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Norman LJ, Hartley T, Thaler L. Changes in primary visual and auditory cortex of blind and sighted adults following 10 weeks of click-based echolocation training. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae239. [PMID: 38897817 PMCID: PMC11186672 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent work suggests that the adult human brain is very adaptable when it comes to sensory processing. In this context, it has also been suggested that structural "blueprints" may fundamentally constrain neuroplastic change, e.g. in response to sensory deprivation. Here, we trained 12 blind participants and 14 sighted participants in echolocation over a 10-week period, and used MRI in a pre-post design to measure functional and structural brain changes. We found that blind participants and sighted participants together showed a training-induced increase in activation in left and right V1 in response to echoes, a finding difficult to reconcile with the view that sensory cortex is strictly organized by modality. Further, blind participants and sighted participants showed a training induced increase in activation in right A1 in response to sounds per se (i.e. not echo-specific), and this was accompanied by an increase in gray matter density in right A1 in blind participants and in adjacent acoustic areas in sighted participants. The similarity in functional results between sighted participants and blind participants is consistent with the idea that reorganization may be governed by similar principles in the two groups, yet our structural analyses also showed differences between the groups suggesting that a more nuanced view may be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J Norman
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Tom Hartley
- Department of Psychology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Lore Thaler
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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Ziminski JJ, Frangou P, Karlaftis VM, Emir U, Kourtzi Z. Microstructural and neurochemical plasticity mechanisms interact to enhance human perceptual decision-making. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002029. [PMID: 36897881 PMCID: PMC10032544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Experience and training are known to boost our skills and mold the brain's organization and function. Yet, structural plasticity and functional neurotransmission are typically studied at different scales (large-scale networks, local circuits), limiting our understanding of the adaptive interactions that support learning of complex cognitive skills in the adult brain. Here, we employ multimodal brain imaging to investigate the link between microstructural (myelination) and neurochemical (GABAergic) plasticity for decision-making. We test (in males, due to potential confounding menstrual cycle effects on GABA measurements in females) for changes in MRI-measured myelin, GABA, and functional connectivity before versus after training on a perceptual decision task that involves identifying targets in clutter. We demonstrate that training alters subcortical (pulvinar, hippocampus) myelination and its functional connectivity to visual cortex and relates to decreased visual cortex GABAergic inhibition. Modeling interactions between MRI measures of myelin, GABA, and functional connectivity indicates that pulvinar myelin plasticity interacts-through thalamocortical connectivity-with GABAergic inhibition in visual cortex to support learning. Our findings propose a dynamic interplay of adaptive microstructural and neurochemical plasticity in subcortico-cortical circuits that supports learning for optimized decision-making in the adult human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Ziminski
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Polytimi Frangou
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vasilis M Karlaftis
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Uzay Emir
- Purdue University School of Health Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Zoe Kourtzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Killgore WDS, Vanuk JR, Dailey NS. Treatment with morning blue light increases left amygdala volume and sleep duration among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:910239. [PMID: 36172470 PMCID: PMC9510679 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.910239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with numerous cognitive, affective, and psychophysiological outcomes, including problems with sleep and circadian rhythms. We tested the effectiveness of a daily morning blue-light exposure treatment (BLT) versus a matched amber light treatment (ALT) to regulate sleep in individuals diagnosed with PTSD. Moreover, PTSD is also associated with reliable findings on structural neuroimaging scans, including reduced amygdala volumes and other differences in cortical gray matter volume (GMV) that may be indicative of underlying neurobehavioral dysfunctions. We examined the effect of BLT versus ALT on GMV and its association with sleep outcomes.MethodsSeventy-six individuals (25 male; 51 female) meeting DSM-V criteria for PTSD (Age = 31.45 years, SD = 8.83) completed sleep assessments and structural neuroimaging scans, followed by random assignment one of two light groups, including BLT (469 nm; n = 39) or placebo ALT (578 nm; n = 37) light therapy daily for 30-min over 6-weeks. Participants wore a wrist actigraph for the duration of the study. After treatment, participants returned to complete sleep assessments and a structural neuroimaging scan. Neuroimaging data were analyzed using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12) and Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) modules within the Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12) software.ResultsThe BLT condition produced significant increases in total time in bed and total sleep time from actigraphy compared to the ALT condition, while ALT improved wake after sleep onset and sleep efficiency compared to BLT. Additionally, BLT led to an increase in left amygdala volume compared to ALT but did not affect hypothesized medial prefrontal regions. Finally, within group correlations showed that improvements in sleep quality and nightmare severity were correlated with increases in left amygdala volume over the course of treatment for the BLT group but not the ALT group.ConclusionIn individuals with PTSD, daily exposure to morning blue light treatment was associated with improvements in objective sleep duration and increased volume of the left amygdala compared to amber placebo light treatment, and changes in amygdala volume correlated with subjective improvement in sleep. These findings suggest that daily morning BLT may provide an important non-pharmacologic adjunctive approach for facilitating sleep and neurobehavioral recovery from PTSD.
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Plank T, Benkowitsch EMA, Beer AL, Brandl S, Malania M, Frank SM, Jägle H, Greenlee MW. Cortical Thickness Related to Compensatory Viewing Strategies in Patients With Macular Degeneration. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:718737. [PMID: 34658765 PMCID: PMC8517450 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.718737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or hereditary juvenile macular dystrophies (JMD) lead to a loss of central vision. Many patients compensate for this loss with a pseudo fovea in the intact peripheral retina, the so-called "preferred retinal locus" (PRL). How extensive eccentric viewing associated with central vision loss (CVL) affects brain structures responsible for visual perception and visually guided eye movements remains unknown. CVL results in a reduction of cortical gray matter in the "lesion projection zone" (LPZ) in early visual cortex, but the thickness of primary visual cortex appears to be largely preserved for eccentric-field representations. Here we explore how eccentric viewing strategies are related to cortical thickness (CT) measures in early visual cortex and in brain areas involved in the control of eye movements (frontal eye fields, FEF, supplementary eye fields, SEF, and premotor eye fields, PEF). We determined the projection zones (regions of interest, ROIs) of the PRL and of an equally peripheral area in the opposite hemifield (OppPRL) in early visual cortex (V1 and V2) in 32 patients with MD and 32 age-matched controls (19-84 years) by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Subsequently, we calculated the CT in these ROIs and compared it between PRL and OppPRL as well as between groups. Additionally, we examined the CT of FEF, SEF, and PEF and correlated it with behavioral measures like reading speed and eccentric fixation stability at the PRL. We found a significant difference between PRL and OppPRL projection zones in V1 with increased CT at the PRL, that was more pronounced in the patients, but also visible in the controls. Although the mean CT of the eye fields did not differ significantly between patients and controls, we found a trend to a positive correlation between CT in the right FEF and SEF and fixation stability in the whole patient group and between CT in the right PEF and reading speed in the JMD subgroup. The results indicate a possible association between the compensatory strategies used by patients with CVL and structural brain properties in early visual cortex and cortical eye fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Plank
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Anton L. Beer
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Brandl
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Maka Malania
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian M. Frank
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Herbert Jägle
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Mark W. Greenlee
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Qi S, Cao H, Wang R, Jian Z, Bian Y, Yang J. Relative increase in cerebellar gray matter in young onset essential tremor: Evidence from voxel-based morphometry analysis. J Clin Neurosci 2020; 79:251-256. [PMID: 33070906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2020.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This study is to investigate the presence of brain gray matter abnormalities in young onset essential tremor (ET) patients with arm tremor. Thirty ET patients together with 30 healthy volunteers were taken as candidates. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed and voxel-based morphometry was used to compare gray matter density between the patients and volunteers. Washington Heights-Inwood Genetic Study of Essential Tremor (WHIGET) rating scale was applied to assess tremor severity in the patients. Eventually Twenty-Seven ET patients and Twenty-Seven volunteers were enrolled in the study. Voxel-based morphometry showed significant expansion of the bilateral cerebellum, occipital fusiform cortices, right inferior temporal gyrus, and precentral lobes (P < 0.05, TFCE corrected). Decrease in gray matter was detected only in the left parietal lobe. Region of interest analysis showed volume enlargement in thalamus, midbrain, and precuneus (P < 0.05, TFCE corrected). Importantly, significant negative correlation was found between the lateralized index of cerebellum and the tremor score which might implicate that the altered rightward lateralization in the cerebellum is possibly a response of the tremor effects in ET patients. Cerebellar gray matter expansion in young onset ET patients with arm tremor might be the result of compensation towards decline of cerebellar function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Qi
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Center for Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Hongmei Cao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Zhijie Jian
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Yitong Bian
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
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Herbet G, Duffau H. Revisiting the Functional Anatomy of the Human Brain: Toward a Meta-Networking Theory of Cerebral Functions. Physiol Rev 2020; 100:1181-1228. [PMID: 32078778 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00033.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
For more than one century, brain processing was mainly thought in a localizationist framework, in which one given function was underpinned by a discrete, isolated cortical area, and with a similar cerebral organization across individuals. However, advances in brain mapping techniques in humans have provided new insights into the organizational principles of anatomo-functional architecture. Here, we review recent findings gained from neuroimaging, electrophysiological, as well as lesion studies. Based on these recent data on brain connectome, we challenge the traditional, outdated localizationist view and propose an alternative meta-networking theory. This model holds that complex cognitions and behaviors arise from the spatiotemporal integration of distributed but relatively specialized networks underlying conation and cognition (e.g., language, spatial cognition). Dynamic interactions between such circuits result in a perpetual succession of new equilibrium states, opening the door to considerable interindividual behavioral variability and to neuroplastic phenomena. Indeed, a meta-networking organization underlies the uniquely human propensity to learn complex abilities, and also explains how postlesional reshaping can lead to some degrees of functional compensation in brain-damaged patients. We discuss the major implications of this approach in fundamental neurosciences as well as for clinical developments, especially in neurology, psychiatry, neurorehabilitation, and restorative neurosurgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Herbet
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France; Team "Plasticity of Central Nervous System, Stem Cells and Glial Tumors," INSERM U1191, Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier, France; and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Hugues Duffau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France; Team "Plasticity of Central Nervous System, Stem Cells and Glial Tumors," INSERM U1191, Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier, France; and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Cao H, Wang R, Luo X, Li X, Hallett M, Thompson-Westra J, Yang J, Qu Q, Yang X. A Voxel-Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging Morphometric Study of Cerebral and Cerebellar Gray Matter in Patients Under 65 Years with Essential Tremor. Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:3127-3135. [PMID: 29754151 PMCID: PMC5973500 DOI: 10.12659/msm.906437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to compare the morphological changes in cerebral and cerebellar gray matter in patients with essential tremor under 60-years-of-age, with age-matched and gender-matched normal healthy volunteer control subjects, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective, controlled, comparative clinical study included 17 patients with essential tremor, <60 years-of-age, and 17 age-matched and gender-matched healthy volunteer control subjects, recruited between June 2010-July 2012. MRI and VBM analysis were used to compare cerebral and cerebellar gray matter density between groups. The Washington Heights-Inwood Genetic Study of Essential Tremor (WHIGET) rating scale was used to assess tremor severity in the patient group. Clinical and demographic characteristics were recorded for all study participants. RESULTS MRI and VBM analysis showed significant bilateral expansion of the cerebellum, occipital fusiform cortices, right inferior temporal gyrus, and precentral lobes in patients with essential tremor (P<0.005); reduction in gray matter was found in the left parietal lobe. The region of interest (ROI) analysis showed volume enlargement in the thalamus, midbrain, and the precuneus (P<0.005). No significant correlation between changes in gray matter and changes in clinical variables, including age, gender, tremor duration, the activity of daily living (ADL) scale, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scale, family history, and tremor severity were found. CONCLUSIONS Predominantly cerebellar gray matter expansion in patients less than 60 years-of-age with essential tremor might be the result of compensation for the decline in cerebellar function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Cao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Xue Luo
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Xianjun Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Mark Hallett
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, U.S.A
| | - Johanna Thompson-Westra
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, U.S.A
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Qiumin Qu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Xiaobo Yang
- Department of Psychology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
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Larcombe SJ, Kennard C, Bridge H. Increase in MST activity correlates with visual motion learning: A functional MRI study of perceptual learning. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 39:145-156. [PMID: 28963815 PMCID: PMC5725689 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated practice of a specific task can improve visual performance, but the neural mechanisms underlying this improvement in performance are not yet well understood. Here we trained healthy participants on a visual motion task daily for 5 days in one visual hemifield. Before and after training, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the change in neural activity. We also imaged a control group of participants on two occasions who did not receive any task training. While in the MRI scanner, all participants completed the motion task in the trained and untrained visual hemifields separately. Following training, participants improved their ability to discriminate motion direction in the trained hemifield and, to a lesser extent, in the untrained hemifield. The amount of task learning correlated positively with the change in activity in the medial superior temporal (MST) area. MST is the anterior portion of the human motion complex (hMT+). MST changes were localized to the hemisphere contralateral to the region of the visual field, where perceptual training was delivered. Visual areas V2 and V3a showed an increase in activity between the first and second scan in the training group, but this was not correlated with performance. The contralateral anterior hippocampus and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and frontal pole showed changes in neural activity that also correlated with the amount of task learning. These findings emphasize the importance of MST in perceptual learning of a visual motion task. Hum Brain Mapp 39:145–156, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J Larcombe
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Kennard
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Holly Bridge
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Thermosensory Perceptual Learning Is Associated with Structural Brain Changes in Parietal-Opercular (SII) Cortex. J Neurosci 2017; 37:9380-9388. [PMID: 28847806 PMCID: PMC5618259 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1316-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The location of a sensory cortex for temperature perception remains a topic of substantial debate. Both the parietal–opercular (SII) and posterior insula have been consistently implicated in thermosensory processing, but neither region has yet been identified as the locus of fine temperature discrimination. Using a perceptual learning paradigm in male and female humans, we show improvement in discrimination accuracy for subdegree changes in both warmth and cool detection over 5 d of repetitive training. We found that increases in discriminative accuracy were specific to the temperature (cold or warm) being trained. Using structural imaging to look for plastic changes associated with perceptual learning, we identified symmetrical increases in gray matter volume in the SII cortex. Furthermore, we observed distinct, adjacent regions for cold and warm discrimination, with cold discrimination having a more anterior locus than warm. The results suggest that thermosensory discrimination is supported by functionally and anatomically distinct temperature-specific modules in the SII cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We provide behavioral and neuroanatomical evidence that perceptual learning is possible within the temperature system. We show that structural plasticity localizes to parietal–opercular (SII), and not posterior insula, providing the best evidence to date resolving a longstanding debate about the location of putative “temperature cortex.” Furthermore, we show that cold and warm pathways are behaviorally and anatomically dissociable, suggesting that the temperature system has distinct temperature-dependent processing modules.
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Perone S, Plebanek DJ, Lorenz MG, Spencer JP, Samuelson LK. Empirical Tests of a Brain-Based Model of Executive Function Development. Child Dev 2017. [PMID: 28626884 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) plays a foundational role in development. A brain-based model of EF development is probed for the experiences that strengthen EF in the dimensional change card sort task in which children sort cards by one rule and then are asked to switch to another. Three-year-olds perseverate on the first rule, failing the task, whereas 4-year-olds pass. Three predictions of the model are tested to help 3-year-olds (N = 54) pass. Experiment 1 shows that experience with shapes and the label "shape" helps children. Experiment 2 shows that experience with colors-without a label-helps children. Experiment 3 shows that experience with colors induces dimensional attention. The implications of this work for early intervention are discussed.
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The etiopathogenesis of diffuse low-grade gliomas. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2016; 109:51-62. [PMID: 28010898 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The origins of diffuse low-grade gliomas (DLGG) are unknown. Beyond some limited data on their temporal and cellular origins, the mechanisms and risk factors involved are poorly known. First, based on strong relationships between DLGG development and the eloquence of brain regions frequently invaded by these tumors, we propose a "functional theory" to explain the origin of DLGG. Second, the biological pathways involved in DLGG genesis may differ according to tumor location (anatomo-molecular correlations). The cellular and molecular mechanisms of such "molecular theory" will be reviewed. Third, the geographical distribution of diffuse WHO grade II-III gliomas within populations is heterogeneous, suggesting possible environmental risk factors. We will discuss this "environmental theory". Finally, we will summarize the current knowledge on genetic susceptibility in gliomas ("genetic predisposition theory"). These crucial issues illustrate the close relationships between the pathophysiology of gliomagenesis, the anatomo-functional organization of the brain, and personalized management of DLGG patients.
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12
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Looi C, Cohen Kadosh R. Brain stimulation, mathematical, and numerical training. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2016; 227:353-88. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2016.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Perone S, Molitor SJ, Buss AT, Spencer JP, Samuelson LK. Enhancing the executive functions of 3-year-olds in the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. Child Dev 2015; 86:812-27. [PMID: 25441395 PMCID: PMC4646608 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions enable flexible thinking, something young children are notoriously bad at. For instance, in the dimensional change card sort (DCCS) task, 3-year-olds can sort cards by one dimension (shape), but continue to sort by this dimension when asked to switch (to color). This study tests a prediction of a dynamic neural field model that prior experience with the postswitch dimension can enhance 3-year-olds' performance in the DCCS. In Experiment 1A, a matching game was used to preexpose 3-year-olds (n = 36) to color. This facilitated switching from sorting by shape to color. In , 3-year-olds (n = 18) were preexposed to shape. This did not facilitate switching from sorting by color to shape. The model was used to explain this asymmetry.
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Abstract
Cognitive training aiming at improving learning is often successful, but what exactly underlies the observed improvements and how these differ across the age spectrum are currently unknown. Here we asked whether learning in young and older people may reflect enhanced ability to integrate information required to perform a cognitive task or whether it may instead reflect the ability to inhibit task-irrelevant information for successful task performance. We trained 30 young and 30 aging human participants on a numerosity discrimination task known to engage the parietal cortex and in which cue-integration and inhibitory abilities can be distinguished. We coupled training with parietal, motor, or sham transcranial random noise stimulation, known for modulating neural activity. Numerosity discrimination improved after training and was maintained long term, especially in the training + parietal stimulation group, regardless of age. Despite the quantitatively similar improvement in the two age groups, the content of learning differed remarkably: aging participants improved more in inhibitory abilities, whereas younger subjects improved in cue-integration abilities. Moreover, differences in the content of learning were reflected in different transfer effects to untrained but related abilities: in the younger group, improvements in cue integration paralleled improvements in continuous quantity (time and space), whereas in the elderly group, improvements in numerosity-based inhibitory abilities generalized to other measures of inhibition and corresponded to a decline in space discrimination, possibly because conflicting learning resources are used in numerosity and continuous quantity processing. These results indicate that training can enhance different, age-dependent cognitive processes and highlight the importance of identifying the exact processes underlying learning for effective training programs.
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Frank SM, Reavis EA, Greenlee MW, Tse PU. Pretraining Cortical Thickness Predicts Subsequent Perceptual Learning Rate in a Visual Search Task. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:1211-1220. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Schlegel A, Alexander P, Fogelson SV, Li X, Lu Z, Kohler PJ, Riley E, Tse PU, Meng M. The artist emerges: Visual art learning alters neural structure and function. Neuroimage 2015; 105:440-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 10/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Fabri M, Pierpaoli C, Barbaresi P, Polonara G. Functional topography of the corpus callosum investigated by DTI and fMRI. World J Radiol 2014; 6:895-906. [PMID: 25550994 PMCID: PMC4278150 DOI: 10.4329/wjr.v6.i12.895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This short review examines the most recent functional studies of the topographic organization of the human corpus callosum, the main interhemispheric commissure. After a brief description of its anatomy, development, microstructure, and function, it examines and discusses the latest findings obtained using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography (DTT) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), three recently developed imaging techniques that have significantly expanded and refined our knowledge of the commissure. While DTI and DTT have been providing insights into its microstructure, integrity and level of myelination, fMRI has been the key technique in documenting the activation of white matter fibers, particularly in the corpus callosum. By combining DTT and fMRI it has been possible to describe the trajectory of the callosal fibers interconnecting the primary olfactory, gustatory, motor, somatic sensory, auditory and visual cortices at sites where the activation elicited by peripheral stimulation was detected by fMRI. These studies have demonstrated the presence of callosal fiber tracts that cross the commissure at the level of the genu, body, and splenium, at sites showing fMRI activation. Altogether such findings lend further support to the notion that the corpus callosum displays a functional topographic organization that can be explored with fMRI.
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Dormal G, Lepore F, Harissi-Dagher M, Albouy G, Bertone A, Rossion B, Collignon O. Tracking the evolution of crossmodal plasticity and visual functions before and after sight restoration. J Neurophysiol 2014; 113:1727-42. [PMID: 25520432 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00420.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual deprivation leads to massive reorganization in both the structure and function of the occipital cortex, raising crucial challenges for sight restoration. We tracked the behavioral, structural, and neurofunctional changes occurring in an early and severely visually impaired patient before and 1.5 and 7 mo after sight restoration with magnetic resonance imaging. Robust presurgical auditory responses were found in occipital cortex despite residual preoperative vision. In primary visual cortex, crossmodal auditory responses overlapped with visual responses and remained elevated even 7 mo after surgery. However, these crossmodal responses decreased in extrastriate occipital regions after surgery, together with improved behavioral vision and with increases in both gray matter density and neural activation in low-level visual regions. Selective responses in high-level visual regions involved in motion and face processing were observable even before surgery and did not evolve after surgery. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that structural and functional reorganization of occipital regions are present in an individual with a long-standing history of severe visual impairment and that such reorganizations can be partially reversed by visual restoration in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Dormal
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY), Center for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Franco Lepore
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mona Harissi-Dagher
- Department of Ophthalmology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) Notre Dame, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Geneviève Albouy
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de l'Université de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Armando Bertone
- Department of Education and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY), Center for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centro Interdipartimentale Mente/Cervello (CIMeC), Università di Trento, Mattarello, Italy
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Urbanski M, Coubard OA, Bourlon C. Visualizing the blind brain: brain imaging of visual field defects from early recovery to rehabilitation techniques. Front Integr Neurosci 2014; 8:74. [PMID: 25324739 PMCID: PMC4179723 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2014.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual field defects (VFDs) are one of the most common consequences observed after brain injury, especially after a stroke in the posterior cerebral artery territory. Less frequently, tumors, traumatic brain injury, brain surgery or demyelination can also determine various visual disabilities, from a decrease in visual acuity to cerebral blindness. Visual field defects is a factor of bad functional prognosis as it compromises many daily life activities (e.g., obstacle avoidance, driving, and reading) and therefore the patient's quality of life. Spontaneous recovery seems to be limited and restricted to the first 6 months, with the best chance of improvement at 1 month. The possible mechanisms at work could be partly due to cortical reorganization in the visual areas (plasticity) and/or partly to the use of intact alternative visual routes, first identified in animal studies and possibly underlying the phenomenon of blindsight. Despite processes of early recovery, which is rarely complete, and learning of compensatory strategies, the patient's autonomy may still be compromised at more chronic stages. Therefore, various rehabilitation therapies based on neuroanatomical knowledge have been developed to improve VFDs. These use eye-movement training techniques (e.g., visual search, saccadic eye movements), reading training, visual field restitution (the Vision Restoration Therapy, VRT), or perceptual learning. In this review, we will focus on studies of human adults with acquired VFDs, which have used different imaging techniques (Positron Emission Tomography, PET; Diffusion Tensor Imaging, DTI; functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI; Magneto Encephalography, MEG) or neurostimulation techniques (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, TMS; transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, tDCS) to show brain activations in the course of spontaneous recovery or after specific rehabilitation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Urbanski
- Service de Médecine et de Réadaptation Gériatrique et Neurologique, Hôpitaux de Saint-Maurice Saint-Maurice, France ; Inserm, U 1127, ICM FrontLab Paris, France ; CNRS, UMR 7225, ICM FrontLab Paris, France ; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMRS 1127 Paris, France ; Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, ICM FrontLab Paris, France
| | - Olivier A Coubard
- The Neuropsychological Laboratory, CNS-Fed Paris, France ; Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, UMR 8242 CNRS-Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Clémence Bourlon
- Service de Médecine et de Réadaptation, Clinique Les Trois Soleils Boissise-le-Roi, France
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Watanabe T, Masuda N, Megumi F, Kanai R, Rees G. Energy landscape and dynamics of brain activity during human bistable perception. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4765. [PMID: 25163855 PMCID: PMC4174295 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in the structure of parietal and prefrontal cortex predict the stability of bistable visual perception. However, the mechanisms linking such individual differences in brain structures to behaviour remain elusive. Here we demonstrate a systematic relationship between the dynamics of brain activity, cortical structure and behaviour underpinning bistable perception. Using fMRI in humans, we find that the activity dynamics during bistable perception are well described as fluctuating between three spatially distributed energy minimums: visual-area-dominant, frontal-area-dominant and intermediate states. Transitions between these energy minimums predicted behaviour, with participants whose brain activity tend to reflect the visual-area-dominant state exhibiting more stable perception and those whose activity transits to frontal-area-dominant states reporting more frequent perceptual switches. Critically, these brain activity dynamics are correlated with individual differences in grey matter volume of the corresponding brain areas. Thus, individual differences in the large-scale dynamics of brain activity link focal brain structure with bistable perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamitsu Watanabe
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Naoki Masuda
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Fukuda Megumi
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Ryota Kanai
- Centre for Consciousness Science, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Pevensey 1, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Sigala R, Haufe S, Roy D, Dinse HR, Ritter P. The role of alpha-rhythm states in perceptual learning: insights from experiments and computational models. Front Comput Neurosci 2014; 8:36. [PMID: 24772077 PMCID: PMC3983484 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2014.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During the past two decades growing evidence indicates that brain oscillations in the alpha band (~10 Hz) not only reflect an "idle" state of cortical activity, but also take a more active role in the generation of complex cognitive functions. A recent study shows that more than 60% of the observed inter-subject variability in perceptual learning can be ascribed to ongoing alpha activity. This evidence indicates a significant role of alpha oscillations for perceptual learning and hence motivates to explore the potential underlying mechanisms. Hence, it is the purpose of this review to highlight existent evidence that ascribes intrinsic alpha oscillations a role in shaping our ability to learn. In the review, we disentangle the alpha rhythm into different neural signatures that control information processing within individual functional building blocks of perceptual learning. We further highlight computational studies that shed light on potential mechanisms regarding how alpha oscillations may modulate information transfer and connectivity changes relevant for learning. To enable testing of those model based hypotheses, we emphasize the need for multidisciplinary approaches combining assessment of behavior and multi-scale neuronal activity, active modulation of ongoing brain states and computational modeling to reveal the mathematical principles of the complex neuronal interactions. In particular we highlight the relevance of multi-scale modeling frameworks such as the one currently being developed by "The Virtual Brain" project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Sigala
- Department Neurology, Charité—University MedicineBerlin, Germany
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning, Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceBerlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Haufe
- Department Neurology, Charité—University MedicineBerlin, Germany
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning, Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceBerlin, Germany
| | - Dipanjan Roy
- Department Neurology, Charité—University MedicineBerlin, Germany
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning, Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceBerlin, Germany
| | - Hubert R. Dinse
- Neural Plasticity Lab, Institute for Neuroinformatics, Ruhr-University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Petra Ritter
- Department Neurology, Charité—University MedicineBerlin, Germany
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning, Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceBerlin, Germany
- Minerva Research Group BrainModes, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Mind and Brain Institute, Humboldt UniversityBerlin, Germany
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Kreifelts B, Jacob H, Brück C, Erb M, Ethofer T, Wildgruber D. Non-verbal emotion communication training induces specific changes in brain function and structure. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:648. [PMID: 24146641 PMCID: PMC3797968 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The perception of emotional cues from voice and face is essential for social interaction. However, this process is altered in various psychiatric conditions along with impaired social functioning. Emotion communication trainings have been demonstrated to improve social interaction in healthy individuals and to reduce emotional communication deficits in psychiatric patients. Here, we investigated the impact of a non-verbal emotion communication training (NECT) on cerebral activation and brain structure in a controlled and combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry study. NECT-specific reductions in brain activity occurred in a distributed set of brain regions including face and voice processing regions as well as emotion processing- and motor-related regions presumably reflecting training-induced familiarization with the evaluation of face/voice stimuli. Training-induced changes in non-verbal emotion sensitivity at the behavioral level and the respective cerebral activation patterns were correlated in the face-selective cortical areas in the posterior superior temporal sulcus and fusiform gyrus for valence ratings and in the temporal pole, lateral prefrontal cortex and midbrain/thalamus for the response times. A NECT-induced increase in gray matter (GM) volume was observed in the fusiform face area. Thus, NECT induces both functional and structural plasticity in the face processing system as well as functional plasticity in the emotion perception and evaluation system. We propose that functional alterations are presumably related to changes in sensory tuning in the decoding of emotional expressions. Taken together, these findings highlight that the present experimental design may serve as a valuable tool to investigate the altered behavioral and neuronal processing of emotional cues in psychiatric disorders as well as the impact of therapeutic interventions on brain function and structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kreifelts
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany
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