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Weng Y, Kruschwitz J, Rueda-Delgado LM, Ruddy K, Boyle R, Franzen L, Serin E, Nweze T, Hanson J, Smyth A, Farnan T, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Brühl R, Martinot JL, Martinot MLP, Artiges E, McGrath J, Nees F, Orfanos DP, Paus T, Poustka L, Holz N, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Vaidya N, Schumann G, Walter H, Whelan R. A robust brain network for sustained attention from adolescence to adulthood that predicts later substance use. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.03.587900. [PMID: 38617224 PMCID: PMC11014614 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.03.587900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Substance use, including cigarettes and cannabis, is associated with poorer sustained attention in late adolescence and early adulthood. Previous studies were predominantly cross-sectional or under-powered and could not indicate if impairment in sustained attention was a predictor of substance-use or a marker of the inclination to engage in such behaviour. This study explored the relationship between sustained attention and substance use across a longitudinal span from ages 14 to 23 in over 1,000 participants. Behaviours and brain connectivity associated with diminished sustained attention at age 14 predicted subsequent increases in cannabis and cigarette smoking, establishing sustained attention as a robust biomarker for vulnerability to substance use. Individual differences in network strength relevant to sustained attention were preserved across developmental stages and sustained attention networks generalized to participants in an external dataset. In summary, brain networks of sustained attention are robust, consistent, and able to predict aspects of later substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihe Weng
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Johann Kruschwitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Collaborative Research Centre (SFB 940) "Volition and Cognitive Control", Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Laura M Rueda-Delgado
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kathy Ruddy
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- School of Psychology, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Rory Boyle
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Luisa Franzen
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Emin Serin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jamie Hanson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Learning Research & Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alannah Smyth
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tom Farnan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, 05405 Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 "Trajectoires développementales & psychiatrie", University Paris-Saclay, CNRS; Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli; Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 "Trajectoires développementales & psychiatrie", University Paris-Saclay, CNRS; Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli; Gif-sur-Yvette; and AP-HP. Sorbonne University, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 "Trajectoires développementales & psychiatrie", University Paris-Saclay, CNRS; Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli; Gif-sur-Yvette; and Psychiatry Department, EPS Barthélémy Durand, Etampes, France
| | - Jane McGrath
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Centre Hosptalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nathalie Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane H Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Nilakshi Vaidya
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
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Helton WS, Wen J. Will the real resource theory please stand up! Vigilance is a renewable resource and should be modeled as such. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:1263-1270. [PMID: 36997721 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06604-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The vigilance decrement or decline in signal detection performance with time on task is one of the most reliable findings in the cognitive neuroscience and psychology literatures. The majority of theories proposed to explain the decrement are limited cognitive or attention resource based theories; the central nervous system is a limited capacity processor. The decrement in performance is then due to resource reallocation (or misallocation), resource depletion or some combination of both mechanisms. The role of resource depletion, in particular, is hotly debated. However, this may be due to a lack of understanding of the renewable nature of the vigilance resources and how this renewal process impacts performance during vigilance tasks. In the present paper, a simple quantitative model of vigilance resource depletion and renewal is described and shown to generate performance data similar to results seen in both humans and spiders. This model clarifies the role resource depletion and resource renewal may play in vigilance in both people and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S Helton
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, 3F5, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA.
| | - James Wen
- Department of Logistics, Molde University College, Postbox 2110, 6402, Molde, Norway
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Kendricks DR, Boomhower SR, Newland MC. Adolescence as a sensitive period for neurotoxicity: Lifespan developmental effects of methylmercury. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 217:173389. [PMID: 35452710 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Neurotoxicity resulting from the environmental contaminant, methylmercury (MeHg), is a source of concern for many human populations that rely heavily on the consumption of fish and rice as stable ingredients in the diet. The developmental period of exposure is important both to the qualitative effects of MeHg and to the dose required to produce those effects. MeHg exposure during the sensitive prenatal period causes deleterious and long-lasting changes in neurodevelopment at particularly low doses. The effects include a wide host of cognitive and behavioral outcomes expressed in adulthood and sometimes not until aging. However, neurotoxic outcomes of methylmercury when exposure occurs during adolescence are only recently revealing impacts on human populations and animal models. This review examines the current body of work and showcases the sensitivity of adolescence, a period that straddles early development and adulthood, to methylmercury neurotoxicity and the implications such toxicity has in our understanding of methylmercury's effects in human populations and animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalisa R Kendricks
- Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America.
| | - Steven R Boomhower
- Gradient, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Division of Continuing Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Shalev N, Nobre AC. Eyes wide open: Regulation of arousal by temporal expectations. Cognition 2022; 224:105062. [PMID: 35217263 PMCID: PMC9112164 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining adequate levels of arousal is essential for sustaining performance on extended tasks. To investigate arousal in prolonged tasks such as driving studies have traditionally used monotonous task designs. Both ecological and experimental settings often contain embedded temporal regularities, but it is unknown whether these enable adaptive modulation of arousal. We explored whether temporal predictability can modulate arousal according to the timing of anticipated relevant events. In two experiments, we manipulated the temporal predictability of events to test for behavioural benefits and arousal modulation, using pupillometry as a proxy measure. High temporal predictability significantly lowered the tonic level of arousal briefly increased arousal in anticipation of upcoming stimuli, whereas low temporal predictability resulted in tonically elevated arousal. These novel findings suggest that arousal levels flexibly adapt to the temporal structures of events and bring about energy efficiencies in the context of high levels of behavioural performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Shalev
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative, Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK.
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative, Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
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Bahnfleth CL, Strupp BJ, Caudill MA, Canfield RL. Prenatal choline supplementation improves child sustained attention: A 7-year follow-up of a randomized controlled feeding trial. FASEB J 2021; 36:e22054. [PMID: 34962672 PMCID: PMC9303951 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101217r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Numerous rodent studies demonstrate developmental programming of offspring cognition by maternal choline intake, with prenatal choline deprivation causing lasting adverse effects and supplemental choline producing lasting benefits. Few human studies have evaluated the effect of maternal choline supplementation on offspring cognition, with none following children to school age. Here, we report results from a controlled feeding study in which pregnant women were randomized to consume 480 mg choline/d (approximately the Adequate Intake [AI]) or 930 mg choline/d during the 3rd trimester. Sustained attention was assessed in the offspring at age 7 years (n = 20) using a signal detection task that showed benefits of maternal choline supplementation in a murine model. Children in the 930 mg/d group showed superior performance (vs. 480 mg/d group) on the primary endpoint (SAT score, p = .02) and a superior ability to maintain correct signal detections (hits) across the 12‐min session (p = .02), indicative of improved sustained attention. This group difference in vigilance decrement varied by signal duration (p = .04). For the briefest (17 ms) signals, the 480 mg/d group showed a 22.9% decline in hits across the session compared to a 1.5% increase in hits for the 930 mg/d group (p = .04). The groups did not differ in vigilance decrement for 29 or 50 ms signals. This pattern suggests an enhanced ability to sustain perceptual amplification of a brief low‐contrast visual signal by children in the 930 mg/d group. This inference of improved sustained attention by the 930 mg/d group is strengthened by the absence of group differences for false alarms, omissions, and off‐task behaviors. This pattern of results indicates that maternal 3rd trimester consumption of the choline AI for pregnancy (vs. double the AI) produces offspring with a poorer ability to sustain attention—reinforcing concerns that, on average, choline consumption by pregnant women is approximately 70% of the AI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara J Strupp
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Marie A Caudill
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Richard L Canfield
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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6
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Turker HB, Riley E, Luh WM, Colcombe SJ, Swallow KM. Estimates of locus coeruleus function with functional magnetic resonance imaging are influenced by localization approaches and the use of multi-echo data. Neuroimage 2021; 236:118047. [PMID: 33905860 PMCID: PMC8517932 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) plays a central role in regulating human cognition, arousal, and autonomic states. Efforts to characterize the LC’s function in humans using functional magnetic resonance imaging have been hampered by its small size and location near a large source of noise, the fourth ventricle. We tested whether the ability to characterize LC function is improved by employing neuromelanin-T1 weighted images (nmT1) for LC localization and multi-echo functional magnetic resonance imaging (ME-fMRI) for estimating intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC). Analyses indicated that, relative to a probabilistic atlas, utilizing nmT1 images to individually localize the LC increases the specificity of seed time series and clusters in the iFC maps. When combined with independent components analysis (ME-ICA), ME-fMRI data provided significant improvements in the temporal signal to noise ratio and DVARS relative to denoised single echo data (1E-fMRI). The effects of acquiring nmT1 images and ME-fMRI data did not appear to only reflect increases in power: iFC maps for each approach overlapped only moderately. This is consistent with findings that ME-fMRI offers substantial advantages over 1E-fMRI acquisition and denoising. It also suggests that individually identifying LC with nmT1 scans is likely to reduce the influence of other nearby brainstem regions on estimates of LC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid B Turker
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Riley
- Department of Human Development, Cornell University, 163 Human Ecology Building, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Wen-Ming Luh
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 3001 S Hanover St, Baltimore, MD 21225, USA.
| | - Stan J Colcombe
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd. Orangeburg, NY. 10962.
| | - Khena M Swallow
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Jennings M, Guilfoyle A, Green J, Cleary Y, Gowran RJ. Octopus Watch Fosters Family Resilience by Enhancing Occupational Engagement for Children with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus: Pilot Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17228316. [PMID: 33182784 PMCID: PMC7697938 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus (SB&/H) often experience difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs) due to impaired executive functioning, increasing sedentary behaviours. The HeyJoy Octopus watch, a child-friendly icon-based smartwatch could be used as an enabler to promote purposeful ADLs (i.e., goal-orientated ADLs). OBJECTIVE to investigate the effectiveness of the Octopus watch in promoting purposeful ADLs for children living with SB&/H (<8 years). METHODS Mixed-methods engaging parents and children in four phases: (1) Administered demographic questionnaire, semi-structured interview, childhood executive functioning inventory (CHEXI) and the Canadian occupational performance measure (COPM); focus group one introducing the study, information pack using smartwatch and photovoice data collection methods. (2) Measured baseline movement for four days with smartwatch without using functions. (3) Measured activity for 16-days while using the smartwatch. (4) Re-administered assessments and conducted a second focus group based on photovoice narratives. RESULTS movement data recorded for four participants, three of four showed mean activity increase (36%). N-of-1 analyses found one participant showed clear improvement (p = 0.021, r2 = 0.28). Mean inhibition decreased by 16.4%, and mean change in COPM performance and satisfaction scores were 2.1 and 2.4, respectively. The photovoice narrative focus group supports findings evidenced with improved daily routines. CONCLUSIONS The Octopus watch is an innovative early intervention that can promote purposeful ADLs, fostering family resilience by enhancing occupational engagement. Further research is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Jennings
- Discipline Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland; (M.J.); (A.G.)
| | - Aoife Guilfoyle
- Discipline Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland; (M.J.); (A.G.)
| | - James Green
- School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, Physical Activity for Health (PAfH), Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland;
| | - Yvonne Cleary
- Technical Communication and Instructional Design, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland;
| | - Rosemary Joan Gowran
- Discipline Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, Health Research Institute, Health Implementation Science and Technology (HIST), University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland
- School of Health and Sports Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC QLD 4558, Australia
- Assisting Living and Learning (ALL), Institute Maynooth University, Maynooth, W23 VP22 Co. Kildare, Ireland
- Correspondence:
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8
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Hui L, Hu WM, Zhu ZH, Gao ST, Han M, Fan Y, Tian Q, Yin XY, Yuan Y, Jiang CX, Yin GZ, Jia QF, Zhang XY. Association between dopamine beta-hydroxylase polymorphism and attention function in suicide attempters with chronic schizophrenia. Hum Psychopharmacol 2020; 35:1-8. [PMID: 32896003 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with schizophrenia are at a higher risk for suicide compared with the general population. Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DβH) plays a key role in the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine, which is related to suicidal behavior and cognitive regulation. OBJECTIVE To examine whether there is the effect of DβH 5'-insertion/deletion (Ins/Del) polymorphism on cognitive performance in suicide attempters with chronic schizophrenia. METHODS This polymorphism was detected in 114 suicide attempters and 617 non-suicide attempters with chronic schizophrenia. Cognitive performance was assessed by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). RESULTS The allelic and genotypic frequencies of this polymorphism between two groups did not differ after controlling for covariates (both, p > .05). There were no differences in RBANS scores between two groups after adjusting for covariates (all, p > .05). However, based on the genotype grouping in suicide attempters and non-attempters, the attention score significantly differed after adjusting for covariates (both, p < .05). Further analysis indicated that this polymorphism was associated with attention score in suicide attempters (p < .05), but not in non-suicide attempters (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS DβH 5'-Ins/Del polymorphism was not a risk locus of suicide attempters, but it was implicated in attention regulation in suicide attempters with chronic schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hui
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wei Ming Hu
- Mental Health Center of Yanqing District, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen Hua Zhu
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | | | - Mei Han
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yu Fan
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qing Tian
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xu Yuan Yin
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Yuan
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Cai Xia Jiang
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guang Zhong Yin
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qiu Fang Jia
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiang Yang Zhang
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Reynaud AJ, Blini E, Koun E, Macaluso E, Meunier M, Hadj-Bouziane F. Atomoxetine modulates the contribution of low-level signals during free viewing of natural images in rhesus monkeys. Neuropharmacology 2020; 182:108377. [PMID: 33137343 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Visuo-spatial attentional orienting is fundamental to selectively process behaviorally relevant information, depending on both low-level visual attributes of stimuli in the environment and higher-level factors, such as goals, expectations and prior knowledge. Growing evidence suggests an impact of the locus-cœruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system in attentional orienting that depends on taskcontext. Nonetheless, most of previous studies used visual displays encompassing a target and various distractors, often preceded by cues to orient the attentional focus. This emphasizes the contribution of goal-driven processes, at the expense of other factors related to the stimulus content. Here, we aimed to determine the impact of NE on attentional orienting in more naturalistic conditions, using complex images and without any explicit task manipulation. We tested the effects of atomoxetine (ATX) injections, a NE reuptake inhibitor, on four monkeys during free viewing of images belonging to three categories: landscapes, monkey faces and scrambled images. Analyses of the gaze exploration patterns revealed, first, that the monkeys spent more time on each fixation under ATX compared to the control condition, regard less of the image content. Second, we found that, depending on the image content, ATX modulated the impact of low-level visual salience on attentional orienting. This effect correlated with the effect of ATX on the number and duration of fixations. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ATX adjusts the contribution of salience on attentional orienting depending on the image content, indicative of its role in balancing the role of stimulus-driven and top-down control during free viewing of complex stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie J Reynaud
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France.
| | - Elvio Blini
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France
| | - Eric Koun
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France
| | - Emiliano Macaluso
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France
| | - Martine Meunier
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France
| | - Fadila Hadj-Bouziane
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France.
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10
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Mehta TR, Monegro A, Nene Y, Fayyaz M, Bollu PC. Neurobiology of ADHD: A Review. CURRENT DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40474-019-00182-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Malykh SB, Malykh AS, Karunas AS, Enikeeva RF, Davydova YD, Khusnutdinova EK. Molecular Genetic Studies of Cognitive Ability. RUSS J GENET+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795419070111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Shalev N, Vangkilde S, Neville MJ, Tunbridge EM, Nobre AC, Chechlacz M. Dissociable Catecholaminergic Modulation of Visual Attention: Differential Effects of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase and Dopamine Beta-Hydroxylase Genes on Visual Attention. Neuroscience 2019; 412:175-189. [PMID: 31195057 PMCID: PMC6645579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.05.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Visual attention enables us to prioritise behaviourally relevant visual information while ignoring distraction. The neural networks supporting attention are modulated by two catecholamines, dopamine and noradrenaline. The current study investigated the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in two catecholaminergic genes – COMT (Val158Met) and DBH (444 G/A) – on individual differences in attention functions. Participants (n = 125) were recruited from the Oxford Biobank by genotype-based recall. They were tested on a continuous performance task (sustained attention), a Go/No-Go task (response inhibition), and a task assessing attentional selection in accordance with the Theory of Visual Attention (TVA). We found a significant effect of DBH genotype status on the capacity to maintain attention over time (sustained attention) as measured by the continuous performance task. Furthermore, we demonstrated a significant association between COMT genotype status and effective threshold of visual perception in attentional selection as estimated based on the TVA task performance. No other group differences in attention function were found with respect to the studied genotypes. Overall, our findings provide novel experimental evidence that: (i) dopaminergic and noradrenergic genotypes have dissociable effects on visual attention; (ii) either insufficient or excessive catecholaminergic activity may have equally detrimental effects on sustained attention. Catecholaminergic genotypes have dissociative cognitive effects on visual attention. DBH (444 G/A) polymorphism affects sustained attention. COMT Val158Met polymorphism affects perceptual threshold in visual attention. Both too little and too much catecholamines may detrimentally impact sustained attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Shalev
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Department of Psychology, Center for Visual Cognition, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matt J Neville
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Tunbridge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Magdalena Chechlacz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.
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Reynaud AJ, Froesel M, Guedj C, Ben Hadj Hassen S, Cléry J, Meunier M, Ben Hamed S, Hadj-Bouziane F. Atomoxetine improves attentional orienting in a predictive context. Neuropharmacology 2019; 150:59-69. [PMID: 30876931 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The role of norepinephrine (NE) in visuo-spatial attention remains poorly understood. Our goal was to identify the attentional processes influenced by atomoxetine (ATX) injections, a NE-reuptake inhibitor that boosts the level of NE in the brain, and to characterize these influences. We tested the effects of ATX injections, on seven monkeys performing a saccadic cued task in which cues and distractors were used to manipulate spatial attention. We found that when the cue accurately predicted the location of the upcoming cue in 80% of the trials, ATX consistently improved attentional orienting, as measured from reaction times (RTs). These effects were best accounted for by a faster accumulation rate in the valid trials, rather than by a change in the decision threshold. By contrast, the effect of ATX on alerting and distractor interference was more inconsistent. Finally, we also found that, under ATX, RTs to non-cued targets were longer when these were presented separately from cued targets. This suggests that the impact of NE on visuo-spatial attention depends on the context, such that the adaptive changes elicited by the highly informative value of the cues in the most frequent trials were accompanied by a cost in the less frequent trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie J Reynaud
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France.
| | - Mathilda Froesel
- University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France; CNRS, UMR5229, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, France
| | - Carole Guedj
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France
| | - Sameh Ben Hadj Hassen
- University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France; CNRS, UMR5229, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, France
| | - Justine Cléry
- University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France; CNRS, UMR5229, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, France
| | - Martine Meunier
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France
| | - Suliann Ben Hamed
- University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France; CNRS, UMR5229, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, France
| | - Fadila Hadj-Bouziane
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University UCBL, Lyon 1, F-69000, France.
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O'shea H, Moran A. Are Fast Complex Movements Unimaginable? Pupillometric Studies of Motor Imagery in Expert Piano Playing. J Mot Behav 2018; 51:371-384. [PMID: 30277448 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2018.1485010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Motor imagery (MI; mental simulation of actions) shares certain mental representations and processes with executed movement (ME). This neurocognitive overlap between MI and ME may explain why the systematic use of MI improves skilled performance in numerous domains. Unfortunately, the attentional mechanisms underlying MI remain unresolved. Therefore, the present studies investigated the role of attentional effort (as measured by pupil dilation) in MI. We evaluated the effects of movement complexity and speed on expert pianists' pupil dilation as they physically executed and used MI to perform easy/complex and slow/fast music phrases. Results revealed that easy movements required similar levels of attentional effort during MI and ME. However, during complex movements performed at a fast speed, the correspondence between execution and imagery of movement was disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen O'shea
- a School of Psychology , University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Aidan Moran
- a School of Psychology , University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
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15
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Liu L, Cheng J, Su Y, Ji N, Gao Q, Li H, Yang L, Sun L, Qian Q, Wang Y. Deficiency of Sustained Attention in ADHD and Its Potential Genetic Contributor MAOA. J Atten Disord 2018; 22:878-885. [PMID: 25784069 DOI: 10.1177/1087054715574832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the genetic contributors to ADHD sustained attention deficit among noradrenergic genes responsible for the synthesis (dopamine-β-hydroxylase gene, DBH), transport (norepinephrine transporter gene, NET1), reception (alpha-2A adrenergic receptor gene, ADRA2A), and metabolism (monoamine oxidase A gene, MAOA) of noradrenalin (NE). METHOD A total of 456 children with ADHD and 108 normal controls were included in a digit cancellation test (DCT). DNA was collected from 242 participants and genotyped for 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of noradrenergic genes. RESULTS Compared with normal controls, children with ADHD showed a lower total score and higher mean error rate in the DCT, indicating poorer sustained attention function. Analysis of covariance showed an association between MAOA genotypes and ADHD performance in DCT, with poorer performance in risk allele carriers. No association was found for other noradrenergic genes. CONCLUSION Children with ADHD presented with a sustained attention deficit compared with normal controls. The sustained attention deficit of children with ADHD may be associated with genetic variant of MAOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Jia Cheng
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Yi Su
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Ning Ji
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Qian Gao
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Haimei Li
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Li Yang
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Li Sun
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Qiujin Qian
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Yufeng Wang
- 1 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
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Hui L, Han M, Yin GZ, Zhang Y, Huang XF, Qian ZK, Gu WG, Gu XC, Zhu XM, Soares JC, Ning Y, Zheng Y, Du XD, Zhang XY. Association between DBH 19bp insertion/deletion polymorphism and cognition in schizophrenia with and without tardive dyskinesia. Schizophr Res 2017; 182:104-109. [PMID: 27776953 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Long-term antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia is associated with the development of tardive dyskinesia (TD), which is involved in increased cognitive impairment. Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene associated with dopamine and norepinephrine systems influences cognition. Schizophrenia with TD have higher DBH activity than those without TD. This study examined whether DBH5'-insertion/deletion (-Ins/Del) polymorphism could influence cognitive function in schizophrenia with and without TD. The presence of DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism was determined in 345 schizophrenia with TD and 397 schizophrenia without TD. The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale and Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were used to assess TD severity and cognition. The allele and genotype frequencies of DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism did not differ between patients with and without TD (both p>0.05). RBANS total score and subscales did not differ by DBH5'-Ins/Del genotype groups in patients with TD (all p>0.05). However, attention score significantly differed by DBH5'-Ins/Del genotype groups in those without TD (p<0.05). Patients without TD who were Del homozygous had significantly lower attention score than those without TD who were Ins alleles (p<0.05). Immediate memory and attention scores were lower in patients with TD than without TD (both p<0.05). This study indicated that DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism may not play a role in the susceptibility to TD and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia with TD, but it may influence cognitive function in schizophrenia with non-TD. Moreover, schizophrenia with TD experienced greater cognitive deficits than those with non-TD, especially in immediate memory and attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hui
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Mei Han
- School of Medicine, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Guang Zhong Yin
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yingyang Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xu Feng Huang
- School of Medicine, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Zheng Kang Qian
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Wei Guo Gu
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xiao Chu Gu
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xiao Min Zhu
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Yingjun Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Xiang Dong Du
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Xiang Yang Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, PR China.
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17
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Voelker P, Sheese BE, Rothbart MK, Posner MI. Methylation polymorphism influences practice effects in children during attention tasks. Cogn Neurosci 2017; 8:72-84. [PMID: 27050482 PMCID: PMC5605136 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2016.1170006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms mediate the influence of experience on gene expression. Methylation is a principal method for inducing epigenetic effects on DNA. In this paper, we examine alleles of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene that vary enzyme activity, altering the availability of the methyl donor and thus changing the efficiency of methylation. We hypothesized that alleles of the MTHFR gene would influence behavior in an attention-related task in conjunction with genes known to influence attention. We found that seven-year-old children homozygous for the C allele of MTHFR in interaction with the catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene showed greater improvement in overall reaction time (RT) and in conflict resolution with practice on the Attention Network Test (ANT). This finding indicates that methylation may operate on or through genes that influence executive network operation. However, MTHFR T allele carriers showed faster overall RT and conflict resolution. Some children showed an initial improvement in ANT RT followed by a decline in performance, and we found that alleles of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene were related to this performance decline. These results suggest a genetic dissociation between improvement while learning a skill and reduction in performance with continued practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brad E Sheese
- b Psychology , Illinois Wesleyan University , Bloomington , USA
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18
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Unal D, Unal MF, Alikasifoglu M, Cetinkaya A. Genetic Variations in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Subtypes and Treatment Resistant Cases. Psychiatry Investig 2016; 13:427-33. [PMID: 27482244 PMCID: PMC4965653 DOI: 10.4306/pi.2016.13.4.427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Revised: 12/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE ObjectiveaaWe evaluated the distribution of alpha-2A adrenergic receptor (ADRA2A) and catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among ADHD subtypes and other homogeneous patient populations including treatment-resistant cases and patients with high symptom severity. METHODS Methodsaa121 ADHD patients aged 6-18 years were included in the study. Diagnosis and subtypes designation were confirmed using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) and symptoms were evaluated using the Conners' Parent (CPRS) and Teacher Rating Scales (CTRS). The response to methylphenidate was assessed objectively using the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) and Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAS) as well as the Continuous Performance (CPT) and Trail Making tests (TMT-A, B). Patients were genotyped for ADRA2A (rs1800544) and COMT (rs4680) SNPs by PCR/RFLP and compared to a gender-matched control group. RESULTS Although there was no association of COMT (rs4680) SNP with symptoms or diagnosis, the ADRA2A polymorphism, low socioeconomic status (SES), and comorbid psychiatric diagnosis were all associated with poor response to methylphenidate in logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION Clinicians may consider adjuvant strategies when these negative factors are present to increase the success of tailored ADHD treatments in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilek Unal
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Fatih Unal
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Alikasifoglu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Arda Cetinkaya
- Department of Medical Genetics, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
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Wilson KM, Finkbeiner KM, de Joux NR, Russell PN, Helton WS. Go-stimuli proportion influences response strategy in a sustained attention to response task. Exp Brain Res 2016; 234:2989-98. [PMID: 27329605 PMCID: PMC5025487 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-016-4701-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The sustained attention to response task (SART) usefulness as a measure of sustained attention has been questioned. The SART may instead be a better measure of other psychological processes and could prove useful in understanding some real-world behaviours. Thirty participants completed four Go/No-Go response tasks much like the SART, with Go-stimuli proportions of .50, .65, .80 and .95. As Go-stimuli proportion increased, reaction times decreased while both commission errors and self-reported task-related thoughts increased. Performance measures were associated with task-related thoughts but not task-unrelated thoughts. Instead of faster reaction times and increased commission errors being due to absentmindedness or perceptual decoupling from the task, the results suggested participants made use of two competing response strategies, in line with a response strategy or response inhibition perspective of SART performance. Interestingly, performance measures changed in a nonlinear manner, despite the linear Go proportion increase. A threshold may exist where the prepotent motor response becomes more pronounced, leading to the disproportionate increase in response speed and commission errors. This research has implications for researchers looking to employ the SART and for more applied contexts where the consequences of response inhibition failures can be serious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. .,The Applied Cognition and Cognitive Engineering Group, Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.
| | - Kristin M Finkbeiner
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Neil R de Joux
- Human Factors Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Paul N Russell
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - William S Helton
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Van Vleet TM, DeGutis JM, Merzenich MM, Simpson GV, Zomet A, Dabit S. Targeting alertness to improve cognition in older adults: A preliminary report of benefits in executive function and skill acquisition. Cortex 2016; 82:100-118. [PMID: 27372902 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Efficient self-regulation of alertness declines with age exacerbating normal declines in performance across multiple cognitive domains, including learning and skill acquisition. Previous cognitive intervention studies have shown that it is possible to enhance alertness in patients with acquired brain injury and marked attention impairments, and that this benefit generalizes to improvements in more global cognitive functions. In the current preliminary studies, we sought to test whether this approach, that targets both tonic (over a period of minutes) and phasic (moment-to-moment) alertness, can improve key executive functioning declines in older adults, and enhance the rate of skill acquisition. The results of both Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate that, compared to active control (AC) training, alertness training significantly enhanced performance in several validated executive function measures. In Experiment 2, alertness training significantly improved skill acquisition compared to AC training in a well-characterized speed of processing (SOP) task, with the largest benefits shown in the most challenging SOP blocks. The results of the current study suggest that targeting intrinsic alertness through cognitive training provides a novel approach to improve executive functions in older adults and may be a useful adjunct treatment to enhance benefits gained in other clinically validated treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Van Vleet
- Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Medical Center, Martinez, CA, United States; Posit Science, San Francisco, CA, United States.
| | - Joseph M DeGutis
- Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michael M Merzenich
- Posit Science, San Francisco, CA, United States; Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Ativ Zomet
- Posit Science, San Francisco, CA, United States; Vision Sciences Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
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21
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Rehabilitation of Executive Functions in Patients with Chronic Acquired Brain Injury with Goal Management Training, External Cuing, and Emotional Regulation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2016; 22:436-52. [PMID: 26812574 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617715001344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Executive dysfunction is a common consequence of acquired brain injury (ABI), causing significant disability in daily life. This randomized controlled trial investigated the efficacy of Goal Management Training (GMT) in improving executive functioning in patients with chronic ABI. Seventy patients with a verified ABI and executive dysfunction were randomly allocated to GMT (n=33) or a psycho-educative active control condition, Brain Health Workshop (BHW) (n=37). In addition, all participants received external cueing by text messages. Neuropsychological tests and self-reported questionnaires of executive functioning were administered pre-intervention, immediately after intervention, and at 6 months follow-up. Assessors were blinded to group allocation. Questionnaire measures indicated significant improvement of everyday executive functioning in the GMT group, with effects lasting at least 6 months post-treatment. Both groups improved on the majority of the applied neuropsychological tests. However, improved performance on tests demanding executive attention was most prominent in the GMT group. The results indicate that GMT combined with external cueing is an effective metacognitive strategy training method, ameliorating executive dysfunction in daily life for patients with chronic ABI. The strongest effects were seen on self-report measures of executive functions 6 months post-treatment, suggesting that strategies learned in GMT were applied and consolidated in everyday life after the end of training. Furthermore, these findings show that executive dysfunction can be improved years after the ABI.
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22
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Seli P. The Attention-Lapse and Motor Decoupling accounts of SART performance are not mutually exclusive. Conscious Cogn 2016; 41:189-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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23
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Voelker P, K. Rothbart M, I. Posner M. A Polymorphism Related to Methylation Influences Attention during Performance of Speeded Skills. AIMS Neurosci 2016. [DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2016.1.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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24
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The effects of warning cues and attention-capturing stimuli on the sustained attention to response task. Exp Brain Res 2014; 233:1061-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-014-4179-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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25
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Sustained attention failures are primarily due to sustained cognitive load not task monotony. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2014; 153:87-94. [PMID: 25310454 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted two studies using a modified sustained attention to response task (SART) to investigate the developmental process of SART performance and the role of cognitive load on performance when the speed-accuracy trade-off is controlled experimentally. In study 1, 23 participants completed the modified SART (target stimuli location was not predictable) and a subjective thought content questionnaire 4 times over the span of 4 weeks. As predicted, the influence of speed-accuracy trade-off was significantly mitigated on the modified SART by having target stimuli occur in unpredictable locations. In study 2, 21 of the 23 participants completed an abridged version of the modified SART with a verbal free-recall memory task. Participants performed significantly worse when completing the verbal memory task and SART concurrently. Overall, the results support a resource theory perspective with concern to errors being a result of limited mental resources and not simply mindlessness per se.
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Bolger DJ, Mackey AP, Wang M, Grigorenko EL. The Role and Sources of Individual Differences in Critical-Analytic Thinking: a Capsule Overview. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10648-014-9279-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study addressed the question whether neurophysiological signals exhibit characteristic modulations preceding a miss in a covert vigilant attention task which mimics a natural environment in which critical stimuli may appear in the periphery of the visual field. APPROACH Subjective, behavioural and encephalographic (EEG) data of 12 participants performing a modified Mackworth Clock task were obtained and analysed offline. The stimulus consisted of a pointer performing regular ticks in a clockwise sequence across 42 dots arranged in a circle. Participants were requested to covertly attend to the pointer and press a response button as quickly as possible in the event of a jump, a rare and random event. MAIN RESULTS Significant increases in response latencies and decreases in the detection rates were found as a function of time-on-task, a characteristic effect of sustained attention tasks known as the vigilance decrement. Subjective sleepiness showed a significant increase over the duration of the experiment. Increased activity in the α-frequency range (8-14 Hz) was observed emerging and gradually accumulating 10 s before a missed target. Additionally, a significant gradual attenuation of the P3 event-related component was found to antecede misses by 5 s. SIGNIFICANCE The results corroborate recent findings that behavioural errors are presaged by specific neurophysiological activity and demonstrate that lapses of attention can be predicted in a covert setting up to 10 s in advance reinforcing the prospective use of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for the detection of waning vigilance in real-world scenarios. Combining these findings with real-time single-trial analysis from BCI may pave the way for cognitive states monitoring systems able to determine the current, and predict the near-future development of the brain's attentional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Martel
- Neurotechnology Group, Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin, Germany
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Milewski-Lopez A, Greco E, van den Berg F, McAvinue LP, McGuire S, Robertson IH. An evaluation of alertness training for older adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:67. [PMID: 24782764 PMCID: PMC3990037 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We present an evaluation of a self-administered, biofeedback-aided, alertness training programme called the Alertness: Training for Focused Living (ATFL) Programme, which was developed as part of the Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) collaboration. We conducted two studies in order to evaluate the programme. A randomized controlled trial was, first of all, conducted with 40 older adults aged between 60 and 83. A series of five single case studies was then conducted to examine the suitability of the programme for use with people with more severe memory difficulties. In the randomized controlled trial, participants were assigned to the ATFL Programme or to a placebo programme. Aspects of participants' memory, attention and executive functioning were assessed via telephone prior to and following completion of the training programmes and at 1, 3, and 6-month follow-up sessions. Significant improvements in sustained attention and verbal fluency were noted in the ATFL group. The series of single case studies illustrated the importance of tailoring a programme to the needs and abilities of the clients in question. The potential benefits of the ATFL programme in terms of periodically boosting alertness and aiding executive functioning are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eleonora Greco
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Laura P McAvinue
- Department of Psychology, University of Limerick Limerick, Ireland
| | - Sarah McGuire
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ian H Robertson
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
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Becker B, Androsch L, Jahn RT, Alich T, Striepens N, Markett S, Maier W, Hurlemann R. Inferior frontal gyrus preserves working memory and emotional learning under conditions of impaired noradrenergic signaling. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:197. [PMID: 24381546 PMCID: PMC3865517 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00197] [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: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Compensation has been widely applied to explain neuroimaging findings in neuropsychiatric patients. Functional compensation is often invoked when patients display equal performance and increased neural activity in comparison to healthy controls. According to the compensatory hypothesis increased activity allows the brain to maintain cognitive performance despite underlying neuropathological changes. Due to methodological and pathology-related issues, however, the functional relevance of the increased activity and the specific brain regions involved in the compensatory response remain unclear. An experimental approach that allows a transient induction of compensatory responses in the healthy brain could help to overcome these issues. To this end we used the non-selective beta-blocker propranolol to pharmacologically induce sub-optimal noradrenergic signaling in healthy participants. In two independent functional MRI (fMRI) experiments participants received either placebo or propranolol before they underwent a cognitive challenge (Experiment 1: working memory; Experiment 2: emotional learning: Pavlovian fear conditioning). In Experiment 1 propranolol had no effects on working memory performance, but evoked stronger activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). In Experiment 2 propranolol produced no effects on emotional memory formation, but evoked stronger activity in the right IFG. The present finding that sub-optimal beta-adrenergic signaling did not disrupt performance and concomitantly increased IFG activity is consistent with, and extends, current perspectives on functional compensation. Together, our findings suggest that under conditions of impaired noradrenergic signaling, heightened activity in brain regions located within the cognitive control network, particularly the IFG, may reflect compensatory operations subserving the maintenance of behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
| | - Lucas Androsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
| | - Ralph T Jahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
| | - Therese Alich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
| | - Nadine Striepens
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Maier
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany ; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Bonn, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
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Robertson IH. Right hemisphere role in cognitive reserve. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 35:1375-85. [PMID: 24378088 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Revised: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
High levels of education, occupational complexity, and/or premorbid intelligence are associated with lower levels of cognitive impairment than would be expected from a given brain pathology. This has been observed across a range of conditions including Alzheimer's disease (Roe et al., 2010), stroke (Ojala-Oksala et al., 2012), traumatic brain injury (Kesler et al., 2003), and penetrating brain injury (Grafman, 1986). This cluster of factors, which seemingly protect the brain from expressing symptoms of damage, has been termed "cognitive reserve" (Stern, 2012). The current review considers one possible neural network, which may contribute to cognitive reserve. Based on the evidence that the neurotransmitter, noradrenaline mediates cognitive reserve's protective effects (Robertson, 2013) this review identifies the neurocognitive correlates of noradrenergic (NA) activity. These involve a set of inter-related cognitive processes (arousal, sustained attention, response to novelty, and awareness) with a strongly right hemisphere, fronto-parietal localization, along with working memory, which is also strongly modulated by NA. It is proposed that this set of processes is one plausible candidate for partially mediating the protective effects of cognitive reserve. In addition to its biological effects on brain structure and function, NA function may also facilitate networks for arousal, novelty, attention, awareness, and working memory, which collectively provide for a set of additional, cognitive, mechanisms that help the brain adapt to age-related changes and disease. It is hypothesized that to the extent that the lateral surface of the right prefrontal lobe and/or the right inferior parietal lobe maintain structural (white and gray matter) and functional integrity and connectivity, cognitive reserve should benefit and behavioral expression of pathologic damage should thus be mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H Robertson
- Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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Stubberud J, Langenbahn D, Levine B, Stanghelle J, Schanke AK. Goal Management Training improves everyday executive functioning for persons with spina bifida: self-and informant reports six months post-training. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2013; 24:26-60. [PMID: 24168074 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2013.847847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Executive dysfunction accounts for significant disability for many patients with spina bifida (SB), thus indicating the need for effective interventions aimed at improving executive functioning in this population. Goal Management Training™ (GMT) is a cognitive rehabilitation approach that targets disorganised behaviour resulting from executive dysfunction, and has received empirical support in studies of other patient groups. The purpose of this study was to determine if GMT would lead to perceived improved executive functioning in the daily lives of patients with SB, as evidenced by reduced report of dysexecutive problems in daily life on self- and informant questionnaires. Thirty-eight adults with SB were included in this randomised controlled trial (RCT). Inclusion was based upon the presence of executive functioning complaints. Experimental subjects (n = 24) received 21 hours of GMT, with efficacy of GMT being compared to results of subjects in a wait-list condition (n = 14). All subjects were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at six-month follow-up. Self-report measures indicated that the GMT group's everyday executive functioning improved significantly after training, lasting at least 6 months post-treatment. There were no significant effects on informant-report questionnaires. Overall, these findings indicate that executive difficulties in everyday life can be ameliorated for individuals with congenital brain dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Stubberud
- a Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital , Nesoddtangen , Norway
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32
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Head J, Helton WS. Perceptual decoupling or motor decoupling? Conscious Cogn 2013; 22:913-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Revised: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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The neural and genetic basis of executive function: attention, cognitive flexibility, and response inhibition. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 123:45-54. [PMID: 23978501 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Executive function is a collection of cognitive processes essential for higher order mental function. Processes involved in executive function include, but are not limited to, working memory, attention, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control. These complex behaviors are largely mediated by prefrontal cortical function but are modulated by dopaminergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and cholinergic input. The ability of these neurotransmitter systems to modulate executive function allows for adaptation in cognitive behavior in response to changes in the environment. Because of the important role these neurotransmitter systems play in regulating executive function, changes in these systems can also have a grave impact on executive function. In addition, polymorphisms in genes associated with these neurotransmitters are associated with phenotypic differences in executive function. Understanding how these naturally occurring polymorphisms contribute to different executive function phenotypes will advance basic knowledge of cognition and potentially further understanding and treatment of mental illness that involve changes in executive function. In this review, we will examine the influence of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine on the following measures of executive function: attention, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control. We will also review the effects of polymorphisms in genes associated with these neurotransmitter systems on these measures of executive function.
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Abstract
The noradrenaline (norepinephrine) system exerts profound influences on cognition via ascending projections to the forebrain, mostly originating from the locus coeruleus. This paper provides an overview of available infrahuman and healthy human studies, exploring the effects of specific noradrenergic manipulations on dissociable cognitive functions, including attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, response inhibition and emotional memory. Remarkable parallels across species have been reported which may account for the mechanisms by which noradrenergic medications exert their beneficial effects in disorders such as depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The literature is discussed in relation to prevailing models of noradrenergic influences over cognition and novel therapeutic directions, including in relation to investigating the effects of noradrenergic manipulations on other disorders characterized by impulsivity, and dementias. Unanswered questions are also highlighted, along with key avenues for future research, both proof-of-concept and clinical.
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35
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Goal management training of executive functions in patients with spina bifida: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2013; 19:672-85. [PMID: 23575309 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617713000209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Executive dysfunction causes significant real-life disability for patients with spina bifida (SB). However, no previous research has been directed toward the amelioration of executive functioning deficits amongst persons with SB. Goal Management Training (GMT) is a compensatory cognitive rehabilitation approach, addressing underlying deficits in sustained attention to improve executive function. GMT has received empirical support in studies of other patient groups. The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of GMT in treating subjects with SB, using inpatient intervention periods. We hypothesized post-intervention changes in scores on neuropsychological measures to reflect improved attentional control, including sustained attention and inhibitory control. Thirty-eight adult subjects with SB were included in this randomized controlled trial. Inclusion was based upon the presence of executive functioning complaints. Experimental subjects (n = 24) received 21 hr of GMT, with efficacy of GMT being compared to results of subjects in a wait-list condition (n = 14). All subjects were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6-month follow-up. Findings indicated superior effects of GMT on domain-specific neuropsychological measures and on a functional "real-life" measure, all lasting at least 6 months post-treatment. These results show that deficits in executive functioning can be ameliorated in patients with congenital brain dysfunction.
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Carter L, Russell PN, Helton WS. Target predictability, sustained attention, and response inhibition. Brain Cogn 2013; 82:35-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2012] [Revised: 10/15/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Norepinephrine genes predict response time variability and methylphenidate-induced changes in neuropsychological function in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2013; 33:356-62. [PMID: 23609393 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0b013e31828f9fc3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Noradrenergic dysfunction may be associated with cognitive impairments in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including increased response time variability, which has been proposed as a leading endophenotype for ADHD. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between polymorphisms in the α-2A-adrenergic receptor (ADRA2A) and norepinephrine transporter (SLC6A2) genes and attentional performance in ADHD children before and after pharmacological treatment.One hundred one medication-naive ADHD children were included. All subjects were administered methylphenidate (MPH)-OROS for 12 weeks. The subjects underwent a computerized comprehensive attention test to measure the response time variability at baseline before MPH treatment and after 12 weeks. Additive regression analyses controlling for ADHD symptom severity, age, sex, IQ, and final dose of MPH examined the association between response time variability on the comprehensive attention test measures and allelic variations in single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the ADRA2A and SLC6A2 before and after MPH treatment.Increasing possession of an A allele at the G1287A polymorphism of SLC6A2 was significantly related to heightened response time variability at baseline in the sustained (P = 2.0 × 10) and auditory selective attention (P = 1.0 × 10) tasks. Response time variability at baseline increased additively with possession of the T allele at the DraI polymorphism of the ADRA2A gene in the auditory selective attention task (P = 2.0 × 10). After medication, increasing possession of a G allele at the MspI polymorphism of the ADRA2A gene was associated with increased MPH-related change in response time variability in the flanker task (P = 1.0 × 10).Our study suggested an association between norepinephrine gene variants and response time variability measured at baseline and after MPH treatment in children with ADHD. Our results add to a growing body of evidence, suggesting that response time variability is a viable endophenotype for ADHD and suggesting its utility as a surrogate end point for measuring stimulant response in pharmacogenetic studies.
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Park S, Bae JH, Kim JW, Yang YH, Oh S, Hong SB, Park MH, Kim BN, Shin MS, Yoo HJ, Cho SC. Regional Brain Perfusion before and after Treatment with Methylphenidate According to the MspI Polymorphism of the Alpha-2A Adrenergic Receptor Gene in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Soa Chongsonyon Chongsin Uihak 2013. [DOI: 10.5765/jkacap.2013.24.1.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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O'Halloran AM, Finucane C, Savva GM, Robertson IH, Kenny RA. Sustained attention and frailty in the older adult population. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2013; 69:147-56. [PMID: 23525545 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbt009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We investigated whether sustained attention performance and variability were associated with prefrailty and frailty in the older adult population. METHOD A total of 4,317 participants aged 50 years and over from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) completed a comprehensive health assessment. Frailty was defined by low gait speed, low grip strength, unintentional weight loss, self-reported exhaustion, and low physical activity. Scores of greater than or equal to 3, 1-2, and 0 indicated that participants were frail, prefrail, and nonfrail, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression computed associations between frailty state and measures of performance and variability on the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). Cognitive processing speed and executive function were also measured. RESULTS Mean reaction time (RT; odds ratio [OR] = 1.13, p < .05) and RT variability reflective of the top-down aspect of sustained attention (OR = 1.11, p < .05) were associated with prefrailty in the 50-64 age group. Mean RT (OR = 1.72, p < .05) was associated with frailty and RT variability (OR = 1.22, p < .01) with prefrailty in the 65+ age group. Results remained significant following adjustments for cognitive processing speed, executive function, chronic conditions, medications, age, and gender. DISCUSSION Sustained attention performance and variability were associated with prefrailty and frailty in the older adult population and may represent a novel, objective, and modifiable cognitive marker of frailty progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisling M O'Halloran
- Correspondence should be addressed to Aisling O'Halloran, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Department of Medical Gerontology, Lincoln Gate, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. E-mail:
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40
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Langner R, Eickhoff SB. Sustaining attention to simple tasks: a meta-analytic review of the neural mechanisms of vigilant attention. Psychol Bull 2012; 139:870-900. [PMID: 23163491 DOI: 10.1037/a0030694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 403] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining attention for more than a few seconds is essential for mastering everyday life. Yet, our ability to stay focused on a particular task is limited, resulting in well-known performance decrements with increasing time on task. Intriguingly, such decrements are even more likely if the task is cognitively simple and repetitive. The attentional function that enables our prolonged engagement in intellectually unchallenging, uninteresting activities has been termed vigilant attention. Here we synthesized what we have learned from functional neuroimaging about the mechanisms of this essential mental faculty. To this end, a quantitative meta-analysis of pertinent neuroimaging studies was performed, including supplementary analyses of moderating factors. Furthermore, we reviewed the available evidence on neural time-on-task effects, additionally considering information obtained from patients with focal brain damage. Integrating the results of both meta-analysis and review, we identified a set of mainly right-lateralized brain regions that may form the core network subserving vigilant attention in humans, including dorsomedial, mid- and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, parietal areas (intraparietal sulcus, temporoparietal junction), and subcortical structures (cerebellar vermis, thalamus, putamen, midbrain). We discuss the potential functional roles of different nodes of this network as well as implications of our findings for a theoretical account of vigilant attention. It is conjectured that sustaining attention is a multicomponent, nonunitary mental faculty, involving a mixture of (a) sustained/recurrent processes subserving task-set/arousal maintenance and (b) transient processes subserving the target-driven reorienting of attention. Finally, limitations of previous studies are considered and suggestions for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Langner
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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A methodological note on evaluating performance in a sustained-attention-to-response task. Behav Res Methods 2012; 45:355-63. [DOI: 10.3758/s13428-012-0266-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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The Effects of DBH, MAOA, and MAOB on Attentional Biases for Facial Expressions. J Mol Neurosci 2012; 49:606-13. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-012-9894-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Head J, Helton WS. Natural scene stimuli and lapses of sustained attention. Conscious Cogn 2012; 21:1617-25. [PMID: 23000831 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2012.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 08/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We conducted two experiments using naturalistic scene stimuli to test the resource theory and mindlessness theory of sustained attention. In experiment 1, 28 participants completed a traditional formatted vigilance task consisting of non-repeating forest or urban picture stimuli as target stimuli. Participants filled out pre- and post-task assessments of arousal and conscious thoughts. There was still a vigilance decrement, despite non-repetitive, natural target stimuli. Participants found the task demanding and were actively engaged in the task. In experiment 2, 25 participants completed a Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) using the stimuli from experiment 1. Participants performed significantly worse on this SART than either brain injury patients or controls performing equivalent numeric stimuli SARTs have in previous studies. Participants thought the task was demanding and they were actively engaged with the task. Overall, the results of both studies support a resource theory of sustained attention lapses, not a mindlessness theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Head
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
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44
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Robertson IH. A noradrenergic theory of cognitive reserve: implications for Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 34:298-308. [PMID: 22743090 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The gap between symptoms and pathology in Alzheimer's disease has been explained by the hypothetical construct of "cognitive reserve"--a set of variables including education, intelligence, and mental stimulation which putatively allow the brain to adapt to-and hence mask--underlying pathologies by maintaining cognitive function despite underlying neural changes. This review proposes a hypothesis that a biological mechanism may mediate between these social/psychological processes on the one hand, and apparently reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease on the other, namely repeated activation of the noradrenergic system over a lifetime by the processes implicated in cognitive reserve. Noradrenaline's neuroprotective effects both in vivo and in vitro, and its key role in mediating the neuroprotective effects of environmental enrichment on the brain, make noradrenaline's key role in mediating cognitive reserve--by disease compensation, disease modification, or a combination of both--a viable hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H Robertson
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
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Wright KP, Lowry CA, LeBourgeois MK. Circadian and wakefulness-sleep modulation of cognition in humans. Front Mol Neurosci 2012; 5:50. [PMID: 22529774 PMCID: PMC3328852 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2012.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2011] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive and affective processes vary over the course of the 24 h day. Time of day dependent changes in human cognition are modulated by an internal circadian timekeeping system with a near-24 h period. The human circadian timekeeping system interacts with sleep-wakefulness regulatory processes to modulate brain arousal, neurocognitive and affective function. Brain arousal is regulated by ascending brain stem, basal forebrain (BF) and hypothalamic arousal systems and inhibition or disruption of these systems reduces brain arousal, impairs cognition, and promotes sleep. The internal circadian timekeeping system modulates cognition and affective function by projections from the master circadian clock, located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), to arousal and sleep systems and via clock gene oscillations in brain tissues. Understanding the basic principles of circadian and wakefulness-sleep physiology can help to recognize how the circadian system modulates human cognition and influences learning, memory and emotion. Developmental changes in sleep and circadian processes and circadian misalignment in circadian rhythm sleep disorders have important implications for learning, memory and emotion. Overall, when wakefulness occurs at appropriate internal biological times, circadian clockwork benefits human cognitive and emotion function throughout the lifespan. Yet, when wakefulness occurs at inappropriate biological times because of environmental pressures (e.g., early school start times, long work hours that include work at night, shift work, jet lag) or because of circadian rhythm sleep disorders, the resulting misalignment between circadian and wakefulness-sleep physiology leads to impaired cognitive performance, learning, emotion, and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth P. Wright
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, University of Colorado, BoulderCO, USA
| | - Christopher A. Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, University of Colorado, BoulderCO, USA
| | - Monique K. LeBourgeois
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Sleep and Development Laboratory, University of Colorado, BoulderCO, USA
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Seli P, Cheyne JA, Smilek D. Attention failures versus misplaced diligence: Separating attention lapses from speed–accuracy trade-offs. Conscious Cogn 2012; 21:277-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2011.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Revised: 09/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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α-Adrenergic receptors in auditory cue detection: α2 receptor blockade suppresses false alarm responding in the rat. Neuropharmacology 2012; 62:2178-83. [PMID: 22277718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have suggested a facilitatory role of the noradrenergic system in attention. Cognitive functions relating to attentive states--arousal, motivation, behavioral flexibility, and working memory--are enhanced by norepinephrine release throughout the brain. The present study addresses the role of the adrenergic system on stimulus validity and sustained attention within the auditory system. We examined the effects of adrenoceptor stimulation via systemic injection of α1 and α2-adrenoceptor antagonist and agonist drugs, prazosin (1 mg/kg), phenylephrine (0.1 mg/kg), yohimbine (1 mg/kg), and clonidine (0.0375 mg/kg), respectively. Our results indicate that α1-adrenergic stimulation is ineffective in modulating the biological assessment of auditory signal validity in the non-stressed rat, while α2-adrenoceptor antagonist and agonist drugs were effective in modulating both accuracy and response latencies in the habituated animal. Remarkably, blockade of α2-adrenoceptors significantly improved the animal's ability to correctly reject non-signal events. These findings indicate not only a state dependent noradrenergic component of auditory attentional processing, but a potential therapeutic use for drugs targeting norepinephrine release in neurological disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to schizophrenia.
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Gottesmann C. The involvement of noradrenaline in rapid eye movement sleep mentation. Front Neurol 2011; 2:81. [PMID: 22180750 PMCID: PMC3235734 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2011.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2011] [Accepted: 11/23/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Noradrenaline, one of the main brain monoamines, has powerful central influences on forebrain neurobiological processes which support the mental activities occurring during the sleep-waking cycle. Noradrenergic neurons are activated during waking, decrease their firing rate during slow wave sleep, and become silent during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Although a low level of noradrenaline is still maintained during REM sleep because of diffuse extrasynaptic release without rapid withdrawal, the decrease observed during REM sleep contributes to the mentation disturbances that occur during dreaming, which principally resemble symptoms of schizophrenia but seemingly also of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Gottesmann
- Département de Biologie, Université de Nice-Sophia AntipolisNice, France
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Helton WS, Head J, Kemp S. Natural disaster induced cognitive disruption: Impacts on action slips. Conscious Cogn 2011; 20:1732-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2011.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2010] [Revised: 01/12/2011] [Accepted: 02/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Gamo NJ, Arnsten AFT. Molecular modulation of prefrontal cortex: rational development of treatments for psychiatric disorders. Behav Neurosci 2011; 125:282-96. [PMID: 21480691 DOI: 10.1037/a0023165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a central feature of many psychiatric disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Thus, understanding molecular influences on PFC function through basic research in animals is essential to rational drug development. In this review, we discuss the molecular signaling events initiated by norepinephrine and dopamine that strengthen working memory function mediated by the dorsolateral PFC under optimal conditions, and weaken working memory function during uncontrollable stress. We also discuss how these intracellular mechanisms can be compromised in psychiatric disorders, and how novel treatments based on these findings may restore a molecular environment conducive to PFC regulation of behavior, thought and emotion. Examples of successful translation from animals to humans include guanfacine for the treatment of ADHD and related PFC disorders, and prazosin for the treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao J Gamo
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8001, USA.
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