701
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Majerus S, Cowan N, Péters F, Van Calster L, Phillips C, Schrouff J. Cross-Modal Decoding of Neural Patterns Associated with Working Memory: Evidence for Attention-Based Accounts of Working Memory. Cereb Cortex 2014; 26:166-79. [PMID: 25146374 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest common neural substrates involved in verbal and visual working memory (WM), interpreted as reflecting shared attention-based, short-term retention mechanisms. We used a machine-learning approach to determine more directly the extent to which common neural patterns characterize retention in verbal WM and visual WM. Verbal WM was assessed via a standard delayed probe recognition task for letter sequences of variable length. Visual WM was assessed via a visual array WM task involving the maintenance of variable amounts of visual information in the focus of attention. We trained a classifier to distinguish neural activation patterns associated with high- and low-visual WM load and tested the ability of this classifier to predict verbal WM load (high-low) from their associated neural activation patterns, and vice versa. We observed significant between-task prediction of load effects during WM maintenance, in posterior parietal and superior frontal regions of the dorsal attention network; in contrast, between-task prediction in sensory processing cortices was restricted to the encoding stage. Furthermore, between-task prediction of load effects was strongest in those participants presenting the highest capacity for the visual WM task. This study provides novel evidence for common, attention-based neural patterns supporting verbal and visual WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Majerus
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium Cyclotron Research Centre, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium Fund for Scientific Research FNRS, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nelson Cowan
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-2500, USA
| | - Frédéric Péters
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurens Van Calster
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Christophe Phillips
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium Fund for Scientific Research FNRS, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jessica Schrouff
- Cyclotron Research Centre, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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702
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Van der Lubbe RHJ, Bundt C, Abrahamse EL. Internal and external spatial attention examined with lateralized EEG power spectra. Brain Res 2014; 1583:179-92. [PMID: 25130665 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Several authors argued that retrieval of an item from visual short term memory (internal spatial attention) and focusing attention on an externally presented item (external spatial attention) are similar. Part of the neuroimaging support for this view may be due to the employed experimental procedures. Furthermore, as internal spatial attention may have a more induced than evoked nature some effects may not have been visible in event related analyses of the electroencephalogram (EEG), which limits the possibility to demonstrate differences. In the current study, a colored frame cued which stimulus, one out of four presented in separate quadrants, required a response, which depended on the form of the cued stimulus (circle or square). Importantly, the frame occurred either before (precue), simultaneously with (simultaneous cue), or after the stimuli (postcue). The precue and simultaneous cue condition both concern external attention, while the postcue condition implies the involvement of internal spatial attention. Event-related lateralizations (ERLs), reflecting evoked effects, and lateralized power spectra (LPS), reflecting both evoked and induced effects, were determined. ERLs revealed a posterior contralateral negativity (PCN) only in the precue condition. LPS analyses on the raw EEG showed early increased contralateral theta power at posterior sites and later increased ipsilateral alpha power at occipito-temporal sites in all cue conditions. Responses were faster when the internally or externally attended location corresponded with the required response side than when not. These findings provide further support for the view that internal and external spatial attention share their underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob H J Van der Lubbe
- Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Carsten Bundt
- Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elger L Abrahamse
- Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
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703
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Rodrigues PFS, Pandeirada JNS. Attention and working memory in elderly: the influence of a distracting environment. Cogn Process 2014; 16:97-109. [PMID: 25117544 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-014-0628-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The present work investigated the effect of a distracting environment in the performance of attentional and working memory (WM) tasks in elderly participants. To this end, forty elderly performed two attentional tasks (simple reaction time and go/no-go tasks), and three WM tasks (arithmetic, memory for digits and sequences of letters and numbers). Each participant performed the tasks in a distracting and a non-distracting environment, with an interval of 14-21 days between sessions. The results revealed better performance in the attentional tasks when these were done in the non-distracting environment, as compared to when they were done in the distracting environment. Specifically, participants provided more accurate responses, fewer false alarms and omissions when responding in the non-distracting environment than when responding in the distracting environment. Participants were also faster at providing correct responses in the go/no-go task when it was performed in the non-distracting environment. As for the memory tasks, the effect of type of environment was significant only in the memory for digits in a forward direction task. Our data suggest the need to consider the potential damaging consequences of distracting environments when the elderly have to perform tasks that demand their attention. Specific examples of such situations are presented in the discussion (e.g., distracting effect of environment on medical and on psychological evaluations).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro F S Rodrigues
- Department of Education, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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704
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Vandierendonck A. Symbiosis of executive and selective attention in working memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:588. [PMID: 25152723 PMCID: PMC4126360 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The notion of working memory (WM) was introduced to account for the usage of short-term memory resources by other cognitive tasks such as reasoning, mental arithmetic, language comprehension, and many others. This collaboration between memory and other cognitive tasks can only be achieved by a dedicated WM system that controls task coordination. To that end, WM models include executive control. Nevertheless, other attention control systems may be involved in coordination of memory and cognitive tasks calling on memory resources. The present paper briefly reviews the evidence concerning the role of selective attention in WM activities. A model is proposed in which selective attention control is directly linked to the executive control part of the WM system. The model assumes that apart from storage of declarative information, the system also includes an executive WM module that represents the current task set. Control processes are automatically triggered when particular conditions in these modules are met. As each task set represents the parameter settings and the actions needed to achieve the task goal, it will depend on the specific settings and actions whether selective attention control will have to be shared among the active tasks. Only when such sharing is required, task performance will be affected by the capacity limits of the control system involved.
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705
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Cai X, Li F, Wang J, Li H. Invariance detection in the brain: revealed in a stepwise category induction task. Brain Res 2014; 1575:55-65. [PMID: 24887644 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A critical sub-process of category learning is detecting the invariance between categorical members. To examine brain activation associated with invariance detection at different steps of category learning, a stepwise category induction task was used in the present study. Within each trial, three stimuli were displayed sequentially, and participants were asked to learn the target category corresponding to the invariance among stimuli. Results revealed that invariance detection activated the fronto-parietal network. However, the frontal and parietal cortices functioned differently throughout the different steps of invariance detection. The left middle frontal gyrus (BA 9) was highly activated in both steps of invariance detection, but the posterior parietal regions, especially the right superior parietal lobule (BA 7), were more active in the final step of invariance detection, reflecting increased attention to the completion of category learning and the preparation for a subsequent response. Furthermore, a psychophysiological interaction analysis (PPI) revealed increased connectivity between the left middle frontal gyrus and the bilateral parietal cortex during the final step of invariance detection. Overall, the present findings imply the necessary role of the fronto-parietal network in variance detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueli Cai
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Fuhong Li
- Research Centre of Brain and Cognitive Science, Liaoning Normal University, Chongqing 116029, China.
| | - Jing Wang
- Research Centre of Brain and Cognitive Science, Liaoning Normal University, Chongqing 116029, China
| | - Hong Li
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Research Centre of Brain and Cognitive Science, Liaoning Normal University, Chongqing 116029, China.
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706
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Eisenstein SA, Koller JM, Black KD, Campbell MC, Lugar HM, Ushe M, Tabbal SD, Karimi M, Hershey T, Perlmutter JS, Black KJ. Functional anatomy of subthalamic nucleus stimulation in Parkinson disease. Ann Neurol 2014; 76:279-95. [PMID: 24953991 PMCID: PMC4172323 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We developed a novel method to map behavioral effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) across a 3-dimensional brain region and to assign statistical significance after stringent type I error correction. This method was applied to behavioral changes in Parkinson disease (PD) induced by subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS to determine whether these responses depended on anatomical location of DBS. METHODS Fifty-one PD participants with STN DBS were evaluated off medication, with DBS off and during unilateral STN DBS with clinically optimized settings. Dependent variables included DBS-induced changes in Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) subscores, kinematic measures of bradykinesia and rigidity, working memory, response inhibition, mood, anxiety, and akathisia. Weighted t tests at each voxel produced p images showing where DBS most significantly affected each dependent variable based on outcomes of participants with nearby DBS. Finally, a permutation test computed the probability that this p image indicated significantly different responses based on stimulation site. RESULTS Most motor variables improved with DBS anywhere in the STN region, but several motor, cognitive, and affective responses significantly depended on precise location stimulated, with peak p values in superior STN/zona incerta (quantified bradykinesia), dorsal STN (mood, anxiety), and inferior STN/substantia nigra (UPDRS tremor, working memory). INTERPRETATION Our method identified DBS-induced behavioral changes that depended significantly on DBS site. These results do not support complete functional segregation within STN, because movement improved with DBS throughout, and mood improved with dorsal STN DBS. Rather, findings support functional convergence of motor, cognitive, and limbic information in STN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Eisenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO
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707
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The effects of theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on fluid intelligence. Int J Psychophysiol 2014; 93:322-31. [PMID: 24998643 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The objective of the study was to explore the influence of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on resting brain activity and on measures of fluid intelligence. Theta tACS was applied to the left parietal and left frontal brain areas of healthy participants after which resting electroencephalogram (EEG) data was recorded. Following sham/active stimulation, the participants solved two tests of fluid intelligence while their EEG was recorded. The results showed that active theta tACS affected spectral power in theta and alpha frequency bands. In addition, active theta tACS improved performance on tests of fluid intelligence. This influence was more pronounced in the group of participants that received stimulation to the left parietal area than in the group of participants that received stimulation to the left frontal area. Left parietal tACS increased performance on the difficult test items of both tests (RAPM and PF&C) whereas left frontal tACS increased performance only on the easy test items of one test (RAPM). The observed behavioral tACS influences were also accompanied by changes in neuroelectric activity. The behavioral and neuroelectric data tentatively support the P-FIT neurobiological model of intelligence.
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708
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Kiyonaga A, Egner T. The working memory stroop effect: when internal representations clash with external stimuli. Psychol Sci 2014; 25:1619-29. [PMID: 24958685 DOI: 10.1177/0956797614536739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) has recently been described as internally directed attention, which implies that WM content should affect behavior exactly like an externally perceived and attended stimulus. We tested whether holding a color word in WM, rather than attending to it in the external environment, can produce interference in a color-discrimination task, which would mimic the classic Stroop effect. Over three experiments, the WM Stroop effect recapitulated core properties of the classic attentional Stroop effect, displaying equivalent congruency effects, additive contributions from stimulus- and response-level congruency, and susceptibility to modulation by the percentage of congruent and incongruent trials. Moreover, WM maintenance was inversely related to attentional demands during the WM delay between stimulus presentation and recall, with poorer memory performance following incongruent than congruent trials. Together, these results suggest that WM and attention rely on the same resources and operate over the same representations.
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709
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Langel J, Hakun J, Zhu DC, Ravizza SM. Functional specialization of the left ventral parietal cortex in working memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:440. [PMID: 24994977 PMCID: PMC4061583 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of the ventral parietal cortex (VPC) is subject to much debate. Many studies suggest a lateralization of function in the VPC, with the left hemisphere facilitating verbal working memory and the right subserving stimulus-driven attention. However, many attentional tasks elicit activity in the VPC bilaterally. To elucidate the potential divides across the VPC in function, we assessed the pattern of activity in the VPC bilaterally across two tasks that require different demands, an oddball attentional task with low working memory demands and a working memory task. An anterior region of the VPC was bilaterally active during novel targets in the oddball task and during retrieval in WM, while more posterior regions of the VPC displayed dissociable functions in the left and right hemisphere, with the left being active during the encoding and retrieval of WM, but not during the oddball task and the right showing the reverse pattern. These results suggest that bilateral regions of the anterior VPC subserve non-mnemonic processes, such as stimulus-driven attention during WM retrieval and oddball detection. The left posterior VPC may be important for speech-related processing important for both working memory and perception, while the right hemisphere is more lateralized for attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Langel
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jonathan Hakun
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - David C Zhu
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA ; Department of Psychology, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA ; Department of Radiology, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Susan M Ravizza
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA ; Department of Psychology, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA
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710
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The auditory corticocollicular system: molecular and circuit-level considerations. Hear Res 2014; 314:51-9. [PMID: 24911237 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
We live in a world imbued with a rich mixture of complex sounds. Successful acoustic communication requires the ability to extract meaning from those sounds, even when degraded. One strategy used by the auditory system is to harness high-level contextual cues to modulate the perception of incoming sounds. An ideal substrate for this process is the massive set of top-down projections emanating from virtually every level of the auditory system. In this review, we provide a molecular and circuit-level description of one of the largest of these pathways: the auditory corticocollicular pathway. While its functional role remains to be fully elucidated, activation of this projection system can rapidly and profoundly change the tuning of neurons in the inferior colliculus. Several specific issues are reviewed. First, we describe the complex heterogeneous anatomical organization of the corticocollicular pathway, with particular emphasis on the topography of the pathway. We also review the laminar origin of the corticocollicular projection and discuss known physiological and morphological differences between subsets of corticocollicular cells. Finally, we discuss recent findings about the molecular micro-organization of the inferior colliculus and how it interfaces with corticocollicular termination patterns. Given the assortment of molecular tools now available to the investigator, it is hoped that his review will help guide future research on the role of this pathway in normal hearing.
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711
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Myers NE, Stokes MG, Walther L, Nobre AC. Oscillatory brain state predicts variability in working memory. J Neurosci 2014; 34:7735-43. [PMID: 24899697 PMCID: PMC4044240 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4741-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Our capacity to remember and manipulate objects in working memory (WM) is severely limited. However, this capacity limitation is unlikely to be fixed because behavioral models indicate variability from trial to trial. We investigated whether fluctuations in neural excitability at stimulus encoding, as indexed by low-frequency oscillations (in the alpha band, 8-14 Hz), contribute to this variability. Specifically, we hypothesized that the spontaneous state of alpha band activity would correlate with trial-by-trial fluctuations in visual WM. Electroencephalography recorded from human observers during a visual WM task revealed that the prestimulus desynchronization of alpha oscillations predicts the accuracy of memory recall on a trial-by-trial basis. A model-based analysis indicated that this effect arises from a modulation in the precision of memorized items, but not the likelihood of remembering them (the recall rate). The phase of posterior alpha oscillations preceding the memorized item also predicted memory accuracy. Based on correlations between prestimulus alpha levels and stimulus-related visual evoked responses, we speculate that the prestimulus state of the visual system prefigures a cascade of state-dependent processes, ultimately affecting WM-guided behavior. Overall, our results indicate that spontaneous changes in cortical excitability can have profound consequences for higher visual cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Myers
- Department of Experimental Psychology and, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - Mark G Stokes
- Department of Experimental Psychology and, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - Lena Walther
- Department of Experimental Psychology and, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology and, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
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712
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Payne L, Sekuler R. The importance of ignoring: Alpha oscillations protect selectivity. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2014; 23:171-177. [PMID: 25530685 DOI: 10.1177/0963721414529145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Selective attention is often thought to entail an enhancement of some task-relevant stimulus or attribute. We discuss the perspective that ignoring irrelevant, distracting information plays a complementary role in information processing. Cortical oscillations within the alpha (8-14 Hz) frequency band have emerged as a marker of sensory suppression. This suppression is linked to selective attention for visual, auditory, somatic, and verbal stimuli. Inhibiting processing of irrelevant input makes responses more accurate and timely. It also helps protect material held in short-term memory against disruption. Furthermore, this selective process keeps irrelevant information from distorting the fidelity of memories. Memory is only as good as the perceptual representations on which it is based, and on whose maintenance it depends. Modulation of alpha oscillations can be exploited as an active, purposeful mechanism to help people pay attention and remember the things that matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Payne
- The Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University
| | - Robert Sekuler
- The Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University
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713
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Emotional bias of cognitive control in adults with childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 5:1-9. [PMID: 24918067 PMCID: PMC4050315 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Affect recognition deficits found in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across the lifespan may bias the development of cognitive control processes implicated in the pathophysiology of the disorder. This study aimed to determine the mechanism through which facial expressions influence cognitive control in young adults diagnosed with ADHD in childhood. Fourteen probands with childhood ADHD and 14 comparison subjects with no history of ADHD were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a face emotion go/no-go task. Event-related analyses contrasted activation and functional connectivity for cognitive control collapsed over face valence and tested for variations in activation for response execution and inhibition as a function of face valence. Probands with childhood ADHD made fewer correct responses and inhibitions overall than comparison subjects, but demonstrated comparable effects of face emotion on response execution and inhibition. The two groups showed similar frontotemporal activation for cognitive control collapsed across face valence, but differed in the functional connectivity of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with fewer interactions with the subgenual cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, and putamen in probands than in comparison subjects. Further, valence-dependent activation for response execution was seen in the amygdala, ventral striatum, subgenual cingulate cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex in comparison subjects but not in probands. The findings point to functional anomalies in limbic networks for both the valence-dependent biasing of cognitive control and the valence-independent cognitive control of face emotion processing in probands with childhood ADHD. This limbic dysfunction could impact cognitive control in emotional contexts and may contribute to the social and emotional problems associated with ADHD. We tested adult probands diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and comparison subjects. Emotional bias of cognitive control was modeled with a face emotion go/no-go task. Probands made fewer correct responses and correct inhibitions on the go/no-go task. Probands showed reduced prefrontal connectivity with limbic and paralimbic regions. Probands showed no valence-dependent limbic activation for cognitive control.
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714
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Abstract
Human memory is dynamic and flexible but is also susceptible to distortions arising from adaptive as well as pathological processes. Both accurate and false memory formation require executive control that is critically mediated by the left prefrontal cortex (PFC). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) enables noninvasive modulation of cortical activity and associated behavior. The present study reports that tDCS applied to the left dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) shaped accuracy of episodic memory via polaritiy-specific modulation of false recognition. When applied during encoding of pictures, anodal tDCS increased whereas cathodal stimulation reduced the number of false alarms to lure pictures in subsequent recognition memory testing. These data suggest that the enhancement of excitability in the dlPFC by anodal tDCS can be associated with blurred detail memory. In contrast, activity-reducing cathodal tDCS apparently acted as a noise filter inhibiting the development of imprecise memory traces and reducing the false memory rate. Consistently, the largest effect was found in the most active condition (i.e., for stimuli cued to be remembered). This first evidence for a polarity-specific, activity-dependent effect of tDCS on false memory opens new vistas for the understanding and potential treatment of disturbed memory control.
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715
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Holper L, Scholkmann F, Wolf M. The relationship between sympathetic nervous activity and cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation: a study using skin conductance measurement and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Behav Brain Res 2014; 270:95-107. [PMID: 24845305 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Simultaneous measurement of cortical and peripheral affective processing is relevant in many neuroscientific research fields. The aim was to investigate the influence of different affective task components on the coherence between cortical hemodynamic signals and peripheral autonomic skin potential signals. Seventeen healthy subjects performed four tasks, i.e. a finger-tapping task, a hyperventilation task, a working memory task and a risk-taking task. Cortical hemodynamic responses were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Peripheral skin conductance responses (SCRs) were assessed using electrodermal activity (EDA). Coherence between the fNIRS and the EDA time series was calculated using the S transform coherence (STC), a method that tests the temporal dynamics between two time series for consistent phase relationships and thus for a functional relationship. The following characteristics of fNIRS-EDA coherence were observed: (1) Simple motor performance was not a contributor to enhanced coherence, as revealed by the finger-tapping task. (2) Changes in respiration rate and/or heart rate acted as relevant contributors to enhanced coherence, as revealed by the hyperventilation task. (3) Working memory performance did not induce changes in coherence, (4) whereas risk-taking behavior was a significant contributor to enhanced coherence. (5) Based on all four tasks, we also observed that coherence may be subject to habituation or sensitization effects over the trial-to-trial course of a task. Increased fNIRS-EDA coherence may be an indicator of a psychophysiological link between the underlying cortical and peripheral affective systems. Our findings are relevant for several neuroscientific research areas seeking to evaluate the interplay between cortical and peripheral affective performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Holper
- Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory (BORL), Division of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Felix Scholkmann
- Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory (BORL), Division of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Martin Wolf
- Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory (BORL), Division of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
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716
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Foerster RM, Carbone E, Schneider WX. Long-term memory-based control of attention in multi-step tasks requires working memory: evidence from domain-specific interference. Front Psychol 2014; 5:408. [PMID: 24847304 PMCID: PMC4023044 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence for long-term memory (LTM)-based control of attention has been found during the execution of highly practiced multi-step tasks. However, does LTM directly control for attention or are working memory (WM) processes involved? In the present study, this question was investigated with a dual-task paradigm. Participants executed either a highly practiced visuospatial sensorimotor task (speed stacking) or a verbal task (high-speed poem reciting), while maintaining visuospatial or verbal information in WM. Results revealed unidirectional and domain-specific interference. Neither speed stacking nor high-speed poem reciting was influenced by WM retention. Stacking disrupted the retention of visuospatial locations, but did not modify memory performance of verbal material (letters). Reciting reduced the retention of verbal material substantially whereas it affected the memory performance of visuospatial locations to a smaller degree. We suggest that the selection of task-relevant information from LTM for the execution of overlearned multi-step tasks recruits domain-specific WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Foerster
- Neuro-Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany ; Cluster of Excellence 'Cognitive Interaction Technology,' Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Elena Carbone
- Neuro-Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany ; Cluster of Excellence 'Cognitive Interaction Technology,' Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Werner X Schneider
- Neuro-Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany ; Cluster of Excellence 'Cognitive Interaction Technology,' Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
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717
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Assessing metacognition during a cognitive task: impact of "on-line" metacognitive questions on neuropsychological performances in a non-clinical sample. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2014; 20:547-54. [PMID: 24867441 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617714000290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Whereas metacognition is of great interest for neuropsychological practice, little is known about the impact of metacognitive questions during a neuropsychological assessment. This study explored the impact of measuring "on-line" metacognitive processes on neuropsychological performances in a non-clinical population. Participants were randomly assigned to a "standard" or a "metacognitive" neuropsychological test procedure. The "standard" procedure assessed executive functions (Modified Card Sorting Test), episodic memory ("Rappel libre Rappel indicé" 16), working memory (digit span test Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III) and social cognition (Faces Test). In the "metacognitive" procedure, two questions were added after each item of these tests to evaluate "on-line" metacognitive monitoring and control. Working memory performances were better and episodic memory performances lower in the "metacognitive" versus the "standard" procedure. No significant difference was found concerning executive functioning or social cognition. The assessment of "on-line" metacognition might improve working memory performances by enhancing concentration, and might impair episodic memory performances by acting as a distractor. These findings may have implications for the development of cognitive remediation programs.
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718
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Spitzer B, Goltz D, Wacker E, Auksztulewicz R, Blankenburg F. Maintenance and manipulation of somatosensory information in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:2412-23. [PMID: 23913849 PMCID: PMC6869731 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Revised: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies of working memory (WM) suggest that prefrontal cortex may assist sustained maintenance, but also internal manipulation, of stimulus representations in lower-level areas. A different line of research in the somatosensory domain indicates that neuronal activity in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) may also represent specific memory contents in itself, however leaving open to what extent top-down control on lower-level areas is exerted, or how internal manipulation processes are implemented. We used functional imaging and connectivity analysis to study static maintenance and internal manipulation of tactile working memory contents after physically identical stimulation conditions, in human subjects. While both tasks recruited similar subareas in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in VLPFC, static maintenance of the tactile information was additionally characterized by increased functional coupling between IFG and primary somatosensory cortex. Independently, during internal manipulation, a quantitative representation of the task-relevant information was evident in IFG itself, even in the absence of physical stimulation. Together, these findings demonstrate the functional diversity of activity within VLPFC according to different working memory demands, and underline the role of IFG as a core region in sensory WM processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Spitzer
- Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität BerlinHabelschwerdter Allee 4514195BerlinGermany
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentLentzeallee 9414195BerlinGermany
| | - Dominique Goltz
- Department of NeurologyMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesStephanstr. 1a04103LeipzigGermany
- Department of Experimental Psychology and MethodsUniversity LeipzigNeumarkt 9-1004109LeipzigGermany
| | - Evelin Wacker
- Charité University MedicineSpandauer Damm 130, 14050 BerlinGermany
| | - Ryszard Auksztulewicz
- Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität BerlinHabelschwerdter Allee 4514195BerlinGermany
- Berlin School of Mind and BrainHumboldt Universität zu BerlinUnter den Linden 6 10099 BerlinGermany
| | - Felix Blankenburg
- Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität BerlinHabelschwerdter Allee 4514195BerlinGermany
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentLentzeallee 9414195BerlinGermany
- Berlin School of Mind and BrainHumboldt Universität zu BerlinUnter den Linden 6 10099 BerlinGermany
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719
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Poch C, Campo P, Barnes GR. Modulation of alpha and gamma oscillations related to retrospectively orienting attention within working memory. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:2399-405. [PMID: 24750388 PMCID: PMC4215597 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Selective attention mechanisms allow us to focus on information that is relevant to the current behavior and, equally important, ignore irrelevant information. An influential model proposes that oscillatory neural activity in the alpha band serves as an active functional inhibitory mechanism. Recent studies have shown that, in the same way that attention can be selectively oriented to bias sensory processing in favor of relevant stimuli in perceptual tasks, it is also possible to retrospectively orient attention to internal representations held in working memory. However, these studies have not explored the associated oscillatory phenomena. In the current study, we analysed the patterns of neural oscillatory activity recorded with magnetoencephalography while participants performed a change detection task, in which a spatial retro-cue was presented during the maintenance period, indicating which item or items were relevant for subsequent retrieval. Participants benefited from retro-cues in terms of accuracy and reaction time. Retro-cues also modulated oscillatory activity in the alpha and gamma frequency bands. We observed greater alpha activity in a ventral visual region ipsilateral to the attended hemifield, thus supporting its suppressive role, i.e. a functional disengagement of task-irrelevant regions. Accompanying this modulation, we found an increase in gamma activity contralateral to the attended hemifield, which could reflect attentional orienting and selective processing. These findings suggest that the oscillatory mechanisms underlying attentional orienting to representations held in working memory are similar to those engaged when attention is oriented in the perceptual space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Poch
- Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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720
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Macpherson HN, White DJ, Ellis KA, Stough C, Camfield D, Silberstein R, Pipingas A. Age-related changes to the neural correlates of working memory which emerge after midlife. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:70. [PMID: 24795625 PMCID: PMC3997023 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that the neural processes which underlie working memory change with age. Both age-related increases and decreases to cortical activity have been reported. This study investigated which stages of working memory are most vulnerable to age-related changes after midlife. To do this we examined age-differences in the 13 Hz steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) associated with a spatial working memory delayed response task. Participants were 130 healthy adults separated into a midlife (40–60 years) and an older group (61–82 years). Relative to the midlife group, older adults demonstrated greater bilateral frontal activity during encoding and this pattern of activity was related to better working memory performance. In contrast, evidence of age-related under activation was identified over left frontal regions during retrieval. Findings from this study suggest that after midlife, under-activation of frontal regions during retrieval contributes to age-related decline in working memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen N Macpherson
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - David J White
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Kathryn A Ellis
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, St. Vincent's Aged Psychiatry Service, St. Georges Hospital, University of Melbourne Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Con Stough
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - David Camfield
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Richard Silberstein
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Pipingas
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
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721
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Abstract
How we attend to objects and their features that cannot be separated by location is not understood. We presented two temporally and spatially overlapping streams of objects, faces versus houses, and used magnetoencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to separate neuronal responses to attended and unattended objects. Attention to faces versus houses enhanced the sensory responses in the fusiform face area (FFA) and parahippocampal place area (PPA), respectively. The increases in sensory responses were accompanied by induced gamma synchrony between the inferior frontal junction, IFJ, and either FFA or PPA, depending on which object was attended. The IFJ appeared to be the driver of the synchrony, as gamma phases were advanced by 20 ms in IFJ compared to FFA or PPA. Thus, the IFJ may direct the flow of visual processing during object-based attention, at least in part through coupled oscillations with specialized areas such as FFA and PPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Baldauf
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139 MA, USA
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722
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Shimi A, Kuo BC, Astle DE, Nobre AC, Scerif G. Age Group and Individual Differences in Attentional Orienting Dissociate Neural Mechanisms of Encoding and Maintenance in Visual STM. J Cogn Neurosci 2014; 26:864-77. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Selective attention biases the encoding and maintenance of representations in visual STM (VSTM). However, precise attentional mechanisms gating encoding and maintenance in VSTM and across development remain less well understood. We recorded EEG while adults and 10-year-olds used cues to guide attention before encoding or while maintaining items in VSTM. Known neural markers of spatial orienting to incoming percepts, that is, Early Directing Attention Negativity, Anterior Directing Attention Negativity, and Late Directing Attention Positivity, were examined in the context of orienting within VSTM. Adults elicited a set of neural markers that were broadly similar in preparation for encoding and during maintenance. In contrast, in children these processes dissociated. Furthermore, in children, individual differences in the amplitude of neural markers of prospective orienting related to individual differences in VSTM capacity, suggesting that children with high capacity are more efficient at selecting information for encoding into VSTM. Finally, retrospective, but not prospective, orienting in both age groups elicited the well-known marker of visual search (N2pc), indicating the recruitment of additional neural circuits when orienting during maintenance. Developmental and individual differences differentiate seemingly similar processes of orienting to perceptually available representations and to representations held in VSTM.
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723
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Rahm B, Kaiser J, Unterrainer JM, Simon J, Bledowski C. fMRI characterization of visual working memory recognition. Neuroimage 2014; 90:413-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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724
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Raffone A, Srinivasan N, van Leeuwen C. The interplay of attention and consciousness in visual search, attentional blink and working memory consolidation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20130215. [PMID: 24639586 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the acknowledged relationship between consciousness and attention, theories of the two have mostly been developed separately. Moreover, these theories have independently attempted to explain phenomena in which both are likely to interact, such as the attentional blink (AB) and working memory (WM) consolidation. Here, we make an effort to bridge the gap between, on the one hand, a theory of consciousness based on the notion of global workspace (GW) and, on the other, a synthesis of theories of visual attention. We offer a theory of attention and consciousness (TAC) that provides a unified neurocognitive account of several phenomena associated with visual search, AB and WM consolidation. TAC assumes multiple processing stages between early visual representation and conscious access, and extends the dynamics of the global neuronal workspace model to a visual attentional workspace (VAW). The VAW is controlled by executive routers, higher-order representations of executive operations in the GW, without the need for explicit saliency or priority maps. TAC leads to newly proposed mechanisms for illusory conjunctions, AB, inattentional blindness and WM capacity, and suggests neural correlates of phenomenal consciousness. Finally, the theory reconciles the all-or-none and graded perspectives on conscious representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Raffone
- Department of Psychology, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, , Via dei Marsi, 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
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725
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Sörqvist P, Rönnberg J. Individual differences in distractibility: An update and a model. Psych J 2014; 3:42-57. [PMID: 25632345 PMCID: PMC4285120 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews the current literature on individual differences in susceptibility to the effects of background sound on visual-verbal task performance. A large body of evidence suggests that individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) underpin individual differences in susceptibility to auditory distraction in most tasks and contexts. Specifically, high WMC is associated with a more steadfast locus of attention (thus overruling the call for attention that background noise may evoke) and a more constrained auditory-sensory gating (i.e., less processing of the background sound). The relation between WMC and distractibility is a general framework that may also explain distractibility differences between populations that differ along variables that covary with WMC (such as age, developmental disorders, and personality traits). A neurocognitive task-engagement/distraction trade-off (TEDTOFF) model that summarizes current knowledge is outlined and directions for future research are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Sörqvist
- Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of GävleGävle, Sweden
- Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping UniversityLinköping, Sweden
| | - Jerker Rönnberg
- Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping UniversityLinköping, Sweden
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping UniversityLinköping, Sweden
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726
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Wass SV. Applying cognitive training to target executive functions during early development. Child Neuropsychol 2014; 21:150-66. [PMID: 24511910 PMCID: PMC4270409 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2014.882888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Developmental psychopathology is increasingly recognizing the importance of distinguishing causal processes (i.e., the mechanisms that cause a disease) from developmental outcomes (i.e., the symptoms of the disorder as it is eventually diagnosed). Targeting causal processes early in disordered development may be more effective than waiting until outcomes are established and then trying to reverse the pathogenic process. In this review, I evaluate evidence suggesting that neural and behavioral plasticity may be greatest at very early stages of development. I also describe correlational evidence suggesting that, across a number of conditions, early emerging individual differences in attentional control and working memory may play a role in mediating later-developing differences in academic and other forms of learning. I review the currently small number of studies that applied direct and indirect cognitive training targeted at young individuals and discuss methodological challenges associated with targeting this age group. I also discuss a number of ways in which early, targeted cognitive training may be used to help us understand the developmental mechanisms subserving typical and atypical cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam V. Wass
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
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727
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Kuo BC, Astle DE. Neural mechanisms by which attention modulates the comparison of remembered and perceptual representations. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86666. [PMID: 24466193 PMCID: PMC3897742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention is important for effectively comparing incoming perceptual information with the contents of visual short-term memory (VSTM), such that any differences can be detected. However, how attentional mechanisms operate upon these comparison processes remains largely unknown. Here we investigate the underlying neural mechanisms by which attention modulates the comparisons between VSTM and perceptual representations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants performed a cued change detection task. Spatial cues were presented to orient their attention either to the location of an item in VSTM prior to its comparison (retro-cues), or simultaneously (simultaneous-cues) with the probe array. A no-cue condition was also included. When attention cannot be effectively deployed in advance (i.e. following the simultaneous-cues), we observed a distributed and extensive activation pattern in the prefrontal and parietal cortices in support of successful change detection. This was not the case when participants can deploy their attention in advance (i.e. following the retro-cues). The region-of-interest analyses confirmed that neural responses for successful change detection versus correct rejection in the visual and parietal regions were significantly different for simultaneous-cues compared to retro-cues. Importantly, we found enhanced functional connectivity between prefrontal and parietal cortices when detecting changes on the simultaneous-cue trials. Moreover, we demonstrated a close relationship between this functional connectivity and d′ scores. Together, our findings elucidate the attentional and neural mechanisms by which items held in VSTM are compared with incoming perceptual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Cheng Kuo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
| | - Duncan E. Astle
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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728
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Kuo BC, Stokes MG, Murray AM, Nobre AC. Attention biases visual activity in visual short-term memory. J Cogn Neurosci 2014; 26:1377-89. [PMID: 24456394 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In the current study, we tested whether representations in visual STM (VSTM) can be biased via top-down attentional modulation of visual activity in retinotopically specific locations. We manipulated attention using retrospective cues presented during the retention interval of a VSTM task. Retrospective cues triggered activity in a large-scale network implicated in attentional control and led to retinotopically specific modulation of activity in early visual areas V1-V4. Importantly, shifts of attention during VSTM maintenance were associated with changes in functional connectivity between pFC and retinotopic regions within V4. Our findings provide new insights into top-down control mechanisms that modulate VSTM representations for flexible and goal-directed maintenance of the most relevant memoranda.
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729
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Brem AK, Fried PJ, Horvath JC, Robertson EM, Pascual-Leone A. Is neuroenhancement by noninvasive brain stimulation a net zero-sum proposition? Neuroimage 2014; 85 Pt 3:1058-68. [PMID: 23880500 PMCID: PMC4392930 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Revised: 07/09/2013] [Accepted: 07/13/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past several years, the number of studies investigating enhancement of cognitive functions through noninvasive brain stimulation (NBS) has increased considerably. NBS techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial current stimulation, seem capable of enhancing cognitive functions in patients and in healthy humans, particularly when combined with other interventions, including pharmacologic, behavioral and cognitive therapies. The "net zero-sum model", based on the assumption that brain resources are subjected to the physical principle of conservation of energy, is one of the theoretical frameworks proposed to account for such enhancement of function and its potential cost. We argue that to guide future neuroenhancement studies, the net-zero sum concept is helpful, but only if its limits are tightly defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Katharine Brem
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter J. Fried
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Laboratory of Cerebral Dynamics, Plasticity and Rehabilitation, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jared C. Horvath
- Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Edwin M. Robertson
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Institut Guttman de Neurorehabilitació, Universitat Autonoma, Barcelona, Spain
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730
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Lehmann A, Schönwiesner M. Selective attention modulates human auditory brainstem responses: relative contributions of frequency and spatial cues. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85442. [PMID: 24454869 PMCID: PMC3893196 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective attention is the mechanism that allows focusing one’s attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, for instance, on a single conversation in a noisy room. Attending to one sound source rather than another changes activity in the human auditory cortex, but it is unclear whether attention to different acoustic features, such as voice pitch and speaker location, modulates subcortical activity. Studies using a dichotic listening paradigm indicated that auditory brainstem processing may be modulated by the direction of attention. We investigated whether endogenous selective attention to one of two speech signals affects amplitude and phase locking in auditory brainstem responses when the signals were either discriminable by frequency content alone, or by frequency content and spatial location. Frequency-following responses to the speech sounds were significantly modulated in both conditions. The modulation was specific to the task-relevant frequency band. The effect was stronger when both frequency and spatial information were available. Patterns of response were variable between participants, and were correlated with psychophysical discriminability of the stimuli, suggesting that the modulation was biologically relevant. Our results demonstrate that auditory brainstem responses are susceptible to efferent modulation related to behavioral goals. Furthermore they suggest that mechanisms of selective attention actively shape activity at early subcortical processing stages according to task relevance and based on frequency and spatial cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Lehmann
- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Canada
| | - Marc Schönwiesner
- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- * E-mail:
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731
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Tammik V, Toomela A. Relationships between visual figure discrimination, verbal abilities, and gender. Perception 2014; 42:971-84. [PMID: 24386716 DOI: 10.1068/p7607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the relationships between verbal thinking and performance on visual figure discrimination tasks from a Vygotskian perspective in a large varied adult sample (N = 428). A test designed to assess the structure of word meanings (ie tendency to think in 'everyday' or 'scientific' concepts as distinguished by Vygotsky) together with two contour picture tasks was presented. Visual tasks were a modified version of Poppelreuter's overlapping figures and a picture depicting a meaningful scene. On both tasks concrete objects and abstract meaningless shapes had to be identified. In addition to relationships between visual task performance and word meaning structure, the effects of the meaningful scene and relations with gender were examined. The results confirmed the expected relation between word meaning structure and visual performance. Furthermore, they suggested a specific effect of the meaningful whole and a male advantage, especially for the first task in which women seemed to benefit less from advanced word meaning structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valdar Tammik
- Institute of Psychology, Tallinn University, Narva Road 29, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Aaro Toomela
- Institute of Psychology, Tallinn University, Narva Road 29, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia
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732
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733
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Dauvermann MR, Whalley HC, Schmidt A, Lee GL, Romaniuk L, Roberts N, Johnstone EC, Lawrie SM, Moorhead TWJ. Computational neuropsychiatry - schizophrenia as a cognitive brain network disorder. Front Psychiatry 2014; 5:30. [PMID: 24723894 PMCID: PMC3971172 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational modeling of functional brain networks in fMRI data has advanced the understanding of higher cognitive function. It is hypothesized that functional networks mediating higher cognitive processes are disrupted in people with schizophrenia. In this article, we review studies that applied measures of functional and effective connectivity to fMRI data during cognitive tasks, in particular working memory fMRI studies. We provide a conceptual summary of the main findings in fMRI data and their relationship with neurotransmitter systems, which are known to be altered in individuals with schizophrenia. We consider possible developments in computational neuropsychiatry, which are likely to further our understanding of how key functional networks are altered in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria R Dauvermann
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Heather C Whalley
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - André Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland ; Medical Image Analysis Center, University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Graham L Lee
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA , USA
| | - Liana Romaniuk
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Neil Roberts
- Clinical Research Imaging Centre, QMRI, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Eve C Johnstone
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Stephen M Lawrie
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Thomas W J Moorhead
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
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734
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Öğmen H, Ekiz O, Huynh D, Bedell HE, Tripathy SP. Bottlenecks of motion processing during a visual glance: the leaky flask model. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83671. [PMID: 24391806 PMCID: PMC3877086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Where do the bottlenecks for information and attention lie when our visual system processes incoming stimuli? The human visual system encodes the incoming stimulus and transfers its contents into three major memory systems with increasing time scales, viz., sensory (or iconic) memory, visual short-term memory (VSTM), and long-term memory (LTM). It is commonly believed that the major bottleneck of information processing resides in VSTM. In contrast to this view, we show major bottlenecks for motion processing prior to VSTM. In the first experiment, we examined bottlenecks at the stimulus encoding stage through a partial-report technique by delivering the cue immediately at the end of the stimulus presentation. In the second experiment, we varied the cue delay to investigate sensory memory and VSTM. Performance decayed exponentially as a function of cue delay and we used the time-constant of the exponential-decay to demarcate sensory memory from VSTM. We then decomposed performance in terms of quality and quantity measures to analyze bottlenecks along these dimensions. In terms of the quality of information, two thirds to three quarters of the motion-processing bottleneck occurs in stimulus encoding rather than memory stages. In terms of the quantity of information, the motion-processing bottleneck is distributed, with the stimulus-encoding stage accounting for one third of the bottleneck. The bottleneck for the stimulus-encoding stage is dominated by the selection compared to the filtering function of attention. We also found that the filtering function of attention is operating mainly at the sensory memory stage in a specific manner, i.e., influencing only quantity and sparing quality. These results provide a novel and more complete understanding of information processing and storage bottlenecks for motion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haluk Öğmen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Neuro-Engineering and Cognitive Science, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Onur Ekiz
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Duong Huynh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Harold E. Bedell
- Center for Neuro-Engineering and Cognitive Science, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Srimant P. Tripathy
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
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735
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Developmental stages and sex differences of white matter and behavioral development through adolescence: a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study. Neuroimage 2013; 92:356-68. [PMID: 24384150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter (WM) continues to mature through adolescence in parallel with gains in cognitive ability. To date, developmental changes in human WM microstructure have been inferred using analyses of cross-sectional or two time-point follow-up studies, limiting our understanding of individual developmental trajectories. The aims of the present longitudinal study were to characterize the timing of WM growth and investigate how sex and behavior are associated with different developmental trajectories. We utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in 128 individuals aged 8-28, who received annual scans for up to 5 years and completed motor and cognitive tasks. Flexible nonlinear growth curves indicated a hierarchical pattern of WM development. By late childhood, posterior cortical-subcortical connections were similar to adults. During adolescence, WM microstructure reached adult levels, including frontocortical, frontosubcortical and cerebellar connections. Later to mature in adulthood were major corticolimbic association tracts and connections at terminal gray matter sites in cortical and basal ganglia regions. These patterns may reflect adolescent maturation of frontal connectivity supporting cognitive abilities, particularly the protracted refinement of corticolimbic connectivity underlying cognition-emotion interactions. Sex and behavior also played a large role. Males showed continuous WM growth from childhood through early adulthood, whereas females mainly showed growth during mid-adolescence. Further, earlier WM growth in adolescence was associated with faster and more efficient responding and better inhibitory control whereas later growth in adulthood was associated with poorer performance, suggesting that the timing of WM growth is important for cognitive development.
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736
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Basso Moro S, Cutini S, Ursini ML, Ferrari M, Quaresima V. Prefrontal cortex activation during story encoding/retrieval: a multi-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:925. [PMID: 24427131 PMCID: PMC3876278 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Encoding, storage and retrieval constitute three fundamental stages in information processing and memory. They allow for the creation of new memory traces, the maintenance and the consolidation of these traces over time, and the access and recover of the stored information from short or long-term memory. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures concentration changes of oxygenated-hemoglobin (O2Hb) and deoxygenated-hemoglobin (HHb) in cortical microcirculation blood vessels by means of the characteristic absorption spectra of hemoglobin in the near-infrared range. In the present study, we monitored, using a 16-channel fNIRS system, the hemodynamic response during the encoding and retrieval processes (EP and RP, respectively) over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of 13 healthy subjects (27.2 ± 2.6 years) while were performing the “Logical Memory Test” (LMT) of the Wechsler Memory Scale. A LMT-related PFC activation was expected; specifically, it was hypothesized a neural dissociation between EP and RP. The results showed a heterogeneous O2Hb/HHb response over the mapped area during the EP and the RP, with a O2Hb progressive and prominent increment in ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) since the beginning of the EP. During the RP a broader activation, including the VLPFC, the dorsolateral PFC and the frontopolar cortex, was observed. This could be explained by the different contributions of the PFC regions in the EP and the RP. Considering the fNIRS applicability for the hemodynamic monitoring during the LMT performance, this study has demonstrated that fNIRS could be utilized as a valuable clinical diagnostic tool, and that it has the potential to be adopted in patients with cognitive disorders or slight working memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Basso Moro
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Simone Cutini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Ursini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Ferrari
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Valentina Quaresima
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila L'Aquila, Italy
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737
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Seger CA. The visual corticostriatal loop through the tail of the caudate: circuitry and function. Front Syst Neurosci 2013; 7:104. [PMID: 24367300 PMCID: PMC3853932 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2013.00104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although high level visual cortex projects to a specific region of the striatum, the tail of the caudate, and participates in corticostriatal loops, the function of this visual corticostriatal system is not well understood. This article first reviews what is known about the anatomy of the visual corticostriatal loop across mammals, including rodents, cats, monkeys, and humans. Like other corticostriatal systems, the visual corticostriatal system includes both closed loop components (recurrent projections that return to the originating cortical location) and open loop components (projections that terminate in other neural regions). The article then reviews what previous empirical research has shown about the function of the tail of the caudate. The article finally addresses the possible functions of the closed and open loop connections of the visual loop in the context of theories and computational models of corticostriatal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Seger
- Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO, USA
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738
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Merriman JD, Aouizerat BE, Cataldo JK, Dunn L, Cooper BA, West C, Paul SM, Baggott CR, Dhruva A, Kober K, Langford DJ, Leutwyler H, Ritchie CS, Abrams G, Dodd M, Elboim C, Hamolsky D, Melisko M, Miaskowski C. Association between an interleukin 1 receptor, type I promoter polymorphism and self-reported attentional function in women with breast cancer. Cytokine 2013; 65:192-201. [PMID: 24315345 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Revised: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Subgroups of patients with breast cancer may be at greater risk for cytokine-induced changes in cognitive function after diagnosis and during treatment. The purposes of this study were to identify subgroups of patients with distinct trajectories of attentional function and evaluate for phenotypic and genotypic (i.e., cytokine gene polymorphisms) predictors of subgroup membership. Self-reported attentional function was evaluated in 397 patients with breast cancer using the Attentional Function Index before surgery and for six months after surgery (i.e., seven time points). Using growth mixture modeling, three attentional function latent classes were identified: High (41.6%), Moderate (25.4%), and Low-moderate (33.0%). Patients in the Low-moderate class were significantly younger than those in the High class, with more comorbidities and lower functional status than the other two classes. No differences were found among the classes in years of education, race/ethnicity, or other clinical characteristics. DNA was recovered from 302 patients' samples. Eighty-two single nucleotide polymorphisms among 15 candidate genes were included in the genetic association analyses. After controlling for age, comorbidities, functional status, and population stratification due to race/ethnicity, IL1R1 rs949963 remained a significant genotypic predictor of class membership in the multivariable model. Carrying the rare "A" allele (i.e., GA+AA) was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of belonging to a lower attentional function class (OR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.18, 3.30; p=.009). Findings provide evidence of subgroups of women with breast cancer who report distinct trajectories of attentional function and of a genetic association between subgroup membership and an IL1R1 promoter polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Merriman
- School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States.
| | - Bradley E Aouizerat
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0794, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Janine K Cataldo
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Laura Dunn
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0410, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Bruce A Cooper
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Claudia West
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Steven M Paul
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Christina R Baggott
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Anand Dhruva
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0410, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Kord Kober
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Dale J Langford
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Heather Leutwyler
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Christine S Ritchie
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0410, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Gary Abrams
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0410, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Marylin Dodd
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Charles Elboim
- Redwood Regional Medical Group, 121 Sotoyome Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95405, United States.
| | - Deborah Hamolsky
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Michelle Melisko
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0410, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Christine Miaskowski
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
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739
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Conscious thoughts from reflex-like processes: A new experimental paradigm for consciousness research. Conscious Cogn 2013; 22:1318-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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740
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Schwartze M, Kotz SA. A dual-pathway neural architecture for specific temporal prediction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:2587-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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741
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Walker SC, McGlone FP. The social brain: neurobiological basis of affiliative behaviours and psychological well-being. Neuropeptides 2013; 47:379-93. [PMID: 24210942 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The social brain hypothesis proposes that the demands of the social environment provided the evolutionary pressure that led to the expansion of the primate brain. Consistent with this notion, that functioning in the social world is crucial to our survival, while close supportive relationships are known to enhance well-being, a range of social stressors such as abuse, discrimination and dysfunctional relationships can increase the risk of psychiatric disorders. The centrality of the social world to our everyday lives is further exemplified by the fact that abnormality in social behaviour is a salient feature of a range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. This paper aims to provide a selective overview of current knowledge of the neurobiological basis of our ability to form and maintain close personal relationships, and of the benefits these relationships confer on our health. Focusing on neurochemical and neuroendocrine interactions within affective and motivational neural circuits, it highlights the specific importance of cutaneous somatosensation in affiliative behaviours and psychological well-being and reviews evidence, in support of the hypothesis, that a class of cutaneous unmyelinated, low threshold mechanosensitive nerves, named c-tactile afferents, have a direct and specific role in processing affiliative tactile stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Walker
- School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom.
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742
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Nee DE, Jonides J. Trisecting representational states in short-term memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:796. [PMID: 24324424 PMCID: PMC3840432 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to hold information briefly in mind in the absence of external stimulation forms the core of much of higher-order cognition. This ability is referred to as short-term memory (STM). However, single-term labels such as this belie the complexity of the underlying construct. Here, we review evidence that STM is an amalgamation of three qualitatively distinct states. We argue that these distinct states emerge from the combination of frontal selection mechanisms (often considered the domain of attention and cognitive control), medial temporal binding mechanisms (often considered the domain of long-term memory, LTM), and synaptic plasticity. These various contributions lead to a single representation amenable to elaborated processing (focus of attention), a limited set of active representations among which attention can be flexibly switched (direct-access region), and passive representations whose residual traces facilitate re-activation (activated LTM). We suggest that selection and binding mechanisms are typically engaged simultaneously, providing multiple forms and routes of short-term maintenance. We propose that such a framework can resolve discrepancies among recent studies that have attempted to understand the relationship between attention and STM on the one hand, and between LTM and STM on the other. We anticipate that recent advances in neuroimaging and neurophysiology will elucidate the mechanisms underlying shifts and transformations among these representational states, providing a window into the dynamic processes of higher-order cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Evan Nee
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, CA, USA
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743
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Kundu B, Johnson JS, Postle BR. Trait-like differences in underlying oscillatory state predict individual differences in the TMS-evoked response. Brain Stimul 2013; 7:234-42. [PMID: 24472620 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2013] [Revised: 10/05/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) can provide insights into how differing cognitive contexts produce different brain states, through TMS-based measures of effective connectivity. For instance, in a recent study, the amplitude of the TMS-evoked response (TMS-ER) derived during the delay-period of a spatial short-term memory (STM) task had a larger amplitude, and greater spread to distal cortical areas, than the TMS-ER from a fixation condition (Johnson et al. J Neurophysiol, 2012). This indicated that the brain's electrical response to TMS is influenced by the cognitive context (STM or fixation) at the time of stimulation. This study also showed significant individual differences in the shape of the TMS-ER. Further, delay-period spectrograms revealed patterns of activity, the sustained pattern of delay-period activity (SPDPA), which were different across individuals. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS The present study addressed whether individual differences in the SPDPA predict spectral properties of the TMS-ER. We predicted that significant relationships would exist in task-relevant areas, such as the prefrontal cortex in the case of STM. METHODS The TMS-ER was derived using TMS-EEG and source-localization methods. RESULTS The SPDPA varied significantly across subjects, and these differences predicted individual differences in several frequency-dependent parameters of the TMS-ER that were specific to task-relevant areas, including prefrontal cortex for STM. Furthermore, a follow-up test-retest study revealed that the SPDPA was stable over sessions. CONCLUSIONS These observations offer a window into how individual differences in the effects of TMS are related to trait-like individual differences in physiological profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bornali Kundu
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
| | | | - Bradley R Postle
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
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744
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Doneva SP, De Fockert JW. More conservative go/no-go response criterion under high working memory load. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2013.855780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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745
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Ziaei M, Peira N, Persson J. Brain systems underlying attentional control and emotional distraction during working memory encoding. Neuroimage 2013; 87:276-86. [PMID: 24185015 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Revised: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed behavior requires that cognitive operations can be protected from emotional distraction induced by task-irrelevant emotional stimuli. The brain processes involved in attending to relevant information while filtering out irrelevant information are still largely unknown. To investigate the neural and behavioral underpinnings of attending to task-relevant emotional stimuli while ignoring irrelevant stimuli, we used fMRI to assess brain responses during attentional instructed encoding within an emotional working memory (WM) paradigm. We showed that instructed attention to emotion during WM encoding resulted in enhanced performance, by means of increased memory performance and reduced reaction time, compared to passive viewing. A similar performance benefit was also demonstrated for recognition memory performance, although for positive pictures only. Functional MRI data revealed a network of regions involved in directed attention to emotional information for both positive and negative pictures that included medial and lateral prefrontal cortices, fusiform gyrus, insula, the parahippocampal gyrus, and the amygdala. Moreover, we demonstrate that regions in the striatum, and regions associated with the default-mode network were differentially activated for emotional distraction compared to neutral distraction. Activation in a sub-set of these regions was related to individual differences in WM and recognition memory performance, thus likely contributing to performing the task at an optimal level. The present results provide initial insights into the behavioral and neural consequences of instructed attention and emotional distraction during WM encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ziaei
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Nathalie Peira
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Box 1225, 751 42 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Persson
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Sweden; Aging Research Center (ARC) at Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, Gävlegatan 16, 113 30 Stockholm, Sweden.
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746
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Electrophysiological evidence for greater attention to threat when cognitive control resources are depleted. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2013; 14:827-35. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-013-0212-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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747
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Abstract
To behave adaptively, an organism must balance the accurate maintenance of information stored in working memory with the ability to update that information when the context changes. This trade-off between fidelity and flexibility may depend upon the anticipated likelihood that updating will be necessary. To address the neurobiological basis of anticipatory optimization, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging data, while healthy human subjects performed a modified delayed-response task. This task used cues that predicted memory updating, with high or low probability, followed by a contingent updating or maintenance event. This enabled us to compare behavior and neuronal activity during conditions in which updating was anticipated with high and low probability, and measure responses to expected and unexpected memory updating. Based on the known role of dopamine in cognitive flexibility and working memory updating, we hypothesized that differences in anticipatory set would be manifest in the dopaminergic midbrain and striatum. Consistent with our predictions, we identified sustained activation in the dopaminergic midbrain and the striatum, associated with anticipations of high versus low updating probability. We also found that this anticipatory factor affected neural responses to subsequent updating processes, which suppressed, rather than elevated, midbrain and striatal activity. Our study addresses for the first time an important and hitherto understudied aspect of working memory.
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748
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Nelissen N, Stokes M, Nobre AC, Rushworth MFS. Frontal and parietal cortical interactions with distributed visual representations during selective attention and action selection. J Neurosci 2013; 33:16443-58. [PMID: 24133250 PMCID: PMC3797369 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2625-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), we studied how distributed visual representations in human occipitotemporal cortex are modulated by attention and link their modulation to concurrent activity in frontal and parietal cortex. We detected similar occipitotemporal patterns during a simple visuoperceptual task and an attention-to-working-memory task in which one or two stimuli were cued before being presented among other pictures. Pattern strength varied from highest to lowest when the stimulus was the exclusive focus of attention, a conjoint focus, and when it was potentially distracting. Although qualitatively similar effects were seen inside regions relatively specialized for the stimulus category and outside, the former were quantitatively stronger. By regressing occipitotemporal pattern strength against activity elsewhere in the brain, we identified frontal and parietal areas exerting top-down control over, or reading information out from, distributed patterns in occipitotemporal cortex. Their interactions with patterns inside regions relatively specialized for that stimulus category were higher than those with patterns outside those regions and varied in strength as a function of the attentional condition. One area, the frontal operculum, was distinguished by selectively interacting with occipitotemporal patterns only when they were the focus of attention. There was no evidence that any frontal or parietal area actively inhibited occipitotemporal representations even when they should be ignored and were suppressed. Using MVPA to decode information within these frontal and parietal areas showed that they contained information about attentional context and/or readout information from occipitotemporal cortex to guide behavior but that frontal regions lacked information about category identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Nelissen
- Action and Decision Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology
- Cognitive Neurology Laboratory, Experimental Neurology Division, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Anna C. Nobre
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity
- Brain and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology
| | - Matthew F. S. Rushworth
- Action and Decision Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, and
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749
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Papoutsi A, Sidiropoulou K, Cutsuridis V, Poirazi P. Induction and modulation of persistent activity in a layer V PFC microcircuit model. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:161. [PMID: 24130519 PMCID: PMC3793128 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory refers to the temporary storage of information and is strongly associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Persistent activity of cortical neurons, namely the activity that persists beyond the stimulus presentation, is considered the cellular correlate of working memory. Although past studies suggested that this type of activity is characteristic of large scale networks, recent experimental evidence imply that small, tightly interconnected clusters of neurons in the cortex may support similar functionalities. However, very little is known about the biophysical mechanisms giving rise to persistent activity in small-sized microcircuits in the PFC. Here, we present a detailed biophysically—yet morphologically simplified—microcircuit model of layer V PFC neurons that incorporates connectivity constraints and is validated against a multitude of experimental data. We show that (a) a small-sized network can exhibit persistent activity under realistic stimulus conditions. (b) Its emergence depends strongly on the interplay of dADP, NMDA, and GABAB currents. (c) Although increases in stimulus duration increase the probability of persistent activity induction, variability in the stimulus firing frequency does not consistently influence it. (d) Modulation of ionic conductances (Ih, ID, IsAHP, IcaL, IcaN, IcaR) differentially controls persistent activity properties in a location dependent manner. These findings suggest that modulation of the microcircuit's firing characteristics is achieved primarily through changes in its intrinsic mechanism makeup, supporting the hypothesis of multiple bi-stable units in the PFC. Overall, the model generates a number of experimentally testable predictions that may lead to a better understanding of the biophysical mechanisms of persistent activity induction and modulation in the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasia Papoutsi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas Heraklion, Greece ; Department of Biology, University of Crete Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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Biehl SC, Ehlis AC, Müller LD, Niklaus A, Pauli P, Herrmann MJ. The impact of task relevance and degree of distraction on stimulus processing. BMC Neurosci 2013; 14:107. [PMID: 24079268 PMCID: PMC3851833 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-14-107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The impact of task relevance on event-related potential amplitudes of early visual processing was previously demonstrated. Study designs, however, differ greatly, not allowing simultaneous investigation of how both degree of distraction and task relevance influence processing variations. In our study, we combined different features of previous tasks. We used a modified 1-back task in which task relevant and task irrelevant stimuli were alternately presented. The task irrelevant stimuli could be from the same or from a different category as the task relevant stimuli, thereby producing high and low distracting task irrelevant stimuli. In addition, the paradigm comprised a passive viewing condition. Thus, our paradigm enabled us to compare the processing of task relevant stimuli, task irrelevant stimuli with differing degrees of distraction, and passively viewed stimuli. EEG data from twenty participants was collected and mean P100 and N170 amplitudes were analyzed. Furthermore, a potential connection of stimulus processing and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was investigated. Results Our results show a modulation of peak N170 amplitudes by task relevance. N170 amplitudes to task relevant stimuli were significantly higher than to high distracting task irrelevant or passively viewed stimuli. In addition, amplitudes to low distracting task irrelevant stimuli were significantly higher than to high distracting stimuli. N170 amplitudes to passively viewed stimuli were not significantly different from either kind of task irrelevant stimuli. Participants with more symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity showed decreased N170 amplitudes across all task conditions. On a behavioral level, lower N170 enhancement efficiency was significantly correlated with false alarm responses. Conclusions Our results point to a processing enhancement of task relevant stimuli. Unlike P100 amplitudes, N170 amplitudes were strongly influenced by enhancement and enhancement efficiency seemed to have direct behavioral consequences. These findings have potential implications for models of clinical disorders affecting selective attention, especially ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie C Biehl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstraβe 15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
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