1
|
Hill NM, Tripp HM, Wolpert DM, Malone LA, Bastian AJ. Age-dependent predictors of effective reinforcement motor learning across childhood. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.09.602665. [PMID: 39026875 PMCID: PMC11257637 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.09.602665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Across development, children must learn motor skills such as eating with a spoon and drawing with a crayon. Reinforcement learning, driven by success and failure, is fundamental to such sensorimotor learning. It typically requires a child to explore movement options along a continuum (grip location on a crayon) and learn from probabilistic rewards (whether the crayon draws or breaks). Here, we studied the development of reinforcement motor learning using online motor tasks to engage children aged 3 to 17 and adults (cross-sectional sample, N=385). Participants moved a cartoon penguin across a scene and were rewarded (animated cartoon clip) based on their final movement position. Learning followed a clear developmental trajectory when participants could choose to move anywhere along a continuum and the reward probability depended on final movement position. Learning was incomplete or absent in 3 to 8-year-olds and gradually improved to adult-like levels by adolescence. A reinforcement learning model fit to each participant identified three age-dependent factors underlying improvement: amount of exploration after a failed movement, learning rate, and level of motor noise. We predicted, and confirmed, that switching to discrete targets and deterministic reward would improve 3 to 8-year-olds' learning to adult-like levels by increasing exploration after failed movements. Overall, we show a robust developmental trajectory of reinforcement motor learning abilities under ecologically relevant conditions i.e., continuous movement options mapped to probabilistic reward. This learning appears to be limited by immature spatial processing and probabilistic reasoning abilities in young children and can be rescued by reducing the demands in these domains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nayo M Hill
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Daniel M Wolpert
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Laura A Malone
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Amy J Bastian
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Soppa V, Lucht S, Ogurtsova K, Buschka A, López-Vicente M, Guxens M, Weinhold K, Winkler U, Wiedensohler A, Held A, Lüchtrath S, Cyrys J, Kecorius S, Gastmeier P, Wiese-Posselt M, Hoffmann B. The Berlin-Brandenburg Air Study-A Methodological Study Paper of a Natural Experiment Investigating Health Effects Related to Changes in Airport-Related Exposures. Int J Public Health 2023; 68:1606096. [PMID: 38045993 PMCID: PMC10689260 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: This paper presents the study design of the Berlin-Brandenburg Air study (BEAR-study). We measure air quality in Berlin and Brandenburg before and after the relocation of aircraft (AC) traffic from Tegel (TXL) airport to the new Berlin-Brandenburg airport (BER) and investigate the association of AC-related ultrafine particles (UFP) with health outcomes in schoolchildren. Methods: The BEAR-study is a natural experiment examining schoolchildren attending schools near TXL and BER airports, and in control areas (CA) away from both airports and associated air corridors. Each child undergoes repeated school-based health-examinations. Total particle number concentration (PNC) and meteorological parameters are continuously monitored. Submicrometer particle number size distribution, equivalent black carbon, and gas-phase pollutants are collected from long-term air quality monitoring stations. Daily source-specific UFP concentrations are modeled. We will analyze short-term effects of UFP on respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurocognitive outcomes, as well as medium and long-term effects on lung growth and cognitive development. Results: We examined 1,070 children (as of 30 November 2022) from 16 schools in Berlin and Brandenburg. Conclusion: The BEAR study increases the understanding of how AC-related UFP affect children's health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Soppa
- Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sarah Lucht
- Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cardinal Health Real-World Evidence and Insights, Dublin, OH, United States
| | - Katherine Ogurtsova
- Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anna Buschka
- Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mónica López-Vicente
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kay Weinhold
- Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulf Winkler
- Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Held
- Environmental Chemistry and Air Research, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Lüchtrath
- Environmental Chemistry and Air Research, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Cyrys
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Simonas Kecorius
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Petra Gastmeier
- Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Wiese-Posselt
- Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbara Hoffmann
- Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Aguilar-Lacasaña S, Vilor-Tejedor N, Jansen PR, López-Vicente M, Bustamante M, Burgaleta M, Sunyer J, Alemany S. Polygenic risk for ADHD and ASD and their relation with cognitive measures in school children. Psychol Med 2022; 52:1356-1364. [PMID: 32924895 PMCID: PMC9157306 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720003189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are child-onset neurodevelopmental disorders frequently accompanied by cognitive difficulties. In the current study, we aim to examine the genetic overlap between ADHD and ASD and cognitive measures of working memory (WM) and attention performance among schoolchildren using a polygenic risk approach. METHODS A total of 1667 children from a population-based cohort aged 7-11 years with data available on genetics and cognition were included in the analyses. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were calculated for ADHD and ASD using results from the largest GWAS to date (N = 55 374 and N = 46 351, respectively). The cognitive outcomes included verbal and numerical WM and the standard error of hit reaction time (HRTSE) as a measure of attention performance. These outcomes were repeatedly assessed over 1-year period using computerized version of the Attention Network Test and n-back task. Associations were estimated using linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS Higher polygenic risk for ADHD was associated with lower WM performance at baseline time but not over time. These findings remained significant after adjusting by multiple testing and excluding individuals with an ADHD diagnosis but were limited to boys. PRS for ASD was only nominally associated with an increased improvement on verbal WM over time, although this association did not survive multiple testing correction. No associations were observed for HRTSE. CONCLUSIONS Common genetic variants related to ADHD may contribute to worse WM performance among schoolchildren from the general population but not to the subsequent cognitive-developmental trajectory assessed over 1-year period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Aguilar-Lacasaña
- University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVIC-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natàlia Vilor-Tejedor
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Beta Brain Research Center (BBBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Genetics, ERASMUS MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip R. Jansen
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University and Department of Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam UMC - location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mònica López-Vicente
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Miguel Burgaleta
- Department of Technology, Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Alemany
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hamilton M, Ross A, Blaser E, Kaldy Z. Proactive interference and the development of working memory. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 13:e1593. [PMID: 35193170 PMCID: PMC9640215 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM), the ability to maintain information in service to a task, is characterized by its limited capacity. Several influential models attribute this limitation in a large extent to proactive interference (PI), the phenomenon that previously encoded, now-irrelevant information competes with relevant information. Here, we look back at the adult PI literature, spanning over 60 years, as well as recent results linking the ability to cope with PI to WM capacity. In early development, WM capacity is even more limited, yet an accounting for the role of PI has been lacking. Our Focus Article aims to address this through an integrative account: since PI resolution is mediated by networks involving the frontal cortex (particularly, the left inferior frontal gyrus) and the posterior parietal cortex, and since children have protracted development and less recruitment of these areas, the increase in the ability to cope with PI is a major factor underlying the increase in WM capacity in early development. Given this, we suggest that future research should focus on mechanistic studies of PI resolution in children. Finally, we note a crucial methodological implication: typical WM paradigms repeat stimuli from trial-to-trial, facilitating, inadvertently, PI and reducing performance; we may be fundamentally underestimating children's WM capacity. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Memory Neuroscience > Cognition Neuroscience > Development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zsuzsa Kaldy
- corresponding author: Dr. Zsuzsa Kaldy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Dept. of Psychology, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125,
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Neurophysiological Verbal Working Memory Patterns in Children: Searching for a Benchmark of Modality Differences in Audio/Video Stimuli Processing. COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 2021:4158580. [PMID: 34966418 PMCID: PMC8712130 DOI: 10.1155/2021/4158580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Exploration of specific brain areas involved in verbal working memory (VWM) is a powerful but not widely used tool for the study of different sensory modalities, especially in children. In this study, for the first time, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate neurophysiological similarities and differences in response to the same verbal stimuli, expressed in the auditory and visual modality during the n-back task with varying memory load in children. Since VWM plays an important role in learning ability, we wanted to investigate whether children elaborated the verbal input from auditory and visual stimuli through the same neural patterns and if performance varies depending on the sensory modality. Performance in terms of reaction times was better in visual than auditory modality (p = 0.008) and worse as memory load increased regardless of the modality (p < 0.001). EEG activation was proportionally influenced by task level and was evidenced in theta band over the prefrontal cortex (p = 0.021), along the midline (p = 0.003), and on the left hemisphere (p = 0.003). Differences in the effects of the two modalities were seen only in gamma band in the parietal cortices (p = 0.009). The values of a brainwave-based engagement index, innovatively used here to test children in a dual-modality VWM paradigm, varied depending on n-back task level (p = 0.001) and negatively correlated (p = 0.002) with performance, suggesting its computational effectiveness in detecting changes in mental state during memory tasks involving children. Overall, our findings suggest that auditory and visual VWM involved the same brain cortical areas (frontal, parietal, occipital, and midline) and that the significant differences in cortical activation in theta band were more related to memory load than sensory modality, suggesting that VWM function in the child's brain involves a cross-modal processing pattern.
Collapse
|
6
|
Krogsrud SK, Mowinckel AM, Sederevicius D, Vidal-Piñeiro D, Amlien IK, Wang Y, Sørensen Ø, Walhovd KB, Fjell AM. Relationships between apparent cortical thickness and working memory across the lifespan - Effects of genetics and socioeconomic status. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 51:100997. [PMID: 34392161 PMCID: PMC8371229 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) supports several higher-level cognitive abilities, yet we know less about factors associated with development and decline in WM compared to other cognitive processes. Here, we investigated lifespan changes in WM capacity and their structural brain correlates, using a longitudinal sample including 2358 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and WM scores from 1656 participants (4.4-86.4 years, mean follow-up interval 4.3 years). 8764 participants (9.0-10.9 years) with MRI, WM scores and genetic information from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study were used for follow-up analyses. Results showed that both the information manipulation component and the storage component of WM improved during childhood and adolescence, but the age-decline could be fully explained by reductions in passive storage capacity alone. Greater WM function in development was related to apparent thinner cortex in both samples, also when general cognitive function was accounted for. The same WM-apparent thickness relationship was found for young adults. The WM-thickness relationships could not be explained by SNP-based co-heritability or by socioeconomic status. A larger sample with genetic information may be necessary to disentangle the true gene-environment effects. In conclusion, WM capacity changes greatly through life and has anatomically extended rather than function-specific structural cortical correlates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stine K Krogsrud
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - Athanasia M Mowinckel
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - Donatas Sederevicius
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - Didac Vidal-Piñeiro
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - Inge K Amlien
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Sørensen
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, 0372, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M Fjell
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, 0372, Oslo, Norway.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Camprodon-Rosanas E, Ribas-Fitó N, Batlle S, Persavento C, Alvarez-Pedrerol M, Sunyer J, Forns J. Association Between Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms and Attentional Network and Working Memory in Primary Schoolchildren. J Atten Disord 2020; 24:1787-1795. [PMID: 28397576 DOI: 10.1177/1087054717702245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background: Few consistent data are available in relation to the cognitive and neuropsychological processes involved in sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms. The objective of this study was to determine the association of working memory and attentional networks with SCT symptoms in primary schoolchildren. Methods: The participants were schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years (n = 183) from primary schools in Catalonia (Spain). All the participants completed a working memory task (n-back) and an attentional network task (ANT). Their parents completed an SCT-Child Behavior Checklist self-report and a questionnaire concerning sociodemographic variables. Teachers of the participants provided information on ADHD symptoms and learning determinants. Results: SCT symptoms were correlated with lower scores in both the n-back and ANT. In multivariate regression analysis, SCT symptoms were associated with slower hit reaction times from the ANT. Conclusions: Our results suggest that SCT symptoms are associated with a neuropsychological profile that is different from the classical ADHD profile and characterized by slower reaction times.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Camprodon-Rosanas
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department of Hospital Sant Joan de Déu of Barcelona, Passeig Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - S Batlle
- Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addiccions, CSMIJ, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Persavento
- Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Alvarez-Pedrerol
- Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Sunyer
- Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Forns
- Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lambert HK, Peverill M, Sambrook KA, Rosen ML, Sheridan MA, McLaughlin KA. Altered development of hippocampus-dependent associative learning following early-life adversity. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 38:100666. [PMID: 31276941 PMCID: PMC6684815 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how childhood adversity influences the development of learning and memory and underlying neural circuits. We examined whether violence exposure in childhood influenced hippocampus-dependent associative learning and whether differences: a) were broad or specific to threat cues, and b) exhibited developmental variation. Children (n = 59; 8-19 years, 24 violence-exposed) completed an associative learning task with angry, happy, and neutral faces paired with objects during fMRI scanning. Outside the scanner, participants completed an associative memory test for face-object pairings. Violence-exposed children exhibited broad associative memory difficulties that became more pronounced with age, along with reduced recruitment of the hippocampus and atypical recruitment of fronto-parietal regions during encoding. Violence-exposed children also showed selective disruption of associative memory for threat cues regardless of age, along with reduced recruitment of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) during encoding in the presence of threat. Broad associative learning difficulties may be a functional consequence of the toxic effects of early-life stress on hippocampal and fronto-parietal cortical development. Difficulties in the presence of threat cues may result from enhanced threat processing that disrupts encoding and short-term storage of associative information in the IPS. These associative learning difficulties may contribute to poor life outcomes following childhood violence exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary K. Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195-1525, USA,Corresponding author.
| | - Matthew Peverill
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195-1525, USA.
| | - Kelly A. Sambrook
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195-1525, USA
| | - Maya L. Rosen
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195-1525, USA
| | - Margaret A. Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, 235 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Katie A. McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, William James Hall, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Morningstar M, Grannis C, Mattson WI, Nelson EE. Associations Between Adolescents' Social Re-orientation Toward Peers Over Caregivers and Neural Response to Teenage Faces. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:108. [PMID: 31178704 PMCID: PMC6544008 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of intensive development in body, brain, and behavior. Potentiated by changes in hormones and neural response to social stimuli, teenagers undergo a process of social re-orientation away from their caregivers and toward expanding peer networks. The current study examines how relative relational closeness to peers (compared to parents) during adolescence is linked to neural response to the facial emotional expressions of other teenagers. Self-reported closeness with friends (same- and opposite-sex) and parents (mother and father), and neural response to facial stimuli during fMRI, were assessed in 8- to 19-year-old typically developing youth (n = 40, mean age = 13.90 years old, SD = 3.36; 25 female). Youth who reported greater relative closeness with peers than with parents showed decreased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during stimulus presentation, which may reflect lessened inhibitory control or regulatory response to peer-aged faces. Functional connectivity between the dlPFC and dorsal striatum was greatest in older youth who were closer to peers; in contrast, negative coupling between these regions was noted for both younger participants who were closer to peers and older participants who were closer to their parents. In addition, the association between relative closeness to peers and neural activation in regions of the social brain varied by emotion type and age. Results suggest that the re-orientation toward peers that occurs during adolescence is accompanied by changes in neural response to peer-aged social signals in social cognitive, prefrontal, and subcortical networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Morningstar
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Connor Grannis
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Whitney I. Mattson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Eric E. Nelson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Rivas I, Basagaña X, Cirach M, López-Vicente M, Suades-González E, Garcia-Esteban R, Álvarez-Pedrerol M, Dadvand P, Sunyer J. Association between Early Life Exposure to Air Pollution and Working Memory and Attention. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2019; 127:57002. [PMID: 31070940 PMCID: PMC6791117 DOI: 10.1289/ehp3169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although previous studies have reported negative associations between exposure to air pollution and cognition, studies of the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures in early childhood have been limited. OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the role exposure to fine particulate matter ([Formula: see text]) during different prenatal and postnatal windows may play in children's cognitive development at school age. METHODS Within the Brain Development and Air Pollution Ultrafine Particles in School Children (BREATHE) Project, we estimated residential [Formula: see text] exposures by land use regression for the prenatal period and first seven postnatal years of 2,221 children from Barcelona, Spain. The participants ([Formula: see text]) completed computerized tests assessing working memory, attentiveness, and conflict network during four visits in 2012–2013. We used linear mixed effects and distributed lag models to assess the period of exposure to [Formula: see text] in association with cognitive development. RESULTS Inverse associations were identified between [Formula: see text] exposure during the fifth and sixth postnatal years and working memory, with boys showing much higher vulnerability. Regarding attention functions, exposure to higher [Formula: see text] levels during the prenatal period and from the fourth postnatal year were associated with a reduction in conflict network performance, though we found no association with attentiveness. The overall estimated cumulative effect of a [Formula: see text] increase in [Formula: see text] resulted in a reduction in the working memory [Formula: see text] score of [Formula: see text] [95% confidence interval (CI): [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]] points and an increase in the conflict attentional network of 11.31 (95% CI: 6.05, 16.57) milliseconds, indicating a poorer performance. CONCLUSIONS Early life exposure to [Formula: see text] was associated with a reduction in fundamental cognitive abilities, including working memory and conflict attentional network. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3169.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioar Rivas
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, Environmental Research Group, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Cirach
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica López-Vicente
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
- Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques–Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Elisabet Suades-González
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
- Learning Disabilities Unit (UTAE), Neuropediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Garcia-Esteban
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Álvarez-Pedrerol
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
| | - Payam Dadvand
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health), Madrid, Spain
- Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques–Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Botdorf M, Riggins T. When less is more: Thinner fronto-parietal cortices are associated with better forward digit span performance during early childhood. Neuropsychologia 2018; 121:11-18. [PMID: 30393004 PMCID: PMC6289754 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Although research shows that working memory improves during early childhood, it remains unclear how the fronto-parietal network of cortical regions, known to support this ability in adults, relates to changes in young children. Measures of cortical thickness may be useful in investigating this association as they reflect age-related differences in gray matter and have been proposed to support age-related improvements in other cognitive abilities, but have only sparingly been tested empirically in early childhood. The present study sought to investigate relations between cortical thickness and performance on a digit span task in 200 4- to 8-year-old children using both a priori defined regions of interest related to working memory (superior frontal cortex, middle frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, superior parietal cortex) and whole brain analyses. Results indicated a significant association between cortical thickness in each a priori defined fronto-parietal region and performance on digit span, such that those with a thinner cortex recalled more items than those with a thicker cortex. Similar regions emerged from the whole brain analyses, as did several other regions not typically included in the fronto-parietal network. Results of a mediation analysis indicated that age-related differences in behavior were partially explained by variations in thickness of anterior cingulate cortex, suggesting a potentially important role for this structure during early childhood. Overall, these results suggest that in children as young as 4 years of age there are associations between working memory abilities and thickness in cortical areas known to support working memory in adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Botdorf
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Alemany S, Vilor-Tejedor N, García-Esteban R, Bustamante M, Dadvand P, Esnaola M, Mortamais M, Forns J, van Drooge BL, Álvarez-Pedrerol M, Grimalt JO, Rivas I, Querol X, Pujol J, Sunyer J. Traffic-Related Air Pollution, APOEε4 Status, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes among School Children Enrolled in the BREATHE Project (Catalonia, Spain). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:087001. [PMID: 30073950 PMCID: PMC6108838 DOI: 10.1289/ehp2246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traffic-related air pollution is emerging as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and impaired brain development. Individual differences in vulnerability to air pollution may involve the ε4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, the primary genetic risk factor for AD. OBJECTIVE We analyzed whether the association between traffic air pollution and neurodevelopmental outcomes is modified by APOEε4 status in children. METHODS Data on parent-reported behavior problems (total difficulties scores, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), teacher-reported attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom scores, cognitive performance trajectories (computerized tests of inattentiveness and working memory repeated 2-4 times during January 2012-March 2013), and APOE genotypes were obtained for 1,667 children age 7-11 y attending 39 schools in or near Barcelona. Basal ganglia volume (putamen, caudate, and globus pallidum) was measured in 163 of the children by MRI (October 2012-April 2014.) Average annual outdoor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), elemental carbon (EC), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations were estimated based on measurements at each school (two 1-wk campaigns conducted 6 months apart in 2012). RESULTS APOEε4 allele carriers had significantly higher behavior problem scores than noncarriers, and adverse associations with PAHs and NO2 were stronger or limited to ε4 carriers for behavior problem scores (P-interaction 0.03 and 0.04), caudate volume (P-interaction 0.04 and 0.03), and inattentiveness trajectories (P-interaction 0.15 and 0.08, respectively). Patterns of associations with the same outcomes were similar for EC. CONCLUSION PAHs, EC, and NO2 were associated with higher behavior problem scores, smaller reductions in inattentiveness over time, and smaller caudate volume in APOEε4 allele carriers in our study population, and corresponding associations were weak or absent among ε4 noncarriers. These findings support a potential role of APOE in biological mechanisms that may contribute to associations between air pollution and neurobehavioral outcomes in children. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2246.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Alemany
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Natàlia Vilor-Tejedor
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel García-Esteban
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Payam Dadvand
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Mikel Esnaola
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Marion Mortamais
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Joan Forns
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Barend L van Drooge
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Álvarez-Pedrerol
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Joan O Grimalt
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ioar Rivas
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesus Pujol
- MRI Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital del Mar and Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM G21), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Load matters: neural correlates of verbal working memory in children with autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:19. [PMID: 29859034 PMCID: PMC5984739 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9236-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by diminished social reciprocity and communication skills and the presence of stereotyped and restricted behaviours. Executive functioning deficits, such as working memory, are associated with core ASD symptoms. Working memory allows for temporary storage and manipulation of information and relies heavily on frontal-parietal networks of the brain. There are few reports on the neural correlates of working memory in youth with ASD. The current study identified the neural systems underlying verbal working memory capacity in youth with and without ASD using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods Fifty-seven youth, 27 with ASD and 30 sex- and age-matched typically developing (TD) controls (9–16 years), completed a one-back letter matching task (LMT) with four levels of difficulty (i.e. cognitive load) while fMRI data were recorded. Linear trend analyses were conducted to examine brain regions that were recruited as a function of increasing cognitive load. Results We found similar behavioural performance on the LMT in terms of reaction times, but in the two higher load conditions, the ASD youth had lower accuracy than the TD group. Neural patterns of activations differed significantly between TD and ASD groups. In TD youth, areas classically used for working memory, including the lateral and medial frontal, as well as superior parietal brain regions, increased in activation with increasing task difficulty, while areas related to the default mode network (DMN) showed decreasing activation (i.e., deactivation). The youth with ASD did not appear to use this opposing cognitive processing system; they showed little recruitment of frontal and parietal regions across the load but did show similar modulation of the DMN. Conclusions In a working memory task, where the load was manipulated without changing executive demands, TD youth showed increasing recruitment with increasing load of the classic fronto-parietal brain areas and decreasing involvement in default mode regions. In contrast, although they modulated the default mode network, youth with ASD did not show the modulation of increasing brain activation with increasing load, suggesting that they may be unable to manage increasing verbal information. Impaired verbal working memory in ASD would interfere with the youths’ success academically and socially. Thus, determining the nature of atypical neural processing could help establish or monitor working memory interventions for ASD.
Collapse
|
14
|
Schaefer S. Embodiment Helps Children Solve a Spatial Working Memory Task: Interactions with Age and Gender. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-018-0081-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
|
15
|
Yaple Z, Arsalidou M. N
-back Working Memory Task: Meta-analysis of Normative fMRI Studies With Children. Child Dev 2018; 89:2010-2022. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Yaple
- National Research University Higher School of Economics
| | - Marie Arsalidou
- National Research University Higher School of Economics
- York University
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Development of white matter microstructure in relation to verbal and visuospatial working memory-A longitudinal study. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195540. [PMID: 29689058 PMCID: PMC5916522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory capacity is pivotal for a broad specter of cognitive tasks and develops throughout childhood. This must in part rely on development of neural connections and white matter microstructure maturation, but there is scarce knowledge of specific relations between this and different aspects of working memory. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables us to study development of brain white matter microstructure. In a longitudinal DTI study of 148 healthy children between 4 and 11 years scanned twice with an on average 1.6 years interval, we characterized change in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean (MD), radial (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) in 10 major white matter tracts hypothesized to be of importance for working memory. The results showed relationships between change in several tracts and change in visuospatial working memory. Specifically, improvement in visuospatial working memory capacity was significantly associated with decreased MD, RD and AD in inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF) in the right hemisphere, as well as forceps major (FMaj). No significant relationships were found between change in DTI metrics and change in verbal working memory capacity. These findings yield new knowledge about brain development and corresponding working memory improvements in childhood.
Collapse
|
17
|
Nguyen TV. Developmental effects of androgens in the human brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30. [PMID: 28489322 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine theories of brain development posit that androgens play a crucial role in sex-specific cortical growth, although little is known about the differential effects of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on cortico-limbic development and cognition during adolescence. In this context, the National Institutes of Health Study of Normal Brain Development, a longitudinal study of typically developing children and adolescents aged 4-24 years (n=433), offers a unique opportunity to examine the developmental effects of androgens on cortico-limbic maturation and cognition. Using data from this sample, our group found that higher testosterone levels were associated with left-sided decreases in cortical thickness (CTh) in post-pubertal boys, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, compared to right-sided increases in CTh in somatosensory areas in pre-pubertal girls. Prefrontal-amygdala and prefrontal-hippocampal structural covariance (considered to reflect structural connectivity) also varied according to testosterone levels, with the testosterone-related brain phenotype predicting higher aggression levels and lower executive function, particularly in boys. By contrast, DHEA was associated with a pre-pubertal increase in CTh of several regions involved in cognitive control in both boys and girls. Covariance within several cortico-amygdalar structural networks also varied as a function of DHEA levels, with the DHEA-related brain phenotype predicting improvements in visual attention in both boys and girls. DHEA-related cortico-hippocampal structural covariance, on the other hand, predicted higher scores on a test of working memory. Interestingly, there were significant interactions between testosterone and DHEA, such that DHEA tended to mitigate the anti-proliferative effects of testosterone on brain structure. In sum, testosterone-related effects on the developing brain may lead to detrimental effects on cortical functions (ie, higher aggression and lower executive function), whereas DHEA-related effects may optimise cortical functions (ie, better attention and working memory), perhaps by decreasing the influence of amygdalar and hippocampal afferents on cortical functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T-V Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Yang Y, Merrill EC. Implicit memory of locations and identities: A developmental study. J Exp Child Psychol 2017; 167:162-179. [PMID: 29175706 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Objects in the environment have both location and identity properties. However, it is unclear how these independent properties are processed and combined in the implicit domain. The current study investigated the development of the implicit memory of object locations and object identities, both independently and combined, and the relation between implicit memory and working memory (WM) for these properties. Three age groups participated: 6- and 7-year-old children, 9- and 10-year-old children, and adults. Children and adults completed a repeated search paradigm. In the learning phase, targets' locations were consistently predicted by both the identities and locations of the distracters. In the test phase, either both remained predictive or just the identities or just the locations of the distracters predicted the location of the target. All groups showed significant implicit learning when both the identities and locations of the distracters remained predictive. When only the locations but not the identities of the distracters were predictive, adults and 9- and 10-year-olds showed significant learning, whereas 6- and 7-year-olds did not. When only the identities but not the locations of the distracters were predictive, none of the groups showed significant learning effects. In evaluating the contributions of either visual or spatial WM to implicit learning and memory, we found that children with smaller visual WM exhibited larger implicit memory effects for object identities than did children with larger visual WM. Taken together, the results indicate that children's ability to differentiate identity and location undergoes development even in the implicit domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Yang
- Department of Psychology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA; Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510085, China.
| | - Edward C Merrill
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
|
20
|
Dissociations between Spatial and Temporal Order Memory: A Neuropsychological Patient Study. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2017; 23:421-430. [PMID: 28481196 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617717000212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In complex real life situations, memories for temporal and spatial information are naturally linked since sequential events coincide in time and space. Whether this connection is inseparable or instead whether these processes are functionally dissociable was investigated in this patient study. METHODS Spatial object-location and temporal order memory tasks were administered to 36 stroke patients and 44 healthy control participants. RESULTS On group level, patients with a stroke in the left hemisphere performed worse on temporal order memory, compared to the control participants. On individual level, using a multiple case-study approach, a clear pattern of dissociations was found between memory for temporal and for spatial features. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that location and temporal order memory contain functionally separable processes. This adds to our understanding of how context information is processed in human memory. (JINS, 2017, 23, 421-430).
Collapse
|
21
|
McKenna R, Rushe T, Woodcock KA. Informing the Structure of Executive Function in Children: A Meta-Analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Data. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:154. [PMID: 28439231 PMCID: PMC5383671 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure of executive function (EF) has been the focus of much debate for decades. What is more, the complexity and diversity provided by the developmental period only adds to this contention. The development of executive function plays an integral part in the expression of children's behavioral, cognitive, social, and emotional capabilities. Understanding how these processes are constructed during development allows for effective measurement of EF in this population. This meta-analysis aims to contribute to a better understanding of the structure of executive function in children. A coordinate-based meta-analysis was conducted (using BrainMap GingerALE 2.3), which incorporated studies administering functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during inhibition, switching, and working memory updating tasks in typical children (aged 6-18 years). The neural activation common across all executive tasks was compared to that shared by tasks pertaining only to inhibition, switching or updating, which are commonly considered to be fundamental executive processes. Results support the existence of partially separable but partially overlapping inhibition, switching, and updating executive processes at a neural level, in children over 6 years. Further, the shared neural activation across all tasks (associated with a proposed "unitary" component of executive function) overlapped to different degrees with the activation associated with each individual executive process. These findings provide evidence to support the suggestion that one of the most influential structural models of executive functioning in adults can also be applied to children of this age. However, the findings also call for careful consideration and measurement of both specific executive processes, and unitary executive function in this population. Furthermore, a need is highlighted for a new systematic developmental model, which captures the integrative nature of executive function in children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Róisín McKenna
- School of Psychology, Queen's UniversityBelfast, Northern Ireland
| | | | - Kate A. Woodcock
- School of Psychology, Queen's UniversityBelfast, Northern Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Reising MM, Bettis AH, Dunbar JP, Watson KH, Gruhn M, Hoskinson KR, Compas BE. Stress, coping, executive function, and brain activation in adolescent offspring of depressed and nondepressed mothers. Child Neuropsychol 2017; 24:638-656. [PMID: 28349772 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2017.1307950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the associations among chronic stress, activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), executive function, and coping with stress in at-risk and a comparison sample of adolescents. Adolescents (N = 16; age 12-15) of mothers with (n = 8) and without (n = 8) a history of depression completed questionnaires, neurocognitive testing, and functional neuroimaging in response to a working memory task (N-back). Children of depressed mothers demonstrated less activation in the anterior PFC (APFC) and both greater and less activation than controls in distinct areas within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in response to the N-back task. Across both groups, activation of the dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC; Brodmann area [BA9]) and APFC (BA10) was positively correlated with greater exposure to stress and negatively correlated with secondary control coping. Similarly, activation of the dACC (BA32) was negatively correlated with secondary control coping. Regression analyses revealed that DLPFC, dACC, and APFC activation were significant predictors of adolescents' reports of their use of secondary control coping and accounted for the effects of stress exposure on adolescents' coping. This study provides evidence that chronic stress may impact coping through its effects on the brain regions responsible for executive functions foundational to adaptive coping skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Reising
- a Department of Psychology & Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Alexandra H Bettis
- a Department of Psychology & Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Jennifer P Dunbar
- a Department of Psychology & Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Kelly H Watson
- a Department of Psychology & Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Meredith Gruhn
- a Department of Psychology & Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Kristen R Hoskinson
- b The Ohio State University College of Medicine , Columbus , OH , USA.,c The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus , OH , USA
| | - Bruce E Compas
- a Department of Psychology & Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , TN , USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
O'Hanlon E, Howley S, Prasad S, McGrath J, Leemans A, McDonald C, Garavan H, Murphy KC. Multimodal MRI reveals structural connectivity differences in 22q11 deletion syndrome related to impaired spatial working memory. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:4689-4705. [PMID: 27511297 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Impaired spatial working memory is a core cognitive deficit observed in people with 22q11 Deletion syndrome (22q11DS) and has been suggested as a candidate endophenotype for schizophrenia. However, to date, the neuroanatomical mechanisms describing its structural and functional underpinnings in 22q11DS remain unclear. We quantitatively investigate the cognitive processes and associated neuroanatomy of spatial working memory in people with 22q11DS compared to matched controls. We examine whether there are significant between-group differences in spatial working memory using task related fMRI, Voxel based morphometry and white matter fiber tractography. MATERIALS AND METHODS Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging employing functional, diffusion and volumetric techniques were used to quantitatively assess the cognitive and neuroanatomical features of spatial working memory processes in 22q11DS. Twenty-six participants with genetically confirmed 22q11DS aged between 9 and 52 years and 26 controls aged between 8 and 46 years, matched for age, gender, and handedness were recruited. RESULTS People with 22q11DS have significant differences in spatial working memory functioning accompanied by a gray matter volume reduction in the right precuneus. Gray matter volume was significantly correlated with task performance scores in these areas. Tractography revealed extensive differences along fibers between task-related cortical activations with pronounced differences localized to interhemispheric commissural fibers within the parietal section of the corpus callosum. CONCLUSIONS Abnormal spatial working memory in 22q11DS is associated with aberrant functional activity in conjunction with gray and white matter structural abnormalities. These anomalies in discrete brain regions may increase susceptibility to the development of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4689-4705, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik O'Hanlon
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Educational and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.,School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Sarah Howley
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Educational and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Sarah Prasad
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Educational and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Jane McGrath
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Alexander Leemans
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Colm McDonald
- Department of Psychiatry, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Hugh Garavan
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.,Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Vermont, USA
| | - Kieran C Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Educational and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Perlman SB, Huppert TJ, Luna B. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Evidence for Development of Prefrontal Engagement in Working Memory in Early Through Middle Childhood. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26:2790-9. [PMID: 26115660 PMCID: PMC4869813 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural underpinnings of working memory are hypothesized to develop incrementally across preschool and early school age, coinciding with the rapid maturation of executive function occurring during this period. This study investigates the development of prefrontal cortex function between the ages of 3 and 7. Children (n = 68) participated in a novel spatial working memory task while their middle and lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) was monitored using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We found increased activation of the LPFC when comparing working memory to rest. Greater LPFC increase was noted for longer compared with shorter delay periods. Increase in LPFC activation, accuracy, and response speed were positively correlated with child age, suggesting that developmental changes in prefrontal function might underlie effective development of executive function in this age range.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Theodore J. Huppert
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
López-Vicente M, Forns J, Suades-González E, Esnaola M, García-Esteban R, Álvarez-Pedrerol M, Júlvez J, Burgaleta M, Sebastián-Gallés N, Sunyer J. Developmental Trajectories in Primary Schoolchildren Using n-Back Task. Front Psychol 2016; 7:716. [PMID: 27242625 PMCID: PMC4866535 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Neuropsychological instruments to assess cognitive trajectories during childhood in epidemiological studies are needed. This would improve neurodevelopment characterization in order to identify its potential determinants. We aimed to study whether repeated measures of n-back, a working memory task, detect developmental trajectories in schoolchildren during a 1-year follow-up. Methods: We administered the n-back task to 2897 healthy children aged 7–11 years old from 39 schools in Barcelona (Spain). The task consisted of 2 levels of complexity or loads (2- and 3-back) and 2 different stimuli (numbers and words). Participants performed the task four times from January 2012 to March 2013. To study the trajectories during the follow-up, we performed linear mixed-effects models including school, individual and age as random effects. Results: We observed improvements related to age in n-back outcomes d′, HRT and accuracy, as well as reduced cognitive growth at older ages in d′ and HRT. Greater improvements in performance were observed at younger ages, in 2-back, in verbal rather than numerical stimuli and in girls compared to boys. Boys responded faster at baseline, while girls showed increased growth in 2-back numbers. Children with ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) symptoms (15% of boys and 6% of girls) had a lower working memory at baseline, but they showed similar cognitive growth trajectories in numbers variants of the task, as compared to children without ADHD symptoms. However, the age-related improvement in response speed was not observed in children with ADHD symptoms. Conclusions: Changes in n-back outcomes reflected developmental trajectories in 1-year follow-up. The present results suggest that the repeated administration of this task can be used to study the factors that may alter the cognitive development during childhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica López-Vicente
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud PúblicaBarcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Forns
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud PúblicaBarcelona, Spain; Department of Genes and Environment, Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public HealthOslo, Norway
| | - Elisabet Suades-González
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; Learning Disabilities Unit (UTAE), Neuropediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Mikel Esnaola
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud PúblicaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel García-Esteban
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud PúblicaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Álvarez-Pedrerol
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud PúblicaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Júlvez
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud PúblicaBarcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelona, Spain; Environmental Health Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBoston, MA, USA
| | - Miguel Burgaleta
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Sebastián-Gallés
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental EpidemiologyBarcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud PúblicaBarcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Working memory filtering continues to develop into late adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2016; 18:78-88. [PMID: 27026657 PMCID: PMC4859784 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Scant research has examined neural correlates of development of working memory filtering. Working memory filtering was examined in adults and adolescents using fMRI. Age-independent neural recruitment for load and filtering was as expected. Adolescents differed from adults in neural recruitment to load in non-frontal regions. Filter-preparatory activity in the basal ganglia supported filtering in adults only.
While most measures of working memory (WM) performance have been shown to plateau by mid-adolescence and developmental changes in fronto-parietal regions supporting WM encoding and maintenance have been well characterized, little is known about developmental variation in WM filtering. We investigated the possibility that the neural underpinnings of filtering in WM reach maturity later in life than WM function without filtering. Using a cued WM filtering task (McNab and Klingberg, 2008), we investigated neural activity during WM filtering in a sample of 64 adults and adolescents. Regardless of age, increases in WM activity with load were concentrated in the expected fronto-parietal network. For adults, but not adolescents, recruitment of the basal ganglia during presentation of a filtering cue was associated with neural and behavioral indices of successful filtering, suggesting that WM filtering and related basal ganglia function may still be maturing throughout adolescence and into adulthood.
Collapse
|
27
|
Huang AS, Klein DN, Leung HC. Load-related brain activation predicts spatial working memory performance in youth aged 9-12 and is associated with executive function at earlier ages. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 17:1-9. [PMID: 26562059 PMCID: PMC4728009 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial working memory load modulates activation in fronto-parietal regions in youth. Performance correlates with load-dependent deactivation in default network regions. Performance correlates with functional coupling between fronto-parietal regions. Executive function scores at age 3, 6 and 9 predict performance and brain activity.
Spatial working memory is a central cognitive process that matures through adolescence in conjunction with major changes in brain function and anatomy. Here we focused on late childhood and early adolescence to more closely examine the neural correlates of performance variability during this important transition period. Using a modified spatial 1-back task with two memory load conditions in an fMRI study, we examined the relationship between load-dependent neural responses and task performance in a sample of 39 youth aged 9–12 years. Our data revealed that between-subject differences in task performance was predicted by load-dependent deactivation in default network regions, including the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Although load-dependent increases in activation in prefrontal and posterior parietal regions were only weakly correlated with performance, increased prefrontal–parietal coupling was associated with better performance. Furthermore, behavioral measures of executive function from as early as age 3 predicted current load-dependent deactivation in vACC and PCC. These findings suggest that both task positive and task negative brain activation during spatial working memory contributed to successful task performance in late childhood/early adolescence. This may serve as a good model for studying executive control deficits in developmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Huang
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States
| | - Daniel N Klein
- Clinical Science Program, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States
| | - Hoi-Chung Leung
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pediatric applications of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Pediatr Radiol 2015; 45 Suppl 3:S382-96. [PMID: 26346144 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-015-3365-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Pediatric functional MRI has been used for the last 2 decades but is now gaining wide acceptance in the preoperative workup of children with brain tumors and medically refractory epilepsy. This review covers pediatrics-specific difficulties such as sedation and task paradigm selection according to the child's age and cognitive level. We also illustrate the increasing uses of functional MRI in the depiction of cognitive function, neuropsychiatric disorders and response to pharmacological agents. Finally, we review the uses of resting-state fMRI in the evaluation of children and in the detection of epileptogenic regions.
Collapse
|
29
|
van Ewijk H, Weeda WD, Heslenfeld DJ, Luman M, Hartman CA, Hoekstra PJ, Faraone SV, Franke B, Buitelaar JK, Oosterlaan J. Neural correlates of visuospatial working memory in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and healthy controls. Psychiatry Res 2015; 233:233-42. [PMID: 26190554 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Impaired visuospatial working memory (VSWM) is suggested to be a core neurocognitive deficit in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet the underlying neural activation patterns are poorly understood. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent age and gender effects may play a role in VSWM-related brain abnormalities in ADHD. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 109 individuals with ADHD (60% male) and 103 controls (53% male), aged 8-25 years, during a spatial span working memory task. VSWM-related brain activation was found in a widespread network, which was more widespread compared with N-back tasks used in the previous literature. Higher brain activation was associated with higher age and male gender. In comparison with controls, individuals with ADHD showed greater activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the lateral frontal pole during memory load increase, effects explained by reduced activation on the low memory load in the IFG pars triangularis and increased activation during high load in the IFG pars opercularis. Age and gender effects did not differ between controls and individuals with ADHD. Results indicate that individuals with ADHD have difficulty in efficiently and sufficiently recruiting left inferior frontal brain regions with increasing task difficulty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanneke van Ewijk
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Wouter D Weeda
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Heslenfeld
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Luman
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Catharina A Hartman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter J Hoekstra
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Barbara Franke
- Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Departments of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Karakter, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Oosterlaan
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Atypical spatiotemporal signatures of working memory brain processes in autism. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e617. [PMID: 26261885 PMCID: PMC4564562 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) impairments may contribute to the profound behavioural manifestations in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, previous behavioural results are discrepant as are the few functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) results collected in adults and adolescents with ASD. Here we investigate the precise temporal dynamics of WM-related brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 20 children with ASD and matched controls during an n-back WM task across different load levels (1-back vs 2-back). Although behavioural results were similar between ASD and typically developing (TD) children, the between-group comparison performed on functional brain activity showed atypical WM-related brain processes in children with ASD compared with TD children. These atypical responses were observed in the ASD group from 200 to 600 ms post stimulus in both the low- (1-back) and high- (2-back) memory load conditions. During the 1-back condition, children with ASD showed reduced WM-related activations in the right hippocampus and the cingulate gyrus compared with TD children who showed more activation in the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex and the insulae. In the 2-back condition, children with ASD showed less activity in the left insula and midcingulate gyrus and more activity in the left precuneus than TD children. In addition, reduced activity in the anterior cingulate cortex was correlated with symptom severity in children with ASD. Thus, this MEG study identified the precise timing and sources of atypical WM-related activity in frontal, temporal and parietal regions in children with ASD. The potential impacts of such atypicalities on social deficits of autism are discussed.
Collapse
|
31
|
Fronto–temporo–occipital activity changes with age during a visual working memory developmental study in children, adolescents and adults. Neurosci Lett 2015; 599:26-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
32
|
Byrd DL, Reuther ET, McNamara JPH, DeLucca TL, Berg WK. Age differences in high frequency phasic heart rate variability and performance response to increased executive function load in three executive function tasks. Front Psychol 2015; 5:1470. [PMID: 25798113 PMCID: PMC4350398 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study examines similarity or disparity of a frontally mediated physiological response of mental effort among multiple executive functioning tasks between children and adults. Task performance and phasic heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded in children (6 to 10 years old) and adults in an examination of age differences in executive functioning skills during periods of increased demand. Executive load levels were varied by increasing the difficulty levels of three executive functioning tasks: inhibition (IN), working memory (WM), and planning/problem solving (PL). Behavioral performance decreased in all tasks with increased executive demand in both children and adults. Adults' phasic high frequency HRV was suppressed during the management of increased IN and WM load. Children's phasic HRV was suppressed during the management of moderate WM load. HRV was not suppressed during either children's or adults' increasing load during the PL task. High frequency phasic HRV may be most sensitive to executive function tasks that have a time-response pressure, and simply requiring performance on a self-paced task requiring frontal lobe activation may not be enough to generate HRV responsitivity to increasing demand.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana L Byrd
- Psychology and Sociology, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX, USA
| | - Erin T Reuther
- Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Brett ZH, Sheridan M, Humphreys K, Smyke A, Gleason MM, Fox N, Zeanah C, Nelson C, Drury S. A neurogenetics approach to defining differential susceptibility to institutional care. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2015; 39:150-160. [PMID: 25663728 PMCID: PMC4317330 DOI: 10.1177/0165025414538557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An individual's neurodevelopmental and cognitive sequelae to negative early experiences may, in part, be explained by genetic susceptibility. We examined whether extreme differences in the early caregiving environment, defined as exposure to severe psychosocial deprivation associated with institutional care compared to normative rearing, interacted with a biologically informed genoset comprising BDNF (rs6265), COMT (rs4680), and SIRT1 (rs3758391) to predict distinct outcomes of neurodevelopment at age 8 (N = 193, 97 males and 96 females). Ethnicity was categorized as Romanian (71%), Roma (21%), unknown (7%), or other (1%). We identified a significant interaction between early caregiving environment (i.e., institutionalized versus never institutionalized children) and the a priori defined genoset for full-scale IQ, two spatial working memory tasks, and prefrontal cortex gray matter volume. Model validation was performed using a bootstrap resampling procedure. Although we hypothesized that the effect of this genoset would operate in a manner consistent with differential susceptibility, our results demonstrate a complex interaction where vantage susceptibility, diathesis stress, and differential susceptibility are implicated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna Smyke
- Tulane University School of Medicine, USA
| | | | | | | | - Charles Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Jiang P, Tokariev M, Aronen ET, Salonen O, Ma Y, Vuontela V, Carlson S. Responsiveness and functional connectivity of the scene-sensitive retrosplenial complex in 7–11-year-old children. Brain Cogn 2014; 92C:61-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
35
|
Vogan VM, Morgan BR, Lee W, Powell TL, Smith ML, Taylor MJ. The neural correlates of visuo-spatial working memory in children with autism spectrum disorder: effects of cognitive load. J Neurodev Disord 2014; 6:19. [PMID: 25057329 PMCID: PMC4107490 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-6-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research on the neural bases of cognitive deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown that working memory (WM) difficulties are associated with abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. However, cognitive load impacts these findings, and no studies have examined the relation between WM load and neural underpinnings in children with ASD. Thus, the current study determined the effects of cognitive load on WM, using a visuo-spatial WM capacity task in children with and without ASD with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods We used fMRI and a 1-back colour matching task (CMT) task with four levels of difficulty to compare the cortical activation patterns associated with WM in children (7–13 years old) with high functioning autism (N = 19) and matched controls (N = 17) across cognitive load. Results Performance on CMT was comparable between groups, with the exception of one difficulty level. Using linear trend analyses, the control group showed increasing activation as a function of difficulty level in frontal and parietal lobes, particularly between the highest difficulty levels, and decreasing activation as a function of difficulty level in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri. In contrast, children with ASD showed increasing activation only in posterior brain regions and decreasing activation in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri, as a function of difficulty level. Significant differences were found in the precuneus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and medial premotor cortex, where control children showed greater positive linear relations between cortical activity and task difficulty level, particularly at the highest difficulty levels, but children with ASD did not show these trends. Conclusions Children with ASD showed differences in activation in the frontal and parietal lobes—both critical substrates for visuo-spatial WM. Our data suggest that children with ASD rely mainly on posterior brain regions associated with visual and lower level processing, whereas controls showed activity in frontal lobes related to the classic WM network. Findings will help guide future work by localizing areas of vulnerability to developmental disturbances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M Vogan
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.,Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
| | - Benjamin R Morgan
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Wayne Lee
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Tamara L Powell
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Mary Lou Smith
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.,Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Slowwavematurationonavisualworkingmemory task. Brain Cogn 2014; 88:43-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
37
|
Spadoni AD, Simmons AN, Yang TT, Tapert SF. Family history of alcohol use disorders and neuromaturation: a functional connectivity study with adolescents. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2014; 39:356-64. [PMID: 24200205 DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2013.818680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A positive family history (FHP) of alcohol use disorders (AUD) is linked to increased risk for personal AUD, but the mechanisms behind this risk are unclear. Previous research suggests that a subtle neurodevelopmental lag in FHP adolescents may contribute to risk for future AUD. METHODS Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response to a spatial working memory (SWM) task was examined for markers of neuromaturational delay in 85 youth with and without FHP. It was hypothesized that FHP adolescents (n = 24, ages 12-14 years), as compared to matched FHN youth (n = 26, ages 12-14 years), would show less similarity to brain connectivity observed in older adolescents (n = 35, ages 16-20 years) and that statistical comparison of SWM functional connectivity models would differentiate FHN and FHP youth. Structural equation modeling tested the fit of brain response connectivity between FH groups and against the older-adolescent model. RESULTS Patterns of connectivity were more similar between older adolescent and FHN than FHP adolescents; FHP youth demonstrated higher association between right posterior and left frontal brain regions than FHN and older adolescent youth. Comparison of FH groups indicated a significant difference on the pathway from the right superior parietal lobule to the left middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide additional support for the notion of a neuromaturational lag in FHP youth. Protracted neuromaturation may be a mechanism by which FH increases risk for alcohol dependence, and this less mature neural connectivity pattern may provide a novel endophenotype for identifying youth at risk for drinking problems.
Collapse
|
38
|
Robinson KE, Pearson MM, Cannistraci CJ, Anderson AW, Kuttesch JF, Wymer K, Smith SE, Park S, Compas BE. Functional neuroimaging of working memory in survivors of childhood brain tumors and healthy children: Associations with coping and psychosocial outcomes. Child Neuropsychol 2014; 21:779-802. [PMID: 24898852 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2014.924492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pediatric brain tumors are the second most common cancer diagnosis in individuals under age 20 and research has documented significant neurocognitive, psychosocial, and emotional late effects. Associations among these deficits have not been adequately considered and the role of survivors' coping with stress in relation to deficits is unknown. Further, research has yet to examine neurobiological processes related to neurocognitive, psychosocial, and emotional difficulties in survivors through the use of functional neuroimaging. METHOD Questionnaire measures and functional neuroimaging were used to examine the neurocognitive, psychosocial, and emotional functioning and coping responses of survivors of pediatric brain tumors (N = 17; age 8-16) and healthy children (N = 15). RESULTS Survivors experienced elevated levels of psychosocial and behavioral/emotional difficulties relative to healthy controls and normative data. Increases in brain activation in prefrontal and other anterior regions in response to a working memory task were associated with better psychosocial functioning, use of engagement coping strategies, and less use of disengagement coping strategies. Regression analyses suggest coping accounts for a significant portion of the association between brain activation and behavioral/emotional functioning. CONCLUSIONS This study extends late-effects research by examining neurobiological processes associated with psychosocial and emotional difficulties. These findings contribute to our understanding of difficulties in survivors and provide a foundation for research exploring these associations and mediators of deficits in future longitudinal studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen E Robinson
- a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.,b Department of Psychology , Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus , Ohio , USA
| | - Matthew M Pearson
- c Department of Neurological Surgery , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA
| | | | - Adam W Anderson
- d Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science , Nashville , Tennessee , USA
| | - John F Kuttesch
- e Pediatric Hematology and Oncology , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico , USA
| | - Kevin Wymer
- a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA
| | - Samantha E Smith
- a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA
| | - Sohee Park
- f Department of Psychological Sciences , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA
| | - Bruce E Compas
- a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Tulsky DS, Carlozzi NE, Chevalier N, Espy KA, Beaumont JL, Mungas D. V. NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB): measuring working memory. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 2014; 78:70-87. [PMID: 23952203 DOI: 10.1111/mono.12035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test, which was developed to assess processing speed within the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB). This test is a sequencing task requiring children and adults to process stimuli (presented both visually and auditorily) and sequence the stimuli according to size. We describe the development of the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test, highlighting its utility in children. We examine descriptive data, test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Results indicated that List Sorting performance was positively correlated with age indicating that performance on the task improved throughout childhood and early adolescence. Further, test-retest reliability coefficients were high and there was support for both convergent and discriminant validity. These data suggest that the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test is reliable and shows evidence of construct validity.
Collapse
|
40
|
Karlsgodt KH, van Erp TG, Bearden CE, Cannon TD. Altered relationships between age and functional brain activation in adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis. Psychiatry Res 2014; 221:21-9. [PMID: 24144510 PMCID: PMC3921908 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2012] [Revised: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, but whether the adolescent period, proximal to onset, is associated with aberrant development in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis is incompletely understood. While abnormal gray and white matter development has been observed, alterations in functional neuroimaging (fMRI) parameters during adolescence as related to conversion to psychosis have not yet been investigated. Twenty CHR individuals and 19 typically developing controls (TDC), (ages 14-21), were recruited from the Center for Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States (CAPPS) at UCLA. Participants performed a Sternberg-style verbal working memory (WMem) task during fMRI and data were analyzed using a cross-sectional design to test the hypothesis that there is a deviant developmental trajectory in WMem associated neural circuitry in those at risk for psychosis. Eight of the CHR adolescents converted to psychosis within 2 years of initial assessment. A voxel-wise regression examining the relationship between age and activation revealed a significant group-by-age interaction. TDC showed a negative association between age and functional activation in the WMem circuitry while CHR adolescents showed a positive association. Moreover, CHR patients who later converted to overt psychosis showed a distinct pattern of abnormal age-associated activation in the frontal cortex relative to controls, while non-converters showed a more diffuse posterior pattern. Finding that age related variation in baseline patterns of neural activity differentiate individuals who subsequently convert to psychosis from healthy subjects suggests that these differences are likely to be clinically relevant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine H. Karlsgodt
- Department of Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, University of California Irvine
,Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, University of California Irvine
| | - Theo G.M. van Erp
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine
| | - Carrie E. Bearden
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Buss AT, Fox N, Boas DA, Spencer JP. Probing the early development of visual working memory capacity with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Neuroimage 2014; 85 Pt 1:314-25. [PMID: 23707803 PMCID: PMC3859697 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual working memory (VWM) is a core cognitive system with a highly limited capacity. The present study is the first to examine VWM capacity limits in early development using functional neuroimaging. We recorded optical neuroimaging data while 3- and 4-year-olds completed a change detection task where they detected changes in the shapes of objects after a brief delay. Near-infrared sources and detectors were placed over the following 10-20 positions: F3 and F5 in left frontal cortex, F4 and F6 in right frontal cortex, P3 and P5 in left parietal cortex, and P4 and P6 in right parietal cortex. The first question was whether we would see robust task-specific activation of the frontal-parietal network identified in the adult fMRI literature. This was indeed the case: three left frontal channels and 11 of 12 parietal channels showed a statistically robust difference between the concentration of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin following the presentation of the sample array. Moreover, four channels in the left hemisphere near P3, P5, and F5 showed a robust increase as the working memory load increased from 1 to 3 items. Notably, the hemodynamic response did not asymptote at 1-2 items as expected from previous fMRI studies with adults. Finally, 4-year-olds showed a more robust parietal response relative to 3-year-olds, and an increasing sensitivity to the memory load manipulation. These results demonstrate that fNIRS is an effective tool to study the neural processes that underlie the early development of VWM capacity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T. Buss
- Department of Psychology and Delta Center, University of Iowa
| | - Nicholas Fox
- Department of Psychology and Delta Center, University of Iowa
| | - David A. Boas
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
| | - John P. Spencer
- Department of Psychology and Delta Center, University of Iowa
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Association between the DAT1 gene and spatial working memory in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:9-21. [PMID: 24008096 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145713000783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
An association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) was reported in clinical samples. This study aimed to explore whether there was an association between DAT1 and spatial working memory (SWM), a promising endophenotype for ADHD. This family-based association sample consisted of 382 probands with DSM-IV ADHD and their family members (n = 1298) in Taiwan. The SWM task of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) was used to measure SWM of all participants. We screened 15 polymorphisms across the DAT1 gene, including 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism in the 3'-untranslated region. We used the Family-Based Association Test (FBAT) to test the associations of genetic polymorphisms with the SWM measures. In single locus association analyses, two SNPs (rs2617605 and rs37020) were significantly associated with the double errors (adjusted p = 0.03 and 0.03, respectively) after adjustment for multiple testing. In haplotype analyses, a haplotype rs403636 (G)/rs463379 (C)/rs393795 (C)/rs37020 (G) was significantly associated with total within-search errors (minimal p = 0.001), within-search errors in eight boxes (minimal p = 0.002), total double errors (minimal p = 0.001) and double errors in eight boxes (minimal p = 0.004). Our finding of the haplotype rs403636 (G)/rs463379 (C)/rs393795 (C)/rs37020 (G) as a novel genetic marker for spatial working memory suggests that variation in DAT1 may provide insight into the pathways leading from genotype to phenotype of ADHD.
Collapse
|
43
|
Tao Q, Chan CCH, Luo YJ, Li JJ, Ting KH, Wang J, Lee TMC. How does experience modulate auditory spatial processing in individuals with blindness? Brain Topogr 2013; 28:506-19. [PMID: 24322827 PMCID: PMC4408360 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-013-0339-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Comparing early- and late-onset blindness in individuals offers a unique model for studying the influence of visual experience on neural processing. This study investigated how prior visual experience would modulate auditory spatial processing among blind individuals. BOLD responses of early- and late-onset blind participants were captured while performing a sound localization task. The task required participants to listen to novel “Bat-ears” sounds, analyze the spatial information embedded in the sounds, and specify out of 15 locations where the sound would have been emitted. In addition to sound localization, participants were assessed on visuospatial working memory and general intellectual abilities. The results revealed common increases in BOLD responses in the middle occipital gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, precuneus, and precentral gyrus during sound localization for both groups. Between-group dissociations, however, were found in the right middle occipital gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus. The BOLD responses in the left superior frontal gyrus were significantly correlated with accuracy on sound localization and visuospatial working memory abilities among the late-onset blind participants. In contrast, the accuracy on sound localization only correlated with BOLD responses in the right middle occipital gyrus among the early-onset counterpart. The findings support the notion that early-onset blind individuals rely more on the occipital areas as a result of cross-modal plasticity for auditory spatial processing, while late-onset blind individuals rely more on the prefrontal areas which subserve visuospatial working memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Tao
- Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
신경희, Chobok Kim. Individual Differences in Performance on Working Memory Tasks According to Object, Spatial, and Verbal Cognitive Styles. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.22172/cogbio.2013.25.4.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
45
|
Myatchin I, Lagae L. Developmental changes in visuo-spatial working memory in normally developing children: event-related potentials study. Brain Dev 2013; 35:853-64. [PMID: 23273284 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2012.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Revised: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 11/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Working memory (WM) is very important for normal development. The fronto-parietal neuronal network supporting WM has already been well-studied. Less is known about the cortical activity changes during development of WM. We evaluated the maturation of visual WM network at the electrophysiological level in a group of normally developing children. METHODS Multichannel (n=31) event-related potentials (ERP) were measured during a visuo-spatial backmatching task in 69 childrens (6-16 years old). One-backmatching (BM1) and two-backmatching (BM2) tasks were performed. Age-related changes in behavioral parameters (commission and omission errors and reaction times) and ERP parameters (peak amplitudes and latencies) were analyzed between different ages. RESULTS Clear improvement in performance from young childhood toward adolescence was seen at the behavioral level: decrease of errors and fastening of reaction times. At the electrophysiological level age-related changes were seen in peak latencies and especially in amplitudes. Different peaks have different dynamics in amplitudes and latencies: early peak amplitude decreased and latency shortened with age, which was not always seen in late peaks. This reflects developmental changes in intensity and speed of WM processing. Later peaks were more clearly seen over the right hemisphere in older children, illustrating hemispheric lateralization in visuo-spatial working memory. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that not only at the behavioral but also at the electrophysiological level clear age-related dynamics in WM processing can be seen. Furthermore, with ERP we showed that different WM components follow different developmental trajectories. SIGNIFICANCE Our work demonstrates that age-related dynamics in intensity and speed of information processing during WM task is reflected in developmental changes in different ERP components. It also states that fronto-parietal visual WM network can be functional even before all its nodes are fully mature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Myatchin
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Section Paediatric Neurology, University Hospitals KU Leuven, Belgium
| | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Interactive effects of dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone on cortical thickness during early brain development. J Neurosci 2013; 33:10840-8. [PMID: 23804104 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5747-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans and the great apes are the only species demonstrated to exhibit adrenarche, a key endocrine event associated with prepubertal increases in the adrenal production of androgens, most significantly dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and to a certain degree testosterone. Adrenarche also coincides with the emergence of the prosocial and neurobehavioral skills of middle childhood and may therefore represent a human-specific stage of development. Both DHEA and testosterone have been reported in animal and in vitro studies to enhance neuronal survival and programmed cell death depending on the timing, dose, and hormonal context involved, and to potentially compete for the same signaling pathways. Yet no extant brain-hormone studies have examined the interaction between DHEA- and testosterone-related cortical maturation in humans. Here, we used linear mixed models to examine changes in cortical thickness associated with salivary DHEA and testosterone levels in a longitudinal sample of developmentally healthy children and adolescents 4-22 years old. DHEA levels were associated with increases in cortical thickness of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right temporoparietal junction, right premotor and right entorhinal cortex between the ages of 4-13 years, a period marked by the androgenic changes of adrenarche. There was also an interaction between DHEA and testosterone on cortical thickness of the right cingulate cortex and occipital pole that was most significant in prepubertal subjects. DHEA and testosterone appear to interact and modulate the complex process of cortical maturation during middle childhood, consistent with evidence at the molecular level of fast/nongenomic and slow/genomic or conversion-based mechanisms underlying androgen-related brain development.
Collapse
|
47
|
Treble A, Hasan KM, Iftikhar A, Stuebing KK, Kramer LA, Cox CS, Swank PR, Ewing-Cobbs L. Working memory and corpus callosum microstructural integrity after pediatric traumatic brain injury: a diffusion tensor tractography study. J Neurotrauma 2013; 30:1609-19. [PMID: 23627735 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2013.2934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in working memory (WM) are a common consequence of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are believed to contribute to difficulties in a range of cognitive and academic domains. Reduced integrity of the corpus callosum (CC) after TBI may disrupt the connectivity between bilateral frontoparietal neural networks underlying WM. In the present investigation, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography of eight callosal subregions (CC1-CC8) was examined in relation to measures of verbal and visuospatial WM in 74 children sustaining TBI and 49 typically developing comparison children. Relative to the comparison group, children with TBI demonstrated poorer visuospatial WM, but comparable verbal WM. Microstructure of the CC was significantly compromised in brain-injured children, with lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and higher axial and radial diffusivity metrics in all callosal subregions. In both groups of children, lower FA and/or higher radial diffusivity in callosal subregions connecting anterior and posterior parietal cortical regions predicted poorer verbal WM, whereas higher radial diffusivity in callosal subregions connecting anterior and posterior parietal, as well as temporal, cortical regions predicted poorer visuospatial WM. DTI metrics, especially radial diffusivity, in predictive callosal subregions accounted for significant variance in WM over and above remaining callosal subregions. Reduced microstructural integrity of the CC, particularly in subregions connecting parietal and temporal cortices, may act as a neuropathological mechanism contributing to long-term WM deficits. The future clinical use of neuroanatomical biomarkers may allow for the early identification of children at highest risk for WM deficits and earlier provision of interventions for these children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amery Treble
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Houston , Houston, Texas
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Rossi S, Lubin A, Simon G, Lanoë C, Poirel N, Cachia A, Pineau A, Houdé O. Structural brain correlates of executive engagement in working memory: Children's inter-individual differences are reflected in the anterior insular cortex. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:1145-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
|
49
|
Wolfe KR, Madan-Swain A, Hunter GR, Reddy AT, Baños J, Kana RK. An fMRI investigation of working memory and its relationship with cardiorespiratory fitness in pediatric posterior fossa tumor survivors who received cranial radiation therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60:669-75. [PMID: 23042746 PMCID: PMC3541446 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.24331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study investigated the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and executive functioning in pediatric brain tumor survivors who received cranial radiation. This population is known to show executive dysfunction and lower rates of aerobic exercise compared to peers. PROCEDURE Nine adolescent survivors of pediatric posterior fossa tumor completed an n-back working memory task during a functional MRI scan, as well as cardiorespiratory fitness testing on a cycle ergometer. RESULTS Neuroimaging findings indicated typical activation patterns associated with working memory, mainly in the frontal-parietal network. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was related to better performance on a behavioral measure of working memory and more efficient neural functioning. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness may be related to executive functioning, particularly working memory, in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Descriptions of the brain regions recruited for working memory by pediatric brain tumor survivors may be used to inform future interventions or indicators of treatment efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly R. Wolfe
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, CH 415, Birmingham, AL 35233
| | - Avi Madan-Swain
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7 Avenue S., ACC 512, Birmingham, AL 35233
| | - Gary R. Hunter
- School of Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 901 13 Street S., Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - Alyssa T. Reddy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7 Avenue S., ACC 512, Birmingham, AL 35233
| | - James Baños
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Adjunct), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Spain Rehabilitation Center, Suite 190, 1717 6 Avenue S, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - Rajesh K. Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, CH 415, Birmingham, AL 35233
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Norman AL, O’Brien JW, Spadoni AD, Tapert SF, Jones KL, Riley EP, Mattson SN. A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of spatial working memory in children with prenatal alcohol exposure: contribution of familial history of alcohol use disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2013; 37:132-40. [PMID: 23072431 PMCID: PMC3694801 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01880.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure leads to widespread cognitive deficits, including problems with spatial working memory (SWM). Neuroimaging studies report structural and functional abnormalities in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), but interpretations may be complicated by the co-occurrence of a family history of alcoholism. Since this history is also linked to cognitive deficits and brain abnormalities, it is difficult to determine the extent to which deficits are unique to prenatal alcohol exposure. METHODS Age-matched subjects selected from 2 neuroimaging studies underwent functional imaging while engaging in a task assessing memory for spatial locations relative to a vigilance condition assessing attention. Pairwise comparisons were made for the following 3 groups: children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (ALC, n = 18); those with no prenatal alcohol exposure, but a confirmed family history of alcoholism (FHP, n = 18); and nonexposed, family history negative controls (CON, n = 17). RESULTS Relative to CON and FHP, the ALC group showed increased blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response in the left middle and superior frontal gyri for the SWM condition relative to the vigilance condition (SWM contrast). Additionally, the ALC group showed unique BOLD response increases in the left lingual gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus relative to CON, and left cuneus and precuneus relative to FHP. Both ALC and FHP showed greater activation compared to CON in the lentiform nucleus and insular region. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm previous studies suggesting SWM deficits in FASD. Differences between the ALC group and the CON and FHP groups suggest the left middle and superior frontal region may be specifically affected in alcohol-exposed children. Conversely, differences from the CON group in the lentiform nucleus and insular region for the ALC and FHP groups may indicate this region is associated with family history of alcoholism rather than specifically with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andria L. Norman
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120
| | - Jessica W. O’Brien
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120
| | - Andrea D. Spadoni
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, United States
| | - Susan F. Tapert
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, United States
| | - Kenneth Lyons Jones
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, San Diego, CA 92093
| | - Edward P. Riley
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120
| | - Sarah N. Mattson
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120
| |
Collapse
|