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Li H, Han Y, Niu H. Greater up-modulation of intra-individual brain signal variability makes a high-load cognitive task more arduous for older adults. Neuroimage 2024; 290:120577. [PMID: 38490585 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The extent to which brain responses are less distinctive across varying cognitive loads in older adults is referred to as neural dedifferentiation. Moment-to-moment brain signal variability, an emerging indicator, reveals not only the adaptability of an individual's brain as an inter-individual trait, but also the allocation of neural resources within an individual due to ever-changing task demands, thus shedding novel insight into the process of neural dedifferentiation. However, how the modulation of intra-individual brain signal variability reflects behavioral differences related to cognitively demanding tasks remains unclear. In this study, we employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging to capture the variability of brain signals, which was quantified by the standard deviation, during both the resting state and an n-back task (n = 1, 2, 3) in 57 healthy older adults. Using multivariate Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis, we found that fNIRS signal variability increased from the resting state to the task and increased with working memory load in older adults. We further confirmed that greater fNIRS signal variability generally supported faster and more stable response time in the 2- and 3-back conditions. However, the intra-individual level analysis showed that the greater the up-modulation in fNIRS signal variability with cognitive loads, the more its accuracy decreases and mean response time increases, suggesting that a greater intra-individual brain signal variability up-modulation may reflect decreased efficiency in neural information processing. Taken together, our findings offer new insights into the nature of brain signal variability, suggesting that inter- and intra-individual brain signal variability may index distinct theoretical constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Neurology, XuanWu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China.
| | - Haijing Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.
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2
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Clemente L, La Rocca M, Paparella G, Delussi M, Tancredi G, Ricci K, Procida G, Introna A, Brunetti A, Taurisano P, Bevilacqua V, de Tommaso M. Exploring Aesthetic Perception in Impaired Aging: A Multimodal Brain-Computer Interface Study. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2329. [PMID: 38610540 PMCID: PMC11014209 DOI: 10.3390/s24072329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
In the field of neuroscience, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are used to connect the human brain with external devices, providing insights into the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes, including aesthetic perception. Non-invasive BCIs, such as EEG and fNIRS, are critical for studying central nervous system activity and understanding how individuals with cognitive deficits process and respond to aesthetic stimuli. This study assessed twenty participants who were divided into control and impaired aging (AI) groups based on MMSE scores. EEG and fNIRS were used to measure their neurophysiological responses to aesthetic stimuli that varied in pleasantness and dynamism. Significant differences were identified between the groups in P300 amplitude and late positive potential (LPP), with controls showing greater reactivity. AI subjects showed an increase in oxyhemoglobin in response to pleasurable stimuli, suggesting hemodynamic compensation. This study highlights the effectiveness of multimodal BCIs in identifying the neural basis of aesthetic appreciation and impaired aging. Despite its limitations, such as sample size and the subjective nature of aesthetic appreciation, this research lays the groundwork for cognitive rehabilitation tailored to aesthetic perception, improving the comprehension of cognitive disorders through integrated BCI methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livio Clemente
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Marianna La Rocca
- Interateneo Department of Fisica ‘M. Merlin’, University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy;
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Giulia Paparella
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Marianna Delussi
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Giusy Tancredi
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Katia Ricci
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Giuseppe Procida
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Alessandro Introna
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Antonio Brunetti
- Electrical and Information Engineering Department, Polytechnic of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (V.B.)
| | - Paolo Taurisano
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
| | - Vitoantonio Bevilacqua
- Electrical and Information Engineering Department, Polytechnic of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (V.B.)
| | - Marina de Tommaso
- Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN) Department, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.C.); (G.P.); (M.D.); (G.T.); (K.R.); (G.P.); (A.I.); (P.T.)
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3
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Lee TL, Ding Z, Chan AS. Prefrontal hemodynamic features of older adults with preserved visuospatial working memory function. GeroScience 2023; 45:3513-3527. [PMID: 37501047 PMCID: PMC10643746 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00862-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory decline has been observed in the aging population and is a risk factor for the later development of dementia. Understanding how memory is preserved in older adults has been an important topic. The present study examines the hemodynamic features of older adults whose memory is comparable with that of young adults. In the present study, 45 younger and 45 older adults performed the visual memory task with various difficulty levels (i.e., the items to be remembered), and their cerebral hemodynamics at each level were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The results showed that older adults exhibited higher activation than younger adults under more difficult but not easier levels. In addition, older adults whose performance is comparable with that of young adults (i.e., being able to remember six items) showed more right-lateralized activation. However, those unable to do so showed more left-lateralized activation. The results suggested that high-performing older adults possess successful compensatory mechanisms by recruiting cognitive resources in a specialized brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsz-Lok Lee
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Zihan Ding
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Agnes S Chan
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
- Research Centre for Neuropsychological Well-Being, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
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4
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Involvement of executive control in neural capacity related to working memory in aging: an ERP P300 study. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:1311-1333. [PMID: 35680698 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01018-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Executive control could be involved in neural capacity, which corresponds to the modulation of neural activity with increased task difficulty. Thus, by exploring the P300-an electrophysiological correlate of working memory-we examined the role played by executive control in both the age-related decline in working memory and neural capacity in aging. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while younger and older participants performed a Sternberg task with two set sizes (2 vs. 6 items), allowing us to calculate a neural capacity index. Participants also completed two control tasks (Stroop and 3-back tests), which were used to calculate a composite executive control index. Results indicated that working memory performance decreased with aging and difficulty. At the neural level, results indicated that the P300 amplitude varied with aging and also with task difficulty. In the low difficulty condition, frontal P300 amplitude was higher for older than for younger adults, whereas in the high difficulty condition, the amplitude of frontal and parietal P300 did not differ between both age groups. Results also suggest that task difficulty led to a decrease in parietal amplitude in both age groups and to an increase in frontal amplitude in younger but not older adults. Both executive control and frontal neural capacity mediated the age-related variance in working memory for older adults. Moreover, executive control mediated the age-related variance in the frontal neural capacity of older adults. Thus, the present study suggests a model for older adults in which executive control deficits with advancing age lead to less efficient frontal recruitment to cope with task difficulty (neural capacity), which in turn has a negative impact on working memory functioning.
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Tarawneh HY, Jayakody DM, Sohrabi HR, Martins RN, Mulders WH. Understanding the Relationship Between Age-Related Hearing Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2022; 6:539-556. [PMID: 36275417 PMCID: PMC9535607 DOI: 10.3233/adr-220035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that hearing loss (HL), even at mild levels, increases the long-term risk of cognitive decline and incident dementia. Hearing loss is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia, with approximately 4 million of the 50 million cases of dementia worldwide possibly attributed to untreated HL. This paper describes four possible mechanisms that have been suggested for the relationship between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia. The first mechanism suggests mitochondrial dysfunction and altered signal pathways due to aging as a possible link between ARHL and AD. The second mechanism proposes that sensory degradation in hearing impaired people could explain the relationship between ARHL and AD. The occupation of cognitive resource (third) mechanism indicates that the association between ARHL and AD is a result of increased cognitive processing that is required to compensate for the degraded sensory input. The fourth mechanism is an expansion of the third mechanism, i.e., the function and structure interaction involves both cognitive resource occupation (neural activity) and AD pathology as the link between ARHL and AD. Exploring the specific mechanisms that provide the link between ARHL and AD has the potential to lead to innovative ideas for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of AD. This paper also provides insight into the current evidence for the use of hearing treatments as a possible treatment/prevention for AD, and if auditory assessments could provide an avenue for early detection of cognitive impairment associated with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadeel Y. Tarawneh
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia
| | - Dona M.P. Jayakody
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia
- Centre of Ear Science, Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Hamid R. Sohrabi
- Centre for Healthy Ageing, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | - Ralph N. Martins
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
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6
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Pelicioni PHS, Lord SR, Sturnieks DL, Halmy B, Menant JC. Cognitive and Motor Cortical Activity During Cognitively Demanding Stepping Tasks in Older People at Low and High Risk of Falling. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:554231. [PMID: 34322496 PMCID: PMC8310929 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.554231] [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: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Choice stepping reaction time tasks are underpinned by neuropsychological, sensorimotor, and balance systems and therefore offer good indices of fall risk and physical and cognitive frailty. However, little is known of the neural mechanisms for impaired stepping and associated fall risk in older people. We investigated cognitive and motor cortical activity during cognitively demanding stepping reaction time tasks using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in older people at low and high fall risk. Methods: Ninety-five older adults [mean (SD) 71.4 (4.9) years, 23 men] were categorized as low or high fall risk [based on 12-month fall history (≥2 falls) and/or Physiological Profile Assessment fall risk score ≥1]. Participants performed a choice stepping reaction time test and a more cognitively demanding Stroop stepping task on a computerized step mat. Cortical activity in cognitive [dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)] and motor (supplementary motor area and premotor cortex) regions was recorded using fNIRS. Stepping performance and cortical activity were contrasted between the groups and between the choice and Stroop stepping conditions. Results: Compared with the low fall risk group (n = 71), the high fall risk group (n = 24) exhibited significantly greater DLPFC activity and increased intra-individual variability in stepping response time during the Stroop stepping task. The high fall risk group DLPFC activity was greater during the performance of Stroop stepping task in comparison with choice stepping reaction time. Regardless of group, the Stroop stepping task elicited increased cortical activity in the supplementary motor area and premotor cortex together with increased mean and intra-individual variability of stepping response times. Conclusions: Older people at high fall risk exhibited increased DLPFC activity and stepping response time variability when completing a cognitively demanding stepping test compared with those at low fall risk and to a simpler choice-stepping reaction time test. This increased hemodynamic response might comprise a compensatory process for postural control deficits and/or reflect a degree of DLPFC neural inefficiency in people with increased fall risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo H S Pelicioni
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Physiotherapy, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Stephen R Lord
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daina L Sturnieks
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bethany Halmy
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jasmine C Menant
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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7
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Prince P, Paul BT, Chen J, Le T, Lin V, Dimitrijevic A. Neural correlates of visual stimulus encoding and verbal working memory differ between cochlear implant users and normal-hearing controls. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5016-5037. [PMID: 34146363 PMCID: PMC8457219 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A common concern for individuals with severe‐to‐profound hearing loss fitted with cochlear implants (CIs) is difficulty following conversations in noisy environments. Recent work has suggested that these difficulties are related to individual differences in brain function, including verbal working memory and the degree of cross‐modal reorganization of auditory areas for visual processing. However, the neural basis for these relationships is not fully understood. Here, we investigated neural correlates of visual verbal working memory and sensory plasticity in 14 CI users and age‐matched normal‐hearing (NH) controls. While we recorded the high‐density electroencephalogram (EEG), participants completed a modified Sternberg visual working memory task where sets of letters and numbers were presented visually and then recalled at a later time. Results suggested that CI users had comparable behavioural working memory performance compared with NH. However, CI users had more pronounced neural activity during visual stimulus encoding, including stronger visual‐evoked activity in auditory and visual cortices, larger modulations of neural oscillations and increased frontotemporal connectivity. In contrast, during memory retention of the characters, CI users had descriptively weaker neural oscillations and significantly lower frontotemporal connectivity. We interpret the differences in neural correlates of visual stimulus processing in CI users through the lens of cross‐modal and intramodal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Prince
- Evaluative Clinical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brandon T Paul
- Evaluative Clinical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph Chen
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Trung Le
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincent Lin
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Dimitrijevic
- Evaluative Clinical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Lin JP, Feng HS, Zhai H, Shen X. Cerebral Hemodynamic Responses to the Difficulty Level of Ambulatory Tasks in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2021; 35:755-768. [PMID: 34171982 DOI: 10.1177/15459683211028548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background. Ambulatory tasks are the important components of balance training which effectively improve postural stability and functional activities in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). The difficulty level of an ambulatory task is usually set in the form of attention, direction, speed, or amplitude requirement. Objectives. This study aimed to explore the neural mechanisms of cerebral hemodynamic responses to the difficulty level of ambulatory tasks in persons with PD. Methods. We included ten studies that examined cerebral hemodynamic responses during ambulatory tasks at different difficulty levels in persons with PD. The change in hemodynamic responses was synthesized and meta-analyzed. Results. Patients during "ON" medication had higher relative change in oxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHBO2) in the prefrontal cortex in response to difficulty levels of ambulatory tasks, which is comparable to that in healthy elderly individuals. However, patients during "OFF" medication did not show cortical activation in response to difficulty levels. During the lower-difficulty tasks, patients during "ON" medication demonstrated higher ΔHBO2 than healthy elderly participants and patients during "OFF" medication. Factors found to significantly contribute to the heterogeneity across studies included subjects' type and cognitive status, task duration, setting, and filter used for functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data pre-processing. Conclusions. The findings suggest that ambulatory task at a higher difficulty level could be necessary to train the cortical capacity of PD persons, which should be conducted during "ON" medication; meanwhile, the contributing factors to the heterogeneity of studies would be useful as a reference when designing comparable fNIRS studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin P Lin
- 540176School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong S Feng
- 12476Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Zhai
- 540176School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.,435846Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Shen
- 12476Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,435846Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Eisenstein T, Yogev-Seligmann G, Ash E, Giladi N, Sharon H, Shapira-Lichter I, Nachman S, Hendler T, Lerner Y. Maximal aerobic capacity is associated with hippocampal cognitive reserve in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Hippocampus 2020; 31:305-320. [PMID: 33314497 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Maximal aerobic capacity (MAC) has been associated with preserved neural tissue or brain maintenance (BM) in healthy older adults, including the hippocampus. Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is considered a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease. While aMCI is characterized by hippocampal deterioration, the MAC-hippocampal relationship in these patients is not well understood. In contrast to healthy individuals, neurocognitive protective effects in neurodegenerative populations have been associated with mechanisms of cognitive reserve (CR) altering the neuropathology-cognition relationship. We investigated the MAC-hippocampal relationship in aMCI (n = 29) from the perspectives of BM and CR mechanistic models with structural MRI and a memory fMRI paradigm using both group-level (higher-fit patients vs. lower-fit patients) and individual level (continuous correlation) approaches. While MAC was associated with smaller hippocampal volume, contradicting the BM model, higher-fit patients demonstrated statistically significant lower correlation between hippocampal volume and memory performance compared with the lower-fit patients, supporting the model of CR. In addition, while there was no difference in brain activity between the groups during low cognitive demand (encoding of familiar stimuli), higher MAC level was associated with increased cortical and sub-cortical activation during increased cognitive demand (encoding of novel stimuli) and also with bilateral hippocampal activity even when controlling for hippocampal volume, suggesting for an independent effect of MAC. Our results suggest that MAC may be associated with hippocampal-related cognitive reserve in aMCI through altering the relationship between hippocampal-related structural deterioration and cognitive function. In addition, MAC was found to be associated with increased capacity to recruit neural resources during increased cognitive demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamir Eisenstein
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Galit Yogev-Seligmann
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Elissa Ash
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nir Giladi
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Haggai Sharon
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Pain Management & Neuromodulation Centre, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Irit Shapira-Lichter
- Functional MRI Center, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Shikma Nachman
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yulia Lerner
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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10
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Holtzer R, Ross D, Izzetoglu M. Intraindividual variability in neural activity in the prefrontal cortex during active walking in older adults. Psychol Aging 2020; 35:1201-1214. [PMID: 33180518 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Intraindividual variability in gait and cognitive performance is distinct from central-tendency measures and associated with clinical outcomes in aging. Knowledge concerning intraindividual variability in neural activity, however, has been relatively scarce, and no research to date has reported on such variability during active walking. The current study addressed this major gap in knowledge. Participants were community-residing older adults (n = 394; mean age = 76.29 ± 6.65 years; %female = 55). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) in the prefrontal cortex under three experimental conditions: single-task-walk, single-task-alpha (cognitive task), and dual-task-walk, which required the participants to perform the two single tasks simultaneously. Intraindividual variability in neural activity was operationalized using the standard deviation of fNIRS-derived HbO2 observations assessed during a 30-s interval in each experimental condition. The increase in intraindividual variability in neural activity in the dual-task-walk condition compared to both single-task conditions was associated with the presence of cognitive impairments and being a male. Furthermore, measures of intraindividual variability in neural activity and gait performance were positively correlated only under the dual-task-walk condition. Intraindividual variability in the neural activity of gait may be a novel marker for age-related impairments in mobility and cognitive function. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roee Holtzer
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University
| | - Daliah Ross
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University
| | - Meltem Izzetoglu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Villanova University
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11
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Hermand E, Compagnat M, Dupuy O, Salle JY, Daviet JC, Perrochon A. Functional Status Is Associated With Prefrontal Cortex Activation in Gait in Subacute Stroke Patients: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study. Front Neurol 2020; 11:559227. [PMID: 33224085 PMCID: PMC7674599 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.559227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing cerebral oxygenation, more precisely the overactivation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), reflects cortical control of gait in stroke disease. Studies about the relationship between brain activation and the functional status in stroke patients remain scarce. The aim of this study was to compare brain activation, gait parameters, and cognitive performances in single and dual tasks according to the functional status in subacute stroke patients. Twenty-one subacute stroke patients were divided in two groups according to Barthel Index ("low Barthel" and "high Barthel") and randomly performed ordered walking, cognitive task (n-back task), and dual tasks (walking + n-back task). We assessed gait performances (speed, variability) using an electronic walkway system and cerebral oxygenation (ΔO2Hb) by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Patients with better functional status (high Barthel) showed a lower PFC activation (ΔO2Hb) and better gait parameters in single and dual tasks compared to low-Barthel patients, who exhibited decreased gait performances despite a higher PFC activation, especially in the unaffected side (P < 0.001). PFC overactivation in less functional subacute stroke patients may be due to the loss of stepping automaticity. Our results underline the interest of proposing rehabilitation programs focused on walking, especially for patients with low functional capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Hermand
- Laboratoire EA6310 HAVAE "Handicap, Activité, Vieillissement, Autonomie, Environnement," Université de Limoges, Limoges, France.,Laboratoire EA 7369 URePSSS "Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Sport, Santé, Société", Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France
| | - Maxence Compagnat
- Laboratoire EA6310 HAVAE "Handicap, Activité, Vieillissement, Autonomie, Environnement," Université de Limoges, Limoges, France.,Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation, CHU de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Olivier Dupuy
- Laboratoire EA6314 MOVE "Mobilité Vieillissement et Exercice, " Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Jean-Yves Salle
- Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation, CHU de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Daviet
- Laboratoire EA6310 HAVAE "Handicap, Activité, Vieillissement, Autonomie, Environnement," Université de Limoges, Limoges, France.,Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation, CHU de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Anaick Perrochon
- Laboratoire EA6310 HAVAE "Handicap, Activité, Vieillissement, Autonomie, Environnement," Université de Limoges, Limoges, France
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12
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Menant JC, Maidan I, Alcock L, Al-Yahya E, Cerasa A, Clark DJ, de Bruin ED, Fraser S, Gramigna V, Hamacher D, Herold F, Holtzer R, Izzetoglu M, Lim S, Pantall A, Pelicioni P, Peters S, Rosso AL, St George R, Stuart S, Vasta R, Vitorio R, Mirelman A. A consensus guide to using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in posture and gait research. Gait Posture 2020; 82:254-265. [PMID: 32987345 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is increasingly used in the field of posture and gait to investigate patterns of cortical brain activation while people move freely. fNIRS methods, analysis and reporting of data vary greatly across studies which in turn can limit the replication of research, interpretation of findings and comparison across works. RESEARCH QUESTION AND METHODS Considering these issues, we propose a set of practical recommendations for the conduct and reporting of fNIRS studies in posture and gait, acknowledging specific challenges related to clinical groups with posture and gait disorders. RESULTS Our paper is organized around three main sections: 1) hardware set up and study protocols, 2) artefact removal and data processing and, 3) outcome measures, validity and reliability; it is supplemented with a detailed checklist. SIGNIFICANCE This paper was written by a core group of members of the International Society for Posture and Gait Research and posture and gait researchers, all experienced in fNIRS research, with the intent of assisting the research community to lead innovative and impactful fNIRS studies in the field of posture and gait, whilst ensuring standardization of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine C Menant
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Inbal Maidan
- Laboratory for Early Markers of Neurodegeneration (LEMON), Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition, and Mobility (CMCM), Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel; Department of Neurology, Sackler School of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lisa Alcock
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Emad Al-Yahya
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; Movement Science Group, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Antonio Cerasa
- IRIB, National Research Council, Mangone, CS, Italy; S. Anna Institute and Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation (RAN), Crotone, Italy
| | - David J Clark
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Eling D de Bruin
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland; Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Sarah Fraser
- École interdisciplinaire des sciences de la santé (Interdisciplinary School of Health sciences), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vera Gramigna
- Neuroscience Research Center, "Magna Graecia" University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Dennis Hamacher
- German University for Health and Sports, (DHGS), Berlin, Germany
| | - Fabian Herold
- Research Group Neuroprotection, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Otto Von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Roee Holtzer
- Yeshiva University, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Meltem Izzetoglu
- Villanova University, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Villanova, PA, USA
| | - Shannon Lim
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Annette Pantall
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Paulo Pelicioni
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sue Peters
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Rehabilitation Research Program, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Andrea L Rosso
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Rebecca St George
- Sensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Group, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Samuel Stuart
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Roberta Vasta
- Neuroscience Research Center, "Magna Graecia" University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Rodrigo Vitorio
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anat Mirelman
- Laboratory for Early Markers of Neurodegeneration (LEMON), Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition, and Mobility (CMCM), Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel; Department of Neurology, Sackler School of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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13
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Mild Cognitive Impairments Attenuate Prefrontal Cortex Activations during Walking in Older Adults. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10070415. [PMID: 32630216 PMCID: PMC7407944 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10070415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of Mild Cognitive Impairments (MCI) is associated with worse gait performance. However, the effect of MCI on cortical control of gait, as assessed during active walking, is unknown. We hypothesized that MCI would be associated with attenuated activations and limited improvement in efficiency in the Prefrontal cortex (PFC) under cognitively-demanding walking conditions. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to assess Oxygenated Hemoglobin (HbO2) in the PFC during Single-Task-Walk (STW), cognitive interference (Alpha) and Dual-Task-Walk (DTW) conditions. Three repeated trials in each experimental condition were administered. Healthy control (n = 71; mean age = 76.82 ± 6.21 years; %female = 50.7) and MCI (n = 11; mean age = 78.27 ± 4.31 years; %female = 45.5) participants were included. The increase in HbO2 from STW to DTW was attenuated among MCI participants compared to controls (estimate = 0.505; p = 0.001). Whereas, among controls, HbO2 increased from Alpha to DTW, the opposite was observed among MCI participants (estimate = 0.903; p < 0.001). In DTW, the decline in HbO2 from trial 1 to 2 was attenuated in MCI participants compared to controls (estimate = 0.397; p = 0.008). Moreover, whereas HbO2 declined from trial 1 to 3 among controls, MCI participants showed the opposite trend (estimate = 0.946; p < 0.001). MCI was associated with attenuated brain activation patterns and compromised ability to improve PFC efficiency during dual-task walking.
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14
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Udina C, Avtzi S, Durduran T, Holtzer R, Rosso AL, Castellano-Tejedor C, Perez LM, Soto-Bagaria L, Inzitari M. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Study Cerebral Hemodynamics in Older Adults During Cognitive and Motor Tasks: A Review. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 11:367. [PMID: 32038224 PMCID: PMC6985209 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The integrity of the frontal areas of the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, are critical to preserve cognition and mobility in late life. Prefrontal cortex regions are involved in executive functions and gait control and have been related to the performance of dual-tasks. Dual-task performance assessment may help identify older adults at risk of negative health outcomes. As an alternative to neuroimaging techniques that do not allow assessment during actual motion, functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive technique that can assess neural activation through the measurement of cortical oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin levels, while the person is performing a motor task in a natural environment as well as during cognitive tasks. The aim of this review was to describe the use of fNIRS to study frontal lobe hemodynamics during cognitive, motor and dual-tasks in older adults. From the 46 included publications, 20 studies used only cognitive tasks, three studies used motor tasks and 23 used dual-tasks. Our findings suggest that fNIRS detects changes in frontal activation in older adults (cognitively healthy and mild cognitive impairment), especially while performing cognitive and dual-tasks. In both the comparison between older and younger adults, and in people with different neurological conditions, compared to healthier controls, the prefrontal cortex seems to experience a higher activation, which could be interpreted in the context of proposed neural inefficiency and limited capacity models. Further research is needed to establish standardized fNIRS protocols, study the cerebral hemodynamic in different neurological and systemic conditions that might influence cortical activation and explore its role in predicting incident health outcomes such as dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Udina
- Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain.,RE-FiT Barcelona Research Group, Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Research, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stella Avtzi
- Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Turgut Durduran
- Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roee Holtzer
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Andrea L Rosso
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Carmina Castellano-Tejedor
- Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain.,RE-FiT Barcelona Research Group, Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Research, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura-Monica Perez
- Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain.,RE-FiT Barcelona Research Group, Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Research, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Soto-Bagaria
- Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain.,RE-FiT Barcelona Research Group, Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Research, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marco Inzitari
- Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain.,RE-FiT Barcelona Research Group, Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Research, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Guidetti G, Guidetti R, Manfredi M, Manfredi M. Vestibular pathology and spatial working memory. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 40:72-78. [PMID: 31388191 PMCID: PMC7147543 DOI: 10.14639/0392-100x-2189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marco Manfredi
- Vertigo Centre, Poliambulatorio Chirurgico Modenese, Italy
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16
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Bauer E, Sammer G, Toepper M. Performance Level and Cortical Atrophy Modulate the Neural Response to Increasing Working Memory Load in Younger and Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:265. [PMID: 30254582 PMCID: PMC6141635 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that the neural response to increasing working memory (WM) load is modulated by age and performance level. For a valid interpretation of these effects, however, it is important to understand, whether and how they are related to gray matter atrophy. In the current work, we therefore used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to examine the association between age, performance level, spatial WM load-related brain activation and gray matter volume in 18 younger high-performers (YHP), 17 younger low-performers (YLP), 17 older high-performers (OHP), and 18 older low-performers (OLP). In multiple sub regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), load-related activation followed a linear trend with increasing activation at increasing load in all experimental groups. Results did not reveal differences between the sub groups. Older adults additionally showed a pattern of increasing activation from low to medium load but stable or even decreasing activation from medium to high load in other sub regions of the PFC (quadratic trend). Quadratic trend related brain activation was higher in older than in younger adults and in OLP compared to OHP. In OLP, quadratic trend related brain activation was negatively correlated with both performance accuracy and prefrontal gray matter volume. The results suggest an efficient upregulation of multiple PFC areas as response to increasing WM load in younger and older adults. Older adults and particularly OLP additionally show dysfunctional response patterns (i.e., enhanced quadratic trend related brain activation compared to younger adults and OHP, respectively) in other PFC clusters being associated with gray matter atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bauer
- Cognitive Neuroscience at the Centre for Psychiatry, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gebhard Sammer
- Cognitive Neuroscience at the Centre for Psychiatry, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Max Toepper
- Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Evangelisches Klinikum Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany.,Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Evangelisches Klinikum Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany
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17
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Holtzer R, Schoen C, Demetriou E, Mahoney JR, Izzetoglu M, Wang C, Verghese J. Stress and gender effects on prefrontal cortex oxygenation levels assessed during single and dual-task walking conditions. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:660-670. [PMID: 28028863 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability to walk is critical for functional independence and wellbeing. The pre-frontal cortex (PFC) plays a key role in cognitive control of locomotion, notably under attention-demanding conditions. Factors that influence brain responses to cognitive demands of locomotion, however, are poorly understood. Herein, we evaluated the individual and combined effects of gender and perceived stress on stride velocity and PFC Oxygenated Hemoglobin (HbO2 ) assessed during single and dual-task walking conditions. The experimental paradigm included Normal Walk (NW); Cognitive Interference (Alpha); and Walk-While-Talk (WWT) tasks. An instrumented walkway was used to assess stride velocity in NW and WWT conditions. Functional Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to quantify PFC HbO2 levels during NW, Alpha and WWT. Perceived task-related stress was evaluated with a single 11-point scale item. Participants were community residing older adults (age = 76.8 ± 6.7 years; %female = 56). Results revealed that higher perceived stress was associated with greater decline in stride velocity from single to dual-task conditions among men. Three-way interactions revealed that gender moderated the effect of perceived stress on changes in HbO2 levels comparing WWT to NW and Alpha. Attenuation in the increase in HbO2 levels, in high compared to low perceived stress levels, from the two single task conditions to WWT was observed only in men. Thus, older men may be more vulnerable to the effect of perceived stress on the change in PFC oxygenation levels across walking conditions that vary in terms of cognitive demands. These findings confer important implications for assessment and treatment of individuals at risk of mobility impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roee Holtzer
- Department of Neurology, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Van Etten, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Chelsea Schoen
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Eleni Demetriou
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jeannette R Mahoney
- Department of Neurology, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Van Etten, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Meltem Izzetoglu
- Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cuiling Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joe Verghese
- Department of Neurology, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Van Etten, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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18
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Toepper M. Dissociating Normal Aging from Alzheimer's Disease: A View from Cognitive Neuroscience. J Alzheimers Dis 2017; 57:331-352. [PMID: 28269778 PMCID: PMC5366251 DOI: 10.3233/jad-161099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Both normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with changes in cognition, grey and white matter volume, white matter integrity, neural activation, functional connectivity, and neurotransmission. Obviously, all of these changes are more pronounced in AD and proceed faster providing the basis for an AD diagnosis. Since these differences are quantitative, however, it was hypothesized that AD might simply reflect an accelerated aging process. The present article highlights the different neurocognitive changes associated with normal aging and AD and shows that, next to quantitative differences, there are multiple qualitative differences as well. These differences comprise different neurocognitive dissociations as different cognitive deficit profiles, different weights of grey and white matter atrophy, and different gradients of structural decline. These qualitative differences clearly indicate that AD cannot be simply described as accelerated aging process but on the contrary represents a solid entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Toepper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel, Research Division, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Bielefeld (EvKB), Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Bielefeld (EvKB), Bielefeld, Germany
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19
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Fernández-Cabello S, Valls-Pedret C, Schurz M, Vidal-Piñeiro D, Sala-Llonch R, Bargallo N, Ros E, Bartrés-Faz D. White matter hyperintensities and cognitive reserve during a working memory task: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in cognitively normal older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2016; 48:23-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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20
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Fulton SE, Lister JJ, Bush ALH, Edwards JD, Andel R. Mechanisms of the Hearing-Cognition Relationship. Semin Hear 2016; 36:140-9. [PMID: 27516714 DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1555117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This review provides a description of age-related changes in hearing and cognition, the relationship between hearing and cognition, and several potential mechanisms that underlie the relationship. Several studies have shown a significant relationship between peripheral hearing loss and cognitive impairment/decline but other studies have not. Furthermore, poor performance on measures of central auditory processing has been significantly associated with cognitive impairment. Important to understanding these relationships are the nature of the underlying mechanisms. Possible mechanisms are overdiagnosis, widespread neural degeneration, sensory degradation/deprivation, cognitive resource allocation/depletion, and social isolation/depression. Overdiagnosis occurs when hearing loss impacts tests of cognitive function or vice versa. Widespread neural degeneration can impact hearing, cognition, or both. Sensory degradation/deprivation due to hearing loss can result in neural degradation and reduced cognitive function. Increased demands due to hearing loss can result in changes in neural resource allocation, reducing available resources for cognitive function. Finally, hearing difficulties can cause social isolation and even depression, increasing the risk for cognitive decline. Data from our laboratory provide support for cognitive resource allocation/depletion. Understanding all five of these mechanisms will advance the development of effective interventions and treatments, thereby enhancing the quality of life of older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Fulton
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, Florida
| | | | | | | | - Ross Andel
- University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
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21
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The role of prefrontal cortex during postural control in Parkinsonian syndromes a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. Brain Res 2015; 1633:126-138. [PMID: 26551767 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.10.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Postural instability represents a main source of disability in Parkinsonian syndromes and its pathophysiology is poorly understood. Indirect probes (i.e., mental imagery) of brain involvement support the role of prefrontal cortex as a key cortical region for postural control in older adults with and without Parkinsonian syndromes. Using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs) as a direct online cortical probe, this study aimed to compare neural activation patterns in prefrontal cortex, postural stability, and their respective interactions, in (1) patients with Parkinsonian syndromes; (2) those with mild parkinsonian signs; (3) and healthy older adults. Among 269 non-demented older adults (76.41 ± 6.70 years, 56% women), 26 individuals presented with Parkinsonian syndromes (Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS): 11.08 ± 3.60), 117 had mild parkinsonian signs (UPDRS: 3.21 ± 2.49), and 126 individuals were included as a healthy control group. Participants were asked to stand upright and count silently for ten seconds while changes in oxygenated hemoglobin levels over prefrontal cortex were measured using fNIRs. We simultaneously evaluated postural stability with center of pressure velocity data recorded on an instrumented walkway. Compared to healthy controls and patients with mild parkinsonian signs, patients with Parkinsonian syndromes demonstrated significantly higher prefrontal oxygenation levels to maintain postural stability. The pattern of brain activation and postural control of participants with mild parkinsonian signs were similar to that of normal controls. These findings highlight the online role of the prefrontal cortex in postural control in patients with Parkinsonian syndromes and afford the opportunity to improve therapeutic options for postural instability.
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22
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Working memory activation of neural networks in the elderly as a function of information processing phase and task complexity. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 125:211-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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23
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Trying to Put the Puzzle Together: Age and Performance Level Modulate the Neural Response to Increasing Task Load within Left Rostral Prefrontal Cortex. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:415458. [PMID: 26558269 PMCID: PMC4617870 DOI: 10.1155/2015/415458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Age-related working memory decline is associated with functional cerebral changes within prefrontal cortex (PFC). Kind and meaning of these changes are heavily discussed since they depend on performance level and task load. Hence, we investigated the effects of age, performance level, and load on spatial working memory retrieval-related brain activation in different subregions of the PFC. 19 younger (Y) and 21 older (O) adults who were further subdivided into high performers (HP) and low performers (LP) performed a modified version of the Corsi Block-Tapping test during fMRI. Brain data was analyzed by a 4 (groups: YHP, OHP, YLP, and OLP) × 3 (load levels: loads 4, 5, and 6) ANOVA. Results revealed significant group × load interaction effects within rostral dorsolateral and ventrolateral PFC. YHP showed a flexible neural upregulation with increasing load, whereas YLP reached a resource ceiling at a moderate load level. OHP showed a similar (though less intense) pattern as YHP and may have compensated age-effects at high task load. OLP showed neural inefficiency at low and no upregulation at higher load. Our findings highlight the relevance of age and performance level for load-dependent activation within rostral PFC. Results are discussed in the context of the compensation-related utilization of neural circuits hypothesis (CRUNCH) and functional PFC organization.
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Martins R, Joanette Y, Monchi O. The implications of age-related neurofunctional compensatory mechanisms in executive function and language processing including the new Temporal Hypothesis for Compensation. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:221. [PMID: 25964754 PMCID: PMC4408858 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As the passage of time structurally alters one’s brain, cognition does not have to suffer the same faith, at least not to the same extent. Indeed, the existence of age-related compensatory mechanisms allow for some cognitive preservation. This paper attempts to coherently review the existing concepts of neurofunctional compensation when applied to two different cognitive domains, namely executive function and language processing. More precisely, we explore the Cognitive reserve (CR) model in healthy aging as well as its two underlying mechanisms: neural reserve and neural compensation. Furthermore, we review the Compensation-Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis as well as the Growing Of Life Differences Explains Normal Aging model. Finally, we propose, based on some functional neuroimaging studies, the existence of another compensatory mechanism characterized by age-related delayed cerebral activation allowing for cognitive performance to be preserved at the expense of speed processing: the Temporal Hypothesis for Compensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Martins
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montreal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Department of psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Joanette
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montreal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Oury Monchi
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montreal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Radiology, and Hotchkiss Bran Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
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25
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Holtzer R, Mahoney JR, Izzetoglu M, Wang C, England S, Verghese J. Online fronto-cortical control of simple and attention-demanding locomotion in humans. Neuroimage 2015; 112:152-159. [PMID: 25765257 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of online functional brain mechanisms of locomotion is scarce due to technical limitations of traditional neuroimaging methods. Using functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) we evaluated task-related changes in oxygenated hemoglobin levels (HbO2) in real-time over the pre-frontal-cortex (PFC) regions during simple (Normal Walk; NW) and attention-demanding (Walking While Talking; WWT) locomotion tasks in a large cohort of non-demented older adults. Results revealed that the assessment of task-related changes in HbO2 was internally consistent. Imposing greater demands on the attention system during locomotion resulted in robust bilateral PFC increases in HbO2 levels during WWT compared to NW and the cognitive interference tasks. Elevated PFC oxygenation levels were maintained throughout the course of WWT but not during the NW condition. Increased oxygenation levels in the PFC were related to greater stride length and better cognitive performance but not to faster gait velocity in WWT. These findings elucidate online brain mechanisms of locomotion, and confer significant implications for risk assessment and intervention for major mobility outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roee Holtzer
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA; Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Jeannette R Mahoney
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Meltem Izzetoglu
- Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cuiling Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Sarah England
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joe Verghese
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
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26
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Speer ME, Soldan A. Cognitive reserve modulates ERPs associated with verbal working memory in healthy younger and older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 36:1424-34. [PMID: 25619663 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although many epidemiological studies suggest the beneficial effects of higher cognitive reserve (CR) in reducing age-related cognitive decline and dementia risk, the neural basis of CR is poorly understood. To our knowledge, the present study represents the first electrophysiological investigation of the relationship between CR and neural reserve (i.e., neural efficiency and capacity). Specifically, we examined whether CR modulates event-related potentials associated with performance on a verbal recognition memory task with 3 set sizes (1, 4, or 7 letters) in healthy younger and older adults. Neural data showed that as task difficulty increased, the amplitude of the parietal P3b component during the probe phase decreased and its latency increased. Notably, the degree of these neural changes was negatively correlated with CR in both age groups, such that individuals with higher CR showed smaller changes in P3b amplitude and less slowing in P3b latency (i.e., smaller changes in the speed of neural processing) with increasing task difficulty, suggesting greater neural efficiency. These CR-related differences in neural efficiency may underlie reserve against neuropathology and age-related burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Speer
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Anja Soldan
- Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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27
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Vermeij A, van Beek AHEA, Reijs BLR, Claassen JAHR, Kessels RPC. An exploratory study of the effects of spatial working-memory load on prefrontal activation in low- and high-performing elderly. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:303. [PMID: 25414665 PMCID: PMC4220690 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Older adults show more bilateral prefrontal activation during cognitive performance than younger adults, who typically show unilateral activation. This over-recruitment has been interpreted as compensation for declining structure and function of the brain. Here we examined how the relationship between behavioral performance and prefrontal activation is modulated by different levels of working-memory load. Eighteen healthy older adults (70.8 ± 5.0 years; MMSE 29.3 ± 0.9) performed a spatial working-memory task (n-back). Oxygenated ([O2Hb]) and deoxygenated ([HHb]) hemoglobin concentration changes were registered by two functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) channels located over the left and right prefrontal cortex. Increased working-memory load resulted in worse performance compared to the control condition. [O2Hb] increased with rising working-memory load in both fNIRS channels. Based on the performance in the high working-memory load condition, the group was divided into low and high performers. A significant interaction effect of performance level and hemisphere on [O2Hb] increase was found, indicating that high performers were better able to keep the right prefrontal cortex engaged under high cognitive demand. Furthermore, in the low performers group, individuals with a larger decline in task performance from the control to the high working-memory load condition had a larger bilateral increase of [O2Hb]. The high performers did not show a correlation between performance decline and working-memory load related prefrontal activation changes. Thus, additional bilateral prefrontal activation in low performers did not necessarily result in better cognitive performance. Our study showed that bilateral prefrontal activation may not always be successfully compensatory. Individual behavioral performance should be taken into account to be able to distinguish successful and unsuccessful compensation or declined neural efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk Vermeij
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands ; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Arenda H E A van Beek
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Babette L R Reijs
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jurgen A H R Claassen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands ; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Roy P C Kessels
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands ; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands ; Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
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28
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Meusel LAC, Kansal N, Tchistiakova E, Yuen W, MacIntosh BJ, Greenwood CE, Anderson ND. A systematic review of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in imaging studies of cognitive aging: time to establish new norms. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:148. [PMID: 25071557 PMCID: PMC4085499 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and hypertension in older adults, and the deleterious effect of these conditions on cerebrovascular and brain health, is creating a growing discrepancy between the "typical" cognitive aging trajectory and a "healthy" cognitive aging trajectory. These changing health demographics make T2DM and hypertension important topics of study in their own right, and warrant attention from the perspective of cognitive aging neuroimaging research. Specifically, interpretation of individual or group differences in blood oxygenation level dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET H2O(15)) signals as reflective of differences in neural activation underlying a cognitive operation of interest requires assumptions of intact vascular health amongst the study participants. Without adequate screening, inclusion of individuals with T2DM or hypertension in "healthy" samples may introduce unwanted variability and bias to brain and/or cognitive measures, and increase potential for error. We conducted a systematic review of the cognitive aging neuroimaging literature to document the extent to which researchers account for these conditions. Of the 232 studies selected for review, few explicitly excluded individuals with T2DM (9%) or hypertension (13%). A large portion had exclusion criteria that made it difficult to determine whether T2DM or hypertension were excluded (44 and 37%), and many did not mention any selection criteria related to T2DM or hypertension (34 and 22%). Of all the surveyed studies, only 29% acknowledged or addressed the potential influence of intersubject vascular variability on the measured BOLD or PET signals. To reinforce the notion that individuals with T2DM and hypertension should not be overlooked as a potential source of bias, we also provide an overview of metabolic and vascular changes associated with T2DM and hypertension, as they relate to cerebrovascular and brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nisha Kansal
- Baycrest Centre, Rotman Research Institute Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ekaterina Tchistiakova
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery Toronto, ON, Canada ; Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - William Yuen
- Baycrest Centre, Rotman Research Institute Toronto, ON, Canada ; Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bradley J MacIntosh
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery Toronto, ON, Canada ; Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carol E Greenwood
- Baycrest Centre, Rotman Research Institute Toronto, ON, Canada ; Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole D Anderson
- Baycrest Centre, Rotman Research Institute Toronto, ON, Canada ; Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
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The impact of age on prefrontal cortex integrity during spatial working memory retrieval. Neuropsychologia 2014; 59:157-68. [PMID: 24825744 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Healthy aging is accompanied by a decline in spatial working memory that is related to functional cerebral changes within the spatial working memory network. In the last decade, important findings were presented concerning the location (e.g., prefrontal), kind (e.g., 'underactivation,' 'overactivation'), and meaning (e.g., functional deficits, compensation) of these changes. Less is known about how functional connections between specific brain regions are affected by age and how these changes are related to behavioral performance. To address these issues, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine retrieval-related brain activation and functional connectivity in 18 younger individuals and 18 older individuals. We assessed working memory with a modified version of the Corsi Block-Tapping test, which requires the storage and reproduction of spatial target sequences. Analyses of group differences in brain activation and functional connectivity included comparisons between younger individuals, older individuals, older high-performers, and older low-performers. In addition, we conducted a functional connectivity analysis by using a seed region approach. In comparison to younger individuals, older individuals showed lower right-hemispheric dorsolateral prefrontal activation and lower functional connectivity between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex. Older high-performers showed higher right dorsolateral and anterior prefrontal cortex activation than older low-performers, as well as higher functional connectivity between these brain regions. The present results suggest age-related reductions of prefrontal activation during spatial working memory retrieval. Moreover, task-related functional connectivity appears to be lower in older adults. Performance accuracy in older adults is associated with right dorsolateral and anterior prefrontal cortex activation, and with the functional connection between these regions.
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30
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Holtzer R, Epstein N, Mahoney JR, Izzetoglu M, Blumen HM. Neuroimaging of mobility in aging: a targeted review. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2014; 69:1375-88. [PMID: 24739495 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glu052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between mobility and cognition in aging is well established, but the relationship between mobility and the structure and function of the aging brain is relatively unknown. This, in part, is attributed to the technological limitations of most neuroimaging procedures, which require the individual to be immobile or in a supine position. Herein, we provide a targeted review of neuroimaging studies of mobility in aging to promote (i) a better understanding of this relationship, (ii) future research in this area, and (iii) development of applications for improving mobility. METHODS A systematic search of peer-reviewed studies was performed using PubMed. Search terms included (i) aging, older adults, or elderly; (ii) gait, walking, balance, or mobility; and (iii) magnetic resonance imaging, voxel-based morphometry, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, diffusion tensor imaging, positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, event-related potential, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS Poor mobility outcomes were reliably associated with reduced gray and white matter volume. Fewer studies examined the relationship between changes in task-related brain activation and mobility performance. Extant findings, however, showed that activation patterns in the cerebellum, basal ganglia, parietal and frontal cortices were related to mobility. Increased involvement of the prefrontal cortex was evident in both imagined walking conditions and conditions where the cognitive demands of locomotion were increased. CONCLUSIONS Cortical control of gait in aging is bilateral, widespread, and dependent on the integrity of both gray and white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roee Holtzer
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York. Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York.
| | - Noah Epstein
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York
| | - Jeannette R Mahoney
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York
| | - Meltem Izzetoglu
- Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Helena M Blumen
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York
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31
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Blumen HM, Holtzer R, Brown LL, Gazes Y, Verghese J. Behavioral and neural correlates of imagined walking and walking-while-talking in the elderly. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:4090-104. [PMID: 24522972 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognition is important for locomotion and gait decline increases the risk for morbidity, mortality, cognitive decline, and dementia. Yet, the neural correlates of gait are not well established, because most neuroimaging methods cannot image the brain during locomotion. Imagined gait protocols overcome this limitation. This study examined the behavioral and neural correlates of a new imagined gait protocol that involved imagined walking (iW), imagined talking (iT), and imagined walking-while-talking (iWWT). In Experiment 1, 82 cognitively-healthy older adults (M=80.45) walked (W), iW, walked while talking (WWT) and iWWT. Real and imagined walking task times were strongly correlated, particularly real and imagined dual-task times (WWT and iWWT). In Experiment 2, 33 cognitively-healthy older adults (M=73.03) iW, iT, and iWWT during functional magnetic resonance imaging. A multivariate Ordinal Trend (OrT) Covariance analysis identified a pattern of brain regions that: (1) varied as a function of imagery task difficulty (iW, iT and iWWT), (2) involved cerebellar, precuneus, supplementary motor and other prefrontal regions, and (3) were associated with kinesthetic imagery ratings and behavioral performance during actual WWT. This is the first study to compare the behavioral and neural correlates of imagined gait in single and dual-task situations, an issue that is particularly relevant to elderly populations. These initial findings encourage further research and development of this imagined gait protocol as a tool for improving gait and cognition among the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena M Blumen
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
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32
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Toepper M, Gebhardt H, Bauer E, Haberkamp A, Beblo T, Gallhofer B, Driessen M, Sammer G. The impact of age on load-related dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:9. [PMID: 24550826 PMCID: PMC3913830 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging is accompanied by working memory-related functional cerebral changes. Depending on performance accuracy and the level of working memory demands, older adults show task-related patterns of either increased or decreased activation compared to younger adults. Controversies remain concerning the interpretation of these changes and whether they already manifest in earlier decades of life. To address these issues, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine brain activation during spatial working memory retrieval in 45 healthy individuals between 20 and 68 years of age. Participants performed a modified version of the Corsi Block-Tapping test (CBT). The CBT requires the storage and subsequent reproduction of spatial target sequences and allows modulating working memory load by a variation of sequence length. Results revealed that activation intensity at the lowest CBT load level increased with increasing age and positively correlated with the number of errors. At higher CBT load levels, activation intensity decreased with increasing age together with a disproportional accuracy decline on the behavioral level. Moreover, results suggests that younger individuals showed higher activation intensity at high CBT load than at low CBT load switching to the opposite pattern at an age of about 40 years. Consistent with the assumptions of the Compensation-Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH), the present results reveal specific age-related alterations in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation in response to increasing task load. Specifically, the results point toward increasing neural inefficiency with age at low task load and a progressive limitation of resources with age at higher task load. The present findings argue for an increasing functional cerebral dysfunction over a time span of 50 years that may partly be compensated on the behavioral level until a resource ceiling is approached.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Toepper
- Research Department, Evangelic Hospital Bielefeld (EvKB) Bielefeld, Germany ; Cognitive Neuroscience at Centre for Psychiatry, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany
| | - Helge Gebhardt
- Cognitive Neuroscience at Centre for Psychiatry, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany ; Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany
| | - Eva Bauer
- Cognitive Neuroscience at Centre for Psychiatry, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany
| | - Anke Haberkamp
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Beblo
- Research Department, Evangelic Hospital Bielefeld (EvKB) Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bernd Gallhofer
- Cognitive Neuroscience at Centre for Psychiatry, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany
| | - Martin Driessen
- Research Department, Evangelic Hospital Bielefeld (EvKB) Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Gebhard Sammer
- Cognitive Neuroscience at Centre for Psychiatry, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany ; Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany
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Klaassen EB, Evers EA, de Groot RH, Backes WH, Veltman DJ, Jolles J. Working memory in middle-aged males: Age-related brain activation changes and cognitive fatigue effects. Biol Psychol 2014; 96:134-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 10/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Scheller E, Abdulkadir A, Peter J, Tabrizi SJ, Frackowiak RSJ, Klöppel S. Interregional compensatory mechanisms of motor functioning in progressing preclinical neurodegeneration. Neuroimage 2013; 75:146-154. [PMID: 23501047 PMCID: PMC3899022 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.02.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding brain reserve in preclinical stages of neurodegenerative disorders allows determination of which brain regions contribute to normal functioning despite accelerated neuronal loss. Besides the recruitment of additional regions, a reorganisation and shift of relevance between normally engaged regions are a suggested key mechanism. Thus, network analysis methods seem critical for investigation of changes in directed causal interactions between such candidate brain regions. To identify core compensatory regions, fifteen preclinical patients carrying the genetic mutation leading to Huntington's disease and twelve controls underwent fMRI scanning. They accomplished an auditory paced finger sequence tapping task, which challenged cognitive as well as executive aspects of motor functioning by varying speed and complexity of movements. To investigate causal interactions among brain regions a single Dynamic Causal Model (DCM) was constructed and fitted to the data from each subject. The DCM parameters were analysed using statistical methods to assess group differences in connectivity, and the relationship between connectivity patterns and predicted years to clinical onset was assessed in gene carriers. In preclinical patients, we found indications for neural reserve mechanisms predominantly driven by bilateral dorsal premotor cortex, which increasingly activated superior parietal cortices the closer individuals were to estimated clinical onset. This compensatory mechanism was restricted to complex movements characterised by high cognitive demand. Additionally, we identified task-induced connectivity changes in both groups of subjects towards pre- and caudal supplementary motor areas, which were linked to either faster or more complex task conditions. Interestingly, coupling of dorsal premotor cortex and supplementary motor area was more negative in controls compared to gene mutation carriers. Furthermore, changes in the connectivity pattern of gene carriers allowed prediction of the years to estimated disease onset in individuals. Our study characterises the connectivity pattern of core cortical regions maintaining motor function in relation to varying task demand. We identified connections of bilateral dorsal premotor cortex as critical for compensation as well as task-dependent recruitment of pre- and caudal supplementary motor area. The latter finding nicely mirrors a previously published general linear model-based analysis of the same data. Such knowledge about disease specific inter-regional effective connectivity may help identify foci for interventions based on transcranial magnetic stimulation designed to stimulate functioning and also to predict their impact on other regions in motor-associated networks. Connectivity of a motor network is altered in preclinical neurodegeneration. Dynamic Causal Modelling reveals task-dependent recruitment of pre- and caudal SMA. Connectivity of the dorsal premotor cortex reveals compensatory mechanisms. DCM allows prediction of years to clinical onset in preclinical patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Scheller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 8, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Ahmed Abdulkadir
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jessica Peter
- Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 8, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N3BG, UK
| | - Richard S J Frackowiak
- Département des Neurosciences Cliniques, CHUV, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Klöppel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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Hedden T, Van Dijk KRA, Shire EH, Sperling RA, Johnson KA, Buckner RL. Failure to modulate attentional control in advanced aging linked to white matter pathology. Cereb Cortex 2012; 22:1038-51. [PMID: 21765181 PMCID: PMC3328340 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhr172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced aging is associated with reduced attentional control and less flexible information processing. Here, the origins of these cognitive effects were explored using a functional magnetic resonance imaging task that systematically varied demands to shift attention and inhibit irrelevant information across task blocks. Prefrontal and parietal regions previously implicated in attentional control were recruited by the task and most so for the most demanding task configurations. A subset of older individuals did not modulate activity in frontal and parietal regions in response to changing task requirements. Older adults who did not dynamically modulate activity underperformed their peers and scored more poorly on neuropsychological measures of executive function and speed of processing. Examining 2 markers of preclinical pathology in older adults revealed that white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), but not high amyloid burden, were associated with failure to modulate activity in response to changing task demands. In contrast, high amyloid burden was associated with alterations in default network activity. These results suggest failure to modulate frontal and parietal activity reflects a disruptive process in advanced aging associated with specific neuropathologic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trey Hedden
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
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Stern Y, Rakitin BC, Habeck C, Gazes Y, Steffener J, Kumar A, Reuben A. Task difficulty modulates young-old differences in network expression. Brain Res 2011; 1435:130-45. [PMID: 22197699 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.11.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2010] [Revised: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The extent of task-related fMRI activation can vary as a function of task difficulty. Also the efficiency or capacity of the brain networks underlying task performance can change with aging. We asked whether the expression of a network underlying task performance would differ as a function of task demand in old and young individuals. 26 younger and 23 older healthy adults performed a delayed item recognition task that used the response signal method to parametrically manipulate the extrinsic difficulty of the task by imposing five different deadlines for recognition response. Both age groups showed a speed-accuracy trade-off, but the younger group achieved greater discriminability at the longer deadlines. We identified a spatial pattern of fMRI activation during the probe phase whose expression increased as the response deadline shortened and the task became more difficult. This pattern was expressed to a greater degree by the old group at the long deadlines, when the task was easiest. By contrast, this pattern was expressed to a greater degree by the younger group at the short deadlines, when the task was hardest. This suggests reduced efficiency and capacity of this network in older subjects. These findings suggest that neuroimaging studies comparing task-related activation across groups with different cognitive abilities must be interpreted in light of the relative difficulty of the task for each group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College ofPhysicians and Surgeons, 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Exploring the neural basis of cognitive reserve in aging. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2011; 1822:467-73. [PMID: 21982946 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Revised: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 09/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The concept of reserve arose from the mismatch between the extent of brain changes or pathology and the clinical manifestations of these brain changes. The cognitive reserve hypothesis posits that individual differences in the flexibility and adaptability of brain networks underlying cognitive function may allow some people to cope better with brain changes than others. Although there is ample epidemiologic evidence for cognitive reserve, the neural substrate of reserve is still a topic of ongoing research. Here we review some representative studies from our group that exemplify possibilities for the neural substrate of reserve including neural reserve, neural compensation, and generalized cognitive reserve networks. We also present a schematic overview of our ongoing research in this area. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Imaging Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative disease.
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Mahoney JR, Li PCC, Oh-Park M, Verghese J, Holtzer R. Multisensory integration across the senses in young and old adults. Brain Res 2011; 1426:43-53. [PMID: 22024545 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2011] [Revised: 09/09/2011] [Accepted: 09/12/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Stimuli are processed concurrently and across multiple sensory inputs. Here we directly compared the effect of multisensory integration (MSI) on reaction time across three paired sensory inputs in eighteen young (M=19.17 years) and eighteen old (M=76.44 years) individuals. Participants were determined to be non-demented and without any medical or psychiatric conditions that would affect their performance. Participants responded to randomly presented unisensory (auditory, visual, somatosensory) stimuli and three paired sensory inputs consisting of auditory-somatosensory (AS) auditory-visual (AV) and visual-somatosensory (VS) stimuli. Results revealed that reaction time (RT) to all multisensory pairings was significantly faster than those elicited to the constituent unisensory conditions across age groups; findings that could not be accounted for by simple probability summation. Both young and old participants responded the fastest to multisensory pairings containing somatosensory input. Compared to younger adults, older adults demonstrated a significantly greater RT benefit when processing concurrent VS information. In terms of co-activation, older adults demonstrated a significant increase in the magnitude of visual-somatosensory co-activation (i.e., multisensory integration), while younger adults demonstrated a significant increase in the magnitude of auditory-visual and auditory-somatosensory co-activation. This study provides first evidence in support of the facilitative effect of pairing somatosensory with visual stimuli in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannette R Mahoney
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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Turner GR, Spreng RN. Executive functions and neurocognitive aging: dissociable patterns of brain activity. Neurobiol Aging 2011; 33:826.e1-13. [PMID: 21791362 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2011] [Revised: 05/24/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies of neurocognitive aging report altered patterns of brain activity in older versus younger adults performing executive function tasks. We review the extant literature, using activation likelihood estimation meta-analytic methods, to compare age-related differences in the pattern of brain activity across studies examining 2 categories of tasks associated with executive control processing: working memory and inhibition. In a direct contrast of young and older adult activations, older adults engaged bilateral regions of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as well as supplementary motor cortex and left inferior parietal lobule during working memory. In contrast, age-related changes during inhibitory control were observed in right inferior frontal gyrus and presupplementary motor area. Additionally, when we examined task-related differences within each age group we observed the predicted pattern of differentiated neural response in the younger subjects: lateral prefrontal cortex activity associated with working memory versus right anterior insula/frontal opercular activity associated with inhibition. This separation was largely maintained in older subjects. These data provide the first quantitative meta-analytic evidence that age-related patterns of functional brain change during executive functioning depend on the specific control process being challenged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary R Turner
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Eyler LT, Sherzai A, Kaup AR, Jeste DV. A review of functional brain imaging correlates of successful cognitive aging. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 70:115-22. [PMID: 21316037 PMCID: PMC3641853 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2010] [Revised: 12/04/2010] [Accepted: 12/13/2010] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Preserved cognitive performance is a key feature of successful aging. Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain the putative underlying relationship between brain function and performance. We aimed to review imaging studies of the association between brain functional response and cognitive performance among healthy younger and older adults to understand the neural correlates of successful cognitive aging. MEDLINE-indexed articles published between January 1989 and December 2009 and bibliographies of these articles and related reviews were searched. Studies that measured brain function with functional magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography, evaluated cognitive performance, analyzed how cognitive performance related to brain response, and studied healthy older individuals were included. Eighty of 550 articles met these criteria. Seventy percent of the studies reported some brain regions in which greater activation related to better cognitive performance among older participants. This association was not universal, however, and was seen mainly in frontal cortex brain response and seemed to be more common among older compared with younger individuals. This review supports the notion of compensatory increases in brain activity in old age resulting in better cognitive performance, as suggested by hemispheric asymmetry reduction and posterior-anterior shift models of functional brain aging. However, a simple model of bigger structure → greater brain response → better cognitive performance might not be accurate. Suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa T Eyler
- Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
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Lin FR, Metter EJ, O'Brien RJ, Resnick SM, Zonderman AB, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and incident dementia. ARCHIVES OF NEUROLOGY 2011; 68:214-20. [PMID: 21320988 PMCID: PMC3277836 DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2010.362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 827] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether hearing loss is associated with incident all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN Prospective study of 639 individuals who underwent audiometric testing and were dementia free in 1990 to 1994. Hearing loss was defined by a pure-tone average of hearing thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in the better-hearing ear (normal, <25 dB [n = 455]; mild loss, 25-40 dB [n = 125]; moderate loss, 41-70 dB [n = 53]; and severe loss, >70 dB [n = 6]). Diagnosis of incident dementia was made by consensus diagnostic conference. Cox proportional hazards models were used to model time to incident dementia according to severity of hearing loss and were adjusted for age, sex, race, education, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and hypertension. SETTING Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. PARTICIPANTS Six hundred thirty-nine individuals aged 36 to 90 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Incident cases of all-cause dementia and AD until May 31, 2008. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 11.9 years, 58 cases of incident all-cause dementia were diagnosed, of which 37 cases were AD. The risk of incident all-cause dementia increased log linearly with the severity of baseline hearing loss (1.27 per 10-dB loss; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.50). Compared with normal hearing, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for incident all-cause dementia was 1.89 (1.00-3.58) for mild hearing loss, 3.00 (1.43-6.30) for moderate hearing loss, and 4.94 (1.09-22.40) for severe hearing loss. The risk of incident AD also increased with baseline hearing loss (1.20 per 10 dB of hearing loss) but with a wider confidence interval (0.94-1.53). CONCLUSIONS Hearing loss is independently associated with incident all-cause dementia. Whether hearing loss is a marker for early-stage dementia or is actually a modifiable risk factor for dementia deserves further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank R Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, JHOC 6120, 601 N Caroline St, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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Bäckman L, Karlsson S, Fischer H, Karlsson P, Brehmer Y, Rieckmann A, MacDonald SWS, Farde L, Nyberg L. Dopamine D(1) receptors and age differences in brain activation during working memory. Neurobiol Aging 2009; 32:1849-56. [PMID: 19962789 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2009.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2009] [Revised: 10/30/2009] [Accepted: 10/31/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In an fMRI study, 20 younger and 20 healthy older adults were scanned while performing a spatial working-memory task under two levels of load. On a separate occasion, the same subjects underwent PET measurements using the radioligand [(11)C] SCH23390 to determine dopamine D(1) receptor binding potential (BP) in caudate nucleus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The fMRI study revealed a significant load modulation of brain activity (higher load>lower load) in frontal and parietal regions for younger, but not older, adults. The PET measurements showed marked age-related reductions of D(1) BP in caudate and DLPFC. Statistical control of caudate and DLPFC D(1) binding eliminated the age-related reduction in load-dependent BOLD signal in left frontal cortex, and attenuated greatly the reduction in right frontal and left parietal cortex. These findings suggest that age-related alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission may contribute to underrecruitment of task-relevant brain regions during working-memory performance in old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Gävlegatan 16, SE-113 30 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Abstract
The concept of reserve has been proposed to account for the disjunction between the degree of brain damage and its clinical outcome. This paper attempts to produce a coherent theoretical account the reserve in general and of cognitive reserve in particular. It reviews epidemiologic data supporting the concept of cognitive reserve, with a particular focus of its implications for aging and dementia. It then focuses on methodologic issues that are important when attempting to elucidate the neural underpinnings of cognitive reserve using imaging studies, and reviews some of our group's work in order to demonstrate these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, United States.
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