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Gangemi A, De Luca R, Fabio RA, Lauria P, Rifici C, Pollicino P, Marra A, Olivo A, Quartarone A, Calabrò RS. Effects of Virtual Reality Cognitive Training on Neuroplasticity: A Quasi-Randomized Clinical Trial in Patients with Stroke. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3225. [PMID: 38137446 PMCID: PMC10740852 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive Rehabilitation (CR) is a therapeutic approach designed to improve cognitive functioning after a brain injury, including stroke. Two major categories of techniques, namely traditional and advanced (including virtual reality-VR), are widely used in CR for patients with various neurological disorders. More objective outcome measures are needed to better investigate cognitive recovery after a stroke. In the last ten years, the application of electroencephalography (EEG) as a non-invasive and portable neuroimaging method has been explored to extract the hallmarks of neuroplasticity induced by VR rehabilitation approaches, particularly within the chronic stroke population. The aim of this study is to investigate the neurophysiological effects of CR conducted in a virtual environment using the VRRS device. Thirty patients with moderate-to-severe ischemic stroke in the chronic phase (at least 6 months after the event), with a mean age of 58.13 (±8.33) for the experimental group and 57.33 (±11.06) for the control group, were enrolled. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, receiving neurocognitive stimulation using VR and the same amount of conventional neurorehabilitation, respectively. To study neuroplasticity changes after the training, we focused on the power band spectra of theta, alpha, and beta EEG rhythms in both groups. We observed that when VR technology was employed to amplify the effects of treatments on cognitive recovery, significant EEG-related neural improvements were detected in the primary motor circuit in terms of power spectral density and time-frequency domains. Indeed, EEG analysis suggested that VR resulted in a significant increase in both the alpha band power in the occipital areas and the beta band power in the frontal areas, while no significant variations were observed in the theta band power. Our data suggest the potential effectiveness of a VR-based rehabilitation approach in promoting neuroplastic changes even in the chronic phase of ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Gangemi
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Rosaria De Luca
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Rosa Angela Fabio
- Department of Economics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Paola Lauria
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Carmela Rifici
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Patrizia Pollicino
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Angela Marra
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Antonella Olivo
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Angelo Quartarone
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
| | - Rocco Salvatore Calabrò
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, S.S. 113, Cda Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (R.D.L.); (P.L.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (A.O.); (A.Q.)
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Boeken OJ, Markett S. Systems-level decoding reveals the cognitive and behavioral profile of the human intraparietal sulcus. FRONTIERS IN NEUROIMAGING 2023; 1:1074674. [PMID: 37555176 PMCID: PMC10406318 DOI: 10.3389/fnimg.2022.1074674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The human intraparietal sulcus (IPS) covers large portions of the posterior cortical surface and has been implicated in a variety of cognitive functions. It is, however, unclear how cognitive functions dissociate between the IPS's heterogeneous subdivisions, particularly in perspective to their connectivity profile. METHODS We applied a neuroinformatics driven system-level decoding on three cytoarchitectural distinct subdivisions (hIP1, hIP2, hIP3) per hemisphere, with the aim to disentangle the cognitive profile of the IPS in conjunction with functionally connected cortical regions. RESULTS The system-level decoding revealed nine functional systems based on meta-analytical associations of IPS subdivisions and their cortical coactivations: Two systems-working memory and numeric cognition-which are centered on all IPS subdivisions, and seven systems-attention, language, grasping, recognition memory, rotation, detection of motions/shapes and navigation-with varying degrees of dissociation across subdivisions and hemispheres. By probing the spatial overlap between systems-level co-activations of the IPS and seven canonical intrinsic resting state networks, we observed a trend toward more co-activation between hIP1 and the front parietal network, between hIP2 and hIP3 and the dorsal attention network, and between hIP3 and the visual and somatomotor network. DISCUSSION Our results confirm previous findings on the IPS's role in cognition but also point to previously unknown differentiation along the IPS, which present viable starting points for future work. We also present the systems-level decoding as promising approach toward functional decoding of the human connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Jonas Boeken
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute for Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Oshri A, Cui Z, Owens M, Carvalho C, Sweet L. Low-to-moderate level of perceived stress strengthens working memory: Testing the hormesis hypothesis through neural activation. Neuropsychologia 2022; 176:108354. [PMID: 36041501 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The negative impact of stress on neurocognitive functioning is extensively documented by empirical research. However, emerging reports suggest that stress may also confer positive neurocognitive effects. This hypothesis has been advanced by the hormesis model of psychosocial stress, in which low-moderate levels of stress are expected to result in neurocognitive benefits, such as improved working memory (WM), a central executive function. We tested the hormesis hypothesis, purporting an inverted U-shaped relation between stress and neurocognitive performance, in a large sample of young adults from the Human Connectome Project (n = 1000, Mage = 28.74, SD = 3.67, 54.3% female). In particular, we investigated whether neural response during a WM challenge is a potential intermediary through which low-moderate levels of stress confer beneficial effects on WM performance. Further, we tested whether the association between low-moderate prolonged stress and WM-related neural function was stronger in contexts with more psychosocial resources. Findings showed that low-moderate levels of perceived stress were associated with elevated WM-related neural activation, resulting in more optimal WM behavioral performance (α *β = -0.02, p = .046). The strength of this association tapered off at high-stress levels. Finally, we found that the benefit of low-moderate stress was stronger among individuals with access to higher levels of psychosocial resources (β = -0.06, p = .021). By drawing attention to the dose-dependent, nonlinear relation between stress and WM, this study highlights emerging evidence of a process by which mild stress induces neurocognitive benefits, and the psychosocial context under which benefits are most likely to manifest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Oshri
- Youth Development Institute, Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Georgia; Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Georgia.
| | - Zehua Cui
- Youth Development Institute, Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Georgia; The Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Georgia
| | - Max Owens
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University/ St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Cory Carvalho
- Youth Development Institute, Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Georgia
| | - Lawrence Sweet
- Youth Development Institute, Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Georgia; Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Georgia
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Pasotti F, De Luca G, Aiello EN, Gramegna C, Di Gangi M, Foderaro G, Gallucci M, Biglia E, Bottini G. A multi-component, adaptive Working Memory Assessment Battery (WoMAB): validation and norms in an Italian population sample. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:985-992. [PMID: 34185185 PMCID: PMC8789625 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05416-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory (WM) abilities are frequently impaired in neurological disorders affecting fronto-parietal cortical/sub-cortical structures. WM deficits negatively influence interventional outcomes and everyday functioning. This study thus aimed at the following: (a) developing and standardizing an ecologically valid task for WM assessment ( Ice Cream Test, ICT); (b) validating and norming a novel WM test (Digit Ordering Test, DOT), as well as providing updated norms for digit span (DS) tasks, in an Italian population sample; (c) introducing a novel scoring procedure for measuring WM. METHODS One-hundred and sixty-eight Italian healthy participants-73 male, 95 females; age: 48.4 ± 19.1 (18-86); education: 12.1 ± 4.8 (4-21)-underwent a thorough WM assessment-DOT, ICT, and both forward and backward DS tasks (FDS, BDS). The ICT requires participants to act as waiters who have to keep track of customers' orders. For each task, WM and total (T) outcomes were computed, i.e., the number of elements in the longest sequence and that of recalled sequences, respectively. Norms were derived via the equivalent score (ES) method. RESULTS DS ratios (DSRs) were computed for both WM/S and T outcomes on raw DS measures (BDS divided by FDS). Age and education significantly predicted all WM tasks; sex affected FDS and DSR-T scores (males > females). WM measures were highly internally related. DISCUSSION The present work provides Italian practitioners with a normatively updated, multi-component, adaptive battery for WM assessment (WoMAB) as well as with novel outcomes which capture different WM facets-WM capacity and attentive monitoring abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Pasotti
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia De Luca
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- PhD in Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Chiara Gramegna
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Di Gangi
- Studio Di Gangi & Vicini Psicologia Psicoterapia e Neuropsicologia, Minusio, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Foderaro
- Neurocentro Della Svizzera Italiana, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale Ospedale Regionale Di Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Marcello Gallucci
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Biglia
- Neurocentro Della Svizzera Italiana, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale Ospedale Regionale Di Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Gabriella Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milano, Italy
- Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
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Alanazi FI, Al-Ozzi TM, Kalia SK, Hodaie M, Lozano AM, Cohn M, Hutchison WD. Neurophysiological responses of globus pallidus internus during the auditory oddball task in Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 159:105490. [PMID: 34461266 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease can be associated with significant cognitive impairment that may lead to dementia. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus is an effective therapy for motor symptoms but is associated with cognitive decline. DBS of globus pallidus internus (GPi) poses less risk of cognitive decline so may be the preferred target. A research priority is to identify biomarkers of cognitive decline in this population, but efforts are hampered by a lack of understanding of the role of the different basal ganglia nuclei, such as the globus pallidus, in cognitive processing. During deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, we monitored single units, beta oscillatory LFP activity as well as event related potentials (ERPs) from the globus pallidus internus (GPi) of 16 Parkinson's disease patients, while they performed an auditory attention task. We used an auditory oddball task, during which one standard tone is presented at regular intervals and a second deviant tone is presented with a low probability that the subject is requested to count and report at the end of the task. All forms of neuronal activity studied were selective modulated by the attended tones. Of 62 neurons studied, the majority (51 or 82%) responded selectively to the deviant tone. Beta oscillatory activity showed an overall desynchronization during both types of attended tones interspersed by bursts of beta activity giving rise to peaks at a latency of around 200 ms after tone onset. cognitive ERPs recorded in GPi were selective to the attended tone and the right-side cERP was larger than the left side. The averages of trials showing a difference in beta oscillatory activity between deviant and standard also had a significant difference in cERP amplitude. In one block of trials, the random occurrence of 3 deviant tones in short succession silenced the activity of the GPi neuron being recorded. Trial blocks where a clear difference in LFP beta was seen were twice as likely to yield a correct tone count (25 vs 11). The data demonstrate strong modulation of GPi neuronal activity during the auditory oddball task. Overall, this study demonstrates an involvement of GPi in processing of non-motor cognitive tasks such as working memory and attention, and suggests that direct effects of DBS in non-motor GPi may contribute to cognitive changes observed post-operatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frhan I Alanazi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tameem M Al-Ozzi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Suneil K Kalia
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andres M Lozano
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Melanie Cohn
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - William D Hutchison
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.
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