1
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Korda Ž, Walcher S, Körner C, Benedek M. Internal coupling: Eye behavior coupled to visual imagery. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 165:105855. [PMID: 39153584 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105855] [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: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Our eyes do not only respond to visual perception but also to internal cognition involving visual imagery, which can be referred to as internal coupling. This review synthesizes evidence on internal coupling across diverse domains including episodic memory and simulation, visuospatial memory, numerical cognition, object movement, body movement, and brightness imagery. In each domain, eye movements consistently reflect distinct aspects of mental imagery typically akin to those seen in corresponding visual experiences. Several findings further suggest that internal coupling may not only coincide with but also supports internal cognition as evidenced by improved cognitive performance. Available theoretical accounts suggest that internal coupling may serve at least two functional roles in visual imagery: facilitating memory reconstruction and indicating shifts in internal attention. Moreover, recent insights into the neurobiology of internal coupling highlight substantially shared neural pathways in externally and internally directed cognition. The review concludes by identifying open questions and promising avenues for future research such as exploring moderating roles of context and individual differences in internal coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Živa Korda
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Sonja Walcher
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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2
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Özdemir Ş, Şentürk YD, Ünver N, Demircan C, Olivers CNL, Egner T, Günseli E. Effects of Context Changes on Memory Reactivation. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2096232024. [PMID: 39103222 PMCID: PMC11376331 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2096-23.2024] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
While the influence of context on long-term memory (LTM) is well documented, its effects on the interaction between working memory (WM) and LTM remain less understood. In this study, we explored these interactions using a delayed match-to-sample task, where participants (6 males, 16 females) encountered the same target object across six consecutive trials, facilitating the transition from WM to LTM. During half of these target repetitions, the background color changed. We measured the WM storage of the target using the contralateral delay activity in electroencephalography. Our results reveal that task-irrelevant context changes trigger the reactivation of long-term memories in WM. This reactivation may be attributed to content-context binding in WM and hippocampal pattern separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şahcan Özdemir
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | | | - Nursima Ünver
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Can Demircan
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Christian N L Olivers
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam 1081 BT, the Netherlands
| | - Tobias Egner
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - Eren Günseli
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
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3
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Sun Q, Wang SY, Zhan LZ, You FH, Sun Q. A Bayesian inference model can predict the effects of attention on the serial dependence in heading estimation from optic flow. J Vis 2024; 24:11. [PMID: 39269364 PMCID: PMC11407482 DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.9.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that observers can accurately estimate their self-motion direction (i.e., heading) from optic flow, which can be affected by attention. However, it remains unclear how attention affects the serial dependence in the estimation. In the current study, participants conducted two experiments. The results showed that the estimation accuracy decreased when attentional resources allocated to the heading estimation task were reduced. Additionally, the estimates of currently presented headings were biased toward the headings of previously seen headings, showing serial dependence. Especially, this effect decreased (increased) when the attentional resources allocated to the previously (currently) seen headings were reduced. Furthermore, importantly, we developed a Bayesian inference model, which incorporated attention-modulated likelihoods and qualitatively predicted changes in the estimation accuracy and serial dependence. In summary, the current study shows that attention affects the serial dependence in heading estimation from optic flow and reveals the Bayesian computational mechanism behind the heading estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Sun
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, P. R. China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Jinhua, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, P. R. China
| | - Si-Yu Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, P. R. China
| | - Lin-Zhe Zhan
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, P. R. China
| | - Fan-Huan You
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, P. R. China
| | - Qian Sun
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, P. R. China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Jinhua, P. R. China
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4
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Woollacott M, Riddle J, Hermansson N, Sacchet MD, Ingram DM. Fire Kasina advanced meditation produces experiences comparable to psychedelic and near-death experiences: A pilot study. Explore (NY) 2024; 20:103056. [PMID: 39244904 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2024.103056] [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: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Psychedelic-assisted therapy studies suggest that the induction of "mystical experiences" combined with psycho-therapy is a possible intervention for psychiatric illness. Advanced meditation may induce powerful experiences comparable to psychedelics. We investigated effects of an intensive meditation practice called Fire Kasina. Six individuals completed a retreat, and participated in an interview in which they described their experiences. They also completed the Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), Hood Mystical Experience Scale (HME), and Cole's Spiritual Transformation Scale. Mean MEQ scores were 85 %, similar to prior observations of high-dose psilocybin and were stronger than moderate-dose psilocybin (t(5) = 4.41, p = 0.007, d = 1.80; W(5) = 21, p = 0.031). Mean HME scores were 93 %, exceeding levels reported for NDEs (mean 74 %) and high-dose psilocybin (mean 77 %). In qualitative analysis, experiences were described as the most intense of the individual's life, while subsequent transformational effects included substantial shifts in worldview.
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5
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Burgoyne AP, Seeburger DT, Engle RW. Modality matters: Three auditory conflict tasks to measure individual differences in attention control. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:5959-5985. [PMID: 38366119 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02328-6] [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] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Early work on selective attention used auditory-based tasks, such as dichotic listening, to shed light on capacity limitations and individual differences in these limitations. Today, there is great interest in individual differences in attentional abilities, but the field has shifted towards visual-modality tasks. Furthermore, most conflict-based tests of attention control lack reliability due to low signal-to-noise ratios and the use of difference scores. Critically, it is unclear to what extent attention control generalizes across sensory modalities, and without reliable auditory-based tests, an answer to this question will remain elusive. To this end, we developed three auditory-based tests of attention control that use an adaptive response deadline (DL) to account for speed-accuracy trade-offs: Auditory Simon DL, Auditory Flanker DL, and Auditory Stroop DL. In a large sample (N = 316), we investigated the psychometric properties of the three auditory conflict tasks, tested whether attention control is better modeled as a unitary factor or modality-specific factors, and estimated the extent to which unique variance in modality-specific factors contributed incrementally to the prediction of dichotic listening and multitasking performance. Our analyses indicated that the auditory conflict tasks have strong psychometric properties and demonstrate convergent validity with visual tests of attention control. Auditory and visual attention control factors were highly correlated (r = .81)-even after controlling for perceptual processing speed (r = .75). Modality-specific attention control factors accounted for unique variance in modality-matched criterion measures, but the majority of the explained variance was modality-general. The results suggest an interplay between modality-general attention control and modality-specific processing.
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6
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Gori S, Peverelli M, Bertoni S, Ruffino M, Ronconi L, Molteni F, Priftis K, Facoetti A. The engagement of temporal attention in left spatial neglect. Cortex 2024; 178:201-212. [PMID: 39024938 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.06.010] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Previous literature showed how left spatial neglect arises from an asymmetrical distribution of spatial attention. However, it was also suggested that left spatial neglect might be partially caused or at least worsened by non-spatial attention disorders of the right-lateralized stimulus-driven attentional fronto-parietal network. Here, we psychophysically tested the efficiency of temporal attentional engagement of foveal perception through meta-contrast (Experiment 1) and "attentional" masking (Experiment 2) tasks in patients with right-hemisphere stroke with left neglect (N+), without left neglect (N-) and matched healthy controls (C). In both experiments, N+ patients showed higher thresholds, not only than Cs, but also than N- patients. Temporal engagement was clinically impaired in all N+ patients and highly correlated with their typical inability to direct spatial attention towards stimuli on the left side. Our findings suggest that a temporal impairment of attentional engagement is a relevant deficit of left spatial neglect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.
| | - Milena Peverelli
- "Villa Beretta" Rehabilitation Center, Costamasnaga (LC), "Valduce" Hospital (CO), Italy
| | - Sara Bertoni
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy; Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, General Psychology Department, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Milena Ruffino
- Servizio di Neuropsichiatria dell'Infanzia e dell'Adolescenza, Saronno ASST Valle Olona (VA), Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Franco Molteni
- "Villa Beretta" Rehabilitation Center, Costamasnaga (LC), "Valduce" Hospital (CO), Italy
| | - Konstantinos Priftis
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre, University of Padova, Italy; General Psychology Department, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, General Psychology Department, University of Padova, Italy.
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7
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Tian S, Cheng YA, Luo H. Rhythm Facilitates Auditory Working Memory via Beta-Band Encoding and Theta-Band Maintenance. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01289-w. [PMID: 39215886 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01289-w] [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: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Rhythm, as a prominent characteristic of auditory experiences such as speech and music, is known to facilitate attention, yet its contribution to working memory (WM) remains unclear. Here, human participants temporarily retained a 12-tone sequence presented rhythmically or arrhythmically in WM and performed a pitch change-detection task. Behaviorally, while having comparable accuracy, rhythmic tone sequences showed a faster response time and lower response boundaries in decision-making. Electroencephalographic recordings revealed that rhythmic sequences elicited enhanced non-phase-locked beta-band (16 Hz-33 Hz) and theta-band (3 Hz-5 Hz) neural oscillations during sensory encoding and WM retention periods, respectively. Importantly, the two-stage neural signatures were correlated with each other and contributed to behavior. As beta-band and theta-band oscillations denote the engagement of motor systems and WM maintenance, respectively, our findings imply that rhythm facilitates auditory WM through intricate oscillation-based interactions between the motor and auditory systems that facilitate predictive attention to auditory sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suizi Tian
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yu-Ang Cheng
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Huan Luo
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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8
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Parto-Dezfouli M, Vanegas I, Zarei M, Nesse WH, Clark KL, Noudoost B. Prefrontal working memory signal primarily controls phase-coded information within extrastriate cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.28.610140. [PMID: 39257783 PMCID: PMC11383686 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.28.610140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
In order to understand how prefrontal cortex provides the benefits of working memory (WM) for visual processing we examined the influence of WM on the representation of visual signals in V4 neurons in two macaque monkeys. We found that WM induces strong β oscillations in V4 and that the timing of action potentials relative to this oscillation reflects sensory information- i.e., a phase coding of visual information. Pharmacologically inactivating the Frontal Eye Field part of prefrontal cortex, we confirmed the necessity of prefrontal signals for the WM-driven boost in phase coding of visual information. Indeed, changes in the average firing rate of V4 neurons could be accounted for by WM-induced oscillatory changes. We present a network model to describe how WM signals can recruit sensory areas primarily by inducing oscillations within these areas and discuss the implications of these findings for a sensory recruitment theory of WM through coherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Parto-Dezfouli
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Isabel Vanegas
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mohammad Zarei
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - William H Nesse
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kelsey L Clark
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Lead
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9
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Kuang C, Chen X, Chen F. Recognition of Emotional Prosody in Mandarin-Speaking Children: Effects of Age, Noise, and Working Memory. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2024; 53:68. [PMID: 39180569 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-024-10108-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Age, babble noise, and working memory have been found to affect the recognition of emotional prosody based on non-tonal languages, yet little is known about how exactly they influence tone-language-speaking children's recognition of emotional prosody. In virtue of the tectonic theory of Stroop effects and the Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) model, this study aimed to explore the effects of age, babble noise, and working memory on Mandarin-speaking children's understanding of emotional prosody. Sixty Mandarin-speaking children aged three to eight years and 20 Mandarin-speaking adults participated in this study. They were asked to recognize the happy or sad prosody of short sentences with different semantics (negative, neutral, or positive) produced by a male speaker. The results revealed that the prosody-semantics congruity played a bigger role in children than in adults for accurate recognition of emotional prosody in quiet, but a less important role in children compared with adults in noise. Furthermore, concerning the recognition accuracy of emotional prosody, the effect of working memory on children was trivial despite the listening conditions. But for adults, it was very prominent in babble noise. The findings partially supported the tectonic theory of Stroop effects which highlights the perceptual enhancement generated by cross-channel congruity, and the ELU model which underlines the importance of working memory in speech processing in noise. These results suggested that the development of emotional prosody recognition is a complex process influenced by the interplay among age, background noise, and working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Kuang
- School of Foreign Languages, Hunan University, Lushannan Road No. 2, Yuelu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xiaoxiang Chen
- School of Foreign Languages, Hunan University, Lushannan Road No. 2, Yuelu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China.
| | - Fei Chen
- School of Foreign Languages, Hunan University, Lushannan Road No. 2, Yuelu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China.
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10
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Ai S. STN-PFC circuit related to attentional fluctuations during non-movement decision-making. Neuroscience 2024; 553:110-120. [PMID: 38972448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.06.033] [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: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Decision-making is a cognitive process, in which participants need to attend to relevant information and ignore the irrelevant information. Previous studies have described a set of cortical areas important for attention. It is unclear whether subcortical areas also serve a role. The subthalamic nucleus (STN), a part of basal ganglia, is traditionally considered a critical node in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamus-cortico network. Given the location of the STN and its widespread connections with cortical and subcortical brain regions, the STN plays an important role in motor and non-motor cognitive processing. We would like to know if STN is also related to fluctuations in attentional task performance, and how the STN interacts with prefrontal cortical regions during the process. We examined neural activities within STN covaried with lapses of attention (defined as behavior error). We found that decreased neural activities in STN were associated with sustained attention. By examining connectivity across STN and various sub-regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), we found that decreased connectivity across areas was associated with sustained attention. Our results indicated that decreased STN activities were associated with sustained attention, and the STN-PFC circuit supported this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Ai
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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11
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Bae GY, Chen KW. EEG decoding reveals task-dependent recoding of sensory information in working memory. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120710. [PMID: 38942100 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120710] [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: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) supports future behavior by retaining perceptual information obtained in the recent past. The present study tested the hypothesis that WM recodes sensory information in a format that better supports behavioral goals. We recorded EEG while participants performed color delayed-estimation tasks where the colorwheel for the response was either randomly rotated or held fixed across trials. Accordingly, observers had to remember the exact colors in the Rotation condition, whereas they could prepare for a response based on the fixed mapping between the colors and their corresponding locations on the colorwheel in the No-Rotation condition. Results showed that the color reports were faster and more precise in the No-Rotation condition even when exactly the same set of colors were tested in both conditions. To investigate how the color information was maintained in the brain, we decoded the color using a multivariate EEG classification method. The decoding was limited to the stimulus encoding period in the Rotation condition, whereas it continued to be significant during the maintenance period in the No-Rotation condition, indicating that the color information was actively maintained in the condition. Follow-up analyses suggested that the prolonged decoding was not merely driven by the covert shift of attention but rather by the recoding of sensory information into an action-oriented response format. Together, these results provide converging evidence that WM flexibly recodes sensory information depending on the specific task context to optimize subsequent behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gi-Yeul Bae
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, 950 S. McAllister Ave., Tempe, AZ 85287, United States.
| | - Kuo-Wei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, 950 S. McAllister Ave., Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
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12
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Fong LHN, Nong SZ, Wu AMS, Fong DKC. Scent-driven Selective Attention on Gambling Outcome: Implications for Responsible Gambling. J Gambl Stud 2024:10.1007/s10899-024-10346-y. [PMID: 39126590 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-024-10346-y] [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] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Many casinos diffuse a pleasant ambient scent into their facilities as a customer experience management practice, but the ethics of this scenting process is questionable. Although the effect of a pleasant scent on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses has been well-documented, its effect on attention during gambling has yet to be explored. Grounded in the tenets of the top-down control of attention and cross-modal correspondence between vision and olfaction, we conduct two eye-tracking experiments that involve different electronic casino games including video slots and live Cussec. The findings consistently show that pleasant ambient scent prolongs attention and induces more frequent attention to the win/loss areas on the video screen. The findings add to the implications related to responsible gambling by inspiring the stakeholders to consider the use of ambient scent in the gambling environment. Theoretically, the findings offer insights into scent as the catalyst that directs attention to goal-related information, while scent and goal do not need to be congruent in traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong
- Faculty of Business Administration and Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| | - Sunny Zhenzhen Nong
- Faculty of Business Administration and Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Anise M S Wu
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Davis Ka Chio Fong
- Faculty of Business Administration and Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
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13
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Granato G, Baldassarre G. Bridging flexible goal-directed cognition and consciousness: The Goal-Aligning Representation Internal Manipulation theory. Neural Netw 2024; 176:106292. [PMID: 38657422 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2024.106292] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Goal-directed manipulation of internal representations is a key element of human flexible behaviour, while consciousness is commonly associated with higher-order cognition and human flexibility. Current perspectives have only partially linked these processes, thus preventing a clear understanding of how they jointly generate flexible cognition and behaviour. Moreover, these limitations prevent an effective exploitation of this knowledge for technological scopes. We propose a new theoretical perspective that extends our 'three-component theory of flexible cognition' toward higher-order cognition and consciousness, based on the systematic integration of key concepts from Cognitive Neuroscience and AI/Robotics. The theory proposes that the function of conscious processes is to support the alignment of representations with multi-level goals. This higher alignment leads to more flexible and effective behaviours. We analyse here our previous model of goal-directed flexible cognition (validated with more than 20 human populations) as a starting GARIM-inspired model. By bridging the main theories of consciousness and goal-directed behaviour, the theory has relevant implications for scientific and technological fields. In particular, it contributes to developing new experimental tasks and interpreting clinical evidence. Finally, it indicates directions for improving machine learning and robotics systems and for informing real-world applications (e.g., in digital-twin healthcare and roboethics).
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Granato
- Laboratory of Embodied Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Rome, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Baldassarre
- Laboratory of Embodied Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Rome, Italy.
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14
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Ji H, Wang K, Kong G, Zhang X, He W, Ding X. The Basic Units of Working Memory Manipulation Are Boolean Maps, Not Objects. Psychol Sci 2024; 35:887-899. [PMID: 38889369 DOI: 10.1177/09567976241257443] [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] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Determining the manipulation unit of working memory is one of the fundamental questions in understanding how working memory functions. The prevalent object-based theory in cognitive research predicts that memory manipulation is performed on the level of objects. Here we show instead that the basic units of working memory manipulation are Boolean maps, a data structure describing what can be perceived in an instant. We developed four new manipulation tasks (with data from 80 adults) and showed that manipulation times only increased when the number of Boolean maps manipulated increased. Increasing the number of orientations manipulated did not induce longer manipulation times, consistent with a key prediction of the Boolean map theory. Our results show that Boolean maps are the manipulation unit of working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huichao Ji
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Sun Yat-sen University
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
| | - Kaiyue Wang
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Sun Yat-sen University
| | - Garry Kong
- Waseda Institute of Advanced Study, Waseda University
| | - Xiaodan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Sun Yat-sen University
| | - Wenzhen He
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Sun Yat-sen University
| | - Xiaowei Ding
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Sun Yat-sen University
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15
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Pardej SK, Casnar CL, Yund BD, Klein-Tasman BP. An evaluation of computerized attention and executive function measures for use with school age children with neurofibromatosis type 1. Child Neuropsychol 2024; 30:938-953. [PMID: 38214530 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2302634] [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: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The present study investigated the performance of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 on computerized assessments of attention and executive function. Relations to ADHD symptomatology were also examined. Participants included 37 children (20 male) with NF1 (9-13 years; Mage = 11.02). Participants completed the NIH Toolbox Dimensional Change Card Sort, List Sort Working Memory (LSWM), and Flanker tasks, as well as Cogstate Identification and One Back tests. ADHD symptomatology was assessed using the K-SADS. Average performance was significantly different from the normative mean on every measure, except LSWM. The NIH Toolbox Flanker and Cogstate Identification tasks detected the highest proportion of participants with at least mild difficulty, and the Cogstate Identification task detected the highest proportion of participants with severe difficulty. Analyses revealed significant relations with ADHD symptomatology for two NIH toolbox tasks. The various computerized measures of attention and executive function offer different information when working with school age children with NF1. The NIH Flanker may offer the most room for change and offers face validity, which may be beneficial for clinical trials research. However, the LSWM shows most support for relations with behavioral indicators of attention and executive challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Pardej
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Brianna D Yund
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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16
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Zhao Y, Feng S, Dong L, Wu Z, Ning Y. Dysfunction of large-scale brain networks underlying cognitive impairments in shift work disorder. J Sleep Res 2024; 33:e14080. [PMID: 37888149 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that shift work can affect cognitive functions. Several neuroimaging studies have revealed altered brain function and structure for patients with shift work disorder (SWD). However, knowledge on the dysfunction of large-scale brain networks underlying cognitive impairments in shift work disorder is limited. This study aims to identify altered functional networks associated with cognitive declines in shift work disorder, and to assess their potential diagnostic value. Thirty-four patients with shift work disorder and 36 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited to perform the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and resting-state functional scans. After surface-based preprocessing, we calculated within- and between-network functional connectivity (FC) using the Dosenbach atlas. Moreover, correlation analysis was done between altered functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks and scores of cognitive assessments in patients with shift work disorder. Finally, we established a classification model to provide features for patients with shift work disorder concerning the disrupted large-scale networks. Compared with healthy controls, increased functional connectivity within-networks across the seven brain networks, and between-networks involving ventral attention network (VAN)-subcortical network (SCN), SCN-frontoparietal network (FPN), and somatosensory network (SMN)-SCN were observed in shift work disorder. Decreased functional connectivity between brain networks was found in shift work disorder compared with healthy controls, including visual network (VN)-FPN, VN-default mode network (DMN), SMN-DMN, dorsal attention network (DAN)-DMN, VAN-DMN, and FPN-DMN. Furthermore, the altered functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks was significantly correlated with scores of immediate memory, visuospatial, and delayed memory in patients with shift work disorder, respectively. Abnormal functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks may play critical roles in cognitive dysfunction in shift work disorder. Our findings provide new evidence to interpret the underlying neural mechanisms of cognitive impairments in shift work disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospitaldiscu, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Sitong Feng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospitaldiscu, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Linrui Dong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospitaldiscu, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyao Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospitaldiscu, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanzhe Ning
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospitaldiscu, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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17
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Zhang Q, Zhou T, Tang J, Xi H. Can irrelevant self-related information in working memory be actively suppressed? Psych J 2024. [PMID: 39084623 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.790] [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: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
To utilize the resource of working memory efficiently, the brain actively suppresses irrelevant information to focus cognitive resources on the task at hand. However, whether task-irrelevant self-related information can be suppressed is still an open question. This study explores the inhibitory effects of various types of identity-associated information (self, friend, stranger) with an irrelevant distracting paradigm, in which participants are required to memorize the color while ignoring the shape during a memory array. In the subsequent test array, participants are asked to judge whether the color of the test item is the same as the memorized one, while the ignored shape features could also change. The results are as follows. (1) Self-associated information survived the inhibitory effect no matter whether the interstimulus interval (ISI) was short or long. (2) Stranger-associated information remained inhibitory effect in a long ISI (3000 ms). The results indicate that self-associated information can bypass the executive system and remain active in working memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Zhang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
| | - Tiangang Zhou
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Tang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
| | - Huanjun Xi
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
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18
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Taskan HS, Yararbas G, Hassoy H. Investigating the selective attention, attentional bias and smoking among Turkish University students: A cross-sectional study. J Ethn Subst Abuse 2024:1-19. [PMID: 39073341 DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2024.2383344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between selective attention, attentional bias and smoking in Turkish university students. The study was conducted with 64 individuals with an average age of 20.3 ± 0.83 years. While the d2 Test of Attention was used to measure various aspects of attention including processing speed, accuracy and selective attention; the Smoking Stroop Test evaluated the attentional bias toward smoking-related stimuli by comparing reaction times to smoking-related and neutral words. Also, the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test and Questionnaire of Smoking Urges assessed the level of nicotine dependence and cravings of participants. Findings showed that smoking status (B: 0.05, 95%CI:0.03,0.07) was statistically explanatory of attentional bias, but there was no significant difference in selective attention performance in terms of smoking status. These results are important for the development of intervention methods targeting cognitive processes associated with smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Selkan Taskan
- Institute on Drug Abuse, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gorkem Yararbas
- Institute on Drug Abuse, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Hur Hassoy
- Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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19
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Tye KM, Miller EK, Taschbach FH, Benna MK, Rigotti M, Fusi S. Mixed selectivity: Cellular computations for complexity. Neuron 2024; 112:2289-2303. [PMID: 38729151 PMCID: PMC11257803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The property of mixed selectivity has been discussed at a computational level and offers a strategy to maximize computational power by adding versatility to the functional role of each neuron. Here, we offer a biologically grounded implementational-level mechanistic explanation for mixed selectivity in neural circuits. We define pure, linear, and nonlinear mixed selectivity and discuss how these response properties can be obtained in simple neural circuits. Neurons that respond to multiple, statistically independent variables display mixed selectivity. If their activity can be expressed as a weighted sum, then they exhibit linear mixed selectivity; otherwise, they exhibit nonlinear mixed selectivity. Neural representations based on diverse nonlinear mixed selectivity are high dimensional; hence, they confer enormous flexibility to a simple downstream readout neural circuit. However, a simple neural circuit cannot possibly encode all possible mixtures of variables simultaneously, as this would require a combinatorially large number of mixed selectivity neurons. Gating mechanisms like oscillations and neuromodulation can solve this problem by dynamically selecting which variables are mixed and transmitted to the readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay M Tye
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, CA; Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Earl K Miller
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Felix H Taschbach
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Biological Science Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Marcus K Benna
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | | | - Stefano Fusi
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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20
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Smith ES, Crawford TJ. The inhibitory effect of a recent distractor: singleton vs. multiple distractors. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:1745-1759. [PMID: 38819649 PMCID: PMC11208228 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06846-3] [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: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
In the complex interplay between sensory and cognitive processes, the brain must sift through a flood of sensory data to pinpoint relevant signals. This selective mechanism is crucial for the effective control of behaviour, by allowing organisms to focus on important tasks and blocking out distractions. The Inhibition of a Recent Distractor (IRD) Task examines this selection process by exploring how inhibiting distractors influences subsequent eye movements towards an object in the visual environment. In a series of experiments, research by Crawford et al. (2005a) demonstrated a delayed response to a target appearing at the location that was previously occupied by a distractor, demonstrating a legacy inhibition exerted by the distractor on the spatial location of the upcoming target. This study aimed to replicate this effect and to investigate any potential constraints when multiple distractors are presented. Exploring whether the effect is observed in more ecologically relevant scenarios with multiple distractors is crucial for assessing the extent to which it can be applied to a broader range of environments. Experiment 1 successfully replicated the effect, showing a significant IRD effect only with a single distractor. Experiments 2-5 explored a number of possible explanations for this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor S Smith
- Centre for Ageing Research, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, England
| | - Trevor J Crawford
- Centre for Ageing Research, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, England.
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21
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Barnes-Scheufler CV, Rösler L, Schaum M, Schiweck C, Peters B, Mayer JS, Reif A, Wibral M, Bittner RA. External cues improve visual working memory encoding in the presence of salient distractors in schizophrenia. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1965-1974. [PMID: 38436135 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724000059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with schizophrenia (PSZ) are impaired in attentional prioritization of non-salient but relevant stimuli over salient distractors during visual working memory (VWM) encoding. Conversely, guidance of top-down attention by external predictive cues is intact. Yet, it is unknown whether this preserved ability can help PSZ encode more information in the presence of salient distractors. METHODS We employed a visuospatial change-detection task using four Gabor patches with differing orientations in 66 PSZ and 74 healthy controls (HCS). Two Gabor patches flickered which were designated either as targets or distractors and either a predictive or a non-predictive cue was displayed to manipulate top-down attention, resulting in four conditions. RESULTS We observed significant effects of group, salience and cue as well as significant interactions of salience by cue, group by salience and group by cue. Across all conditions, PSZ stored significantly less information in VWM than HCS. PSZ stored significantly less non-flickering than flickering information with a non-predictive cue. However, PSZ stored significantly more flickering and non-flickering information with a predictive cue. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that control of attentional selection is impaired in schizophrenia. We demonstrate that additional top-down information significantly improves performance in PSZ. The observed deficit in attentional control suggests a disturbance of GABAergic inhibition in early visual areas. Moreover, our findings are indicative of a mechanism for enhancing attentional control in PSZ, which could be utilized by pro-cognitive interventions. Thus, the current paradigm is suitable to reveal both preserved and compromised cognitive component processes in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine V Barnes-Scheufler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lara Rösler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Schaum
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Carmen Schiweck
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Benjamin Peters
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jutta S Mayer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michael Wibral
- Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Robert A Bittner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt, Germany
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22
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Scharfen HE, Memmert D. The model of the brain as a complex system: Interactions of physical, neural and mental states with neurocognitive functions. Conscious Cogn 2024; 122:103700. [PMID: 38749233 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103700] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
The isolated approaching of physical, neural and mental states and the binary classification into stable traits and fluctuating states previously lead to a limited understanding concerning underlying processes and possibilities to explain, measure and regulate neural and mental performance along with the interaction of mental states and neurocognitive traits. In this article these states are integrated by i) differentiating the model of the brain as a complex, self-organizing system, ii) showing possibilities to measure this model, iii) offering a classification of mental states and iv) presenting a holistic operationalization of state regulations and trait trainings to enhance neural and mental high-performance on a macro- and micro scale. This model integrates current findings from the theory of constructed emotions, the theory of thousand brains and complex systems theory and yields several testable hypotheses to provide an integrated reference frame for future research and applied target points to regulate and enhance performance.
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23
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Hu H, Li A, Zhang L, Liu C, Shi L, Peng X, Li T, Zhou Y, Xue G. Goal-directed attention transforms both working and long-term memory representations in the human parietal cortex. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002721. [PMID: 39008524 PMCID: PMC11271952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002721] [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] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The abundance of distractors in the world poses a major challenge to our brain's limited processing capacity, but little is known about how selective attention modulates stimulus representations in the brain to reduce interference and support durable target memory. Here, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in a selective attention task in which target and distractor pictures of different visual categories were simultaneously presented. Participants were asked to selectively process the target according to the effective cue, either before the encoding period (i.e., perceptual attention) or the maintenance period (i.e., reflective attention). On the next day, participants were asked to perform a memory recognition task in the scanner in which the targets, distractors, and novel items were presented in a pseudorandom order. Behavioral results showed that perceptual attention was better at enhancing target memory and reducing distractor memory than reflective attention, although the overall memory capacity (memory for both target and distractor) was comparable. Using multiple-voxel pattern analysis of the neural data, we found more robust target representation and weaker distractor representation in working memory for perceptual attention than for reflective attention. Interestingly, perceptual attention partially shifted the regions involved in maintaining the target representation from the visual cortex to the parietal cortex. Furthermore, the targets and distractors simultaneously presented in the perceptual attention condition showed reduced pattern similarity in the parietal cortex during retrieval compared to items not presented together. This neural pattern repulsion positively correlated with individuals' recognition of both targets and distractors. These results emphasize the critical role of selective attention in transforming memory representations to reduce interference and improve long-term memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huinan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Anqi Li
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, HKSAR, PR China
| | - Liang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Chuqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Liang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiaojing Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Gui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, PR China
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24
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Dong Y, Kiyonaga A. Ocular working memory signals are flexible to behavioral priority and subjective imagery strength. J Neurophysiol 2024; 132:162-176. [PMID: 38836298 PMCID: PMC11383386 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00446.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The pupillary light response was long considered a brainstem reflex, outside of cognitive influence. However, newer findings indicate that pupil dilation (and eye movements) can reflect content held "in mind" with working memory (WM). These findings may reshape understanding of ocular and WM mechanisms, but it is unclear whether the signals are artifactual or functional to WM. Here, we ask whether peripheral and oculomotor WM signals are sensitive to the task-relevance or "attentional state" of WM content. During eye-tracking, human participants saw both dark and bright WM stimuli, then were retroactively cued to the item that would most likely be tested. Critically, we manipulated the attentional priority among items by varying the cue reliability across blocks. We confirmed previous findings that remembering darker items is associated with larger pupils (vs. brighter), and that gaze is biased toward cued item locations. Moreover, we discovered that pupil and eye movement responses were influenced differently by WM item relevance. Feature-specific pupillary effects emerged only for highly prioritized WM items but were eliminated when cues were less reliable, and pupil effects also increased with self-reported visual imagery strength. Conversely, gaze position consistently veered toward the cued item location, regardless of cue reliability. However, biased microsaccades occurred at a higher frequency when cues were more reliable, though only during a limited post-cue time window. Therefore, peripheral sensorimotor processing is sensitive to the task-relevance or functional state of internal WM content, but pupillary and eye movement WM signals show distinct profiles. These results highlight a potential role for early visual processing in maintaining multiple WM content dimensions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we found that working memory (WM)-driven ocular inflections-feature-specific pupillary and saccadic biases-were muted for memory items that were less behaviorally relevant. This work illustrates that functionally informative goal signals may extend as early as the sensorimotor periphery, that pupil size may be under more fine-grained control than originally thought, and that ocular signals carry multiple dimensions of cognitively relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueying Dong
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Anastasia Kiyonaga
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California, United States
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25
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D'Antonio F, Teghil A, Boccia M, Bechi Gabrielli G, Giulietti G, Conti D, Suppa A, Fabbrini A, Fiorelli M, Caramia F, Bruno G, Guariglia C, Aarsland D, Ffytche D. Distinct grey and white matter changes are associated with the phenomenology of visual hallucinations in Lewy Body Disease. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14748. [PMID: 38926597 PMCID: PMC11208453 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65536-w] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Visual hallucinations in Lewy body disease (LBD) can be differentiated based on phenomenology into minor phenomena (MVH) and complex hallucinations (CVH). MVH include a variety of phenomena, such as illusions, presence and passage hallucinations occurring at early stages of LBD. The neural mechanisms of visual hallucinations are largely unknown. The hodotopic model posits that the hallucination state is due to abnormal activity in specialized visual areas, that occurs in the context of wider network connectivity alterations and that phenomenology of VH, including content and temporal characteristics, may help identify brain regions underpinning these phenomena. Here we investigated both the topological and hodological neural basis of visual hallucinations integrating grey and white matter imaging analyses. We studied LBD patients with VH and age matched healthy controls (HC). VH were assessed using a North-East-Visual-Hallucinations-Interview that captures phenomenological detail. Then we applied voxel-based morphometry and tract based spatial statistics approaches to identify grey and white matter changes. First, we compared LBD patients and HC. We found a reduced grey matter volume and a widespread damage of white tracts in LBD compared to HC. Then we tested the association between CVH and MVH and grey and white matter indices. We found that CVH duration was associated with decreased grey matter volume in the fusiform gyrus suggesting that LBD neurodegeneration-related abnormal activity in this area is responsible for CVH. An unexpected finding was that MVH severity was associated with a greater integrity of white matter tracts, specifically those connecting dorsal, ventral attention networks and visual areas. Our results suggest that networks underlying MVH need to be partly intact and functional for MVH experiences to occur, while CVH occur when cortical areas are damaged. The findings support the hodotopic view and the hypothesis that MVH and CVH relate to different neural mechanisms, with wider implications for the treatment of these symptoms in a clinical context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizia D'Antonio
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy.
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alice Teghil
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Bechi Gabrielli
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Desirée Conti
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Suppa
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
| | - Andrea Fabbrini
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Fiorelli
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Caramia
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Bruno
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Guariglia
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Dag Aarsland
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, IOPPN, London, UK
| | - Dominic Ffytche
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, IOPPN, London, UK
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26
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Stoliker D, Preller KH, Novelli L, Anticevic A, Egan GF, Vollenweider FX, Razi A. Neural mechanisms of psychedelic visual imagery. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02632-3. [PMID: 38862674 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02632-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Visual alterations under classic psychedelics can include rich phenomenological accounts of eyes-closed imagery. Preclinical evidence suggests agonism of the 5-HT2A receptor may reduce synaptic gain to produce psychedelic-induced imagery. However, this has not been investigated in humans. To infer the directed connectivity changes to visual connectivity underlying psychedelic visual imagery in healthy adults, a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was performed, and dynamic causal modelling was applied to the resting state eyes-closed functional MRI scans of 24 subjects after administration of 0.2 mg/kg of the serotonergic psychedelic drug, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), or placebo. The effective connectivity model included the early visual area, fusiform gyrus, intraparietal sulcus, and inferior frontal gyrus. We observed a pattern of increased self-inhibition of both early visual and higher visual-association regions under psilocybin that was consistent with preclinical findings. We also observed a pattern of reduced inhibition from visual-association regions to earlier visual areas that indicated top-down connectivity is enhanced during visual imagery. The results were analysed with behavioural measures taken immediately after the scans, suggesting psilocybin-induced decreased sensitivity to neural inputs is associated with the perception of eyes-closed visual imagery. The findings inform our basic and clinical understanding of visual perception. They reveal neural mechanisms that, by affecting balance, may increase the impact of top-down feedback connectivity on perception, which could contribute to the visual imagery seen with eyes-closed during psychedelic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon Stoliker
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Katrin H Preller
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Novelli
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gary F Egan
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Franz X Vollenweider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adeel Razi
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL, London, UK
- CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars Program, CIFAR, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Farahibozorg SR, Harrison SJ, Bijsterbosch JD, Woolrich MW, Smith SM. Multiscale Modes of Functional Brain Connectivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.28.596120. [PMID: 38854078 PMCID: PMC11160636 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.28.596120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Information processing in the brain spans from localised sensorimotor processes to higher-level cognition that integrates across multiple regions. Interactions between and within these subsystems enable multiscale information processing. Despite this multiscale characteristic, functional brain connectivity is often either estimated based on 10-30 distributed modes or parcellations with 100-1000 localised parcels, both missing across-scale functional interactions. We present Multiscale Probabilistic Functional Modes (mPFMs), a new mapping which comprises modes over various scales of granularity, thus enabling direct estimation of functional connectivity within- and across-scales. Crucially, mPFMs emerged from data-driven multilevel Bayesian modelling of large functional MRI (fMRI) populations. We demonstrate that mPFMs capture both distributed brain modes and their co-existing subcomponents. In addition to validating mPFMs using simulations and real data, we show that mPFMs can predict ~900 personalised traits from UK Biobank more accurately than current standard techniques. Therefore, mPFMs can offer a paradigm shift in functional connectivity modelling and yield enhanced fMRI biomarkers for traits and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rezvan Farahibozorg
- FMRIB, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Samuel J Harrison
- FMRIB, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Mark W Woolrich
- FMRIB, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
- OHBA, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen M Smith
- FMRIB, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
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Mohan UR, Zhang H, Ermentrout B, Jacobs J. The direction of theta and alpha travelling waves modulates human memory processing. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:1124-1135. [PMID: 38459263 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01838-3] [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] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
To support a range of behaviours, the brain must flexibly coordinate neural activity across widespread brain regions. One potential mechanism for this coordination is a travelling wave, in which a neural oscillation propagates across the brain while organizing the order and timing of activity across regions. Although travelling waves are present across the brain in various species, their potential functional relevance has remained unknown. Here, using rare direct human brain recordings, we demonstrate a distinct functional role for travelling waves of theta- and alpha-band (2-13 Hz) oscillations in the cortex. Travelling waves propagate in different directions during separate cognitive processes. In episodic memory, travelling waves tended to propagate in a posterior-to-anterior direction during successful memory encoding and in an anterior-to-posterior direction during recall. Because travelling waves of oscillations correspond to local neuronal spiking, these patterns indicate that rhythmic pulses of activity move across the brain in different directions for separate behaviours. More broadly, our results suggest a fundamental role for travelling waves and oscillations in dynamically coordinating neural connectivity, by flexibly organizing the timing and directionality of network interactions across the cortex to support cognition and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uma R Mohan
- Surgical Neurology Branch, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Bard Ermentrout
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Joshua Jacobs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA.
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29
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Razzaghipour A, Ashrafi M, Mohammadzadeh A. A Review of Auditory Attention: Neural Mechanisms, Theories, and Affective Disorders. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2024; 76:2250-2256. [PMID: 38883545 PMCID: PMC11169100 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-04373-1] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Attention is a fundamental aspect of human cognitive function and is crucial for essential activities such as learning, social interaction, and routine tasks. Notably, Auditory attention involves complex interactions and collaboration among multiple brain networks. Recognizing the impairment of auditory attention, comprehending its underlying mechanisms, and identifying the activated brain regions essential for the development of treatments and interventions for individuals facing auditory attention deficits, emphasizes the significance of investigating these matters. In the current study, we conducted a review by searching for the full text of 53 articles published related to auditory attention, mechanisms, and networks in databases like Science Direct, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and PubMed using the keywords Attention, Auditory Attention, Auditory Attention Impairment, theories of attention were investigated in the years 2000 to 2023 And focused on articles that provided discussions within this research domain. The studies have demonstrated that auditory attention exceeds being an acoustic attribute and assumes a fundamental role in complex acoustic environments, information processing, and even speech comprehension. In the context of this study, we have conducted a review and summary of the proposed theories related to attention and the brain networks involved in different forms of auditory attention. In conclusion, the integration of auditory attention assessments, behavioral observations, and an understanding of the neural mechanisms and brain regions implicated in auditory attention proves to be an effective approach for the diagnosis and treatment of attention-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirreza Razzaghipour
- Student Research Committee, Department of Audiology, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Ashrafi
- Department of Audiology, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Audiology, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Fu Y, Guo T, Zheng J, He J, Shen M, Chen H. Children exhibit superior memory for attended but outdated information compared to adults. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4058. [PMID: 38744836 PMCID: PMC11094159 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48457-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Research on the development of cognitive selectivity predominantly focuses on attentional selection. The present study explores another facet of cognitive selectivity-memory selection-by examining the ability to filter attended yet outdated information in young children and adults. Across five experiments involving 130 children and 130 adults, participants are instructed to use specific information to complete a task, and then unexpectedly asked to report this information in a surprise test. The results consistently demonstrate a developmental reversal-like phenomenon, with children outperforming adults in reporting this kind of attended yet outdated information. Furthermore, we provide evidence against the idea that the results are due to different processing strategies or attentional deployments between adults and children. These results suggest that the ability of memory selection is not fully developed in young children, resulting in their inefficient filtering of attended yet outdated information that is not required for memory retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingtao Fu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tingyu Guo
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiewei Zheng
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jie He
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Mowei Shen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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31
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Ptak R, Bourgeois A. Disengagement of attention with spatial neglect: A systematic review of behavioral and anatomical findings. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 160:105622. [PMID: 38490498 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105622] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The present review examined the consequences of focal brain injury on spatial attention studied with cueing paradigms, with a particular focus on the disengagement deficit, which refers to the abnormal slowing of reactions following an ipsilesional cue. Our review supports the established notion that the disengagement deficit is a functional marker of spatial neglect and is particularly pronounced when elicited by peripheral cues. Recent research has revealed that this deficit critically depends on cues that have task-relevant characteristics or are associated with negative reinforcement. Attentional capture by task-relevant cues is contingent on damage to the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and is modulated by functional connections between the TPJ and the right insular cortex. Furthermore, damage to the dorsal premotor or prefrontal cortex (dPMC/dPFC) reduces the effect of task-relevant cues. These findings support an interactive model of the disengagement deficit, involving the right TPJ, the insula, and the dPMC/dPFC. These interconnected regions play a crucial role in regulating and adapting spatial attention to changing intrinsic values of stimuli in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Ptak
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurorehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1206, Switzerland; Division of Neurorehabilitation, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, Geneva 1205, Switzerland.
| | - Alexia Bourgeois
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurorehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1206, Switzerland; University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, School of Health Sciences, Avenue de Champel 47, Geneva 1206, Switzerland
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32
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Zhao YJ, Zhang X, Ku Y. Divergent roles of early visual cortex and inferior frontal junction in visual working memory. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:713-720. [PMID: 38839040 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.06.001] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies indicate that both prefrontal and visual regions play critical roles in visual working memory (VWM), with prefrontal regions mainly associated with executive functions, and visual cortices linked to representations of memory contents. VWM involves the selective filtering of irrelevant information, yet the specific contributions of the prefrontal regions and visual cortex in this process remain unclear. OBJECTIVE To understand the dynamic causal roles of prefrontal and visual regions in VWM. METHODS The differentiation of VWM components was achieved using a computational model that incorporated a swap rate for non-target stimuli. Single-pulse magnetic transcranial stimulation (spTMS) was delivered to the early visual cortex (EVC) and the inferior frontal junction (IFJ) across different phases of an orientation recall task that with or without distractors. RESULTS Our results indicate that spTMS over the EVC and IFJ influences VWM particularly when distractors are present. VWM precision can be impacted by spTMS applied to either region during the early retention, while spTMS effect is especially prominent when EVC is stimulated during the late retention phase and when directed at the ipsilateral EVC. Conversely, the probability of accurately recalling the target exhibited comparable patterns when spTMS was administered to either the EVC or IFJ. CONCLUSIONS We highlight the "sensory recruitment" of VWM characterized by critical involvement of EVC particularly in the information-filtering process within VWM. The maintenance of memory content representations necessitates ongoing communication between the EVC and IFJ throughout the entirety of the VWM process in a dynamic pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jie Zhao
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinying Zhang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yixuan Ku
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
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Qu H, Tang H, Wang L, Wang W, Zhao Y, Chen A, Hu C. Effects on brain structural and functional in deaf children after aerobic exercise training: a pilot cluster randomized controlled study. Int J Neurosci 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38618672 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2024.2341910] [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: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Purpose: To examine effects of aerobic exercise interventions on brain via the structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), as well as functional change during working memory (WM) task using fMRI in deaf children.Method: The study applied a cluster randomized controlled design. Twelve deaf children in the intervention group were required to complete an eleven-week aerobic exercise intervention, while other twelve age and gender matched deaf children in the control group were required to keep their normal daily life. Task fMRI images of each participant were acquired in the baseline and post intervention period. The surface-based morphometry (SBM) analysis and functional activation analysis were employed to probe the effects of 11-week aerobic exercise on cerebral structural and functional in deaf children, respectively.Results: The 11-week aerobic exercise intervention did not change brain structure in deaf children. However, behavior performance (reaction time and mean accuracy rate) presented significant improvements after the 11-week aerobic exercise intervention. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed decreased reaction time in the 2-back (p < 0.001) and 2-0 back (p < 0.001), and increased mean accuracy rate during 2-back (p = 0.034). Furthermore, enhanced brain activations in the left supplementary motor cortex (p < 0.05, FDR-corrected) and left paracentral lobule (p < 0.05, FDR-corrected) were observed in the intervention group.Conclusion: 11-week aerobic exercise intervention may not be able to modulate brain structure in deaf children, but may have significantly positive effects on behavior performance and brain functional activation during WM task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Qu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Tang
- Deparment of Health Sciences & Kinesiology, GA Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - Liping Wang
- Department of Biobank, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University. Yangzhou Jiangsu, China
- Institute of Epigenetics and Epigenomics, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University. Yangzhou Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Jiangsu, China
| | - Aiguo Chen
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Jiangsu, China
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34
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Riddle J, McPherson T, Sheikh A, Shin H, Hadar E, Frohlich F. Internal Representations Are Prioritized by Frontoparietal Theta Connectivity and Suppressed by alpha Oscillation Dynamics: Evidence from Concurrent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation EEG and Invasive EEG. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1381232024. [PMID: 38395616 PMCID: PMC11007311 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1381-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Control over internal representations requires the prioritization of relevant information and suppression of irrelevant information. The frontoparietal network exhibits prominent neural oscillations during these distinct cognitive processes. Yet, the causal role of this network-scale activity is unclear. Here, we targeted theta-frequency frontoparietal coherence and dynamic alpha oscillations in the posterior parietal cortex using online rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in women and men while they prioritized or suppressed internally maintained working memory (WM) representations. Using concurrent high-density EEG, we provided evidence that we acutely drove the targeted neural oscillation and TMS improved WM capacity only when the evoked activity corresponded with the desired cognitive process. To suppress an internal representation, we increased the amplitude of lateralized alpha oscillations in the posterior parietal cortex contralateral to the irrelevant visual field. For prioritization, we found that TMS to the prefrontal cortex increased theta-frequency connectivity in the prefrontoparietal network contralateral to the relevant visual field. To understand the spatial specificity of these effects, we administered the WM task to participants with implanted electrodes. We found that theta connectivity during prioritization was directed from the lateral prefrontal to the superior posterior parietal cortex. Together, these findings provide causal evidence in support of a model where a frontoparietal theta network prioritizes internally maintained representations and alpha oscillations in the posterior parietal cortex suppress irrelevant representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Riddle
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32304
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Trevor McPherson
- Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California 92161
| | - Atif Sheikh
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Haewon Shin
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
| | - Eldad Hadar
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Flavio Frohlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
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35
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Brilliant, Yaar-Soffer Y, Herrmann CS, Henkin Y, Kral A. Theta and alpha oscillatory signatures of auditory sensory and cognitive loads during complex listening. Neuroimage 2024; 289:120546. [PMID: 38387743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120546] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The neuronal signatures of sensory and cognitive load provide access to brain activities related to complex listening situations. Sensory and cognitive loads are typically reflected in measures like response time (RT) and event-related potentials (ERPs) components. It's, however, strenuous to distinguish the underlying brain processes solely from these measures. In this study, along with RT- and ERP-analysis, we performed time-frequency analysis and source localization of oscillatory activity in participants performing two different auditory tasks with varying degrees of complexity and related them to sensory and cognitive load. We studied neuronal oscillatory activity in both periods before the behavioral response (pre-response) and after it (post-response). Robust oscillatory activities were found in both periods and were differentially affected by sensory and cognitive load. Oscillatory activity under sensory load was characterized by decrease in pre-response (early) theta activity and increased alpha activity. Oscillatory activity under cognitive load was characterized by increased theta activity, mainly in post-response (late) time. Furthermore, source localization revealed specific brain regions responsible for processing these loads, such as temporal and frontal lobe, cingulate cortex and precuneus. The results provide evidence that in complex listening situations, the brain processes sensory and cognitive loads differently. These neural processes have specific oscillatory signatures and are long lasting, extending beyond the behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brilliant
- Department of Experimental Otology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Y Yaar-Soffer
- Department of Communication Disorder, Tel Aviv University, 5262657 Tel Aviv, Israel; Hearing, Speech and Language Center, Sheba Medical Center, 5265601 Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - C S Herrmann
- Experimental Psychology Division, University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Y Henkin
- Department of Communication Disorder, Tel Aviv University, 5262657 Tel Aviv, Israel; Hearing, Speech and Language Center, Sheba Medical Center, 5265601 Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - A Kral
- Department of Experimental Otology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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Abstract
Over 2.6 million adults over the age of 65 develop delirium each year in the United States (US). Delirium is associated with a significant increase in mortality and the US health care costs associated with delirium are estimated at over $164 billion annually. Despite the prevalence of the condition, the molecular pathophysiology of delirium remains unexplained, limiting the development of pharmacotherapies. Delirious patients can be identified by prominent impairments in attention and working memory (WM), two cognitive domains that localize to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). The dlPFC is also a key site for Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, and given the high risk of delirium in AD patients, suggests that efforts at understanding delirium might focus on the dlPFC as a final common endpoint for cognitive changes. Preclinical studies of the dlPFC reproduce many of the pharmacological observations made of delirious patients, including sensitivity to anticholinergics and an 'inverted U' pattern of dependence on monoaminergic input, with diminished performance outside a narrow range of signaling. Medications like guanfacine, which influence the dlPFC in the context of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have emerged as therapies for delirium and motivate a detailed understanding of the influence of α-2 agonists on WM. In this review, I will discuss the neural circuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying WM and the function of the dlPFC. Localizing the cognitive deficits that are commonly seen in delirious patients may help identify new molecular targets for this highly prevalent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A. Lyman
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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37
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Gresch D, Boettcher SEP, van Ede F, Nobre AC. Shifting attention between perception and working memory. Cognition 2024; 245:105731. [PMID: 38278040 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Most everyday tasks require shifting the focus of attention between sensory signals in the external environment and internal contents in working memory. To date, shifts of attention have been investigated within each domain, but shifts between the external and internal domain remain poorly understood. We developed a combined perception and working-memory task to investigate and compare the consequences of shifting spatial attention within and between domains in the service of a common orientation-reproduction task. Participants were sequentially cued to attend to items either in working memory or to an upcoming sensory stimulation. Stay trials provided a baseline condition, while shift trials required participants to shift their attention to another item within the same or different domain. Validating our experimental approach, we found evidence that participants shifted attention effectively in either domain (Experiment 1). In addition, we observed greater costs when transitioning attention between as compared to within domains (Experiments 1, 2). Strikingly, these costs persisted even when participants were given more time to complete the attentional shift (Experiment 2). Biases in fixational gaze behaviour tracked attentional orienting in both domains, but revealed no latency or magnitude difference for within- versus between-domain shifts (Experiment 1). Collectively, the results from Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that shifting between attentional domains might be regulated by a unique control function. Our results break new ground for exploring the ubiquitous act of shifting attention between perception and working memory to guide adaptive behaviour in everyday cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gresch
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Sage E P Boettcher
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Freek van Ede
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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38
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Abstract
The body of research on visual working memory (VWM)-the system often described as a limited memory store of visual information in service of ongoing tasks-is growing rapidly. The discovery of numerous related phenomena, and the many subtly different definitions of working memory, signify a challenge to maintain a coherent theoretical framework to discuss concepts, compare models and design studies. A lack of robust theory development has been a noteworthy concern in the psychological sciences, thought to be a precursor to the reproducibility crisis (Oberauer & Lewandowsky, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 26, 1596-1618, 2019). I review the theoretical landscape of the VWM field by examining two prominent debates-whether VWM is object-based or feature-based, and whether discrete-slots or variable-precision best describe VWM limits. I share my concerns about the dualistic nature of these debates and the lack of clear model specification that prevents fully determined empirical tests. In hopes of promoting theory development, I provide a working theory map by using the broadly encompassing memory for latent representations model (Hedayati et al., Nature Human Behaviour, 6, 5, 2022) as a scaffold for relevant phenomena and current theories. I illustrate how opposing viewpoints can be brought into accordance, situating leading models of VWM to better identify their differences and improve their comparison. The hope is that the theory map will help VWM researchers get on the same page-clarifying hidden intuitions and aligning varying definitions-and become a useful device for meaningful discussions, development of models, and definitive empirical tests of theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Xiang Quan Ngiam
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- Institute of Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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Tan G, Adams J, Donovan K, Demarest P, Willie JT, Brunner P, Gorlewicz JL, Leuthardt EC. Does Vibrotactile Stimulation of the Auricular Vagus Nerve Enhance Working Memory? A Behavioral and Physiological Investigation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.24.586365. [PMID: 38585960 PMCID: PMC10996508 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.24.586365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Background Working memory is essential to a wide range of cognitive functions and activities. Transcutaneous auricular VNS (taVNS) is a promising method to improve working memory performance. However, the feasibility and scalability of electrical stimulation are constrained by several limitations, such as auricular discomfort and inconsistent electrical contact. Objective We aimed to develop a novel and practical method, vibrotactile taVNS, to improve working memory. Further, we investigated its effects on arousal, measured by skin conductance and pupil diameter. Method This study included 20 healthy participants. Behavioral response, skin conductance, and eye tracking data were concurrently recorded while the participants performed N-back tasks under three conditions: vibrotactile taVNS delivered to the cymba concha, earlobe (sham control), and no stimulation (baseline control). Results In 4-back tasks, which demand maximal working memory capacity, active vibrotactile taVNS significantly improved the performance metric d ' compared to the baseline but not to the sham. Moreover, we found that the reduction rate of d ' with increasing task difficulty was significantly smaller during vibrotactile taVNS sessions than in both baseline and sham conditions. Arousal, measured as skin conductance and pupil diameter, declined over the course of the tasks. Vibrotactile taVNS rescued this arousal decline, leading to arousal levels corresponding to optimal working memory levels. Moreover, pupil diameter and skin conductance level were higher during high-cognitive-load tasks when vibrotactile taVNS was delivered to the concha compared to baseline and sham. Conclusion Our findings suggest that vibrotactile taVNS modulates the arousal pathway and could be a potential intervention for enhancing working memory. Highlights Vibrotactile stimulation of the auricular vagus nerve increases general arousal.Vibrotactile stimulation of the auricular vagus nerve mitigates arousal decreases as subjects continuously perform working memory tasks.6 Hz Vibrotactile auricular vagus nerve stimulation is a potential intervention for enhancing working memory performance.
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40
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Tan G, Adams J, Donovan K, Demarest P, Willie JT, Brunner P, Gorlewicz JL, Leuthardt EC. Does vibrotactile stimulation of the auricular vagus nerve enhance working memory? A behavioral and physiological investigation. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:460-468. [PMID: 38593972 PMCID: PMC11268363 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.04.002] [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] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory is essential to a wide range of cognitive functions and activities. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising method to improve working memory performance. However, the feasibility and scalability of electrical stimulation are constrained by several limitations, such as auricular discomfort and inconsistent electrical contact. OBJECTIVE We aimed to develop a novel and practical method, vibrotactile taVNS, to improve working memory. Further, we investigated its effects on arousal, measured by skin conductance and pupil diameter. METHOD This study included 20 healthy participants. Behavioral response, skin conductance, and eye tracking data were concurrently recorded while the participants performed N-back tasks under three conditions: vibrotactile taVNS delivered to the cymba concha, earlobe (sham control), and no stimulation (baseline control). RESULTS In 4-back tasks, which demand maximal working memory capacity, active vibrotactile taVNS significantly improved the performance metric d' compared to the baseline but not to the sham. Moreover, we found that the reduction rate of d' with increasing task difficulty was significantly smaller during vibrotactile taVNS sessions than in both baseline and sham conditions. Arousal, measured as skin conductance and pupil diameter, declined over the course of the tasks. Vibrotactile taVNS rescued this arousal decline, leading to arousal levels corresponding to optimal working memory levels. Moreover, pupil diameter and skin conductance level were higher during high-cognitive-load tasks when vibrotactile taVNS was delivered to the concha compared to baseline and sham. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that vibrotactile taVNS modulates the arousal pathway and could be a potential intervention for enhancing working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gansheng Tan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Josh Adams
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University, MO, USA
| | - Kara Donovan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Phillip Demarest
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jon T Willie
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Peter Brunner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jenna L Gorlewicz
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University, MO, USA
| | - Eric C Leuthardt
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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41
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Günseli E, Foster JJ, Sutterer DW, Todorova L, Vogel EK, Awh E. Encoded and updated spatial working memories share a common representational format in alpha activity. iScience 2024; 27:108963. [PMID: 38333713 PMCID: PMC10850742 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) flexibly updates information to adapt to the dynamic environment. Here, we used alpha-band activity in the EEG to reconstruct the content of dynamic WM updates and compared this representational format to static WM content. An inverted encoding model using alpha activity precisely tracked both the initially encoded position and the updated position following an auditory cue signaling mental updating. The timing of the update, as tracked in the EEG, correlated with reaction times and saccade latency. Finally, cross-training analyses revealed a robust generalization of alpha-band reconstruction of WM contents before and after updating. These findings demonstrate that alpha activity tracks the dynamic updates to spatial WM and that the format of this activity is preserved across the encoded and updated representations. Thus, our results highlight a new approach for measuring updates to WM and show common representational formats during dynamic mental updating and static storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eren Günseli
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Joshua J. Foster
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David W. Sutterer
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Lara Todorova
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Edward K. Vogel
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Edward Awh
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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42
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Weber S, Christophel T, Görgen K, Soch J, Haynes J. Working memory signals in early visual cortex are present in weak and strong imagers. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26590. [PMID: 38401134 PMCID: PMC10893972 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that visual images are memorized across brief periods of time by vividly imagining them as if they were still there. In line with this, the contents of both working memory and visual imagery are known to be encoded already in early visual cortex. If these signals in early visual areas were indeed to reflect a combined imagery and memory code, one would predict them to be weaker for individuals with reduced visual imagery vividness. Here, we systematically investigated this question in two groups of participants. Strong and weak imagers were asked to remember images across brief delay periods. We were able to reliably reconstruct the memorized stimuli from early visual cortex during the delay. Importantly, in contrast to the prediction, the quality of reconstruction was equally accurate for both strong and weak imagers. The decodable information also closely reflected behavioral precision in both groups, suggesting it could contribute to behavioral performance, even in the extreme case of completely aphantasic individuals. Our data thus suggest that working memory signals in early visual cortex can be present even in the (near) absence of phenomenal imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Weber
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced NeuroimagingCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Research Training Group “Extrospection” and Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Research Cluster of Excellence “Science of Intelligence”Technische Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Thomas Christophel
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced NeuroimagingCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of PsychologyHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Kai Görgen
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced NeuroimagingCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Research Cluster of Excellence “Science of Intelligence”Technische Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Joram Soch
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced NeuroimagingCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Institute of Psychology, Otto von Guericke University MagdeburgMagdeburgGermany
| | - John‐Dylan Haynes
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced NeuroimagingCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Research Training Group “Extrospection” and Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Research Cluster of Excellence “Science of Intelligence”Technische Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of PsychologyHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Collaborative Research Center “Volition and Cognitive Control”Technische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
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Ansado J, Eynard B, Mirofle N, Mennetrey C, Banchereau J, Sablon M, Lokietek E, Le Vourc'h F, Tissot J, Wrobel J, Martel C, Granon S, Suarez S. Adult norms for the decision-making MindPulse Digital Test. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38354094 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2024.2307413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
We present adult normalized data for MindPulse (MP), a new tool evaluating attentional and executive functioning (AEF) in decision-making. We recruited 722 neurotypical participants (18-80 years), with 149 retested. The MP test includes three tasks: Simple Reaction Time (SRT), Go/No-go, and complex Go/No-go, involving perceptual components, motor responses, and measurements of reaction time (RT) and correctness. We compare responses, evaluating 14 cognitive indices (including new composite indices to describe AEF: Executive Speed and Reaction to Difficulty). We adjust for age/sex effects, introduce a difficulty scale, and consider standard deviations, aberrant times, and Spearman Correlation for speed-accuracy balance. Wilcoxon unpaired rank test is used to assess sex effects, and linear regression is employed to assess the age linear dependency model on the normalized database. The study demonstrated age and sex effects on RTs, in all three subtests, and the ability to correct it for individual results. The test showed excellent validity (Cronbach Alpha for the three subtasks is 92, 87, 95%) and high internal consistency (p < 0.001 for each subtask significantly faster than the more complex subtask) of the MP across the wide age range. Results showed correlation within the three RT parts of the test (p < .001 for each) and the independence of SRT, RD, and ES indices. The Retest effect was lower than intersubject variance, showing consistency over time. This study highlights the MP test's strong validity on a homogeneous, large adult sample. It emphasizes assessing AEF and Reaction to Difficulty dynamically with high sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bertrand Eynard
- It's Brain SAS, Orsay, France
- IPHT/DRF/CEA Institut de Physique Théorique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- CRM Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nastasia Mirofle
- Institut des Neurosciences de Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - Eline Lokietek
- Centre SSR Marguerite Boucicaut, Chalon sur Saône, France
| | | | | | | | - Claire Martel
- Centre de Santé Universitaire, St Martin d'Hères, France
| | - Sylvie Granon
- Institut des Neurosciences de Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
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Huang S, Ge Y, Wang L, Jiang Y. Life motion signals modulate visual working memory. Psychon Bull Rev 2024; 31:380-388. [PMID: 37620631 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02362-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that biological motion (BM) cues can induce a reflexive attentional orienting effect, a phenomenon referred to as social attention. However, it remains undetermined whether BM cues can further affect higher-order cognitive processes, such as visual working memory (WM). By combining a modified central pre-cueing paradigm with a traditional WM change detection task, the current study investigated whether the walking direction of BM, as a non-predictive central cue, could modulate the encoding process of WM. Results revealed a significant improvement in WM performance for the items appearing at the location cued by the walking direction of BM. The observed effect disappeared when the BM cues were shown inverted, or when the critical biological characteristics of the cues were removed. Crucially, this effect could be extended to upright feet motion cues without global configuration, reflecting the key role of local BM signals in modulating WM. More importantly, such a BM-induced modulation effect was not observed with inanimate motion cues, although these cues can also elicit attentional effects. Our findings suggest that the attentional effect induced by life motion signals can penetrate to higher-order cognitive processes, and provide compelling evidence for the existence of "life motion detector" in the human brain from a high-level cognitive function perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 26 Science Park Road, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yiping Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 26 Science Park Road, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 26 Science Park Road, Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 26 Science Park Road, Beijing, 102206, China
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45
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Şentürk YD, Ünver N, Demircan C, Egner T, Günseli E. The reactivation of task rules triggers the reactivation of task-relevant items. Cortex 2024; 171:465-480. [PMID: 38141571 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) describes the temporary storage of task-relevant items and procedural rules to guide action. Despite its central importance for goal-directed behavior, the interplay between WM and long-term memory (LTM) remains poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that repeated use of the same task-relevant item in WM results in a hand-off of the storage of that item to LTM, and switching to a new item reactivates WM. To further elucidate the rules governing WM-LTM interactions, we here planned to probe whether a change in task rules, independent of a switch in task-relevant items, would also lead to WM reactivation of maintained items. To this end, we used scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) data, specifically the contralateral delay activity (CDA), to track WM item storage while manipulating repetitions and changes in task rules and task-relevant items across trials in a visual WM task. We tested two rival hypotheses: If changes in task rules result in a reactivation of the target item representation, then the CDA should increase when a task change is cued even when the same target has been repeated across trials. However, if the reactivation of a task-relevant item only depends on the mnemonic availability of the item itself instead of the task it is used for, then only the changes in task-relevant items should reactivate the representations. Accordingly, the CDA amplitude should decrease for repeated task-relevant items independently of a task change. We found a larger CDA on task-switch compared to task-repeat trials, suggesting that the reactivation of task rules triggers the reactivation of task-relevant items in WM. By demonstrating that WM reactivation of LTM is interdependent for task rules and task-relevant items, this study informs our understanding of visual WM and its interplay with LTM. PREREGISTERED STAGE 1 PROTOCOL: https://osf.io/zp9e8 (date of in-principle acceptance: 19/12/2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yağmur D Şentürk
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
| | - Nursima Ünver
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul, Türkiye; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.
| | - Can Demircan
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Tobias Egner
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eren Günseli
- Department of Psychology, Sabancı University, Istanbul, Türkiye
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Chaturvedi A, Chaturvedi A, Ellika S, Lewis PJ. Teaching the Future Radiologist: TED-Inspired Radiology Didactics. Acad Radiol 2024; 31:377-382. [PMID: 38401983 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2023.09.046] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
TED (acronym for technology, entertainment and design) conferences are an astonishingly successful modern-day platform for "ideas worth spreading". These continue to engage, enlighten and entertain an ever-expanding audience base. TED speakers highlight simple yet relevant ideas, often challenging entrenched perspectives and proposing hitherto unexplored solutions. In this perspective, the authors propose modeling some aspects of Radiology didactics along certain fundamental principles of TED and outline techniques to accomplish this. We overview how this shift can engage diverse learners and enhance retention of key information. We include evidence on such pedagogical techniques boosting learners' working memory and providing strategies for creative problem solving. Finally, we caution educators against criticisms of the TED format, including prioritizing style over content, "dumbing down" information to make it fit a prescribed format and sometimes offering insufficient scientific rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apeksha Chaturvedi
- Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box 648, 601, Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, Newyork, USA (A.C., S.E.).
| | - Aadya Chaturvedi
- Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (A.C.)
| | - Shehanaz Ellika
- Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box 648, 601, Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, Newyork, USA (A.C., S.E.)
| | - Petra J Lewis
- Department of Radiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA (P.J.L.)
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47
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Tian Y, Tan C, Tan J, Yang L, Tang Y. Top-down modulation of DLPFC in visual search: a study based on fMRI and TMS. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad540. [PMID: 38212289 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective visual search is essential for daily life, and attention orientation as well as inhibition of return play a significant role in visual search. Researches have established the involvement of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in cognitive control during selective attention. However, neural evidence regarding dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates inhibition of return in visual search is still insufficient. In this study, we employed event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic causal modeling to develop modulation models for two types of visual search tasks. In the region of interest analyses, we found that the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction were selectively activated in the main effect of search type. Dynamic causal modeling results indicated that temporoparietal junction received sensory inputs and only dorsolateral prefrontal cortex →temporoparietal junction connection was modulated in serial search. Such neural modulation presents a significant positive correlation with behavioral reaction time. Furthermore, theta burst stimulation via transcranial magnetic stimulation was utilized to modulate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region, resulting in the disappearance of the inhibition of return effect during serial search after receiving continuous theta burst stimulation. Our findings provide a new line of causal evidence that the top-down modulation by dorsolateral prefrontal cortex influences the inhibition of return effect during serial search possibly through the retention of inhibitory tagging via working memory storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Tian
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
- School of Bioinformatics, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
- Institute for Advanced Sciences, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
- Chongqing Institute for Brain and Intelligence, Guangyang Bay Laboratory, Chongqing 400064, China
| | - Congming Tan
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Jianling Tan
- School of Bioinformatics, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Li Yang
- School of Bioinformatics, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
- Department of Medical Engineering, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, ChongQing 400065, China
| | - Yi Tang
- School of Bioinformatics, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
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Rizza A, Pedale T, Mastroberardino S, Olivetti Belardinelli M, Van der Lubbe RHJ, Spence C, Santangelo V. Working Memory Maintenance of Visual and Auditory Spatial Information Relies on Supramodal Neural Codes in the Dorsal Frontoparietal Cortex. Brain Sci 2024; 14:123. [PMID: 38391698 PMCID: PMC10886761 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14020123] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The frontoparietal attention network plays a pivotal role during working memory (WM) maintenance, especially under high-load conditions. Nevertheless, there is ongoing debate regarding whether this network relies on supramodal or modality-specific neural signatures. In this study, we used multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to evaluate the neural representation of visual versus auditory information during WM maintenance. During fMRI scanning, participants maintained small or large spatial configurations (low- or high-load trials) of either colour shades or sound pitches in WM for later retrieval. Participants were less accurate in retrieving high- vs. low-load trials, demonstrating an effective manipulation of WM load, irrespective of the sensory modality. The frontoparietal regions involved in maintaining high- vs. low-load spatial maps in either sensory modality were highlighted using a conjunction analysis. Widespread activity was found across the dorsal frontoparietal network, peaking on the frontal eye fields and the superior parietal lobule, bilaterally. Within these regions, MVPAs were performed to quantify the pattern of distinctness of visual vs. auditory neural codes during WM maintenance. These analyses failed to reveal distinguishable patterns in the dorsal frontoparietal regions, thus providing support for a common, supramodal neural code associated with the retention of either visual or auditory spatial configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Rizza
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Pedale
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Mastroberardino
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences & Education, University of Perugia, Piazza G. Ermini 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Marta Olivetti Belardinelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- ECONA, Interuniversity Centre for Research on Cognitive Processing in Natural and Artificial Systems, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Rob H J Van der Lubbe
- Cognition, Data and Education, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Vision Science and Optometry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Wieniawskiego 1, 61-712 Poznan, Poland
| | - Charles Spence
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Oxford OX2 6BW, UK
| | - Valerio Santangelo
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences & Education, University of Perugia, Piazza G. Ermini 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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Šimko P, Pupíková M, Gajdoš M, Klobušiaková P, Vávra V, Šimo A, Rektorová I. Exploring the impact of intensified multiple session tDCS over the left DLPFC on brain function in MCI: a randomized control trial. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1512. [PMID: 38233437 PMCID: PMC10794210 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51690-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with cognitive training (tDCS-cog) represents a promising approach to combat cognitive decline among healthy older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this 5-day-long double-blinded randomized trial, we investigated the impact of intensified tDCS-cog protocol involving two trains of stimulation per day on working memory (WM) enhancement in 35 amnestic and multidomain amnestic MCI patients. Specifically, we focused to improve WM tasks relying on top-down attentional control and hypothesized that intensified tDCS would enhance performance of visual object matching task (VOMT) immediately after the stimulation regimen and at a 1-month follow-up. Secondarily, we explored whether the stimulation would augment online visual working memory training. Using fMRI, we aimed to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the intervention effects by analyzing BOLD activations during VOMT. Our main finding revealed no superior after-effects of tDCS-cog over the sham on VOMT among individuals with MCI as indicated by insignificant immediate and long-lasting after-effects. Additionally, the tDCS-cog did not enhance online training as predicted. The fMRI analysis revealed brain activity alterations in right insula that may be linked to tDCS-cog intervention. In the study we discuss the insignificant behavioral results in the context of the current evidence in tDCS parameter space and opening the discussion of possible interference between trained cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Šimko
- Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - CEITEC, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Pupíková
- Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - CEITEC, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Gajdoš
- Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - CEITEC, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - P Klobušiaková
- Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - CEITEC, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Surgeon General Office of the, Slovak Armed Forces, Ružomberok, Slovak Republic
| | - V Vávra
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - A Šimo
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - I Rektorová
- Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology - CEITEC, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.
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50
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Wang SY, Gong XM, Zhan LZ, You FH, Sun Q. Attention influences the effects of the previous form orientation on the current motion direction estimation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1394. [PMID: 38228771 PMCID: PMC10791700 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52069-5] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have found that the estimates of motion directions are biased toward the previous form orientations, showing serial dependence, and the serial dependence does not involve cognitive abilities. In the current study, we conducted two experiments to investigate whether and how attention-a cognitive ability-affected the serial dependence. The results showed that serial dependence was present in the current study, reproducing the previous findings. Importantly, when the attentional load reduced the reliability (i.e., estimation accuracy and precision) of previous form orientations (Experiment 1), the serial dependence decreased, meaning that the biases of motion direction estimates toward previous form orientations were reduced; in contrast, when the attentional load reduced the reliability of current motion directions (Experiment 2), the serial dependence increased, meaning that the biases of motion direction estimates toward previous form orientations were increased. These trends were well consistent with the prediction of the Bayesian inference theory. Therefore, the current study revealed the involvement of attention in the serial dependence of current motion direction estimation on the previous form orientation, demonstrating that the serial dependence was cognitive and the attentional effect can be a Bayesian inference process, initially revealing its computational mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Yu Wang
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiu-Mei Gong
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin-Zhe Zhan
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan-Huan You
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Sun
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People's Republic of China.
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Jinhua, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People's Republic of China.
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