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Arnsten AFT, Wang M, D’Esposito M. Dynamic Network Connectivity: from monkeys to humans. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1353043. [PMID: 38384333 PMCID: PMC10879414 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1353043] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Human brain imaging research using functional MRI (fMRI) has uncovered flexible variations in the functional connectivity between brain regions. While some of this variability likely arises from the pattern of information flow through circuits, it may also be influenced by rapid changes in effective synaptic strength at the molecular level, a phenomenon called Dynamic Network Connectivity (DNC) discovered in non-human primate circuits. These neuromodulatory molecular mechanisms are found in layer III of the macaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the site of the microcircuits shown by Goldman-Rakic to be critical for working memory. This research has shown that the neuromodulators acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and dopamine can rapidly change the strength of synaptic connections in layer III dlPFC by (1) modifying the depolarization state of the post-synaptic density needed for NMDA receptor neurotransmission and (2) altering the open state of nearby potassium channels to rapidly weaken or strengthen synaptic efficacy and the strength of persistent neuronal firing. Many of these actions involve increased cAMP-calcium signaling in dendritic spines, where varying levels can coordinate the arousal state with the cognitive state. The current review examines the hypothesis that some of the dynamic changes in correlative strength between cortical regions observed in human fMRI studies may arise from these molecular underpinnings, as has been seen when pharmacological agents or genetic alterations alter the functional connectivity of the dlPFC consistent with the macaque physiology. These DNC mechanisms provide essential flexibility but may also confer vulnerability to malfunction when dysregulated in cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F. T. Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Mark D’Esposito
- Department of Psychology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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2
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Hartmann H, Janssen LK, Herzog N, Morys F, Fängström D, Fallon SJ, Horstmann A. Self-reported intake of high-fat and high-sugar diet is not associated with cognitive stability and flexibility in healthy men. Appetite 2023; 183:106477. [PMID: 36764221 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Animal studies indicate that a high-fat/high-sugar diet (HFS) can change dopamine signal transmission in the brain, which could promote maladaptive behavior and decision-making. Such diet-induced changes may also explain observed alterations in the dopamine system in human obesity. Genetic variants that modulate dopamine transmission have been proposed to render some individuals more prone to potential effects of HFS. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of HFS with dopamine-dependent cognition in humans and how genetic variations might modulate this potential association. Using a questionnaire assessing the self-reported consumption of high-fat/high-sugar foods, we investigated the association with diet by recruiting healthy young men that fall into the lower or upper end of that questionnaire (low fat/sugar group: LFS, n = 45; high fat/sugar group: HFS, n = 41) and explored the interaction of fat and sugar consumption with COMT Val158Met and Taq1A genotype. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning, male participants performed a working memory (WM) task that probes distractor-resistance and updating of WM representations. Logistic and linear regression models revealed no significant difference in WM performance between the two diet groups, nor an interaction with COMT Val158Met or Taq1A genotype. Neural activation in task-related brain areas also did not differ between diet groups. Independent of diet group, higher BMI was associated with lower overall accuracy on the WM task. This cross-sectional study does not provide evidence for diet-related differences in WM stability and flexibility in men, nor for a predisposition of COMT Val158Met or Taq1A genotype to the hypothesized detrimental effects of an HFS diet. Previously reported associations of BMI with WM seem to be independent of HFS intake in our male study sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Hartmann
- Collaborative Research Centre 1052, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Lieneke K Janssen
- Collaborative Research Centre 1052, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nadine Herzog
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Filip Morys
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel Fängström
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Annette Horstmann
- Collaborative Research Centre 1052, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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van den Bosch R, Lambregts B, Määttä J, Hofmans L, Papadopetraki D, Westbrook A, Verkes RJ, Booij J, Cools R. Striatal dopamine dissociates methylphenidate effects on value-based versus surprise-based reversal learning. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4962. [PMID: 36002446 PMCID: PMC9402573 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32679-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulants such as methylphenidate are widely used for their cognitive enhancing effects, but there is large variability in the direction and extent of these effects. We tested the hypothesis that methylphenidate enhances or impairs reward/punishment-based reversal learning depending on baseline striatal dopamine levels and corticostriatal gating of reward/punishment-related representations in stimulus-specific sensory cortex. Young healthy adults (N = 100) were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a reward/punishment reversal learning task, after intake of methylphenidate or the selective D2/3-receptor antagonist sulpiride. Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity was indexed with [18F]DOPA positron emission tomography. Methylphenidate improved and sulpiride decreased overall accuracy and response speed. Both drugs boosted reward versus punishment learning signals to a greater degree in participants with higher dopamine synthesis capacity. By contrast, striatal and stimulus-specific sensory surprise signals were boosted in participants with lower dopamine synthesis. These results unravel the mechanisms by which methylphenidate gates both attention and reward learning. The mechanisms underpinning the variability in methylphenidate’s effects on cognition remain unclear. Here, the authors show that such effects reflect changes in striatal dopamine-related output gating of task-relevant cortical signals, and that these changes depend on baseline dopamine synthesis capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben van den Bosch
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Britt Lambregts
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica Määttä
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lieke Hofmans
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danae Papadopetraki
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Westbrook
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences Department, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Robbert-Jan Verkes
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Booij
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Medical Imaging, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roshan Cools
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Molecular Imaging of Central Dopamine in Obesity: A Qualitative Review across Substrates and Radiotracers. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12040486. [PMID: 35448017 PMCID: PMC9031606 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in adaptive behavior. A wealth of studies suggests obesity-related alterations in the central dopamine system. The most direct evidence for such differences in humans comes from molecular neuroimaging studies using positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The aim of the current review is to give a comprehensive overview of molecular neuroimaging studies that investigated the relation between BMI or weight status and any dopamine target in the striatal and midbrain regions of the human brain. A structured literature search was performed and a summary of the extracted findings are presented for each of the four available domains: (1) D2/D3 receptors, (2) dopamine release, (3) dopamine synthesis, and (4) dopamine transporters. Recent proposals of a nonlinear relationship between severity of obesity and dopamine imbalances are described while integrating findings within and across domains, after which limitations of the review are discussed. We conclude that despite many observed associations between obesity and substrates of the dopamine system in humans, it is unlikely that obesity can be traced back to a single dopaminergic cause or consequence. For effective personalized prevention and treatment of obesity, it will be crucial to identify possible dopamine (and non-dopamine) profiles and their functional characteristics.
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Cools R, Arnsten AFT. Neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex cognitive function in primates: the powerful roles of monoamines and acetylcholine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:309-328. [PMID: 34312496 PMCID: PMC8617291 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01100-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserves our highest order cognitive operations, and yet is tremendously dependent on a precise neurochemical environment for proper functioning. Depletion of noradrenaline and dopamine, or of acetylcholine from the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC), is as devastating as removing the cortex itself, and serotonergic influences are also critical to proper functioning of the orbital and medial PFC. Most neuromodulators have a narrow inverted U dose response, which coordinates arousal state with cognitive state, and contributes to cognitive deficits with fatigue or uncontrollable stress. Studies in monkeys have revealed the molecular signaling mechanisms that govern the generation and modulation of mental representations by the dlPFC, allowing dynamic regulation of network strength, a process that requires tight regulation to prevent toxic actions, e.g., as occurs with advanced age. Brain imaging studies in humans have observed drug and genotype influences on a range of cognitive tasks and on PFC circuit functional connectivity, e.g., showing that catecholamines stabilize representations in a baseline-dependent manner. Research in monkeys has already led to new treatments for cognitive disorders in humans, encouraging future research in this important field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Riedel P, Domachowska IM, Lee Y, Neukam PT, Tönges L, Li SC, Goschke T, Smolka MN. L-DOPA administration shifts the stability-flexibility balance towards attentional capture by distractors during a visual search task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:867-885. [PMID: 35147724 PMCID: PMC8891202 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06077-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The cognitive control dilemma describes the necessity to balance two antagonistic modes of attention: stability and flexibility. Stability refers to goal-directed thought, feeling, or action and flexibility refers to the complementary ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Their balance is thought to be maintained by neurotransmitters such as dopamine, most likely in a U-shaped rather than linear manner. However, in humans, studies on the stability-flexibility balance using a dopaminergic agent and/or measurement of brain dopamine are scarce. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to investigate the causal involvement of dopamine in the stability-flexibility balance and the nature of this relationship in humans. METHODS Distractibility was assessed as the difference in reaction time (RT) between distractor and non-distractor trials in a visual search task. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study, 65 healthy participants performed the task under placebo and a dopamine precursor (L-DOPA). Using 18F-DOPA-PET, dopamine availability in the striatum was examined at baseline to investigate its relationship to the RT distractor effect and to the L-DOPA-induced change of the RT distractor effect. RESULTS There was a pronounced RT distractor effect in the placebo session that increased under L-DOPA. Neither the RT distractor effect in the placebo session nor the magnitude of its L-DOPA-induced increase were related to baseline striatal dopamine. CONCLUSIONS L-DOPA administration shifted the stability-flexibility balance towards attentional capture by distractors, suggesting causal involvement of dopamine. This finding is consistent with current theories of prefrontal cortex dopamine function. Current data can neither confirm nor falsify the inverted U-shaped function hypothesis with regard to cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - I. M. Domachowska
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Y. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - P. T. Neukam
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - L. Tönges
- Department of Neurology, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - S. C. Li
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01069 Dresden, Germany ,Centre for Tactile Internet With Human-in-the-Loop, Technische Universität Dresden, Georg-Schumman-Str. 9, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - T. Goschke
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - M. N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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Mitelman SA, Buchsbaum MS, Vyas NS, Christian BT, Merrill BM, Buchsbaum BR, Mitelman AM, Mukherjee J, Lehrer DS. Reading abilities and dopamine D 2/D 3 receptor availability: An inverted U-shaped association in subjects with schizophrenia. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 223:105046. [PMID: 34763166 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Reading impairments are prominent trait-like features of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, predictive of overall cognitive functioning and presumably linked to dopaminergic abnormalities. To evaluate this, we used 18F-fallypride PET in 19 healthy and 21 antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia subjects and correlated dopamine receptor binding potentials in relevant AFNI-derived regions and voxelwise with group performance on WRAT4 single-word reading subtest. Healthy subjects' scores were positively and linearly associated with D2/D3 receptor availability in the rectus, orbital and superior frontal gyri, fusiform and middle temporal gyri, as well as middle occipital gyrus and precuneus, all predominantly in the left hemisphere and previously implicated in reading, hence suggesting that higher dopamine receptor density is cognitively advantageous. This relationship was weakened in schizophrenia subjects and in contrast to healthy participants followed an inverted U-shaped curve both in the cortex and dorsal striatum, indicating restricted optimal range of dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability for cognitive performance in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge A Mitelman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst, NY, USA.
| | - Monte S Buchsbaum
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Nora S Vyas
- Kingston University London, Department of Psychology, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, London, UK
| | - Bradley T Christian
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brian M Merrill
- Department of Psychiatry, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Bradley R Buchsbaum
- The Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Jogeshwar Mukherjee
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Preclinical Imaging, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, USA
| | - Douglas S Lehrer
- Department of Psychiatry, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
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8
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Braun U, Harneit A, Pergola G, Menara T, Schäfer A, Betzel RF, Zang Z, Schweiger JI, Zhang X, Schwarz K, Chen J, Blasi G, Bertolino A, Durstewitz D, Pasqualetti F, Schwarz E, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Bassett DS, Tost H. Brain network dynamics during working memory are modulated by dopamine and diminished in schizophrenia. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3478. [PMID: 34108456 PMCID: PMC8190281 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23694-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamical brain state transitions are critical for flexible working memory but the network mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we show that working memory performance entails brain-wide switching between activity states using a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging in healthy controls and individuals with schizophrenia, pharmacological fMRI, genetic analyses and network control theory. The stability of states relates to dopamine D1 receptor gene expression while state transitions are influenced by D2 receptor expression and pharmacological modulation. Individuals with schizophrenia show altered network control properties, including a more diverse energy landscape and decreased stability of working memory representations. Our results demonstrate the relevance of dopamine signaling for the steering of whole-brain network dynamics during working memory and link these processes to schizophrenia pathophysiology. Working memory requires the brain to switch between cognitive states and activity patterns. Here, the authors show that the steering of these neural network dynamics is influenced by dopamine D1- and D2-receptor function and altered in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urs Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany. .,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Anais Harneit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Giulio Pergola
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Tommaso Menara
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Axel Schäfer
- Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Richard F Betzel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Zhenxiang Zang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Janina I Schweiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Xiaolong Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kristina Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Junfang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Daniel Durstewitz
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Fabio Pasqualetti
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Emanuel Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Heike Tost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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Lorenc ES, Mallett R, Lewis-Peacock JA. Distraction in Visual Working Memory: Resistance is Not Futile. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:228-239. [PMID: 33397602 PMCID: PMC7878345 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Over half a century of research focused on understanding how working memory is capacity constrained has overshadowed the fact that it is also remarkably resistant to interference. Protecting goal-relevant information from distraction is a cornerstone of cognitive function that involves a multifaceted collection of control processes and storage mechanisms. Here, we discuss recent advances in cognitive psychology and neuroscience that have produced new insights into the nature of visual working memory and its ability to resist distraction. We propose that distraction resistance should be an explicit component in any model of working memory and that understanding its behavioral and neural correlates is essential for building a comprehensive understanding of real-world memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Lorenc
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Remington Mallett
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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10
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Yoo HB, Moya BE, Filbey FM. Dynamic functional connectivity between nucleus accumbens and the central executive network relates to chronic cannabis use. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:3637-3654. [PMID: 32432821 PMCID: PMC7416060 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural mechanisms of drug cue‐reactivity regarding the temporal fluctuations of functional connectivity, namely the dynamic connectivity, are sparsely studied. Quantifying the task‐modulated variability in dynamic functional connectivity at cue exposure can aid the understanding. We analyzed changes in dynamic connectivity in 54 adult cannabis users and 90 controls during a cannabis cue exposure task. The variability was measured as standard deviation in the (a) connectivity weights of the default mode, the central executive, and the salience networks and two reward loci (amygdalae and nuclei accumbens); and (b) topological indexes of the whole brain (global efficiency, modularity and network resilience). These were compared for the main effects of task conditions and the group (users vs. controls), and correlated with pre‐ and during‐scan subjective craving. The variability of connectivity weights between the central executive network and nuclei accumbens was increased in users throughout the cue exposure task, and, was positively correlated with during‐scan craving for cannabis. The variability of modularity was not different by groups, but positively correlated with prescan craving. The variability of dynamic connectivity during cannabis cue exposure task between the central executive network and the nuclei accumbens, and, the level of modularity, seem to relate to the neural underpinning of cannabis use and the subjective craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Bin Yoo
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Blake Edward Moya
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
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11
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Selvaggi P, Pergola G, Gelao B, Di Carlo P, Nettis MA, Amico G, Fazio L, Rampino A, Sambataro F, Blasi G, Bertolino A. Genetic Variation of a DRD2 Co-expression Network is Associated with Changes in Prefrontal Function After D2 Receptors Stimulation. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:1162-1173. [PMID: 29415163 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) contribute to the inverted U-shaped relationship between dopamine signaling and prefrontal function. Genetic networks from post-mortem human brain revealed 84 partner genes co-expressed with DRD2. Moreover, eight functional single nucleotide polymorphisms combined into a polygenic co-expression index (PCI) predicted co-expression of this DRD2 network and were associated with prefrontal function in humans. Here, we investigated the non-linear association of the PCI with behavioral and Working Memory (WM) related brain response to pharmacological D2Rs stimulation. Fifty healthy volunteers took part in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, functional MRI (fMRI) study with bromocriptine and performed the N-Back task. The PCI by drug interaction was significant on both WM behavioral scores (P = 0.046) and related prefrontal activity (all corrected P < 0.05) using a polynomial PCI model. Non-linear responses under placebo were reversed by bromocriptine administration. fMRI results on placebo were replicated in an independent sample of 50 participants who did not receive drug administration (P = 0.034). These results match earlier evidence in non-human primates and confirm the physiological relevance of this DRD2 co-expression network. Results show that in healthy subjects, different alleles evaluated as an ensemble are associated with non-linear prefrontal responses. Therefore, brain response to a dopaminergic drug may depend on a complex system of allelic patterns associated with DRD2 co-expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluigi Selvaggi
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.,Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Giulio Pergola
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Barbara Gelao
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Pasquale Di Carlo
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Nettis
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.,Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Graziella Amico
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Fazio
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Rampino
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.,Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medical Science, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.,Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.,Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico, Bari, Italy
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12
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Furman DJ, White RL, Naskolnakorn J, Ye J, Kayser A, D'Esposito M. Effects of Dopaminergic Drugs on Cognitive Control Processes Vary by Genotype. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:804-821. [PMID: 31905090 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) has been implicated in modulating multiple cognitive control processes, including the robust maintenance of task sets and memoranda in the face of distractors (cognitive stability) and, conversely, the ability to switch task sets or update the contents of working memory when it is advantageous to do so (cognitive flexibility). In humans, the limited specificity of available pharmacological probes has posed a challenge for understanding the mechanisms by which DA, acting on multiple receptor families across the PFC and striatum, differentially influences these cognitive processes. Using a within-subject, placebo-controlled design, we contrasted the impact of two mechanistically distinct DA drugs, tolcapone (an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase [COMT], a catecholamine inactivator) and bromocriptine (a DA agonist with preferential affinity for the D2 receptor), on the maintenance and switching of task rules. Given previous work demonstrating that drug effects on behavior are dependent on baseline DA tone, participants were stratified according to genetic polymorphisms associated with cortical (COMT Val158Met) and striatal (Taq1A) DA system function. Our results were partially consistent with an inverted-U-shaped relationship between tolcapone and robust rule maintenance (interaction with COMT genotype) and between bromocriptine and cued rule switching (interaction with Taq1A genotype). However, when task instructions were ambiguous, a third relationship emerged to explain drug effects on spontaneous task switching (interaction of COMT genotype and bromocriptine). Together, this pattern of results suggests that the effects of DA drugs vary not only as a function of the DA system component upon which they act but also on subtle differences in task demands and context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert L White
- University of California, Berkeley.,Washington University School of Medicine
| | | | - Jean Ye
- University of California, Berkeley
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13
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Fallon SJ, Kienast A, Muhammed K, Ang YS, Manohar SG, Husain M. Dopamine D2 receptor stimulation modulates the balance between ignoring and updating according to baseline working memory ability. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1254-1263. [PMID: 31526206 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119872190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory (WM) deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders have often been attributed to altered dopaminergic signalling. Specifically, D2 receptor stimulation is thought to affect the ease with which items can be gated into and out of WM. In addition, this effect has been hypothesised to vary according to baseline WM ability, a putative index of dopamine synthesis levels. Moreover, whether D2 stimulation affects WM vicariously through modulating relatively WM-free cognitive control processes has not been explored. AIMS We examined the effect of administering a dopamine agonist on the ability to ignore or update information in WM. METHOD A single dose of cabergoline (1 mg) was administered to healthy older adult humans in a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. In addition, we obtained measures of baseline WM ability and relatively WM-free cognitive control (overcoming response conflict). RESULTS Consistent with predictions, baseline WM ability significantly modulated the effect that drug administration had on the proficiency of ignoring and updating. High-WM individuals were relatively better at ignoring compared to updating after drug administration. Whereas the opposite occurred in low-WM individuals. Although the ability to overcome response conflict was not affected by cabergoline, a negative relationship between the effect the drug had on response conflict performance and ignoring was observed. Thus, both response conflict and ignoring are coupled to dopaminergic stimulation levels. CONCLUSIONS Cumulatively, these results provide evidence that dopamine affects subcomponents of cognitive control in a diverse, antagonistic fashion and that the direction of these effects is dependent upon baseline WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean James Fallon
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Annika Kienast
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kinan Muhammed
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yuen-Siang Ang
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sanjay G Manohar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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14
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Cools R. Chemistry of the Adaptive Mind: Lessons from Dopamine. Neuron 2019; 104:113-131. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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15
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Fallon SJ, Gowell M, Maio MR, Husain M. Dopamine affects short-term memory corruption over time in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2019; 5:16. [PMID: 31396548 PMCID: PMC6683156 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-019-0088-2] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are a recognised component of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, particularly within the domain of short-term memory, it is unclear whether these impairments are masked, or caused, by patients' dopaminergic medication. The effect of medication on pure maintenance in PD patients has rarely been explored, with most assessments examining maintenance intercalated between other executive tasks. Moreover, few studies have utilised methods that can measure the quality of mental representations, which can enable the decomposition of recall errors into their underlying neurocognitive components. Here, we fill this gap by examining pure maintenance in PD patients in high and low dopaminergic states. Participants had to encode the orientation of two stimuli and reproduce these orientations after a short (2 s) or long (8 s) delay. In addition, we also examined the performance of healthy, age-matched older adults to contextualise these effects and determine whether PD represents an exacerbation of the normal ageing process. Patients showed improved recall OFF compared to ON their dopaminergic medication, but only for long-duration trials. Moreover, PD patients OFF their medication actually performed at a level superior to age-matched controls, indicative of a paradoxical enhancement of memory in the low dopaminergic state. The application of a probabilistic model of response selection suggested that PD patients made fewer misbinding errors in the low, compared with high, dopaminergic state for longer-delay trials. Thus, unexpectedly, the mechanisms that prevent memoranda from being corrupted by misbinding over time appear to be enhanced in PD patients OFF dopaminergic medication. Possible explanations for this paradoxical effect are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean James Fallon
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Matthew Gowell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maria Raquel Maio
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
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16
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Key periods of cognitive decline in a nonhuman primate model of cognitive aging, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Neurobiol Aging 2019; 74:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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17
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Manivannan A, Foran W, Jalbrzikowski M, Murty VP, Haas GL, Tarcijonas G, Luna B, Sarpal DK. Association Between Duration of Untreated Psychosis and Frontostriatal Connectivity During Maintenance of Visuospatial Working Memory. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:454-461. [PMID: 30852127 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) has been linked with poor clinical outcomes and variation in resting-state striatal connectivity with central executive regions. However, the link between DUP and task-based activation of executive neurocognition has not previously been examined. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined the association between DUP and both activation and frontostriatal functional connectivity during a visual working memory (WM) paradigm in patients with first-episode psychosis. METHODS Patients with first-episode psychosis (n = 37) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning while performing a visual WM task. At the single-subject level, task conditions were modeled; at the group level, each condition was examined along with DUP. Activation was examined within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a primary region supporting visual WM activation. Frontostriatal functional connectivity during the WM was examined via psychophysical interaction between the dorsal caudate and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Results were compared with a reference range of connectivity values in a matched group of healthy volunteers (n = 25). Task performance was also examined in relation to neuroimaging findings. RESULTS No significant association was observed between DUP and WM activation. Longer DUP showed less functional frontostriatal connectivity with the maintenance of increasing WM load. Results were not related to task performance measures, consistent with previous work. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that DUP may affect frontostriatal circuitry that supports executive functioning. Future work is necessary to examine if these findings contribute to the mechanism underlying the relationship between DUP and worsened clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwinee Manivannan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - William Foran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Maria Jalbrzikowski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Vishnu P Murty
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Gretchen L Haas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Goda Tarcijonas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Deepak K Sarpal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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18
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Abstract
Healthy aging is associated with numerous deficits in cognitive function, which have been attributed to changes within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This chapter summarizes some of the most prominent cognitive changes associated with age-related alterations in the anatomy and physiology of the PFC. Specifically, aging of the PFC results in deficient aspects of cognitive control, including sustained attention, selective attention, inhibitory control, working memory, and multitasking abilities. Yet, not all cognitive functions associated with the PFC exhibit age-related declines, such as arithmetic, comprehension, emotion perception, and emotional control. Moreover, not all older adults exhibit declines in cognition. Multiple life-course and lifestyle factors, as well as genetics, play a role in the trajectory of cognitive performance across the life span. Thus many adults retain cognitive function well into advanced age. Moreover, the brain remains plastic throughout life and there is increasing evidence that most age-related declines in cognition can be remediated by various methods such as physical exercise, cognitive training, or noninvasive brain stimulation. Overall, because cognitive aging is associated with numerous life-course and lifestyle factors, successful aging likely begins in early life, while maintaining cognition or remediating declines is a life-long process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore P Zanto
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adam Gazzaley
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
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19
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Fallon SJ, Muhammed K, Drew DS, Ang YS, Manohar SG, Husain M. Dopamine guides competition for cognitive control: Common effects of haloperidol on working memory and response conflict. Cortex 2018; 113:156-168. [PMID: 30660954 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence suggest that dopamine modulates working memory (the ability to faithfully maintain and efficiently manipulate information over time) but its specific role has not been fully defined. Nor is it clear whether any effects of dopamine are specific to memory processes or whether they reflect more general cognitive mechanisms that extend beyond the working memory domain. Here, we examine the effect of haloperidol, principally a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, on the ability of humans to ignore distracting information or update working memory contents. We compare these effects to performance on an independent measure of cognitive control (response conflict) which has minimal memory requirements. Haloperidol did not selectively affect the ability to ignore or update, but instead reduced the overall quality of recall. In addition, it impaired the ability to overcome response conflict. The deleterious effect of haloperidol on response conflict was selectively associated with the negative effect of the drug on ignoring - but not updating - suggesting that dopamine affects protection of working memory contents and inhibition in response conflict through a common mechanism. These findings provide new insights into the role of dopamine D2 receptors on human cognition. They suggest that D2 receptor effects on protecting the memory contents from distraction might be related to a more general process that supports inhibitory control in contexts that do not require working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean James Fallon
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Kinan Muhammed
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel S Drew
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Yuen-Siang Ang
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sanjay G Manohar
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
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20
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Fallon SJ, Mattiesing RM, Dolfen N, Manohar SG, Husain M. Ignoring versus updating in working memory reveal differential roles of attention and feature binding. Cortex 2018; 107:50-63. [PMID: 29402388 PMCID: PMC6181802 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ignoring distracting information and updating current contents are essential components of working memory (WM). Yet, although both require controlling irrelevant information, it is unclear whether they have the same effects on recall and produce the same level of misbinding errors (incorrectly joining the features of different memoranda). Moreover, the likelihood of misbinding may be affected by the feature similarity between the items already encoded into memory and the information that has to be filtered out (ignored) or updated into memory. Here, we investigate these questions. Participants were sequentially presented with two pairs of arrows. The first pair of arrows always had to be encoded into memory, but the second pair either had to be ignored (ignore condition) or allowed to displace the previously encoded items (update condition). To investigate the effect of similarity on recall, we also varied, in a factorial manner, whether the items that had to be ignored or updated were presented in the same or different colours and/or same or different spatial locations to the original memoranda. By applying a computational model, we were able to quantify the levels of misbinding. Ignoring, but not updating, increased overall recall error as well as misbinding rates, even when accounting for the retention period. This indicates that not all manipulations of attention in WM are equal in terms of their effects on recall and misbinding. Misbinding rates in the ignore condition were affected by the colour and spatial congruence of relevant and irrelevant information to a greater extent than in the update condition. This finding suggests that attentional templates are used to evaluate relevant and irrelevant information in different ways during ignoring and updating. Together, the results suggest that differences between the two functions might occur due to higher levels of attentional compartmentalisation - or protection - during updating compared to ignoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J Fallon
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | | | - Nina Dolfen
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sanjay G Manohar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
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21
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Abstract
There is general agreement that both motivation and cognitive control play critical roles in shaping goal-directed behavior, but only recently has scientific interest focused around the question of motivation-control interactions. Here we briefly survey this literature, organizing contemporary findings around three issues: 1) whether motivation preferentially impacts cognitive control processes, 2) the neural mechanisms that underlie motivation-cognition interactions, and 3) why motivation might be relevant for overcoming the costs of control. Dopamine (DA) is discussed as a key neuromodulator in these motivation-cognition interactions. We conclude by highlighting open issues, specifically Pavlovian versus instrumental control distinctions and effects of motivational valence and conflict, which could benefit from future research attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debbie M Yee
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis
| | - Todd S Braver
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis
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22
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Effects of tolcapone and bromocriptine on cognitive stability and flexibility. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1295-1305. [PMID: 29427081 PMCID: PMC5869902 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4845-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG) have been associated with cognitive stability and cognitive flexibility, respectively. We hypothesized that increasing PFC dopamine tone by administering tolcapone (a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor) to human subjects should promote stability; conversely, increasing BG dopamine tone by administering bromocriptine (a D2 receptor agonist) should promote flexibility. OBJECTIVE We assessed these hypotheses by administering tolcapone, bromocriptine, and a placebo to healthy subjects who performed a saccadic eye movement task requiring stability and flexibility. METHODS We used a randomized, double-blind, within-subject design that was counterbalanced across drug administration sessions. In each session, subjects were cued to prepare for a pro-saccade (look towards a visual stimulus) or anti-saccade (look away) on every trial. On 60% of the trials, subjects were instructed to switch the response already in preparation. We hypothesized that flexibility would be required on switch trials, whereas stability would be required on non-switch trials. The primary measure of performance was efficiency (the percentage correct divided by reaction time for each trial type). RESULTS Subjects were significantly less efficient across all trial types under tolcapone, and there were no significant effects of bromocriptine. After grouping subjects based on Val158Met COMT polymorphism, we found that Met/Met and Val/Met subjects (greater PFC dopamine) were less efficient compared to Val/Val subjects. CONCLUSIONS Optimal behavior was based on obeying the environmental stimuli, and we found reduced efficiency with greater PFC dopamine tone. We suggest that greater PFC dopamine interfered with the ability to flexibly follow the environment.
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23
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Grogan JP, Knight LE, Smith L, Irigoras Izagirre N, Howat A, Knight BE, Bickerton A, Isotalus HK, Coulthard EJ. Effects of Parkinson's disease and dopamine on digit span measures of working memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:3443-3450. [PMID: 30315362 PMCID: PMC6267128 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5058-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Parkinson's disease (PD) impairs working memory (WM)-the ability to maintain items in memory for short periods of time and manipulate them. There is conflicting evidence on the nature of the deficits caused by the disease, and the potential beneficial and detrimental effects of dopaminergic medication on different WM processes. OBJECTIVES We hypothesised that PD impairs both maintenance and manipulation of items in WM and dopaminergic medications improve this in PD patients but impair it in healthy older adults. METHODS We tested 68 PD patients ON and OFF their dopaminergic medication, 83 healthy age-matched controls, and 30 healthy older adults after placebo and levodopa administration. We used the digit span, a WM test with three components (forwards, backwards, and sequence recall) that differ in the amount of manipulation required. We analysed the maximum spans and the percentage of lists correctly recalled, which probe capacity of WM and the accuracy of the memory processes within this capacity, respectively. RESULTS PD patients had lower WM capacity across all three digit span components, but only showed reduced percentage accuracy on the components requiring manipulation (backwards and sequence spans). Dopaminergic medication did not affect performance in PD patients. In healthy older adults, levodopa did not affect capacity, but did impair accuracy on one of the manipulation components (sequence), without affecting the other (backwards). CONCLUSIONS This suggests that the deficit of maintenance capacity and manipulation accuracy in PD patients is not primarily a dopaminergic one and supports a potential "overdosing" of intact manipulation mechanisms in healthy older adults by levodopa.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Patrick Grogan
- Bristol Brain Centre, Elgar House, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK.
| | | | - Laura Smith
- Bristol Brain Centre, Elgar House, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB UK
| | | | - Alexandra Howat
- Bristol Brain Centre, Elgar House, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB UK
| | | | | | | | - Elizabeth Jane Coulthard
- Bristol Brain Centre, Elgar House, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB UK ,North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
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24
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Derrfuss J, Ekman M, Hanke M, Tittgemeyer M, Fiebach CJ. Distractor-resistant Short-Term Memory Is Supported by Transient Changes in Neural Stimulus Representations. J Cogn Neurosci 2017; 29:1547-1565. [PMID: 28430039 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Goal-directed behavior in a complex world requires the maintenance of goal-relevant information despite multiple sources of distraction. However, the brain mechanisms underlying distractor-resistant working or short-term memory (STM) are not fully understood. Although early single-unit recordings in monkeys and fMRI studies in humans pointed to an involvement of lateral prefrontal cortices, more recent studies highlighted the importance of posterior cortices for the active maintenance of visual information also in the presence of distraction. Here, we used a delayed match-to-sample task and multivariate searchlight analyses of fMRI data to investigate STM maintenance across three extended delay phases. Participants maintained two samples (either faces or houses) across an unfilled pre-distractor delay, a distractor-filled delay, and an unfilled post-distractor delay. STM contents (faces vs. houses) could be decoded above-chance in all three delay phases from occipital, temporal, and posterior parietal areas. Classifiers trained to distinguish face versus house maintenance successfully generalized from pre- to post-distractor delays and vice versa, but not to the distractor delay period. Furthermore, classifier performance in all delay phases was correlated with behavioral performance in house, but not face, trials. Our results demonstrate the involvement of distributed posterior, but not lateral prefrontal, cortices in active maintenance during and after distraction. They also show that the neural code underlying STM maintenance is transiently changed in the presence of distractors and reinstated after distraction. The correlation with behavior suggests that active STM maintenance is particularly relevant in house trials, whereas face trials might rely more strongly on contributions from long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Derrfuss
- Radboud University Nijmegen.,University of Nottingham
| | | | - Michael Hanke
- Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Christian J Fiebach
- Radboud University Nijmegen.,Goethe University Frankfurt.,Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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25
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Hernaus D, Casales Santa MM, Offermann JS, Van Amelsvoort T. Noradrenaline transporter blockade increases fronto-parietal functional connectivity relevant for working memory. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:399-410. [PMID: 28291572 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Experimental animal work has demonstrated that dopamine and noradrenaline play an essential role in modulating prefrontal cortex-mediated networks underlying working memory performance. Studies of functional connectivity have been instrumental in extending such notions to humans but, so far, have almost exclusively focussed on pharmacological agents with a predominant dopaminergic mechanism of action. Here, we investigate the effect of a single dose of atomoxetine 60mg, a noradrenaline transporter inhibitor, on working memory performance and associated functional connectivity during an n-back task in 19 healthy male volunteers. Atomoxetine increased functional connectivity between right anterior insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, precentral gyrus, posterior parietal cortex and precuneus during the high-working memory load condition of the n-back task. Increased atomoxetine-induced insula-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity during this condition correlated with decreased reaction time variability and was furthermore predicted by working memory capacity. These results show for the first time that noradrenaline transporter blockade-induced increases in cortical catecholamines accentuate fronto-parietal working memory-related network integrity. The observation of significant inter-subject variability in response to atomoxetine has implications for inverted-U frameworks of dopamine and noradrenaline function, which could be useful to predict drug effects in clinical disorders with variable treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Hernaus
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, MD, USA.
| | - Marta Ma Casales Santa
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, School for Mental Health and NeuroScience MHeNS Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Stefan Offermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, School for Mental Health and NeuroScience MHeNS Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Thérèse Van Amelsvoort
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, School for Mental Health and NeuroScience MHeNS Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Fallon SJ, Zokaei N, Norbury A, Manohar SG, Husain M. Dopamine Alters the Fidelity of Working Memory Representations according to Attentional Demands. J Cogn Neurosci 2016; 29:728-738. [PMID: 27897674 PMCID: PMC5889096 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Capacity limitations in working memory (WM) necessitate the need to
effectively control its contents. Here, we examined the effect of cabergoline, a
dopamine D2 receptor agonist, on WM using a continuous report
paradigm that allowed us to assess the fidelity with which items are stored. We
assessed recall performance under three different gating conditions: remembering
only one item, being cued to remember one target among distractors, and having
to remember all items. Cabergoline had differential effects on recall
performance according to whether distractors had to be ignored and whether
mnemonic resources could be deployed exclusively to the target. Compared with
placebo, cabergoline improved mnemonic performance when there were no
distractors but significantly reduced performance when distractors were
presented in a precue condition. No significant difference in performance was
observed under cabergoline when all items had to be remembered. By applying a
stochastic model of response selection, we established that the causes of
drug-induced changes in performance were due to changes in the precision with
which items were stored in WM. However, there was no change in the extent to
which distractors were mistaken for targets. Thus, D2 agonism causes
changes in the fidelity of mnemonic representations without altering
interference between memoranda.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Masud Husain
- University of Oxford.,John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
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Cools R. The costs and benefits of brain dopamine for cognitive control. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2016; 7:317-29. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Radboud University Medical Center; Nijmegen The Netherlands
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Beck SM, Ruge H, Schindler C, Burkart M, Miller R, Kirschbaum C, Goschke T. Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761® on cognitive control functions, mental activity of the prefrontal cortex and stress reactivity in elderly adults with subjective memory impairment - a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Hum Psychopharmacol 2016; 31:227-42. [PMID: 27147264 PMCID: PMC5084772 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cognitive control as well as stress reactivity is assumed to depend on prefrontal dopamine and decline with age. Because Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 increases prefrontal dopamine in animals, we assessed its effects on cognitive functions related to prefrontal dopamine. METHODS Effects of 240-mg EGb761 daily on task-set-switching, response-inhibition, delayed response, prospective-memory, task-related fMRI-BOLD-signals and the Trier Social Stress-Test were explored in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot-trial in 61 elderly volunteers with subjective memory impairment. RESULTS Baseline-FMRI-data showed BOLD-responses in regions commonly activated by the specific tasks. Task-switch-costs decreased with EGb761 compared to placebo (ANOVA-interaction: Group × Time × Switch-Costs p = 0.018, multiple tests uncorrected), indicating improved cognitive flexibility. Go-NoGo-task reaction-times corrected for error-rates indicated a trend for improved response inhibition. No treatment effects were found for the delayed response and prospective-memory tasks and fMRI-data. A non-significant trend indicated a potentially accelerated endocrine stress-recovery. EGb761 was safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSION We observed indications for improved cognitive flexibility without changes in brain activation, suggesting increased processing efficiency with EGb761. Together with a trend for improved response inhibition results are compatible with mild enhancement of prefrontal dopamine. These conclusions on potential beneficial effect of EGb761 on prefrontal dopaminergic functions should be confirmed by direct measurements. © 2016 The Authors. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie M. Beck
- Department of PsychologyTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany,Neuroimaging CentreTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Hannes Ruge
- Department of PsychologyTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany,Neuroimaging CentreTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Christoph Schindler
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav CarusTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany,Clinical Research Center Hannover & Institute for Clinical PharmacologyHannover Medical SchoolHannoverGermany
| | | | - Robert Miller
- Department of PsychologyTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | | | - Thomas Goschke
- Department of PsychologyTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany,Neuroimaging CentreTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
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Abstract
Recent methodological and conceptual advances have led to a fundamental reappraisal of the nature of visual working memory (WM). A large corpus of evidence now suggests that there might not be a hard limit on the number of items that can be stored. Instead, WM may be better captured by a highly limited––but flexible––resource model. More resource can be allocated to prioritized items but, crucially, at a cost of reduced recall precision for other stored items. Expectations may modulate resource distribution, for example, through neural oscillations in the alpha band increasing inhibition of irrelevant cortical regions. Our understanding of the neural architecture of WM is also undergoing radical revision. Whereas the prefrontal cortex has previously dominated research endeavors, other cortical regions, such as early visual areas, are now considered to make an essential contribution, for example holding one or more items in a privileged state or “focus of attention” within WM. By contrast, the striatum is increasingly viewed as crucial in determining why and how items are gated into memory, while the hippocampus, it has controversially been argued, might be critical in the formation of temporally resilient conjunctions across features of stored items in WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean James Fallon
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nahid Zokaei
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
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