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Herzog N, Hartmann H, Janssen LK, Waltmann M, Fallon SJ, Deserno L, Horstmann A. Working memory gating in obesity: Insights from a case-control fMRI study. Appetite 2024; 195:107179. [PMID: 38145879 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Computational models and neurophysiological data propose that a 'gating mechanism' coordinates distractor-resistant maintenance and flexible updating of working memory contents: While maintenance of information is mainly implemented in the prefrontal cortex, updating of information is signaled by phasic increases in dopamine in the striatum. Previous literature demonstrates structural and functional alterations in these brain areas, as well as differential dopamine transmission among individuals with obesity, suggesting potential impairments in these processes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an observational case-control fMRI study, dividing participants into groups with and without obesity based on their BMI. We probed maintenance and updating of working memory contents using a modified delayed match to sample task and investigated the effects of SNPs related to the dopaminergic system. While the task elicited the anticipated brain responses, our findings revealed no evidence for group differences in these two processes, neither at the neural level nor behaviorally. However, depending on Taq1A genotype, which affects dopamine receptor density in the striatum, participants with obesity performed worse on the task. In conclusion, this study does not support the existence of overall obesity-related differences in working memory gating. Instead, we propose that potentially subtle alterations may manifest specifically in individuals with a 'vulnerable' genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Herzog
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Hendrik Hartmann
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre 1052, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lieneke K Janssen
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Maria Waltmann
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Sean J Fallon
- School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Lorenz Deserno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Annette Horstmann
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre 1052, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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2
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Noroozian M, Kormi-Nouri R, Nyberg L, Persson J. Hippocampal and motor regions contribute to memory benefits after enacted encoding: cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3080-3097. [PMID: 35802485 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac262] [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: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological underpinnings of action-related episodic memory and how enactment contributes to efficient memory encoding are not well understood. We examine whether individual differences in level (n = 338) and 5-year change (n = 248) in the ability to benefit from motor involvement during memory encoding are related to gray matter (GM) volume, white matter (WM) integrity, and dopamine-regulating genes in a population-based cohort (age range = 25-80 years). A latent profile analysis identified 2 groups with similar performance on verbal encoding but with marked differences in the ability to benefit from motor involvement during memory encoding. Impaired ability to benefit from enactment was paired with smaller HC, parahippocampal, and putamen volume along with lower WM microstructure in the fornix. Individuals with reduced ability to benefit from encoding enactment over 5 years were characterized by reduced HC and motor cortex GM volume along with reduced WM microstructure in several WM tracts. Moreover, the proportion of catechol-O-methyltransferase-Val-carriers differed significantly between classes identified from the latent-profile analysis. These results provide converging evidence that individuals with low or declining ability to benefit from motor involvement during memory encoding are characterized by low and reduced GM volume in regions critical for memory and motor functions along with altered WM microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Noroozian
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, South Kargar Str., Tehran 13185/1741, Iran
| | - Reza Kormi-Nouri
- School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, Örebro 702 81, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Radiology, Umeå University, Universitetstorget 4, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Universitetstorget 4, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Universitetstorget 4, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Jonas Persson
- School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, Center for Lifespan Developmental Research (LEADER), Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, Örebro 702 81, Sweden
- Aging Research Center (ARC), Stockholm University and Karolinska Institute, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Solna 171 65, Sweden
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3
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Trempler I, Binder E, Reuter M, Plieger T, Standke I, Mecklenbrauck F, Meinert S, Forstner AJ, Nöthen MM, Rietschel M, Stürmer S, Dannlowski U, Tittgemeyer M, Lencer R, Fink GR, Schubotz RI. Effects of DRD2/ANKK1 and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms on stabilization against and adaptation to unexpected events. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5698-5715. [PMID: 35235645 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac046] [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: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic variations affecting dopaminergic neuromodulation such as the DRD2/ANKK1 and the COMT Val158Met polymorphisms contribute to goal-directed behavior that requires a balance between stabilization and updating of current states and behaviors. Dopamine is also thought to be relevant for encoding of surprise signals to sensory input and adaptive learning. A link between goal-directed behavior and learning from surprise is therefore plausible. In the present fMRI study, we investigated whether DRD2 and COMT polymorphisms are related to behavioral responses and neural signals in the caudate nucleus and dlPFC during updating or stabilizing internal models of predictable digit sequences. To-be-detected switches between sequences and to-be-ignored digit omissions within a sequence varied by information-theoretic quantities of surprise and entropy. We found that A1 noncarriers and Val-carriers showed a lower response threshold along with increased caudate and dlPFC activation to surprising switches compared with A1-carriers and Met-homozygotes, whose dlPFC activity increased with decreasing switch surprise. In contrast, there were overall smaller differences in behavioral and neural modulation by drift surprise. Our results suggest that the impact of dopamine-relevant polymorphisms in the flexibility-stability trade-off may result in part from the role of dopamine in encoding the weight afforded to events requiring updating or stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ima Trempler
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Ellen Binder
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany
| | - Martin Reuter
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Kaiser-Karl-Ring 9, Bonn D53111, Germany.,Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Am Hofgarten 8, Bonn D53113, Germany
| | - Thomas Plieger
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Kaiser-Karl-Ring 9, Bonn D53111, Germany.,Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Am Hofgarten 8, Bonn D53113, Germany
| | - Isabel Standke
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Falko Mecklenbrauck
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Andreas J Forstner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, Bonn D53127, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Juelich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., Juelich D52428, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, Bonn D53127, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim D68159, Germany
| | - Sophie Stürmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany
| | - Marc Tittgemeyer
- Translational Neurocircuitry Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Str. 50, Cologne D50931, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 26, Cologne D50931, Germany
| | - Rebekka Lencer
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Luebeck, D23538, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM3), Research Centre Juelich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., Juelich D52428, Germany
| | - Ricarda I Schubotz
- Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, Muenster D48149, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne D50937, Germany
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4
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Yang Z, Caldwell JZK, Cummings JL, Ritter A, Kinney JW, Cordes D. Sex Modulates the Pathological Aging Effect on Caudate Functional Connectivity in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:804168. [PMID: 35479489 PMCID: PMC9037326 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.804168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To assess the pathological aging effect on caudate functional connectivity among mild cognitive impairment (MCI) participants and examine whether and how sex and amyloid contribute to this process. Materials and Methods Two hundred and seventy-seven functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions from 163 cognitive normal (CN) older adults and 309 sessions from 139 participants with MCI were included as the main sample in our analysis. Pearson's correlation was used to characterize the functional connectivity (FC) between caudate nuclei and each brain region, then caudate nodal strength was computed to quantify the overall caudate FC strength. Association analysis between caudate nodal strength and age was carried out in MCI and CN separately using linear mixed effect (LME) model with covariates (education, handedness, sex, Apolipoprotein E4, and intra-subject effect). Analysis of covariance was conducted to investigate sex, amyloid status, and their interaction effects on aging with the fMRI data subset having amyloid status available. LME model was applied to women and men separately within MCI group to evaluate aging effects on caudate nodal strength and each region's connectivity with caudate nuclei. We then evaluated the roles of sex and amyloid status in the associations of neuropsychological scores with age or caudate nodal strength. An independent cohort was used to validate the sex-dependent aging effects in MCI. Results The MCI group had significantly stronger age-related increase of caudate nodal strength compared to the CN group. Analyzing women and men separately revealed that the aging effect on caudate nodal strength among MCI participants was significant only for women (left: P = 6.23 × 10-7, right: P = 3.37 × 10-8), but not for men (P > 0.3 for bilateral caudate nuclei). The aging effects on caudate nodal strength were not significantly mediated by brain amyloid burden. Caudate connectivity with ventral prefrontal cortex substantially contributed to the aging effect on caudate nodal strength in women with MCI. Higher caudate nodal strength is significantly related to worse cognitive performance in women but not in men with MCI. Conclusion Sex modulates the pathological aging effects on caudate nodal strength in MCI regardless of amyloid status. Caudate nodal strength may be a sensitive biomarker of pathological aging in women with MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengshi Yang
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Brain Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | | | - Jeffrey L. Cummings
- Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Aaron Ritter
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Jefferson W. Kinney
- Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Dietmar Cordes
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Brain Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
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5
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White-Matter Integrity and Working Memory: Links to Aging and Dopamine-Related Genes. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0413-21.2022. [PMID: 35346961 PMCID: PMC9014983 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0413-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory, a core function underlying many higher-level cognitive processes, requires cooperation of multiple brain regions. White matter refers to myelinated axons, which are critical to interregional brain communication. Past studies on the association between white-matter integrity and working memory have yielded mixed findings. Using voxelwise tract-based spatial statistics analysis, we investigated this relationship in a sample of 328 healthy adults from 25 to 80 years of age. Given the important role of dopamine (DA) in working-memory functioning and white matter, we also analyzed the effects of dopamine-related genes on them. There were associations between white-matter integrity and working memory in multiple tracts, indicating that working-memory functioning relies on global connections between different brain areas across the adult life span. Moreover, a mediation analysis suggested that white-matter integrity contributes to age-related differences in working memory. Finally, there was an effect of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on white-matter integrity, such that Val/Val carriers had lower fractional anisotropy values than any Met carriers in the internal capsule, corona radiata, and posterior thalamic radiation. As this polymorphism has been associated with dopaminergic tone in the prefrontal cortex, this result provides evidence for a link between DA neurotransmission and white matter. Together, the results support a link between white-matter integrity and working memory, and provide evidence for its interplay with age- and DA-related genes.
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6
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Yuan M, Zhu H, Li Y, Ge F, Lui S, Gong Q, Qiu C, Song H, Zhang W. The DRD2 Taq1A polymorphism moderates the effect of PTSD symptom severity on the left hippocampal CA3 volume: a pilot study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3431-3438. [PMID: 34086098 PMCID: PMC9585014 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05882-z] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The hippocampus, especially the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) subfields, is reported to be associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after trauma. However, neuroimaging studies of the associations between PTSD and hippocampal subfield volumes have failed to yield consistent findings. The aim of this study is to examine whether the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) Taq1A polymorphism, which is associated with both hippocampal function and PTSD, moderated the association between PTSD severity and hippocampal CA1, CA3 and DG volumes. METHODS T1-weighted images were acquired from 142 trauma survivors from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake using a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging system. Hippocampal subfield segmentations were performed with FreeSurfer v6.0. We used the simple moderation model from the PROCESS v3.4 tool for SPSS 23.0 to examine the association between the rs1800497 polymorphism, PTSD severity, and hippocampal CA3 and DG volumes. RESULTS A significant genotype × PTSD symptom severity interaction was found for the left CA3 volume (ΔF = 5.01, p = 0.008, ΔR2 = 0.05). Post hoc, exploratory analyses deconstructing the interaction revealed that severe PTSD symptomatology were associated with reduced left CA3 volume among TC heterozygotes (t = - 2.86, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that DRD2 Taq1A polymorphism moderates the association between PTSD symptomatology and left CA3 volume, which promotes an etiological understanding of the hippocampal atrophy at the subfield level. This highlights the complex effect of environmental stress, and provides possible mechanism for the relationship between the dopaminergic system and hippocampal function in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minlan Yuan
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China ,grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongru Zhu
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China ,grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuchen Li
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China ,grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fenfen Ge
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China ,grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Su Lui
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan China ,grid.268099.c0000 0001 0348 3990Radiology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Changjian Qiu
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China ,grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huan Song
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China. .,Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China. .,Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. .,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China. .,Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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7
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Towards an Ideology-Free, Truly Mechanistic Health Psychology. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182111126. [PMID: 34769644 PMCID: PMC8583446 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Efficient transfer of concepts and mechanistic insights from the cognitive to the health sciences and back requires a clear, objective description of the problem that this transfer ought to solve. Unfortunately, however, the actual descriptions are commonly penetrated with, and sometimes even motivated by, cultural norms and preferences, a problem that has colored scientific theorizing about behavioral control—the key concept for many psychological health interventions. We argue that ideologies have clouded our scientific thinking about mental health in two ways: by considering the societal utility of individuals and their behavior a key criterion for distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy people, and by dividing what actually seem to be continuous functions relating psychological and neurocognitive underpinnings to human behavior into binary, discrete categories that are then taken to define clinical phenomena. We suggest letting both traditions go and establish a health psychology that restrains from imposing societal values onto individuals, and then taking the fit between behavior and values to conceptualize unhealthiness. Instead, we promote a health psychology that reconstructs behavior that is considered to be problematic from well-understood mechanistic underpinnings of human behavior.
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8
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Takacs A, Münchau A, Nemeth D, Roessner V, Beste C. Lower-level associations in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: Convergence between hyperbinding of stimulus and response features and procedural hyperfunctioning theories. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5143-5160. [PMID: 34155701 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) can be characterized by enhanced cognitive functions related to creating, modifying and maintaining connections between stimuli and responses (S-R links). Specifically, two areas, procedural sequence learning and, as a novel finding, also event file binding, show converging evidence of hyperfunctioning in GTS. In this review, we describe how these two enhanced functions can be considered as cognitive mechanisms behind habitual behaviour, such as tics in GTS. Moreover, the presence of both procedural sequence learning and event file binding hyperfunctioning in the same disorder can be treated as evidence for their functional connections, even beyond GTS. Importantly though, we argue that hyperfunctioning of event file binding and procedural learning are not interchangeable: they have different time scales, different sensitivities to potential impairment in action sequencing and distinguishable contributions to the cognitive profile of GTS. An integrated theoretical account of hyperbinding and hyperlearning in GTS allows to formulate predictions for the emergence, activation and long-term persistence of tics in GTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Takacs
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Veit Roessner
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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9
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Strategies and cognitive reserve to preserve lexical production in aging. GeroScience 2021; 43:1725-1765. [PMID: 33970414 PMCID: PMC8492841 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00367-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the absence of any neuropsychiatric condition, older adults may show declining performance in several cognitive processes and among them, in retrieving and producing words, reflected in slower responses and even reduced accuracy compared to younger adults. To overcome this difficulty, healthy older adults implement compensatory strategies, which are the focus of this paper. We provide a review of mainstream findings on deficient mechanisms and possible neurocognitive strategies used by older adults to overcome the deleterious effects of age on lexical production. Moreover, we present findings on genetic and lifestyle factors that might either be protective or risk factors of cognitive impairment in advanced age. We propose that "aging-modulating factors" (AMF) can be modified, offering prevention opportunities against aging effects. Based on our review and this proposition, we introduce an integrative neurocognitive model of mechanisms and compensatory strategies for lexical production in older adults (entitled Lexical Access and Retrieval in Aging, LARA). The main hypothesis defended in LARA is that cognitive aging evolves heterogeneously and involves complementary domain-general and domain-specific mechanisms, with substantial inter-individual variability, reflected at behavioral, cognitive, and brain levels. Furthermore, we argue that the ability to compensate for the effect of cognitive aging depends on the amount of reserve specific to each individual which is, in turn, modulated by the AMF. Our conclusion is that a variety of mechanisms and compensatory strategies coexist in the same individual to oppose the effect of age. The role of reserve is pivotal for a successful coping with age-related changes and future research should continue to explore the modulating role of AMF.
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10
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Karalija N, Papenberg G, Wåhlin A, Johansson J, Andersson M, Axelsson J, Riklund K, Lindenberger U, Nyberg L, Bäckman L. Sex differences in dopamine integrity and brain structure among healthy older adults: Relationships to episodic memory. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:272-279. [PMID: 34134056 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Normal brain aging is a multidimensional process that includes deterioration in various brain structures and functions, with large heterogeneity in patterns and rates of decline. Sex differences have been reported for various cognitive and brain parameters, but little is known in relation to neuromodulatory aspects of brain aging. We examined sex differences in dopamine D2-receptor (D2DR) availability in relation to episodic memory, but also, grey-matter volumes, white-matter lesions, and cerebral perfusion in healthy older adults (n = 181, age: 64-68 years) from the Cognition, Brain, and Aging study. Women had higher D2DR availability in midbrain and left caudate and putamen, as well as superior episodic memory performance. Controlling for left caudate D2DR availability attenuated sex differences in memory performance. In men, lower left caudate D2DR levels were associated with lower cortical perfusion and higher burden of white-matter lesions, as well as with episodic memory performance. However, sex was not a significant moderator of the reported links to D2DR levels. Our findings suggest that sex differences in multiple associations among DA receptor availability, vascular factors, and structural connectivity contribute to sex differences in episodic memory. Future longitudinal studies need to corroborate these patterns by lead-lag associations. This manuscript is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Neuroscience of Healthy and Pathological Aging' edited by Drs. M. N. Rajah, S. Belleville, and R. Cabeza. This article is part of the Virtual Special Issue titled COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF HEALTHY AND PATHOLOGICAL AGING. The full issue can be found on ScienceDirect at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/neurobiology-of-aging/special-issue/105379XPWJP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Karalija
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jarkko Johansson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Axelsson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany, and London
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Takacs A, Stock A, Kuntke P, Werner A, Beste C. On the functional role of striatal and anterior cingulate GABA+ in stimulus-response binding. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1863-1878. [PMID: 33421290 PMCID: PMC7978129 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful response selection relies on constantly updating stimulus-response associations. The Theory of Event Coding (TEC) proposes that perception and action are conjointly coded in event files, for which fronto-striatal networks seem to play an important role. However, the exact neurobiochemical mechanism behind event file coding has remained unknown. We investigated the functional relevance of the striatal and anterior cingulate (ACC) GABAergic system using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Specifically, the striatal and ACC concentrations of GABA+ referenced against N-acetylaspartate (NAA) were assessed in 35 young healthy males, who subsequently performed a standard event file task. As predicted by the TEC, the participants' responses were modulated by pre-established stimulus response bindings in event files. GABA+/NAA concentrations in the striatum and ACC were not correlated with the overall event binding effect. However, higher GABA+/NAA concentrations in the ACC were correlated with stronger event file binding processes in the early phase of the task. This association disappeared by the end of the task. Taken together, our findings show that striatal GABA+ levels does not seem to modulate event file binding, while ACC GABA+ seem to improve event file binding, but only as long as the participants have not yet gathered sufficient task experience. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study providing direct evidence for the role of striatal and ACC GABA+ in stimulus-response bindings and thus insights into the brain structure-specific neurobiological aspects of the TEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Takacs
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Ann‐Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineTU DresdenDresdenGermany
- Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, School of ScienceTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Paul Kuntke
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional NeuroradiologyTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Annett Werner
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional NeuroradiologyTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineTU DresdenDresdenGermany
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12
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Dohrn IM, Papenberg G, Winkler E, Welmer AK. Impact of dopamine-related genetic variants on physical activity in old age - a cohort study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2020; 17:68. [PMID: 32448293 PMCID: PMC7245799 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-020-00971-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The beneficial effects of a physically active lifestyle in aging are well documented. Understanding the factors of importance for physical activity in older adults are therefore essential. Informed by animal and human data linking the dopamine system to motivation and reward processes, we investigated the associations between variations in dopamine genes and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Further, we aimed to verify whether higher age may exacerbate the impact of dopamine genes on physical activity. METHODS We analyzed data from 504 older adults, 66-87 years, from the population-based Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K). Physical activity was measured with activPAL accelerometers and DNA was extracted from blood samples for genotyping. We assessed the effects of three dopamine relevant genetic variations (DRD1, DRD2, and DRD3) on daily time in sedentary behavior, light-intensity physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity using analyses of covariance, adjusting for sex, age and physical function. RESULTS Higher dopamine receptor efficacy was related to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, but not to light-intensity physical activity or sedentary time. DRD1 explained 2.7% of variance in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with more pronounced effect in people aged ≥80 years, about 10% of explained variance. CONCLUSION Stronger genetic effects in older adults are in line with the well-established nonlinear effects of dopamine signaling on performance, expected to be exacerbated with aging. Individuals over 80 years, genetically predisposed to lower dopamine receptor efficacy, engaged on average 100 min/week in moderate-to-high physical activity, below the recommended levels beneficial for healthy aging. Our findings highlight that some individuals might need extra support to maintain a physically active lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ing-Mari Dohrn
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18 A, Solna, SE-171 65, Sweden.
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18 A, Solna, SE-171 65, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Winkler
- School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Herston, Australia
| | - Anna-Karin Welmer
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18 A, Solna, SE-171 65, Sweden.,Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Allied Health Professionals, Function Area Occupational Therapy & Physiotherapy, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Li X, Bäckman L, Persson J. The relationship of age and DRD2 polymorphisms to frontostriatal brain activity and working memory performance. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 84:189-199. [PMID: 31629117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) in both prefrontal cortex (PFC) and caudate nucleus is critical for working memory (WM) function. The C957T and Taq1A polymorphisms of the DRD2 gene are related to DA D2 receptor densities in PFC and striatum. Using functional MRI, we investigated the relationship of age and these 2 DRD2 gene polymorphisms to WM function and examined possible age by gene interactions. Results demonstrated less caudate activity for older adults (70-80 years; n = 112) compared with the younger age group (25-65 years; n = 191), suggesting age-related functional differences in this region. Importantly, there was a gene-related difference regarding WM performance and frontostriatal brain activity. Specifically, better WM performance and greater activity in PFC were found among C957T C allele carriers. Combined genetic markers for increased DA D2 receptor density were associated with greater caudate activity and higher WM updating performance. The genetic effects on blood oxygen level-dependent activity were only observed in older participants, suggesting magnified genetic effects in aging. Our findings emphasize the importance of DA-related genes in regulating WM functioning in aging and demonstrate a positive link between DA and brain activation in the frontostriatal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Persson
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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14
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Persson J, Stenfors C. Superior cognitive goal maintenance in carriers of genetic markers linked to reduced striatal D2 receptor density (C957T and DRD2/ANKK1-TaqIA). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201837. [PMID: 30125286 PMCID: PMC6101371 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining goal representations is a critical component of cognitive control and is required for successful performance in many daily activities. This is particularly important when goal-relevant information needs to be maintained in working memory (WM), updated in response to changing task demands or internal goal states, and protected from interference by inhibiting counter-goal behaviors. Modulation of fronto-striatal dopamine is critical for updating and maintaining goals and representations. Here we test the hypothesis that a genetic predisposition (C957T T+ and DRD2/ANKK1-TaqIA A+) for reduced striatal D2 receptor availability would facilitate goal maintenance using the AX-continuous performance task (AX-CPT), on a sample of 196 adults (25-67 y). We demonstrate that carriers of two polymorphisms that have been linked to reduced striatal D2 receptor density show increased performance on context-dependent (BX) trials, and that the effect of these polymorphisms was only significant for long ISI trials where the demand for goal maintenance is high. The current results add further knowledge to the role of D2 receptor functioning in cognitive stability and flexibility, and could have implications for understanding cognitive deficits in patients characterized by altered dopamine functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Persson
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Cecilia Stenfors
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
- Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Blum K, Badgaiyan RD, Dunston GM, Baron D, Modestino EJ, McLaughlin T, Steinberg B, Gold MS, Gondré-Lewis MC. The DRD2 Taq1A A1 Allele May Magnify the Risk of Alzheimer's in Aging African-Americans. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:5526-5536. [PMID: 28965318 PMCID: PMC5878111 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0758-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys cognitive skills and the ability to perform the simplest tasks. More than 5 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer's; a disorder which ranks third, just behind heart disease and cancer, as a cause of death for older people. With no real cure and in spite of enormous efforts worldwide, the disease remains a mystery in terms of treatment. Importantly, African-Americans are two times as likely as Whites to develop late-onset Alzheimer's disease and less likely to receive timely diagnosis and treatment. Dopamine function is linked to normal cognition and memory and carriers of the DRD2 Taq1A A1 allele have significant loss of D2 receptor density in the brain. Recent research has shown that A1 carriers have worse memory performance during long-term memory (LTM) updating, compared to non-carriers or A2-carriers. A1carriers also show less blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activation in the left caudate nucleus which is important for LTM updating. This latter effect was only seen in older adults, suggesting magnification of genetic effects on brain functioning in the elderly. Moreover, the frequency of the A1 allele is 0.40 in African-Americans, with an approximate prevalence of the DRD2 A1 allele in 50% of an African-American subset of individuals. This is higher than what is found in a non-screened American population (≤ 28%) for reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) behaviors. Based on DRD2 known genetic polymorphisms, we hypothesize that the DRD2 Taq1A A1 allele magnifies the risk of Alzheimer's in aging African-Americans. Research linking this high risk for Alzheimer's in the African-American population, with DRD2/ANKK1-TaqIA polymorphism and neurocognitive deficits related to LTM, could pave the way for novel, targeted pro-dopamine homeostatic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Blum
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck Medicine University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Applied Clinical Research & Education, Dominion Diagnostics, LLC, North Kingstown, RI, USA
- Department of Neurogenetics, Igene, LLC, Austin, TX, USA
- Division of Reward Deficiency Syndrome and Addiction Therapy, Nupathways, Inc., Innsbrook, MO, USA
- Department of Clinical Neurology, Path Foundation, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Neuroscience Based Addiction Therapy, The Shores Treatment & Recovery Center, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA
- Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Richmond University Medical Center, 355 Bard Avenue, Staten Island, NY, 10310, USA
- NeuroPsychoSocial Genomics Core, National Human Genome Center, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rajendra D Badgaiyan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Richmond University Medical Center, 355 Bard Avenue, Staten Island, NY, 10310, USA
| | - Georgia M Dunston
- NeuroPsychoSocial Genomics Core, National Human Genome Center, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David Baron
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck Medicine University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Mark S Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Marjorie C Gondré-Lewis
- NeuroPsychoSocial Genomics Core, National Human Genome Center, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA.
- Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
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16
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Vaughn KA, Hernandez AE. Becoming a balanced, proficient bilingual: Predictions from age of acquisition & genetic background. JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS 2018; 46:69-77. [PMID: 30038460 PMCID: PMC6054315 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variants related to dopamine functioning (e.g., the ANKK1/TaqIa polymorphism within the DRD2 gene and the Val158Met polymorphism within the COMT gene) have previously been shown to predict cognitive flexibility and learning (e.g., Colzato et al., 2010; Stelzel et al., 2010). Additionally, researchers have found that these genetic variants may also predict second language learning (Mamiya et al., 2016), although this relationship may change across the lifespan (Sugiura et al., 2011). The current study examined the role of the ANKK1/TaqIa and Val158Met polymorphisms along with age of second language acquisition (AoA) in order to predict levels of bilingual proficiency in Spanish-English bilinguals. Results indicated a three-way interaction such that the relationship between the genetic variants and bilingual proficiency depended on AoA. At earlier AoAs, having the genetic variant associated with higher levels of subcortical dopamine (A1+) predicted the highest levels of bilingual proficiency. At later AoAs, individuals with the genetic variant associated with cortical dopamine levels that are balanced between stability and flexibility (Val/Met) predicted the highest levels of bilingual proficiency. These results fit with theories about the development of language as a subcortical process early in life and as a cortical process later in life (Hernandez & Li, 2007), as well as the importance of both stability and flexibility in bilingual language development (Green & Abutalebi, 2013). Finally, this study raises questions about the direction of causality between bilingualism and cognitive control, which is central to the debate over the "bilingual advantage."
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17
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Influence of the DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1A polymorphism on caudate volume in older adults without dementia. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2653-2662. [PMID: 29564530 PMCID: PMC5995982 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1650-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neuromodulation is critically important for brain and cognitive integrity. The DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1A polymorphism is associated with striatal dopamine (DA) D2 receptor availability. Some previous studies have found that the A allele of the Taq1A polymorphism influences brain structure, but the results are inconsistent, likely due to population heterogeneity and small sample sizes. We investigated the genetic effect on caudate volume in a large sample of older adults without dementia. Results show that A-allele carriers have smaller caudate volume compared to non-carriers in relatively older adults (n = 167; Mage = 77.8 years), whereas the genotype did not influence caudate volume in a younger age group (n = 220; Mage = 62.8 years). Cognitive performance was not significantly affected by the DRD2 gene. Our findings extend previous observations by showing magnified genetic effects on brain volume in old age, and provide evidence for a link between a DA-related genetic polymorphism and grey matter volume in a brain region within the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway.
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18
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McLaughlin T, Han D, Nicholson J, Steinberg B, Blum K, Febo M, Braverman E, Li M, Fried L, Badgaiyan R. Improvement of long-term memory access with a pro-dopamine regulator in an elderly male: Are we targeting dopamine tone? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 3. [PMID: 29423319 PMCID: PMC5800757 DOI: 10.15761/jsin.1000165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
With aging, there is decline in both short-term and long-term memory. This effect is magnified by epigenetic insults on specific, dopamine- related genes (e.g., DRD2, DAT1) as well as by impaired or reduced mRNA transcription. In addition, long-term memory ability is positively correlated with dopamine function and there is evidence that aging is associated with a reduction in brain dopamine D2 receptors, with an acceleration seen in aging-induced dementia. As a result, the authors tested the acute effect of a Pro-Dopamine Regulator (KB220Z, liquid Nano variant) on an aspect of long-term memory performance in a 77-year-old, highly functional male, using the Animal Naming Test (ANT). An improvement in long-term memory retrieval had initially been noted during the subject’s follow-up neurology exam, after he had been, for other reasons, taking KB220z. The patient had been given a number of ANTs by his primary and, later, another neurologist, from 2013 to 2016. Because the number of ANT observations was small (N = 7 with two groups) and the data uncorrelated, a non-parametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was performed to test mean differences. After KB220z, the patient had much higher scores (p = 0.04762) on the ANT vs. when not taking it. His scores increased from the 30th percentile (pre-test) to the 76th percentile, after the first administration of KB220z and, later, to the 98th percentile, after a second administration of KB220z, six months later. The results indicate that KB220z, given acutely, increased a form of long-term memory retrieval in a highly functional, elderly male. Larger, double-blind, randomized controlled studies are encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Han
- Department of Management Science and Statistics, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Kenneth Blum
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck Medicine University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Division of Applied Clinical Research & Education, Dominion Diagnostics, LLC, North Kingstown, RI, USA.,Department of Neurogenetics, Igene, LLC, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Addiction Research & Therapy, Nupathways, Inc. Innsbrook, USA.,Division of Neuroscience Based Addiction Therapy, The Shores Treatment & Recovery Center, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA.,Division of Precision Medicine, Geneus Health LLC, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Eric Braverman
- Department of Clinical Neurology, PATH Foundation NY, New York, USA
| | - Mona Li
- Department of Clinical Neurology, PATH Foundation NY, New York, USA
| | - Lyle Fried
- Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rajendra Badgaiyan
- Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and Dayton VA Medical Center, Dayton, OH, USA (IE)
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19
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Richter A, Barman A, Wüstenberg T, Soch J, Schanze D, Deibele A, Behnisch G, Assmann A, Klein M, Zenker M, Seidenbecher C, Schott BH. Behavioral and Neural Manifestations of Reward Memory in Carriers of Low-Expressing versus High-Expressing Genetic Variants of the Dopamine D2 Receptor. Front Psychol 2017; 8:654. [PMID: 28507526 PMCID: PMC5410587 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is critically important in the neural manifestation of motivated behavior, and alterations in the human dopaminergic system have been implicated in the etiology of motivation-related psychiatric disorders, most prominently addiction. Patients with chronic addiction exhibit reduced dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) availability in the striatum, and the DRD2 TaqIA (rs1800497) and C957T (rs6277) genetic polymorphisms have previously been linked to individual differences in striatal dopamine metabolism and clinical risk for alcohol and nicotine dependence. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that the variants of these polymorphisms would show increased reward-related memory formation, which has previously been shown to jointly engage the mesolimbic dopaminergic system and the hippocampus, as a potential intermediate phenotype for addiction memory. To this end, we performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 62 young, healthy individuals genotyped for DRD2 TaqIA and C957T variants. Participants performed an incentive delay task, followed by a recognition memory task 24 h later. We observed effects of both genotypes on the overall recognition performance with carriers of low-expressing variants, namely TaqIA A1 carriers and C957T C homozygotes, showing better performance than the other genotype groups. In addition to the better memory performance, C957T C homozygotes also exhibited a response bias for cues predicting monetary reward. At the neural level, the C957T polymorphism was associated with a genotype-related modulation of right hippocampal and striatal fMRI responses predictive of subsequent recognition confidence for reward-predicting items. Our results indicate that genetic variations associated with DRD2 expression affect explicit memory, specifically for rewarded stimuli. We suggest that the relatively better memory for rewarded stimuli in carriers of low-expressing DRD2 variants may reflect an intermediate phenotype of addiction memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Richter
- Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Torsten Wüstenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University HospitalBerlin, Germany
| | - Joram Soch
- Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Denny Schanze
- Institute of Human Genetics, Otto von Guericke UniversityMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Anna Deibele
- Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Anne Assmann
- Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University of MagdeburgMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Marieke Klein
- Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Zenker
- Institute of Human Genetics, Otto von Guericke UniversityMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Constanze Seidenbecher
- Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Björn H Schott
- Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University HospitalBerlin, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University of MagdeburgMagdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesMagdeburg, Germany
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20
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Sun X, Luquet S, Small DM. DRD2: Bridging the Genome and Ingestive Behavior. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:372-384. [PMID: 28372879 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent work highlights the importance of genetic variants that influence brain structure and function in conferring risk for polygenic obesity. The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) has a pivotal role in energy balance by integrating metabolic signals with circuits supporting cognitive, perceptual, and appetitive functions that guide feeding. It has also been established that diet and obesity alter DA signaling, leading to compulsive-like feeding and neurocognitive impairments. This raises the possibility that genetic variants that influence DA signaling and adaptation confer risk for overeating and cognitive decline. Here, we consider the role of two common gene variants, FTO and TaqIA rs1800497 in driving gene × environment interactions promoting obesity, metabolic dysfunction, and cognitive change via their influence on DA receptor subtype 2 (DRD2) signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Sun
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Serge Luquet
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, BFA CNRS UMR 8251, Paris, France; Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dana M Small
- Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, CT, USA; The John B. Pierce Laboratory, 290 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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21
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Marchewka A, Wypych M, Moslehi A, Riegel M, Michałowski JM, Jednoróg K. Arousal Rather than Basic Emotions Influence Long-Term Recognition Memory in Humans. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:198. [PMID: 27818626 PMCID: PMC5073153 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotion can influence various cognitive processes, however its impact on memory has been traditionally studied over relatively short retention periods and in line with dimensional models of affect. The present study aimed to investigate emotional effects on long-term recognition memory according to a combined framework of affective dimensions and basic emotions. Images selected from the Nencki Affective Picture System were rated on the scale of affective dimensions and basic emotions. After 6 months, subjects took part in a surprise recognition test during an fMRI session. The more negative the pictures the better they were remembered, but also the more false recognitions they provoked. Similar effects were found for the arousal dimension. Recognition success was greater for pictures with lower intensity of happiness and with higher intensity of surprise, sadness, fear, and disgust. Consecutive fMRI analyses showed a significant activation for remembered (recognized) vs. forgotten (not recognized) images in anterior cingulate and bilateral anterior insula as well as in bilateral caudate nuclei and right thalamus. Further, arousal was found to be the only subjective rating significantly modulating brain activation. Higher subjective arousal evoked higher activation associated with memory recognition in the right caudate and the left cingulate gyrus. Notably, no significant modulation was observed for other subjective ratings, including basic emotion intensities. These results emphasize the crucial role of arousal for long-term recognition memory and support the hypothesis that the memorized material, over time, becomes stored in a distributed cortical network including the core salience network and basal ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Centre, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Wypych
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Centre, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland
| | - Abnoos Moslehi
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Centre, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Riegel
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Centre, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland
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22
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Papenberg G, Becker N, Ferencz B, Naveh-Benjamin M, Laukka EJ, Bäckman L, Brehmer Y. Dopamine Receptor Genes Modulate Associative Memory in Old Age. J Cogn Neurosci 2016; 29:245-253. [PMID: 27647283 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Previous research shows that associative memory declines more than item memory in aging. Although the underlying mechanisms of this selective impairment remain poorly understood, animal and human data suggest that dopaminergic modulation may be particularly relevant for associative binding. We investigated the influence of dopamine (DA) receptor genes on item and associative memory in a population-based sample of older adults (n = 525, aged 60 years), assessed with a face-scene item associative memory task. The effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of DA D1 (DRD1; rs4532), D2 (DRD2/ANKK1/Taq1A; rs1800497), and D3 (DRD3/Ser9Gly; rs6280) receptor genes were examined and combined into a single genetic score. Individuals carrying more beneficial alleles, presumably associated with higher DA receptor efficacy (DRD1 C allele; DRD2 A2 allele; DRD3 T allele), performed better on associative memory than persons with less beneficial genotypes. There were no effects of these genes on item memory or other cognitive measures, such as working memory, executive functioning, fluency, and perceptual speed, indicating a selective association between DA genes and associative memory. By contrast, genetic risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) was associated with worse item and associative memory, indicating adverse effects of APOE ε4 and a genetic risk score for AD (PICALM, BIN1, CLU) on episodic memory in general. Taken together, our results suggest that DA may be particularly important for associative memory, whereas AD-related genetic variations may influence overall episodic memory in older adults without dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nina Becker
- Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.,Stockholm University.,Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Beata Ferencz
- Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.,Stockholm University
| | | | - Erika J Laukka
- Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.,Stockholm University
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.,Stockholm University
| | - Yvonne Brehmer
- Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.,Stockholm University.,Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
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23
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Papenberg G, Lindenberger U, Bäckman L. Aging-related magnification of genetic effects on cognitive and brain integrity. Trends Cogn Sci 2015; 19:506-14. [PMID: 26187033 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Heritability studies document substantial genetic influences on cognitive performance and decline in old age. Increasing evidence shows that effects of genetic variations on cognition, brain structure, and brain function become stronger as people age. Disproportionate impairments are typically observed for older individuals carrying disadvantageous genotypes of different candidate genes. These data support the resource-modulation hypothesis, which states that genetic effects are magnified in persons with constrained neural resources, such as older adults. However, given that findings are not unequivocal, we discuss the need to address several factors that may resolve inconsistencies in the extant literature (gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, study populations, gene-environment correlations, and epigenetic mechanisms).
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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