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Parimoo S, Grady C, Olsen R. Age-related Differences in Response Inhibition Are Mediated by Frontoparietal White Matter but Not Functional Activity. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1184-1205. [PMID: 38579242 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Healthy older adults often exhibit lower performance but increased functional recruitment of the frontoparietal control network during cognitive control tasks. According to the cortical disconnection hypothesis, age-related changes in the microstructural integrity of white matter may disrupt inter-regional neuronal communication, which in turn can impair behavioral performance. Here, we use fMRI and diffusion-weighted imaging to determine whether age-related differences in white matter microstructure contribute to frontoparietal over-recruitment and behavioral performance during a response inhibition (go/no-go) task in an adult life span sample (n = 145). Older and female participants were slower (go RTs) than younger and male participants, respectively. However, participants across all ages were equally accurate on the no-go trials, suggesting some participants may slow down on go trials to achieve high accuracy on no-go trials. Across the life span, functional recruitment of the frontoparietal network within the left and right hemispheres did not vary as a function of age, nor was it related to white matter fractional anisotropy (FA). In fact, only frontal FA and go RTs jointly mediated the association between age and no-go accuracy. Our results therefore suggest that frontal white matter cortical "disconnection" is an underlying driver of age-related differences in cognitive control, and white matter FA may not fully explain functional task-related activation in the frontoparietal network during the go/no-go task. Our findings add to the literature by demonstrating that white matter may be more important for certain cognitive processes in aging than task-related functional activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shireen Parimoo
- University of Toronto
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
| | - Cheryl Grady
- University of Toronto
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
| | - Rosanna Olsen
- University of Toronto
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
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2
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Xia H, Li T, Hou Y, Liu Z, Chen A. Age-related decline in cognitive flexibility and inadequate preparation: evidence from task-state network analysis. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01135-x. [PMID: 38514520 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01135-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral evidence showed decreased cognitive flexibility in older adults. However, task-based network mechanisms of cognitive flexibility in aging (CFA) remain unclear. Here, we provided the first task-state network evidence that CFA was associated with inadequate preparation for switching trials by revealing age-related changes in functional integration. We examined functional integration in a letter-number switch task that distinguished between the cue and target stages. Both young and older adults showed decreased functional integration from the cue stage to the target stage, indicating that control-related processes were executed as the task progressed. However, compared to young adults, older adults showed less cue-to-target reduction in functional integration, which was primarily driven by higher network integration in the target stage. Moreover, less cue-to-target reductions were correlated with age-related decreases in task performance in the switch task. To sum up, compared to young adults, older adults pre-executed less control-related processes in the cue stage and more control-related processes in the target stage. Therefore, the decline in cognitive flexibility in older adults was associated with inadequate preparation for the impending demands of cognitive switching. This study offered novel insights into network mechanisms underlying CFA. Furthermore, we highlighted that training the function of brain networks, in conjunction with providing more preparation time for older adults, may be beneficial to their cognitive flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haishuo Xia
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ting Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongqing Hou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zijin Liu
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Antao Chen
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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3
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Li T, Xia H, Li H, He Q, Chen A. Functional Connectivity Alterations of Cognitive Flexibility in Aging: Different Patterns of Global and Local Switch Costs. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:1651-1658. [PMID: 37330623 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cognitive flexibility declines with aging and is usually indicated by task switch costs including global and local switch costs. Cognitive flexibility in aging is associated with alterations in functional connectivity. However, whether different task-modulated connectivity mechanisms underlying global and local switch costs remain unclear. METHODS Here we use the support vector machine to identify age-related functional connectivity in global and local switch costs between older (n = 32) and young adults (n = 33). Participants completed a cued task-switching task during the functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. RESULTS Results show an age-related decline behaviorally in global but not in local switch costs. Moreover, distinct patterns of age-related alterations of connectivity were observed for each cost. Specifically, only multivariate changes in connectivity patterns were observed for local switch cost, whereas specific age-related connections were revealed for global switch cost. In older adults, the task-modulated left dorsal premotor cortex-left precuneus connectivity decreased, and the left inferior frontal junction-left inferior parietal sulcus connectivity correlated with decreased global switch cost. DISCUSSION This study provides novel evidence for different neural patterns in global and local switch costs by illuminating connectivity mechanisms underlying cognitive flexibility in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Haishuo Xia
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Huai Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qinghua He
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Antao Chen
- School of Psychology, Research Center for Exercise and Brain Science, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
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4
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Chen EH, Hsieh S. The effect of age on task switching: updated and extended meta-analyses. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:2011-2030. [PMID: 36729159 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01794-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is one of the crucial abilities for human survival. As people get older, whether their flexibility ability will be affected is one of the core research topics in aging research. Researchers have developed a task-switch paradigm in laboratories to mimic daily-life shifting task-set scenarios. However, the empirical evidence is equivocal. Considering every single study may have a biased sample; therefore, we hoped to combine smaller studies, making them into one extensive investigation, which may help show an actual effect. In the current study, we used two meta-analysis techniques, the Brinley plot (along with the State-trace plot) and conventional meta-analysis, to re-evaluate whether healthy aging influences cognitive flexibility. The results of the Brinley plot analysis showed no evidence of switch-specific age-related impairment as indexed by the local switch cost. Yet, older adults performed more slowly than younger adults across task conditions. The conventional meta-analysis further showed that the currently available findings were heterogenous and exhibited publication bias. Therefore, this study suggests that researchers should interpret their results cautiously while using a task-switching paradigm to address older adults' shifting abilities. More parametric variables must be considered and developed in a task-switching paradigm to enhance its sensitivity and reveal older adults' actual shifting ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- En-Ho Chen
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Laboratory: Control, Aging, Sleep, and Emotion (CASE), Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shulan Hsieh
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Laboratory: Control, Aging, Sleep, and Emotion (CASE), Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
- Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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5
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Zhu Z, Deng J, Li M, Qin Y, Li J, Yang Y. Processing speed mediates the relationship between brain structure and semantic fluency in aging. Neurosci Lett 2022; 788:136838. [PMID: 35964825 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136838] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The present study has investigated how brain structure and processing speed contribute to age-related changes in semantic fluency. Groups of younger (N = 37) and older healthy participants (N = 40) completed a semantic fluency test and digit symbol test, and rested while diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed. Group comparisons and correlational analysis revealed that age-related decline in semantic fluency was associated with reduction in gray matter volume in widespread fronto-temporal regions. Age-related decline in semantic fluency was also associated with decline in white matter integrity in brain tracts connecting these brain regions. Critically, hierarchical regression analysis suggested that low processing speed fully mediated the negative effects of lower gray matter volume and white matter integrity on semantic fluency. The present findings provide a support for the processing speed theory in relation to age related decline in semantic fluency, and also provide a reference for improving cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zude Zhu
- School of Liberal Arts, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China; School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Language Ability, Xuzhou 221009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Language and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xuzhou 221009, China.
| | - Jia Deng
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, China
| | - Mengya Li
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, China
| | - Ye Qin
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, China
| | - Jingyi Li
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, China
| | - Yiming Yang
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Language Ability, Xuzhou 221009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Language and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xuzhou 221009, China.
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6
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Differential Ageing of the Brain Hemispheres: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study of Hand Preferences in Common Marmosets. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13122349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper is concerned with decreasing asymmetry of motor control in ageing. It discusses age-related changes in humans and reports a longitudinal study of hand preferences in common marmosets. An annual assessment of hand preference for holding food was recorded throughout the lifespan of 19 marmosets that lived for at least 9 years, and half of those lived for at least 11 years. Those with a left-hand preference showed a gradual reduction in the strength of their hand preference throughout adult life. No significant change in the strength of hand preference was found in right-handed marmosets. Hence, ageing has a specific effect on motor control by the right hemisphere.
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7
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Elder J, Brieant A, Lauharatanahirun N, King-Casas B, Kim-Spoon J. Insular Risk Processing Predicts Alcohol Use Via Externalizing Pathway in Male Adolescents. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2020. [PMID: 31790350 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2019.80.602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Male adolescents exhibit greater impulsivity and externalizing symptomatology relative to female adolescents. Furthermore, externalizing symptomatology has been associated with greater alcohol use and differential anterior insula functioning. The current longitudinal study on adolescents examined whether activity in the anterior insula, when processing uncertain outcomes and representing risk, is directly associated with gender differences in later adolescent alcohol use frequency, as well as indirectly through externalizing symptomatology. METHOD Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined whether gender moderated these associations in a sample of 161 adolescents (53% male) with repeated annual measurements over 3 years. We monitored responding of a region implicated in risk processing during an economic lottery choice task involving uncertain outcomes. Self-reported externalizing symptomatology and alcohol use frequency were collected at all time points. RESULTS Results indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of anterior insula processing during the task at Time 1 on alcohol use at Time 3 through externalizing symptomatology at Time 2 for male, but not female, adolescents. Externalizing symptomatology predicted alcohol use for both male and female adolescents. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest gender differences in vulnerability to later alcohol use, specifically in terms of how a neurobiological susceptibility to risk insensitivity may disproportionately influence male adolescents' externalizing symptomatology. Male adolescents who do not effectively integrate risk-related signals are likely to engage in externalizing behaviors, which in turn are related to later alcohol use. Findings also suggest differential roles of risk-related brain function that contribute to gendered pathways to adolescent health-risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Elder
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Alexis Brieant
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Nina Lauharatanahirun
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.,United States Army Research Laboratory, Human Resources and Engineering Directorate, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.,Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brooks King-Casas
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.,Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia
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8
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Elder J, Brieant A, Lauharatanahirun N, King-Casas B, Kim-Spoon J. Insular Risk Processing Predicts Alcohol Use Via Externalizing Pathway in Male Adolescents. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2019; 80:602-613. [PMID: 31790350 PMCID: PMC6900996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Male adolescents exhibit greater impulsivity and externalizing symptomatology relative to female adolescents. Furthermore, externalizing symptomatology has been associated with greater alcohol use and differential anterior insula functioning. The current longitudinal study on adolescents examined whether activity in the anterior insula, when processing uncertain outcomes and representing risk, is directly associated with gender differences in later adolescent alcohol use frequency, as well as indirectly through externalizing symptomatology. METHOD Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined whether gender moderated these associations in a sample of 161 adolescents (53% male) with repeated annual measurements over 3 years. We monitored responding of a region implicated in risk processing during an economic lottery choice task involving uncertain outcomes. Self-reported externalizing symptomatology and alcohol use frequency were collected at all time points. RESULTS Results indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of anterior insula processing during the task at Time 1 on alcohol use at Time 3 through externalizing symptomatology at Time 2 for male, but not female, adolescents. Externalizing symptomatology predicted alcohol use for both male and female adolescents. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest gender differences in vulnerability to later alcohol use, specifically in terms of how a neurobiological susceptibility to risk insensitivity may disproportionately influence male adolescents' externalizing symptomatology. Male adolescents who do not effectively integrate risk-related signals are likely to engage in externalizing behaviors, which in turn are related to later alcohol use. Findings also suggest differential roles of risk-related brain function that contribute to gendered pathways to adolescent health-risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Elder
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Alexis Brieant
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Nina Lauharatanahirun
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
- United States Army Research Laboratory, Human Resources and Engineering Directorate, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brooks King-Casas
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia
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9
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Wu MT, Tang PF, Goh JOS, Chou TL, Chang YK, Hsu YC, Chen YJ, Chen NC, Tseng WYI, Gau SSF, Chiu MJ, Lan C. Task-Switching Performance Improvements After Tai Chi Chuan Training Are Associated With Greater Prefrontal Activation in Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:280. [PMID: 30319391 PMCID: PMC6165861 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) training has benefits on task-switching ability. However, the neural correlates underlying the effects of TCC training on task-switching ability remain unclear. Using task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a numerical Stroop paradigm, we investigated changes of prefrontal brain activation and behavioral performance during task-switching before and after TCC training and examined the relationships between changes in brain activation and task-switching behavioral performance. Cognitively normal older adults were randomly assigned to either the TCC or control (CON) group. Over a 12-week period, the TCC group received three 60-min sessions of Yang-style TCC training weekly, whereas the CON group only received one telephone consultation biweekly and did not alter their life style. All participants underwent assessments of physical functions and neuropsychological functions of task-switching, and fMRI scans, before and after the intervention. Twenty-six (TCC, N = 16; CON, N = 10) participants completed the entire experimental procedure. We found significant group by time interaction effects on behavioral and brain activation measures. Specifically, the TCC group showed improved physical function, decreased errors on task-switching performance, and increased left superior frontal activation for Switch > Non-switch contrast from pre- to post-intervention, that were not seen in the CON group. Intriguingly, TCC participants with greater prefrontal activation increases in the switch condition from pre- to post-intervention presented greater reductions in task-switching errors. These findings suggest that TCC training could potentially provide benefits to some, although not all, older adults to enhance the function of their prefrontal activations during task-switching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Tien Wu
- School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Yonghe Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Fang Tang
- School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Joshua O. S. Goh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Kai Chang
- Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chin Hsu
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jen Chen
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nai-Chi Chen
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yih Isaac Tseng
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Jang Chiu
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching Lan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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10
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Chen FT, Etnier JL, Wu CH, Cho YM, Hung TM, Chang YK. Dose-Response Relationship between Exercise Duration and Executive Function in Older Adults. J Clin Med 2018; 7:E279. [PMID: 30217031 PMCID: PMC6162829 DOI: 10.3390/jcm7090279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the dose-response relationship between exercise duration and task switching in older adults. Acute moderate intensity aerobic exercise for 20 min resulted in shorter response times than control and 10-min sessions in the heterogeneous, non-switch, and switch conditions, but not in the homogeneous condition. Additionally, linear and cubic trends between exercise duration and global switching performance as well as local switching performance were revealed with faster times being predicted by longer duration exercise; however, the cubic relationship resulted in performance following the 45-min session being not significantly different from the other three sessions. Acute aerobic moderate intensity exercise for 20 min is an effective duration to improve task switching. Although a longer duration of exercise is not optimal for benefiting task switching, it does not harm task switching in older adults and hence may be of value for other health-related reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Tzu Chen
- Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan.
| | - Jennifer L Etnier
- Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27413, USA.
| | - Chih-Han Wu
- Graduate Institute of Athletics and Coaching Science, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan 33301, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Min Cho
- Center for East-West Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Tsung-Min Hung
- Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Kai Chang
- Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan.
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11
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Su YS, Chen JT, Tang YJ, Yuan SY, McCarrey AC, Goh JOS. Age-related differences in striatal, medial temporal, and frontal involvement during value-based decision processing. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 69:185-198. [PMID: 29909176 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate neural representation of value and application of decision strategies are necessary to make optimal investment choices in real life. Normative human aging alters neural selectivity and control processing in brain regions implicated in value-based decision processing including striatal, medial temporal, and frontal areas. However, the specific neural mechanisms of how these age-related functional brain changes modulate value processing in older adults remain unclear. Here, young and older adults performed a lottery-choice functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment in which probabilities of winning different magnitudes of points constituted expected values of stakes. Increasing probability of winning modulated striatal responses in young adults, but modulated medial temporal and ventromedial prefrontal areas instead in older adults. Older adults additionally engaged higher responses in dorso-medio-lateral prefrontal cortices to more unfavorable stakes. Such extrastriatal involvement mediated age-related increase in risk-taking decisions. Furthermore, lower resting-state functional connectivity between lateral prefrontal and striatal areas also predicted lottery-choice task risk-taking that was mediated by higher functional connectivity between prefrontal and medial temporal areas during the task, with this mediation relationship being stronger in older than younger adults. Overall, we report evidence of a systemic neural mechanistic change in processing of probability in mixed-lottery values with age that increases risk-taking of unfavorable stakes in older adults. Moreover, individual differences in age-related effects on baseline frontostriatal communication may be a central determinant of such subsequent age differences in value-based decision neural processing and resulting behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shiang Su
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jheng-Ting Chen
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yong-Jheng Tang
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Yun Yuan
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Anna C McCarrey
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
| | - Joshua Oon Soo Goh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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12
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Serbruyns L, Leunissen I, van Ruitenbeek P, Pauwels L, Caeyenberghs K, Solesio-Jofre E, Geurts M, Cuypers K, Meesen RL, Sunaert S, Leemans A, Swinnen SP. Alterations in brain white matter contributing to age-related slowing of task switching performance: The role of radial diffusivity and magnetization transfer ratio. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 37:4084-4098. [PMID: 27571231 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Successfully switching between tasks is critical in many daily activities. Age-related slowing of this switching behavior has been documented extensively, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the contribution of brain white matter changes associated with myelin alterations to age-related slowing of switching performance. Diffusion tensor imaging derived radial diffusivity (RD) and magnetization transfer imaging derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) were selected as myelin sensitive measures. These metrics were studied in relation to mixing cost (i.e., the increase in reaction time during task blocks that require task switching) on a local-global switching task in young (n = 24) and older (n = 22) adults. Results showed that higher age was associated with widespread increases in RD and decreases in MTR, indicative of white matter deterioration, possibly due to demyelination. Older adults also showed a higher mixing cost, implying slowing of switching performance. Finally, mediation analyses demonstrated that decreases in MTR of the bilateral superior corona radiata contributed to the observed slowing of switching performance with increasing age. These findings provide evidence for a role of cortico-subcortical white matter changes in task switching performance deterioration with healthy aging. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4084-4098, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leen Serbruyns
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inge Leunissen
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter van Ruitenbeek
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lisa Pauwels
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karen Caeyenberghs
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Australia
| | - Elena Solesio-Jofre
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Monique Geurts
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Cuypers
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,REVAL Rehabilitation Research Centre, Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Raf L Meesen
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,REVAL Rehabilitation Research Centre, Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Stefan Sunaert
- Medical Imaging Research Center, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexander Leemans
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Motor Control Laboratory, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,KU Leuven, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease (LIND), Belgium.
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13
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Vasta R, Cutini S, Cerasa A, Gramigna V, Olivadese G, Arabia G, Quattrone A. Physiological Aging Influence on Brain Hemodynamic Activity during Task-Switching: A fNIRS Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 9:433. [PMID: 29375363 PMCID: PMC5767724 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Task-switching (TS) paradigm is a well-known validated tool useful for exploring the neural substrates of cognitive control, in particular the activity of the lateral and medial prefrontal cortex. This work is aimed at investigating how physiological aging influences hemodynamic response during the execution of a color-shape TS paradigm. A multi-channel near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure hemodynamic activity in 27 young (30.00 ± 7.90 years) and 11 elderly participants (57.18 ± 9.29 years) healthy volunteers (55% male, age range: (19-69) years) during the execution of a TS paradigm. Two holders were placed symmetrically over the left/right hemispheres to record cortical activity [oxy-(HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin (HbR) concentration] of the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the dorsal premotor cortex (PMC), and the dorso-medial part of the superior frontal gyrus (sFG). TS paradigm requires participants to repeat the same task over a variable number of trials, and then to switch to a different task during the trial sequence. A two-sample t-test was carried out to detect differences in cortical responses between groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of age on the prefrontal neural activity. Elderly participants were significantly slower than young participants in both color- (p < 0.01, t = -3.67) and shape-single tasks (p = 0.026, t = -2.54) as well as switching (p = 0.026, t = -2.41) and repetition trials (p = 0.012, t = -2.80). Differences in cortical activation between groups were revealed for HbO mean concentration of switching task in the PMC (p = 0.048, t = 2.94). In the whole group, significant increases of behavioral performance were detected in switching trials, which positively correlated with aging. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the HbO mean concentration of switching task in the PMC (p = 0.01, β = -0.321) and of shape single-task in the sFG (p = 0.003, β = 0.342) were the best predictors of age effects. Our findings demonstrated that TS might be a reliable instrument to gather a measure of cognitive resources in older people. Moreover, the fNIRS-related brain activity extracted from frontoparietal cortex might become a useful indicator of aging effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Vasta
- Neuroscience Research Center, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Simone Cutini
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Antonio Cerasa
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, Neuroimaging Research Center, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR), Catanzaro, Italy.,Institute S. Anna, Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation, Crotone, Italy
| | - Vera Gramigna
- Neuroscience Research Center, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Olivadese
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, Neuroimaging Research Center, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR), Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Gennarina Arabia
- Institute S. Anna, Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation, Crotone, Italy
| | - Aldo Quattrone
- Neuroscience Research Center, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.,Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, Neuroimaging Research Center, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR), Catanzaro, Italy.,Institute of Neurology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy
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14
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Zhu Z, Yang F, Li D, Zhou L, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Chen X. Age-related reduction of adaptive brain response during semantic integration is associated with gray matter reduction. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189462. [PMID: 29236772 PMCID: PMC5728512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While aging is associated with increased knowledge, it is also associated with decreased semantic integration. To investigate brain activation changes during semantic integration, a sample of forty-eight 25–75 year-old adults read sentences with high cloze (HC) and low cloze (LC) probability while functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted. Significant age-related reduction of cloze effect (LC vs. HC) was found in several regions, especially the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), which play an important role in semantic integration. Moreover, when accounting for global gray matter volume reduction, the age-cloze correlation in the left MFG and right IFG was absent. The results suggest that brain structural atrophy may disrupt brain response in aging brains, which then show less brain engagement in semantic integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zude Zhu
- School of Linguistics Sciences and Arts, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Language Competence, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
- * E-mail: (ZZ); (XC)
| | | | | | | | - Ying Liu
- Ningcheng Central Hospital, Chifeng, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Sucheng People’s Hospital, Suqian, China
| | - Xuezhi Chen
- Ningcheng Central Hospital, Chifeng, China
- * E-mail: (ZZ); (XC)
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15
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Johnson NF, Gold BT, Brown CA, Anggelis EF, Bailey AL, Clasey JL, Powell DK. Endothelial Function Is Associated with White Matter Microstructure and Executive Function in Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:255. [PMID: 28824417 PMCID: PMC5539079 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related declines in endothelial function can lead to cognitive decline. However, little is known about the relationships between endothelial function and specific neurocognitive functions. This study explored the relationship between measures of endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index; RHI), white matter (WM) health (fractional anisotropy, FA, and WM hyperintensity volume, WMH), and executive function (Trail Making Test (TMT); Trail B - Trail A). Participants were 36 older adults between the ages of 59 and 69 (mean age = 63.89 years, SD = 2.94). WMH volume showed no relationship with RHI or executive function. However, there was a positive relationship between RHI and FA in the genu and body of the corpus callosum. In addition, higher RHI and FA were each associated with better executive task performance. Tractography was used to localize the WM tracts associated with RHI to specific portions of cortex. Results indicated that the RHI-FA relationship observed in the corpus callosum primarily involved tracts interconnecting frontal regions, including the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and frontopolar cortex, linked with executive function. These findings suggest that superior endothelial function may help to attenuate age-related declines in WM microstructure in portions of the corpus callosum that interconnect prefrontal brain regions involved in executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan F. Johnson
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of Physical Therapy, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
| | - Brian T. Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
| | | | - Emily F. Anggelis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
| | - Alison L. Bailey
- Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee College of Medicine ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN, United States
| | - Jody L. Clasey
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
- Clinical Services Core, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
| | - David K. Powell
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of KentuckyLexington, KY, United States
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16
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Reliability of the depth-dependent high-resolution BOLD hemodynamic response in human visual cortex and vicinity. Magn Reson Imaging 2017; 39:53-63. [PMID: 28137626 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2017.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) often relies on a hemodynamic response function (HRF), the stereotypical blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response elicited by a brief (<4s) stimulus. Early measurements of the HRF used coarse spatial resolutions (≥3mm voxels) that would generally include contributions from white matter, gray matter, and the extra-pial compartment (the space between the pial surface and skull including pial blood vessels) within each voxel. To resolve these contributions, high-resolution fMRI (0.9-mm voxels) was performed at 3T in early visual cortex and its apposed white-matter and extra-pial compartments. The results characterized the depth dependence of the HRF and its reliability during nine fMRI sessions. Significant HRFs were observed in white-matter and extra-pial compartments as well as in gray matter. White-matter HRFs were faster and weaker than in the gray matter, while extra-pial HRFs were comparatively slower and stronger. Depth trends of the HRF peak amplitude were stable throughout a broad depth range that included all three compartments for each session. Across sessions, however, the depth trend of HRF peak amplitudes was stable only in the white matter and deep-intermediate gray matter, while there were strong session-to-session variations in the superficial gray matter and the extra-pial compartment. Thus, high-resolution fMRI can resolve significant and dynamically distinct HRFs in gray matter, white matter, and extra-pial compartments.
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17
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Warbrick T, Rosenberg J, Shah NJ. The relationship between BOLD fMRI response and the underlying white matter as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA): A systematic review. Neuroimage 2017; 153:369-381. [PMID: 28082105 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.12.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the relationship between brain structure and function being of fundamental interest in cognitive neuroscience, the relationship between the brain's white matter, measured using fractional anisotropy (FA), and the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response is poorly understood. A systematic review of literature investigating the association between FA and fMRI BOLD response was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The PubMed and Web of Knowledge databases were searched up until 22.04.2016 using a predetermined set of search criteria. The search identified 363 papers, 28 of which met the specified inclusion criteria. Positive relationships were mainly observed in studies investigating the primary sensory and motor systems and in resting state data. Both positive and negative relationships were seen in studies using cognitive tasks. This systematic review suggests that there is a relationship between FA and the fMRI BOLD response and that the relationship is task and region dependent. Behavioural and/or clinical variables were shown to be essential in interpreting the relationships between imaging measures. The results highlight the heterogeneity in the methods used across papers in terms of fMRI task, population investigated and data analysis techniques. Further investigation and replication of current findings are required before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Warbrick
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4/INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Jessica Rosenberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4/INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; JARA - BRAIN - Translational Medicine, Germany.
| | - N J Shah
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4/INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; JARA - BRAIN - Translational Medicine, Germany; Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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18
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Kann S, Zhang S, Manza P, Leung HC, Li CSR. Hemispheric Lateralization of Resting-State Functional Connectivity of the Anterior Insula: Association with Age, Gender, and a Novelty-Seeking Trait. Brain Connect 2016; 6:724-734. [PMID: 27604154 PMCID: PMC5105339 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2016.0443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) is widely used to examine cerebral functional organization. The imaging literature has described lateralization of insula activations during cognitive and affective processing. Evidence appears to support a role of the right-hemispheric insula in attentional orientation to salient stimulus, interoception, and physiological arousal, and a role of the left-hemispheric insula in cognitive and affective control, as well as perspective taking. In this study, in a large data set of healthy adults, we examined lateralization of the rsFC of the anterior insula (AI) by computing a laterality index (LI) of connectivity with 54 regions from the Automated Anatomic Labeling atlas. At a corrected threshold (p < 0.001), the AI is left lateralized in connectivity with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, inferior frontal cortex, and posterior orbital gyrus and right lateralized in connectivity with the postcentral gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and superior parietal lobule. In gender differences, women, but not men, showed right-lateralized connectivity to the thalamus. Furthermore, in a subgroup of participants assessed by the tridimensional personality questionnaire, novelty seeking is correlated with the extent of left lateralization of AI connectivity to the pallidum and putamen in men and with the extent of right lateralization of AI connectivity to the parahippocampal gyrus in women. These findings support hemispheric functional differentiation of the AI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kann
- 1 Department of Psychology, State University of New York , Stony Brook, New York
| | - Sheng Zhang
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Peter Manza
- 1 Department of Psychology, State University of New York , Stony Brook, New York
| | - Hoi-Chung Leung
- 1 Department of Psychology, State University of New York , Stony Brook, New York
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut.,3 Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut.,4 Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
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19
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Steffener J, Gazes Y, Habeck C, Stern Y. The Indirect Effect of Age Group on Switch Costs via Gray Matter Volume and Task-Related Brain Activity. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:162. [PMID: 27468265 PMCID: PMC4942475 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging simultaneously affects brain structure, brain function, and cognition. These effects are often investigated in isolation ignoring any relationships between them. It is plausible that age related declines in cognitive performance are the result of age-related structural and functional changes. This straightforward idea is tested in within a conceptual research model of cognitive aging. The current study tested whether age-related declines in task-performance were explained by age-related differences in brain structure and brain function using a task-switching paradigm in 175 participants. Sixty-three young and 112 old participants underwent MRI scanning of brain structure and brain activation. The experimental task was an executive context dual task with switch costs in response time as the behavioral measure. A serial mediation model was applied voxel-wise throughout the brain testing all pathways between age group, gray matter volume, brain activation and increased switch costs, worsening performance. There were widespread age group differences in gray matter volume and brain activation. Switch costs also significantly differed by age group. There were brain regions demonstrating significant indirect effects of age group on switch costs via the pathway through gray matter volume and brain activation. These were in the bilateral precuneus, bilateral parietal cortex, the left precentral gyrus, cerebellum, fusiform, and occipital cortices. There were also significant indirect effects via the brain activation pathway after controlling for gray matter volume. These effects were in the cerebellum, occipital cortex, left precentral gyrus, bilateral supramarginal, bilateral parietal, precuneus, middle cingulate extending to medial superior frontal gyri and the left middle frontal gyri. There were no significant effects through the gray matter volume alone pathway. These results demonstrate that a large proportion of the age group effect on switch costs can be attributed to individual differences in gray matter volume and brain activation. Therefore, age-related neural effects underlying cognitive control are a complex interaction between brain structure and function. Furthermore, the analyses demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing multiple neuroimaging modalities within a conceptual research model of cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Steffener
- PERFORM Center, Concordia University, MontrealQC, Canada; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de Montréal, MontréalQC, Canada; Department of Psychology, Concordia University, MontrealQC, Canada
| | - Yunglin Gazes
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and The Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY, USA
| | - Christian Habeck
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and The Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and The Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY, USA
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20
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Vallesi A, Mastrorilli E, Causin F, D'Avella D, Bertoldo A. White matter and task-switching in young adults: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging study. Neuroscience 2016; 329:349-62. [PMID: 27217212 PMCID: PMC4915443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
DTI and performance data on three task-switching paradigms were collected on young adults. Frontal inter-hemispheric white matter integrity favors sustained task-switching. This result was observed when switching between spatial rules or color-shape ones. No relation between behavior and white matter was observed for verbal rule switching. Task-specific features determine whether white matter mediates task-switching performance.
The capacity to flexibly switch between different task rules has been previously associated with distributed fronto-parietal networks, predominantly in the left hemisphere for phasic switching sub-processes, and in the right hemisphere for more tonic aspects of task-switching, such as rule maintenance and management. It is thus likely that the white matter (WM) connectivity between these regions is critical in sustaining the flexibility required by task-switching. This study examined the relationship between WM microstructure in young adults and task-switching performance in different paradigms: classical shape-color, spatial and grammatical tasks. The main results showed an association between WM integrity in anterior portions of the corpus callosum (genu and body) and a sustained measure of task-switching performance. In particular, a higher fractional anisotropy and a lower radial diffusivity in these WM regions were associated with smaller mixing costs both in the spatial task-switching paradigm and in the shape-color one, as confirmed by a conjunction analysis. No association was found with behavioral measures obtained in the grammatical task-switching paradigm. The switch costs, a measure of phasic switching processes, were not correlated with WM microstructure in any task. This study shows that a more efficient inter-hemispheric connectivity within the frontal lobes favors sustained task-switching processes, especially with task contexts embedding non-verbal components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Vallesi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Italy; Centro di Neuroscienze Cognitive, University of Padova, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Mastrorilli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Italy; Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | - Domenico D'Avella
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Italy; Centro di Neuroscienze Cognitive, University of Padova, Italy
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21
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Maintaining older brain functionality: A targeted review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:453-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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