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Camerino I, Ferreira J, Vonk JM, Kessels RPC, de Leeuw FE, Roelofs A, Copland D, Piai V. Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Word Production Abilities in Dysfunction of the Basal Ganglia: Stroke, Small Vessel Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Huntington's Disease. Neuropsychol Rev 2024; 34:1-26. [PMID: 36564612 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-022-09570-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Clinical populations with basal ganglia pathologies may present with language production impairments, which are often described in combination with comprehension measures or attributed to motor, memory, or processing-speed problems. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we studied word production in four (vascular and non-vascular) pathologies of the basal ganglia: stroke affecting the basal ganglia, small vessel disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. We compared scores of these clinical populations with those of matched cognitively unimpaired adults on four well-established production tasks, namely picture naming, category fluency, letter fluency, and past-tense verb inflection. We conducted a systematic search in PubMed and PsycINFO with terms for basal ganglia structures, basal ganglia disorders and language production tasks. A total of 114 studies were included, containing results for one or more of the tasks of interest. For each pathology and task combination, effect sizes (Hedges' g) were extracted comparing patient versus control groups. For all four populations, performance was consistently worse than that of cognitively unimpaired adults across the four language production tasks (p-values < 0.010). Given that performance in picture naming and verb inflection across all pathologies was quantified in terms of accuracy, our results suggest that production impairments cannot be fully explained by motor or processing-speed deficits. Our review shows that while language production difficulties in these clinical populations are not negligible, more evidence is necessary to determine the exact mechanism that leads to these deficits and whether this mechanism is the same across different pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana Camerino
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - João Ferreira
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jet M Vonk
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roy P C Kessels
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
- Donders Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank-Erik de Leeuw
- Department of Neurology, Donders Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ardi Roelofs
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - David Copland
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Vitória Piai
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Geva S, Schneider LM, Khan S, Lorca-Puls DL, Gajardo-Vidal A, Hope TMH, Green DW, Price CJ. Enhanced left superior parietal activation during successful speech production in patients with left dorsal striatal damage and error-prone neurotypical participants. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:3437-3453. [PMID: 35965059 PMCID: PMC10068299 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Functional imaging studies of neurotypical adults report activation in the left putamen during speech production. The current study asked how stroke survivors with left putamen damage are able to produce correct spoken responses during a range of speech production tasks. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, activation during correct speech production responses was assessed in 5 stroke patients with circumscribed left dorsal striatal lesions, 66 stroke patient controls who did not have focal left dorsal striatal lesions, and 54 neurotypical adults. As a group, patients with left dorsal striatal damage (our patients of interest) showed higher activation than neurotypical controls in the left superior parietal cortex during successful speech production. This effect was not specific to patients with left dorsal striatal lesions as we observed enhanced activation in the same region in some patient controls and also in more error-prone neurotypical participants. Our results strongly suggest that enhanced left superior parietal activation supports speech production in diverse challenging circumstances, including those caused by stroke damage. They add to a growing body of literature indicating how upregulation within undamaged parts of the neural systems already recruited by neurotypical adults contributes to recovery after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Geva
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- University College London , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
| | - Letitia M Schneider
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- University College London , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- Department of Cognition , Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, , Universitätsring 1, 1010 Vienna , Austria
- University of Vienna , Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, , Universitätsring 1, 1010 Vienna , Austria
| | - Shamima Khan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- University College London , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
| | - Diego L Lorca-Puls
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- University College London , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- Sección Neurología , Departamento de Especialidades, Facultad de Medicina, , Victor Lamas 1290, Concepción, 4030000 , Chile
- Universidad de Concepción , Departamento de Especialidades, Facultad de Medicina, , Victor Lamas 1290, Concepción, 4030000 , Chile
| | - Andrea Gajardo-Vidal
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- University College London , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo , Ainavillo 456, Concepción, 4070001 , Chile
| | - Thomas M H Hope
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- University College London , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
| | - David W Green
- Department of Experimental Psychology , Faculty of Brain Sciences, , 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP , United Kingdom
- University College London , Faculty of Brain Sciences, , 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP , United Kingdom
| | - Cathy J Price
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
- University College London , Institute of Neurology, , 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR , United Kingdom
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Subcortical structures have long been thought to play a role in language processing. Increasingly spirited debates on language studies, arising from as early as the nineteenth century, grew remarkably sophisticated as the years pass. In the context of non-thalamic aphasia, a few theoretical frameworks have been laid out. The disconnection hypothesis postulates that basal ganglia insults result in aphasia due to a rupture of connectivity between Broca and Wernicke's areas. A second viewpoint conjectures that the basal ganglia would more directly partake in language processing, and a third stream proclaims that aphasia would stem from cortical deafferentation. On the other hand, thalamic aphasia is more predominantly deemed as a resultant of diaschisis. This article reviews the above topics with recent findings on deep brain stimulation, neurophysiology, and aphasiology. RECENT FINDINGS The more recent approach conceptualizes non-thalamic aphasias as the offspring of unpredictable cortical hypoperfusion. Regarding the thalamus, there is mounting evidence now pointing to leading contributions of the pulvinar/lateral posterior nucleus and the anterior/ventral anterior thalamus to language disturbances. While the former appears to relate to lexical-semantic indiscrimination, the latter seems to bring about a severe breakdown in word selection and/or spontaneous top-down lexical-semantic operations. The characterization of subcortical aphasias and the role of the basal ganglia and thalamus in language processing continues to pose a challenge. Neuroimaging studies have pointed a path forward, and we believe that more recent methods such as tractography and connectivity studies will significantly expand our knowledge in this particular area of aphasiology.
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Wagner D, Eslinger PJ, Sterling NW, Du G, Lee EY, Styner M, Lewis MM, Huang X. Lexical-semantic search related to side of onset and putamen volume in Parkinson's disease. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 209:104841. [PMID: 32818719 PMCID: PMC8189666 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by dopaminergic cell loss and reduced striatal volume. Prior studies have demonstrated striatal involvement in access to lexical-semantic knowledge and damage to this structure may be evident in the lexical properties of responses. Semantic fluency task responses from early stage, non-demented PD participants with right (PD-R) or left (PD-L) lateralizing symptoms were compared to matched controls on lexical properties (word frequency, age of acquisition) and correlated with striatal volumes segmented from T1-weighted brain MR images. PD-R participants produced semantic fluency responses of a lower age of acquisition than PD-L and control participants (p < 0.05). PD-R age of acquisition responses correlated positively with putamen volume (p < 0.05), while age of acquisition of responses correlated negatively with caudate volume in controls (p < 0.05). Findings provide evidence for a role of the striatum in lexical-semantic access and qualitative changes in lexical access in select PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daymond Wagner
- Departments of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Paul J Eslinger
- Departments of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Departments of Radiology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Nicholas W Sterling
- Departments of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Guangwei Du
- Departments of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Eun-Young Lee
- Departments of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Martin Styner
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States; Departments of Computer Science, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
| | - Mechelle M Lewis
- Departments of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Departments of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Xuemei Huang
- Departments of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Departments of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Departments of Neurosurgery, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Departments of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
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Subcortical nuclei volumes are associated with cognition in children post-convulsive status epilepticus: Results at nine years follow-up. Epilepsy Behav 2020; 110:107119. [PMID: 32526686 PMCID: PMC7479509 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between subcortical nuclei volume and cognition in children with post-convulsive status epilepticus (CSE). METHODS Structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (Siemens Avanto, 1.5 T) and neuropsychological assessments (full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and Global Memory Scores (GMS)) were collected from subjects at a mean 8.5 years post-CSE (prolonged febrile seizures (PFS), n = 30; symptomatic/known, n = 28; and other, n = 12) and from age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Subjects with CSE were stratified into those with lower cognitive ability (LCA) (CSE+, n = 22) and those without (CSE-, n = 48). Quantitative volumetric analysis using Functional MRI of the Brain Software Library (FSL) (Analysis Group, FMRIB, Oxford) provided segmented MRI brain volumes. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to compare subcortical nuclei volumes across subgroups. Multivariable linear regression was performed for each subcortical structure and for total subcortical volume (SCV) to identify significant predictors of LCA (FSIQ <85) while adjusting for etiology, age, socioeconomic status, sex, CSE duration, and intracranial volume (ICV); Bonferroni correction was applied for the analysis of individual subcortical nuclei. RESULTS Seventy subjects (11.8 ± 3.4 standard deviation (SD) years; 34 males) and 72 controls (12.1 ± 3.0SD years; 29 males) underwent analysis. Significantly smaller volumes of the left thalamus, left caudate, right caudate, and SCV were found in subjects with CSE+ compared with HC, after adjustment for intracranial, gray matter (GM), or cortical/cerebellar volume. When compared with subjects with CSE-, subjects with CSE+ also had smaller volumes of the left thalamus, left pallidum, right pallidum, and SCV. Individual subcortical nuclei were not associated, but SCV was associated with FSIQ (p = 0.005) and GMS (p = 0.014). Intracranial volume and etiology were similarly predictive. CONCLUSIONS Nine years post-CSE, SCV is significantly lower in children who have LCA compared with those that do not. However, in this cohort, we are unable to determine whether the relationship is independent of ICV or etiology. Future, larger scale studies may help tease this out.
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Radanovic M, Mansur LL. Aphasia in vascular lesions of the basal ganglia: A comprehensive review. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 173:20-32. [PMID: 28570947 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Between 1970 and 1990, the study of aphasia secondary to subcortical lesions (including the basal ganglia - BG) was largely driven by the advent of modern neuroimaging techniques such as MRI and PET. However, attempts to characterize a pattern of language abnormalities in patients with basal ganglia lesions proved unfruitful. We conducted a comprehensive review of language disturbances after vascular lesions in the BG. Literature search in Medline and LILACS (1966-2016) and PsychINFO (last 25years) was conducted, and returned 145 articles, with 57 eligible for the review yielding data on 303 patients. We report the clinical and neuroimaging features of these cases. Results showed that aphasias caused by BG lesions are heterogeneous with weak clinicoanatomical correlations. Data derived from follow-up and flow/metabolism studies suggest that subcortical aphasia caused by BG lesions involves hypoperfusion in the cortical territories of the middle cerebral/internal carotid arteries (MCA/ICA) and their branches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Radanovic
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Rua Dr. Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar, 225, 5th Floor, Sao Paulo, SP 05403-010, Brazil.
| | - Leticia Lessa Mansur
- Department of Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Rua Cipotânea, 51, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo, SP 05360-160, Brazil.
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Chouiter L, Holmberg J, Manuel AL, Colombo F, Clarke S, Annoni JM, Spierer L. Partly segregated cortico-subcortical pathways support phonologic and semantic verbal fluency: A lesion study. Neuroscience 2016; 329:275-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Benítez-Burraco A, Herrera E, Cuetos F. A core deficit in Parkinson disease? NEUROLOGÍA (ENGLISH EDITION) 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Inzelberg R, Plotnik M, Harpaz NK, Flash T. Micrographia, much beyond the writer's hand. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2016; 26:1-9. [PMID: 26997656 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This review on micrographia aims to draw the clinician's attention to non-Parkinsonian etiologies, provide clues to differential diagnosis, and summarize current knowledge on the phenomenology, etiology, and mechanisms underlying micrographia. METHODS A systematic review of the existing literature was performed. RESULTS Micrographia, namely small sized handwriting has long been attributed to Parkinson's disease. However, it has often been observed as part of the clinical picture of additional neurodegenerative disorders, sometimes antedating the motor signs, or following focal basal ganglia lesions without any accompanying parkinsonism, suggesting that bradykinesia and rigidity are not sine-qua-non for the development of this phenomenon. Therefore, micrographia in a patient with no signs of parkinsonism may prompt the clinician to perform imaging in order to exclude a focal basal ganglia lesion. Dopaminergic etiology in this and other cases is doubtful, since levodopa ameliorates letter stroke size only partially, and only in some patients. Parkinsonian handwriting is often characterized by lack of fluency, slowness, and less frequently by micrographia. Deviations from kinematic laws of motion that govern normal movement, including the lack of movement smoothness and inability to scale movement amplitude to the desired size, may reflect impairments in motion planning, possible loss of automaticity and reduced movement vigor. CONCLUSIONS The etiology, neuroanatomy, mechanisms and models of micrographia are discussed. Dysfunction of the basal ganglia circuitry induced by neurodegeneration or disruption by focal damage give rise to micrographia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rivka Inzelberg
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Meir Plotnik
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
| | - Naama Kadmon Harpaz
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Tamar Flash
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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Wu T, Zhang J, Hallett M, Feng T, Hou Y, Chan P. Neural correlates underlying micrographia in Parkinson's disease. Brain 2015; 139:144-60. [PMID: 26525918 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Micrographia is a common symptom in Parkinson's disease, which manifests as either a consistent or progressive reduction in the size of handwriting or both. Neural correlates underlying micrographia remain unclear. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate micrographia-related neural activity and connectivity modulations. In addition, the effect of attention and dopaminergic administration on micrographia was examined. We found that consistent micrographia was associated with decreased activity and connectivity in the basal ganglia motor circuit; while progressive micrographia was related to the dysfunction of basal ganglia motor circuit together with disconnections between the rostral supplementary motor area, rostral cingulate motor area and cerebellum. Attention significantly improved both consistent and progressive micrographia, accompanied by recruitment of anterior putamen and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Levodopa improved consistent micrographia accompanied by increased activity and connectivity in the basal ganglia motor circuit, but had no effect on progressive micrographia. Our findings suggest that consistent micrographia is related to dysfunction of the basal ganglia motor circuit; while dysfunction of the basal ganglia motor circuit and disconnection between the rostral supplementary motor area, rostral cingulate motor area and cerebellum likely contributes to progressive micrographia. Attention improves both types of micrographia by recruiting additional brain networks. Levodopa improves consistent micrographia by restoring the function of the basal ganglia motor circuit, but does not improve progressive micrographia, probably because of failure to repair the disconnected networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wu
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarong Zhang
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Mark Hallett
- 3 Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tao Feng
- 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China 4 China National Clinical Research Centre for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China 5 Department of Neurology, Centre for Neurodegenerative Disease, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanan Hou
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Piu Chan
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
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Vandenborre D, van Dun K, Engelborghs S, Mariën P. Apraxic agraphia following thalamic damage: Three new cases. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 150:153-165. [PMID: 26460984 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Apraxic agraphia (AA) is a so-called peripheral writing disorder following disruption of the skilled movement plans of writing while the central processes that subserve spelling are intact. It has been observed in a variety of etiologically heterogeneous neurological disorders typically associated with lesions located in the language dominant parietal and frontal region. The condition is characterized by a hesitant, incomplete, imprecise or even illegible graphomotor output. Letter formation cannot be attributed to sensorimotor, extrapyramidal or cerebellar dysfunction affecting the writing limb. Detailed clinical, neurocognitive, neurolinguistic and (functional) neuroimaging characteristics of three unique cases are reported that developed AA following a thalamic stroke. In marked contrast to impaired handwriting, non-handwriting skills, such as oral spelling, were hardly impaired. Quantified Tc-99m ECD SPECT consistently showed a decreased perfusion in the anatomoclinically suspected prefrontal regions. The findings suggest crucial involvement of the anterior (and medial) portion of the left thalamus within the neural network subserving the graphomotor system. Functional neuroimaging findings seem to indicate that AA after focal thalamic damage represents a diaschisis phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien Vandenborre
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Cepos, Rehabilitation Centre, Rooienberg 21, B-2570 Duffel, Belgium
| | - Kim van Dun
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Department of Neurology & Memory Clinic, ZNA Middelheim General Hospital, Lindendreef 1, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp (UA), Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter Mariën
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurology & Memory Clinic, ZNA Middelheim General Hospital, Lindendreef 1, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
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Benítez-Burraco A, Herrera E, Cuetos F. [A core deficit in Parkinson disease?]. Neurologia 2015; 31:223-30. [PMID: 26315759 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2015.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Parkinson disease is a neurodegenerative condition involving motor, cognitive, and linguistic deficits. It is important to know why all these different deficits co-occur in the affected people. This paper aims to clarify whether these comorbid deficits result from the selective impairment of a computational primitive, namely, a context-sensitive computational ability according to Chomsky's Hierarchy (a well-established research tool in comparative neuroscience). PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 15 medicated subjects with Parkinson disease and 15 controls were selected. They were matched in age and education. A battery of tasks was designed to test 3 different domains (motor capacities, cognition, and language) and 2 different computational abilities (context-free and context-sensitive operations). RESULTS Significant differences between groups were observed only regarding the linguistic task involving context-sensitive computations (correferences). CONCLUSIONS The observed deficits in our patients with Parkinson disease cannot be explained in terms of the selective impairment of one only unspecific, low-level computational process. At the same time, differences between patients and controls are expected to be greater if the former are not medicated. Moreover, we should pursue in the search of (this kind of) computational primitives than can be selectively impaired in people with Parkinson disease, because they may help to achieve an earlier diagnosis of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Benítez-Burraco
- Departamento de Filología Española y sus Didácticas, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, España.
| | - E Herrera
- Centro de Innovación en Tecnologías de la Información para Aplicaciones Sociales (CITIAPS), Escuela de Psicología, Universidad de Santiago (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - F Cuetos
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, España
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Vandenborre D, van Dun K, Mariën P. Apraxic agraphia following bithalamic damage. Brain Cogn 2015; 95:35-43. [PMID: 25682350 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Apraxic agraphia (AA) is a peripheral writing disorder generally considered to result from a causative lesion in the parietal and/or prefrontal lobe of the language dominant hemisphere (De Smet, Engelborghs, Paquier, De Deyn, & Mariën, 2011). De Smet et al. (2011), however, confirmed that AA might be associated with lesions outside the typical language areas such as the cerebellum or the thalamus. We report a 32-year-old ambidextrous patient with a left frontal lobectomy who following bilateral thalamic damage developed AA. METHOD Detailed neurolinguistic and neurocognitive test results were obtained after resection of an extensive left frontal lobe tumour by means of a set of standardised tests. Repeated investigations were performed after a bithalamic stroke. Functional imaging was performed by means of quantified SPECT. RESULTS Normal neurolinguistic test results were obtained after tumour resection. Neurocognitive test results, however, showed a dysexecutive syndrome and frontal behavioural deficits, including response inhibition. AA occurred after a bithalamic stroke while non-handwriting written language skills, such as typing, were normal. Quantified SPECT showed a significant bifrontal hypoperfusion. CONCLUSION Neurolinguistic follow-up findings and SPECT evidence in this unique patient with bithalamic damage for the first time indicate that AA in the alphabetic script may result from diaschisis affecting the frontal writing centre. The findings suggest that the thalamus is critically implicated in the neural network subserving graphomotor processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien Vandenborre
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Cepos, Rehabilitation Centre, Rooienberg 21, B-2570 Duffel, Belgium
| | - Kim van Dun
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter Mariën
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurology & Memory Clinic, ZNA Middelheim General Hospital, Lindendreef 1, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
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Major Cognitive Changes and Micrographia following Globus Pallidus Infarct. Case Rep Neurol Med 2014; 2014:252486. [PMID: 25478259 PMCID: PMC4247961 DOI: 10.1155/2014/252486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance. Globus pallidus (GP) lesions are well known to cause motor deficits but are less commonly—and perhaps not conclusively—associated with cognitive problems. Observations. We present a 45-year-old male with no significant neurological or psychological problems who after suffering a GP infarct was subsequently found to have substantial cognitive problems and micrographia. Formal neuropsychological testing was not possible due to lack of patient follow-up. Conclusions and Relevance. Despite the conflicting literature on the association of GP lesions and cognitive deficits, our patient demonstrated significant neuropsychological changes following his stroke. In addition, evidence of micrographia likely adds to the literature on the localization of this finding. Our case thus suggests that neuropsychological testing may be beneficial after GP strokes.
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Linden J, Fassotte L, Tirelli E, Plumier JC, Ferrara A. Assessment of behavioral flexibility after middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Behav Brain Res 2013; 258:127-37. [PMID: 24157337 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Revised: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is the most common animal model of cerebral ischemia and induces various functional impairments. Long-lasting deficits resulting from MCAO however, remain insufficiently characterized, especially regarding cognition. Yet, behavioral flexibility, a prominent cognitive process is found impaired after stroke in humans. We thus used an operant-based task to assess behavioral flexibility in mice after MCAO. Three weeks after 30 min MCAO surgery, mice were subjected to a battery of sensorimotor tests (rotarod, vertical pole test, spontaneous locomotion and grip-strength test). Behavioral flexibility was then assessed in an operant task, in which mice, rewarded according to a FR5 schedule of reinforcement, had to alternate their operant responses between two levers from trial to trial. Regarding sensory and motor functioning, only the pole test yielded a significant difference between MCAO and sham mice. In the operant flexibility task, results showed a behavioral flexibility deficit in MCAO mice; neither the operant response acquisition nor the appeal for food rewards was altered. In conclusion, our operant-based task revealed a long-lasting behavioral flexibility deficit after MCAO in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Linden
- Département de Psychologie, Cognition et Comportement, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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16
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Thames AD, Foley JM, Wright MJ, Panos SE, Ettenhofer M, Ramezani A, Streiff V, El-Saden S, Goodwin S, Bookheimer SY, Hinkin CH. Basal ganglia structures differentially contribute to verbal fluency: evidence from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected adults. Neuropsychologia 2011; 50:390-5. [PMID: 22223078 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2011] [Revised: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The basal ganglia (BG) are involved in executive language functions (i.e., verbal fluency) through their connections with cortical structures. The caudate and putamen receive separate inputs from prefrontal and premotor cortices, and may differentially contribute to verbal fluency performance. We examined BG integrity in relation to lexico-semantic verbal fluency performance among older HIV infected adults. METHOD 20 older (50+ years) HIV+ adults underwent MRI and were administered measures of semantic and phonemic fluency. BG (caudate, putamen) regions of interest were extracted. RESULTS Performance on phonemic word generation significantly predicted caudate volume, whereas performance on phonemic switching predicted putamen volume. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a double dissociation of BG involvement in verbal fluency tasks with the caudate subserving word generation and the putamen associated with switching. As such, verbal fluency tasks appear to be selective to BG function.
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Affiliation(s)
- April D Thames
- UCLA School of Medicine, 760 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States.
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17
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Du H, Zhang Y, Xie B, Wu N, Wu G, Wang J, Jiang T, Feng H. Regional atrophy of the basal ganglia and thalamus in idiopathic generalized epilepsy. J Magn Reson Imaging 2011; 33:817-21. [PMID: 21448945 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.22416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the regional changes in the shapes of subcortical structures in idiopathic generalized epilepsy using a vertex-based analysis method. Earlier studies found that gray matter volume in the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes is significantly altered in idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Research has indicated that a relationship exists between the brain's subcortical structures and epilepsy. However, little is known about possible changes in the subcortical structures in IGE. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study aims to determine the changes in the shape of subcortical structures in IGE using vertex analysis. Fourteen male patients with IGE and 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this study, which used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. We performed a vertex-based shape analysis, in which we compared patients with IGE with the controls, on the subcortical structures that we had obtained from the MRI data. RESULTS Statistical analysis showed significant regional atrophy in the left thalamus, left putamen and bilateral globus pallidus in patients with IGE. CONCLUSION These results indicate that regional atrophy of the basal ganglia and the thalamus may be related to seizure disorder. In the future, these findings may prove useful for choosing new therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjian Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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18
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MacDonald PA, MacDonald AA, Seergobin KN, Tamjeedi R, Ganjavi H, Provost JS, Monchi O. The effect of dopamine therapy on ventral and dorsal striatum-mediated cognition in Parkinson's disease: support from functional MRI. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 134:1447-63. [PMID: 21596772 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awr075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The central aim of our study was to elucidate functions mediated by the ventral and dorsal striatum, respectively, to better understand the cognitive effects of dopamine replacement in Parkinson's disease. We proposed that the ventral striatum underlies general learning of stimulus associations, whereas the dorsal striatum promotes integration of various influences on selecting. In Parkinson's disease, dopamine depletion is substantially less notable in the ventral relative to the dorsal striatum, and therefore greater improvements are expected for dorsal striatum-mediated functions with dopamine replacement. Using a simple selection task, we found that dopamine replacement impaired encoding and facilitation of consistent stimulus-stimulus relations across trials. This finding was in line with our contention that ventral striatum mediates learning stimulus associations, even when explicit feedback or reward is not provided. In contrast, dopamine replacement enhanced interference related to assimilating conflicting influences on selection across trials, consistent with our hypothesis that the dorsal striatum supports deciding in ambiguous contexts. We further confirmed these separable roles for the ventral and dorsal striatum in our selection task with healthy young volunteers using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In summary, we present a within-subject, double dissociation of the effects of dopamine replacement in patients with Parkinson's disease for ventral striatum-mediated facilitation and dorsal striatum-mediated interference, confirmed in a separate functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment. Defining the distinct functions of the ventral and dorsal striatum will have direct clinical implications. Titration of therapy in Parkinson's disease is generally geared towards optimizing dorsal striatum-mediated motor symptoms, possibly at the expense of ventral striatum operations, a consequence that is only beginning to be recognized. Enhanced awareness of these different processes will translate into medication strategies that take into account those symptoms that dopamine replacement might hinder, as well as improve. Here, we show impairments in learning new stimulus associations compared with improvements in integrating varied influences related to selection. Ultimately, this knowledge will lead clinicians to survey a broader range of symptoms in determining optimal therapy based on individual patient priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny A MacDonald
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B5, Canada.
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19
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Sakurai Y, Yoshida Y, Sato K, Sugimoto I, Mannen T. Isolated thalamic agraphia with impaired grapheme formation and micrographia. J Neurol 2011; 258:1528-37. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-011-5981-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2010] [Revised: 02/23/2011] [Accepted: 02/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Macdonald PA, Monchi O. Differential effects of dopaminergic therapies on dorsal and ventral striatum in Parkinson's disease: implications for cognitive function. PARKINSONS DISEASE 2011; 2011:572743. [PMID: 21437185 PMCID: PMC3062097 DOI: 10.4061/2011/572743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive abnormalities are a feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Unlike motor symptoms that are clearly improved by dopaminergic therapy, the effect of dopamine replacement on cognition seems paradoxical. Some cognitive functions are improved whereas others are unaltered or even hindered. Our aim was to understand the effect of dopamine replacement therapy on various aspects of cognition. Whereas dorsal striatum receives dopamine input from the substantia nigra (SN), ventral striatum is innervated by dopamine-producing cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In PD, degeneration of SN is substantially greater than cell loss in VTA and hence dopamine-deficiency is significantly greater in dorsal compared to ventral striatum. We suggest that dopamine supplementation improves functions mediated by dorsal striatum and impairs, or heightens to a pathological degree, operations ascribed to ventral striatum. We consider the extant literature in light of this principle. We also survey the effect of dopamine replacement on functional neuroimaging in PD relating the findings to this framework. This paper highlights the fact that currently, titration of therapy in PD is geared to optimizing dorsal striatum-mediated motor symptoms, at the expense of ventral striatum operations. Increased awareness of contrasting effects of dopamine replacement on dorsal versus ventral striatum functions will lead clinicians to survey a broader range of symptoms in determining optimal therapy, taking into account both those aspects of cognition that will be helped versus those that will be hindered by dopaminergic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny A Macdonald
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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21
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Abstract
The theoretical framework of coordination dynamics posits complementary neural mechanisms to maintain complex behavioral patterns under circumstances that may render them unstable and to voluntarily switch between behaviors if changing internal or external conditions so demand. A candidate neural structure known to play a role in both the selection and maintenance of intentional behavior is the basal ganglia. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the role of basal ganglia in intentional switching between bimanual coordination patterns that are known to differ in their stability as a function of movement rate. Key measures of pattern dynamics and switching were used to map behavior onto the associated neural circuitry to determine the relation between specific behavioral variables and activated brain areas. Results show that putamen activity is highly sensitive to pattern stability: greater activity was observed in bilateral putamen when subjects were required to switch from a more to a less stable pattern than vice versa. Since putamen activity correlated with pattern stability both before and during the switching process, its role may be to select desired actions and inhibit competing ones through parametric modulation of the intrinsic dynamics. Though compatible with recent computational models of basal ganglia function, our results further suggest that pattern stability determines how the basal ganglia efficiently and successfully select among response alternatives.
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22
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Sefcsik T, Nemeth D, Janacsek K, Hoffmann I, Scialabba J, Klivenyi P, Ambrus GG, Haden G, Vecsei L. The role of the putamen in cognitive functions — A case study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1556/lp.1.2009.2.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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23
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van Beilen M, Portman AT, Kiers HA, Maguire RP, Kaasinen V, Koning M, Pruim J, Leenders KL. Striatal FDOPA uptake and cognition in advanced non-demented Parkinson's disease: A clinical and FDOPA-PET study. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2008; 14:224-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2007.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2007] [Revised: 07/18/2007] [Accepted: 08/14/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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24
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Barbarulo AM, Grossi D, Merola S, Conson M, Trojano L. On the genesis of unilateral micrographia of the progressive type. Neuropsychologia 2007; 45:1685-96. [PMID: 17275860 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2006] [Revised: 12/24/2006] [Accepted: 01/07/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We report a patient who, following a focal ischemic lesion of the left basal ganglia, developed right hand micrographia characterised by progressive reduction of letter size during writing (progressive micrographia). The patient did not show relevant cognitive impairments, but achieved pathological scores in tests for verbal fluency, and cognitive flexibility and monitoring. A systematic investigation of the writing performances demonstrated that micrographia showed a clear length effect in whatever writing style or task, while it was not observed in drawing, or in left hand writing to a comparable extent. Right hand progressive micrographia was not affected by a concurrent motor and cognitive load; instead, switching between two kinds of allographic responses and presenting one letter at a time in copying tasks reduced severity of micrographia significantly. These findings support the view that progressive micrographia in our patient could be ascribed to a defect in regulating the motor output on the basis of self-generated strategies. This conclusion would be consistent with neuroimaging evidence about the role of the basal ganglia in the control of motor sequencing, and could suggest that progressive micrographia might be associated with specific executive defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Barbarulo
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
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25
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Cools R, Ivry RB, D'Esposito M. The Human Striatum is Necessary for Responding to Changes in Stimulus Relevance. J Cogn Neurosci 2006; 18:1973-83. [PMID: 17129185 DOI: 10.1162/jocn.2006.18.12.1973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Various lines of evidence suggest that the striatum is implicated in cognitive flexibility. The neuropsychological evidence has, for the most part, been based on research with patients with Parkinson's disease, which is accompanied by chemical disruption of both the striatum and the prefrontal cortex. The present study examined this issue by testing patients with focal lesions of the striatum on a task measuring two forms of cognitive switching. Patients with striatal, but not frontal lobe lesions, were impaired in switching between concrete sensory stimuli. By contrast, both patient groups were unimpaired when switching between abstract task rules relative to baseline nonswitch trials. These results reveal a dissociation between two distinct forms of cognitive f lexibility, providing converging evidence for a role of the striatum in f lexible control functions associated with the selection of behaviorally relevant stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Cools
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, UK.
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26
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van Beilen M, Leenders KL. Putamen FDOPA uptake and its relationship tot cognitive functioning in PD. J Neurol Sci 2006; 248:68-71. [PMID: 16782131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2006.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Impaired executive functioning is frequently found in PD patients. As a result, impairments in the executive components of other cognitive functions such as memory, visuo-spatial functions and fluency are also present. From a neuroanatomical point of view, different loops are mediating cognitive, emotional and motor functions. The putamen is part of the motor loop, while the caudate nucleus is part of the motor loop but also of the cognitive loop. In PD, multiple neurotransmitter systems are involved in cognitive functioning, including the dopaminergic system. Cognitive functioning in PD is related to striatal FDOPA uptake. This is particularly true for the caudate nucleus, but also for the putamen. We found a relationship between putaminal FDOPA uptake and measures for executive functioning, memory and fluency in a group of 28 non-demented advanced PD patients. This is a surprising finding since the putamen is part of the motor loop, but not the cognitive loop. One possible explanation is that the putamen is involved in motor actions after cognitive switching and is therefore related to neuropsychological test scores, as these require motor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marije van Beilen
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
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27
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Kelly AM, Hester R, Foxe JJ, Shpaner M, Garavan H. Flexible cognitive control: Effects of individual differences and brief practice on a complex cognitive task. Neuroimage 2006; 31:866-86. [PMID: 16520064 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2005] [Revised: 01/06/2006] [Accepted: 01/09/2006] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain activations underlying cognitive processes are subject to modulation as a result of increasing cognitive demands, individual differences, and practice. The present study investigated these modulatory effects in a cognitive control task which required inhibition of prepotent responses based on the contents of working memory (WM) and which enabled a novel dissociation of item-specific and task-skill effects resulting from brief practice. Distinct responses in areas underlying WM and inhibitory control in the absence of behavioral changes reflected different effects of item repetition and general task practice on tonic working memory and phasic inhibitory processes. Item repetition was associated with decreases in both unique and common areas subserving WM and inhibitory control. In contrast, general task practice was reflected in decreases in the level of tonic WM activity required to maintain a consistently high level of task performance but increased activity in a number of core inhibitory regions including dorsolateral and inferior PFC and inferior parietal cortex. Furthermore, both practice and individual differences in task performance were associated with the ability to modulate and maintain activity in frontostriatal areas mediating attentional control, suggesting that the areas that differ between individuals can be modulated by practice within an individual. These results raise the possibility that a fundamental human ability, reflexive cognitive control, is amenable to practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Kelly
- School of Psychology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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28
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Ell SW, Marchant NL, Ivry RB. Focal putamen lesions impair learning in rule-based, but not information-integration categorization tasks. Neuropsychologia 2006; 44:1737-51. [PMID: 16635498 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2005] [Revised: 02/27/2006] [Accepted: 03/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous research on the role of the basal ganglia in category learning has focused on patients with Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, neurodegenerative diseases frequently accompanied by additional cortical pathology. The goal of the present study was to extend this work to patients with basal ganglia lesions due to stroke, asking if similar changes in performance would be observed in patients with more focal pathology. Patients with basal ganglia lesions centered in the putamen (6 left side, 1 right side) were tested on rule-based and information-integration visual categorization tasks. In rule-based tasks, it is assumed that participants can learn the category structures through an explicit reasoning process. In information-integration tasks, optimal performance requires the integration of information from two or more stimulus components, and participants are typically unaware of the category rules. Consistent with previous studies involving patients with degenerative disorders of the basal ganglia, the stroke patients were impaired on the rule-based task, and quantitative, model-based analyses indicate that this deficit was due to the inefficient application of decision strategies. In contrast, the patients were unimpaired on the information-integration task. This pattern of results provides converging evidence supporting a role of the basal ganglia and, in particular, the putamen in rule-based category learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn W Ell
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Psychology Department, University of California, Berkeley 94720-1650, United States.
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29
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Su CY, Wuang YP, Chang JK, Guo NW, Kwan AL. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance after putaminal hemorrhagic stroke. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2006; 22:75-84. [PMID: 16568724 DOI: 10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70224-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the performance differences in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) between 55 patients with putaminal hemorrhage (PH) 3 months after stroke and 69 age-matched normal controls. Impairment on WCST was defined as performance greater than 1.64 standard deviation below the control mean. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) controlling for education yielded a significant main effect for group but not for education and interaction of group x education. Univariate analyses revealed significant between-group differences in five WCST measures, including perseverative errors (PE), perseverative responses (PR), conceptual-level responses (CLR), number of categories completed (NCC), and trials to complete the first category (TCC). For patients with PH, z-scores for two WCST indices were within the impaired range: TCC and PR. A high percentage of patients (40-47%) scored in the designated impaired range on NCC, PR, PE, and TCC. The WCST variables discriminated patients from controls with an overall accurate classification rate of 91.9%. Of these, the variables that contributed most to the differentiation between patients and normal controls were PE, CLR, and total number correct (TNC) (a standardized canonical discriminant function coefficient > 0.40). Finally, no significant hemispheric laterality effects emerged on any of the WCST variables. The results of this study provide further evidence of impaired mental set shifting in stroke patients with PH. The implications for rehabilitation professionals are discussed, and recommendations for further research are made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chwen-Yng Su
- School of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
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Yoo HK, Kim MJ, Kim SJ, Sung YH, Sim ME, Lee YS, Song SY, Kee BS, Lyoo IK. Putaminal gray matter volume decrease in panic disorder: an optimized voxel-based morphometry study. Eur J Neurosci 2005; 22:2089-94. [PMID: 16262646 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04394.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Our study aimed to identify gray matter volume differences between panic disorder patients and healthy volunteers using optimized voxel-based morphometry. Gray matter volume was compared between 18 panic subjects and 18 healthy volunteers. Panic disorder severity scale (PDSS) and Zung self-rating anxiety scale (Z-SAS) were administered. Gray matter volumes of bilateral putamen were decreased in panic subjects relative to healthy comparison subjects (corrected P < 0.05). Decreased gray matter volume was also observed in the right precuneus, right inferior temporal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus at a less conservative level of significance. PDSS score negatively correlated with gray matter volume in the left putamen, right putamen, right inferior frontal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus in panic subjects. The duration of illness negatively correlated with left putaminal gray matter volume. There was also a negative correlation between gray matter volume in right putamen and Z-SAS score in panic subjects. The current study reports a putaminal gray matter volume decrease in panic subjects, which may be related to the clinical severity of panic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanik K Yoo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
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Dubrowski A, Roy EA, Black SE, Carnahan H. Unilateral basal ganglia damage causes contralesional force control deficits: a case study. Neuropsychologia 2005; 43:1379-84. [PMID: 15893776 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2004] [Revised: 03/14/2005] [Accepted: 04/08/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
When grasping to lift an object, the grip force is usually scaled to the mass of the object. However, it has been shown that lifting objects of different sizes but equal masses results in the generation of higher forces for larger compared to smaller objects. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a similar effect is present in an individual (RI) with a unilateral lesion to the basal ganglia (BG). It was hypothesized that if the BG have an influence on the use of visual information in updating of the internal model used to anticipate the forces required for grasping, damage to these structures should result in the inability of RI's contralesional hand to anticipate object mass based on size cues. To test this hypothesis three objects of equal mass but different sizes were grasped and lifted by RI and six control individuals. The forces that were generated during these lifts were quantified. The controls showed the expected increases in peak grip force as object size increased. RI showed no effect of object size for his contralesional hand, but did show force scaling with his ipsilesional hand. In conclusion, RI's BG damage affected the on-line control of grip forces and the inability to integrate visual and tactile information in the programming of finger forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Dubrowski
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Surgical Skill Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ont., Canada M5G 1X5, USA.
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Abstract
Micrographia (MG), an acquired impairment of writing characterized by diminution of letter size, coupled with slowing and loss of accuracy, is most frequently observed in the course of degenerative disease of basal ganglia, such as Parkinson's Disease. Only a few cases of MG without concomitant extrapyramidal signs have been described, mostly following vascular lesion of the left basal ganglia. In this article we report an isolated pattern of MG following an extensive traumatic cerebral lesion centered in the left basal ganglia. The nature of this impairment is analyzed according to a cognitive model of writing and interpreted as a specific example of peripheral dysgraphia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Denes
- Department of Neurology, Venice Hospital and Department of Science of Language, Ca' Foscari Venice University, Italy.
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