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Shirzadi S, Dadgostar M, Einalou Z, Erdoğan SB, Akin A. Sex based differences in functional connectivity during a working memory task: an fNIRS study. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1207202. [PMID: 38390414 PMCID: PMC10881810 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1207202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Differences in corticocerebral structure and function between males and females and their effects on behavior and the prevalence of various neuropsychiatric disorders have been considered as a fundamental topic in various fields of neuroscience. Recent studies on working memory (WM) reported the impact of sex on brain connectivity patterns, which reflect the important role of functional connectivity in the sex topic. Working memory, one of the most important cognitive tasks performed by regions of the PFC, can provide evidence regarding the presence of a difference between males and females. The present study aimed to assess sex differences in brain functional connectivity during working memory-related tasks by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In this regard, nine males and nine females completed a dual n-back working memory task with two target inputs of color and location stimuli in three difficulty levels (n = 0, 1, 2). Functional connectivity matrices were extracted for each subject for each memory load level. Females made less errors than males while spending more time performing the task for all workload levels except in 0-back related to the color stimulus, where the reaction time of females was shorter than males. The results of functional connectivity reveal the inverse behavior of two hemispheres at different memory workload levels between males and females. In the left hemisphere, males exhibited stronger connectivity compared to the females, while stronger connectivity was observed in the females' right hemisphere. Furthermore, an inverse trend was detected in the channel pairs with significant connectivity in the right hemisphere of males (falling) and females (rising) by enhancing working memory load level. Considering both behavioral and functional results for two sexes demonstrated a better performance in females due to the more effective use of the brain. The results indicate that sex affects functional connectivity between different areas in both hemispheres of the brain during cognitive tasks of varying difficulty levels although the general impression is that spatial capabilities are considered as a performance of the brain's right hemisphere. These results reinforce the presence of a sex effect in the functional imaging studies of hemodynamic function and emphasize the importance of evaluating brain network connectivity for achieving a better scientific understanding of sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Shirzadi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Dadgostar
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Zahra Einalou
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Sinem Burcu Erdoğan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ata Akin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Türkiye
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2
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Davidson PSR, Jensen A. Executive function and episodic memory composite scores in older adults: relations with sex, mood, and subjective sleep quality. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2023; 30:778-801. [PMID: 37624047 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2022.2086682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Executive function and episodic memory processes are particularly vulnerable to aging. We sought to learn the degree to which sex, mood, and subjective sleep quality might be related to executive function and episodic memory composite scores in community-dwelling older adults. We replicated Glisky and colleagues' two-factor (i.e., executive function [N=263] versus episodic memory [N=151]) structure, and found that it did not significantly differ between males and females. Moderation analyses revealed no interactions between sex, mood, and sleep in predicting either composite score. However, females significantly outperformed males on the episodic memory composite, and on all the individual tests comprising it. Ours is the first study to look at sex differences in this battery's factor structure and its potential relations with mood and sleep. Future longitudinal studies in both healthy and clinical populations will help us further probe the possible influence of these variables on executive function and episodic memory in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adelaide Jensen
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Burgess PW, Crum J, Pinti P, Aichelburg C, Oliver D, Lind F, Power S, Swingler E, Hakim U, Merla A, Gilbert S, Tachtsidis I, Hamilton A. Prefrontal cortical activation associated with prospective memory while walking around a real-world street environment. Neuroimage 2022; 258:119392. [PMID: 35714887 PMCID: PMC10509823 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rostral PFC (area 10) activation is common during prospective memory (PM) tasks. But it is not clear what mental processes these activations index. Three candidate explanations from cognitive neuroscience theory are: (i) monitoring of the environment; (ii) spontaneous intention retrieval; (iii) a combination of the two. These explanations make different predictions about the temporal and spatial patterns of activation that would be seen in rostral PFC in naturalistic settings. Accordingly, we plotted functional events in PFC using portable fNIRS while people were carrying out a PM task outside the lab and responding to cues when they were encountered, to decide between these explanations. Nineteen people were asked to walk around a street in London, U.K. and perform various tasks while also remembering to respond to prospective memory (PM) cues when they detected them. The prospective memory cues could be either social (involving greeting a person) or non-social (interacting with a parking meter) in nature. There were also a number of contrast conditions which allowed us to determine activation specifically related to the prospective memory components of the tasks. We found that maintaining both social and non-social intentions was associated with widespread activation within medial and right hemisphere rostral prefrontal cortex (BA 10), in agreement with numerous previous lab-based fMRI studies of prospective memory. In addition, increased activation was found within lateral prefrontal cortex (BA 45 and 46) when people were maintaining a social intention compared to a non-social one. The data were then subjected to a GLM-based method for automatic identification of functional events (AIDE), and the position of the participants at the time of the activation events were located on a map of the physical space. The results showed that the spatial and temporal distribution of these events was not random, but aggregated around areas in which the participants appeared to retrieve their future intentions (i.e., where they saw intentional cues), as well as where they executed them. Functional events were detected most frequently in BA 10 during the PM conditions compared to other regions and tasks. Mobile fNIRS can be used to measure higher cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex in "real world" situations outside the laboratory in freely ambulant individuals. The addition of a "brain-first" approach to the data permits the experimenter to determine not only when haemodynamic changes occur, but also where the participant was when it happened. This can be extremely valuable when trying to link brain and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Burgess
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK.
| | - James Crum
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Paola Pinti
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, UK
| | | | - Dominic Oliver
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Frida Lind
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Sarah Power
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, UK
| | | | - Uzair Hakim
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, UK
| | - Arcangelo Merla
- Infrared Imaging Lab, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technology (ITAB), Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Sam Gilbert
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Ilias Tachtsidis
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, UK
| | - Antonia Hamilton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
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4
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Chen C, Zhang Y, Zhen Z, Song Y, Hu S, Liu J. Quantifying the variability of neural activation in working memory: A functional probabilistic atlas. Neuroimage 2021; 239:118301. [PMID: 34171499 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory is a fundamental cognitive ability that allows the maintenance and manipulation of information for a brief period of time. Previous studies found a set of brain regions activated during working memory tasks, such as the prefrontal and parietal cortex. However, little is known about the variability of neural activation in working memory. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to quantify individual, hemispheric, and sex differences of working memory activation in a large cohort of healthy adults (N = 477). We delineated subject-specific activated regions in each individual, including the frontal pole, middle frontal gyrus, frontal eye field, superior parietal lobule, insular, precuneus, and anterior cingulate cortex. A functional probabilistic atlas was created to quantify individual variability in working memory regions. More than 90% of the participants activated all seven regions in both hemispheres, but the intersection of regions across participants was markedly less (50%), indicating significant individual differences in working memory activations. Moreover, we found hemispheric and sex differences in activation location, extent, and magnitude. Most activation regions were larger in the right than in the left hemisphere, but the magnitude of activation did not follow a similar pattern. Men showed more extensive and stronger activations than women. Taken together, our functional probabilistic atlas quantified variabilities of neural activation in working memory, providing a robust spatial reference for standardization of functional localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zonglei Zhen
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiying Song
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Siyuan Hu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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5
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Dump the "dimorphism": Comprehensive synthesis of human brain studies reveals few male-female differences beyond size. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:667-697. [PMID: 33621637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
With the explosion of neuroimaging, differences between male and female brains have been exhaustively analyzed. Here we synthesize three decades of human MRI and postmortem data, emphasizing meta-analyses and other large studies, which collectively reveal few reliable sex/gender differences and a history of unreplicated claims. Males' brains are larger than females' from birth, stabilizing around 11 % in adults. This size difference accounts for other reproducible findings: higher white/gray matter ratio, intra- versus interhemispheric connectivity, and regional cortical and subcortical volumes in males. But when structural and lateralization differences are present independent of size, sex/gender explains only about 1% of total variance. Connectome differences and multivariate sex/gender prediction are largely based on brain size, and perform poorly across diverse populations. Task-based fMRI has especially failed to find reproducible activation differences between men and women in verbal, spatial or emotion processing due to high rates of false discovery. Overall, male/female brain differences appear trivial and population-specific. The human brain is not "sexually dimorphic."
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6
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McGlade E, Rogowska J, Yurgelun-Todd D. The value of research on sexual dimorphism in neuroimaging. Cogn Neurosci 2020; 12:180-181. [PMID: 33356852 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2020.1867086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Spets and Slotnick (in Press) applied activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis to examine sex differences in regional brain activation during long-term memory retrieval. Based on their analyses, each of the eight studies they analyzed showed greater activity for males than females during long-term memory retrieval. These results suggest that analyses of magnetic resonance imaging data should not be collapsed by sex and expand this discussion to the challenge of meta-analysis on studies with small to modest sample sizes in favor of larger imaging studies with more rigorous thresholds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin McGlade
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Salt Lake City MIRECC; Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA
| | - Jadwiga Rogowska
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA
| | - Deborah Yurgelun-Todd
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Salt Lake City MIRECC; Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA
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7
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Gaillard A, Fehring DJ, Rossell SL. A systematic review and meta-analysis of behavioural sex differences in executive control. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:519-542. [PMID: 32844505 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Literature investigating whether an individuals' sex affects their executive control abilities and performance on cognitive tasks in a normative population has been contradictory and inconclusive. Using meta-analytic procedures (abiding by PRISMA guidelines), this study attempts to identify the magnitude of behavioural sex differences in three prominent executive control domains of cognitive set-shifting, performance monitoring, and response inhibition. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched. Across 46 included studies, a total of 1988 females and 1884 males were included in the analysis. Overall, males and females did not differ on performance in any of the three domains of performance monitoring, response inhibition, or cognitive set-shifting. Task-specific sex differences were observed in the domains of performance monitoring, in the CANTAB Spatial Working Memory task-males scored statistically higher than females (Hedges' g = -0.60), and response inhibition, in the Delay Discounting task-females scored statistically higher than males (Hedges' g = 0.64). While the meta-analysis did not detect overall behavioural sex differences in executive control, significant heterogeneity and task-specific sex differences were found. To further understand sex differences within these specific tasks and domains, future research must better control for age and sex hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gaillard
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel J Fehring
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.,Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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8
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Spets DS, Slotnick SD. Are there sex differences in brain activity during long-term memory? A systematic review and fMRI activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Cogn Neurosci 2020; 12:163-173. [DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2020.1806810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dylan S. Spets
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, McGuinn Hall, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Scott D. Slotnick
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, McGuinn Hall, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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9
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Sharma D, Gulati R, Misra I. Exploring Consistency in Right Hemispheric Hypothesis and Valence Hypothesis for Perception of Emotions in Brain. PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12646-020-00562-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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10
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Subramaniapillai S, Rajagopal S, Elshiekh A, Pasvanis S, Ankudowich E, Rajah MN. Sex Differences in the Neural Correlates of Spatial Context Memory Decline in Healthy Aging. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 31:1895-1916. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with episodic memory decline and alterations in memory-related brain function. However, it remains unclear if age-related memory decline is associated with similar patterns of brain aging in women and men. In the current task fMRI study, we tested the hypothesis that there are sex differences in the effect of age and memory performance on brain activity during episodic encoding and retrieval of face–location associations (spatial context memory). Forty-one women and 41 men between the ages of 21 and 76 years participated in this study. Between-group multivariate partial least squares analysis of the fMRI data was conducted to directly test for sex differences and similarities in age-related and performance-related patterns of brain activity. Our behavioral analysis indicated no significant sex differences in retrieval accuracy on the fMRI tasks. In relation to performance effects, we observed similarities and differences in how retrieval accuracy related to brain activity in women and men. Both sexes activated dorsal and lateral PFC, inferior parietal cortex, and left parahippocampal gyrus at encoding, and this supported subsequent memory performance. However, there were sex differences in retrieval activity in these same regions and in lateral occipital-temporal and ventrolateral PFC. In relation to age effects, we observed sex differences in the effect of age on memory-related activity within PFC, inferior parietal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and lateral occipital-temporal cortices. Overall, our findings suggest that the neural correlates of age-related spatial context memory decline differ in women compared with men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - M. Natasha Rajah
- McGill University
- Brain Imaging Centre, Douglas Institute Research Centre, Verdun, QC, Canada
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11
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Different patterns of cortical activity in females and males during spatial long-term memory. Neuroimage 2019; 199:626-634. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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12
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Sumioka H, Keshmiri S, Ishiguro H. Information-theoretic investigation of impact of huggable communication medium on prefrontal brain activation. Adv Robot 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/01691864.2019.1652114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hidenobu Sumioka
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Soheil Keshmiri
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishiguro
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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13
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Multiscale Entropy Quantifies the Differential Effect of the Medium Embodiment on Older Adults Prefrontal Cortex during the Story Comprehension: A Comparative Analysis. ENTROPY 2019; 21:e21020199. [PMID: 33266914 PMCID: PMC7514681 DOI: 10.3390/e21020199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Todays’ communication media virtually impact and transform every aspect of our daily communication and yet the extent of their embodiment on our brain is unexplored. The study of this topic becomes more crucial, considering the rapid advances in such fields as socially assistive robotics that envision the use of intelligent and interactive media for providing assistance through social means. In this article, we utilize the multiscale entropy (MSE) to investigate the effect of the physical embodiment on the older people’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity while listening to stories. We provide evidence that physical embodiment induces a significant increase in MSE of the older people’s PFC activity and that such a shift in the dynamics of their PFC activation significantly reflects their perceived feeling of fatigue. Our results benefit researchers in age-related cognitive function and rehabilitation who seek for the adaptation of these media in robot-assistive cognitive training of the older people. In addition, they offer a complementary information to the field of human-robot interaction via providing evidence that the use of MSE can enable the interactive learning algorithms to utilize the brain’s activation patterns as feedbacks for improving their level of interactivity, thereby forming a stepping stone for rich and usable human mental model.
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14
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TÜDÖS Z, HOK P, HLUŠTÍK P, GRAMBAL A. Functional MRI Study of Gender Effects in Brain Activations During Verbal Working Memory Task. Physiol Res 2018; 67:825-829. [DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.933742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging methods have been used to study differences of brain function between males and females. Differences in working memory have been also investigated, but results of such studies are mixed with respect to behavioral data, reaction times and activated brain areas. We tried to analyze functional MRI data acquired during the working memory task and search for differences of brain activation between genders. 20 healthy right-handed volunteers (10 males and 10 females) participated in the study. All of them were university students or fresh graduates. Subjects underwent block designed verbal working memory task (Item Recognition Task) inside the MRI scanner. Standard single-subject pre-processing and group fMRI analyses were performed using the FEAT software from FSL library. In the behavioral data, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of correct responses during the task. The task activated similar bilateral regions of frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes, basal ganglia, the brainstem and in the cerebellum, which corresponds to the previous verbal working memory neuroimaging research. In direct comparison, there was no statistically significant difference in brain activation between small samples of male and female young healthy volunteers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z. TÜDÖS
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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15
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Keshmiri S, Sumioka H, Yamazaki R, Ishiguro H. Differential Entropy Preserves Variational Information of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Time Series Associated With Working Memory. Front Neuroinform 2018; 12:33. [PMID: 29922144 PMCID: PMC5996097 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2018.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroscience research shows a growing interest in the application of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in analysis and decoding of the brain activity of human subjects. Given the correlation that is observed between the Blood Oxygen Dependent Level (BOLD) responses that are exhibited by the time series data of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and the hemoglobin oxy/deoxy-genation that is captured by NIRS, linear models play a central role in these applications. This, in turn, results in adaptation of the feature extraction strategies that are well-suited for discretization of data that exhibit a high degree of linearity, namely, slope and the mean as well as their combination, to summarize the informational contents of the NIRS time series. In this article, we demonstrate that these features are inefficient in capturing the variational information of NIRS data, limiting the reliability and the adequacy of the conclusion on their results. Alternatively, we propose the linear estimate of differential entropy of these time series as a natural representation of such information. We provide evidence for our claim through comparative analysis of the application of these features on NIRS data pertinent to several working memory tasks as well as naturalistic conversational stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheil Keshmiri
- Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hidenubo Sumioka
- Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryuji Yamazaki
- School of Social Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishiguro
- Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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16
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Loprinzi PD, Frith E. The Role of Sex in Memory Function: Considerations and Recommendations in the Context of Exercise. J Clin Med 2018; 7:jcm7060132. [PMID: 29857518 PMCID: PMC6028920 DOI: 10.3390/jcm7060132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
There is evidence to suggest that biological sex plays a critical role in memory function, with sex differentially influencing memory type. In this review, we detail the current evidence evaluating sex-specific effects on various memory types. We also discuss potential mechanisms that explain these sex-specific effects, which include sex differences in neuroanatomy, neurochemical differences, biological differences, and cognitive and affect-related differences. Central to this review, we also highlight that, despite the established sex differences in memory, there is little work directly comparing whether males and females have a differential exercise-induced effect on memory function. As discussed herein, such a differential effect is plausible given the clear sex-specific effects on memory, exercise response, and molecular mediators of memory. We emphasize that future work should be carefully powered to detect sex differences. Future research should also examine these potential exercise-related sex-specific effects for various memory types and exercise intensities and modalities. This will help enhance our understanding of whether sex indeed moderates the effects of exercise and memory function, and as such, will improve our understanding of whether sex-specific, memory-enhancing interventions should be developed, implemented, and evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Loprinzi
- Exercise Psychology Laboratory, Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
| | - Emily Frith
- Exercise Psychology Laboratory, Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
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17
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Verbal and spatial working memory among drug-using HIV-infected men and women. J Neurovirol 2018; 24:488-497. [PMID: 29687402 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-018-0639-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is a critical component of many neurocognitive functions. The literature has demonstrated consistently that WM impairment is more frequent and severe among substance-dependent individuals (SDIs) infected with HIV compared with uninfected SDIs; however, the SDIs who participated in these previous studies were primarily male. There are few published data on WM performance among HIV+ women with or without substance use disorders, and essentially no direct comparisons of WM performance between HIV+ men and women, regardless of substance use. We investigated potential sex and serostatus effects on WM among a sample of 360 SDIs (114 with HIV; 66% female) verified abstinent from alcohol and drugs of abuse at testing and generally comparable on substance use and comorbid characteristics. Participants were tested with the n-back task, a well-established WM measure that is sensitive to HIV-associated cognitive impairment. HIV+ men and women performed spatial and verbal versions of the n-back significantly less accurately compared with HIV- participants. Women showed slower response times compared with men on both versions, regardless of HIV serostatus. Individuals dependent on cocaine showed faster RTs compared with non-dependent users, but this effect was not apparent among opioid- or alcohol-dependent groups. Findings on n-back accuracy are consistent with our previous proposal that WM impairment represents a signature deficit among HIV+ SDIs; however, WM impairment appears less common among HIV+ women without a substance use history. The pattern of sex differences in response speed but serostatus effects on response accuracy is comparable to a recent report by our group of sex differences in learning speed but serostatus effects on delayed recall.
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Turkstra LS, Norman RS, Mutlu B, Duff MC. Impaired theory of mind in adults with traumatic brain injury: A replication and extension of findings. Neuropsychologia 2018; 111:117-122. [PMID: 29366949 PMCID: PMC5866765 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To replicate a previous study of Theory of Mind (ToM) task performance in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) under different working memory (WM) demands, and determine if there are sex-based differences in effects of WM load on ToM task performance. METHOD 58 adults with moderate-severe TBI (24 females) and 66 uninjured adults (34 females) matched group-wise for age, sex, and education viewed a series of video vignettes from the Video Social Inference Task (VSIT) (Turkstra, 2008) and answered ToM questions. Vignette presentation format required updating and maintenance of information, and WM load was manipulated by varying presence of distracters. RESULTS There were main effects of group and WM load, no significant effect of sex, and a marginal interaction of group by WM load, with larger between-group differences in conditions with higher WM load. VSIT scores for the condition with the highest WM load were significantly correlated with scores on the first trial of the California Verbal Learning Test. CONCLUSIONS We replicated findings of lower scores in adults with TBI on a video-based ToM task, and provided additional evidence of the effect of WM load on social cognition task performance. There were no significant accuracy differences between men and women, inconsistent with prior evidence - including our own data using the same test. There is strong evidence of a female advantage on other social cognition tasks, and the parameters of this advantage remain to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- L S Turkstra
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Neuroscience Training Program and Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
| | - R S Norman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - B Mutlu
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - M C Duff
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, United States
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Küper K, Zimmer HD. The impact of perceptual changes to studied items on ERP correlates of familiarity and recollection is subject to hemispheric asymmetries. Brain Cogn 2018; 122:17-25. [PMID: 29396208 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.01.006] [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: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
It is still unclear which role the right hemisphere (RH) preference for perceptually specific and the left hemisphere (LH) bias towards abstract memory representations play at the level of episodic memory retrieval. When stimulus characteristics hampered the retrieval of abstract memory representations, these hemispheric asymmetries have previously only modulated event-related potential (ERP) correlates of recollection (late positive complex, LPC), but not of familiarity (FN400). In the present experiment, we used stimuli which facilitated the retrieval of abstract memory representations. With the divided visual field technique, new items, identical repetitions and color-modified versions of incidentally studied object pictures were presented in either the right (RVF) or the left visual field (LVF). Participants performed a memory inclusion task, in which they had to categorize both identically repeated and color-modified study items as 'old'. Only ERP, but not behavioral data showed hemispheric asymmetries: Compared to identical repetitions, FN400 and LPC old/new effects for color-modified items were equivalent with RVF/LH presentation, but reduced with LVF/RH presentation. By promoting the use of abstract stimulus information for memory retrieval, we were thus able to show that hemispheric asymmetries in accessing abstract or specific memory representations can modulate ERP correlates of familiarity as well as recollection processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Küper
- Aging Group, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Brain & Cognition Group, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Hubert D Zimmer
- Brain & Cognition Group, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
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Keshmiri S, Sumioka H, Yamazaki R, Ishiguro H. A Non-parametric Approach to the Overall Estimate of Cognitive Load Using NIRS Time Series. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:15. [PMID: 28217088 PMCID: PMC5290219 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a non-parametric approach to prediction of the n-back n ∈ {1, 2} task as a proxy measure of mental workload using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) data. In particular, we focus on measuring the mental workload through hemodynamic responses in the brain induced by these tasks, thereby realizing the potential that they can offer for their detection in real world scenarios (e.g., difficulty of a conversation). Our approach takes advantage of intrinsic linearity that is inherent in the components of the NIRS time series to adopt a one-step regression strategy. We demonstrate the correctness of our approach through its mathematical analysis. Furthermore, we study the performance of our model in an inter-subject setting in contrast with state-of-the-art techniques in the literature to show a significant improvement on prediction of these tasks (82.50 and 86.40% for female and male participants, respectively). Moreover, our empirical analysis suggest a gender difference effect on the performance of the classifiers (with male data exhibiting a higher non-linearity) along with the left-lateralized activation in both genders with higher specificity in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheil Keshmiri
- Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hidenobu Sumioka
- Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryuji Yamazaki
- Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishiguro
- Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute InternationalKyoto, Japan; The Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka UniversityOsaka, Japan
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Reed JL, Gallagher NM, Sullivan M, Callicott JH, Green AE. Sex differences in verbal working memory performance emerge at very high loads of common neuroimaging tasks. Brain Cogn 2017; 113:56-64. [PMID: 28119206 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) supports a broad range of intelligent cognition and has been the subject of rich cognitive and neural characterization. However, the highest ranges of WM have not been fully characterized, especially for verbal information. Tasks developed to test multiple levels of WM demand (load) currently predominate brain-based WM research. These tasks are typically used at loads that allow most healthy participants to perform well, which facilitates neuroimaging data collection. Critically, however, high performance at lower loads may obscure differences that emerge at higher loads. A key question not yet addressed at high loads concerns the effect of sex. Thoroughgoing investigation of high-load verbal WM is thus timely to test for potential hidden effects, and to provide behavioral context for effects of sex observed in WM-related brain structure and function. We tested 111 young adults, matched on genotype for the WM-associated COMT-Val108/158Met polymorphism, on three classic WM tasks using verbal information. Each task was tested at four WM loads, including higher loads than those used in previous studies of sex differences. All tasks loaded on a single factor, enabling comparison of verbal WM ability at a construct level. Results indicated sex effects at high loads across tasks and within each task, such that males had higher accuracy, even among groups that were matched for performance at lower loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Reed
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States; Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, United States
| | - Natalie M Gallagher
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States; Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, United States
| | - Marie Sullivan
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States
| | - Joseph H Callicott
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, United States
| | - Adam E Green
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, United States.
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Zilles D, Lewandowski M, Vieker H, Henseler I, Diekhof E, Melcher T, Keil M, Gruber O. Gender Differences in Verbal and Visuospatial Working Memory Performance and Networks. Neuropsychobiology 2016; 73:52-63. [PMID: 26859775 DOI: 10.1159/000443174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory (WM) has been a matter of intensive basic and clinical research for some decades now. The investigation of WM function and dysfunction may facilitate the understanding of both physiological and pathological processes in the human brain. Though WM paradigms are widely used in neuroscientific and psychiatric research, conclusive knowledge about potential moderating variables such as gender is still missing. METHODS We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the effects of gender on verbal and visuospatial WM maintenance tasks in a large and homogeneous sample of young healthy subjects. RESULTS We found significant gender effects on both the behavioral and neurofunctional level. Females exhibited disadvantages with a small effect size in both WM domains accompanied by stronger activations in a set of brain regions (including bilateral substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area and right Broca's area) independent of WM modality. As load and task difficulty effects have been shown for some of these regions, the stronger activations may reflect a slightly lower capacity of both WM domains in females. Males showed stronger bilateral intraparietal activations next to the precuneus which were specific for the visuospatial WM task. Activity in this specific region may be associated with visuospatial short-term memory capacity. CONCLUSION These findings provide evidence for a slightly lower capacity in both WM modalities in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Zilles
- Centre for Translational Research in Systems Neuroscience and Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Goettingen, Germany
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Lamb YN, McKay NS, Singh SS, Waldie KE, Kirk IJ. Catechol-O-methyltransferase val(158)met Polymorphism Interacts with Sex to Affect Face Recognition Ability. Front Psychol 2016; 7:965. [PMID: 27445927 PMCID: PMC4921451 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) val158met polymorphism affects the breakdown of synaptic dopamine. Consequently, this polymorphism has been associated with a variety of neurophysiological and behavioral outcomes. Some of the effects have been found to be sex-specific and it appears estrogen may act to down-regulate the activity of the COMT enzyme. The dopaminergic system has been implicated in face recognition, a form of cognition for which a female advantage has typically been reported. This study aimed to investigate potential joint effects of sex and COMT genotype on face recognition. A sample of 142 university students was genotyped and assessed using the Faces I subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale - Third Edition (WMS-III). A significant two-way interaction between sex and COMT genotype on face recognition performance was found. Of the male participants, COMT val homozygotes and heterozygotes had significantly lower scores than met homozygotes. Scores did not differ between genotypes for female participants. While male val homozygotes had significantly lower scores than female val homozygotes, no sex differences were observed in the heterozygotes and met homozygotes. This study contributes to the accumulating literature documenting sex-specific effects of the COMT polymorphism by demonstrating a COMT-sex interaction for face recognition, and is consistent with a role for dopamine in face recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette N Lamb
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nicole S McKay
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Shrimal S Singh
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karen E Waldie
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ian J Kirk
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
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Parallel processing of cognitive and physical demands in left and right prefrontal cortices during smartphone use while walking. BMC Neurosci 2016; 17:9. [PMID: 26831898 PMCID: PMC4736491 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-016-0244-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Smartphone use while walking is becoming a public concern owing to an increased risk of falling that can result from cognitive-motor interference. We evaluated prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in participants playing a smartphone game while walking, in order to elucidate the role of the PFC in the allocation of attention between physical and cognitive demands. Sixteen young and 15 older adults participated in this study. Participants were instructed to perform a touch number-selecting game on a smartphone while walking. The numbers of correct and mistake responses were analyzed as a measure of cognitive performance. Linear trunk accelerations were measured by another smartphone and analyzed for step time and acceleration magnitude as an assay of gait performance. PFC activity during the task was measured using a wearable 16-channel near-infrared spectroscopy system. Results Smartphone game playing while walking decreased the cognitive and gait performances compared with performances of single-task condition in older group more than in young group. There was no difference in PFC activation during smartphone use while walking between young and older groups, but age appeared to mediate correlation magnitude between PFC activation and changes in performance. In young adults, multiple regression analysis revealed an association of the right PFC with a reduction in acceleration magnitude (β = 0.581, p = 0.023), and an association of the left PFC with an increase in game-playing mistakes (β = −0.556, p = 0.032) during smartphone use while walking. In older adults, multiple regression analysis revealed an association of the middle PFC with a prolongation of step time (β = −0.550, p = 0.042) and of the left PFC with a reduction in acceleration magnitude (β = −0.648, p = 0.012). Conclusion In young adults, the left PFC inhibited inappropriate action and the right PFC stabilized gait performance. In older adults, a less-lateralized PFC activity pattern suppressed the deterioration of gait performance, but this resulted in impairment on a simultaneous cognitive task. These results suggest that lateralization of motor and cognitive tasks aids in efficient task completion during a complex action such as using a smartphone while walking.
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25
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Duggirala SX, Saharan S, Raghunathan P, Mandal PK. Stimulus-dependent modulation of working memory for identity monitoring: A functional MRI study. Brain Cogn 2016; 102:55-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 12/05/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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26
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Yao Z, Yan R, Wei M, Tang H, Qin J, Lu Q. Gender differences in brain activity and the relationship between brain activity and differences in prevalence rates between male and female major depressive disorder patients: A resting-state fMRI study. Clin Neurophysiol 2014; 125:2232-2239. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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27
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Lückmann HC, Jacobs HI, Sack AT. The cross-functional role of frontoparietal regions in cognition: internal attention as the overarching mechanism. Prog Neurobiol 2014; 116:66-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2014.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Cansino S, Hernández-Ramos E, Estrada-Manilla C, Torres-Trejo F, Martínez-Galindo JG, Ayala-Hernández M, Gómez-Fernández T, Osorio D, Cedillo-Tinoco M, Garcés-Flores L, Beltrán-Palacios K, García-Lázaro HG, García-Gutiérrez F, Cadena-Arenas Y, Fernández-Apan L, Bärtschi A, Rodríguez-Ortiz MD. The decline of verbal and visuospatial working memory across the adult life span. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 35:2283-302. [PMID: 23558670 PMCID: PMC3825012 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-013-9531-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
It has been well established that working memory abilities decrease with advancing age; however, the specific time point in the adult life span at which this deficit begins and the rate at which it advances are still controversial. There is no agreement on whether working memory declines equally for visuospatial and verbal information, and the literature disagrees on how task difficulty may influence this decay. We addressed these questions in a lifespan sample of 1,500 participants between 21 and 80 years old. The n-back task was used, with letters and circles presented at different positions around an imaginary circle, to evaluate working memory in the verbal and visuospatial domains, respectively. The participants' task was to judge whether the current stimulus matched a stimulus that was shown n trials prior. Both domains were evaluated in two levels of difficulty: 1-back and 2-back. The comparison across decades showed that discrimination in the visuospatial and 1-back tasks started to decline earlier in women than in men; however, discrimination was equal between the sexes in the verbal and 2-back tasks. Performance on tasks in the visuospatial domain exhibited more pronounced decline than in those in the verbal domain. The rate of decline in working memory accuracy was superior in 2-back tasks than in 1-back tasks, independent of the domain. These results revealed that the effects of aging on working memory are less dependent on the type of information and more reliant on the resources demanded by the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Cansino
- Laboratory of NeuroCognition, Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Avenida Universidad 3004, Colonia Copilco Universidad, Building D, Second floor, Room 12, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico,
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29
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Belham FS, Satler C, Garcia A, Tomaz C, Gasbarri A, Rego A, Tavares MCH. Age-related differences in cortical activity during a visuo-spatial working memory task with facial stimuli. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75778. [PMID: 24069447 PMCID: PMC3777883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotion, importantly displayed by facial expressions, is one of the most significant memory modulators. The interaction between memory and the different emotional valences change across lifespan, while young adults (YA) are expected to better recall negative events (Negativity Bias Hypothesis), older adults (OA) tend to focus on positive stimuli (Positivity Effect Hypothesis). This research work aims at verifying whether cortical electrical activity of these two age groups would also be differently influenced by emotional valences in a visuo-spatial working memory task. 27 YA (13 males) and 25 OA (14 males), all healthy volunteers, underwent electroencephalographic recordings (21 scalp electrodes montage), while performing the Spatial Delayed Recognition Span Task using a touch screen with different stimuli categories: neutral, positive and negative faces and geometric pictures. YA obtained higher scores than OA, and showed higher activation of theta and alpha bands in the frontal and midline regions, besides a more evident right-hemispheric asymmetry on alpha band when compared to OA. For both age groups, performance in the task was worse for positive faces than to negative and to neutral faces. Facial stimuli induced a better performance and higher alpha activation on the pre-frontal region for YA, and on the midline, occipital and left temporal regions for OA when compared to geometric figures. The superior performance of YA was expected due to the natural cognitive deficits connected to ageing, as was a better performance with facial stimuli due to the evolutionary importance of faces. These results were related to cortical activity on areas of importance for action-planning, decision making and sustained attention. Taken together, they are in accordance with the Negativity Bias but do not support the Positivity Effect. The methodology used was able to identify age-related differences in cortical activity during emotional mnemonic processing and may be interesting to future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia Schechtman Belham
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Corina Satler
- Faculty of Ceilandia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Ana Garcia
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Carlos Tomaz
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Antonella Gasbarri
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Artur Rego
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Maria Clotilde H. Tavares
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
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30
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Herlitz A, Lovén J. Sex differences and the own-gender bias in face recognition: A meta-analytic review. VISUAL COGNITION 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2013.823140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Burman DD, Minas T, Bolger DJ, Booth JR. Age, sex, and verbal abilities affect location of linguistic connectivity in ventral visual pathway. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 124:184-93. [PMID: 23376366 PMCID: PMC3572208 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the strength of connectivity between regions can vary depending upon the cognitive demands of a task. In this study, the location of task-dependent connectivity from the primary visual cortex (V1) was examined in 43 children (ages 9-15) performing visual tasks; connectivity maxima were identified for a visual task requiring a linguistic (orthographic) judgment. Age, sex, and verbal IQ interacted to affect maxima location. Increases in age and verbal IQ produced similar shifts in maxima location; in girls, connectivity maxima shifted primarily laterally within the left temporal lobe, whereas the shift was primarily posterior within occipital cortex among boys. A composite map across all subjects shows an expansion in the area of connectivity with age. Results show that the location of visual/linguistic connectivity varies systematically during development, suggesting that both sex differences and developmental changes in V1 connectivity are related to linguistic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Burman
- Center for Advanced Imaging, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Taylor Minas
- Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Donald J. Bolger
- Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Dept. of Human Development, Maryland University, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - James R. Booth
- Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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Motor control and neural plasticity through interhemispheric interactions. Neural Plast 2012; 2012:823285. [PMID: 23326685 PMCID: PMC3541646 DOI: 10.1155/2012/823285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2012] [Revised: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The corpus callosum, which is the largest white matter structure in the human brain, connects the 2 cerebral hemispheres. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the independent processing of the hemispheres and in integrating information between both hemispheres. The functional integrity of interhemispheric interactions can be tested electrophysiologically in humans by using transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroencephalography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. As a brain structural imaging, diffusion tensor imaging has revealed the microstructural connectivity underlying interhemispheric interactions. Sex, age, and motor training in addition to the size of the corpus callosum influence interhemispheric interactions. Several neurological disorders change hemispheric asymmetry directly by impairing the corpus callosum. Moreover, stroke lesions and unilateral peripheral impairments such as amputation alter interhemispheric interactions indirectly. Noninvasive brain stimulation changes the interhemispheric interactions between both motor cortices. Recently, these brain stimulation techniques were applied in the clinical rehabilitation of patients with stroke by ameliorating the deteriorated modulation of interhemispheric interactions. Here, we review the interhemispheric interactions and mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these interactions and propose rehabilitative approaches for appropriate cortical reorganization.
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Allendorfer JB, Lindsell CJ, Siegel M, Banks CL, Vannest J, Holland SK, Szaflarski JP. Females and males are highly similar in language performance and cortical activation patterns during verb generation. Cortex 2012; 48:1218-33. [PMID: 21676387 PMCID: PMC3179789 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2011.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2010] [Revised: 02/18/2011] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the existence of sex differences in cortical activation during verb generation when performance is controlled for. METHODS Twenty male and 20 female healthy adults underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using a covert block-design verb generation task (BD-VGT) and its event-related version (ER-VGT) that allowed for intra-scanner recordings of overt responses. Task-specific activations were determined using the following contrasts: BD-VGT covert generation>finger-tapping; ER-VGT overt generation>repetition; ER-VGT overt>covert generation. Lateral cortical regions activated during each contrast were used for calculating language lateralization index scores. Voxelwise regressions were used to determine sex differences in activation, with and without controlling for performance. Each brain region showing male/female activation differences for ER-VGT overt generation>repetition (isolating noun-verb association) was defined as a region of interest (ROI). For each subject, the signal change in each ROI was extracted, and the association between ER-VGT activation related to noun-verb association and performance was assessed separately for each sex. RESULTS Males and females performed similarly on language assessments, had similar patterns of language lateralization, and exhibited similar activation patterns for each fMRI task contrast. Regression analysis controlling for overt intra-scanner performance either abolished (BD-VGT) or reduced (ER-VGT) the observed differences in activation between sexes. The main difference between sexes occurred during ER-VGT processing of noun-verb associations, where males showed greater activation than females in the right middle/superior frontal gyrus (MFG/SFG) and the right caudate/anterior cingulate gyrus (aCG) after controlling for performance. Better verb generation performance was associated with increased right caudate/aCG activation in males and with increased right MFG/SFG activation in females. CONCLUSIONS Males and females exhibit similar activation patterns during verb generation fMRI, and controlling for intra-scanner performance reduces or even abolishes sex differences in language-related activation. These results suggest that previous findings of sex differences in neuroimaging studies that did not control for task performance may reflect false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane B Allendorfer
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0525, USA.
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van Norden AG, de Laat KF, Fick I, van Uden IW, van Oudheusden LJ, Gons RA, Norris DG, Zwiers MP, Kessels RP, de Leeuw F. Diffusion tensor imaging of the hippocampus and verbal memory performance: the RUN DMC study. Hum Brain Mapp 2012; 33:542-51. [PMID: 21391278 PMCID: PMC6870230 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2010] [Revised: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 11/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) and hippocampal atrophy are related to verbal memory failures and may ultimately result in Alzheimer's disease. However, verbal memory failures are often present before structural changes on conventional MRI appear. Changes in microstructural integrity of the hippocampus, which cannot be detected with conventional MRI, may be the underlying pathological substrate. With diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we investigated the relation between the microstructural integrity of the hippocampus and verbal memory performance in 503 nondemented elderly with SVD. METHODS The Radboud University Nijmegen Diffusion tensor and Magnetic resonance imaging Cohort study is a prospective cohort study among 503 nondemented elderly with cerebral SVD aged between 50 and 85 years. All participants underwent T1 MPRAGE, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, DTI scanning and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. After manual segmentation of the hippocampi, we calculated the mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy in both hippocampi. The relation between memory performance and hippocampal DTI parameters was adjusted for age, sex, education, depressive symptoms, hippocampal, and white-matter lesions volume and lacunar infarcts. RESULTS We found inverse relations between hippocampal MD and verbal memory performance (β = -0.22; P < 0.001), immediate recall (β = -0.22; P < 0.001), delayed recall (β = -0.20; P < 0.001), and forgetting rate (β = -0.13; P = 0.025), most pronounced in participants with a normal hippocampal volume. CONCLUSION Microstructural integrity of the hippocampus assessed by DTI is related to verbal memory performance in elderly with SVD, also in participants with an intact appearing hippocampus. Changes in hippocampal microstructure may be an early marker of underlying neurodegenerative disease, before macrostructural (i.e., volumetric) changes occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk G.W. van Norden
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Karlijn F. de Laat
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ilma Fick
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Inge W.M. van Uden
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lucas J.B. van Oudheusden
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rob A.R. Gons
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - David G. Norris
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel P. Zwiers
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roy P.C. Kessels
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands
- Centre for Cognition, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands
- Departments of Medical Psychology and Geriatrics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank‐Erik de Leeuw
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Abstract
The underlying assumption in popular and scientific publications on sex differences in the brain is that human brains can take one of two forms “male” or “female,” and that the differences between these two forms underlie differences between men and women in personality, cognition, emotion, and behavior. Documented sex differences in brain structure are typically taken to support this dimorphic view of the brain. However, neuroanatomical data reveal that sex interacts with other factors in utero and throughout life to determine the structure of the brain, and that because these interactions are complex, the result is a multi-morphic, rather than a dimorphic, brain. More specifically, here I argue that human brains are composed of an ever-changing heterogeneous mosaic of “male” and “female” brain characteristics (rather than being all “male” or all “female”) that cannot be aligned on a continuum between a “male brain” and a “female brain.” I further suggest that sex differences in the direction of change in the brain mosaic following specific environmental events lead to sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphna Joel
- Department of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Menzler K, Belke M, Wehrmann E, Krakow K, Lengler U, Jansen A, Hamer HM, Oertel WH, Rosenow F, Knake S. Men and women are different: diffusion tensor imaging reveals sexual dimorphism in the microstructure of the thalamus, corpus callosum and cingulum. Neuroimage 2010; 54:2557-62. [PMID: 21087671 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Revised: 11/04/2010] [Accepted: 11/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Numerous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have addressed the question of morphological differences of the brain of men and women, reporting conflicting results regarding brain size and the ratio of gray and white matter. In the present study, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to delineate sex differences of brain white matter. METHODS We investigated brain microstructure in 25 male and 25 female healthy subjects using a 3T MRI scanner. Whole-head DTI scans were analyzed without a-priori hypothesis using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) calculating maps of fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD, a potential marker of glial alteration and changes in myelination) and axial diffusivity (AD, a potential marker of axonal changes). RESULTS DTI revealed regional microstructural differences between the brains of male and female subjects. Those were prominent in the thalamus, corpus callosum and cingulum. Men showed significantly (p<0.0001) higher values of fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity in these areas, suggesting that the observed differences are mainly due to differences in myelination. DISCUSSION As a novel finding we showed widespread differences in thalamic microstructure that have not been described previously. Additionally, the present study confirmed earlier DTI studies focusing on sexual dimorphism in the corpus callosum and cingulum. All changes appear to be based on differences in myelination. The sex differences in thalamic microstructure call for further studies on the underlying cause and the behavioral correlates of this sexual dimorphism. Future DTI group studies may carefully control for gender to avoid confounding.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Menzler
- Philipps-University Marburg, Center of Brain Imaging, Department of Neurology, Marburg, Germany
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Li T, Luo Q, Gong H. Gender-specific hemodynamics in prefrontal cortex during a verbal working memory task by near-infrared spectroscopy. Behav Brain Res 2010; 209:148-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2009] [Revised: 01/04/2010] [Accepted: 01/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Cerebral hemodynamic lateralization during memory tasks as assessed by functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD) sonography: effects of gender and healthy aging. Cortex 2010; 47:750-8. [PMID: 20452582 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2010.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2009] [Revised: 10/09/2009] [Accepted: 03/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous neuropsychological, lesional and functional imaging studies deal with the lateralization of memory processes, suggesting that they could be determined by the stage of processing (encoding vs retrieval) or by content (verbal vs non-verbal stimuli). The aims of the present study were: 1) to investigate if tasks that can be carried out using different strategies depending on the verbalizability of the material induce a lateralization of the mean cerebral blood flow velocity (mCBFV) in the middle cerebral arteries (MCAs), as monitored by a functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD); 2) to evaluate if these patterns of cerebral activation differ in relation to age, gender and task performance. METHOD Using TCD bilateral monitoring, we recorded mCBFV variations in 35 male and 35 female healthy, right-handed volunteers, classified as "young" (age range 21-40 years, n=35) or "old"(age range 41-60 years, n=35), performing four different cognitive tasks: encoding and recognition of Geometric Figures (GF), encoding and recall of Object Localization (OL) on a picture, encoding of a verbal Room Description (RD) and Arithmetic Skill (AS). RESULTS We found a significant right lateralization for the OL recall phase, and a significant left lateralization for RD and AS. When we took into consideration gender, age and performance, there was a strong effect of age on both OL encoding and recall phase, with significant right lateralization in young volunteers not seen in the older ones. No difference in gender was detected. We found a gender×performance interaction for RD, with poor performance females showing significant left lateralization. CONCLUSIONS According to our findings, hemispheric lateralization during memory encoding is material specific in both men and women, depending on the verbalizability of the material. mCBFV right lateralization during scene encoding and recall appears lost in older people, suggesting that healthy elderly could take advantage of mixed verbal and non-verbal strategies.
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Examining the sex difference in lateralisation for processing facial emotion: Does biological sex or psychological gender identity matter? Neuropsychologia 2010; 48:1289-94. [PMID: 20036677 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2009] [Revised: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 12/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Schmidt H, Jogia J, Fast K, Christodoulou T, Haldane M, Kumari V, Frangou S. No gender differences in brain activation during the N-back task: an fMRI study in healthy individuals. Hum Brain Mapp 2010; 30:3609-15. [PMID: 19387979 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gender differences have been well established in verbal and spatial abilities but few studies have examined if these differences also extend into the domain of working memory in terms of behavioural differences and brain activation. The conclusions that can be drawn from these studies are not clear cut but suggest that even though gender differences might not be apparent from behavioural measures, the underlying neural substrate associated with working memory might be different in men and women. Previous research suggests activation in a network of frontal and parietal regions during working memory tasks. This study aimed to investigate gender differences in patterns of brain activation during a verbal version of the N-back working memory task, which incorporates the effects of increased demands on working memory. A total of 50 healthy subjects, aged 18 to 58 years, that were equally split by gender were recruited matched for age, levels of education and ethnicity. All subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that men and women performed equally well in terms of accuracy and response times, while using similar brain regions to the same degree. Our observations indicate that verbal working memory is not affected by gender at the behavioural or neural level, and support the findings of a recent meta-analysis by Hyde ([ 2005]: Sex Roles 53:717-725) that gender differences are generally smaller than intra-gender differences in many cognitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Schmidt
- Section of Neurobiology of Psychosis, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, United Kingdom
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Jimura K, Braver TS. Age-related shifts in brain activity dynamics during task switching. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 20:1420-31. [PMID: 19805420 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhp206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive aging studies have suggested that older adults show declines in both sustained and transient cognitive control processes. However, previous neuroimaging studies have primarily focused on age-related change in the magnitude, but not temporal dynamics, of brain activity. The present study compared brain activity dynamics in healthy old and young adults during task switching. A mixed blocked/event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging design enabled separation of transient and sustained neural activity associated with cognitive control. Relative to young adults, older adults exhibited not only decreased sustained activity in the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) during task-switching blocks but also increased transient activity on task-switch trials. Another pattern of age-related shift in dynamics was present in the lateral PFC (lPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC), with younger adults showing a cue-related response during task-switch trials in lPFC and PPC, whereas older adults exhibited switch-related activation during the cue period in PPC only. In all 3 regions, these qualitatively distinct patterns of brain activity predicted qualitatively distinct patterns of behavioral performance across the 2 age groups. Together, these results suggest that older adults may shift from a proactive to reactive cognitive control strategy as a means of retaining relatively preserved behavioral performance in the face of age-related neurocognitive changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Jimura
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63139, USA.
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42
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Kaiser A, Haller S, Schmitz S, Nitsch C. On sex/gender related similarities and differences in fMRI language research. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 61:49-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2009.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2008] [Revised: 03/29/2009] [Accepted: 03/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Schmithorst VJ. DEVELOPMENTAL SEX DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATION OF NEUROANATOMICAL CONNECTIVITY TO INTELLIGENCE. INTELLIGENCE 2009; 37:164-173. [PMID: 21297966 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2008.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent neuroimaging research has shown sex-related differences in the relationship between brain structure and cognitive function. Anatomical studies have shown a greater reliance for cognitive function on white matter structure in adult females, and a greater reliance on gray matter structure in adult males. Functional neuroimaging studies have also shown a greater correlation between brain connectivity and cognitive function in females. However, this relationship is not present in young childhood (5 years old) but appears during the developmental period. Here sex differences in structure-function relationships and their developmental trajectory are investigated using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on a large cohort of over 100 normal children ages 5-18. Significant sex-X-IQ interactions on fractional anisotropy (FA), a marker for white matter organization, were seen in the left frontal lobe, in fronto-parietal areas bilaterally, and in the arcuate fasciculus bilaterally, with girls showing positive correlations of FA with IQ, and boys showing a negative correlation. Significant sex-X-IQ-X-age interactions on FA were also seen in the left frontal lobe and in fronto-parietal areas bilaterally, showing a developmental effect. These results strongly corroborate previous findings regarding sex differences in structure-function relationships regarding intelligence. Results also indicate that a naïve interpretation of "more is better" with respect to FA may not be accurate, especially in adult males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Schmithorst
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Imaging Research Center, Dept. of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave. ML 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229
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44
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Wallentin M. Putative sex differences in verbal abilities and language cortex: a critical review. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2009; 108:175-83. [PMID: 18722007 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2008.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2008] [Revised: 06/06/2008] [Accepted: 07/18/2008] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This review brings together evidence from a diverse field of methods for investigating sex differences in language processing. Differences are found in certain language-related deficits, such as stuttering, dyslexia, autism and schizophrenia. Common to these is that language problems may follow from, rather than cause the deficit. Large studies have been conducted on sex differences in verbal abilities within the normal population, and a careful reading of the results suggests that differences in language proficiency do not exist. Early differences in language acquisition show a slight advantage for girls, but this gradually disappears. A difference in language lateralization of brain structure and function in adults has also been suggested, perhaps following size differences in the corpus callosum. Neither of these claims is substantiated by evidence. In addition, overall results from studies on regional grey matter distribution using voxel-based morphometry, indicate no consistent differences between males and females in language-related cortical regions. Language function in Wada tests, aphasia, and in normal ageing also fails to show sex differentiation.
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van Stegeren AH. Imaging stress effects on memory: a review of neuroimaging studies. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2009; 54:16-27. [PMID: 19175976 DOI: 10.1177/070674370905400105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review and give an overview of neuroimaging studies that look at the role of stress (hormones) on memory. METHOD An overview will be given of imaging studies that looked at the role of stress (hormones) on memory. Stress is here defined as the acute provocation of the sympathetic adrenal medullar system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in experimental designs. Stress hormone levels can be raised endogenously in response to stimulus material (for example, pictures and films) or social evaluative threat situations (stress tasks). Other studies use the exogenous application of drugs to enhance or decrease stress hormone levels. Finally, we review studies on chronic stress and memory. RESULTS Stress or emotional arousal, leading to increased noradrenaline or cortisol levels, led to better memory performance when it is applied during perception or encoding. Brain regions involved in this process were medial temporal lobe regions such as amygdala and hippocampus, and several parts of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). High stress levels accompanied by high cortisol levels during retrieval led to impaired memory performance. Sex effects on memory as well as lateralization effects on brain activation were found. CONCLUSION High stress levels during encoding and consolidation of emotional material involve increased amygdala and hippocampus activation. The role of the anterior cingulate cortex and other parts of the PFC during perception and encoding of arousing material appears to be a modulating one. However, additional research is needed to shed more light on the nature of the brain changes during stress, especially during retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anda H van Stegeren
- Researcher and Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam, Department of Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Science Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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46
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Effects of sex and normal aging on regional brain activation during verbal memory performance. Neurobiol Aging 2008; 31:826-38. [PMID: 19027195 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2007] [Revised: 09/09/2008] [Accepted: 10/06/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the main and interactive effects of age and sex on relative glucose metabolic rate (rGMR) within gray matter of 39 cortical Brodmann areas (BAs) and the cingulate gyrus using (18)FDG-PET during a verbal memory task in 70 healthy normal adults, aged 20-87 years. Women showed significantly greater age-related rGMR decline in left cingulate gyrus than men (BAs 25, 24, 23, 31, 29). Both groups showed a decline in the anterior cingulate--a neuroanatomical structure that mediates effective cognitive-emotional interactions (BAs 32, 24, 25), while the other frontal regions did not show substantial decline. No sex differences in rGMR were identified within temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. Sex differences were observed for rGMR within subcomponents of the cingulate gyrus with men higher in BA25 and BA29, but lower in BA24 and BA 23 compared to women. For men, better memory performance was associated with greater rGMR in BA24, whereas in women better performance was associated with orbitofrontal-BA12. These results suggest that both age-related metabolic decline and sex differences within frontal regions are more marked in medial frontal and cingulate areas, consistent with some age-related patterns of affective and cognitive change.
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Schmithorst VJ, Holland SK, Dardzinski BJ. Developmental differences in white matter architecture between boys and girls. Hum Brain Mapp 2008; 29:696-710. [PMID: 17598163 PMCID: PMC2396458 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have found developmental differences between males and females in brain structure. During childhood and adolescence, relative white matter volume increases faster in boys than in girls. Sex differences in the development of white matter microstructure were investigated in a cohort of normal children ages 5-18 in a cross-sectional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study. Greater fractional anisotropy (FA) in boys was shown in associative white matter regions (including the frontal lobes), while greater FA in girls was shown in the splenium of the corpus callosum. Greater mean diffusivity (MD) in boys was shown in the corticospinal tract and in frontal white matter in the right hemisphere; greater MD in girls was shown in occipito-parietal regions and the most superior aspect of the corticospinal tract in the right hemisphere. Significant sex-age interactions on FA and MD were also shown. Girls displayed a greater rate of fiber density increase with age when compared with boys in associative regions (reflected in MD values). However, girls displayed a trend toward increased organization with age (reflected in FA values) only in the right hemisphere, while boys displayed this trend only in the left hemisphere. These results indicate differing developmental trajectories in white matter for boys and girls and the importance of taking sex into account in developmental DTI studies. The results also may have implications for the study of the relationship of brain architecture with intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Schmithorst
- Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
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48
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Sex differences in handedness, asymmetry of the Planum Temporale and functional language lateralization. Brain Res 2008; 1206:76-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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49
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Burman DD, Bitan T, Booth JR. Sex differences in neural processing of language among children. Neuropsychologia 2008; 46:1349-62. [PMID: 18262207 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2007] [Revised: 10/17/2007] [Accepted: 12/14/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Why females generally perform better on language tasks than males is unknown. Sex differences were here identified in children (ages 9-15) across two linguistic tasks for words presented in two modalities. Bilateral activation in the inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri and activation in the left fusiform gyrus of girls was greater than in boys. Activation in the left inferior frontal and fusiform regions of girls was also correlated with linguistic accuracy irregardless of stimulus modality, whereas correlation with performance accuracy in boys depended on the modality of word presentation (either in visual or auditory association cortex). This pattern suggests that girls rely on a supramodal language network, whereas boys process visual and auditory words differently. Activation in the left fusiform region was additionally correlated with performance on standardized language tests in which girls performed better, additional evidence of its role in early sex differences for language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D Burman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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50
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Emotional memory and migraine: effects of amitriptyline and sex related difference. Behav Brain Res 2007; 189:220-5. [PMID: 18242724 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2007.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2007] [Revised: 12/10/2007] [Accepted: 12/13/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Many studies suggest that emotional arousal improves memory storage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of emotional content on explicit memory in untreated cephalalgic patients and in migraineurs treated with the antidepressant amitriptyline. We utilized an adaptation of two versions of the same story, with different arousing properties (neutral or emotional), which have been already employed in experiments involving the enhancing effects of emotions on memory retention. Subjects of the present study were healthy subjects and cephalalgic patients, suffering from migraine headache, which included untreated migraineurs and migraineurs treated with the antidepressant amitriptyline. The findings of our experiments suggest that chronic migraine is related to memory impairment. Taking into account that migraine is associated with major depression, in the present research the effect of the antidepressant amitriptyline was also evaluated. Our results showed that amitriptyline has an impairment effect on memory. In fact, the untreated migraineurs, compared to treated, recalled the most emotional phase of the arousal story significantly better. Then, our data suggest that amitriptyline prevents the enhancing effects of emotional content on memory processes. Moreover, in agreement with our previous data, this study suggests the existence of gender differences in the processing of emotional stimuli and underscores the importance of sex on emotional memory mechanisms.
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