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Jost L, Jansen P. The influence of the design of mental rotation trials on performance and possible differences between sexes: A theoretical review and experimental investigation. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:1250-1271. [PMID: 37644655 PMCID: PMC11103899 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231200127] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in mental rotation performance are one of the largest in cognitive psychology. Men outperform women by up to 1 SD in psychometric mental rotation tests, but it is often neglected that there are no or only small sex differences for chronometric tests. As both tests are supposed to measure the same ability, we suspect some features of the tests themselves to affect sex differences in performance. Following a theoretical review of the test features, we evaluate the effects of the number of possible answer alternatives, whether they are presented as pairwise mirrored, and their interaction on sex differences in mental rotation performance. In an online experiment, 838 German-speaking participants, 421 women, 417 men, Mage = 42.58 (SD = 12.54) years, solved four blocks of mental rotation trials with two or eight alternatives, which were either pairwise mirrored or not. The results show that that the overall performance was lower for more alternatives and for mixed alternatives but not for their interaction. We could not determine explanations for sex differences as we did not observe meaningful sex differences at all. Possible reasons include the differences between men and women in age and education. This study suggests that the differences between tests affect performance. Sex differences, however, need more investigation, including possible effects and interactions of the test design, education, and age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Jost
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Petra Jansen
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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2
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Toth AJ, Harvey C, Gullane H, Kelly N, Bruton A, Campbell MJ. The effect of bipolar bihemispheric tDCS on executive function and working memory abilities. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1275878. [PMID: 38235279 PMCID: PMC10791995 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1275878] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cognitive functioning is central to the ability to learn, problem solve, remember, and use information in a rapid and accurate manner and cognitive abilities are fundamental for communication, autonomy, and quality of life. Transcranial electric stimulation (tES) is a very promising tool shown to improve various motor and cognitive functions. When applied as a direct current stimulus (transcranial direct current stimulation; tDCS) over the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC), this form of neurostimulation has mixed results regarding its ability to slow cognitive deterioration and potentially enhance cognitive functioning, requiring further investigation. This study set out to comprehensively investigate the effect that anodal and cathodal bipolar bihemispheric tDCS have on executive function and working memory abilities. Methods 72 healthy young adults were recruited, and each participant was randomly allocated to either a control group (CON), a placebo group (SHAM) or one of two neurostimulation groups (Anodal; A-STIM and Cathodal; C-STIM). All participants undertook cognitive tests (Stroop & N Back) before and after a 30-minute stimulation/ sham/ control protocol. Results Overall, our results add further evidence that tDCS may not be as efficacious for enhancing cognitive functioning as it has been shown to be for enhancing motor learning when applied over M1. We also provide evidence that the effect of neurostimulation on cognitive functioning may be moderated by sex, with males demonstrating a benefit from both anodal and cathodal stimulation when considering performance on simple attention trial types within the Stroop task. Discussion Considering this finding, we propose a new avenue for tDCS research, that the potential that sex may moderate the efficacy of neurostimulation on cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Toth
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
- Lero Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Cliodhna Harvey
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Hannah Gullane
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Niall Kelly
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Adam Bruton
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
- School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J. Campbell
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
- The Science Foundation Ireland Center for Software Research, Lero Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
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Tang Z, Liu X, Huo H, Tang M, Qiao X, Chen D, Dong Y, Fan L, Wang J, Du X, Guo J, Tian S, Fan Y. Eye movement characteristics in a mental rotation task presented in virtual reality. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1143006. [PMID: 37051147 PMCID: PMC10083294 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1143006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionEye-tracking technology provides a reliable and cost-effective approach to characterize mental representation according to specific patterns. Mental rotation tasks, referring to the mental representation and transformation of visual information, have been widely used to examine visuospatial ability. In these tasks, participants visually perceive three-dimensional (3D) objects and mentally rotate them until they identify whether the paired objects are identical or mirrored. In most studies, 3D objects are presented using two-dimensional (2D) images on a computer screen. Currently, visual neuroscience tends to investigate visual behavior responding to naturalistic stimuli rather than image stimuli. Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology used to provide naturalistic stimuli, allowing the investigation of behavioral features in an immersive environment similar to the real world. However, mental rotation tasks using 3D objects in immersive VR have been rarely reported.MethodsHere, we designed a VR mental rotation task using 3D stimuli presented in a head-mounted display (HMD). An eye tracker incorporated into the HMD was used to examine eye movement characteristics during the task synchronically. The stimuli were virtual paired objects oriented at specific angular disparities (0, 60, 120, and 180°). We recruited thirty-three participants who were required to determine whether the paired 3D objects were identical or mirrored.ResultsBehavioral results demonstrated that the response times when comparing mirrored objects were longer than identical objects. Eye-movement results showed that the percent fixation time, the number of within-object fixations, and the number of saccades for the mirrored objects were significantly lower than that for the identical objects, providing further explanations for the behavioral results.DiscussionIn the present work, we examined behavioral and eye movement characteristics during a VR mental rotation task using 3D stimuli. Significant differences were observed in response times and eye movement metrics between identical and mirrored objects. The eye movement data provided further explanation for the behavioral results in the VR mental rotation task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Tang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality Technology and Systems, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoyu Liu,
| | - Hongqiang Huo
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Tang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Qiao
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Duo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Dong
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Linyuan Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinghui Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Du
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Jieyi Guo
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Tian
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality Technology and Systems, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Yubo Fan,
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Faustino Lacerda de Souza R, Borges de Araujo Lima LA, Almeida Silveira Mendes TM, Soares Brandão D, Andrés Laplagne D, Cordeiro de Sousa MB. Implicit motor imagery performance and cortical activity throughout the menstrual cycle. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21385. [PMID: 36496536 PMCID: PMC9741588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25766-2] [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: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies show that female motor and visuospatial skills are modulated by the menstrual cycle. Implicit motor imagery, meaning the involuntary imagination of movements during a task, involves kinesthetic, visual, and spatial aspects of the corresponding action and can be investigated by using the hand laterality judgment task (HLJT). In this study we aimed to investigate whether implicit motor imagery performance and cortical activity are altered throughout the menstrual cycle, as demonstrated by motor skills in females. Thus, 31 healthy women underwent HLJT during the menstrual, follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycles. Right-handed participants had to recognize the laterality (right or left) of hands presented in different views (palm or back) and orientations on a computer screen. Test performance and EEG event-related potentials were analyzed. Participants performed better in the test in the follicular and luteal phases when compared to the menstrual phase, and the accuracy of the test was positively correlated with estradiol levels in the follicular phase. The difference between medial and lateral hand orientations for rotation-related negativity was significant in the medial and left parieto-occipital regions only in the follicular phase. These findings suggest positive modulating action of estradiol in performing implicit motor imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel Soares Brandão
- grid.411233.60000 0000 9687 399XBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, 59078-970 Brazil
| | - Diego Andrés Laplagne
- grid.411233.60000 0000 9687 399XBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, 59078-970 Brazil
| | - Maria Bernardete Cordeiro de Sousa
- grid.411233.60000 0000 9687 399XBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, 59078-970 Brazil ,grid.411233.60000 0000 9687 399XProgram in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, 59078-970 Brazil
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da Silva Soares R, Ambriola Oku AY, Barreto CSF, Ricardo Sato J. Applying functional near-infrared spectroscopy and eye-tracking in a naturalistic educational environment to investigate physiological aspects that underlie the cognitive effort of children during mental rotation tests. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:889806. [PMID: 36072886 PMCID: PMC9442578 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.889806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial cognition is related to academic achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains. Neuroimaging studies suggest that brain regions' activation might be related to the general cognitive effort while solving mental rotation tasks (MRT). In this study, we evaluate the mental effort of children performing MRT tasks by measuring brain activation and pupil dilation. We use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) concurrently to collect brain hemodynamic responses from children's prefrontal cortex (PFC) and an Eye-tracking system to measure pupil dilation during MRT. Thirty-two healthy students aged 9-11 participated in this experiment. Behavioral measurements such as task performance on geometry problem-solving tests and MRT scores were also collected. The results were significant positive correlations between the children's MRT and geometry problem-solving test scores. There are also significant positive correlations between dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) hemodynamic signals and visuospatial task performances (MRT and geometry problem-solving scores). Moreover, we found significant activation in the amplitude of deoxy-Hb variation on the dlPFC and that pupil diameter increased during the MRT, suggesting that both physiological responses are related to mental effort processes during the visuospatial task. Our findings indicate that children with more mental effort under the task performed better. The multimodal approach to monitoring students' mental effort can be of great interest in providing objective feedback on cognitive resource conditions and advancing our comprehension of the neural mechanisms that underlie cognitive effort. Hence, the ability to detect two distinct mental states of rest or activation of children during the MRT could eventually lead to an application for investigating the visuospatial skills of young students using naturalistic educational paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimundo da Silva Soares
- Center for Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
| | - Amanda Yumi Ambriola Oku
- Center for Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
| | - Cândida S. F. Barreto
- South African National Research Foundation Research Chair, Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - João Ricardo Sato
- Center for Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
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Lu R, Bao N, Zhang X, Shi J. Attentional resource allocation among individuals with different fluid intelligence: The integrated control hypothesis and its evidence from pupillometry. Neuropsychologia 2022; 169:108190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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7
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Bauer R, Jost L, Jansen P. The effect of mindfulness and stereotype threat in mental rotation: a pupillometry study. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2021.1967366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Bauer
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Leonardo Jost
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Petra Jansen
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Bauer R, Jost L, Günther B, Jansen P. Pupillometry as a measure of cognitive load in mental rotation tasks with abstract and embodied figures. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:1382-1396. [PMID: 34382111 PMCID: PMC9177492 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01568-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We investigated sex differences in behavioral performance and cognitive load in chronometric mental rotation tasks with abstract and embodied figures. Eighty participants (44 females and 36 males) completed 126 items, which included cube figures, body postures, and human figures, which were all comparable in shape and color. Reaction time, accuracy, and cognitive load, measured by changes in pupil dilation, were analyzed. As a function of angular disparity, participants showed shorter reaction times and higher accuracy rates for embodied stimuli than cube figures. Changes in pupil dilation showed a similar pattern, indicating that mental rotation of embodied figures caused less cognitive load to solve the task. No sex differences appeared in any of the measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Bauer
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Leonardo Jost
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bianca Günther
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Petra Jansen
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
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9
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Toth AJ, Campbell MJ. Reply to: "Concerns about cognitive performance at chance level". Sci Rep 2021; 11:15536. [PMID: 34330965 PMCID: PMC8324813 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93954-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Toth
- Lero, The Irish Software Research Centre, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland.,Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Mark J Campbell
- Lero, The Irish Software Research Centre, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland. .,Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland.
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10
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Concerns about cognitive performance at chance level. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15530. [PMID: 34330939 PMCID: PMC8324882 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93953-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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11
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Jost L, Weishäupl A, Jansen P. Interactions between simultaneous aerobic exercise and mental rotation. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01785-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWhile the effects of aerobic exercise during a cognitive task on the performance of said cognitive task have been extensively studied, it has not been investigated whether cognitive performance during aerobic exercise influences the physical performance. For this, it is the main goal of the study to investigate the physical and cognitive performance during a simultaneous conduction of aerobic exercise and mental rotation. Forty-one German sport students cycled at 60% intensity while simultaneously performing a mental rotation task. In a within-subject design, both physical and cognitive performances were compared with isolated cycling and mental rotation as control conditions using both objective (heart rate and pedal cadence in the cycling task, reaction time and accuracy in the mental rotation task) and subjective (RPE) cognitive and physical measures. The results analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling revealed no effect of either simultaneous cognitive tasks on objective (heart rate) or subjective (RPE) physical effort, nor of simultaneous exercise on reaction time or accuracy in cognitive performance. However, we have found lower cadence during cognitive tasks, which was also stable in time compared to an increase in cadence during exercise control. Furthermore, our results demonstrated increased cognitive effort during exercise. Our findings suggest that increased effort, both physiological and cognitive, is required during combined physical and cognitive work in support of neurological resource conflicts caused by the differing demands of exercise and executive function.
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12
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Tsitsi P, Benfatto MN, Seimyr GÖ, Larsson O, Svenningsson P, Markaki I. Fixation Duration and Pupil Size as Diagnostic Tools in Parkinson's Disease. JOURNAL OF PARKINSONS DISEASE 2021; 11:865-875. [PMID: 33612496 PMCID: PMC8150520 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-202427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visual and oculomotor problems are very common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and by using eye-tracking such problems could be characterized in more detail. However, eye-tracking is not part of the routine clinical investigation of parkinsonism. OBJECTIVE To evaluate gaze stability and pupil size in stable light conditions, as well as eye movements during sustained fixation in a population of PD patients and healthy controls (HC). METHODS In total, 50 PD patients (66% males) with unilateral to mild-to-moderate disease (Hoehn & Yahr 1-3, Schwab and England 70-90%) and 43 HC (37% males) were included in the study. Eye movements were recorded with Tobii Pro Spectrum, a screen-based eye tracker with a sampling rate of 1200 Hz. Logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the strength of association of eye-movement measures with diagnosis. RESULTS Median pupil size (OR 0.811; 95% CI 0.666-0.987; p = 0.037) and longest fixation period (OR 0.798; 95% CI 0.691-0.921; p = 0.002), were the eye-movement parameters that were independently associated with diagnosis, after adjustment for sex (OR 4.35; 95% CI 1.516-12.483; p = 0.006) and visuospatial/executive score in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (OR 0.422; 95% CI 0.233-0.764; p = 0.004). The area under the ROC curve was determined to 0.817; 95% (CI) 0.732-0.901. CONCLUSION Eye-tracking based measurements of gaze fixation and pupil reaction may be useful biomarkers of PD diagnosis. However, larger studies of eye-tracking parameters integrated into the screening of patients with suspected PD are necessary, to further investigate and confirm their diagnostic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiota Tsitsi
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuro, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center of Neurology, Academic Specialist Center, Region Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Gustaf Öqvist Seimyr
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Eye and Vision, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olof Larsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Eye and Vision, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Svenningsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuro, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center of Neurology, Academic Specialist Center, Region Stockholm, Sweden.,Neurology Department, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ioanna Markaki
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuro, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center of Neurology, Academic Specialist Center, Region Stockholm, Sweden
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Is accommodation a confounder in pupillometry research? Biol Psychol 2021; 160:108046. [PMID: 33581231 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Much psychological research uses pupil diameter measurements to investigate the cognitive and emotional effects of visual stimuli. A potential problem is that accommodating at a nearby point causes the pupil to constrict. This study examined to what extent accommodation is a confounder in pupillometry research. Participants solved multiplication problems at different distances (Experiment 1) and looked at line drawings with different monocular depth cues (Experiment 2) while their pupil diameter, refraction, and vergence angle were recorded using a photorefractor. Experiment 1 showed that the pupils dilated while performing the multiplications, for all presentation distances. Pupillary constriction due to accommodation was not strong enough to override pupil dilation due to cognitive load. Experiment 2 showed that monocular depth cues caused a small shift in refraction in the expected direction. We conclude that, for the young student sample we used, pupil diameter measurements are not substantially affected by accommodation.
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Bochynska A, Postma A, Vulchanova M, Laeng B. More mental rotation time does not imply more mental effort: Pupillary diameters do not change with angular distance. Brain Cogn 2020; 148:105670. [PMID: 33385748 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105670] [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: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The ability to mentally rotate objects in space is a fundamental cognitive capacity. Previous studies showed that the time to rotate the image of a figure to match another increases progressively with angular disparity. It remains unclear whether this increase in response time with angular disparity could reflect increased processing operations or more cognitive effort instead of a sustained use of a 'rotate' mechanism without a change in workload. We collected response times as well as pupillary responses that index cognitive workload and activity in the brainstem's locus coeruleus, from a sample of 38 young adults performing a chronometric mental rotations task. The results showed the expected increase in response times but no increase in pupil diameters between 60, 120, and 180 degrees of rotation, suggesting no significant changes in arousal levels when rotating figures near and far. This indicates that during mental rotation the load on cognitive resources remains constant irrespective of angular distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Bochynska
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU Trondheim, Norway
| | - Albert Postma
- Helmholtz Institute, Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mila Vulchanova
- Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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15
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Conson M, De Bellis F, Baiano C, Zappullo I, Raimo G, Finelli C, Ruggiero I, Positano M, Trojano L, Trojano L. Sex differences in implicit motor imagery: Evidence from the hand laterality task. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 203:103010. [PMID: 31981826 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural evidence suggest that males outperform females in mentally transforming objects, whereas whether sex differences exist in mentally transforming body part images (implicit motor imagery) is an open issue. The aim of the present study was to fill this gap testing performance of 360 healthy participants on a classical behavioural measure of implicit motor imagery: the hand laterality task. Participants had to judge handedness of hand images portrayed from back and palm and presented in different spatial orientations. Two main findings emerged. First, males were significantly faster than females in judging hands portrayed from palm, in particular left palms at 0°, 90° and 180° orientation, whereas females were faster than males in judging backs, in particular left and right backs at 0° and the left back at 90°. Second, both males and females showed a significant biomechanical effect (faster responses for hands portrayed in medial vs. lateral positions) while judging palms, albeit the effect was stronger in males, whereas only females showed a significant biomechanical effect when judging backs. Thus, males and females seem to differently exploit motor simulation processes during mental transformation of hand images depending on a specific familiarity with body parts portrayed from different views. This result might be taken into account when tailoring motor imagery tasks in applied contexts, as motor rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Luigi Trojano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
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16
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Jansen P, Render A, Scheer C, Siebertz M. Mental rotation with abstract and embodied objects as stimuli: evidence from event-related potential (ERP). Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:525-535. [PMID: 31970433 PMCID: PMC7080707 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05734-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated sex differences in performance and neuronal activity in a mental rotation task with abstract and embodied figures. Fifty-eight participants (26 females and 32 males) completed a chronometric mental rotation task with cube figures, human figures, and body postures. The results are straightforward: depending on angular disparity, participants had a faster reaction time and a higher accuracy rate for embodied stimuli compared to cube figures. The electroencephalogram (EEG) activity pattern showed a higher negative amplitude modulation in the frontal electrodes for females compared to males during the late (400-600 ms) time interval. From 200 to 400 ms after stimulus onset, there was a different activation pattern in the parietal and central electrodes, whereas frontal electrodes did not show differences between embodied and abstract stimuli. From 400 to 600 ms after stimulus onset, there was a different pattern in the central and frontal electrodes but not in the parietal areas for embodied figures in compared to cube figures. Concluding, even though there were no sex differences in the behavioral data, the EEG data did show alterations at the late time interval. Thus, the disparate results regarding sex differences that depend on the type of analysis (behavioral versus neurophysiological) should be more thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the difference in processing embodied stimuli in an object-based mental rotation task could be confirmed in EEG activity pattern for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Jansen
- Faculty of Human Science, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Anna Render
- Faculty of Human Science, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Clara Scheer
- Faculty of Human Science, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Markus Siebertz
- Faculty of Human Science, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
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17
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Investigating sex differences, cognitive effort, strategy, and performance on a computerised version of the mental rotations test via eye tracking. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19430. [PMID: 31857671 PMCID: PMC6923419 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56041-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental rotation tests (MRTs) have previously shown one of the most prominent sex differences in cognitive psychology, marked by a large male performance advantage. However, debate continues over the reasons for these sex differences. Previously, we used pupillometry to demonstrate sex differences in the cognitive effort invoked during the original MRT. Here, we evaluated the magnitude of sex differences during performance on a computerized version of the Vandenberg and Kuse MRT. Secondly, we examined whether fixation metrics could illuminate strategy use by participants. Finally, we used pupillometry to investigate whether cognitive effort differed between sexes and trials of different difficulty. While our results demonstrate no performance differences between sexes on the computerized MRT, fixation patterns provided evidence that gaze strategy was associated with performance on different parts of the test. Moreover, we show the cognitive demand of the V&K MRT, evidenced by large task dependent increases in participants’ pupil diameters.
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18
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Peinkhofer C, Knudsen GM, Moretti R, Kondziella D. Cortical modulation of pupillary function: systematic review. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6882. [PMID: 31119083 PMCID: PMC6510220 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pupillary light reflex is the main mechanism that regulates the pupillary diameter; it is controlled by the autonomic system and mediated by subcortical pathways. In addition, cognitive and emotional processes influence pupillary function due to input from cortical innervation, but the exact circuits remain poorly understood. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the mechanisms behind pupillary changes associated with cognitive efforts and processing of emotions and to investigate the cerebral areas involved in cortical modulation of the pupillary light reflex. METHODOLOGY We searched multiple databases until November 2018 for studies on cortical modulation of pupillary function in humans and non-human primates. Of 8,809 papers screened, 258 studies were included. RESULTS Most investigators focused on pupillary dilatation and/or constriction as an index of cognitive and emotional processing, evaluating how changes in pupillary diameter reflect levels of attention and arousal. Only few tried to correlate specific cerebral areas to pupillary changes, using either cortical activation models (employing micro-stimulation of cortical structures in non-human primates) or cortical lesion models (e.g., investigating patients with stroke and damage to salient cortical and/or subcortical areas). Results suggest the involvement of several cortical regions, including the insular cortex (Brodmann areas 13 and 16), the frontal eye field (Brodmann area 8) and the prefrontal cortex (Brodmann areas 11 and 25), and of subcortical structures such as the locus coeruleus and the superior colliculus. CONCLUSIONS Pupillary dilatation occurs with many kinds of mental or emotional processes, following sympathetic activation or parasympathetic inhibition. Conversely, pupillary constriction may occur with anticipation of a bright stimulus (even in its absence) and relies on a parasympathetic activation. All these reactions are controlled by subcortical and cortical structures that are directly or indirectly connected to the brainstem pupillary innervation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Peinkhofer
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Medical Faculty, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gitte M. Knudsen
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rita Moretti
- Medical Faculty, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Neurological Unit, Trieste University Hospital, Cattinara, Trieste, Italy
| | - Daniel Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Technology and Science, Trondheim, Norway
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19
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Disruption of motor imagery performance following inhibition of the left inferior parietal lobe. Neuropsychologia 2019; 127:106-112. [PMID: 30807756 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The left inferior parietal lobe (IPL), a brain region localized to the ventro-dorsal stream, is known to be critical to motor imagery (MI) performance. Yet its specific role in processes underlying MI, namely the generation, maintenance, manipulation, and controllability of motor images, is conflicting in the literature. To determine the specific role of the left IPL in MI, the current study sought to examine the effect inhibition of the left IPL has on performance on two disparate measures thought to probe different MI processes within the same participants. Participants (N = 31) completed the hand laterality judgment task (HLJT), employed to probe processes related to manipulation and controllability, and mental chronometry, employed to probe processes related to generation and maintenance, after receiving either inhibitory transcranial magnetic stimulation to the left IPL (Active-TMS group), or with the coil angled away from the scalp (Sham group). Impaired performance on the HLJT was observed following active TMS relative to sham. Similar mental chronometry performance resulted regardless of left IPL inhibition. In showing that inhibition of the left IPL selectively disrupted performance on the HLJT but not mental chronometry, our findings indicate that the left IPL is specifically involved in image manipulation and controllability during MI. Ultimately, the current study extends our understanding of the role of the left IPL in MI.
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