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Individual differences in everyday multitasking behavior and its relation to cognition and personality. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:655-685. [PMID: 35788902 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01700-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Our ability to multitask-focus on multiple tasks simultaneously-is one of the most critical functions of our cognitive system. This capability has shown to have relations to cognition and personality in empirical studies, which have received much attention recently. This review article integrates the available findings to examine how individual differences in multitasking behavior are linked with different cognitive constructs and personality traits to conceptualize what multitasking behavior represents. In this review, we highlight the methodological differences and theoretical conceptions. Cognitive constructs including executive functions (i.e., shifting, updating, and inhibition), working memory, relational integration, divided attention, reasoning, and prospective memory were investigated. Concerning personality, the traits of polychronicity, impulsivity, and the five-factor model were considered. A total of 43 studies met the inclusion criteria and entered the review. The research synthesis directs us to propose two new conceptual models to explain multitasking behavior as a psychometric construct. The first model demonstrates that individual differences in multitasking behavior can be explained by cognitive abilities. The second model proposes that personality traits constitute a moderating effect on the relation between multitasking behavior and cognition. Finally, we provide possible future directions for the line of research.
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2
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Son M, Jung J, Hwang D, Beck D, Park W. The effect of backpack weight on the performance of basic short-term/working memory tasks while walking along a pre-determined route. ERGONOMICS 2023; 66:227-245. [PMID: 35532033 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2022.2075941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated possible backpack weight effects on the performance of three basic short-term/working memory (STM/WM) tasks conducted concurrently with the physical task of route walking. The STM/WM tasks were the Corsi block-tapping, digit span, and 3-back tasks, and, were employed to examine the visuo-spatial sketchpad, phonological loop and central executive components of the WM system. Four backpack weight levels (0%, 15%, 25% and 40% of body mass) were considered. Thirty participants conducted the three experimental tasks requiring physical-cognitive multitasking. Data analyses revealed that: (1) increased backpack weight resulted in decreases in the performance of the Corsi block-tapping and the 3-back task, but (2) backpack weight did not significantly affect the digit span task performance. The study results suggest that reducing backpack weight could benefit the performance of various cognitive tasks during route walking. The study findings may be useful for the ergonomics design of body-worn equipment and human-system interfaces.Practitioner summary: This study examined the backpack weight effects on the performance of three basic short-term/working memory tasks conducted concurrently with the physical task of route walking. The study revealed that reducing backpack weight could benefit various cognitive tasks during physical-cognitive multitasking, especially cognitive tasks that require visuospatial processing and executive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minseok Son
- Digital Appliances Business, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jaemoon Jung
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dongwook Hwang
- School of Media and Communication, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Donghyun Beck
- Department of Safety Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Woojin Park
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Institute for Industrial Systems Innovation, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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3
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Zhuo W, Lundquist AJ, Donahue EK, Guo Y, Phillips D, Petzinger GM, Jakowec MW, Holschneider DP. A mind in motion: Exercise improves cognitive flexibility, impulsivity and alters dopamine receptor gene expression in a Parkinsonian rat model. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 3:100039. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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4
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Cognitive Capacity Limits Are Remediated by Practice-Induced Plasticity between the Putamen and Pre-Supplementary Motor Area. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0139-20.2020. [PMID: 32817195 PMCID: PMC7458802 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0139-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans show striking limitations in information processing when multitasking yet can modify these limits with practice. Such limitations have been linked to a frontal-parietal network, but recent models of decision-making implicate a striatal-cortical network. We adjudicated these accounts by investigating the circuitry underpinning multitasking in 100 human individuals and the plasticity caused by practice. We observed that multitasking costs, and their practice-induced remediation, are best explained by modulations in information transfer between the striatum and the cortical areas that represent stimulus-response mappings. Specifically, our results support the view that multitasking stems at least in part from taxation in information sharing between the putamen and pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA). Moreover, we propose that modulations to information transfer between these two regions leads to practice-induced improvements in multitasking.
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Multitasking behavior and its related constructs: Executive functions, working memory capacity, relational integration, and divided attention. Cognition 2019; 189:275-298. [PMID: 31108377 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Although prior investigations have revealed cognitive abilities to be important predictors of multitasking behavior, few investigations have been conducted on the relation between executive functions (EFs) and multitasking behavior. The current study examines the underlying cognitive constructs associated with the concept of multitasking behavior. A sample of 202 young adults completed a battery of EFs (shifting, updating, and inhibition), three working memory capacity (WMC) tests, three relational integration tests, two divided attention tests, and a multitasking scenario (Simultaneous Capacity). First, in direct replication attempts, the results replicated the multitasking behavior model (Bühner, König, Pick, & Krumm, 2006) and partially replicated the three-factor and nested factors EFs models (Friedman et al., 2016). Second, hierarchical multiple regression analyses and relative weight analyses revealed that updating, inhibition, relational integration, and divided attention had strong contributions in explaining multitasking behavior variance, whereas shifting and WMC did not show any explanatory power beyond these constructs. Finally, using structural equation modeling, we found that the general EF ability (common EF) representing variance common to shifting, updating, and inhibition highly overlapped with multitasking behavior. Our results are of value not only to shed light on the relevant cognitive correlates of multitasking behavior but also to position multitasking behavior in an established framework of cognitive abilities.
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6
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Yang XQ, Lauzon B, Seergobin KN, MacDonald PA. Dopaminergic Therapy Increases Go Timeouts in the Go/No-Go Task in Patients with Parkinson's Disease. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 11:642. [PMID: 29354045 PMCID: PMC5758505 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by resting tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. Dopaminergic medications such as L-dopa treat these motor symptoms, but can have complex effects on cognition. Impulse control is an essential cognitive function. Impulsivity is multifaceted in nature. Motor impulsivity involves the inability to withhold pre-potent, automatic, erroneous responses. In contrast, cognitive impulsivity refers to improper risk-reward assessment guiding behavior. Informed by our previous research, we anticipated that dopaminergic therapy would decrease motor impulsivity though it is well known to enhance cognitive impulsivity. We employed the Go/No-go paradigm to assess motor impulsivity in PD. Patients with PD were tested using a Go/No-go task on and off their normal dopaminergic medication. Participants completed cognitive, mood, and physiological measures. PD patients on medication had a significantly higher proportion of Go trial Timeouts (i.e., trials in which Go responses were not completed prior to a deadline of 750 ms) compared to off medication (p = 0.01). No significant ON-OFF differences were found for Go trial or No-go trial response times (RTs), or for number of No-go errors. We interpret that dopaminergic therapy induces a more conservative response set, reflected in Go trial Timeouts in PD patients. In this way, dopaminergic therapy decreased motor impulsivity in PD patients. This is in contrast to the widely recognized effects of dopaminergic therapy on cognitive impulsivity leading in some patients to impulse control disorders. Understanding the nuanced effects of dopaminergic treatment in PD on cognitive functions such as impulse control will clarify therapeutic decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Q. Yang
- MacDonald Lab, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Brian Lauzon
- MacDonald Lab, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ken N. Seergobin
- MacDonald Lab, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Penny A. MacDonald
- MacDonald Lab, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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7
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Hiebert NM, Owen AM, Seergobin KN, MacDonald PA. Dorsal striatum mediates deliberate decision making, not late-stage, stimulus-response learning. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:6133-6156. [PMID: 28945307 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated a controversy regarding the role of the dorsal striatum (DS) in deliberate decision-making versus late-stage, stimulus-response learning to the point of automatization. Participants learned to associate abstract images with right or left button presses explicitly before strengthening these associations through stimulus-response trials with (i.e., Session 1) and without (i.e., Session 2) feedback. In Session 1, trials were divided into response-selection and feedback events to separately assess decision versus learning processes. Session 3 evaluated stimulus-response automaticity using a location Stroop task. DS activity correlated with response-selection and not feedback events in Phase 1 (i.e., Blocks 1-3), Session 1. Longer response times (RTs), lower accuracy, and greater intertrial variability characterized Phase 1, suggesting deliberation. DS activity extinguished in Phase 2 (i.e., Blocks 4-12), Session 1, once RTs, response variability, and accuracy stabilized, though stimulus-response automatization continued. This was signaled by persisting improvements in RT and accuracy into Session 2. Distraction between Sessions 1 and 2 briefly reintroduced response uncertainty, and correspondingly, significant DS activity reappeared in Block 1 of Session 2 only. Once stimulus-response associations were again refamiliarized and deliberation unnecessary, DS activation disappeared for Blocks 2-8, Session 2. Interference from previously learned right or left button responses with incongruent location judgments in a location Stroop task provided evidence that automaticity of stimulus-specific button-press responses had developed by the end of Session 2. These results suggest that DS mediates decision making and not late-stage learning, reconciling two, independently evolving and well-supported literatures that implicate DS in different cognitive functions. Hum Brain Mapp 38:6133-6156, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nole M Hiebert
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Adrian M Owen
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Ken N Seergobin
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Penny A MacDonald
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada.,Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5A5, Canada
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Need for cognitive closure and attention allocation during multitasking: Evidence from eye-tracking studies. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Kronemer SI, Mandel JA, Sacktor NC, Marvel CL. Impairments of Motor Function While Multitasking in HIV. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:212. [PMID: 28503143 PMCID: PMC5408028 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) became a treatable illness with the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (CART). As a result, patients with regular access to CART are expected to live decades with HIV. Long-term HIV infection presents unique challenges, including neurocognitive impairments defined by three major stages of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). The current investigation aimed to study cognitive and motor impairments in HIV using a novel multitasking paradigm. Unlike current standard measures of cognitive and motor performance in HIV, multitasking increases real-world validity by mimicking the dual motor and cognitive demands that are part of daily professional and personal settings (e.g., driving, typing and writing). Moreover, multitask assessments can unmask compensatory mechanisms, normally used under single task conditions, to maintain performance. This investigation revealed that HIV+ participants were impaired on the motor component of the multitask, while cognitive performance was spared. A patient-specific positive interaction between motor performance and working memory recall was driven by poor HIV+ multitaskers. Surprisingly, HAND stage did not correspond with multitask performance and a variety of commonly used assessments indicated normal motor function among HIV+ participants with poor motor performance during the experimental task. These results support the use of multitasks to reveal otherwise hidden impairment in chronic HIV by expanding the sensitivity of clinical assessments used to determine HAND stage. Future studies should examine the capability of multitasks to predict performance in personal, professional and health-related behaviors and prognosis of patients living with chronic HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharif I Kronemer
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jordan A Mandel
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ned C Sacktor
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cherie L Marvel
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA
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10
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Szumowska E, Kossowska M. Need for closure and multitasking performance: The role of shifting ability. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.02.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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11
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Lungu OV, Bares M, Liu T, Gomez CM, Cechova I, Ashe J. Trial-to-trial Adaptation: Parsing out the Roles of Cerebellum and BG in Predictive Motor Timing. J Cogn Neurosci 2016; 28:920-34. [PMID: 26942317 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that predictive motor timing (i.e., timing requiring visuomotor coordination in anticipation of a future event, such as catching or batting a ball) is impaired in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) types 6 and 8 relative to healthy controls. Specifically, SCA patients had difficulties postponing their motor response while estimating the target kinematics. This behavioral difference relied on the activation of both cerebellum and striatum in healthy controls, but not in cerebellar patients, despite both groups activating certain parts of cerebellum during the task. However, the role of these two key structures in the dynamic adaptation of the motor timing to target kinematic properties remained unexplored. In the current paper, we analyzed these data with the aim of characterizing the trial-by-trial changes in brain activation. We found that in healthy controls alone, and in comparison with SCA patients, the activation in bilateral striatum was exclusively associated with past successes and that in the left putamen, with maintaining a successful performance across successive trials. In healthy controls, relative to SCA patients, a larger network was involved in maintaining a successful trial-by-trial strategy; this included cerebellum and fronto-parieto-temporo-occipital regions that are typically part of attentional network and action monitoring. Cerebellum was also part of a network of regions activated when healthy participants postponed their motor response from one trial to the next; SCA patients showed reduced activation relative to healthy controls in both cerebellum and striatum in the same contrast. These findings support the idea that cerebellum and striatum play complementary roles in the trial-by-trial adaptation in predictive motor timing. In addition to expanding our knowledge of brain structures involved in time processing, our results have implications for the understanding of BG disorders, such as Parkinson disease where feedback processing or reward learning is affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ovidiu V Lungu
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN.,University of Minnesota.,Université de Montréal.,Research Center of the Montreal Geriatric Institute affiliated with the Université de Montréal, Montréal.,Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Bares
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN.,University of Minnesota.,Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,St. Anne's Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tao Liu
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN.,University of Minnesota
| | | | | | - James Ashe
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN.,University of Minnesota
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12
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Robertson BD, Hiebert NM, Seergobin KN, Owen AM, MacDonald PA. Dorsal striatum mediates cognitive control, not cognitive effort per se , in decision-making: An event-related fMRI study. Neuroimage 2015; 114:170-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.03.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Steele VR, Claus ED, Aharoni E, Harenski C, Calhoun VD, Pearlson G, Kiehl KA. A large scale (N=102) functional neuroimaging study of error processing in a Go/NoGo task. Behav Brain Res 2014; 268:127-38. [PMID: 24726752 PMCID: PMC4095785 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 03/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We report a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of 102 healthy participants who completed a demanding Go/NoGo task. The primary purpose of this study was to delineate the neural systems underlying responses to errors in a large sample. We identified a number of regions engaged during error processing including the anterior cingulate, left lateral prefrontal areas and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, and the subthalamic nucleus. The power afforded by the large cohort enabled identification of regions not consistently measured during Go/NoGo tasks thus helping to incrementally refine our understanding of the neural correlates of error processing. With the present fMRI results, in combination with our previous exploration of response inhibition (Steele et al.), we outline a comprehensive set of regions associated with both response inhibition and error processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaughn R Steele
- The Nonprofit Mind Research Network (MRN) & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA.
| | - Eric D Claus
- The Nonprofit Mind Research Network (MRN) & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Eyal Aharoni
- The Nonprofit Mind Research Network (MRN) & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA
| | - Carla Harenski
- The Nonprofit Mind Research Network (MRN) & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- The Nonprofit Mind Research Network (MRN) & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA; Yale University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Godfrey Pearlson
- Yale University School of Medicine, USA; Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, USA
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Nonprofit Mind Research Network (MRN) & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA
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MacDonald AA, Seergobin KN, Tamjeedi R, Owen AM, Provost JS, Monchi O, Ganjavi H, MacDonald PA. Examining dorsal striatum in cognitive effort using Parkinson's disease and fMRI. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2014; 1:390-400. [PMID: 25356409 PMCID: PMC4184667 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Understanding cognition mediated by the striatum can clarify cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD). Previously, we claimed that dorsal striatum (DS) mediates cognitive flexibility. To refute the possibility that variation in cognitive effort confounded our observations, we reexamined our data to dissociate cognitive flexibility from effort. PD provides a model for exploring DS-mediated functions. In PD, dopamine-producing cells supplying DS are significantly degenerated. DS-mediated functions are impaired off and improved on dopamine replacement medication. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can confirm striatum-mediated functions. METHODS Twenty-two PD patients, off-on dopaminergic medication, and 22 healthy age-matched controls performed a number selection task. Numerical distance between number pairs varied systematically. Selecting between two numbers that are closer versus distant in magnitude is more effortful: the symbolic distance effect. However, selecting between closer versus distant number pairs is equivalent in the need to alter attention or response strategies (i.e., cognitive flexibility). In Experiment 2, 28 healthy participants performed the same task with simultaneous measurement of brain activity with fMRI. RESULTS The symbolic distance effect was equivalent for PD versus control participants and across medication sessions. Furthermore, symbolic distance did not correlate with DS activation using fMRI. In this dataset, we showed previously that integrating conflicting influences on decision making is (1) impaired in PD and improved by dopaminergic therapy and (2) associated with preferential DS activation using fMRI. INTERPRETATION These findings support the notion that DS mediates cognitive flexibility specifically, not merely cognitive effort, accounting for some cognitive deficits in PD and informing treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex A MacDonald
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ken N Seergobin
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ruzbeh Tamjeedi
- Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adrian M Owen
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean-Sebastien Provost
- Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal Montréal, Québec, Canada ; Department of Radiology, University of Montréal Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Oury Monchi
- Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal Montréal, Québec, Canada ; Department of Radiology, University of Montréal Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Hooman Ganjavi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Penny A MacDonald
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada ; Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada
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15
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Zhao Q, Li Z, Huang J, Yan C, Dazzan P, Pantelis C, Cheung EFC, Lui SSY, Chan RCK. Neurological soft signs are not "soft" in brain structure and functional networks: evidence from ALE meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull 2014; 40:626-41. [PMID: 23671197 PMCID: PMC3984512 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbt063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurological soft signs (NSS) are associated with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. NSS have been conventionally considered as clinical neurological signs without localized brain regions. However, recent brain imaging studies suggest that NSS are partly localizable and may be associated with deficits in specific brain areas. METHOD We conducted an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis to quantitatively review structural and functional imaging studies that evaluated the brain correlates of NSS in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Six structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and 15 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were included. RESULTS The results from meta-analysis of the sMRI studies indicated that NSS were associated with atrophy of the precentral gyrus, the cerebellum, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the thalamus. The results from meta-analysis of the fMRI studies demonstrated that the NSS-related task was significantly associated with altered brain activation in the inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral putamen, the cerebellum, and the superior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS Our findings from both sMRI and fMRI meta-analyses further support the conceptualization of NSS as a manifestation of the "cerebello-thalamo-prefrontal" brain network model of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhao
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed; 4A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; tel/fax: +86(0)10 64836274, e-mail:
| | - Zhi Li
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Yan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eric F. C. Cheung
- General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Simon S. Y. Lui
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Raymond C. K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; 4A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; tel/fax: +86(0)10 64836274, e-mail:
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16
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Brunamonti E, Chiricozzi FR, Clausi S, Olivito G, Giusti MA, Molinari M, Ferraina S, Leggio M. Cerebellar damage impairs executive control and monitoring of movement generation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85997. [PMID: 24465830 PMCID: PMC3895022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive control of motor responses is a psychological construct of the executive system. Several studies have demonstrated the involvement of the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus in the inhibition of actions and monitoring of performance. The involvement of the cerebellum in cognitive function and its functional interaction with basal ganglia have recently been reported. Based on these findings, we examined the hypothesis of cerebellar involvement in executive control by administering a countermanding task in patients with focal cerebellar damage. The countermanding task requires one to make a movement in response to a 'go' signal and to halt it when a 'stop' signal is presented. The duration of the go process (reaction time; RT), the duration of the stop process (stop signal reaction time; SSRT), and their relationship, expressed by a psychometric function, are recorded as measures of executive control. All patients had longer go process duration in general and in particular, as a proactive control, as demonstrated by the increase in RT after erroneously performed stop trials. Further, they were defective in the slope of the psychometric function indicating a difficulty on triggering the stop process, although the SSRT did not differ from controls. Notably, their performance was worse when lesions affected deep cerebellar nuclei. Our results support the hypothesis that the cerebellum regulates the executive control of voluntary actions. We speculate that its activity is attributed to specific cerebellar influence over the cortico-striatal loop.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca R. Chiricozzi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Ataxia Research Lab, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Clausi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Ataxia Research Lab, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Giusy Olivito
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Ataxia Research Lab, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Molinari
- Ataxia Research Lab, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Ferraina
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Leggio
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Ataxia Research Lab, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Duerden EG, Taylor MJ, Soorya LV, Wang T, Fan J, Anagnostou E. Neural correlates of inhibition of socially relevant stimuli in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Brain Res 2013; 1533:80-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Revised: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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A large scale (N=102) functional neuroimaging study of response inhibition in a Go/NoGo task. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:529-36. [PMID: 23756137 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We report a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of healthy adult participants who completed a demanding Go/NoGo task. The primary purpose of this study was to delineate the neural systems underlying successful and unsuccessful response inhibition using a large sample (N=102). We identified a number of regions uniquely engaged during successful response inhibition, including a fronto-parietal network involving the anterior cingulate, supplementary motor areas, lateral and inferior prefrontal regions, and the inferior parietal lobule. Unique hemodynamic activity was also noted in the amygdala and in frontostriatal regions including the inferior frontal gyrus and portions of the basal ganglia. Also, contrasts were defined to explore three variants of hemodynamic response allowing for more specificity in identifying the underlying cognitive mechanisms of response inhibition. Addressing issues raised by prior small sample studies, we identified a stable set of regions involved in successful response inhibition. The present results help to incrementally refine the specificity of the neural correlates of response inhibition.
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Scott JC, Woods SP, Vigil O, Heaton RK, Schweinsburg BC, Ellis RJ, Grant I, Marcotte TD. A neuropsychological investigation of multitasking in HIV infection: implications for everyday functioning. Neuropsychology 2011; 25:511-9. [PMID: 21401259 DOI: 10.1037/a0022491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A subset of individuals with HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment experience related deficits in "real world" functioning (i.e., independently performing instrumental activities of daily living [IADL]). While performance-based tests of everyday functioning are reasonably sensitive to HIV-associated IADL declines, questions remain regarding the extent to which these tests' highly structured nature fully captures the inherent complexities of daily life. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive and ecological validity of a novel multitasking measure in HIV infection. METHOD Participants included 60 individuals with HIV infection (HIV+) and 25 demographically comparable seronegative adults (HIV-). Participants were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, questionnaires assessing mood and everyday functioning, and a novel standardized test of multitasking, which involved balancing the demands of four interconnected performance-based functional tasks (i.e., financial management, cooking, medication management, and telephone communication). RESULTS HIV+ individuals demonstrated significantly worse overall performance, fewer simultaneous task attempts, and increased errors on the multitasking test as compared to the HIV- group. Within the HIV+ sample, multitasking impairments were modestly associated with deficits on standard neuropsychological measures of executive functions, episodic memory, attention/working memory, and information processing speed, providing preliminary evidence for convergent validity. More importantly, multivariate prediction models revealed that multitasking deficits were uniquely predictive of IADL dependence beyond the effects of depression and global neurocognitive impairment, with excellent sensitivity (86%), but modest specificity (57%). CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these data indicate that multitasking ability may play an important role in successful everyday functioning in HIV+ individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cobb Scott
- San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
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MacDonald PA, MacDonald AA, Seergobin KN, Tamjeedi R, Ganjavi H, Provost JS, Monchi O. The effect of dopamine therapy on ventral and dorsal striatum-mediated cognition in Parkinson's disease: support from functional MRI. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 134:1447-63. [PMID: 21596772 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awr075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The central aim of our study was to elucidate functions mediated by the ventral and dorsal striatum, respectively, to better understand the cognitive effects of dopamine replacement in Parkinson's disease. We proposed that the ventral striatum underlies general learning of stimulus associations, whereas the dorsal striatum promotes integration of various influences on selecting. In Parkinson's disease, dopamine depletion is substantially less notable in the ventral relative to the dorsal striatum, and therefore greater improvements are expected for dorsal striatum-mediated functions with dopamine replacement. Using a simple selection task, we found that dopamine replacement impaired encoding and facilitation of consistent stimulus-stimulus relations across trials. This finding was in line with our contention that ventral striatum mediates learning stimulus associations, even when explicit feedback or reward is not provided. In contrast, dopamine replacement enhanced interference related to assimilating conflicting influences on selection across trials, consistent with our hypothesis that the dorsal striatum supports deciding in ambiguous contexts. We further confirmed these separable roles for the ventral and dorsal striatum in our selection task with healthy young volunteers using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In summary, we present a within-subject, double dissociation of the effects of dopamine replacement in patients with Parkinson's disease for ventral striatum-mediated facilitation and dorsal striatum-mediated interference, confirmed in a separate functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment. Defining the distinct functions of the ventral and dorsal striatum will have direct clinical implications. Titration of therapy in Parkinson's disease is generally geared towards optimizing dorsal striatum-mediated motor symptoms, possibly at the expense of ventral striatum operations, a consequence that is only beginning to be recognized. Enhanced awareness of these different processes will translate into medication strategies that take into account those symptoms that dopamine replacement might hinder, as well as improve. Here, we show impairments in learning new stimulus associations compared with improvements in integrating varied influences related to selection. Ultimately, this knowledge will lead clinicians to survey a broader range of symptoms in determining optimal therapy based on individual patient priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny A MacDonald
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B5, Canada.
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Macdonald PA, Monchi O. Differential effects of dopaminergic therapies on dorsal and ventral striatum in Parkinson's disease: implications for cognitive function. PARKINSONS DISEASE 2011; 2011:572743. [PMID: 21437185 PMCID: PMC3062097 DOI: 10.4061/2011/572743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive abnormalities are a feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Unlike motor symptoms that are clearly improved by dopaminergic therapy, the effect of dopamine replacement on cognition seems paradoxical. Some cognitive functions are improved whereas others are unaltered or even hindered. Our aim was to understand the effect of dopamine replacement therapy on various aspects of cognition. Whereas dorsal striatum receives dopamine input from the substantia nigra (SN), ventral striatum is innervated by dopamine-producing cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In PD, degeneration of SN is substantially greater than cell loss in VTA and hence dopamine-deficiency is significantly greater in dorsal compared to ventral striatum. We suggest that dopamine supplementation improves functions mediated by dorsal striatum and impairs, or heightens to a pathological degree, operations ascribed to ventral striatum. We consider the extant literature in light of this principle. We also survey the effect of dopamine replacement on functional neuroimaging in PD relating the findings to this framework. This paper highlights the fact that currently, titration of therapy in PD is geared to optimizing dorsal striatum-mediated motor symptoms, at the expense of ventral striatum operations. Increased awareness of contrasting effects of dopamine replacement on dorsal versus ventral striatum functions will lead clinicians to survey a broader range of symptoms in determining optimal therapy, taking into account both those aspects of cognition that will be helped versus those that will be hindered by dopaminergic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny A Macdonald
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Peterburs J, Bellebaum C, Koch B, Schwarz M, Daum I. Working memory and verbal fluency deficits following cerebellar lesions: relation to interindividual differences in patient variables. THE CEREBELLUM 2011; 9:375-83. [PMID: 20387024 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0171-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Findings concerning cognitive impairment in patients with focal cerebellar lesions tend to be inconsistent and usually reflect a mild deficit. Patient variables such as lesion age and the age at lesion onset might affect functional reorganization and contribute to the variability of the findings. To assess this issue, 14 patients with focal vascular cerebellar lesions and 14 matched healthy control subjects performed a verbal working memory and a verbal long-term memory task as well as verbal fluency tasks. Patients showed deficits in working memory and verbal fluency, while recall of complex narrative material was intact. Verbal fluency performance correlated significantly with age in the patient group, with more severe impairments in older patients, suggesting that age at lesion onset is a critical variable for cognitive outcome. In controls, no significant correlations with age were observed. Taken together, our findings support the idea of cerebellar involvement in nonmotor functions and indicate the relevance of interindividual differences in regard to clinical parameters after focal cerebellar damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutta Peterburs
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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