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Hajebrahimi F, Sangoi A, Scheiman M, Santos E, Gohel S, Alvarez TL. From convergence insufficiency to functional reorganization: A longitudinal randomized controlled trial of treatment-induced connectivity plasticity. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e70007. [PMID: 39185637 PMCID: PMC11345633 DOI: 10.1111/cns.70007] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Convergence Insufficiency (CI) is the most prevalent oculomotor dysfunction of binocular vision that negatively impacts quality of life when performing visual near tasks. Decreased resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is reported in the CI participants compared to binocularly normal control participants. Studies report that therapeutic interventions such as office-based vergence and accommodative therapy (OBVAT) can improve CI participants' clinical signs, visual symptoms, and task-related functional activity. However, longitudinal studies investigating the RSFC changes after such treatments in participants with CI have not been conducted. This study aimed to investigate the neural basis of OBVAT using RSFC in CI participants compared to the placebo treatment to understand how OBVAT improves visual function and symptoms. METHODS A total of 51 CI participants between 18 and 35 years of age were included in the study and randomly allocated to receive either 12 one-hour sessions of OBVAT or placebo treatment for 6 to 8 weeks (1 to 2 sessions per week). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and clinical assessments were evaluated at baseline and outcome for each treatment group. Region of interest (ROI) analysis was conducted in nine ROIs of the oculomotor vergence network, including the following: cerebellar vermis (CV), frontal eye fields (FEF), supplementary eye fields (SEF), parietal eye fields (PEF), and primary visual cortices (V1). Paired t-tests assessed RSFC changes in each group. A linear regression analysis was conducted for significant ROI pairs in the group-level analysis for correlations with clinical measures. RESULTS Paired t-test results showed increased RSFC in 10 ROI pairs after the OBVAT but not placebo treatment (p < 0.05, false discovery rate corrected). These ROI pairs included the following: Left (L)-SEF-Right (R)-V1, L-SEF-CV, R-SEF-R-PEF, R-SEF-L-V1, R-SEF-R-V1, R-SEF-CV, R-PEF-CV, L-V1-CV, R-V1-CV, and L-V1-R-V1. Significant correlations were observed between the RSFC strength of the R-SEF-R-PEF ROI pair and the following clinical visual function parameters: positive fusional vergence and near point of convergence (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION OBVAT, but not placebo treatment, increased the RSFC in the ROIs of the oculomotor vergence network, which was correlated with the improvements in the clinical measures of the CI participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzin Hajebrahimi
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Ayushi Sangoi
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Mitchell Scheiman
- Pennsylvania College of OptometrySalus UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Elio Santos
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Suril Gohel
- Department of Health InformaticsRutgers University School of Health ProfessionsNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Tara L. Alvarez
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNew JerseyUSA
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Ferrante O, Chelazzi L, Santandrea E. Statistical learning of target and distractor spatial probability shape a common attentional priority computation. Cortex 2023; 169:95-117. [PMID: 37866062 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.08.013] [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: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence recently put forward the notion that dedicated neurocognitive mechanisms do exist for the suppression of salient, but irrelevant distractors. Along this line, it is plausible to hypothesize that, in appropriate contexts, experience-dependent forms of attentional learning might selectively induce plastic changes within this dedicated circuitry, thus allowing an independent shaping of priorities at the service of attentional filtering. Conversely, previous work suggested that statistical learning (SL) of both target and distractor spatial probability distributions converge in adjusting only the overall attentional priority of locations: in fact, in the presence of an independent manipulation, either related to the target or to the distractor only, SL induces indirect effects (e.g., changes in filtering efficiency due to an uneven distribution of targets), suggesting that SL-induced plastic changes affect a shared neural substrate. Here we tested whether, when (conflicting) target- and distractor-related manipulations are concurrently applied to the very same locations, dedicated mechanisms might support the selective encoding of spatial priority in relation to the specific attentional operation involved. In three related experiments, human healthy participants discriminated the direction of a target arrow, while ignoring a salient distractor, if present; both target and distractor spatial probability distributions were concurrently manipulated in relation to each single location. Critically, the selection bias produced by the target-related SL was marginally reduced by an adverse distractor contingency, and the suppression bias generated by the distractor-related SL was erased, or even reversed, by an adverse target contingency. Our results suggest that even conflicting target- and distractor-related SL manipulations result in the adjustment of a unique spatial priority computation, likely because the process directly relies on direct plastic alterations of shared spatial priority map(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Ferrante
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Leonardo Chelazzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy; National Institute of Neuroscience - Verona Unit, Verona, Italy.
| | - Elisa Santandrea
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
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Tosoni A, Capotosto P, Baldassarre A, Spadone S, Sestieri C. Neuroimaging evidence supporting a dual-network architecture for the control of visuospatial attention in the human brain: a mini review. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1250096. [PMID: 37841074 PMCID: PMC10571720 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1250096] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies conducted in the last three decades have distinguished two frontoparietal networks responsible for the control of visuospatial attention. The present review summarizes recent findings on the neurophysiological mechanisms implemented in both networks and describes the evolution from a model centered on the distinction between top-down and bottom-up attention to a model that emphasizes the dynamic interplay between the two networks based on attentional demands. The role of the dorsal attention network (DAN) in attentional orienting, by boosting behavioral performance, has been investigated with multiple experimental approaches. This research effort allowed us to trace a distinction between DAN regions involved in shifting vs. maintenance of attention, gather evidence for the modulatory influence exerted by the DAN over sensory cortices, and identify the electrophysiological correlates of the orienting function. Simultaneously, other studies have contributed to reframing our understanding of the functions of the ventral attention network (VAN) and its relevance for behavior. The VAN is not simply involved in bottom-up attentional capture but interacts with the DAN during reorienting to behaviorally relevant targets, exhibiting a general resetting function. Further studies have confirmed the selective rightward asymmetry of the VAN, proposed a functional dissociation along the anteroposterior axis, and suggested hypotheses about its emergence during the evolution of the primate brain. Finally, novel models of network interactions explain the expression of complex attentional functions and the emergence and restorations of symptoms characterizing unilateral spatial neglect. These latter studies emphasize the importance of considering patterns of network interactions for understanding the consequences of brain lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Tosoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC) and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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Meyyappan S, Rajan A, Yang Q, Mangun GR, Ding M. Top-Down Biasing of Visual Cortical Activity Encodes Attended Information and Facilitates Behavioral Performance in Visual Spatial Attention. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.05.552084. [PMID: 37609147 PMCID: PMC10441319 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.05.552084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Top-down attention plays a vital role in selecting relevant stimuli and suppressing distracting information. During top-down visual-spatial attention, control signals from the dorsal attention network modulate the baseline neuronal activity in the visual cortex in favor of task-relevant stimuli. While several studies have demonstrated that baseline shift during anticipatory attention occurs in multiple visual areas, such effects have not been systematically investigated across the visual hierarchy, especially when different attention conditions are matched for stimulus and task factors. In this fMRI study, we investigated anticipatory attention signals using univariate and multivariate (MVPA) analysis in multiple visual cortical areas. First, the univariate analysis yielded significant activation differences in higher-order visual areas, with the effect weaker in early visual areas. Second, however, in contrast, MVPA decoding was significant in predicting attention conditions in all visual areas and IPS, with lower-order visual areas (e.g., V1) having greater decoding accuracy than higher-order visual areas (e.g., LO1). Third, the strength of decoding accuracy predicted the behavioral performance in the discrimination task. All the results were highly replicable and consistent across two datasets with same experimental paradigms but recorded at two research sites, and two experimental conditions where the direction of spatial attention was driven either by external instructions (cue-instructed attention) or from internal decisions (free-choice attention). Our results provide clear evidence, not available in past univariate investigations, that top-down attentional control signals selectively bias neuronal processing throughout the visual hierarchy, and that this biasing is correlated with the task performance.
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Benarroch E. What Are the Functions of the Superior Colliculus and Its Involvement in Neurologic Disorders? Neurology 2023; 100:784-790. [PMID: 37068960 PMCID: PMC10115501 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
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Psychophysiological mechanisms underlying the effects of outdoor green and virtual green exercise during self-paced walking. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 184:39-50. [PMID: 36572348 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Physical activity in the presence of nature can lead to additional, more distinct mental health benefits such as lower stress and anxiety levels and an overall better psychological state when compared to indoor physical activity. Interestingly, the brain mechanisms underlying the effects of green exercise (GE) and virtual green exercise (VGE) on psychological responses are hitherto under-researched. The present study sought to deepen our understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying the effects of GE and VGE during self-paced walking. Thirty individuals took part in the present study. Two experimental (i.e., GE and VGE) and a control condition (CO) were administered in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Participants were asked to walk for ¼ mile at a pace of their choosing and self-report their psychological states at various timepoints during the exercise trials. Heart rate variability and the brain's electrical activity were monitored continuously throughout the experimental protocol. An accelerometer was used to identify the beginning and end of each step. The results indicate that both experimental manipulations were sufficient to influence the majority of psychological and psychophysiological parameters. The most pronounced effects were identified for GE when compared to CO and VGE. VGE was also sufficient to evoke positive emotions and partially reallocate attention externally, although such effects were less pronounced than those observed for GE. The brain mechanisms underlying the abovementioned psychophysiological responses may be associated with significant changes in theta activity throughout the cerebral cortex as well as increased connectivity in the frontal and parietal areas.
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Fritzsch B, Elliott KL, Yamoah EN. Neurosensory development of the four brainstem-projecting sensory systems and their integration in the telencephalon. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:913480. [PMID: 36213204 PMCID: PMC9539932 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.913480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatosensory, taste, vestibular, and auditory information is first processed in the brainstem. From the brainstem, the respective information is relayed to specific regions within the cortex, where these inputs are further processed and integrated with other sensory systems to provide a comprehensive sensory experience. We provide the organization, genetics, and various neuronal connections of four sensory systems: trigeminal, taste, vestibular, and auditory systems. The development of trigeminal fibers is comparable to many sensory systems, for they project mostly contralaterally from the brainstem or spinal cord to the telencephalon. Taste bud information is primarily projected ipsilaterally through the thalamus to reach the insula. The vestibular fibers develop bilateral connections that eventually reach multiple areas of the cortex to provide a complex map. The auditory fibers project in a tonotopic contour to the auditory cortex. The spatial and tonotopic organization of trigeminal and auditory neuron projections are distinct from the taste and vestibular systems. The individual sensory projections within the cortex provide multi-sensory integration in the telencephalon that depends on context-dependent tertiary connections to integrate other cortical sensory systems across the four modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Fritzsch
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
- *Correspondence: Bernd Fritzsch,
| | - Karen L. Elliott
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Ebenezer N. Yamoah
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States
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Yamamoto Y, Hirano J, Ueda R, Yoshitake H, Yamagishi M, Kimura M, Kamiya K, Shino M, Mimura M, Yamagata B. White matter alterations in the dorsal attention network contribute to a high risk of unsafe driving in healthy older people. PCN REPORTS : PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES 2022; 1:e45. [PMID: 38868688 PMCID: PMC11114439 DOI: 10.1002/pcn5.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Aim Healthy older drivers may be at high risk of fatal traffic accidents. Our recent study showed that volumetric alterations in gray matter in the brain regions within the dorsal attention network (DAN) were strongly related to the risk of unsafe driving in healthy older people. However, the relationship between white matter (WM) structural connectivity and driving ability in healthy older people is still unclear. Methods We used diffusion tensor imaging to examine the association between microstructural alterations in the DAN and the risk of unsafe driving among healthy older people. We enrolled 32 healthy older individuals aged over 65 years and screened unsafe drivers using an on-road driving test. We then determined the pattern of WM aberrations in unsafe drivers using tract-based spatial statistics. Results The analysis demonstrated that unsafe drivers had significantly higher axial diffusivity values in nine WM clusters compared with safe drivers. These results were primarily observed bilaterally in the dorsal superior longitudinal fasciculus, which is involved in the DAN. Furthermore, correlation analyses showed that higher axial diffusivity values in the superior longitudinal fasciculus were associated with lower Trail Making Test A scores within unsafe drivers. This result suggests that functionally, WM microstructural alterations in the DAN are associated with attention problems, which may contribute to the risk of unsafe driving among healthy older people. Conclusion Our findings may elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the increased risk of unsafe driving in healthy older people, potentially facilitating the development of new interventions to prevent fatal accidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuharu Yamamoto
- Department of NeuropsychiatryKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Jinichi Hirano
- Department of NeuropsychiatryKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Ryo Ueda
- Office of Radiation TechnologyKeio University HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Hiroshi Yoshitake
- Department of Human and Engineered Environmental StudiesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Mika Yamagishi
- Department of NeuropsychiatryKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Mariko Kimura
- Department of NeuropsychiatryKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Graduate School of PsychologyRissho UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Kei Kamiya
- Department of NeuropsychiatryKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Motoki Shino
- Department of Human and Engineered Environmental StudiesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of NeuropsychiatryKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Bun Yamagata
- Department of NeuropsychiatryKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
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Spadone S, Betti V, Sestieri C, Pizzella V, Corbetta M, Della Penna S. Spectral signature of attentional reorienting in the human brain. Neuroimage 2021; 244:118616. [PMID: 34582947 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As we move in the environment, attention shifts to novel objects of interest based on either their sensory salience or behavioral value (reorienting). This study measures with magnetoencephalography (MEG) different properties (amplitude, onset-to-peak duration) of event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) of oscillatory activity during a visuospatial attention task designed to separate activity related to reorienting vs. maintaining attention to the same location, controlling for target detection and response processes. The oscillatory activity was measured both in fMRI-defined regions of interest (ROIs) of the dorsal attention (DAN) and visual (VIS) networks, previously defined as task-relevant in the same subjects, or whole-brain in a pre-defined set of cortical ROIs encompassing the main brain networks. Reorienting attention (shift cues) as compared to maintaining attention (stay cues) produced a temporal sequence of ERD/ERS modulations at multiple frequencies in specific anatomical regions/networks. An early (∼330 ms), stronger, transient theta ERS occurred in task-relevant (DAN, VIS) and control networks (VAN, CON, FPN), possibly reflecting an alert/reset signal in response to the cue. A more sustained, behaviorally relevant, low-beta band ERD peaking ∼450 ms following shift cues (∼410 for stay cues) localized in frontal and parietal regions of the DAN. This modulation is consistent with a control signal re-routing information across visual hemifields. Contralateral vs. ipsilateral shift cues produced in occipital visual regions a stronger, sustained alpha ERD (peak ∼470 ms) and a longer, transient high beta/gamma ERS (peak ∼490 ms) related to preparatory visual modulations in advance of target occurrence. This is the first description of a cascade of oscillatory processes during attentional reorienting in specific anatomical regions and networks. Among these processes, a behaviorally relevant beta desynchronization in the FEF is likely associated with the control of attention shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Spadone
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
| | - Viviana Betti
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Sestieri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pizzella
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Maurizio Corbetta
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Italy; Departments of Neurology, Radiology, Neuroscience, Washington University St. Louis, USA
| | - Stefania Della Penna
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
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Pini L, Wennberg AM, Salvalaggio A, Vallesi A, Pievani M, Corbetta M. Breakdown of specific functional brain networks in clinical variants of Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 72:101482. [PMID: 34606986 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by different clinical entities. Although AD phenotypes share a common molecular substrate (i.e., amyloid beta and tau accumulation), several clinicopathological differences exist. Brain functional networks might provide a macro-scale scaffolding to explain this heterogeneity. In this review, we summarize the evidence linking different large-scale functional network abnormalities to distinct AD phenotypes. Specifically, executive deficits in early-onset AD link with the dysfunction of networks that support sustained attention and executive functions. Posterior cortical atrophy relates to the breakdown of visual and dorsal attentional circuits, while the primary progressive aphasia variant of AD may be associated with the dysfunction of the left-lateralized language network. Additionally, network abnormalities might provide in vivo signatures for distinguishing proteinopathies that mimic AD, such as TAR DNA binding protein 43 related pathologies. These network differences vis-a-vis clinical syndromes are more evident in the earliest stage of AD. Finally, we discuss how these findings might pave the way for new tailored interventions targeting the most vulnerable brain circuit at the optimal time window to maximize clinical benefits.
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Lockhofen DEL, Mulert C. Neurochemistry of Visual Attention. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:643597. [PMID: 34025339 PMCID: PMC8133366 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.643597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual attention is the cognitive process that mediates the selection of important information from the environment. This selection is usually controlled by bottom-up and top-down attentional biasing. Since for most humans vision is the dominant sense, visual attention is critically important for higher-order cognitive functions and related deficits are a core symptom of many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we summarize the importance and relative contributions of different neuromodulators and neurotransmitters to the neural mechanisms of top-down and bottom-up attentional control. We will not only review the roles of widely accepted neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, dopamine and noradrenaline, but also the contributions of other modulatory substances. In doing so, we hope to shed some light on the current understanding of the role of neurochemistry in shaping neuron properties contributing to the allocation of attention in the visual field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph Mulert
- Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University, Hessen, Germany
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Yamamoto Y, Yamagata B, Hirano J, Ueda R, Yoshitake H, Negishi K, Yamagishi M, Kimura M, Kamiya K, Shino M, Mimura M. Regional Gray Matter Volume Identifies High Risk of Unsafe Driving in Healthy Older People. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:592979. [PMID: 33343333 PMCID: PMC7744700 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.592979] [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: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In developed countries, the number of traffic accidents caused by older drivers is increasing. Approximately half of the older drivers who cause fatal accidents are cognitively normal. Thus, it is important to identify older drivers who are cognitively normal but at high risk of causing fatal traffic accidents. However, no standardized method for assessing the driving ability of older drivers has been established. We aimed to establish an objective assessment of driving ability and to clarify the neural basis of unsafe driving in healthy older people. We enrolled 32 healthy older individuals aged over 65 years and classified unsafe drivers using an on-road driving test. We then utilized a machine learning approach to distinguish unsafe drivers from safe drivers based on clinical features and gray matter volume data. Twenty-one participants were classified as safe drivers and 11 participants as unsafe drivers. A linear support vector machine classifier successfully distinguished unsafe drivers from safe drivers with 87.5% accuracy (sensitivity of 63.6% and specificity of 100%). Five parameters (age and gray matter volume in four cortical regions, including the left superior part of the precentral sulcus, the left sulcus intermedius primus [of Jensen], the right orbital part of the inferior frontal gyrus, and the right superior frontal sulcus), were consistently selected as features for the final classification model. Our findings indicate that the cortical regions implicated in voluntary orienting of attention, decision making, and working memory may constitute the essential neural basis of driving behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuharu Yamamoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bun Yamagata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jinichi Hirano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Ueda
- Office of Radiation Technology, Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yoshitake
- Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuno Negishi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mika Yamagishi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mariko Kimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Graduate School of Psychology, Rissho University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kei Kamiya
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoki Shino
- Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Opposing associations between sedentary time and decision-making competence in young adults revealed by functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13993. [PMID: 32814816 PMCID: PMC7438333 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70679-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
How daily physical activity and sedentary time relate to human judgement and functional connectivity (FC) patterns that support them remains underexplored. We investigated the relationships between accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time to decision-making competence (DMC) in young adults using a comprehensive Adult-Decision Making Competence battery. We applied graph theory measures of global and local efficiency to test the mediating effects of FC in cognitively salient brain networks (fronto-parietal; dorsal attention, DAN; ventral attention; and default mode), assessed from the resting-state fMRI. Sedentary time was related to lower susceptibility to a framing bias. However, once global and local efficiency of the DAN were considered we observed (1) higher susceptibility to framing with more sedentary time, mediated through lower local and global efficiency in the DAN, and (2) lower susceptibility to framing with more sedentary time. MVPA was not related to DMC or graph theory measures. These results suggest that remaining sedentary may reduce neurofunctional readiness for top-down control and decrease engagement of deliberate thought, required to ignore irrelevant aspects of a problem. The positive effect suggests that the relationship between sedentary time and DMC may be moderated by unmeasured factors such as the type of sedentary behavior.
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Morales C, Gohel S, Scheiman M, Li X, Santos EM, Sangoi A, Alvarez TL. Test-retest of a phoria adaptation stimulus-induced functional MRI experiment. J Vis 2020; 20:17. [PMID: 32797193 PMCID: PMC7438664 DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.8.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was designed to identify the neural substrates activated during a phoria adaptation task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in young adults with normal binocular vision and to test the repeatability of the fMRI measurements for this protocol. The phoria adaptation task consisted of a block protocol of 90 seconds of near visual crossed fixation followed by 90 seconds of far visual uncrossed fixation, repeated three times; the data were collected during two different experimental sessions. Results showed that the oculomotor vermis, cuneus, and primary visual cortex had the greatest functional activity within the regions of interest studied when stimulated by the phoria adaptation task. The oculomotor vermis functional activity had an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.3, whereas the bilateral cuneus and primary visual cortex had good ICC results of greater than 0.6. These results suggest that the sustained visual fixation task described within this study reliably activates the neural substrates of phoria adaptation. This protocol establishes a methodology that can be used in future longitudinal studies investigating therapeutic interventions that may modify phoria adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Morales
- Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Suril Gohel
- Department of Health Informatics, Rutgers University School of Health Professions, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Mitchell Scheiman
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaobo Li
- Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Elio M Santos
- Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ayushi Sangoi
- Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Tara L Alvarez
- Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
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15
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Gravel N, Renken RJ, Harvey BM, Deco G, Cornelissen FW, Gilson M. Propagation of BOLD Activity Reveals Task-dependent Directed Interactions Across Human Visual Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5899-5914. [PMID: 32577717 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It has recently been shown that large-scale propagation of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activity is constrained by anatomical connections and reflects transitions between behavioral states. It remains to be seen, however, if the propagation of BOLD activity can also relate to the brain's anatomical structure at a more local scale. Here, we hypothesized that BOLD propagation reflects structured neuronal activity across early visual field maps. To explore this hypothesis, we characterize the propagation of BOLD activity across V1, V2, and V3 using a modeling approach that aims to disentangle the contributions of local activity and directed interactions in shaping BOLD propagation. It does so by estimating the effective connectivity (EC) and the excitability of a noise-diffusion network to reproduce the spatiotemporal covariance structure of the data. We apply our approach to 7T fMRI recordings acquired during resting state (RS) and visual field mapping (VFM). Our results reveal different EC interactions and changes in cortical excitability in RS and VFM, and point to a reconfiguration of feedforward and feedback interactions across the visual system. We conclude that the propagation of BOLD activity has functional relevance, as it reveals directed interactions and changes in cortical excitability in a task-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Gravel
- Neural Dynamics of Visual Cognition Group, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie University Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Remco J Renken
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ben M Harvey
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08018 Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800 Melbourne, Australia
| | - Frans W Cornelissen
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Matthieu Gilson
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
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16
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Rouhinen S, Siebenhühner F, Palva JM, Palva S. Spectral and Anatomical Patterns of Large-Scale Synchronization Predict Human Attentional Capacity. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5293-5308. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The capacity of visual attention determines how many visual objects may be perceived at any moment. This capacity can be investigated with multiple object tracking (MOT) tasks, which have shown that it varies greatly between individuals. The neuronal mechanisms underlying capacity limits have remained poorly understood. Phase synchronization of cortical oscillations coordinates neuronal communication within the fronto-parietal attention network and between the visual regions during endogenous visual attention. We tested a hypothesis that attentional capacity is predicted by the strength of pretarget synchronization within attention-related cortical regions. We recorded cortical activity with magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG) while measuring attentional capacity with MOT tasks and identified large-scale synchronized networks from source-reconstructed M/EEG data. Individual attentional capacity was correlated with load-dependent strengthening of theta (3–8 Hz), alpha (8–10 Hz), and gamma-band (30–120 Hz) synchronization that connected the visual cortex with posterior parietal and prefrontal cortices. Individual memory capacity was also preceded by crossfrequency phase–phase and phase–amplitude coupling of alpha oscillation phase with beta and gamma oscillations. Our results show that good attentional capacity is preceded by efficient dynamic functional coupling and decoupling within brain regions and across frequencies, which may enable efficient communication and routing of information between sensory and attentional systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santeri Rouhinen
- Neuroscience Center Unit, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
- BioMag Laboratory Unit, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki FI-00029, Finland
| | - Felix Siebenhühner
- Neuroscience Center Unit, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - J Matias Palva
- Neuroscience Center Unit, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8Q8, UK
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo FI-00076, Finland
| | - Satu Palva
- Neuroscience Center Unit, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8Q8, UK
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17
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Bowling JT, Friston KJ, Hopfinger JB. Top-down versus bottom-up attention differentially modulate frontal-parietal connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:928-942. [PMID: 31692192 PMCID: PMC7267915 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The moment-to-moment focus of our mind's eye results from a complex interplay of voluntary and involuntary influences on attention. Previous neuroimaging studies suggest that the brain networks of voluntary versus involuntary attention can be segregated into a frontal-versus-parietal or a dorsal-versus-ventral partition-although recent work suggests that the dorsal network may be involved in both bottom-up and top-down attention. Research with nonhuman primates has provided evidence that a key distinction between top-down and bottom-up attention may be the direction of connectivity between frontal and parietal areas. Whereas typical fMRI connectivity analyses cannot disambiguate the direction of connections, dynamic causal modeling (DCM) can model directionality. Using DCM, we provide new evidence that directed connections within the dorsal attention network are differentially modulated for voluntary versus involuntary attention. These results suggest that the intraparietal sulcus exerts a baseline inhibitory effect on the frontal eye fields that is strengthened during exogenous orienting and attenuated during endogenous orienting. Furthermore, the attenuation from endogenous attention occurs even with salient peripheral cues when those cues are known to be counter predictive. Thus, directed connectivity between frontal and parietal regions of the dorsal attention network is highly influenced by the type of attention that is engaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake T. Bowling
- School of MedicineUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Karl J. Friston
- Wellcome Trust Centre for NeuroimagingUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Joseph B. Hopfinger
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
- Biomedical Research Imaging CenterUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
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18
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Schuhmann T, Kemmerer SK, Duecker F, de Graaf TA, ten Oever S, De Weerd P, Sack AT. Left parietal tACS at alpha frequency induces a shift of visuospatial attention. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217729. [PMID: 31774818 PMCID: PMC6881009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Voluntary shifts of visuospatial attention are associated with a lateralization of parieto-occipital alpha power (7-13Hz), i.e. higher power in the hemisphere ipsilateral and lower power contralateral to the locus of attention. Recent noninvasive neuromodulation studies demonstrated that alpha power can be experimentally increased using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS We hypothesized that tACS at alpha frequency over the left parietal cortex induces shifts of attention to the left hemifield. However, spatial attention shifts not only occur voluntarily (endogenous/ top-down), but also stimulus-driven (exogenous/ bottom-up). To study the task-specificity of the potential effects of tACS on attentional processes, we administered three conceptually different spatial attention tasks. METHODS 36 healthy volunteers were recruited from an academic environment. In two separate sessions, we applied either high-density tACS at 10Hz, or sham tACS, for 35-40 minutes to their left parietal cortex. We systematically compared performance on endogenous attention, exogenous attention, and stimulus detection tasks. RESULTS In the endogenous attention task, a greater leftward bias in reaction times was induced during left parietal 10Hz tACS as compared to sham. There were no stimulation effects in either the exogenous attention or the stimulus detection task. CONCLUSION The study demonstrates that high-density tACS at 10Hz can be used to modulate visuospatial attention performance. The tACS effect is task-specific, indicating that not all forms of attention are equally susceptible to the stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Selma K. Kemmerer
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Felix Duecker
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom A. de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne ten Oever
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter De Weerd
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain + Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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19
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Hutton JS, Dudley J, Horowitz-Kraus T, DeWitt T, Holland SK. Functional Connectivity of Attention, Visual, and Language Networks During Audio, Illustrated, and Animated Stories in Preschool-Age Children. Brain Connect 2019; 9:580-592. [PMID: 31144523 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2019.0679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents read with their children early and often and limits on screen-based media. While book sharing may benefit attention in children, effects of animated content are controversial, and the influence of either on attention networks has not previously been studied. This study involved functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of three separate active-task scans composed of similar 5-min stories presented in the same order for each child (audio → illustrated → animated), followed by assessment of comprehension. Five functional brain networks were defined a priori through literature review: dorsal attention network (DAN), ventral attention network (VAN), language (L), visual imagery (VI), and visual perception (VP). Analyses involved comparison of functional connectivity (FC) within- and between networks across formats, applying false discovery rate correction. Twenty-seven of 33 children completed fMRI (82%; 15 boys, 12 girls; mean 58 ± 8 months old). Comprehension of audio and illustrated stories was equivalent and lower for animation (p < 0.05). For illustration relative to audio, FC within DAN and VAN and between each of these and all other networks was similar, lower within-L, and higher between VI-VP, suggesting reduced strain on the language network using illustrations and imagery. For animation relative to illustration, FC was lower between DAN-L, VAN-VP, VAN-VI, L-VI, and L-VP, suggesting less focus on narrative, reorienting to imagery, and visual-language integration. These findings suggest that illustrated storybooks may be optimal at this age to encourage integration of attention, visual, and language networks, while animation may bias attention toward VP.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jonathan Dudley
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Educational Neuroimaging Center, Technion, Israel
| | - Tom DeWitt
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Scott K Holland
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Medpace, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio
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20
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Human olfactory-auditory integration requires phase synchrony between sensory cortices. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1168. [PMID: 30858379 PMCID: PMC6411726 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09091-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration is particularly important in the human olfactory system, which is highly dependent on non-olfactory cues, yet its underlying neural mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we use intracranial electroencephalography techniques to record neural activity in auditory and olfactory cortices during an auditory-olfactory matching task. Spoken cues evoke phase locking between low frequency oscillations in auditory and olfactory cortices prior to odor arrival. This phase synchrony occurs only when the participant's later response is correct. Furthermore, the phase of low frequency oscillations in both auditory and olfactory cortical areas couples to the amplitude of high-frequency oscillations in olfactory cortex during correct trials. These findings suggest that phase synchrony is a fundamental mechanism for integrating cross-modal odor processing and highlight an important role for primary olfactory cortical areas in multisensory integration with the olfactory system.
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21
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Vidyasagar TR, Levichkina E. An Integrated Neuronal Model of Claustral Function in Timing the Synchrony Between Cortical Areas. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:3. [PMID: 30804759 PMCID: PMC6371054 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that the function of the claustrum (CL) may be to orchestrate and integrate the activity of the different cortical areas that are involved in a particular function by boosting the synchronized oscillations that occur between these areas. We propose here a model of how this may be done, thanks to the unique synaptic morphology of the CL and its excitatory and inhibitory connections with most cortical areas. Using serial visual search as an example, we describe how the functional anatomy of the claustral connections can potentially execute the sequential activation of the representations of objects that are being processed serially. We also propose that cross-frequency coupling (CFC) between low frequency signals from CL and higher frequency oscillations in the cortical areas will be an efficient means of CL modulating neural activity across multiple brain regions in synchrony. This model is applicable to the wide range of functions one performs, from simple object recognition to reading and writing, listening to or performing music, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trichur R. Vidyasagar
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Integrative Brain Function, University of Melbourne Node, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ekaterina Levichkina
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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22
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Föcker J, Cole D, Beer AL, Bavelier D. Neural bases of enhanced attentional control: Lessons from action video game players. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e01019. [PMID: 29920981 PMCID: PMC6043695 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The ability to resist distraction and focus on-task-relevant information while being responsive to changes in the environment is fundamental to goal-directed behavior. Such attentional control abilities are regulated by a constant interplay between previously characterized bottom-up and top-down attentional networks. Here we ask about the neural changes within these two attentional networks that may mediate enhanced attentional control. MATERIALS AND METHODS To address this question, we contrasted action video game players (AVGPs) and nonvideo game players (NVGPs) in a Posner-cueing paradigm, building on studies documenting enhanced attentional control in AVGPs. RESULTS Behavioral results indicated a trend for more efficient target processing in AVGPs, and better suppression in rare catch trials for which responses had to be withheld. During the cue period, AVGPs recruited the top-down network less than NVGPs, despite showing comparable validity effects, in line with a greater efficiency of that network in AVGPs. During target processing, as previously shown, recruitment of top-down areas correlated with greater processing difficulties, but only in NVGPs. AVGPs showed no such effect, but rather greater activation across the two networks. In particular, the right temporoparietal junction, middle frontal gyrus, and superior parietal cortex predicted better task performance in catch trials. A functional connectivity analysis revealed enhanced correlated activity in AVGPs compared to NVGPs between parietal and visual areas. CONCLUSIONS These results point to dynamic functional reconfigurations of top-down and bottom-up attentional networks in AVGPs as attentional demands vary. Aspects of this functional reconfiguration that may act as key signatures of high attentional control are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Föcker
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational SciencesLudwig‐Maximilians‐UniversityMunichGermany
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23
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Exogenous vs. endogenous attention: Shifting the balance of fronto-parietal activity. Neuropsychologia 2018; 111:307-316. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Connectome-based predictive modeling of attention: Comparing different functional connectivity features and prediction methods across datasets. Neuroimage 2017; 167:11-22. [PMID: 29122720 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM; Finn et al., 2015; Shen et al., 2017) was recently developed to predict individual differences in traits and behaviors, including fluid intelligence (Finn et al., 2015) and sustained attention (Rosenberg et al., 2016a), from functional brain connectivity (FC) measured with fMRI. Here, using the CPM framework, we compared the predictive power of three different measures of FC (Pearson's correlation, accordance, and discordance) and two different prediction algorithms (linear and partial least square [PLS] regression) for attention function. Accordance and discordance are recently proposed FC measures that respectively track in-phase synchronization and out-of-phase anti-correlation (Meskaldji et al., 2015). We defined connectome-based models using task-based or resting-state FC data, and tested the effects of (1) functional connectivity measure and (2) feature-selection/prediction algorithm on individualized attention predictions. Models were internally validated in a training dataset using leave-one-subject-out cross-validation, and externally validated with three independent datasets. The training dataset included fMRI data collected while participants performed a sustained attention task and rested (N = 25; Rosenberg et al., 2016a). The validation datasets included: 1) data collected during performance of a stop-signal task and at rest (N = 83, including 19 participants who were administered methylphenidate prior to scanning; Farr et al., 2014a; Rosenberg et al., 2016b), 2) data collected during Attention Network Task performance and rest (N = 41, Rosenberg et al., in press), and 3) resting-state data and ADHD symptom severity from the ADHD-200 Consortium (N = 113; Rosenberg et al., 2016a). Models defined using all combinations of functional connectivity measure (Pearson's correlation, accordance, and discordance) and prediction algorithm (linear and PLS regression) predicted attentional abilities, with correlations between predicted and observed measures of attention as high as 0.9 for internal validation, and 0.6 for external validation (all p's < 0.05). Models trained on task data outperformed models trained on rest data. Pearson's correlation and accordance features generally showed a small numerical advantage over discordance features, while PLS regression models were usually better than linear regression models. Overall, in addition to correlation features combined with linear models (Rosenberg et al., 2016a), it is useful to consider accordance features and PLS regression for CPM.
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