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Strock A, Mistry PK, Menon V. Digital twins for understanding mechanisms of learning disabilities: Personalized deep neural networks reveal impact of neuronal hyperexcitability. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.591409. [PMID: 38746231 PMCID: PMC11092492 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Learning disabilities affect a significant proportion of children worldwide, with far-reaching consequences for their academic, professional, and personal lives. Here we develop digital twins - biologically plausible personalized Deep Neural Networks (pDNNs) - to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying learning disabilities in children. Our pDNN reproduces behavioral and neural activity patterns observed in affected children, including lower performance accuracy, slower learning rates, neural hyper-excitability, and reduced neural differentiation of numerical problems. Crucially, pDNN models reveal aberrancies in the geometry of manifold structure, providing a comprehensive view of how neural excitability influences both learning performance and the internal structure of neural representations. Our findings not only advance knowledge of the neurophysiological underpinnings of learning differences but also open avenues for targeted, personalized strategies designed to bridge cognitive gaps in affected children. This work reveals the power of digital twins integrating AI and neuroscience to uncover mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Strock
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Percy K. Mistry
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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Visibelli E, Vigna G, Nascimben C, Benavides-Varela S. Neurobiology of numerical learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 158:105545. [PMID: 38220032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105545] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Numerical abilities are complex cognitive skills essential for dealing with requirements of the modern world. Although the brain structures and functions underlying numerical cognition in different species have long been appreciated, genetic and molecular techniques have more recently expanded the knowledge about the mechanisms underlying numerical learning. In this review, we discuss the status of the research related to the neurobiological bases of numerical abilities. We consider how genetic factors have been associated with mathematical capacities and how these link to the current knowledge of brain regions underlying these capacities in human and non-human animals. We further discuss the extent to which significant variations in the levels of specific neurotransmitters may be used as potential markers of individual performance and learning difficulties and take into consideration the therapeutic potential of brain stimulation methods to modulate learning and improve interventional outcomes. The implications of this research for formulating a more comprehensive view of the neural basis of mathematical learning are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Visibelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Vigna
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Nascimben
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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Zacharopoulos G, Sella F, Emir U, Cohen Kadosh R. The relation between parietal GABA concentration and numerical skills. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17656. [PMID: 34480033 PMCID: PMC8417296 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95370-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several scientific, engineering, and medical advancements are based on breakthroughs made by people who excel in mathematics. Our current understanding of the underlying brain networks stems primarily from anatomical and functional investigations, but our knowledge of how neurotransmitters subserve numerical skills, the building block of mathematics, is scarce. Using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (N = 54, 3T, semi-LASER sequence, TE = 32 ms, TR = 3.5 s), the study examined the relation between numerical skills and the brain's major inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (glutamate) neurotransmitters. A negative association was found between the performance in a number sequences task and the resting concentration of GABA within the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS), a key region supporting numeracy. The relation between GABA in the IPS and number sequences was specific to (1) parietal but not frontal regions and to (2) GABA but not glutamate. It was additionally found that the resting functional connectivity of the left IPS and the left superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with number sequences performance. However, resting GABA concentration within the IPS explained number sequences performance above and beyond the resting frontoparietal connectivity measure. Our findings further motivate the study of inhibition mechanisms in the human brain and significantly contribute to our current understanding of numerical cognition's biological bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Zacharopoulos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
| | - Francesco Sella
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Uzay Emir
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2051, USA
| | - Roi Cohen Kadosh
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
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Zacharopoulos G, Sella F, Cohen Kadosh R. The impact of a lack of mathematical education on brain development and future attainment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2013155118. [PMID: 34099561 PMCID: PMC8214709 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013155118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Formal education has a long-term impact on an individual's life. However, our knowledge of the effect of a specific lack of education, such as in mathematics, is currently poor but is highly relevant given the extant differences between countries in their educational curricula and the differences in opportunities to access education. Here we examined whether neurotransmitter concentrations in the adolescent brain could classify whether a student is lacking mathematical education. Decreased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration within the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) successfully classified whether an adolescent studies math and was negatively associated with frontoparietal connectivity. In a second experiment, we uncovered that our findings were not due to preexisting differences before a mathematical education ceased. Furthermore, we showed that MFG GABA not only classifies whether an adolescent is studying math or not, but it also predicts the changes in mathematical reasoning ∼19 mo later. The present results extend previous work in animals that has emphasized the role of GABA neurotransmission in synaptic and network plasticity and highlight the effect of a specific lack of education on MFG GABA concentration and learning-dependent plasticity. Our findings reveal the reciprocal effect between brain development and education and demonstrate the negative consequences of a specific lack of education during adolescence on brain plasticity and cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Zacharopoulos
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom;
| | - Francesco Sella
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Roi Cohen Kadosh
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom;
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Zacharopoulos G, Kadosh Cohen R. Predicting Working Memory Capacity Based on Glutamatergic Concentration and its Modulation of Functional Connectivity. Neuroscience 2020; 457:12-19. [PMID: 33212221 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.037] [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: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) capacity, the amount of information one can hold online in mind, has a central role in cognition. Previous electrophysiological and imaging studies revealed the pivotal role of persistent activity within parietal and frontal regions as the neural foundations underpinning WM capacity. The best candidate molecules determining persistent activity are the brain's major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), respectively. However, our knowledge of these neurophysiological determinants in forming WM capacity is still poor. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we examined the contribution of glutamate and GABA within the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the left inferior/middle frontal gyrus (FG) in tracking WM capacity. A positive association was found between glutamate within the left IPS and WM capacity. By utilising resting-state functional MRI, we identified a negative association between parieto-cingulate connectivity and WM capacity. Individual variation in parieto-cingulate connectivity was explained by glutamatergic concentration in the IPS. Moreover, we found that parieto-cingulate connectivity mediated the relationship between interparietal sulcus glutamate and WM capacity. This set of findings reveals a novel mechanistic insight by which glutamatergic concentration within the IPS shapes WM capacity via parieto-cingulate connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Zacharopoulos
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.
| | - Roi Kadosh Cohen
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
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Delazer M, Zamarian L. A commentary on Popescu et al.'s paper on the brain-structural correlates of mathematical expertise. Cortex 2019; 117:417-420. [PMID: 30799069 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Margarete Delazer
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Neurology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Laura Zamarian
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Neurology, Innsbruck, Austria.
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Krause B, Dresler M, Looi CY, Sarkar A, Cohen Kadosh R. Neuroenhancement of High-Level Cognition: Evidence for Homeostatic Constraints of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2019; 3:388-395. [PMID: 32190812 PMCID: PMC7055575 DOI: 10.1007/s41465-019-00126-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuroenhancement aims to improve cognitive performance in typically and atypically functioning populations. However, it is currently debated whether it is also effective in exceptionally high-functioning individuals. Present theories suggest that homeostatic set points for learning and cortical plasticity limit the beneficial effects of neuroenhancement. To examine this possibility, we used transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to non-invasively stimulate bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC) of the world champion in mental calculation, G.M. TRNS did not change G.M.’s calculation performance compared to sham stimulation on an exceptionally complex arithmetic task. However, a sample of mathematicians who were not calculation prodigies (N = 6) showed reduced accuracy on a complex multiplication task in response to tRNS, relative to sham. Our findings suggest that there may be an upper limit for cognitive enhancement and that further attempts to enhance performance using tRNS (at least with the current parameters) may impair optimal functioning. The discussion of potential negative effects of brain stimulation for cognitive enhancement is critical, as it may lead to unintended impairments in different subgroups of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrix Krause
- 1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,2Late-Life Mood, Stress, and Wellness Research Program, Semel Insitute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Martin Dresler
- 3Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chung Yen Looi
- 1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Amar Sarkar
- 1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roi Cohen Kadosh
- 1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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