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Zhao N, Tao J, Wong C, Wu JS, Liu J, Chen LD, Lee TMC, Xu Y, Chan CCH. Theta burst stimulation on the fronto-cerebellar connective network promotes cognitive processing speed in the simple cognitive task. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1387299. [PMID: 39314267 PMCID: PMC11417469 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1387299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The fronto-cerebellar functional network has been proposed to subserve cognitive processing speed. This study aims to elucidate how the long-range frontal-to-cerebellar effective connectivity contributes to faster speed. Methods In total, 60 healthy participants were randomly allocated to three five-daily sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation conditions, namely intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS, excitatory), continuous theta-burst stimulation (CTBS, inhibitory), or a sham condition. The sites of the stimulations were the right pre-supplementary motor area (RpSMA), medial cerebellar vermis VI (MCV6), and vertex, respectively. Performances in two reaction time tasks were recorded at different time points. Results Post-stimulation speeds revealed marginal decreases in the simple but not complex task. Nevertheless, participants in the excitatory RpSMA and inhibitory MCV6 conditions showed direct and negative path effects on faster speeds compared to the sham condition in the simple reaction time (SRT) task (β = -0.320, p = 0.045 and β = -0.414, p = 0.007, respectively). These path effects were not observed in the SDMT task. Discussion RpSMA and MCV6 were involved in promoting the path effects of faster reaction times on simple cognitive task. This study offers further evidence to support their roles within the long-range frontal-to-cerebellar connectivity subserving cognitive processing speed. The enhancement effects, however, are likely limited to simple rather than complex mental operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhao
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Rehabilitation, The 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Tao
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Clive Wong
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jing-song Wu
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jiao Liu
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Li-dian Chen
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Tatia M. C. Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yanwen Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Wuxi, China
| | - Chetwyn C. H. Chan
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Vieites V, Ralph Y, Reeb-Sutherland B, Dick AS, Mattfeld AT, Pruden SM. Neurite density of the hippocampus is associated with trace eyeblink conditioning latency in 4- to 6-year-olds. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:358-369. [PMID: 38092417 PMCID: PMC10872972 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Limited options exist to evaluate the development of hippocampal function in young children. Research has established that trace eyeblink conditioning (EBC) relies on a functional hippocampus. Hence, we set out to investigate whether trace EBC is linked to hippocampal structure, potentially serving as a valuable indicator of hippocampal development. Our study explored potential associations between individual differences in hippocampal volume and neurite density with trace EBC performance in young children. We used onset latency of conditioned responses (CR) and percentage of conditioned responses (% CR) as measures of hippocampal-dependent associative learning. Using a sample of typically developing children aged 4 to 6 years (N = 30; 14 girls; M = 5.70 years), participants underwent T1- and diffusion-weighted MRI scans and completed a 15-min trace eyeblink conditioning task conducted outside the MRI. % CR and CR onset latency were calculated based on all trials involving tone-puff presentations and tone-alone trials. Findings revealed a connection between greater left hippocampal neurite density and delayed CR onset latency. Children with higher neurite density in the left hippocampus tended to blink closer to the onset of the unconditioned stimulus, indicating that structural variations in the hippocampus were associated with more precise timing of conditioned responses. No other relationships were observed between hippocampal volume, cerebellum volume or neurite density, hippocampal white matter connectivity and any EBC measures. Preliminary results suggest that trace EBC may serve as a straightforward yet innovative approach for studying hippocampal development in young children and populations with atypical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Vieites
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yvonne Ralph
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
| | | | - Anthony Steven Dick
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Aaron T Mattfeld
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Shannon M Pruden
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
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3
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Rice LC, Langan MT, Cheng DT, Sheu YS, Peterburs J, Hua J, Qin Q, Rilee JJ, Faulkner ML, Mathena JR, Munro CA, Wand GS, McCaul ME, Desmond JE. Disrupted executive cerebro-cerebellar functional connectivity in alcohol use disorder. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:33-47. [PMID: 38206281 PMCID: PMC10784638 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects 283 million people worldwide and its prevalence is increasing. Despite the role of the cerebellum in executive control and its sensitivity to alcohol, few studies have assessed its involvement in AUD-relevant functional networks. The goal of this study is to compare resting-state functional connectivity (FC) patterns in abstinent adults with a history of AUD and controls (CTL). We hypothesized that group differences in cerebro-cerebellar FC would be present, particularly within the frontoparietal/executive control network (FPN). METHODS Twenty-eight participants completed a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) study. CTL participants had no history of AUD, comorbid psychological conditions, or recent heavy drinking and/or drug use. AUD participants had a history of AUD, with sobriety for at least 30 days prior to data collection. Multivariate pattern analysis, an agnostic, whole-brain approach, was used to identify regions with significant differences in FC between groups. Seed-based analyses were then conducted to determine the directionality and extent of these FC differences. Associations between FC strength and executive function were assessed using correlations with Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) performance. RESULTS There were significant group differences in FC in nodes of the FPN, ventral attention network, and default mode network. Post hoc analyses predominantly identified FC differences within the cerebro-cerebellar FPN, with AUD showing significantly less FC within the FPN. In AUD, FC strength between FPN clusters identified in the multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) analysis (Left Crus II, Right Frontal Cortex) was positively associated with performance on the WCST. CONCLUSIONS Our results show less engagement of the FPN in individuals with AUD than in CTL. FC strength within this network was positively associated with performance on the WCST. These findings suggest that long-term heavy drinking alters cerebro-cerebellar FC, particularly within networks that are involved in executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C. Rice
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Yi-Shin Sheu
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jutta Peterburs
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute for Systems Medicine & Department of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jun Hua
- Neurosection, Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qin Qin
- Neurosection, Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Gary S. Wand
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mary E. McCaul
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John E. Desmond
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Ewers SP, Dreier TM, Al-Bas S, Schwenkreis P, Pleger B. Classical conditioning of faciliatory paired-pulse TMS. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6192. [PMID: 37062779 PMCID: PMC10106457 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32894-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In this proof-of-concept study, we questioned whether the influence of TMS on cortical excitability can be applied to classical conditioning. More specifically, we investigated whether the faciliatory influence of paired-pulse TMS on the excitability of the human motor cortex can be transferred to a simultaneously presented auditory stimulus through conditioning. During the conditioning phase, 75 healthy young participants received 170 faciliatory paired TMS pulses (1st pulse at 95% resting motor threshold, 2nd at 130%, interstimulus interval 12 ms), always presented simultaneously with one out of two acoustic stimuli. In the test phase, 20 min later, we pseudorandomly applied 100 single TMS pulses (at 130% MT), 50 paired with the conditioned tone-50 paired with a control tone. Using the Wilcoxon-Signed Rank test, we found significantly enhanced median amplitudes of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) paired with the conditioned tone as compared to the control tone, suggesting successful conditioning (p = 0.031, responder rate 55%, small effect size of r = - 0.248). The same comparison in only those participants with a paired-pulse amplitude < 2 mV in the conditioning phase, increased the responder rate to 61% (n = 38) and effect size to moderate (r = - 0.389). If we considered only those participants with a median paired-pulse amplitude < 1 mV, responder rate increased further to 79% (n = 14) and effect size to r = - 0.727 (i.e., large effect). These findings suggest increasingly stronger conditioning effects for smaller MEP amplitudes during paired-pulse TMS conditioning. These proof-of-concept findings extend the scope of classical conditioning to faciliatory paired-pulse TMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan P Ewers
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Timo M Dreier
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Siham Al-Bas
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Peter Schwenkreis
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Burkhard Pleger
- Department of Neurology, BG University Clinic Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
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Human cerebellum and corticocerebellar connections involved in emotional memory enhancement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204900119. [PMID: 36191198 PMCID: PMC9564100 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204900119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhanced memory for emotional stimuli is crucial for survival, but it may also contribute to the development and maintenance of fear-related disorders in case of highly aversive experiences. This large-scale functional brain imaging study identifies the cerebellum and cerebellar–cerebral connections involved in the phenomenon of superior memory for emotionally arousing visual information. These findings expand knowledge on the role of the cerebellum in complex cognitive and emotional processes and may be relevant for the understanding of psychiatric disorders with aberrant emotional circuitry, such as posttraumatic stress disorder or autism spectrum disorder. Emotional information is better remembered than neutral information. Extensive evidence indicates that the amygdala and its interactions with other cerebral regions play an important role in the memory-enhancing effect of emotional arousal. While the cerebellum has been found to be involved in fear conditioning, its role in emotional enhancement of episodic memory is less clear. To address this issue, we used a whole-brain functional MRI approach in 1,418 healthy participants. First, we identified clusters significantly activated during enhanced memory encoding of negative and positive emotional pictures. In addition to the well-known emotional memory–related cerebral regions, we identified a cluster in the cerebellum. We then used dynamic causal modeling and identified several cerebellar connections with increased connection strength corresponding to enhanced emotional memory, including one to a cluster covering the amygdala and hippocampus, and bidirectional connections with a cluster covering the anterior cingulate cortex. The present findings indicate that the cerebellum is an integral part of a network involved in emotional enhancement of episodic memory.
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Li R, Li Q, Chu X, Li L, Li X, Li J, Yang Z, Xu M, Luo C, Zhang K. Role of cerebellar cortex in associative learning and memory in guinea pigs. Open Life Sci 2022; 17:1208-1216. [PMID: 36185409 PMCID: PMC9482424 DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-related cognitive function refers to the capacity of the brain to store, extract, and process specific information. Previous studies demonstrated that the cerebellar cortex participates in advanced cognitive functions, but the role of the cerebellar cortex in cognitive functions is unclear. We established a behavioral model using classical eyeblink conditioning to study the role of the cerebellar cortex in associative learning and memory and the underlying mechanisms. We performed an investigation to determine whether eyeblink conditioning could be established by placing the stimulating electrode in the middle cerebellar peduncle. Behavior training was performed using a microcurrent pulse as a conditioned stimulus to stimulate the middle cerebellar peduncle and corneal blow as an unconditioned stimulus. After 10 consecutive days of training, a conditioned response was successfully achieved in the Delay, Trace-200-ms, and Trace-300-ms groups of guinea pigs, with acquisition rates of >60%, but the Trace-400-ms and control groups did not achieve a conditioned stimulus-related blink conditioned response. It could be a good model for studying the function of the cerebellum during the establishment of eyeblink conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tianjin Hospital Tianjin University, Jiefang South Road 406, Tianjin 300211, Tianjin, China.,Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaolei Chu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tianjin Hospital Tianjin University, Jiefang South Road 406, Tianjin 300211, Tianjin, China
| | - Lan Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiaoyi Li
- Department of Neuroelectrophysiology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Using Quality Management, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhen Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Mingjing Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Changlu Luo
- Department of Rehabilitation, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Kui Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan East Road 83, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, China
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Shmueli M, Ben-Shachar MS, Jacobson JL, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Jacobson SW, Berger A. Magnitude comparison and automaticity in number processing in adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure: An event-related potentials study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:961-978. [PMID: 35373355 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders may exhibit a distinct pattern of dysmorphic facial features, growth restriction, and cognitive deficits, particularly in arithmetic. Magnitude comparison, a fundamental element of numerical cognition, is modulated by the numerical distance effect, with numbers closer in value more difficult to compare than those further apart, and by the automaticity of the association of numerical values with their symbolic representations (Arabic numerals). METHODS We examined event-related potentials acquired during the Numerical Stroop numerical and physical tasks administered to 24 alcohol-exposed adolescents (eight fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), eight partial FAS (PFAS), eight heavily exposed (HE) nonsyndromal) and 23 typically developing (TD), same- age controls. The distance effect was assessed on the numerical task to examine differences in reaction time (RT) and accuracy when two numbers are close in value (e.g., 1 vs. 2) compared to when the numbers are less close (e.g., 1 vs. 6). Automaticity was assessed in the physical task by examining the degree to which RT and accuracy are reduced when the relative physical size of two numerals is incongruent with their numerical values (e.g., 1 vs. 6). RESULTS Adolescents in all four groups performed behaviorally as expected on these relatively simple magnitude comparison tasks, but accuracy was poorer and RT was slower on both tasks in the FAS and PFAS than the HE and TD groups. At the neurophysiological level, in the numerical task, a higher level of prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with smaller P2p amplitude. In the physical task, only the TD and nonsyndromal HE groups exhibited the expected smaller P300 amplitude in the incongruent than the congruent condition. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that magnitude comparison in alcohol-exposed individuals may be mediated by recruitment of alternative neural pathways that are likely to be inefficient when number processing becomes more challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Shmueli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Mattan S Ben-Shachar
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Andrea Berger
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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Bernard JA. Understanding cerebellar function through network perspectives: A review of resting-state connectivity of the cerebellum. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Kim NY, Hsu J, Talmasov D, Joutsa J, Soussand L, Wu O, Rost NS, Morenas-Rodríguez E, Martí-Fàbregas J, Pascual-Leone A, Corlett PR, Fox MD. Lesions causing hallucinations localize to one common brain network. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1299-1309. [PMID: 31659272 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0565-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The brain regions responsible for hallucinations remain unclear. We studied 89 brain lesions causing hallucinations using a recently validated technique termed lesion network mapping. We found that hallucinations occurred following lesions to a variety of different brain regions, but these lesion locations fell within a single functionally connected brain network. This network was defined by connectivity to the cerebellar vermis, inferior cerebellum (bilateral lobule X), and the right superior temporal sulcus. Within this single hallucination network, additional connections with the lesion location dictated the sensory modality of the hallucination: lesions causing visual hallucinations were connected to the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus while lesions causing auditory hallucinations were connected to the dentate nucleus in the cerebellum. Our results suggest that lesions causing hallucinations localize to a single common brain network, but additional connections within this network dictate the sensory modality, lending insight into the causal neuroanatomical substrate of hallucinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Young Kim
- Department and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Joey Hsu
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Talmasov
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Juho Joutsa
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Neurology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Louis Soussand
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ona Wu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Natalia S Rost
- J. Philip Kistler Stroke Research Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Estrella Morenas-Rodríguez
- Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (HSCSP), Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Munich, Germany.,Chair of Metabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Joan Martí-Fàbregas
- Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (HSCSP), Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Institut Guttmann de Neurorehabilitació, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - Philip R Corlett
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael D Fox
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Athinoula A. Martinos Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
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10
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Lundin NB, Kim DJ, Tullar RL, Moussa-Tooks AB, Kent JS, Newman SD, Purcell JR, Bolbecker AR, O’Donnell BF, Hetrick WP. Cerebellar Activation Deficits in Schizophrenia During an Eyeblink Conditioning Task. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN OPEN 2021; 2:sgab040. [PMID: 34541537 PMCID: PMC8443466 DOI: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgab040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The cognitive dysmetria theory of psychotic disorders posits that cerebellar circuit abnormalities give rise to difficulties coordinating motor and cognitive functions. However, brain activation during cerebellar-mediated tasks is understudied in schizophrenia. Accordingly, this study examined whether individuals with schizophrenia have diminished neural activation compared to controls in key regions of the delay eyeblink conditioning (dEBC) cerebellar circuit (eg, lobule VI) and cerebellar regions associated with cognition (eg, Crus I). Participants with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 43) underwent dEBC during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Images were normalized using the Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial Template (SUIT) of the cerebellum and brainstem. Activation contrasts of interest were "early" and "late" stages of paired tone and air puff trials minus unpaired trials. Preliminary whole brain analyses were conducted, followed by cerebellar-specific SUIT and region of interest (ROI) analyses of lobule VI and Crus I. Correlation analyses were conducted between cerebellar activation, neuropsychological test scores, and psychotic symptom scores. In controls, the largest clusters of cerebellar activation peaked in lobule VI during early dEBC and Crus I during late dEBC. The schizophrenia group showed robust cortical activation to unpaired trials but no significant conditioning-related cerebellar activation. Crus I ROI activation during late dEBC was greater in the control than schizophrenia group. Greater Crus I activation correlated with higher working memory scores in the full sample and lower positive psychotic symptom severity in schizophrenia. Findings indicate functional cerebellar abnormalities in schizophrenia which relate to psychotic symptoms, lending direct support to the cognitive dysmetria framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy B Lundin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Dae-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Rachel L Tullar
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Alexandra B Moussa-Tooks
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jerillyn S Kent
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sharlene D Newman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - John R Purcell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Amanda R Bolbecker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Brian F O’Donnell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - William P Hetrick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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11
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Kent JS, Kim DJ, Newman SD, Bolbecker AR, O'Donnell BF, Hetrick WP. Investigating cerebellar neural function in schizophrenia using delay eyeblink conditioning: A pilot fMRI study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2020; 304:111133. [PMID: 32805441 PMCID: PMC9680991 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
There is accruing evidence of cerebellar abnormalities in individuals with schizophrenia as measured by performance on a variety of tasks believed to be dependent on cerebellar integrity, including delay eyeblink conditioning. There is also evidence of cerebellar dysfunction on a neural level in schizophrenia from both task-based and resting state neuroimaging studies, however few studies have examined cerebellar neural function while the cerebellum is directly recruited in individuals with schizophrenia. In the current pilot study, we examined neural activity during an explicitly cerebellar task in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and non-psychiatric controls. Participants underwent delay eyeblink conditioning during fMRI. Results indicated eyeblink conditioning impairment in patients as evidenced by a group by time interaction for conditioned responses. A significant cluster of cerebellar activation was present in controls but not patients during the first half of conditioning; there were no significant differences in activation between groups. An ROI analysis focused on the cerebellum in patients revealed two significant clusters that were inversely associated with negative symptom severity. These results are broadly consistent with the theory of cognitive dysmetria, wherein cerebellar abnormalities are theorized to contribute to motor as well as cognitive and affective disturbances in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerillyn S Kent
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA.
| | - Dae-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Sharlene D Newman
- Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Amanda R Bolbecker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Brian F O'Donnell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - William P Hetrick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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12
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Lindquist DH. Emotion in motion: A three-stage model of aversive classical conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:363-377. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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13
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Cheng DT, Rice LC, McCaul ME, Rilee JJ, Faulkner ML, Sheu YS, Mathena JR, Desmond JE. Neural Substrates Underlying Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:620-631. [PMID: 31984510 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive alcohol consumption produces changes in the brain that often lead to cognitive impairments. One fundamental form of learning, eyeblink classical conditioning (EBC), has been widely used to study the neurobiology of learning and memory. Participants with alcohol use disorders (AUD) have consistently shown a behavioral deficit in EBC. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study is the first to examine brain function during conditioning in abstinent AUD participants and healthy participants. METHODS AUD participants met DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence, had at least a 10-year history of heavy drinking, and were abstinent from alcohol for at least 30 days. During fMRI, participants received auditory tones that predicted the occurrence of corneal airpuffs. Anticipatory eyeblink responses to these tones were monitored during the experiment to assess learning-related changes. RESULTS Behavioral results indicate that AUD participants showed significant conditioning deficits and that their history of lifetime drinks corresponded to these deficits. Despite this learning impairment, AUD participants showed hyperactivation in several key cerebellar structures (including lobule VI) during conditioning. For all participants, history of lifetime drinks corresponded with their lobule VI activity. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that excessive alcohol consumption is associated with abnormal cerebellar hyperactivation and conditioning impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic T Cheng
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Laura C Rice
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mary E McCaul
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jessica J Rilee
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Monica L Faulkner
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yi-Shin Sheu
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joanna R Mathena
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - John E Desmond
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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14
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Patterns of Cerebellar Connectivity with Intrinsic Connectivity Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:4498-4514. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04168-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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15
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Steinmetz AB, Freeman JH. Intracerebellar cannabinoid administration impairs delay but not trace eyeblink conditioning. Behav Brain Res 2019; 378:112258. [PMID: 31560921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Intracerebellar administration of cannabinoid agonists impairs cerebellum-dependent delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC) in rats. It is not known whether the cannabinoid-induced impairment in EBC is found with shorter interstimulus intervals (ISI), longer ISIs, or with trace EBC. Moreover, systemic administration of cannabinoid agonists does not impair trace EBC, suggesting that cannabinoid receptors within the cerebellum are not involved in trace EBC. To more precisely assess the effects of cannabinoids on cerebellar learning mechanisms the current study examined the effects of the cannabinoid agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN) infusion into the area of the cerebellar cortex necessary for EBC (the eyeblink microzone) in rats during short delay (250 ms CS), long delay (750 ms CS), and trace (250 ms CS, 500 ms trace interval) EBC. WIN was infused into the eyeblink microzone 30 min before pretraining sessions and five EBC training sessions, followed by five EBC training sessions without infusions to assess recovery from drug effects and savings. WIN had no effect on spontaneous blinks or non-associative responses to the CS or US during the pretraining sessions. Short and long delay EBC were impaired by WIN but trace EBC was unaffected. The results indicate that trace EBC is mediated by mechanisms that are resistant to cannabinoid agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam B Steinmetz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - John H Freeman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA.
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16
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Facilitated acquisition of the classically conditioned eyeblink response in active duty military expressing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Behav Brain Res 2018; 339:106-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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17
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Hoche F, Guell X, Vangel MG, Sherman JC, Schmahmann JD. The cerebellar cognitive affective/Schmahmann syndrome scale. Brain 2018; 141:248-270. [PMID: 29206893 PMCID: PMC5837248 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS; Schmahmann's syndrome) is characterized by deficits in executive function, linguistic processing, spatial cognition, and affect regulation. Diagnosis currently relies on detailed neuropsychological testing. The aim of this study was to develop an office or bedside cognitive screen to help identify CCAS in cerebellar patients. Secondary objectives were to evaluate whether available brief tests of mental function detect cognitive impairment in cerebellar patients, whether cognitive performance is different in patients with isolated cerebellar lesions versus complex cerebrocerebellar pathology, and whether there are cognitive deficits that should raise red flags about extra-cerebellar pathology. Comprehensive standard neuropsychological tests, experimental measures and clinical rating scales were administered to 77 patients with cerebellar disease-36 isolated cerebellar degeneration or injury, and 41 complex cerebrocerebellar pathology-and to healthy matched controls. Tests that differentiated patients from controls were used to develop a screening instrument that includes the cardinal elements of CCAS. We validated this new scale in a new cohort of 39 cerebellar patients and 55 healthy controls. We confirm the defining features of CCAS using neuropsychological measures. Deficits in executive function were most pronounced for working memory, mental flexibility, and abstract reasoning. Language deficits included verb for noun generation and phonemic > semantic fluency. Visual spatial function was degraded in performance and interpretation of visual stimuli. Neuropsychiatric features included impairments in attentional control, emotional control, psychosis spectrum disorders and social skill set. From these results, we derived a 10-item scale providing total raw score, cut-offs for each test, and pass/fail criteria that determined 'possible' (one test failed), 'probable' (two tests failed), and 'definite' CCAS (three tests failed). When applied to the exploratory cohort, and administered to the validation cohort, the CCAS/Schmahmann scale identified sensitivity and selectivity, respectively as possible exploratory cohort: 85%/74%, validation cohort: 95%/78%; probable exploratory cohort: 58%/94%, validation cohort: 82%/93%; and definite exploratory cohort: 48%/100%, validation cohort: 46%/100%. In patients in the exploratory cohort, Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores were within normal range. Complex cerebrocerebellar disease patients were impaired on similarities in comparison to isolated cerebellar disease. Inability to recall words from multiple choice occurred only in patients with extra-cerebellar disease. The CCAS/Schmahmann syndrome scale is useful for expedited clinical assessment of CCAS in patients with cerebellar disorders.awx317media15678692096001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Hoche
- Ataxia Unit, Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Unit, Laboratory for Neuroanatomy and Cerebellar Neurobiology, Department of Neurology Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xavier Guell
- Ataxia Unit, Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Unit, Laboratory for Neuroanatomy and Cerebellar Neurobiology, Department of Neurology Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit (URNC), Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark G Vangel
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Janet C Sherman
- Psychology Assessment Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy D Schmahmann
- Ataxia Unit, Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Unit, Laboratory for Neuroanatomy and Cerebellar Neurobiology, Department of Neurology Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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18
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Cerebellar-dependent associative learning is impaired in very preterm born children and young adults. Sci Rep 2017; 7:18028. [PMID: 29269751 PMCID: PMC5740078 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18316-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth incorporates an increased risk for cerebellar developmental disorders likely contributing to motor and cognitive abnormalities. Experimental evidence of cerebellar dysfunction in preterm subjects, however, is sparse. In this study, classical eyeblink conditioning was used as a marker of cerebellar dysfunction. Standard delay conditioning was investigated in 20 adults and 32 preschool children born very preterm. Focal lesions were excluded based on structural magnetic resonance imaging. For comparison, an equal number of matched term born healthy peers were tested. Subgroups of children (12 preterm, 12 controls) were retested. Preterm subjects acquired significantly less conditioned responses (CR) compared to controls with slower learning rates. A likely explanation for these findings is that preterm birth impedes function of the cerebellum even in the absence of focal cerebellar lesions. The present findings are consistent with the assumption that prematurity results in long-term detrimental effects on the integrity of the cerebellum. It cannot be excluded, however, that extra-cerebellar pathology contributed to the present findings.
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19
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Schuetze M, Rohr CS, Dewey D, McCrimmon A, Bray S. Reinforcement Learning in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2035. [PMID: 29209259 PMCID: PMC5702301 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Early behavioral interventions are recognized as integral to standard care in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and often focus on reinforcing desired behaviors (e.g., eye contact) and reducing the presence of atypical behaviors (e.g., echoing others' phrases). However, efficacy of these programs is mixed. Reinforcement learning relies on neurocircuitry that has been reported to be atypical in ASD: prefrontal-sub-cortical circuits, amygdala, brainstem, and cerebellum. Thus, early behavioral interventions rely on neurocircuitry that may function atypically in at least a subset of individuals with ASD. Recent work has investigated physiological, behavioral, and neural responses to reinforcers to uncover differences in motivation and learning in ASD. We will synthesize this work to identify promising avenues for future research that ultimately can be used to enhance the efficacy of early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Schuetze
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Behaviour and the Developing Brain, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Christiane S. Rohr
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Behaviour and the Developing Brain, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Behaviour and the Developing Brain, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Adam McCrimmon
- Behaviour and the Developing Brain, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Educational Psychology, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Behaviour and the Developing Brain, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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20
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Cheng DT, Meintjes EM, Stanton ME, Dodge NC, Pienaar M, Warton CM, Desmond JE, Molteno CD, Peterson BS, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Functional MRI of Human Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:3752-3767. [PMID: 28169393 PMCID: PMC6075216 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure has been linked to a broad range of developmental deficits, with eyeblink classical conditioning (EBC) among the most sensitive endpoints. This fMRI study compared EBC-related brain activity in 47 children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (PFAS), heavily exposed (HE) non-syndromal children, and healthy controls. All of the children had previously participated in two EBC studies conducted as part of our longitudinal study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Although learning-related behavioral differences were seen in all groups during the scans, controls showed more conditioned responses (CR) than the alcohol-exposed groups. Despite lower conditioning levels relative to controls, the exposed groups exhibited extensive cerebellar activations. Specifically, children with FAS/PFAS showed increased activation of cerebellar lobule VI in session 2, while HE children showed increased activation in session 1. Continuous measures of prenatal alcohol use correlated with learning-related activations in cerebellum and frontal cortices. Only controls showed significant cerebellar activation-CR correlations in the deep nuclei and lateral lobule VI, suggesting that these key regions supporting EBC may be functionally disorganized in alcohol-exposed children. These findings are the first to characterize abnormalities in brain function associated with the behavioral conditioning deficits seen in children with prenatal alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic T. Cheng
- Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
21205, USA
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- University of Cape Town, Faculty of
Health Sciences, Observatory, Western Cape 7925, South
Africa
| | | | - Neil C. Dodge
- Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48207,
USA
| | - Mariska Pienaar
- University of Cape Town, Faculty of
Health Sciences, Observatory, Western Cape 7925, South
Africa
| | - Christopher M.R. Warton
- University of Cape Town, Faculty of
Health Sciences, Observatory, Western Cape 7925, South
Africa
| | - John E. Desmond
- Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
21205, USA
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- University of Cape Town, Faculty of
Health Sciences, Observatory, Western Cape 7925, South
Africa
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles andUniversity of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027,
USA
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- University of Cape Town, Faculty of
Health Sciences, Observatory, Western Cape 7925, South
Africa
- Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48207,
USA
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- University of Cape Town, Faculty of
Health Sciences, Observatory, Western Cape 7925, South
Africa
- Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48207,
USA
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21
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Löwgren K, Bååth R, Rasmussen A, Boele HJ, Koekkoek SKE, De Zeeuw CI, Hesslow G. Performance in eyeblink conditioning is age and sex dependent. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177849. [PMID: 28542383 PMCID: PMC5436819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that the cerebellum is involved in both cognition and language. Abnormal cerebellar development may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, dyslexia, and specific language impairment. Performance in eyeblink conditioning, which depends on the cerebellum, can potentially be used to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying the cerebellar dysfunction in disorders like these. However, we must first understand how the performance develops in children who do not have a disorder. In this study we assessed the performance in eyeblink conditioning in 42 typically developing children between 6 and 11 years old as well as in 26 adults. Older children produced more conditioned eyeblink responses than younger children and adults produced more than children. In addition, females produced more conditioned eyeblink responses than males among both children and adults. These results highlight the importance of considering the influence of age and sex on the performance when studying eyeblink conditioning as a measure of cerebellar development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Löwgren
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Rasmus Bååth
- Department of Philosophy, Cognitive Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anders Rasmussen
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henk-Jan Boele
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Germund Hesslow
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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22
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Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Molteno CD, Warton CMR, Wintermark P, Hoyme HE, De Jong G, Taylor P, Warton F, Lindinger NM, Carter RC, Dodge NC, Grant E, Warfield SK, Zöllei L, van der Kouwe AJW, Meintjes EM. Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure is Related to Smaller Corpus Callosum in Newborn MRI Scans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:965-975. [PMID: 28247416 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have consistently demonstrated disproportionately smaller corpus callosa in individuals with a history of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) but have not previously examined the feasibility of detecting this effect in infants. Tissue segmentation of the newborn brain is challenging because analysis techniques developed for the adult brain are not directly transferable, and segmentation for cerebral morphometry is difficult in neonates, due to the latter's incomplete myelination. This study is the first to use volumetric structural MRI to investigate PAE effects in newborns using manual tracing and to examine the cross-sectional area of the corpus callosum (CC). METHODS Forty-three nonsedated infants born to 32 Cape Coloured heavy drinkers and 11 controls recruited prospectively during pregnancy were scanned using a custom-designed birdcage coil for infants, which increases signal-to-noise ratio almost 2-fold compared to the standard head coil. Alcohol use was ascertained prospectively during pregnancy, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders diagnosis was conducted by expert dysmorphologists. Data were acquired using a multi-echo FLASH protocol adapted for newborns, and a knowledge-based procedure was used to hand-segment the neonatal brains. RESULTS CC was disproportionately smaller in alcohol-exposed neonates than controls after controlling for intracranial volume. By contrast, CC area was unrelated to infant sex, gestational age, age at scan, or maternal smoking, marijuana, or methamphetamine use during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Given that midline craniofacial anomalies have been recognized as a hallmark of fetal alcohol syndrome in humans and animal models since this syndrome was first identified, the CC deficit identified here in newborns may support early identification of a range of midline structural impairments. Smaller CC during the newborn period may provide an early indicator of fetal alcohol-related cognitive deficits that have been linked to this critically important brain structure in childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences , Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences , Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher M R Warton
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - H Eugene Hoyme
- Department of Pediatrics , Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.,College of Medicine , University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Greetje De Jong
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics , Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul Taylor
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Scientific and Statistical Computing Core , National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Fleur Warton
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadine M Lindinger
- Department of Psychology , University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - R Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine , Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences , Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Ellen Grant
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine , Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Simon K Warfield
- Department of Pediatrics , Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- Department of Radiology , Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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23
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Claassen J, Labrenz F, Ernst T, Icenhour A, Langhorst J, Forsting M, Timmann D, Elsenbruch S. Altered Cerebellar Activity in Visceral Pain-Related Fear Conditioning in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 16:508-517. [DOI: 10.1007/s12311-016-0832-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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24
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Ernst T, Beyer L, Mueller O, Göricke S, Ladd M, Gerwig M, Timmann D. Pronounced reduction of acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses in young adults with focal cerebellar lesions impedes conclusions on the role of the cerebellum in extinction and savings. Neuropsychologia 2016; 85:287-300. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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25
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Lange I, Kasanova Z, Goossens L, Leibold N, De Zeeuw CI, van Amelsvoort T, Schruers K. The anatomy of fear learning in the cerebellum: A systematic meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 59:83-91. [PMID: 26441374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent neuro-imaging studies have implicated the cerebellum in several higher-order functions. Its role in human fear conditioning has, however, received limited attention. The current meta-analysis examines the loci of cerebellar contributions to fear conditioning in healthy subjects, thus mapping, for the first time, the neural response to conditioned aversive stimuli onto the cerebellum. By using the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) technique for analyses, we identified several distinct regions in the cerebellum that activate in response to the presentation of the conditioned stimulus: the cerebellar tonsils, lobules HIV-VI, and the culmen. These regions have separately been implicated in fear acquisition, consolidation of fear memories and expression of conditioned fear responses. Their specific role in these processes may be attributed to the general contribution of cerebellar cortical networks to timing and prediction. Our meta-analysis highlights the potential role of the cerebellum in human cognition and emotion in general, and addresses the possibility how deficits in associative cerebellar learning may play a role in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders. Future studies are needed to further clarify the mechanistic role of the cerebellum in higher order functions and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Lange
- Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Zuzana Kasanova
- Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Liesbet Goossens
- Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole Leibold
- Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Neuroscience, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Therese van Amelsvoort
- Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Koen Schruers
- Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands; University of Leuven, Faculty of Psychology, Center for Experimental and Learning Psychology, Leuven, Belgium
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Kuo SH, Louis ED. Studying cerebellar dysfunction in neuropathy-related tremor. Clin Neurophysiol 2015; 126:1645-6. [PMID: 25691155 PMCID: PMC4691849 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Han Kuo
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, Neurological Institute, 710 West 168th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Elan D Louis
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, LCI 710, 15 York Street, PO Box 208018, New Haven, CT 06520-8018, USA.
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Peterburs J, Cheng DT, Desmond JE. The Association Between Eye Movements and Cerebellar Activation in a Verbal Working Memory Task. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:3802-13. [PMID: 26286918 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been argued that cerebellar activations during cognitive tasks may masquerade as cognition, while actually reflecting processes related to movement planning or motor learning. The present study investigated whether the cerebellar load effect for verbal working memory, that is, increased activations in lobule VI/Crus I and lobule VIIB/VIIIA, is related to eye movements and oculomotor processing. Fifteen participants performed an fMRI-based Sternberg verbal working memory task. Oculomotor and cognitive task demands were manipulated by using closely and widely spaced stimuli, and high and low cognitive load. Trial-based quantitative eye movement parameters were obtained from concurrent eye tracking. Conventional MRI analysis replicated the cerebellar load effect in lobules VI and VIIB/VIIIa. With quantitative eye movement parameters as regressors, analysis yielded very similar activation patterns. While load effect and eye regressor generally recruited spatially distinct neocortical and cerebellar regions, conjunction analysis showed that a small subset of prefrontal areas implicated in the load effect also responded to the eye regressor. The present results indicate that cognitive load-dependent activations in lateral superior and posteroinferior cerebellar regions in the Sternberg task are independent of eye movements occurring during stimulus encoding. This is inconsistent with the notion that cognitive load-dependent cerebellar activations merely reflect oculomotor processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutta Peterburs
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Dominic T Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - John E Desmond
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Chang DI, Lissek S, Ernst TM, Thürling M, Uengoer M, Tegenthoff M, Ladd ME, Timmann D. Cerebellar Contribution to Context Processing in Extinction Learning and Recall. THE CEREBELLUM 2015; 14:670-6. [DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0670-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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29
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Shang A, Yang Y, Wang H, Wang J, Hang X, Wang Z, Zhou D. Upregulation of neuroglobin expression and changes in serum redox indices in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:1693-8. [PMID: 25847303 PMCID: PMC4464340 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroglobin (NGB) is a recently identified protein, which is localized in the neurons and retinal cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems in vertebrates. It is hypothesized to function as a scavenger for reactive oxygen species, or as a stress-responsive sensor for signal transduction in hypoxic-ischemic brain insults. However, the mechanism underlying the physiological function of this protein remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the profiling of changes in the serum redox index of morphological features of the hippocampus and cortex, and of the expression of NGB and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), are described in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. The necrotic zone of the rat neural tissues increased in size with increasing reperfusion time, and different brain slices exhibited necrosis in different regions. The number of NGB-positive hippocampal and cortical cells, as well as NGB and HIF-1α transcript and protein levels in the ischemic cortex, increased with increasing reperfusion time. NGB and HIF-1α mRNA and protein levels peaked in the group that received reperfusion at 32 h after MCAO. These findings indicated that HIF-1α may be involved in ischemic pathology in an MCAO model and that NGB expression may be upregulated. Serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased with increasing reperfusion time, indicating that the redox potential increased following MCAO. Serum SOD and MDA measurements may, therefore, be useful as biomarkers for the early detection of ischemic injury in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijia Shang
- Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, P.R. China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Health Medicine, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, P.R. China
| | - Hangyan Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, P.R. China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, P.R. China
| | - Xingyi Hang
- National Center for Scientific Data Sharing for Population and Health, Beijing 100730, P.R. China
| | - Zhongfeng Wang
- Medical Neurobiology of State Key Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Dingbiao Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, P.R. China
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Cerebellar cortex and cerebellar nuclei are concomitantly activated during eyeblink conditioning: a 7T fMRI study in humans. J Neurosci 2015; 35:1228-39. [PMID: 25609637 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2492-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There are controversies whether learning of conditioned eyeblink responses primarily takes place within the cerebellar cortex, the interposed nuclei, or both. It has also been suggested that the cerebellar cortex may be important during early stages of learning, and that there is a shift to the cerebellar nuclei during later stages. As yet, human studies have provided little to resolve this question. In the present study, we established a setup that allows ultra-high-field 7T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the cerebellar cortex and interposed cerebellar nuclei simultaneously during delay eyeblink conditioning in humans. Event-related fMRI signals increased concomitantly in the cerebellar cortex and nuclei during early acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses in 20 healthy human subjects. ANOVAs with repeated-measures showed significant effects of time across five blocks of 20 conditioning trials in the cortex and nuclei (p < 0.05, permutation corrected). Activations were most pronounced in, but not limited to, lobules VI and interposed nuclei. Increased activations were most prominent at the first time the maximum number of conditioned responses was achieved. Our data are consistent with a simultaneous and synergistic two-site model of learning during acquisition of classically conditioned eyeblinks. Because increased MRI signal reflects synaptic activity, concomitantly increased signals in the cerebellar nuclei and cortex are consistent with findings of learning related potentiation at the mossy fiber to nuclear cell synapse and mossy fiber to granule cell synapse. Activity related to the expression of conditioned responses, however, cannot be excluded.
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31
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Fan J, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Spottiswoode BS, Dodge NC, Alhamud AA, Stanton ME, Peterson BS, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. White matter integrity of the cerebellar peduncles as a mediator of effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on eyeblink conditioning. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:2470-82. [PMID: 25783559 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are characterized by a range of neurodevelopmental deficits that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. These can include cognitive, behavioural, and neurological impairment, as well as structural and functional brain damage. Eyeblink conditioning (EBC) is among the most sensitive endpoints affected in FASD. The cerebellar peduncles, large bundles of myelinated nerve fibers that connect the cerebellum to the brainstem, constitute the principal white matter element of the EBC circuit. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is used to assess white matter integrity in fibre pathways linking brain regions. DTI scans of 54 children with FASD and 23 healthy controls, mean age 10.1 ± 1.0 years, from the Cape Town Longitudinal Cohort were processed using voxelwise group comparisons. Prenatal alcohol exposure was related to lower fractional anisotropy (FA) bilaterally in the superior cerebellar peduncles and higher mean diffusivity (MD) in the left middle peduncle, effects that remained significant after controlling for potential confounding variables. Lower FA and higher MD in these regions were associated with poorer EBC performance. Moreover, effects of alcohol exposure on EBC decreased significantly after inclusion of these DTI measures in regression models, suggesting that these white matter deficits partially mediate the relation of prenatal alcohol exposure to EBC. The associations of greater alcohol consumption with these DTI measures are largely attributable to greater radial diffusivity, possibly indicating poorer myelination. Thus, these data suggest that fetal alcohol-related deficits in EBC are attributable, in part, to poorer myelination in key regions of the cerebellar peduncles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Fan
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Alkathafi A Alhamud
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mark E Stanton
- Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Delaware, Maryland
| | - Bradley S Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
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32
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Facilitated acquisition of standard but not long delay classical eyeblink conditioning in behaviorally inhibited adolescents. Behav Brain Res 2015; 278:476-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Kent JS, Bolbecker AR, O'Donnell BF, Hetrick WP. Eyeblink Conditioning in Schizophrenia: A Critical Review. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:146. [PMID: 26733890 PMCID: PMC4683521 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is accruing evidence of cerebellar abnormalities in schizophrenia. The theory of cognitive dysmetria considers cerebellar dysfunction a key component of schizophrenia. Delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC), a cerebellar-dependent translational probe, is a behavioral index of cerebellar integrity. The circuitry underlying EBC has been well characterized by non-human animal research, revealing the cerebellum as the essential circuitry for the associative learning instantiated by this task. However, there have been persistent inconsistencies in EBC findings in schizophrenia. This article thoroughly reviews published studies investigating EBC in schizophrenia, with an emphasis on possible effects of antipsychotic medication and stimulus and analysis parameters on reports of EBC performance in schizophrenia. Results indicate a consistent finding of impaired EBC performance in schizophrenia, as measured by decreased rates of conditioning, and that medication or study design confounds do not account for this impairment. Results are discussed within the context of theoretical and neurochemical models of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerillyn S Kent
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Amanda R Bolbecker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Brian F O'Donnell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - William P Hetrick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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du Plessis L, Jacobson SW, Molteno CD, Robertson FC, Peterson BS, Jacobson JL, Meintjes EM. Neural correlates of cerebellar-mediated timing during finger tapping in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Neuroimage Clin 2014; 7:562-70. [PMID: 25844307 PMCID: PMC4377649 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Classical eyeblink conditioning (EBC), an elemental form of learning, is among the most sensitive indicators of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The cerebellum plays a key role in maintaining timed movements with millisecond accuracy required for EBC. Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to identify cerebellar regions that mediate timing in healthy controls and the degree to which these areas are also recruited in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN fMRI data were acquired during an auditory rhythmic/non-rhythmic finger tapping task. We present results for 17 children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial FAS, 17 heavily exposed (HE) nonsyndromal children and 16 non- or minimally exposed controls. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS Controls showed greater cerebellar blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activation in right crus I, vermis IV-VI, and right lobule VI during rhythmic than non-rhythmic finger tapping. The alcohol-exposed children showed smaller activation increases during rhythmic tapping in right crus I than the control children and the most severely affected children with either FAS or PFAS showed smaller increases in vermis IV-V. Higher levels of maternal alcohol intake per occasion during pregnancy were associated with reduced activation increases during rhythmic tapping in all four regions associated with rhythmic tapping in controls. CONCLUSIONS The four cerebellar areas activated by the controls more during rhythmic than non-rhythmic tapping have been implicated in the production of timed responses in several previous studies. These data provide evidence linking binge-like drinking during pregnancy to poorer function in cerebellar regions involved in timing and somatosensory processing needed for complex tasks requiring precise timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindie du Plessis
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical Research Council, University of Cape Town Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Frances C. Robertson
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical Research Council, University of Cape Town Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, USA
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical Research Council, University of Cape Town Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Hess AT, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Molteno CD, van der Kouwe AJ, Meintjes EM. A comparison of spectral quality in magnetic resonance spectroscopy data acquired with and without a novel EPI-navigated PRESS sequence in school-aged children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Metab Brain Dis 2014; 29:323-32. [PMID: 24488204 PMCID: PMC4024336 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-014-9487-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Single voxel spectroscopy (SVS) can generate useful information regarding metabolite concentrations provided that the MR signal can be averaged over several minutes during which the subject remains stationary. This requirement can be particularly challenging for children who cannot otherwise be scanned without sedation. To address this problem we developed an EPI volume navigated (vNav) SVS PRESS sequence, which applies real-time head pose (location and orientation), frequency, and first-order B0 shim adjustments. A water-independent preprocessing algorithm removes residual frequency and phase shifts resulting from within-TR movements. We compare results and performance of the standard and vNav PRESS sequences in a sample of 9- to 10-year-olds from a South African cohort of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and healthy controls. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data in the deep cerebellar nuclei were initially acquired with the standard PRESS sequence. The children were re-scanned 1 year later with the vNav PRESS sequence. Good quality data were acquired in 73% using the vNav PRESS sequence, compared to only 50% for the standard PRESS sequence. Additionally, tighter linewidths and smaller variances in the measured concentrations were observed. These findings confirm previous reports demonstrating the efficacy of our innovative vNav sequence with healthy volunteers and young children with HIV and expand its application to a school-aged population with FASD-disorders often associated with attention problems and hyperactivity. This study provides the most direct evidence to date regarding degree to which these new methods can improve data quality in research studies employing MRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T. Hess
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- University of Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, Oxford, UK
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - André J.W. van der Kouwe
- Department of Radiology and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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36
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Zuchowski ML, Timmann D, Gerwig M. Acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses is modulated by cerebellar tDCS. Brain Stimul 2014; 7:525-31. [PMID: 24776785 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2014.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 03/02/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Classical conditioning of the eyeblink reflex is a simple form of motor learning which depends on the integrity of the cerebellum. Acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses is markedly reduced in patients with cerebellar disorders. Noninvasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been reported to modify the excitability of the cerebellar cortex. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to assess whether acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses (CR) is altered by cerebellar tDCS. METHODS A standard delay conditioning paradigm with a 540 ms tone as conditioned stimulus (CS) coterminating with a 100 ms air puff as unconditioned stimulus (US) was used in a total of 30 healthy subjects (18 female, 12 male, mean age 23.4 ± 1.9 years). One hundred paired CS-US trials and 30 extinction CS alone trials were given. tDCS (2 mA intensity, ramp like onset) was applied over the right cerebellar hemisphere ipsilaterally to the US during the acquisition phase. Subjects were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 10) using anodal, cathodal or sham stimulation. The investigator as well as the participants was blinded to the stimulation modality. RESULTS CR acquisition was significantly enhanced by anodal tDCS (mean total CR incidence 73.4 ± 25.2%) and significantly reduced by cathodal stimulation (12.6 ± 17.2%) compared to sham stimulation (43.8 ± 24.1%). During anodal tDCS CR onset occurred significantly earlier, that is mean onset of responses was shifted closer to CS onset. CONCLUSION Acquisition and timing of conditioned eyeblink responses is modified by cerebellar tDCS in a polarity dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dagmar Timmann
- Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Marcus Gerwig
- Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
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37
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Bernard JA, Mittal VA. Cerebellar-motor dysfunction in schizophrenia and psychosis-risk: the importance of regional cerebellar analysis approaches. Front Psychiatry 2014; 5:160. [PMID: 25505424 PMCID: PMC4243486 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor abnormalities in individuals with schizophrenia and those at-risk for psychosis are well documented. An accumulating body of work has also highlighted motor abnormalities related to cerebellar dysfunction in schizophrenia including eye-blink conditioning, timing, postural control, and motor learning. We have also recently found evidence for motor dysfunction in individuals at ultra high-risk for psychosis (1-3). This is particularly relevant as the cerebellum is thought to be central to the cognitive dysmetria model of schizophrenia, and these overt motor signs may point to more general cerebellar dysfunction in the etiology of psychotic disorders. While studies have provided evidence indicative of motor cerebellar dysfunction in at-risk populations and in schizophrenia, findings with respect to the cerebellum have been mixed. One factor potentially contributing to these mixed results is the whole-structure approach taken when investigating the cerebellum. In non-human primates, there are distinct closed-loop circuits between the cerebellum, thalamus, and brain with motor and non-motor cortical regions. Recent human neuroimaging has supported this finding and indicates that there is a cerebellar functional topography (4), and this information is being missed with whole-structure approaches. Here, we review cerebellar-motor dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia and those at-risk for psychosis. We also discuss cerebellar abnormalities in psychosis, and the cerebellar functional topography. Because of the segregated functional regions of the cerebellum, we propose that it is important to look at the structure regionally in order to better understand its role in motor dysfunction in these populations. This is analogous to approaches taken with the basal ganglia, where each region is considered separately. Such an approach is necessary to better understand cerebellar pathophysiology on a macro-structural level with respect to the pathogenesis of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Bernard
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO , USA
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO , USA ; Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO , USA
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