants were required to name sets of letters or simple objects as quickly and as accurately as possible. Single stimulus manipulations were made to these tasks to make the stimuli either more visually and/or phonologically similar to one another in order to examine how these manipulations affected task performance and the coordination between speech and eye movements. Across development there was an increased efficiency in speech and eye movement performance and their coordination in both the spatial and temporal domains. Furthermore, manipulations to the phonological and visual similarity of specific letter and object stimuli revealed that orthographic processing played a greater role than phonological processing in performance, with the contribution of phonological processing diminishing across development. This comprehensive typical developmental trajectory provides a benchmark for clinical populations to elucidate the nature of the cognitive dysfunction underlying reading difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Easson
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Noor Z Al Dahhan
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - John R Kirby
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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9
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Al Dahhan NZ, Kirby JR, Brien DC, Gupta R, Harrison A, Munoz DP. Understanding the biological basis of dyslexia at a neural systems level. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa173. [PMID: 33305260 PMCID: PMC7713994 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the naming speed performance of 18 typically achieving and 16 dyslexic adults while simultaneously recording eye movements, articulations and fMRI data. Naming speed tasks, which require participants to name a list of letters or objects, have been proposed as a proxy for reading and are thought to recruit similar reading networks in the left hemisphere of the brain as more complex reading tasks. We employed letter and object naming speed tasks, with task manipulations to make the stimuli more or less phonologically and/or visually similar. Compared to typically achieving readers, readers with dyslexia had a poorer behavioural naming speed task performance, longer fixation durations, more regressions and increased activation in areas of the reading network in the left-hemisphere. Whereas increased network activation was positively associated with performance in dyslexics, it was negatively related to performance in typically achieving readers. Readers with dyslexia had greater bilateral activation and recruited additional regions involved with memory, namely the amygdala and hippocampus; in contrast, the typically achieving readers additionally activated the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Areas within the reading network were differentially activated by stimulus manipulations to the naming speed tasks. There was less efficient naming speed behavioural performance, longer fixation durations, more regressions and increased neural activity when letter stimuli were both phonologically and visually similar. Discussion focuses on the differences in activation within the reading network, how they are related to behavioural task differences, and how progress in furthering the understanding of the relationship between behavioural performance and brain activity can change the overall trajectories of children with reading difficulties by contributing to both early identification and remediation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Z Al Dahhan
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- Correspondence to: Noor Z. Al Dahhan, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Botterell Hall, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada. E-mail:
| | - John R Kirby
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7M 5R7, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Rina Gupta
- Regional Assessment and Resource Centre, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Allyson Harrison
- Regional Assessment and Resource Centre, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
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10
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Wang CA, Huang J, Brien DC, Munoz DP. Saliency and priority modulation in a pop-out paradigm: Pupil size and microsaccades. Biol Psychol 2020; 153:107901. [PMID: 32389837 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107901] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A salient stimulus can trigger a coordinated orienting response consisting of a saccade, pupil, and microsaccadic responses. Saliency models predict that the degree of visual conspicuity of all visual stimuli guides visual orienting. By presenting a multiple-item array that included an oddball colored item (pop-out), randomly mixed colored items (mixed-color), or single-color items (single-color), we examined the effects of saliency and priority (saliency + relevancy) on pupil size and microsaccade responses. Larger pupil responses were produced in the pop-out compared to the mixed-color or single-color conditions after stimulus presentation. However, the saliency modulation on microsaccades was not significant. Furthermore, although goal-relevancy information did not modulate pupil responses and microsaccade rate, microsaccade direction was biased toward the pop-out item when it was the subsequent saccadic target. Together, our results demonstrate saliency modulation on pupil size and priority effects on microsaccade direction during visual pop-out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-An Wang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Research Center of Brain and Consciousness, Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Jeff Huang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
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11
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Al Dahhan NZ, Kirby JR, Chen Y, Brien DC, Munoz DP. Examining the neural and cognitive processes that underlie reading through naming speed tasks. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:2277-2298. [PMID: 31912932 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14673] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We combined fMRI with eye tracking and speech recording to examine the neural and cognitive mechanisms that underlie reading. To simplify the study of the complex processes involved during reading, we used naming speed (NS) tasks (also known as rapid automatized naming or RAN) as a focus for this study, in which average reading right-handed adults named sets of stimuli (letters or objects) as quickly and accurately as possible. Due to the possibility of spoken output during fMRI studies creating motion artifacts, we employed both an overt session and a covert session. When comparing the two sessions, there were no significant differences in behavioral performance, sensorimotor activation (except for regions involved in the motor aspects of speech production) or activation in regions within the left-hemisphere-dominant neural reading network. This established that differences found between the tasks within the reading network were not attributed to speech production motion artifacts or sensorimotor processes. Both behavioral and neuroimaging measures showed that letter naming was a more automatic and efficient task than object naming. Furthermore, specific manipulations to the NS tasks to make the stimuli more visually and/or phonologically similar differentially activated the reading network in the left hemisphere associated with phonological, orthographic and orthographic-to-phonological processing, but not articulatory/motor processing related to speech production. These findings further our understanding of the underlying neural processes that support reading by examining how activation within the reading network differs with both task performance and task characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Z Al Dahhan
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - John R Kirby
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Ying Chen
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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12
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Bells S, Isabella SL, Brien DC, Coe BC, Munoz DP, Mabbott DJ, Cheyne DO. Mapping neural dynamics underlying saccade preparation and execution and their relation to reaction time and direction errors. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:1934-1949. [PMID: 31916374 PMCID: PMC7268073 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24922] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to control and inhibit automatic behaviors is crucial for negotiating complex environments, all of which require rapid communication between sensory, motor, and cognitive networks. Here, we measured neuromagnetic brain activity to investigate the neural timing of cortical areas needed for inhibitory control, while 14 healthy young adults performed an interleaved prosaccade (look at a peripheral visual stimulus) and antisaccade (look away from stimulus) task. Analysis of how neural activity relates to saccade reaction time (SRT) and occurrence of direction errors (look at stimulus on antisaccade trials) provides insight into inhibitory control. Neuromagnetic source activity was used to extract stimulus‐aligned and saccade‐aligned activity to examine temporal differences between prosaccade and antisaccade trials in brain regions associated with saccade control. For stimulus‐aligned antisaccade trials, a longer SRT was associated with delayed onset of neural activity within the ipsilateral parietal eye field (PEF) and bilateral frontal eye field (FEF). Saccade‐aligned activity demonstrated peak activation 10ms before saccade‐onset within the contralateral PEF for prosaccade trials and within the bilateral FEF for antisaccade trials. In addition, failure to inhibit prosaccades on anti‐saccade trials was associated with increased activity prior to saccade onset within the FEF contralateral to the peripheral stimulus. This work on dynamic activity adds to our knowledge that direction errors were due, at least in part, to a failure to inhibit automatic prosaccades. These findings provide novel evidence in humans regarding the temporal dynamics within oculomotor areas needed for saccade programming and the role frontal brain regions have on top‐down inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Bells
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Silvia L Isabella
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald J Mabbott
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas O Cheyne
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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13
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Vaca-Palomares I, Brien DC, Coe BC, Ochoa-Morales A, Martínez-Ruano L, Munoz DP, Fernandez-Ruiz J. Implicit learning impairment identified via predictive saccades in Huntington's disease correlates with extended cortico-striatal atrophy. Cortex 2019; 121:89-103. [PMID: 31550618 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability to anticipate events and execute motor commands prior to a sensory event is an essential capability for human's everyday life. This implicitly learned anticipatory behavior depends on the past performance of repeated sensorimotor interactions timed with external cues. This kind of predictive behavior has been shown to be compromised in neurological disorders such as Huntington disease (HD), in which neural atrophy includes key cortical and basal ganglia regions. To investigate the neural basis of the anticipatory behavioral deficits in HD we used a predictive-saccade paradigm that requires predictive control to generate saccades in a metronomic temporal pattern. This is ideal because the integrity of the oculomotor network that includes the striatum and prefrontal, parietal, occipital and temporal cortices can be analyzed using structural MRI. Our results showed that the HD patients had severe predictive saccade deficits (i.e., an inability to reduce saccade reaction time in predictive condition), which are accentuated in patients with more severe motor deterioration. Structural imaging analyses revealed that these anticipatory deficits correlated with grey-matter atrophy in frontal, parietal-occipital and striatal regions. These findings indicate that the predictive saccade control deficits in HD are related to an extended cortico-striatal atrophy. This suggests that eye movement measurement could be a reliable marker of the progression of cognitive deficits in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Vaca-Palomares
- Ciencias Cognitivas y del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Adriana Ochoa-Morales
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, "Manuel Velasco Suarez", CDMX, Mexico
| | - Leticia Martínez-Ruano
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, "Manuel Velasco Suarez", CDMX, Mexico
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Juan Fernandez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Mexico.
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14
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Fernandez-Ruiz J, Hakvoort Schwerdtfeger RM, Alahyane N, Brien DC, Coe BC, Munoz DP. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex hyperactivity during inhibitory control in children with ADHD in the antisaccade task. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 14:2450-2463. [PMID: 31493141 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00196-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Children with ADHD show significant deficits in response inhibition. A leading hypothesis suggests prefrontal hypoactivation as a possible cause, though, there is conflicting evidence. We tested the hypoactivation hypothesis by analyzing the response inhibition process within the oculomotor system. Twenty-two children diagnosed with ADHD and twenty control (CTRL) children performed the antisaccade task while undergoing an fMRI study with concurrent eye tracking. This task included a preparatory stage that cued a prosaccade (toward a stimuli) or an antisaccade (away from a stimuli) without an actual presentation of a peripheral target. This allowed testing inhibitory control without the confounding activation from an actual response. The ADHD group showed longer reaction times and more antisaccade direction errors. While both groups showed activations in saccade network areas, the ADHD showed significant hyperactivation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the preparatory stage. No other areas in the saccade network had significant activation differences between groups. Further ADHD group analysis OFF and ON stimulant medication did not show drug-related activation differences. However, they showed a significant correlation between the difference in OFF/ON preparatory activation in the precuneus, and a decrease in the number of antisaccade errors. These results do not support the hypoactivity hypothesis as an inhibitory control deficit general explanation, but instead suggest less efficiency during the inhibitory period of the antisaccade task in children. Our findings contrast with previous results in ADHD adults showing decreased preparatory antisaccade activity, suggesting a significant age-dependent maturation effect associated to the inhibitory response in the oculomotor system.
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15
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Wang CA, Baird T, Huang J, Coutinho JD, Brien DC, Munoz DP. Arousal Effects on Pupil Size, Heart Rate, and Skin Conductance in an Emotional Face Task. Front Neurol 2018; 9:1029. [PMID: 30559707 PMCID: PMC6287044 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [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: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Arousal level changes constantly and it has a profound influence on performance during everyday activities. Fluctuations in arousal are regulated by the autonomic nervous system, which is mainly controlled by the balanced activity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems, commonly indexed by heart rate (HR) and galvanic skin response (GSR), respectively. Although a growing number of studies have used pupil size to indicate the level of arousal, research that directly examines the relationship between pupil size and HR or GSR is limited. The goal of this study was to understand how pupil size is modulated by autonomic arousal. Human participants fixated various emotional face stimuli, of which low-level visual properties were carefully controlled, while their pupil size, HR, GSR, and eye position were recorded simultaneously. We hypothesized that a positive correlation between pupil size and HR or GSR would be observed both before and after face presentation. Trial-by-trial positive correlations between pupil diameter and HR and GSR were found before face presentation, with larger pupil diameter observed on trials with higher HR or GSR. However, task-evoked pupil responses after face presentation only correlated with HR. Overall, these results demonstrated a trial-by-trial relationship between pupil size and HR or GSR, suggesting that pupil size can be used as an index for arousal level involuntarily regulated by the autonomic nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-An Wang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center of Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Talia Baird
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Jeff Huang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Donald C. Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas P. Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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16
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Yep R, Soncin S, Brien DC, Coe BC, Marin A, Munoz DP. Using an emotional saccade task to characterize executive functioning and emotion processing in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder. Brain Cogn 2018; 124:1-13. [PMID: 29698907 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite distinct diagnostic criteria, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder (BD) share cognitive and emotion processing deficits that complicate diagnoses. The goal of this study was to use an emotional saccade task to characterize executive functioning and emotion processing in adult ADHD and BD. Participants (21 control, 20 ADHD, 20 BD) performed an interleaved pro/antisaccade task (look toward vs. look away from a visual target, respectively) in which the sex of emotional face stimuli acted as the cue to perform either the pro- or antisaccade. Both patient groups made more direction (erroneous prosaccades on antisaccade trials) and anticipatory (saccades made before cue processing) errors than controls. Controls exhibited lower microsaccade rates preceding correct anti- vs. prosaccade initiation, but this task-related modulation was absent in both patient groups. Regarding emotion processing, the ADHD group performed worse than controls on neutral face trials, while the BD group performed worse than controls on trials presenting faces of all valence. These findings support the role of fronto-striatal circuitry in mediating response inhibition deficits in both ADHD and BD, and suggest that such deficits are exacerbated in BD during emotion processing, presumably via dysregulated limbic system circuitry involving the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Yep
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Stephen Soncin
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Alina Marin
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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17
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Vaca-Palomares I, Coe BC, Brien DC, Campos-Romo A, Munoz DP, Fernandez-Ruiz J. Voluntary saccade inhibition deficits correlate with extended white-matter cortico-basal atrophy in Huntington's disease. Neuroimage Clin 2017. [PMID: 28649493 PMCID: PMC5472191 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The ability to inhibit automatic versus voluntary saccade commands in demanding situations can be impaired in neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD). These deficits could result from disruptions in the interaction between basal ganglia and the saccade control system. To investigate voluntary oculomotor control deficits related to the cortico-basal circuitry, we evaluated early HD patients using an interleaved pro- and anti-saccade task that requires flexible executive control to generate either an automatic response (look at a peripheral visual stimulus) or a voluntary response (look away from the stimulus in the opposite direction). The impairments of HD patients in this task are mainly attributed to degeneration in the striatal medium spiny neurons leading to an over-activation of the indirect-pathway thorough the basal ganglia. However, some studies have proposed that damage outside the indirect-pathway also contribute to executive and saccade deficits. We used the interleaved pro- and anti-saccade task to study voluntary saccade inhibition deficits, Voxel-based morphometry and Tract-based spatial statistic to map cortico-basal ganglia circuitry atrophy in HD. HD patients had voluntary saccade inhibition control deficits, including increased regular-latency anti-saccade errors and increased anticipatory saccades. These deficits correlated with white-matter atrophy in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, anterior thalamic radiation, anterior corona radiata and superior longitudinal fasciculus. These findings suggest that cortico-basal ganglia white-matter atrophy in HD, disrupts the normal connectivity in a network controlling voluntary saccade inhibitory behavior beyond the indirect-pathway. This suggests that in vivo measures of white-matter atrophy can be a reliable marker of the progression of cognitive deficits in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Aurelio Campos-Romo
- Unidad Periférica de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, en el Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Juan Fernandez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
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18
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Soncin S, Brien DC, Coe BC, Marin A, Munoz DP. Contrasting emotion processing and executive functioning in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder. Behav Neurosci 2016; 130:531-43. [PMID: 27537826 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are highly comorbid and share executive function and emotion processing deficits, complicating diagnoses despite distinct clinical features. We compared performance on an oculomotor task that assessed these processes to capture subtle differences between ADHD and BD. The interaction between emotion processing and executive functioning may be informative because, although these processes overlap anatomically, certain regions that are compromised in each network are different in ADHD and BD. Adults, aged 18-62, with ADHD (n = 22), BD (n = 20), and healthy controls (n = 21) performed an interleaved pro- and antisaccade task (looking toward vs. looking away from a visual target, respectively). Task irrelevant emotional faces (fear, happy, sad, neutral) were presented on a subset of trials either before or with the target. The ADHD group made more direction errors (looked in the wrong direction) than controls. Presentation of negatively valenced (fear, sad) and ambiguous (neutral) emotional faces increased saccadic reaction time in BD only compared to controls, whereas longer presentation of sad faces modestly increased group differences. The antisaccade task differentiated ADHD from controls. Emotional processing further impaired processing speed in BD. We propose that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is critical in both processing systems, but the inhibitory signal this region generates is impacted by dysfunction in the emotion processing network, possibly at the orbitofrontal cortex, in BD. These results suggest there are differences in how emotion processing and executive functioning interact, which could be utilized to improve diagnostic specificity. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University
| | - Alina Marin
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University
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19
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Abstract
Naming speed (NS) refers to how quickly and accurately participants name a set of familiar stimuli (e.g., letters). NS is an established predictor of reading ability, but controversy remains over why it is related to reading. We used three techniques (stimulus manipulations to emphasize phonological and/or visual aspects, decomposition of NS times into pause and articulation components, and analysis of eye movements during task performance) with three groups of participants (children with dyslexia, ages 9-10; chronological-age [CA] controls, ages 9-10; reading-level [RL] controls, ages 6-7) to examine NS and the NS-reading relationship. Results indicated (a) for all groups, increasing visual similarity of the letters decreased letter naming efficiency and increased naming errors, saccades, regressions (rapid eye movements back to letters already fixated), pause times, and fixation durations; (b) children with dyslexia performed like RL controls and were less efficient, had longer articulation times, pause times, fixation durations, and made more errors and regressions than CA controls; and (c) pause time and fixation duration were the most powerful predictors of reading. We conclude that NS is related to reading via fixation durations and pause times: Longer fixation durations and pause times reflect the greater amount of time needed to acquire visual/orthographic information from stimuli and prepare the correct response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Z Al Dahhan
- 1 Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Botterell Hall, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - John R Kirby
- 1 Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Botterell Hall, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- 2 Faculty of Education, Duncan McArthur Hall, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- 1 Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Botterell Hall, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- 1 Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Botterell Hall, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- 3 Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Botterell Hall, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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20
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Abstract
Abstract
Every day we generate motor responses that are timed with external cues. This phenomenon of sensorimotor synchronization has been simplified and studied extensively using finger tapping sequences that are executed in synchrony with auditory stimuli. The predictive saccade paradigm closely resembles the finger tapping task. In this paradigm, participants follow a visual target that “steps” between two fixed locations on a visual screen at predictable ISIs. Eventually, the time from target appearance to saccade initiation (i.e., saccadic RT) becomes predictive with values nearing 0 msec. Unlike the finger tapping literature, neural control of predictive behavior described within the eye movement literature has not been well established and is inconsistent, especially between neuroimaging and patient lesion studies. To resolve these discrepancies, we used fMRI to investigate the neural correlates of predictive saccades by contrasting brain areas involved with behavior generated from the predictive saccade task with behavior generated from a reactive saccade task (saccades are generated toward targets that are unpredictably timed). We observed striking differences in neural recruitment between reactive and predictive conditions: Reactive saccades recruited oculomotor structures, as predicted, whereas predictive saccades recruited brain structures that support timing in motor responses, such as the crus I of the cerebellum, and structures commonly associated with the default mode network. Therefore, our results were more consistent with those found in the finger tapping literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ingrid S. Johnsrude
- 1Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- 2Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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21
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Wang CA, McInnis H, Brien DC, Pari G, Munoz DP. Disruption of pupil size modulation correlates with voluntary motor preparation deficits in Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychologia 2015; 80:176-184. [PMID: 26631540 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [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: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pupil size is an easy-to-measure, non-invasive method to index various cognitive processes. Although a growing number of studies have incorporated measures of pupil size into clinical investigation, there have only been limited studies in Parkinson's disease (PD). Convergent evidence has suggested PD patients exhibit cognitive impairment at or soon after diagnosis. Here, we used an interleaved pro- and anti-saccade paradigm while monitoring pupil size with saccadic eye movements to examine the relationship between executive function deficits and pupil size in PD patients. Subjects initially fixated a central cue, the color of which instructed them to either look at a peripheral stimulus automatically (pro-saccade) or suppress the automatic response and voluntarily look in the opposite direction of the stimulus (anti-saccade). We hypothesized that deficits of voluntary control should be revealed not only on saccadic but also on pupil responses because of the recently suggested link between the saccade and pupil control circuits. In elderly controls, pupil size was modulated by task preparation, showing larger dilation prior to stimulus appearance in preparation for correct anti-saccades, compared to correct pro-saccades, or erroneous pro-saccades made in the anti-saccade condition. Moreover, the size of pupil dilation correlated negatively with anti-saccade reaction times. However, this profile of pupil size modulation was significantly blunted in PD patients, reflecting dysfunctional circuits for anti-saccade preparation. Our results demonstrate disruptions of modulated pupil responses by voluntary movement preparation in PD patients, highlighting the potential of using low-cost pupil size measurement to examine executive function deficits in early PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-An Wang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
| | - Hailey McInnis
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Giovanna Pari
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
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22
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Wang CA, Brien DC, Munoz DP. Pupil size reveals preparatory processes in the generation of pro-saccades and anti-saccades. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1102-10. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chin-An Wang
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies; Queen's University; Botterell Hall, 18 Stuart Street Kingston ON K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Donald C. Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies; Queen's University; Botterell Hall, 18 Stuart Street Kingston ON K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Douglas P. Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies; Queen's University; Botterell Hall, 18 Stuart Street Kingston ON K7L 3N6 Canada
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23
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Alahyane N, Brien DC, Coe BC, Stroman PW, Munoz DP. Developmental improvements in voluntary control of behavior: effect of preparation in the fronto-parietal network? Neuroimage 2014; 98:103-17. [PMID: 24642280 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [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: 12/11/2012] [Revised: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to prepare for an action improves the speed and accuracy of its performance. While many studies indicate that behavior performance continues to improve throughout childhood and adolescence, it remains unclear whether or how preparatory processes change with development. Here, we used a rapid event-related fMRI design in three age groups (8-12, 13-17, 18-25years) who were instructed to execute either a prosaccade (look toward peripheral target) or an antisaccade (look away from target) task. We compared brain activity within the core fronto-parietal network involved in saccade control at two epochs of saccade generation: saccade preparation related to task instruction versus saccade execution related to target appearance. The inclusion of catch trials containing only task instruction and no target or saccade response allowed us to isolate saccade preparation from saccade execution. Five regions of interest were selected: the frontal, supplementary, parietal eye fields which are consistently recruited during saccade generation, and two regions involved in top down executive control: the dorsolateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. Our results showed strong evidence that developmental improvements in saccade performance were related to better saccade preparation rather than saccade execution. These developmental differences were mostly attributable to children who showed reduced fronto-parietal activity during prosaccade and antisaccade preparation, along with longer saccade reaction times and more incorrect responses, compared to adolescents and adults. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was engaged similarly across age groups, suggesting a general role in maintaining task instructions through the whole experiment. Overall, these findings suggest that developmental improvements in behavioral control are supported by improvements in effectively presetting goal-appropriate brain systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Alahyane
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Patrick W Stroman
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
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24
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Ruthirakuhan M, Brien DC, Coe B, Muñoz D, Garcia A. P4–083: A study of working memory and predictive capacity investigated by saccadic eye movements in healthy volunteers and people with mild Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2013.05.1472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Myuri Ruthirakuhan
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies ‐ Queen's University Kingston Ontario Canada
| | | | - Brian Coe
- Queen's University Kingston Ontario Canada
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25
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Cameron IGM, Brien DC, Links K, Robichaud S, Ryan JD, Munoz DP, Chow TW. Changes to saccade behaviors in Parkinson's disease following dancing and observation of dancing. Front Neurol 2013; 4:22. [PMID: 23483834 PMCID: PMC3593609 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2013.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2012] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The traditional view of Parkinson’s disease (PD) as a motor disorder only treated by dopaminergic medications is now shifting to include non-pharmacologic interventions. We have noticed that patients with PD obtain an immediate, short-lasting benefit to mobility by the end of a dance class, suggesting some mechanism by which dancing reduces bradykinetic symptoms. We have also found that patients with PD are unimpaired at initiating highly automatic eye movements to visual stimuli (pro-saccades) but are impaired at generating willful eye movements away from visual stimuli (anti-saccades). We hypothesized that the mechanisms by which a dance class improves movement initiation may generalize to the brain networks impacted in PD (frontal lobe and basal ganglia, BG), and thus could be assessed objectively by measuring eye movements, which rely on the same neural circuitry. Methods: Participants with PD performed pro- and anti-saccades before, and after, a dance class. “Before” and “after” saccade performance measurements were compared. These measurements were then contrasted with a control condition (observing a dance class in a video), and with older and younger adult populations, who rested for an hour between measurements. Results: We found an improvement in anti-saccade performance following the observation of dance (but not following dancing), but we found a detriment in pro-saccade performance following dancing. Conclusion: We suggest that observation of dance induced plasticity changes in frontal-BG networks that are important for executive control. Dancing, in contrast, increased voluntary movement signals that benefited mobility, but interfered with the automaticity of efficient pro-saccade execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian G M Cameron
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA ; Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University Kingston, ON, Canada
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26
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Dobson CC, Mongillo DL, Brien DC, Stepita R, Poklewska-Koziell M, Winterborn A, Holloway AC, Brien JF, Reynolds JN. Chronic prenatal ethanol exposure increases adiposity and disrupts pancreatic morphology in adult guinea pig offspring. Nutr Diabetes 2012; 2:e57. [PMID: 23247731 PMCID: PMC3542435 DOI: 10.1038/nutd.2012.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Ethanol consumption during pregnancy can lead to a range of adverse developmental outcomes in children, termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Central nervous system injury is a debilitating and widely studied manifestation of chronic prenatal ethanol exposure (CPEE). However, CPEE can also cause structural and functional deficits in metabolic pathways in offspring. Objectives and Methods: This study tested the hypothesis that CPEE increases whole-body adiposity and disrupts pancreatic structure in guinea pig offspring. Pregnant guinea pigs received ethanol (4 g kg−1 maternal body weight per day) or isocaloric-sucrose/pair-feeding (control) for 5 days per week throughout gestation. Results: Male and female CPEE offspring demonstrated growth restriction at birth, followed by a rapid period of catch-up growth before weaning (postnatal day (PD) 1–7). Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in young adult offspring (PD100–140) revealed increased visceral and subcutaneous adiposity produced by CPEE. At the time of killing (PD150–200), CPEE offspring also had increased pancreatic adipocyte area and decreased β-cell insulin-like immunopositive area, suggesting reduced insulin production and/or secretion from pancreatic islets. Conclusion: CPEE causes increased adiposity and pancreatic dysmorphology in offspring, which may signify increased risk for the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- C C Dobson
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Program, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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27
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Hakvoort Schwerdtfeger RM, Alahyane N, Brien DC, Coe BC, Stroman PW, Munoz DP. Preparatory neural networks are impaired in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder during the antisaccade task. Neuroimage Clin 2012; 2:63-78. [PMID: 24179760 PMCID: PMC3777763 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2012.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2012] [Revised: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often display executive function impairments, particularly in inhibitory control. The antisaccade task, which measures inhibitory control, requires one to suppress an automatic prosaccade toward a salient visual stimulus and voluntarily make an antisaccade in the opposite direction. ADHD patients not only have longer saccadic reaction times, but also make more direction errors (i.e., a prosaccade was executed toward the stimulus) during antisaccade trials. These deficits may stem from pathology in several brain areas that are important for executive control. Using functional MRI with a rapid event-related design, adults with combined subtype of ADHD (coexistence of attention and hyperactivity problems), who abstained from taking stimulant medication 20 h prior to experiment onset, and age-match controls performed pro- and antisaccade trials that were interleaved with pro- and anti-catch trials (i.e., instruction was presented but no target appeared, requiring no response). This method allowed us to examine brain activation patterns when participants either prepared (during instruction) or executed (after target appearance) correct pro or antisaccades. Behaviorally, ADHD adults displayed several antisaccade deficits, including longer and more variable reaction times and more direction errors, but saccade metrics (i.e., duration, velocity, and amplitude) were normal. When preparing to execute an antisaccade, ADHD adults showed less activation in frontal, supplementary, and parietal eye fields, compared to controls. However, activation in these areas was normal in the ADHD group during the execution of a correct antisaccade. Interestingly, unlike controls, adults with ADHD produced greater activation than controls in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during antisaccade execution, perhaps as part of compensatory mechanisms to optimize antisaccade production. Overall, these data suggest that the saccade deficits observed in adults with ADHD do not result from an inability to execute a correct antisaccade but rather the failure to properly prepare (i.e., form the appropriate task set) for the antisaccade trial. The data support the view that the executive impairments, including inhibitory control, in ADHD adults are related to poor response preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadia Alahyane
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald C. Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian C. Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick W. Stroman
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physics, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas P. Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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28
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Cameron IGM, Pari G, Alahyane N, Brien DC, Coe BC, Stroman PW, Munoz DP. Impaired executive function signals in motor brain regions in Parkinson's disease. Neuroimage 2012; 60:1156-70. [PMID: 22270353 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2011] [Revised: 01/03/2012] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often display deficits in executive functions, such as planning for future behavior, and these deficits may stem from pathologies in prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia circuits that are critical to executive control. Using the antisaccade task (look away from a visual stimulus), we show that when the preparatory 'readiness' to perform a given action is dissociated from the actual execution of that action, PD patients off and on dopamine medication display behavioral impairments and reduced cortical brain activation that cannot be explained by a pathology related to dysfunction in movement execution. Rather, they show that the appropriate task set signals were not in place in motor regions prior to execution, resulting in impairments in the control of subsequent voluntary movement. This is the first fMRI study of antisaccade deficits in Parkinson's disease, and importantly, the findings point to a critical role of the basal ganglia in translating signals related to rule representation (executive) into those governing voluntary motor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian G M Cameron
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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29
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Brien DC, Corneil BD, Fecteau JH, Bell AH, Munoz DP. The behavioural and neurophysiological modulation of microsaccades in monkeys. J Eye Mov Res 2009. [DOI: 10.16910/jemr.3.2.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Systematic modulations of microsaccades have been observed in humans during covert orienting. We show here that monkeys are a suitable model for studying the neurophysiology governing these modulations of microsaccades. Using various cue-target saccade tasks, we observed the effects of visual and auditory cues on microsaccades in monkeys. As in human studies, following visual cues there was an early bias in cue-congruent microsaccades followed by a later bias in cue-incongruent microsaccades. Following auditory cues there was a cue-incongruent bias in left cues only. In a separate experiment, we observed that brainstem omnipause neurons, which gate all saccades, also paused during microsaccade generation. Thus, we provide evidence that at least part of the same neurocircuitry governs both large saccades and microsaccades.
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30
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Green CR, Mihic AM, Brien DC, Armstrong IT, Nikkel SM, Stade BC, Rasmussen C, Munoz DP, Reynolds JN. Oculomotor control in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders assessed using a mobile eye-tracking laboratory. Eur J Neurosci 2009; 29:1302-9. [PMID: 19302166 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.06668.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to alcohol can result in a spectrum of adverse developmental outcomes, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). This study evaluated deficits in sensory, motor and cognitive processing in children with FASD that can be identified using eye movement testing. Our study group was composed of 89 children aged 8-15 years with a diagnosis within the FASD spectrum [i.e. fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial fetal alcohol syndrome (pFAS), and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND)], and 92 controls. Subjects looked either towards (prosaccade) or away from (antisaccade) a peripheral target that appeared on a computer monitor, and eye movements were recorded with a mobile, video-based eye tracker. We hypothesized that: (i) differences in the magnitude of deficits in eye movement control exist across the three diagnostic subgroups; and (ii) children with FASD display a developmental delay in oculomotor control. Children with FASD had increased saccadic reaction times (SRTs), increased intra-subject variability in SRTs, and increased direction errors in both the prosaccade and antisaccade tasks. Although development was associated with improvements across tasks, children with FASD failed to achieve age-matched control levels of performance at any of the ages tested. Moreover, children with ARND had faster SRTs and made fewer direction errors in the antisaccade task than children with pFAS or FAS, although all subgroups were different from controls. Our results demonstrate that eye tracking can be used as an objective measure of brain injury in FASD, revealing behavioral deficits in all three diagnostic subgroups independent of facial dysmorphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R Green
- The Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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