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Hemi A, Sopp MR, Perel A, Holmes EA, Levy-Gigi E. Cognitive flexibility moderates the efficacy of a visuospatial intervention following exposure to analog trauma. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2023; 81:101858. [PMID: 37075659 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Intrusive memories are the hallmark feature of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD). Recent studies show that a visuospatial intervention after viewing traumatic films reduces intrusive memories in healthy individuals. However, many individuals still exhibit high levels of symptoms following such an intervention, warranting continued investigation into specific characteristics moderating intervention effect. One such candidate is cognitive-flexibility, defined as the ability to update behavior according to contextual demands. The present study examined the interactive effect of cognitive-flexibility and a visuospatial intervention on intrusive memories, predicting that higher flexibility would be associated with stronger intervention effects. METHODS Sixty participants (Mage = 29.07, SD = 4.23) completed a performance-based paradigm evaluating cognitive-flexibility, watched traumatic films, and were allocated to either an intervention or a no-task control group. Intrusions were assessed by means of laboratory and ambulatory assessment, and the intrusion subscale of the Impact-of-Events-Scale-Revised (IES-R). RESULTS Participants in the intervention group experienced fewer laboratory intrusions than the control group. However, this effect was moderated by cognitive-flexibility: Whereas individuals with below-average cognitive-flexibility did not benefit from the intervention, it was significantly beneficial for individuals with average and above-average cognitive-flexibility. No group differences emerged in the number of ambulatory intrusions or IES-R scores. However, cognitive-flexibility was negatively correlated with IES-R scores across both groups. LIMITATIONS The analog design may limit the extent of generalization to real-world traumatic events. CONCLUSIONS These results point to a potentially beneficial effect of cognitive-flexibility on intrusion development, particularly in the context of visuospatial interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Hemi
- Faculty of Education, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | | | - Ariel Perel
- Faculty of Education, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Emily A Holmes
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Einat Levy-Gigi
- Faculty of Education, Bar Ilan University, Israel; The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Israel.
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Latagliata EC, Orsini C, Cabib S, Biagioni F, Fornai F, Puglisi-Allegra S. Prefrontal Dopamine in Flexible Adaptation to Environmental Changes: A Game for Two Players. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3189. [PMID: 38137410 PMCID: PMC10740496 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in cognitive flexibility have been characterized in affective, anxiety, and neurodegenerative disorders. This paper reviews data, mainly from studies on animal models, that support the existence of a cortical-striatal brain circuit modulated by dopamine (DA), playing a major role in cognitive/behavioral flexibility. Moreover, we reviewed clinical findings supporting misfunctioning of this circuit in Parkinson's disease that could be responsible for some important non-motoric symptoms. The reviewed findings point to a role of catecholaminergic transmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mpFC) in modulating DA's availability in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), as well as a role of NAc DA in modulating the motivational value of natural and conditioned stimuli. The review section is accompanied by a preliminary experiment aimed at testing weather the extinction of a simple Pavlovian association fosters increased DA transmission in the mpFC and inhibition of DA transmission in the NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Orsini
- I.R.C.C.S. Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (C.O.); (S.C.)
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- I.R.C.C.S. Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (C.O.); (S.C.)
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Biagioni
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (F.B.); (F.F.)
| | - Francesco Fornai
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (F.B.); (F.F.)
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies on Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Tecilla M, Großbach M, Gentile G, Holland P, Sporn S, Antonini A, Herrojo Ruiz M. Modulation of Motor Vigor by Expectation of Reward Probability Trial-by-Trial Is Preserved in Healthy Ageing and Parkinson's Disease Patients. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1757-1777. [PMID: 36732072 PMCID: PMC10010462 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1583-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor improvements, such as faster movement times or increased velocity, have been associated with reward magnitude in deterministic contexts. Yet whether individual inferences on reward probability influence motor vigor dynamically remains undetermined. We investigated how dynamically inferring volatile action-reward contingencies modulated motor performance trial-by-trial. We conducted three studies that coupled a reversal learning paradigm with a motor sequence task and used a validated hierarchical Bayesian model to fit trial-by-trial data. In Study 1, we tested healthy younger [HYA; 37 (24 females)] and older adults [HOA; 37 (17 females)], and medicated Parkinson's disease (PD) patients [20 (7 females)]. We showed that stronger predictions about the tendency of the action-reward contingency led to faster performance tempo, commensurate with movement time, on a trial-by-trial basis without robustly modulating reaction time (RT). Using Bayesian linear mixed models, we demonstrated a similar invigoration effect on performance tempo in HYA, HOA, and PD, despite HOA and PD being slower than HYA. In Study 2 [HYA, 39 (29 females)], we additionally showed that retrospective subjective inference about credit assignment did not contribute to differences in motor vigor effects. Last, Study 3 [HYA, 33 (27 females)] revealed that explicit beliefs about the reward tendency (confidence ratings) modulated performance tempo trial-by-trial. Our study is the first to reveal that the dynamic updating of beliefs about volatile action-reward contingencies positively biases motor performance through faster tempo. We also provide robust evidence for a preserved sensitivity of motor vigor to inferences about the action-reward mapping in aging and medicated PD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Navigating a world rich in uncertainty relies on updating beliefs about the probability that our actions lead to reward. Here, we investigated how inferring the action-reward contingencies in a volatile environment modulated motor vigor trial-by-trial in healthy younger and older adults, and in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients on medication. We found an association between trial-by-trial predictions about the tendency of the action-reward contingency and performance tempo, with stronger expectations speeding the movement. We additionally provided evidence for a similar sensitivity of performance tempo to the strength of these predictions in all groups. Thus, dynamic beliefs about the changing relationship between actions and their outcome enhanced motor vigor. This positive bias was not compromised by age or Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Tecilla
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE146NW, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Großbach
- Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, Hannover University of Music Drama and Media, Hannover 30175, Germany
| | - Giovanni Gentile
- Parkinson and Movement Disorders Unit, Study Center for Neurodegeneration (CESNE), Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Peter Holland
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE146NW, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Sporn
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Angelo Antonini
- Parkinson and Movement Disorders Unit, Study Center for Neurodegeneration (CESNE), Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Maria Herrojo Ruiz
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE146NW, United Kingdom
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Sherafat Y, Chen E, Lallai V, Bautista M, Fowler JP, Chen YC, Miwa J, Fowler CD. Differential Expression Patterns of Lynx Proteins and Involvement of Lynx1 in Prepulse Inhibition. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:703748. [PMID: 34803621 PMCID: PMC8595198 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.703748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative allosteric modulators, such as lynx1 and lynx2, directly interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The nAChRs are integral to cholinergic signaling in the brain and have been shown to mediate different aspects of cognitive function. Given the interaction between lynx proteins and these receptors, we examined whether these endogenous negative allosteric modulators are involved in cognitive behaviors associated with cholinergic function. We found both cell-specific and overlapping expression patterns of lynx1 and lynx2 mRNA in brain regions associated with cognition, learning, memory, and sensorimotor processing, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), cingulate cortex, septum, hippocampus, amygdala, striatum, and pontine nuclei. Since lynx proteins are thought to play a role in conditioned associations and given the expression patterns across brain regions, we first assessed whether lynx knockout mice would differ in a cognitive flexibility task. We found no deficits in reversal learning in either the lynx1–/– or lynx2–/– knockout mice. Thereafter, sensorimotor gating was examined with the prepulse inhibition (PPI) assessment. Interestingly, we found that both male and female lynx1–/– mice exhibited a deficit in the PPI behavioral response. Given the comparable expression of lynx2 in regions involved in sensorimotor gating, we then examined whether removal of the lynx2 protein would lead to similar behavioral effects. Unexpectedly, we found that while male lynx2–/– mice exhibited a decrease in the baseline startle response, no differences were found in sensorimotor gating for either male or female lynx2–/– mice. Taken together, these studies provide insight into the expression patterns of lynx1 and lynx2 across multiple brain regions and illustrate the modulatory effects of the lynx1 protein in sensorimotor gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Sherafat
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Edison Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Valeria Lallai
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Malia Bautista
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - James P Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Yen-Chu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Julie Miwa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Christie D Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Reed MB, Vanicek T, Seiger R, Klöbl M, Spurny B, Handschuh P, Ritter V, Unterholzner J, Godbersen GM, Gryglewski G, Kraus C, Winkler D, Hahn A, Lanzenberger R. Neuroplastic effects of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in relearning and retrieval. Neuroimage 2021; 236:118039. [PMID: 33852940 PMCID: PMC7610799 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and learning paradigms have demonstrated that serotonin is important for flexibility in executive functions and learning. SSRIs might facilitate relearning through neuroplastic processes and thus exert their clinical effects in psychiatric diseases where cognitive functioning is affected. However, translation of these mechanisms to humans is missing. In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, we assessed functional brain activation during learning and memory retrieval in healthy volunteers performing associative learning tasks aiming to translate facilitated relearning by SSRIs. To this extent, seventy-six participants underwent three MRI scanning sessions: (1) at baseline, (2) after three weeks of daily associative learning and subsequent retrieval (face-matching or Chinese character–noun matching) and (3) after three weeks of relearning under escitalopram (10 mg/day) or placebo. Associative learning and retrieval tasks were performed during each functional MRI (fMRI) session. Statistical modeling was done using a repeated-measures ANOVA, to test for content-by-treatment-by-time interaction effects. During the learning task, a significant substance-by-time interaction was found in the right insula showing a greater deactivation in the SSRI cohort after 21 days of relearning compared to the learning phase. In the retrieval task, there was a significant content-by-time interaction in the left angular gyrus (AG) with an increased activation in face-matching compared to Chinese-character matching for both learning and relearning phases. A further substance-by-time interaction was found in task performance after 21 days of relearning, indicating a greater decrease of performance in the placebo group. Our findings that escitalopram modulate insula activation demonstrates successful translation of relearning as a mechanism of SSRIs in human. Furthermore, we show that the left AG is an active component of correct memory retrieval, which coincides with previous literature. We extend the function of this region by demonstrating its activation is not only stimulus dependent but also time constrained. Finally, we were able to show that escitalopram aids in relearning, irrespective of content.
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Affiliation(s)
- M B Reed
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - T Vanicek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - R Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Klöbl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - B Spurny
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - P Handschuh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - V Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - J Unterholzner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - G M Godbersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - G Gryglewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - C Kraus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - D Winkler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - A Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - R Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
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Al Jaja A, Grahn JA, Herrmann B, MacDonald PA. The effect of aging, Parkinson's disease, and exogenous dopamine on the neural response associated with auditory regularity processing. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 89:71-82. [PMID: 32057529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Processing regular patterns in auditory scenes is important for navigating complex environments. Electroencephalography studies find enhancement of sustained brain activity, correlating with the emergence of a regular pattern in sounds. How aging, aging-related diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), and treatment of PD with dopaminergic therapy affect this fundamental function remain unknown. We addressed this knowledge gap. Healthy younger and older adults and patients with PD listened to sounds that contained or were devoid of regular patterns. Healthy older adults and patients with PD were tested twice-off and on dopaminergic medication, in counterbalanced order. Regularity-evoked, sustained electroencephalography activity was reduced in older, compared with younger adults. Patients with PD and older controls evidenced comparable attenuation of the sustained response. Dopaminergic therapy further weakened the sustained response in both older controls and patients with PD. These findings suggest that fundamental regularity processing is impacted by aging but not specifically by PD. The finding that dopaminergic therapy attenuates rather than improves the sustained response coheres with the dopamine overdose response and is in line with previous findings that regularity processing implicates brain regions receiving dopamine from the ventral tegmental area that is relatively spared in PD and normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Al Jaja
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica A Grahn
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Björn Herrmann
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Penny A MacDonald
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
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