1
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Hu JJ, Jiang N, Chen J, Ying P, Kang M, Xu SH, Zou J, Wei H, Ling Q, Shao Y. Altered Regional Homogeneity in Patients With Congenital Blindness: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:925412. [PMID: 35815017 PMCID: PMC9256957 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.925412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients with congenital blindness (CB), the lack of any visual experience may affect brain development resulting in functional, structural, or even psychological changes. Few studies to date have addressed or focused on the synchronicity of regional brain activity in patients with CB. Our study aimed to investigate regional brain activity in patients with CB in a resting state and try to explain the possible causes and effects of any anomalies. Twenty-three CB patients and 23 healthy control (HC) volunteers agreed to undergo resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. After the fMRI data were preprocessed, regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis was conducted to assess the differences in brain activity synchronicity between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to explore whether the brain areas with statistically significant ReHo differences have diagnostic and identification values for CB. All CB patients were also required to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate their anxiety and depression levels. The results showed that in CB patients mean ReHo values were significantly lower than in HCs in the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus (MFGorb), bilateral middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and the right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (SFGdl), but significantly higher in the left paracentral lobule (PCL), right insula and bilateral thalamus. The ReHo value of MFGorb showed a negative linear correlation with both the anxiety score and the depression score of the HADS. ROC curve analysis revealed that the mean ReHo values which differed significantly between the groups have excellent diagnostic accuracy for CB (especially in the left PCL and right SFGdl regions). Patients with CB show abnormalities of ReHo values in several specific brain regions, suggesting potential regional structural changes, functional reorganization, or even psychological effects in these patients. FMRI ReHo analysis may find use as an objective method to confirm CB for medical or legal purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiong-Jiong Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
| | - Ping Ying
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ming Kang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - San-Hua Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jie Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qian Ling
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yi Shao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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2
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Gilissen SRJ, Farrow K, Bonin V, Arckens L. Reconsidering the Border between the Visual and Posterior Parietal Cortex of Mice. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:1675-1692. [PMID: 33159207 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) contributes to multisensory and sensory-motor integration, as well as spatial navigation. Based on primate studies, the PPC is composed of several subdivisions with differing connection patterns, including areas that exhibit retinotopy. In mice the composition of the PPC is still under debate. We propose a revised anatomical delineation in which we classify the higher order visual areas rostrolateral area (RL), anteromedial area (AM), and Medio-Medial-Anterior cortex (MMA) as subregions of the mouse PPC. Retrograde and anterograde tracing revealed connectivity, characteristic for primate PPC, with sensory, retrosplenial, orbitofrontal, cingulate and motor cortex, as well as with several thalamic nuclei and the superior colliculus in the mouse. Regarding cortical input, RL receives major input from the somatosensory barrel field, while AM receives more input from the trunk, whereas MMA receives strong inputs from retrosplenial, cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortices. These input differences suggest that each posterior PPC subregion may have a distinct function. Summarized, we put forward a refined cortical map, including a mouse PPC that contains at least 6 subregions, RL, AM, MMA and PtP, MPta, LPta/A. These anatomical results set the stage for a more detailed understanding about the role that the PPC and its subdivisions play in multisensory integration-based behavior in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R J Gilissen
- KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karl Farrow
- KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.,Imec, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vincent Bonin
- KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.,Imec, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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3
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Evaluating the causal contribution of fronto-parietal cortices to the control of the bottom-up and top-down visual attention using fMRI-guided TMS. Cortex 2020; 126:200-212. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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4
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Murd C, Moisa M, Grueschow M, Polania R, Ruff CC. Causal contributions of human frontal eye fields to distinct aspects of decision formation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7317. [PMID: 32355294 PMCID: PMC7193618 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64064-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Several theories propose that perceptual decision making depends on the gradual accumulation of information that provides evidence in favour of one of the choice-options. The outcome of this temporally extended integration process is thought to be categorized into the 'winning' and 'losing' choice-options for action. Neural correlates of corresponding decision formation processes have been observed in various frontal and parietal brain areas, among them the frontal eye-fields (FEF). However, the specific functional role of the FEFs is debated. Recent studies in humans and rodents provide conflicting accounts, proposing that the FEF either accumulate the choice-relevant information or categorize the outcome of such evidence integration into discrete actions. Here, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on humans to interfere with either left or right FEF activity during different timepoints of perceptual decision-formation. Stimulation of either FEF affected performance only when delivered during information integration but not during subsequent categorical choice. However, the patterns of behavioural changes suggest that the left-FEF contributes to general evidence integration, whereas right-FEF may direct spatial attention to the contralateral hemifield. Taken together, our results indicate an FEF involvement in evidence accumulation but not categorization, and suggest hemispheric lateralization for this function in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Murd
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland. .,Department of Penal Law, School of Law, University of Tartu, Teatri väljak 3, Tallinn, 10143, Estonia.
| | - Marius Moisa
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Grueschow
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Polania
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland.,Decision Neuroscience Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Rämistrasse 101, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Christian C Ruff
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
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5
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Smith DT, Archibald N. Spatial working memory in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Cortex 2020; 122:115-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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6
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Beynel L, Appelbaum LG, Luber B, Crowell CA, Hilbig SA, Lim W, Nguyen D, Chrapliwy NA, Davis SW, Cabeza R, Lisanby SH, Deng ZD. Effects of online repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on cognitive processing: A meta-analysis and recommendations for future studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:47-58. [PMID: 31473301 PMCID: PMC7654714 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Online repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), applied while subjects are performing a task, is widely used to disrupt brain regions underlying cognition. However, online rTMS has also induced "paradoxical enhancement". Given the rapid proliferation of this approach, it is crucial to develop a better understanding of how online stimulation influences cognition, and the optimal parameters to achieve desired effects. To accomplish this goal, a quantitative meta-analysis was performed with random-effects models fitted to reaction time (RT) and accuracy data. The final dataset included 126 studies published between 1998 and 2016, with 244 total effects for reaction times, and 202 for accuracy. Meta-analytically, rTMS at 10 Hz and 20 Hz disrupted accuracy for attention, executive, language, memory, motor, and perception domains, while no effects were found with 1 Hz or 5 Hz. Stimulation applied at and 10 and 20 Hz slowed down RTs in attention and perception tasks. No performance enhancement was found. Meta-regression analysis showed that fMRI-guided targeting and short inter-trial intervals are associated with increased disruptive effects with rTMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lysianne Beynel
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Lawrence G Appelbaum
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Bruce Luber
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Courtney A Crowell
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Susan A Hilbig
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Wesley Lim
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Duy Nguyen
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Nicolas A Chrapliwy
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Simon W Davis
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Roberto Cabeza
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sarah H Lisanby
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States; Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Zhi-De Deng
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States; Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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7
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Wei P, Yu H, Müller HJ, Pollmann S, Zhou X. Differential brain mechanisms for processing distracting information in task-relevant and -irrelevant dimensions in visual search. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:110-124. [PMID: 30256504 PMCID: PMC8022275 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A crucial function of our goal-directed behavior is to select task-relevant targets among distractor stimuli, some of which may share properties with the target and thus compete for attentional selection. Here, by applying functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to a visual search task in which a target was embedded in an array of distractors that were homogeneous or heterogeneous along the task-relevant (orientation or form) and/or task-irrelevant (color) dimensions, we demonstrate that for both (orientation) feature search and (form) conjunction search, the fusiform gyrus is involved in processing the task-irrelevant color information, while the bilateral frontal eye fields (FEF), the cortex along the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS), and the left junction of intraparietal and transverse occipital sulci (IPTO) are involved in processing task-relevant distracting information, especially for target-absent trials. Moreover, in conjunction (but not in feature) search, activity in these frontoparietal regions is affected by stimulus heterogeneity along the task-irrelevant dimension: heterogeneity of the task-irrelevant information increases the activity in these regions only when the task-relevant information is homogeneous, not when it is heterogeneous. These findings suggest that differential neural mechanisms are involved in processing task-relevant and task-irrelevant dimensions of the searched-for objects. In addition, they show that the top-down task set plays a dominant role in determining whether or not task-irrelevant information can affect the processing of the task-relevant dimension in the frontoparietal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of PsychologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging TechnologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hongbo Yu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hermann J. Müller
- General & Experimental Psychology, Department of PsychologyLMU MünchenMunichGermany
| | - Stefan Pollmann
- Department of Experimental Psychology and Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesOtto‐von‐Guericke‐University MagdeburgMagdeburgGermany
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- School of Psychological and Cognitive SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijingChina
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8
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Chen PL, Stenling A, Machado L. Evidence Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Can Improve Saccadic Eye Movement Control in Older Adults. Vision (Basel) 2018; 2:E42. [PMID: 31735905 PMCID: PMC6835567 DOI: 10.3390/vision2040042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Ageing is associated with declines in voluntary eye movement control, which negatively impact the performance of daily activities. Therapies treating saccadic eye movement control deficits are currently lacking. To address the need for an effective therapy to treat age-related deficits in saccadic eye movement control, the current study investigated whether saccadic behaviour in older adults can be improved by anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex using a montage that has been proven to be effective at improving nonoculomotor control functions. Method: The tDCS protocol entailed a 5 cm × 7 cm anodal electrode and an encephalic cathodal reference electrode positioned over the contralateral supraorbital area. In two experiments, healthy older men completed one active (1.5 mA current for 10 min) and one sham stimulation session, with the session order counterbalanced across participants, and eye movement testing following stimulation. In the first experiment, participants rested during the tDCS (offline), whereas in the follow-up experiment, participants engaged in antisaccades during the tDCS (online). Results: Analyses revealed improvements in saccadic performance following active anodal tDCS relative to sham stimulation in the online experiment, but not in the offline experiment, which was presumably due to the activation of the relevant networks during tDCS promoting more targeted effects. Discussion: These outcomes converge with findings pertaining to nonoculomotor cognitive functions, and provide evidence that tDCS can improve saccadic eye movement control in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po Ling Chen
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andreas Stenling
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, SE405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Liana Machado
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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9
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Perturbation of left posterior prefrontal cortex modulates top-down processing in sentence comprehension. Neuroimage 2018; 181:598-604. [PMID: 30055371 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication is an inferential process. In particular, language comprehension constantly requires top-down efforts, as often multiple interpretations are compatible with a given sentence. To assess top-down processing in the language domain, our experiment employed ambiguous sentences that allow for multiple interpretations (e.g., The client sued the murderer with the corrupt lawyer., where the corrupt lawyer could either belong to The client or the murderer). Interpretation thus depended on whether participants chunk the words of the sentence into short or long syntactic phrases. In principle, bottom-up acoustic information (i.e., the presence or absence of an intonational phrase boundary at the offset of the murderer) indicates one of the two possible interpretations. Yet, acoustic information often indicates interpretations that require words to be chunked into overly long phrases that would overburden working memory. Processing is biased against these demands, reflected in a top-down preference to chunk words into short rather than long phrases. It is often proposed, but also hotly debated, that the ability to chunk words into short phrases is subserved by the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Here, we employed focal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to perturb the left IFG, which resulted in a further decrease of the aptitude to tolerate long phrases, indicating the inability of the left IFG to assist the chunking of words into phrases. In contrast, the processing of auditory information was not affected. Our findings support a causal top-down role of the left inferior frontal gyrus in the chunking of words into phrases.
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10
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Wang M, Yang P, Wan C, Jin Z, Zhang J, Li L. Evaluating the Role of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Posterior Parietal Cortex in Memory-Guided Attention With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:236. [PMID: 29930501 PMCID: PMC5999747 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The contents of working memory (WM) can affect the subsequent visual search performance, resulting in either beneficial or cost effects, when the visual search target is included in or spatially dissociated from the memorized contents, respectively. The right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) and the right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) have been suggested to be associated with the congruence/incongruence effects of the WM content and the visual search target. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the PPC in controlling the interaction between WM and attention during a visual search, using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Subjects maintained a color in WM while performing a search task. The color cue contained the target (valid), the distractor (invalid) or did not reappear in the search display (neutral). Concurrent stimulation with the search onset showed that relative to rTMS over the vertex, rTMS over rPPC and rDLPFC further decreased the search reaction time, when the memory cue contained the search target. The results suggest that the rDLPFC and the rPPC are critical for controlling WM biases in human visual attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Ping Yang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chaoyang Wan
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhenlan Jin
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Junjun Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Li
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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11
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Ellison A, Ball KL, Lane AR. The Behavioral Effects of tDCS on Visual Search Performance Are Not Influenced by the Location of the Reference Electrode. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:520. [PMID: 28983233 PMCID: PMC5613168 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the role of reference electrode placement (ipsilateral v contralateral frontal pole) on conjunction visual search task performance when the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) cathode is placed over right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) and over right frontal eye fields (rFEF), both of which have been shown to be causally involved in the processing of this task using TMS. This resulted in four experimental manipulations in which sham tDCS was applied in week one followed by active tDCS the following week. Another group received sham stimulation in both sessions to investigate practice effects over 1 week in this task. Results show that there is no difference between effects seen when the anode is placed ipsi or contralaterally. Cathodal stimulation of rPPC increased search times straight after stimulation similarly for ipsi and contralateral references. This finding does not extend to rFEF stimulation. However, for both sites and both montages, practice effects as seen in the sham/sham condition were negated. This can be taken as evidence that for this task, reference placement on either frontal pole is not important, but also that care needs to be taken when contextualizing tDCS “effects” that may not be immediately apparent particularly in between-participant designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Ellison
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Durham UniversityDurham, United Kingdom.,Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Durham UniversityDurham, United Kingdom
| | - Keira L Ball
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Durham UniversityDurham, United Kingdom.,Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Durham UniversityDurham, United Kingdom
| | - Alison R Lane
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Durham UniversityDurham, United Kingdom.,Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Durham UniversityDurham, United Kingdom
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12
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Chiau HY, Muggleton NG, Juan CH. Exploring the contributions of the supplementary eye field to subliminal inhibition using double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:339-351. [PMID: 27611342 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that the supplementary eye fields (SEF) are involved in the control of voluntary eye movements. However, recent evidence suggests that SEF may also be important for unconscious and involuntary motor processes. Indeed, Sumner et al. ([2007]: Neuron 54:697-711) showed that patients with micro-lesions of the SEF demonstrated an absence of subliminal inhibition as evoked by masked-prime stimuli. Here, we used double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy volunteers to investigate the role of SEF in subliminal priming. We applied double-pulse TMS at two time windows in a masked-prime task: the first during an early phase, 20-70 ms after the onset of the mask but before target presentation, during which subliminal inhibition is present; and the second during a late phase, 20-70 ms after target onset, during which the saccade is being prepared. We found no effect of TMS with the early time window of stimulation, whereas a reduction in the benefit of an incompatible subliminal prime stimulus was found when SEF TMS was applied at the late time window. These findings suggest that there is a role for SEF related to the effects of subliminal primes on eye movements, but the results do not support a role in inhibiting the primed tendency. Hum Brain Mapp 38:339-351, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yan Chiau
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan.,Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Neil G Muggleton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chi-Hung Juan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan
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13
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The involvement of the fronto-parietal brain network in oculomotor sequence learning using fMRI. Neuropsychologia 2016; 87:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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14
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Maximo JO, Neupane A, Saxena N, Joseph RM, Kana RK. Task-Dependent Changes in Frontal-Parietal Activation and Connectivity During Visual Search. Brain Connect 2016; 6:335-44. [PMID: 26729050 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2015.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual search is an important skill in navigating and locating objects (a target) among distractors in our environment. Efficient and faster target detection involves reciprocal interaction between a viewer's attentional resources as well as salient target characteristics. The neural correlates of visual search have been extensively investigated over the last decades, suggesting the involvement of a frontal-parietal network comprising the frontal eye fields (FEFs) and intraparietal sulcus (IPS). In addition, activity and connectivity of these network changes as the visual search become complex and more demanding. The current functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined the modulation of the frontal-parietal network in response to cognitive demand in 22 healthy adult participants. In addition to brain activity, changes in functional connectivity and effective connectivity in this network were examined in response to easy and difficult visual search. Results revealed significantly increased activation in FEF, IPS, and supplementary motor area, more so in difficult search than in easy search. Functional and effective connectivity analyses showed enhanced connectivity in the frontal-parietal network during difficult search and enhanced information transfer from left to right hemisphere during the difficult search process. Our overall findings suggest that cognitive demand significantly increases brain resources across all three measures of brain processing. In sum, we found that goal-directed visual search engages a network of frontal-parietal areas that are modulated in relation to cognitive demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose O Maximo
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ajaya Neupane
- 2 Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Nitesh Saxena
- 2 Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Robert M Joseph
- 3 Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
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15
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Non-invasive Human Brain Stimulation in Cognitive Neuroscience: A Primer. Neuron 2015; 87:932-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 06/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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16
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Kehrer S, Kraft A, Koch SP, Kathmann N, Irlbacher K, Brandt SA. Timing of spatial priming within the fronto-parietal attention network: A TMS study. Neuropsychologia 2015; 74:30-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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Huang F, Fan J, Luo J. The neural basis of novelty and appropriateness in processing of creative chunk decomposition. Neuroimage 2015; 113:122-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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18
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Chanes L, Quentin R, Vernet M, Valero-Cabré A. Arrhythmic activity in the left frontal eye field facilitates conscious visual perception in humans. Cortex 2015; 71:240-7. [PMID: 26247410 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2014] [Revised: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The frontal eye field (FEF) is a brain region involved in several processes relevant for visual performance, including visuo-spatial attention, conscious access and decision-making. Prior research has causally demonstrated that high-beta FEF activity in the right hemisphere enhances conscious visual perception, an outcome that is in agreement with evidence of neural synchronization along a right dorsal fronto-parietal network during attentional orienting and a right-hemisphere dominance for visuospatial processing. Nonetheless, frontal regions in the left hemisphere have also been shown to modulate perceptual performance. To causally explore the neural basis of these modulations, we delivered high-beta frequency-specific bursts of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the left FEF and report that, in this region, these patterns failed to modulate conscious perception. In contrast, non-frequency-specific TMS patterns yielded visual performance improvements similar to those formerly causally associated to the induction of high-beta activity on its right-hemisphere homotopic area. This noise-induced facilitation of conscious vision suggests a relevant role of the left frontal cortex in visual perception. Furthermore, taken together with prior causal right-FEF evidence, our study indicates that frontal regions of each hemisphere employ different coding strategies to modulate conscious perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Chanes
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 7225-INSERM UMRS S975, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Romain Quentin
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 7225-INSERM UMRS S975, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Marine Vernet
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 7225-INSERM UMRS S975, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Antoni Valero-Cabré
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 7225-INSERM UMRS S975, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle (ICM), Paris, France; Laboratory for Cerebral Dynamics Plasticity & Rehabilitation, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience and Information Technology Research Program, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Barcelona, Spain.
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Lane AR, Ball K, Ellison A. Dissociating the neural mechanisms of distance and spatial reference frames. Neuropsychologia 2014; 74:42-9. [PMID: 25541500 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated if the neural mechanisms involved in processing distance (near and far) and frame of reference (egocentric and allocentric) can be dissociated. 36 participants completed a conjunction visual search task using either an egocentric (deciding if the target was to their left or right) or an allocentric (deciding if the target was to the left or right of a reference object) frame. Both tasks were performed in near (57 cm) and far (171 cm) space conditions. Participants were separated into three groups, and each received transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to a different site; right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC), right ventral occipital cortex (rVO), or right frontal eye field (rFEF) in addition to sham TMS. The results show that rFEF is critical in the processing of each search at each distance whereas, contrary to previous detection results, TMS over rVO did not affect performance for any condition. TMS over rPPC revealed that specialised egocentric processing in the parietal cortex does not generalise to far space, providing evidence of a separation of the reference frame/distance conflation in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison R Lane
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Queen's Campus, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6BH, UK.
| | - Keira Ball
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Queen's Campus, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6BH, UK.
| | - Amanda Ellison
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Queen's Campus, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6BH, UK.
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Vernet M, Quentin R, Chanes L, Mitsumasu A, Valero-Cabré A. Frontal eye field, where art thou? Anatomy, function, and non-invasive manipulation of frontal regions involved in eye movements and associated cognitive operations. Front Integr Neurosci 2014; 8:66. [PMID: 25202241 PMCID: PMC4141567 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2014.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The planning, control and execution of eye movements in 3D space relies on a distributed system of cortical and subcortical brain regions. Within this network, the Eye Fields have been described in animals as cortical regions in which electrical stimulation is able to trigger eye movements and influence their latency or accuracy. This review focuses on the Frontal Eye Field (FEF) a “hub” region located in Humans in the vicinity of the pre-central sulcus and the dorsal-most portion of the superior frontal sulcus. The straightforward localization of the FEF through electrical stimulation in animals is difficult to translate to the healthy human brain, particularly with non-invasive neuroimaging techniques. Hence, in the first part of this review, we describe attempts made to characterize the anatomical localization of this area in the human brain. The outcome of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Magneto-encephalography (MEG) and particularly, non-invasive mapping methods such a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) are described and the variability of FEF localization across individuals and mapping techniques are discussed. In the second part of this review, we will address the role of the FEF. We explore its involvement both in the physiology of fixation, saccade, pursuit, and vergence movements and in associated cognitive processes such as attentional orienting, visual awareness and perceptual modulation. Finally in the third part, we review recent evidence suggesting the high level of malleability and plasticity of these regions and associated networks to non-invasive stimulation. The exploratory, diagnostic, and therapeutic interest of such interventions for the modulation and improvement of perception in 3D space are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Vernet
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975 and Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France
| | - Romain Quentin
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975 and Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France
| | - Lorena Chanes
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975 and Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France
| | - Andres Mitsumasu
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975 and Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France
| | - Antoni Valero-Cabré
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975 and Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France ; Laboratory for Cerebral Dynamics Plasticity and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Boston University Boston, MA, USA ; Cognitive Neuroscience and Information Technology Research Program, Open University of Catalonia Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Ellison A, Ball KL, Moseley P, Dowsett J, Smith DT, Weis S, Lane AR. Functional interaction between right parietal and bilateral frontal cortices during visual search tasks revealed using functional magnetic imaging and transcranial direct current stimulation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93767. [PMID: 24705681 PMCID: PMC3976402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of a network of brain regions which are activated when one undertakes a difficult visual search task is well established. Two primary nodes on this network are right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) and right frontal eye fields. Both have been shown to be involved in the orientation of attention, but the contingency that the activity of one of these areas has on the other is less clear. We sought to investigate this question by using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to selectively decrease activity in rPPC and then asking participants to perform a visual search task whilst undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. Comparison with a condition in which sham tDCS was applied revealed that cathodal tDCS over rPPC causes a selective bilateral decrease in frontal activity when performing a visual search task. This result demonstrates for the first time that premotor regions within the frontal lobe and rPPC are not only necessary to carry out a visual search task, but that they work together to bring about normal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Ellison
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Keira L. Ball
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Moseley
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - James Dowsett
- Department of Psychology, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Daniel T. Smith
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne Weis
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Alison R. Lane
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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22
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Utz KS, Hankeln TMA, Jung L, Lämmer A, Waschbisch A, Lee DH, Linker RA, Schenk T. Visual search as a tool for a quick and reliable assessment of cognitive functions in patients with multiple sclerosis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81531. [PMID: 24282604 PMCID: PMC3840095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the high frequency of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis, its assessment has not gained entrance into clinical routine yet, due to lack of time-saving and suitable tests for patients with multiple sclerosis. Objective The aim of the study was to compare the paradigm of visual search with neuropsychological standard tests, in order to identify the test that discriminates best between patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy individuals concerning cognitive functions, without being susceptible to practice effects. Methods Patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (n = 38) and age-and gender-matched healthy individuals (n = 40) were tested with common neuropsychological tests and a computer-based visual search task, whereby a target stimulus has to be detected amongst distracting stimuli on a touch screen. Twenty-eight of the healthy individuals were re-tested in order to determine potential practice effects. Results Mean reaction time reflecting visual attention and movement time indicating motor execution in the visual search task discriminated best between healthy individuals and patients with multiple sclerosis, without practice effects. Conclusions Visual search is a promising instrument for the assessment of cognitive functions and potentially cognitive changes in patients with multiple sclerosis thanks to its good discriminatory power and insusceptibility to practice effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin S. Utz
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
- *
| | - Thomas M. A. Hankeln
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Lena Jung
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Lämmer
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Anne Waschbisch
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - De-Hyung Lee
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Ralf A. Linker
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schenk
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany
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23
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Tseng P, Chang CF, Chiau HY, Liang WK, Liu CL, Hsu TY, Hung DL, Tzeng OJL, Juan CH. The dorsal attentional system in oculomotor learning of predictive information. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:404. [PMID: 23935573 PMCID: PMC3731626 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal attentional network is known for its role in directing top-down visual attention toward task-relevant stimuli. This goal-directed nature of the dorsal network makes it a suitable candidate for processing and extracting predictive information from the visual environment. In this review we briefly summarize some of the findings that delineate the neural substrates that contribute to predictive learning at both levels within the dorsal attentional system: including the frontal eye field (FEF) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC). We also discuss the similarities and differences between these two regions when it comes to learning predictive information. The current findings from the literature suggest that the FEFs may be more involved in top-down spatial attention, whereas the parietal cortex is involved in processing task-relevant attentional influences driven by stimulus salience, both contribute to the processing of predictive cues at different time points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Tseng
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University Jhongli, Taiwan ; Laboratories for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University Taipei, Taiwan
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Site-dependent effects of tDCS uncover dissociations in the communication network underlying the processing of visual search. Brain Stimul 2013; 6:959-65. [PMID: 23849715 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Revised: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) and the right frontal eye field (rFEF) form part of a network of brain areas involved in orienting spatial attention. Previous studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have demonstrated that both areas are critically involved in the processing of conjunction visual search tasks, since stimulation of these sites disrupts performance. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the effects of long term neuronal modulation to rPPC and rFEF using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the aim of uncovering sharing of these resources in the processing of conjunction visual search tasks. METHODS Participants completed four blocks of conjunction search trials over the course of 45 min. Following the first block they received 15 min of either cathodal or anodal stimulation to rPPC or rFEF, or sham stimulation. RESULTS A significant interaction between block and stimulation condition was found, indicating that tDCS caused different effects according to the site (rPPC or rFEF) and type of stimulation (cathodal, anodal, or sham). Practice resulted in a significant reduction in reaction time across the four blocks in all conditions except when cathodal tDCS was applied to rPPC. CONCLUSIONS The effects of cathodal tDCS over rPPC are subtler than those seen with TMS, and no effect of tDCS was evident at rFEF. This suggests that rFEF has a more transient role than rPPC in the processing of conjunction visual search and is robust to longer-term methods of neuro-disruption. Our results may be explained within the framework of functional connectivity between these, and other, areas.
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Abstract
Insights from both lesion and neuroimaging studies increasingly substantiate the view that the human cerebellum not only serves motor control but also supports various cognitive processes. Higher cognitive functions like working memory or executive control have been associated with the phylogenetically younger parts of the cerebellum, crus I and crus II. Functional connectivity studies corroborate this notion as activation of the cerebellum correlates with activity in numerous areas of the cerebral cortex. Moreover, these cerebrocerebellar loops were shown to be topographically organized. We used an attention-to-motion paradigm to elaborate on the effective connectivity of cerebellar crus I during visual attention. Psychophysiological interaction analyses demonstrated enhanced connectivity of the cerebellum--during attention--with dorsal visual stream regions including posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and left secondary visual cortex (V5). Dynamic causal modeling revealed a modulation of the connections from V5 to PPC and from crus I to V5 by attention. Remarkably, the influence which V5 exerted on PPC was reduced during attention, resulting in a suppression of the sensitivity of PPC to bottom-up information. Moreover, the sensitivity of V5 populations to inputs from crus I was increased under attention. This might underscore the presumed role of the cerebellum as a state estimator that provides hierarchically lower regions (V5) with top-down predictions, which in turn might be based on endogenous inputs from PPC to the cerebellum. These results are in line with formulations of attention in predictive coding, where attention increases the precision or sensitivity of hierarchically lower neuronal populations that may encode prediction error.
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26
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Lane AR, Ball K, Smith DT, Schenk T, Ellison A. Near and far space: Understanding the neural mechanisms of spatial attention. Hum Brain Mapp 2011; 34:356-66. [PMID: 22042759 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2011] [Accepted: 07/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Visuospatial neglect is a multicomponent syndrome, and one dissociation reported is between neglect for near (peripersonal) and far (extrapersonal) space. Owing to patient heterogeneity and extensive lesions, it is difficult to determine the precise neural mechanisms underlying this dissociation using clinical methodology. In this study, transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to examine the involvement of three areas in the undamaged brain, while participants completed a conjunction search task in near and far space. The brain areas investigated were right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC), right frontal eye field (rFEF), and right ventral occipital cortex (rVO), each of which has been implicated in visuospatial processing. The results revealed a double dissociation, whereby rPPC was involved for search in near space only, whilst rVO only became necessary when the task was completed in far space. These data provide clear evidence for a dorsal and ventral dissociation between the processing of near and far space, which is compatible with the functional roles previously attributed to the two streams. For example, the involvement of the dorsal stream in near space reflects its role in vision for action, because it is within this spatial location that actions can be performed. The results also revealed that rFEF is involved in the processing of visual search in both near and far space and may contribute to visuospatial attention and/or the control of eye-movements irrespective of spatial frame. We discuss our results with respect to their clear ramifications for clinical diagnosis and neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison R Lane
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Durham University, United Kingdom.
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