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Gerharz L, Brenner E, Billino J, Voudouris D. Age effects on predictive eye movements for action. J Vis 2024; 24:8. [PMID: 38856982 PMCID: PMC11166221 DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.6.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
When interacting with the environment, humans typically shift their gaze to where information is to be found that is useful for the upcoming action. With increasing age, people become slower both in processing sensory information and in performing their movements. One way to compensate for this slowing down could be to rely more on predictive strategies. To examine whether we could find evidence for this, we asked younger (19-29 years) and older (55-72 years) healthy adults to perform a reaching task wherein they hit a visual target that appeared at one of two possible locations. In separate blocks of trials, the target could appear always at the same location (predictable), mainly at one of the locations (biased), or at either location randomly (unpredictable). As one might expect, saccades toward predictable targets had shorter latencies than those toward less predictable targets, irrespective of age. Older adults took longer to initiate saccades toward the target location than younger adults, even when the likely target location could be deduced. Thus we found no evidence of them relying more on predictive gaze. Moreover, both younger and older participants performed more saccades when the target location was less predictable, but again no age-related differences were found. Thus we found no tendency for older adults to rely more on prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Gerharz
- Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0487-2609
| | - Eli Brenner
- Department of Human Movement Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jutta Billino
- Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Dimitris Voudouris
- Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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2
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Huang Y, Cao C, Dai S, Deng H, Su L, Zheng JS. Magnetoencephalography-derived oscillatory microstate patterns across lifespan: the Cambridge centre for ageing and neuroscience cohort. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae150. [PMID: 38745970 PMCID: PMC11091929 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The aging brain represents the primary risk factor for many neurodegenerative disorders. Whole-brain oscillations may contribute novel early biomarkers of aging. Here, we investigated the dynamic oscillatory neural activities across lifespan (from 18 to 88 years) using resting Magnetoencephalography (MEG) in a large cohort of 624 individuals. Our aim was to examine the patterns of oscillation microstates during the aging process. By using a machine-learning algorithm, we identify four typical clusters of microstate patterns across different age groups and different frequency bands: left-to-right topographic MS1, right-to-left topographic MS2, anterior-posterior MS3 and fronto-central MS4. We observed a decreased alpha duration and an increased alpha occurrence for sensory-related microstate patterns (MS1 & MS2). Accordingly, theta and beta changes from MS1 & MS2 may be related to motor decline that increased with age. Furthermore, voluntary 'top-down' saliency/attention networks may be reflected by the increased MS3 & MS4 alpha occurrence and complementary beta activities. The findings of this study advance our knowledge of how the aging brain shows dysfunctions in neural state transitions. By leveraging the identified microstate patterns, this study provides new insights into predicting healthy aging and the potential neuropsychiatric cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujing Huang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Multi-Omics in Infection and Immunity, Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Chenglong Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Shenyi Dai
- Department of Economics and Management, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Hangzhou iNeuro Technology Co., LTD, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hu Deng
- Peking University Huilongguan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Li Su
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20SZ, United Kingdom
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S102HQ, United Kingdom
| | - Ju-Sheng Zheng
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Multi-Omics in Infection and Immunity, Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
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Zhang S, Wilmut K, Zhang K, Wang S. Age-related changes in motor planning for prior intentions: a mouse tracking reach-to-click task. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1323798. [PMID: 38562237 PMCID: PMC10983849 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1323798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
When we complete sequential movements with different intentions, we plan our movements and adjust ahead. Such a phenomenon is called anticipatory planning for prior intentions and is known to decline with age. In daily life activities, we often need to consider and plan for multiple demands in one movement sequence. However, previous studies only considered one dimension of prior intentions, either different types of onward actions or different precisions of fit or placement. Therefore, in this study, we investigated anticipatory planning for both extrinsic (movement direction) and intrinsic (fit precision) target-related properties in a computer-based movement task and analyzed the computer cursor movement kinematics of both young and older adults. We found that older people consider and adjust for different properties step-by-step, with movement direction being considered as a prior intention during reach movement and fit precision as a motor constraint during drop movement. The age-related changes in the completion of onward actions are constrained by one's general cognitive ability, sensorimotor performance and effective motor planning for prior intentions. Age-related decline in motor planning can manifest as counterproductive movement profiles, resulting in suboptimal performance of intended actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Zhang
- Global Health Research Center, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Kate Wilmut
- Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kaiyu Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Kunshan, China
| | - Shan Wang
- Global Health Research Center, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
- Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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4
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Vinding MC, Waldthaler J, Eriksson A, Manting CL, Ferreira D, Ingvar M, Svenningsson P, Lundqvist D. Oscillatory and non-oscillatory features of the magnetoencephalic sensorimotor rhythm in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:51. [PMID: 38443402 PMCID: PMC10915140 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00669-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with changes in neural activity in the sensorimotor alpha and beta bands. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we investigated the role of spontaneous neuronal activity within the somatosensory cortex in a large cohort of early- to mid-stage PD patients (N = 78) on Parkinsonian medication and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (N = 60) using source reconstructed resting-state MEG. We quantified features of the time series data in terms of oscillatory alpha power and central alpha frequency, beta power and central beta frequency, and 1/f broadband characteristics using power spectral density. Furthermore, we characterised transient oscillatory burst events in the mu-beta band time-domain signals. We examined the relationship between these signal features and the patients' disease state, symptom severity, age, sex, and cortical thickness. PD patients and healthy controls differed on PSD broadband characteristics, with PD patients showing a steeper 1/f exponential slope and higher 1/f offset. PD patients further showed a steeper age-related decrease in the burst rate. Out of all the signal features of the sensorimotor activity, the burst rate was associated with increased severity of bradykinesia, whereas the burst duration was associated with axial symptoms. Our study shows that general non-oscillatory features (broadband 1/f exponent and offset) of the sensorimotor signals are related to disease state and oscillatory burst rate scales with symptom severity in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel C Vinding
- NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Josefine Waldthaler
- NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Section of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Allison Eriksson
- NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cassia Low Manting
- NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Centre, Lee Kong Chien School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Daniel Ferreira
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer's Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Fernando Pessoa Canarias, Las Palmas de Gran, Canaria, España
| | - Martin Ingvar
- NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Svenningsson
- Section of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Lundqvist
- NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Kiepe F, Kraus N, Hesselmann G. Self-initiation enhances perceptual processing of auditory stimuli in an online study. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:587-601. [PMID: 38148430 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02827-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how the brain incorporates sensory and motor information will enable better theory building on human perception and behavior. In this study, we aimed to estimate the influence of predictive mechanisms on the magnitude and variability of sensory attenuation in two online samples. After the presentation of a visual cue stimulus, participants (Experiment 1: N = 224, Experiment 2: N = 84) compared the loudness of two consecutive tones in a two-alternative forced-choice task. In Experiment 1, the first tone was either self-initiated or not; in Experiment 2, the second tone was either self-initiated or not (active and passive condition, respectively). We further manipulated identity prediction (i.e., the congruence of pre-learned cue-sound combinations; congruent vs. incongruent), and the duration of the onset delay (to account for effects of attentional differences between the passive and active condition, 50 ms vs. 0 ms). We critically discuss our results within the framework of both classical (i.e., motor-based forward models) and contemporary approaches (i.e., predictive processing framework). Contrary to our preregistered hypothesis, we observed enhanced perceptual processing, instead of attenuation, for self-initiated auditory sensory input. Further, our results reveal an effect of fixed sound delays on the processing of motor and non-motor-based predictive information, and may point to according shifts in attention, leading to a perceptual bias. These results might best be captured by a hybrid explanatory model, combining predictions based on self-initiated motor action with a global predictive mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Kiepe
- Psychologische Hochschule Berlin (PHB), Department of General and Biological Psychology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nils Kraus
- Psychologische Hochschule Berlin (PHB), Department of General and Biological Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Guido Hesselmann
- Psychologische Hochschule Berlin (PHB), Department of General and Biological Psychology, Berlin, Germany.
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Mariano M, Kuster N, Tartufoli M, Zapparoli L. How aging shapes our sense of agency. Psychon Bull Rev 2024:10.3758/s13423-023-02449-1. [PMID: 38243031 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02449-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The sense of agency refers to the feeling of controlling one's actions and their effects on the external environment. Here, we tested how the physiological process of aging affects the agency experience by taking advantage of a validated ecological experimental paradigm and exploring the different dimensions of agency. We tested 60 young and older adults during active and passive movements, causing, after a variable time delay, an external sensorial event. We collected overt agency judgments (i.e., explicit agency dimension), and we measured the perceived compression of the time interval between the active/passive movements and outcomes (to quantify the intentional binding phenomenon, an implicit index of agency). Our results indicate that the sense of agency significantly changes across the adult life span, with older participants exhibiting a reduced sense of agency, both at the explicit and implicit level. Crucially, the temporal dimension of the action outcome did not affect their agency experience. We suggest that elderly adults are more reliant on internal predictions, making them less sensitive to cognitive biases and external manipulations. We discuss these results in the domain of neurocognitive models of motor control, with reference to how aging affects the weighting process of predictive and sensory signals for efficient sensorimotor integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Mariano
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi-Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
| | - Nicole Kuster
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi-Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Matilde Tartufoli
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi-Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Zapparoli
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi-Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
- IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
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Hirano M, Furuya S. Active perceptual learning involves motor exploration and adaptation of predictive sensory integration. iScience 2024; 27:108604. [PMID: 38155781 PMCID: PMC10753069 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Our ability to perceive both externally generated and self-generated sensory stimuli can be enhanced through training, known as passive and active perceptual learning (APL). Here, we sought to explore the mechanisms underlying APL by using active haptic training (AHT), which has been demonstrated to enhance the somatosensory perception of a finger in a trained motor skill. In total 120 pianists participated in this study. First, AHT reorganized the muscular coordination during the piano keystroke. Second, AHT increased the relative reliance on afferent sensory information relative to predicted one, in contrast to no increment of overall perceptual sensitivity. Finally, AHT improved feedback movement control of keystrokes. These results suggest that APL involves active exploration and adaptation of predictive sensory integration, which underlies the co-enhancement of active perception and feedback control of movements of well-trained individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Hirano
- Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc Tokyo, Japan
- NeuroPiano Institute, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinichi Furuya
- Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc Tokyo, Japan
- NeuroPiano Institute, Kyoto, Japan
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Job X, Kilteni K. Action does not enhance but attenuates predicted touch. eLife 2023; 12:e90912. [PMID: 38099521 PMCID: PMC10723797 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Dominant motor control theories propose that the brain predicts and attenuates the somatosensory consequences of actions, referred to as somatosensory attenuation. Support comes from psychophysical and neuroimaging studies showing that touch applied on a passive hand elicits attenuated perceptual and neural responses if it is actively generated by one's other hand, compared to an identical touch from an external origin. However, recent experimental findings have challenged this view by providing psychophysical evidence that the perceived intensity of touch on the passive hand is enhanced if the active hand does not receive touch simultaneously with the passive hand (somatosensory enhancement) and by further attributing attenuation to the double tactile stimulation of the hands upon contact. Here, we directly contrasted the hypotheses of the attenuation and enhancement models regarding how action influences somatosensory perception by manipulating whether the active hand contacts the passive hand. We further assessed somatosensory perception in the absence of any predictive cues in a condition that turned out to be essential for interpreting the experimental findings. In three pre-registered experiments, we demonstrate that action does not enhance the predicted touch (Experiment 1), that the previously reported 'enhancement' effects are driven by the reference condition used (Experiment 2), and that self-generated touch is robustly attenuated regardless of whether the two hands make contact (Experiment 3). Our results provide conclusive evidence that action does not enhance but attenuates predicted touch and prompt a reappraisal of recent experimental findings upon which theoretical frameworks proposing a perceptual enhancement by action prediction are based.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Job
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
| | - Konstantina Kilteni
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud UniversityNijmegenNetherlands
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Rasman BG, van der Zalm C, Forbes PA. Age-related impairments and influence of visual feedback when learning to stand with unexpected sensorimotor delays. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1325012. [PMID: 38161590 PMCID: PMC10757376 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1325012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background While standing upright, the brain must accurately accommodate for delays between sensory feedback and self-generated motor commands. Natural aging may limit adaptation to sensorimotor delays due to age-related decline in sensory acuity, neuromuscular capacity and cognitive function. This study examined balance learning in young and older adults as they stood with robot-induced sensorimotor delays. Methods A cohort of community dwelling young (mean = 23.6 years, N = 20) and older adults (mean = 70.1 years, N = 20) participated in this balance learning study. Participants stood on a robotic balance simulator which was used to artificially impose a 250 ms delay into their control of standing. Young and older adults practiced to balance with the imposed delay either with or without visual feedback (i.e., eyes open or closed), resulting in four training groups. We assessed their balance behavior and performance (i.e., variability in postural sway and ability to maintain upright posture) before, during and after training. We further evaluated whether training benefits gained in one visual condition transferred to the untrained condition. Results All participants, regardless of age or visual training condition, improved their balance performance through training to stand with the imposed delay. Compared to young adults, however, older adults had larger postural oscillations at all stages of the experiments, exhibited less relative learning to balance with the delay and had slower rates of balance improvement. Visual feedback was not required to learn to stand with the imposed delay, but it had a modest effect on the amount of time participants could remain upright. For all groups, balance improvements gained from training in one visual condition transferred to the untrained visual condition. Conclusion Our study reveals that while advanced age partially impairs balance learning, the older nervous system maintains the ability to recalibrate motor control to stand with initially destabilizing sensorimotor delays under differing visual feedback conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon G. Rasman
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Christian van der Zalm
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Patrick A. Forbes
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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Timar L, Job X, Orban de Xivry JJ, Kilteni K. Aging exerts a limited influence on the perception of self-generated and externally generated touch. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:871-882. [PMID: 37609705 PMCID: PMC10642979 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00145.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Touch generated by our voluntary movements is attenuated both at the perceptual and neural levels compared with touch of the same intensity delivered to our body by another person or machine. This somatosensory attenuation phenomenon relies on the integration of somatosensory input and predictions about the somatosensory consequences of our actions. Previous studies have reported increased somatosensory attenuation in elderly people, proposing an overreliance on sensorimotor predictions to compensate for age-related declines in somatosensory perception; however, recent results have challenged this direct relationship. In a preregistered study, we used a force-discrimination task to assess whether aging increases somatosensory attenuation and whether this increase is explained by decreased somatosensory precision in elderly individuals. Although 94% of our sample (n = 108, 21-77 yr old) perceived their self-generated touches as weaker than externally generated touches of identical intensity (somatosensory attenuation) regardless of age, we did not find a significant increase in somatosensory attenuation in our elderly participants (65-77 yr old), but a trend when considering only the oldest subset (69-77 yr old). Moreover, we did not observe a significant age-related decline in somatosensory precision or a significant relationship of age with somatosensory attenuation. Together, our results suggest that aging exerts a limited influence on the perception of self-generated and externally generated touch and indicate a less direct relationship between somatosensory precision and attenuation in the elderly individuals than previously proposed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Self-generated touch is attenuated compared with externally generated touch of identical intensity. This somatosensory attenuation has been previously shown to be increased in elderly participants, but it remains unclear whether it is related to age-related somatosensory decline. In our preregistered study, we observed a trend for increased somatosensory attenuation in our oldest participants (≥69 yr), but we found no evidence of an age-related decline in somatosensory function or a relationship of age with somatosensory attenuation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Timar
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xavier Job
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
- Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Konstantina Kilteni
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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11
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McNaughton D, Hope R, Gray E, Xavier F, Beath A, Jones M. Methodological considerations for the force-matching task. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:2979-2988. [PMID: 36002628 PMCID: PMC10556179 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01954-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The force-matching task integrates haptic technology and electrical engineering to determine an individual's level of sensory attenuation to somatic stimuli. The task requires a detailed methodology to facilitate reliable and replicable estimates, and there has been a distinct lack of re-evaluation of the methodological processes related to this paradigm. In this task, participants are asked to match a force delivered to their finger, either by pressing directly on their own finger with their other hand (known as the direct condition) or by controlling the device using an external potentiometer to control the force indirectly through a torque motor (known as the slider condition). We analysed 138 participants to determine 1) the optimal number of replications (2, 4, 6, or 8 replications) of the target force, 2) the optimal time window (1-1.5 s, 1.5-2 s, 2-2.5 s and 2.5-3 s) to extract the estimate of sensory attenuation, 3) if participants' performance during the task improved, worsened or was stable across the experimental period regardless of condition, and 4) if learning effects were related to psychological traits. Results showed that the number of replications of the target forces may be reduced from 8 without compromising the estimate of sensory attenuation, the optimal time window for the extraction of the matched force is 2.5-3 s, the performance is stable over the duration of the experiment and not impacted by the measured psychological traits. In conclusion, we present a number of methodological considerations which improve the efficiency and reliability of the force-matching task. HIGHLIGHTS: • The force-matching task determines an individual's level of sensory attenuation • The optimal number of replications of the target force may be reduced from 8 • The optimal time window to extract the matched force is 2.5-3.0 s • The estimate of sensory attenuation is stable across the duration of the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- David McNaughton
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Rhys Hope
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia
| | - Emily Gray
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia
| | - Freya Xavier
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alissa Beath
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Jones
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia
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12
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Fujii Y, Kuroda N, Teraoka R, Harada S, Teramoto W. Age-related differences in temporal binding and the influence of action body parts. Iperception 2023; 14:20416695231208547. [PMID: 37915859 PMCID: PMC10617286 DOI: 10.1177/20416695231208547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
If voluntary action is followed by an effect with a short time delay, the time interval between action and effect is often perceived to be shorter than it actually is. This perceptual time compression is termed intentional binding or temporal binding. We investigated age-related changes in adulthood considering temporal binding and its dependence on action body parts (i.e., hand vs. foot). This experiment included 17 young adults (mean age: 21.71 ± 3.14 years) and 27 older adults (mean age: 74.41 ± 3.38 years). Participants performed a button press task using their index fingers (hand condition) or toes (foot condition). The results showed that older participants exhibited a strong time compression comparable to young participants in the voluntary condition. Older participants also showed a strong time compression in involuntary action, which was induced by a mechanical device, differently from young participants. In line with previous research, the present age-related differences in time compression considering involuntary action suggest that causal belief significantly influences event perception rather than the associated intention of action or sensory afferents. The present results also suggest that the nature of action body parts has no significant influence on temporal binding, independent of age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Fujii
- College of Comprehensive Psychology, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka, Japan; Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Naoki Kuroda
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan; Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Ryo Teraoka
- Graduate School of Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan; Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Shinya Harada
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Wataru Teramoto
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan
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13
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Hsu YF, Tu CA, Bekinschtein TA, Hämäläinen JA. Longitudinal Evidence for Attenuated Local-Global Deviance Detection as a Precursor of Working Memory Decline. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0156-23.2023. [PMID: 37500495 PMCID: PMC10431235 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0156-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
From the perspective of predictive coding, normal aging is accompanied by decreased weighting of sensory inputs and increased reliance on predictions, resulting in the attenuation of prediction errors in older age. Recent electroencephalography (EEG) research further revealed that the age-related shift from sensorium to predictions is hierarchy-selective, as older brains show little reduction in lower-level but significant suppression in higher-level prediction errors. Moreover, the disrupted propagation of prediction errors from the lower-level to the higher-level seems to be linked to deficient maintenance of information in working memory. However, it is unclear whether the hierarchical predictive processing continues to decline with advancing age as working memory. Here, we longitudinally followed a sample of 78 participants from three age groups (including seniors, adults, and adolescents) over three years' time. Seniors exhibited largely preserved local processing [consisting of comparable mismatch negativity (MMN), delayed P3a, and comparable reorienting negativity (RON)] but significantly compromised global processing (consisting of suppressed frontocentral negativity and suppressed P3b) in the auditory local-global paradigm. These electrophysiological responses did not change with the passing of time, unlike working memory which deteriorated with advancing age. Correlation analysis further showed that these electrophysiological responses signaling prediction errors are indicative of concurrent working memory. Moreover, there was a correlation between earlier predictive processing and later working memory but not between earlier working memory and later predictive processing. The temporal asymmetry suggested that the hierarchy-selective attenuation of prediction errors is likely a precursor of working memory decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fang Hsu
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 106308, Taiwan
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 106308, Taiwan
| | - Chia-An Tu
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 106308, Taiwan
| | | | - Jarmo A Hämäläinen
- Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
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14
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Inamoto T, Ueda M, Ueno K, Shiroma C, Morita R, Naito Y, Ishii R. Motor-Related Mu/Beta Rhythm in Older Adults: A Comprehensive Review. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050751. [PMID: 37239223 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mu rhythm, also known as the mu wave, occurs on sensorimotor cortex activity at rest, and the frequency range is defined as 8-13Hz, the same frequency as the alpha band. Mu rhythm is a cortical oscillation that can be recorded from the scalp over the primary sensorimotor cortex by electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). The subjects of previous mu/beta rhythm studies ranged widely from infants to young and older adults. Furthermore, these subjects were not only healthy people but also patients with various neurological and psychiatric diseases. However, very few studies have referred to the effect of mu/beta rhythm with aging, and there was no literature review about this theme. It is important to review the details of the characteristics of mu/beta rhythm activity in older adults compared with young adults, focusing on age-related mu rhythm changes. By comprehensive review, we found that, compared with young adults, older adults showed mu/beta activity change in four characteristics during voluntary movement, increased event-related desynchronization (ERD), earlier beginning and later end, symmetric pattern of ERD and increased recruitment of cortical areas, and substantially reduced beta event-related desynchronization (ERS). It was also found that mu/beta rhythm patterns of action observation were changing with aging. Future work is needed in order to investigate not only the localization but also the network of mu/beta rhythm in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Inamoto
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 583-8555, Japan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Kansai University of Health Sciences, Osaka 590-0482, Japan
| | - Masaya Ueda
- Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 583-8555, Japan
| | - Keita Ueno
- Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 583-8555, Japan
| | - China Shiroma
- Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 583-8555, Japan
| | - Rin Morita
- Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 583-8555, Japan
| | - Yasuo Naito
- Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 583-8555, Japan
| | - Ryouhei Ishii
- Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 583-8555, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita 565-0871, Japan
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15
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From fear of falling to choking under pressure: A predictive processing perspective of disrupted motor control under anxiety. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 148:105115. [PMID: 36906243 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Under the Predictive Processing Framework, perception is guided by internal models that map the probabilistic relationship between sensory states and their causes. Predictive processing has contributed to a new understanding of both emotional states and motor control but is yet to be fully applied to their interaction during the breakdown of motor movements under heightened anxiety or threat. We bring together literature on anxiety and motor control to propose that predictive processing provides a unifying principle for understanding motor breakdowns as a disruption to the neuromodulatory control mechanisms that regulate the interactions of top-down predictions and bottom-up sensory signals. We illustrate this account using examples from disrupted balance and gait in populations who are anxious/fearful of falling, as well as 'choking' in elite sport. This approach can explain both rigid and inflexible movement strategies, as well as highly variable and imprecise action and conscious movement processing, and may also unite the apparently opposing self-focus and distraction approaches to choking. We generate predictions to guide future work and propose practical recommendations.
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16
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Press C, Thomas ER, Yon D. Cancelling cancellation? Sensorimotor control, agency, and prediction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 145:105012. [PMID: 36565943 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.105012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
For decades, classic theories of action control and action awareness have been built around the idea that the brain predictively 'cancels' expected action outcomes from perception. However, recent research casts doubt over this basic premise. What do these new findings mean for classic accounts of action? Should we now 'cancel' old data, theories and approaches generated under this idea? In this paper, we argue 'No'. While doubts about predictive cancellation may urge us to fundamentally rethink how predictions shape perception, the wider pyramid using these ideas to explain action control and agentic experiences can remain largely intact. Some adaptive functions assigned to predictive cancellation can be achieved through quasi-predictive processes, that influence perception without actively tracking the probabilistic structure of the environment. Other functions may rely upon truly predictive processes, but not require that these predictions cancel perception. Appreciating the role of these processes may help us to move forward in explaining how agents optimise their interactions with the external world, even if predictive cancellation is cancelled from theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Press
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK.
| | - Emily R Thomas
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 550 1st Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Daniel Yon
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
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17
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Kelty-Stephen DG, Lee J, Cole KR, Shields RK, Mangalam M. Multifractal Nonlinearity Moderates Feedforward and Feedback Responses to Suprapostural Perturbations. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130:622-657. [PMID: 36600493 DOI: 10.1177/00315125221149147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
An adaptive response to unexpected perturbations requires near-term and long-term adjustments over time. We used multifractal analysis to test how nonlinear interactions across timescales might support an adaptive response following an unpredictable perturbation. We reanalyzed torque data from 44 young and 24 older adults who performed a single-leg squat task challenged by an unexpected mechanical perturbation and a secondary visual-cognitive task. We report three findings: (a) multifractal nonlinearity interacted with pre-perturbation torque production and task error to presage greater pre-voluntary feedforward increases and greater voluntary reductions, respectively, in post-perturbation task error; (b) multifractal nonlinearity presaged relatively smaller task error than standard deviations of both pre-perturbation torques and pre-perturbation task error; and (c) increased task demand (e.g., age-related changes in dexterity and dual-task settings) led to multifractal nonlinearity presaging reduced task error. All these results were consistent with our expectations, except that a pre-perturbation knee torque-dependent increase in post-perturbation task error appeared later for older than for younger participants. This correlational multifractal modeling offered theoretical clarity on the possible roles of nonlinear interactions across timescales, moderating both feedforward and feedback processes, and presaging greater stability when the standard deviation is relatively large and task demands are strong. Thus, multifractal nonlinearity usefully describes movement variability even when paired with classical descriptors like the standard deviation. We discuss potential insights from these findings for understanding suprapostural dexterity and developing rehabilitative interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian G Kelty-Stephen
- Department of Psychology, 14821State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, USA
| | - Jinhyun Lee
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, 573932University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Keith R Cole
- Department of Health, Human Function, and Rehabilitation Science, 50430George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Richard K Shields
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, 573932University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Madhur Mangalam
- Division of Biomechanics and Research Development, Department of Biomechanics, and Center for Research in Human Movement Variability, 14720University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
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18
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Fukumoto Y, Wakisaka T, Misawa K, Hibi M, Suzuki T. Decreased nerve conduction velocity may be a predictor of fingertip dexterity and subjective complaints. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:661-675. [PMID: 36662264 PMCID: PMC9894957 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06556-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We examined the causes of decreased fingertip dexterity in elderly individuals with an aim to improve their quality of life by improving their activities of daily living. We calculated nerve conduction velocity, absolute error during force adjustment tasks, and fingertip dexterity test scores for 30 young (21-34 years old) and 30 elderly (60-74 years old) participants to identify age-related changes. We also assessed subjective complaints of pain, motor function, and numbness. Motor nerve (young: 55.8 ± 3.7 m/s; elderly: 52.2 ± 5.0 m/s) and sensory nerve (young: 59.4 ± 3.4 m/s; elderly: 55.5 ± 5.3 m/s) conduction velocities decreased in an age-dependent manner. Moreover, the decrease of motor nerve conduction velocity was associated with decreased fingertip dexterity (objective index), while the decrease of sensory nerve conduction velocity was associated with subjective complaints of pain and motor function (subjective index).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Fukumoto
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Kansai University of Health Sciences, 2-11-1 Wakaba, Sennan-gun, Kumatori, Osaka, 590-0482, Japan.
| | - Takuya Wakisaka
- grid.419719.30000 0001 0816 944XBiological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 131-8501 Japan
| | - Koichi Misawa
- grid.419719.30000 0001 0816 944XBiological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 131-8501 Japan
| | - Masanobu Hibi
- grid.419719.30000 0001 0816 944XBiological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 131-8501 Japan
| | - Toshiaki Suzuki
- grid.412013.50000 0001 2185 3035Graduate School of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Kansai University of Health Sciences, 2-11-1 Wakaba, Sennan-gun, Kumatori, Osaka, 590-0482 Japan
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19
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Borkar K, Chaturvedi A, Vinod PK, Bapi RS. Ayu-Characterization of healthy aging from neuroimaging data with deep learning and rsfMRI. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 16:940922. [PMID: 36172055 PMCID: PMC9511020 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.940922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimating brain age and establishing functional biomarkers that are prescient of cognitive declines resulting from aging and different neurological diseases are still open research problems. Functional measures such as functional connectivity are gaining interest as potentially more subtle markers of neurodegeneration. However, brain functions are also affected by “normal” brain aging. More information is needed on how functional connectivity relates to aging, particularly in the absence of neurodegenerative disorders. Resting-state fMRI enables us to investigate functional brain networks and can potentially help us understand the processes of development as well as aging in terms of how functional connectivity (FC) matures during the early years and declines during the late years. We propose models for estimation of the chronological age of a healthy person from the resting state brain activation (rsfMRI). In this work, we utilized a dataset (N = 638, age-range 20–88) comprising rsfMRI images from the Cambridge Centre for Aging and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) repository of a healthy population. We propose an age prediction pipeline Ayu which consists of data preprocessing, feature selection, and an attention-based model for deep learning architecture for brain age assessment. We extracted features from the static functional connectivity (sFC) to predict the subject's age and classified them into different age groups (young, middle, middle, and old ages). To the best of our knowledge, a classification accuracy of 72.619 % and a mean absolute error of 6.797, and an r2 of 0.754 reported by our Ayu pipeline establish competitive benchmark results as compared to the state-of-the-art-approach. Furthermore, it is vital to identify how different functional regions of the brain are correlated. We also analyzed how functional regions contribute differently across ages by applying attention-based networks and integrated gradients. We obtained well-known resting-state networks using the attention model, which maps to within the default mode network, visual network, ventral attention network, limbic network, frontoparietal network, and somatosensory network connected to aging. Our analysis of fMRI data in healthy elderly Age groups revealed that dynamic FC tends to slow down and becomes less complex and more random with increasing age.
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20
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Idei H, Ohata W, Yamashita Y, Ogata T, Tani J. Emergence of sensory attenuation based upon the free-energy principle. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14542. [PMID: 36008463 PMCID: PMC9411191 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18207-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain attenuates its responses to self-produced exteroceptions (e.g., we cannot tickle ourselves). Is this phenomenon, known as sensory attenuation, enabled innately, or acquired through learning? Here, our simulation study using a multimodal hierarchical recurrent neural network model, based on variational free-energy minimization, shows that a mechanism for sensory attenuation can develop through learning of two distinct types of sensorimotor experience, involving self-produced or externally produced exteroceptions. For each sensorimotor context, a particular free-energy state emerged through interaction between top-down prediction with precision and bottom-up sensory prediction error from each sensory area. The executive area in the network served as an information hub. Consequently, shifts between the two sensorimotor contexts triggered transitions from one free-energy state to another in the network via executive control, which caused shifts between attenuating and amplifying prediction-error-induced responses in the sensory areas. This study situates emergence of sensory attenuation (or self-other distinction) in development of distinct free-energy states in the dynamic hierarchical neural system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayato Idei
- Department of Information Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan.
| | - Wataru Ohata
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Yuichi Yamashita
- Department of Information Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ogata
- Department of Intermedia Art and Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
| | - Jun Tani
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
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21
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Age-related asymmetry in anticipatory postural movements during unilateral arm movement and imagery. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2435-2457. [PMID: 35930013 PMCID: PMC9458590 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06416-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Reaching movements of the arms are accompanied by anticipatory (APM) and compensatory postural motion (CPM) that counteract the resulting perturbations to body stability. Recent research has shown that these postural actions are also observable in the context of imagined arm movements. As motor imagery (MI) shares many neurophysiological and behavioral characteristics with physical movements, and MI training can affect subsequent performance, MI tasks provide a good setting for studying the anticipatory aspects of postural control. This study investigated APMs and CPMs of the head and hip of healthy young and older adults in the temporal vicinity of physical and imagined forward raises of the dominant and non-dominant arm. When MI of the dominant arm was self-initiated, both age groups showed APM in the anteroposterior plane. When the self-initiated MI was of the non-dominant arm, only the older group showed anteroposterior APM. The older group did not show APM when an expected arm movement (or MI) was made to an external signal. This suggests an age-related deficit in coordinating postural preparation with external events. Only the older group showed mediolateral APM, and only for dominant arm MI, indicating sensitivity to potential perturbation to the weaker, non-dominant side of the body. Overall, the older group showed more anticipatory postural motion at the head. Systematic APM for manual MI suggests that MI training may be an effective intervention for anticipatory postural control. An integrated model of postural support for executed and imagined limb movements is suggested.
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22
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Pérez-González D, Schreiner TG, Llano DA, Malmierca MS. Alzheimer's Disease, Hearing Loss, and Deviance Detection. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:879480. [PMID: 35720686 PMCID: PMC9201340 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.879480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss is a widespread condition among the elderly, affecting communication and social participation. Given its high incidence, it is not unusual that individuals suffering from age-related hearing loss also suffer from other age-related neurodegenerative diseases, a scenario which severely impacts their quality of life. Furthermore, recent studies have identified hearing loss as a relevant risk factor for the development of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, although the underlying associations are still unclear. In order to cope with the continuous flow of auditory information, the brain needs to separate repetitive sounds from rare, unexpected sounds, which may be relevant. This process, known as deviance detection, is a key component of the sensory perception theory of predictive coding. According to this framework, the brain would use the available incoming information to make predictions about the environment and signal the unexpected stimuli that break those predictions. Such a system can be easily impaired by the distortion of auditory information processing that accompanies hearing loss. Changes in cholinergic neuromodulation have been found to alter auditory deviance detection both in humans and animal models. Interestingly, some theories propose a role for acetylcholine in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. Acetylcholine is involved in multiple neurobiological processes such as attention, learning, memory, arousal, sleep and/or cognitive reinforcement, and has direct influence on the auditory system at the levels of the inferior colliculus and auditory cortex. Here we comment on the possible links between acetylcholine, hearing loss, and Alzheimer’s disease, and association that is worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pérez-González
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (Lab 1), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Thomas G Schreiner
- Department of Electrical Measurements and Materials, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, Iaşi, Romania.,Department of Neurology, "Gr. T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iaşi, Romania
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States.,The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States.,Carle Neuroscience Institute, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Manuel S Malmierca
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (Lab 1), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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23
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McNaughton D, Beath A, Hush J, Jones M. Perceptual sensory attenuation in chronic pain subjects and healthy controls. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8958. [PMID: 35624306 PMCID: PMC9142587 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13175-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether sensory attenuation (or failure of) might be an explanation for heightened pain perceptions in individuals with chronic pain. N = 131 (50% chronic pain) individuals underwent a single experimental session, which included the force-matching task and several self-reported symptom and psychological measures. Individuals matched a force delivered to their finger, either by pressing directly on their own finger with their other hand (direct) or by using potentiometer to control the force through a torque motor (slider). All participants overestimated the target force in the direct condition reflecting the sensory attenuation phenomenon. No differences in the magnitude of sensory attenuation between chronic pain and control groups were observed (direct: Z = - 0.90, p = 0.37 and slider: Z = - 1.41, p = 0.16). An increased variance of sensory attenuation was observed in chronic pain individuals (direct: F(1, 129) = 7.22, p = 0.008 and slider: F(1, 129), p = 0.05). Performance in the slider condition was correlated with depressive symptoms (r = - 0.24, p = 0.05), high symptom count (r = - 0.25, p = 0.04) and positive affect (r = 0.28, p = 0.02). These were only identified in the chronic pain individuals. Overall, our findings reveal no clear differences in the magnitude of sensory attenuation between groups. Future research is needed to determine the relevance of sensory attenuation in neuro-cognitive models related to pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- David McNaughton
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Alissa Beath
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia
| | - Julia Hush
- Department of Health Services, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Jones
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, Australia
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24
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Gökçe E, Stojan R, Mack M, Bock O, Voelcker-Rehage C. Lifestyle Matters: Effects of Habitual Physical Activity on Driving Skills in Older Age. Brain Sci 2022; 12:608. [PMID: 35624995 PMCID: PMC9139606 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on multitasking driving has suggested age-related deterioration in driving performance. It has been shown that physical and cognitive functioning, which are related to driving performance and decline with aging, are positively associated with physical activity behavior. This study aimed to explore whether driving performance decline becomes severe with advancing age and whether physical activity behavior modifies age-related deterioration in driving performance. A total of one hundred forty-one healthy adults were categorized into three groups based on their age; old-old (74.21 ± 2.33 years), young-old (66.53 ± 1.50 years), and young adults (23.25 ± 2.82 years). Participants completed a realistic multitasking driving task. Physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness levels were evaluated. Older groups drove more slowly and laterally than young adults, and old-old adults drove slower than young-old ones across the whole driving course. Physical activity level did not interact with the aging effect on driving performance, whereas cardiovascular fitness interacted. Higher-fitness young-old and young adults drove faster than higher-fitness old-old adults. Higher-fitness old adults drove more laterally than higher-fitness young adults. The present study demonstrated a gradual decline in driving performance in old adults, and cardiorespiratory fitness interacted with the aging effect on driving performance. Future research on the interaction of aging and physical activity behavior on driving performance in different age groups is of great value and may help deepen our knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evrim Gökçe
- Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Schickard-Straße 8, 48149 Münster, Germany; (R.S.); (M.M.)
- Sports Health Rehabilitation Laboratory, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Robert Stojan
- Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Schickard-Straße 8, 48149 Münster, Germany; (R.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Melanie Mack
- Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Schickard-Straße 8, 48149 Münster, Germany; (R.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Otmar Bock
- Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50927 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Claudia Voelcker-Rehage
- Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Schickard-Straße 8, 48149 Münster, Germany; (R.S.); (M.M.)
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25
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Noradrenergic deficits contribute to apathy in Parkinson's disease through the precision of expected outcomes. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010079. [PMID: 35533200 PMCID: PMC9119485 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Apathy is a debilitating feature of many neuropsychiatric diseases, that is typically described as a reduction of goal-directed behaviour. Despite its prevalence and prognostic importance, the mechanisms underlying apathy remain controversial. Degeneration of the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system is known to contribute to motivational deficits, including apathy. In healthy people, noradrenaline has been implicated in signalling the uncertainty of expectations about the environment. We proposed that noradrenergic deficits contribute to apathy by modulating the relative weighting of prior beliefs about action outcomes. We tested this hypothesis in the clinical context of Parkinson’s disease, given its associations with apathy and noradrenergic dysfunction. Participants with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease (N = 17) completed a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study with 40 mg of the noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine. Prior weighting was inferred from psychophysical analysis of performance in an effort-based visuomotor task, and was confirmed as negatively correlated with apathy. Locus coeruleus integrity was assessed in vivo using magnetisation transfer imaging at ultra-high field 7T. The effect of atomoxetine depended on locus coeruleus integrity: participants with a more degenerate locus coeruleus showed a greater increase in prior weighting on atomoxetine versus placebo. The results indicate a contribution of the noradrenergic system to apathy and potential benefit from noradrenergic treatment of people with Parkinson’s disease, subject to stratification according to locus coeruleus integrity. More broadly, these results reconcile emerging predictive processing accounts of the role of noradrenaline in goal-directed behaviour with the clinical symptom of apathy and its potential pharmacological treatment. Apathy is a common and harmful consequence of many neuropsychiatric diseases. Its underlying causes are not fully understood, which prevents the development of new treatments. We approach the problem in a new way, modelling human behaviour in terms of the continuously updated interaction between sensory information and brain-based predictions or ‘priors’ about the consequences of our actions. We have previously shown that apathy is related to a loss of precision of these ‘priors’. We proposed that the precision is controlled by noradrenaline (like adrenaline, but made in the brain). We tested whether the noradrenaline-enhancing drug called atomoxetine can restore the priors’ precision in apathetic people. We enrolled participants with Parkinson’s disease, which is associated with both apathy and noradrenaline loss. We used ultra-high field MRI to measure individual differences in the integrity of specialist region called the locus coeruleus–the brain’s source of noradrenaline. We found that the effect of treatment with atomoxetine on prior precision depended on locus coeruleus integrity: Participants with a degenerated locus coeruleus had a more positive change in prior precision. Our results highlight how individual differences in neuroanatomy can predict the potential benefit of noradrenaline treatments in people suffering from apathy.
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26
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Petrucci MN, Amundsen-Huffmaster S, Chung JW, Hsiao-Wecksler ET, MacKinnon CD. Can People with Parkinson's Disease Self-Trigger Gait Initiation? A Comparison of Cueing Strategies. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2022; 12:607-619. [PMID: 34806616 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-212732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An external cue can markedly improve gait initiation in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and is often used to overcome freezing of gait (FOG). It is unknown if the effects of external cueing are comparable if the imperative stimulus is triggered by the person receiving the cue (self-triggered) or an external source. OBJECTIVE Two experiments were conducted to compare the effects of self- versus externally triggered cueing on anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) during gait initiation in people with PD. METHODS In experiment 1, 10 individuals with PD and FOG initiated gait without a cue or in response to a stimulus triggered by the experimenter or by the participant. Experiment 2 compared self- versus externally triggered cueing across three groups: healthy young adults (n = 16), healthy older adults (n = 11), and a group with PD (n = 10). RESULTS Experiment 1: Externally triggered cues significantly increased APA magnitudes compared to uncued stepping, but not when the same cue was self-triggered. Experiment 2: APAs were not significantly improved with a self-triggered cue compared to un-cued stepping in both the PD and healthy older adult groups, but the young adults showed a significant facilitation of APA magnitude. CONCLUSION The effectiveness of an external cue on gait initiation in people with PD and older adults is critically dependent upon whether the source of the trigger is endogenous (self-produced) or exogenous (externally-generated). These results may explain why cueing interventions that rely upon self-triggering of the stimulus are often ineffective in people with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Petrucci
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Jae Woo Chung
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Hsiao-Wecksler
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Colum D MacKinnon
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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27
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Brown RM, Gruijters SLK, Kotz SA. Prediction in the aging brain: Merging cognitive, neurological, and evolutionary perspectives. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:1580-1591. [PMID: 35429160 PMCID: PMC9434449 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the aging brain is typically characterized by declines in a variety of cognitive functions, there has been growing attention to cognitive functions that may stabilize or improve with age. We integrate evidence from behavioral, computational, and neurological domains under the hypothesis that over the life span the brain becomes more effective at predicting (i.e., utilizing knowledge) compared to learning. Moving beyond mere description of the empirical literature—with the aim of arriving at a deeper understanding of cognitive aging—we provide potential explanations for a learning-to-prediction shift based on evolutionary models and principles of senescence and plasticity. The proposed explanations explore whether the occurrence of a learning-to-prediction shift can be explained by (changes in) the fitness effects of learning and prediction over the life span. Prediction may optimize (a) the allocation of limited resources across the life span, and/or (b) late-life knowledge transfer (social learning). Alternatively, late-life prediction may reflect a slower decline in prediction compared to learning. By discussing these hypotheses, we aim to provide a foundation for an integrative neurocognitive–evolutionary perspective on aging and to stimulate further theoretical and empirical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Brown
- Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan L K Gruijters
- Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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28
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Kilteni K, Ehrsson HH. Predictive attenuation of touch and tactile gating are distinct perceptual phenomena. iScience 2022; 25:104077. [PMID: 35372807 PMCID: PMC8968059 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, research on somatosensory perception has led to two important observations. First, self-generated touches that are predicted by voluntary movements become attenuated compared with externally generated touches of the same intensity (attenuation). Second, externally generated touches feel weaker and are more difficult to detect during movement than at rest (gating). At present, researchers often consider gating and attenuation the same suppression process; however, this assumption is unwarranted because, despite more than 40 years of research, no study has combined them in a single paradigm. We quantified how people perceive self-generated and externally generated touches during movement and rest. We show that whereas voluntary movement gates the precision of both self-generated and externally generated touch, the amplitude of self-generated touch is robustly attenuated compared with externally generated touch. Furthermore, attenuation and gating do not interact and are not correlated, and we conclude that they represent distinct perceptual phenomena. We tested the perception of self-generated and external touch during movement and rest The intensity of self-generated touch is reduced during movement and rest (attenuation) The precision of self-generated and external touch is reduced during movement (gating) Attenuation and gating neither interact nor correlate, and are distinct phenomena
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Kilteni
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Corresponding author
| | - H. Henrik Ehrsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
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29
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Dercksen TT, Widmann A, Scharf F, Wetzel N. Sound omission related brain responses in children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 53:101045. [PMID: 34923314 PMCID: PMC8688889 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Action is an important way for children to learn about the world. Recent theories suggest that action is inherently accompanied by the sensory prediction of its effects. Such predictions can be revealed by rarely omitting the expected sensory consequence of the action, resulting in an omission response that is observable in the EEG. Although prediction errors play an important role in models of learning and development, little is known about omission-related brain responses in children. This study used a motor-auditory omission paradigm, testing a group of 6-8-year-old children and an adult group (N = 31 each). In an identity-specific condition, the sound coupled to the motor action was predictable, while in an identity unspecific condition the sound was unpredictable. Results of a temporal principal component analysis revealed that sound-related brain responses underlying the N1-complex differed considerably between age groups. Despite these developmental differences, omission responses (oN1) were similar between age groups. Two subcomponents of the oN1 were differently affected by specific and unspecific predictions. Results demonstrate that children, independent from the maturation of sound processing mechanisms, can implement specific and unspecific predictions as flexibly as adults. This supports theories that regard action and prediction error as important drivers of cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjerk T Dercksen
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestraße 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Widmann
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestraße 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Leipzig University, Neumarkt 9-19, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Scharf
- University of Münster, Fliednerstraße 21, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Nicole Wetzel
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestraße 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany; University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Osterburgerstraße 25, 39576 Stendal, Germany
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30
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Parthasharathy M, Mantini D, Orban de Xivry JJ. Increased upper-limb sensory attenuation with age. J Neurophysiol 2021; 127:474-492. [PMID: 34936521 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00558.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The pressure of our own finger on the arm feels differently than the same pressure exerted by an external agent: the latter involves just touch, whereas the former involves a combination of touch and predictive output from the internal model of the body. This internal model predicts the movement of our own finger and hence the intensity of the sensation of the finger press is decreased. A decrease in intensity of the self-produced stimulus is called sensory attenuation. It has been reported that, due to decreased proprioception with age and an increased reliance on the prediction of the internal model, sensory attenuation is increased in older adults. In this study, we used a force-matching paradigm to test if sensory attenuation is also present over the arm and if aging increases sensory attenuation. We demonstrated that, while both young and older adults overestimate a self-produced force, older adults overestimate it even more showing an increased sensory attenuation. In addition, we also found that both younger and older adults self-produce higher forces when activating the homologous muscles of the upper limb. While this is traditionally viewed as evidence for an increased reliance on internal model function in older adults because of decreased proprioception, proprioception appeared unimpaired in our older participants. This begs the question of whether an age-related decrease in proprioception is really responsible for the increased sensory attenuation observed in older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasa Parthasharathy
- Motor Control and Neuroplasticity Research group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dante Mantini
- Motor Control and Neuroplasticity Research group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
- Motor Control and Neuroplasticity Research group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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31
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Abstract
It is widely believed that predicted tactile action outcomes are perceptually attenuated. The present experiments determined whether predictive mechanisms necessarily generate attenuation or, instead, can enhance perception-as typically observed in sensory cognition domains outside of action. We manipulated probabilistic expectations in a paradigm often used to demonstrate tactile attenuation. Adult participants produced actions and subsequently rated the intensity of forces on a static finger. Experiment 1 confirmed previous findings that action outcomes are perceived less intensely than passive stimulation but demonstrated more intense perception when active finger stimulation was removed. Experiments 2 and 3 manipulated prediction explicitly and found that expected touch during action is perceived more intensely than unexpected touch. Computational modeling suggested that expectations increase the gain afforded to expected tactile signals. These findings challenge a central tenet of prominent motor control theories and demonstrate that sensorimotor predictions do not exhibit a qualitatively distinct influence on tactile perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Thomas
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London
| | - Daniel Yon
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London.,Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London
| | - Floris P de Lange
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
| | - Clare Press
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London
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32
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Matuz A, van der Linden D, Zsidó A, Csathó Á. Visually guided movement with increasing time-on-task: Differential effects on movement preparation and movement execution. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2021; 75:565-582. [PMID: 34507504 DOI: 10.1177/17470218211048001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Top-down cognitive control seems to be sensitive to the detrimental effects of fatigue induced by time-on-task (ToT). The planning and preparation of the motor responses may be especially vulnerable to ToT. Yet, effects of ToT specific to the different phases of movements have received little attention. Therefore, in three experiments, we assessed the effect of ToT on a mouse-pointing task. In Experiment 1, there were 16 possible target positions with variable movement directions. In Experiment 2, the layout of the targets was simplified. In Experiment 3, using cuing conditions, we examined whether the effects of ToT on movement preparation and execution were caused by an increased orientation deficit or decreased phasic alertness. In each experiment, initiation of movement (preparatory phase) became slower, movement execution became faster and overall response time remained constant with increasing ToT. There was, however, no significant within-person association between the preparatory and execution phases. In Experiments 1 and 2, we found a decreasing movement time/movement error ratio, suggesting a more impulsive execution of the pointing movement. In addition, ToT was also accompanied with imprecise movement execution as indicated by the increased errors, mainly in Experiment 2. The results of Experiment 3 indicated that ToT did not induce orientation and phasic alerting deficits but rather was accompanied by decreased tonic alertness.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Matuz
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dimitri van der Linden
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - András Zsidó
- Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Árpád Csathó
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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33
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Kirk EA, Gilmore KJ, Rice CL. Anconeus motor unit firing rates during isometric and muscle-shortening contractions comparing young and very old adults. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1122-1136. [PMID: 34495770 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00219.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
With effects of aging, voluntary neural drive to the muscle, measured as motor unit (MU) firing rate, is lower in older adults during sustained isometric contractions compared with young adults, but differences remain unknown during limb movements. Therefore, our purpose was to compare MU firing rates during both isometric and shortening contractions between two adult age groups. We analyzed intramuscular electromyography of single-MU recordings in the anconeus muscle of young (n = 8, 19-33 yr) and very old (n = 13, 78-93 yr) male adults during maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs). In sustained isometric and muscle-shortening contractions during limb movement, MU trains were linked with elbow joint kinematic parameters throughout the contraction time course. The older group was 33% weaker and 10% slower during movements than the young group (P < 0.01). In isometric contractions, median firing rates were 42% lower (P < 0.01) in the older group (18 Hz) compared with the young group (31 Hz), but during shortening contractions firing rates were higher for both age groups and not statistically different between groups. As a function of contraction time, firing rates at MU recruitment threshold were 39% lower in the older group, but the firing rate decrease was attenuated threefold throughout shortening contraction compared with the young group. At the single-MU level, age-related differences during isometric contractions (i.e., pre-movement initiation) do not remain constant throughout movement that comprises greater effects of muscle shortening. Results indicate that neural drive is task dependent and during movement in older adults it is decreased minimally.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Changes of neural drive to the muscle with adult aging, measured as motor unit firing rates during limb movements, are unknown. Throughout maximal voluntary efforts we found that, in comparison with young adults, firing rates were lower during isometric contraction in older adults but not different during elbow extension movements. Despite the older group being ∼33% weaker across contractions, their muscles can receive neural drive during movements that are similar to that of younger adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Kirk
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin J Gilmore
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charles L Rice
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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34
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Kilteni K, Engeler P, Boberg I, Maurex L, Ehrsson HH. No evidence for somatosensory attenuation during action observation of self-touch. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6422-6444. [PMID: 34463971 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of mirror neurons in the macaque brain in the 1990s triggered investigations on putative human mirror neurons and their potential functionality. The leading proposed function has been action understanding: Accordingly, we understand the actions of others by 'simulating' them in our own motor system through a direct matching of the visual information to our own motor programmes. Furthermore, it has been proposed that this simulation involves the prediction of the sensory consequences of the observed action, similar to the prediction of the sensory consequences of our executed actions. Here, we tested this proposal by quantifying somatosensory attenuation behaviourally during action observation. Somatosensory attenuation manifests during voluntary action and refers to the perception of self-generated touches as less intense than identical externally generated touches because the self-generated touches are predicted from the motor command. Therefore, we reasoned that if an observer simulates the observed action and, thus, he/she predicts its somatosensory consequences, then he/she should attenuate tactile stimuli simultaneously delivered to his/her corresponding body part. In three separate experiments, we found a systematic attenuation of touches during executed self-touch actions, but we found no evidence for attenuation when such actions were observed. Failure to observe somatosensory attenuation during observation of self-touch is not compatible with the hypothesis that the putative human mirror neuron system automatically predicts the sensory consequences of the observed action. In contrast, our findings emphasize a sharp distinction between the motor representations of self and others.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Engeler
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ida Boberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linnea Maurex
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - H Henrik Ehrsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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35
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Vandevoorde K, Orban de Xivry JJ. Does proprioceptive acuity influence the extent of implicit sensorimotor adaptation in young and older adults? J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1326-1344. [PMID: 34346739 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00636.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to adjust movements to changes in the environment declines with aging. This age-related decline is caused by the decline of explicit adjustments. However, implicit adaptation remains intact and might even be increased with aging. Since proprioceptive information has been linked to implicit adaptation, it might well be that an age-related decline in proprioceptive acuity might be linked to the performance of older adults in implicit adaptation tasks. Indeed, age-related proprioceptive deficits could lead to altered sensory integration with an increased weighting of the visual sensory-prediction error. Another possibility is that reduced proprioceptive acuity results in an increased reliance on predicted sensory consequences of the movement. Both these explanations led to our preregistered hypothesis: we expected a relation between the decline of proprioception and the amount of implicit adaptation across ages. However, we failed to support this hypothesis. Our results question the existence of reliability-based integration of visual and proprioceptive signals during motor adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koenraad Vandevoorde
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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36
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Kocagoncu E, Klimovich-Gray A, Hughes LE, Rowe JB. Evidence and implications of abnormal predictive coding in dementia. Brain 2021; 144:3311-3321. [PMID: 34240109 PMCID: PMC8677549 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of cognitive deficits and neuropathological processes associated with dementias has encouraged divergence in pathophysiological explanations of disease. Here, we review an alternative framework that emphasizes convergent critical features of cognitive pathophysiology. Rather than the loss of ‘memory centres’ or ‘language centres’, or singular neurotransmitter systems, cognitive deficits are interpreted in terms of aberrant predictive coding in hierarchical neural networks. This builds on advances in normative accounts of brain function, specifically the Bayesian integration of beliefs and sensory evidence in which hierarchical predictions and prediction errors underlie memory, perception, speech and behaviour. We describe how analogous impairments in predictive coding in parallel neurocognitive systems can generate diverse clinical phenomena, including the characteristics of dementias. The review presents evidence from behavioural and neurophysiological studies of perception, language, memory and decision-making. The reformulation of cognitive deficits in terms of predictive coding has several advantages. It brings diverse clinical phenomena into a common framework; it aligns cognitive and movement disorders; and it makes specific predictions on cognitive physiology that support translational and experimental medicine studies. The insights into complex human cognitive disorders from the predictive coding framework may therefore also inform future therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Kocagoncu
- Cambridge Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Laura E Hughes
- Cambridge Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Cambridge Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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37
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Ma L, Tian L, Hu T, Jiang T, Zuo N. Development of Individual Variability in Brain Functional Connectivity and Capability across the Adult Lifespan. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3925-3938. [PMID: 33822909 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual variability exists in both brain function and behavioral performance. However, changes in individual variability in brain functional connectivity and capability across adult development and aging have not yet been clearly examined. Based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from a large cohort of participants (543 adults, aged 18-88 years), brain functional connectivity was analyzed to characterize the spatial distribution and differences in individual variability across the adult lifespan. Results showed high individual variability in the association cortex over the adult lifespan, whereas individual variability in the primary cortex was comparably lower in the initial stage but increased with age. Individual variability was also negatively correlated with the strength/number of short-, medium-, and long-range functional connections in the brain, with long-range connections playing a more critical role in increasing global individual variability in the aging brain. More importantly, in regard to specific brain regions, individual variability in the motor cortex was significantly correlated with differences in motor capability. Overall, we identified specific patterns of individual variability in brain functional structure during the adult lifespan and demonstrated that functional variability in the brain can reflect behavioral performance. These findings advance our understanding of the underlying principles of the aging brain across the adult lifespan and suggest how to characterize degenerating behavioral capability using imaging biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liying Ma
- School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China.,Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lixia Tian
- School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Tianyu Hu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuro-Information of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 625014, China.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nianming Zuo
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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38
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Design, Development and Functionality of a Haptic Force-Matching Device for Measuring Sensory Attenuation. Behav Res Methods 2021; 53:2689-2699. [PMID: 34027595 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01605-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we describe the design, development and functionality of a haptic force-matching device. This device measures precise sensorimotor perception by determining a subject's ability to successfully attenuate incoming sensory signals. Sensory attenuation provides a novel method of investigating psychophysical aspects of perception and may help to formulate neurocognitive models that may account for maladaptive interoceptive processing. Several similar custom-made devices have been reported in the literature; however, a clear description of the mechanical engineering necessary to build such a device is lacking. We present, in detail, the hardware and software necessary to build such a device. Subjects (N = 25) were asked to match a target force on their right index finger, first by pressing directly on their finger with their other hand, then by controlling the device through an external potentiometer to control the force (indirectly) though a torque motor. In the direct condition, we observed a consistent overestimation of the force reproduced; mean force error 0.50 newtons (standard error = 0.04). In the slider condition we observed a more accurate, yet small, underestimation of reproduced force: -0.30 newtons (standard error = 0.03).
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Kearney J, Brittain JS. Sensory Attenuation in Sport and Rehabilitation: Perspective from Research in Parkinson's Disease. Brain Sci 2021; 11:580. [PMID: 33946218 PMCID: PMC8145846 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
People with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience motor symptoms that are affected by sensory information in the environment. Sensory attenuation describes the modulation of sensory input caused by motor intent. This appears to be altered in PD and may index important sensorimotor processes underpinning PD symptoms. We review recent findings investigating sensory attenuation and reconcile seemingly disparate results with an emphasis on task-relevance in the modulation of sensory input. Sensory attenuation paradigms, across different sensory modalities, capture how two identical stimuli can elicit markedly different perceptual experiences depending on our predictions of the event, but also the context in which the event occurs. In particular, it appears as though contextual information may be used to suppress or facilitate a response to a stimulus on the basis of task-relevance. We support this viewpoint by considering the role of the basal ganglia in task-relevant sensory filtering and the use of contextual signals in complex environments to shape action and perception. This perspective highlights the dual effect of basal ganglia dysfunction in PD, whereby a reduced capacity to filter task-relevant signals harms the ability to integrate contextual cues, just when such cues are required to effectively navigate and interact with our environment. Finally, we suggest how this framework might be used to establish principles for effective rehabilitation in the treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Kearney
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - John-Stuart Brittain
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK;
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Sombric CJ, Torres-Oviedo G. Cognitive and Motor Perseveration Are Associated in Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:610359. [PMID: 33986654 PMCID: PMC8110726 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.610359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging causes perseveration (difficulty to switch between actions) in motor and cognitive tasks, suggesting that the same neural processes could govern these abilities in older adults. To test this, we evaluated the relation between independently measured motor and cognitive perseveration in young (21.4 ± 3.7 y/o) and older participants (76.5 ± 2.9 y/o). Motor perseveration was measured with a locomotor task in which participants had to transition between distinct walking patterns. Cognitive perseveration was measured with a card matching task in which participants had to switch between distinct matching rules. We found that perseveration in the cognitive and motor domains were positively related in older, but not younger individuals, such that participants exhibiting greater perseveration in the motor task also perseverated more in the cognitive task. Additionally, exposure reduces motor perseveration: older adults who had practiced the motor task could transition between walking patterns as proficiently as naïve, young individuals. Our results suggest an overlap in neural processes governing cognitive and motor perseveration with aging and that exposure can counteract the age-related motor perseveration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gelsy Torres-Oviedo
- Sensorimotor Learning Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Arikan BE, Voudouris D, Voudouri-Gertz H, Sommer J, Fiehler K. Reach-relevant somatosensory signals modulate activity in the tactile suppression network. Neuroimage 2021; 236:118000. [PMID: 33864902 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatosensory signals on a moving limb are typically suppressed. This results mainly from a predictive mechanism that generates an efference copy, and attenuates the predicted sensory consequences of that movement. Sensory feedback is, however, important for movement control. Behavioral studies show that the strength of suppression on a moving limb increases during somatosensory reaching, when reach-relevant somatosensory signals from the target limb can be additionally used to plan and guide the movement, leading to increased reliability of sensorimotor predictions. It is still unknown how this suppression is neurally implemented. In this fMRI study, participants reached to a somatosensory (static finger) or an external target (touch-screen) without vision. To probe suppression, participants detected brief vibrotactile stimuli on their moving finger shortly before reach onset. As expected, sensitivity to probes was reduced during reaching compared to baseline (resting), and this suppression was stronger during somatosensory than external reaching. BOLD activation associated with suppression was also modulated by the reach target: relative to baseline, processing of probes during somatosensory reaching led to distinct BOLD deactivations in somatosensory regions (postcentral gyrus, supramarginal gyrus-SMG) whereas probes during external reaching led to deactivations in the cerebellum. In line with the behavioral results, we also found additional deactivations during somatosensory relative to external reaching in the supplementary motor area, a region linked with sensorimotor prediction. Somatosensory reaching was also linked with increased functional connectivity between the left SMG and the right parietal operculum along with the right anterior insula. We show that somatosensory processing on a moving limb is reduced when additional reach-relevant feedback signals from the target limb contribute to the movement, by down-regulating activation in regions associated with predictive and feedback processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belkis Ezgi Arikan
- Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Otto-Behaghel Str. 10F, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Dimitris Voudouris
- Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Otto-Behaghel Str. 10F, D-35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Hanna Voudouri-Gertz
- Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Otto-Behaghel Str. 10F, D-35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jens Sommer
- Core Facility Brain Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 9, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Fiehler
- Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Otto-Behaghel Str. 10F, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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Chan JS, Wibral M, Stawowsky C, Brandl M, Helbling S, Naumer MJ, Kaiser J, Wollstadt P. Predictive Coding Over the Lifespan: Increased Reliance on Perceptual Priors in Older Adults-A Magnetoencephalography and Dynamic Causal Modeling Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:631599. [PMID: 33897405 PMCID: PMC8062739 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.631599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by unisensory decline. To compensate for this, two complementary strategies are potentially relied upon increasingly: first, older adults integrate more information from different sensory organs. Second, according to the predictive coding (PC) model, we form “templates” (internal models or “priors”) of the environment through our experiences. It is through increased life experience that older adults may rely more on these templates compared to younger adults. Multisensory integration and predictive coding would be effective strategies for the perception of near-threshold stimuli, which may however come at the cost of integrating irrelevant information. Both strategies can be studied in multisensory illusions because these require the integration of different sensory information, as well as an internal model of the world that can take precedence over sensory input. Here, we elicited a classic multisensory illusion, the sound-induced flash illusion, in younger (mean: 27 years, N = 25) and older (mean: 67 years, N = 28) adult participants while recording the magnetoencephalogram. Older adults perceived more illusions than younger adults. Older adults had increased pre-stimulus beta-band activity compared to younger adults as predicted by microcircuit theories of predictive coding, which suggest priors and predictions are linked to beta-band activity. Transfer entropy analysis and dynamic causal modeling of pre-stimulus magnetoencephalography data revealed a stronger illusion-related modulation of cross-modal connectivity from auditory to visual cortices in older compared to younger adults. We interpret this as the neural correlate of increased reliance on a cross-modal predictive template in older adults leading to the illusory percept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Chan
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.,School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Michael Wibral
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Cerisa Stawowsky
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mareike Brandl
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Saskia Helbling
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Brain Imaging Center, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marcus J Naumer
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jochen Kaiser
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
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Finnemann JJS, Plaisted-Grant K, Moore J, Teufel C, Fletcher PC. Low-level, prediction-based sensory and motor processes are unimpaired in Autism. Neuropsychologia 2021; 156:107835. [PMID: 33794277 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A new promising account of human brain function suggests that sensory cortices try to optimise information processing via predictions that are based on prior experiences. The brain is thus likened to a probabilistic prediction machine. There has been a growing - though inconsistent - literature to suggest that features of autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) are associated with a deficit in modelling the world through such prediction-based inference. However empirical evidence for differences in low-level sensorimotor predictions in autism is still lacking. One approach to examining predictive processing in the sensorimotor domain is in the context of self-generated (predictable) as opposed to externally-generated (less predictable) effects. We employed two complementary tasks - forcematching and intentional binding - which examine self-versus externally-generated action effects in terms of sensory attenuation and intentional binding respectively in adults with and without autism. The results show that autism was associated with normal levels of sensory attenuation of internally-generated force and with unaltered temporal attraction of voluntary actions and their outcomes. Thus, our results do not support a general deficit in predictive processing in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna J S Finnemann
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom.
| | - Kate Plaisted-Grant
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - James Moore
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, SE14 6NW, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Teufel
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
| | - Paul C Fletcher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
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Poirier G, Ohayon A, Juranville A, Mourey F, Gaveau J. Deterioration, Compensation and Motor Control Processes in Healthy Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. Geriatrics (Basel) 2021; 6:33. [PMID: 33807008 PMCID: PMC8006018 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics6010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with modifications of several brain structures and functions. These modifications then manifest as modified behaviors. It has been proposed that some brain function modifications may compensate for some other deteriorated ones, thus maintaining behavioral performance. Through the concept of compensation versus deterioration, this article reviews the literature on motor function in healthy and pathological aging. We first highlight mechanistic studies that used paradigms, allowing us to identify precise compensation mechanisms in healthy aging. Subsequently, we review studies investigating motor function in two often-associated neurological conditions, i.e., mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. We point out the need to expand the knowledge gained from descriptive studies with studies targeting specific motor control processes. Teasing apart deteriorated versus compensating processes represents precious knowledge that could significantly improve the prevention and rehabilitation of age-related loss of mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Poirier
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
- Espace d’Étude du Mouvement—Étienne Jules MAREY, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Alice Ohayon
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
| | - Adrien Juranville
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
| | - France Mourey
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
- Espace d’Étude du Mouvement—Étienne Jules MAREY, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jeremie Gaveau
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
- Espace d’Étude du Mouvement—Étienne Jules MAREY, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
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Jiang J, Benhamou E, Waters S, Johnson JCS, Volkmer A, Weil RS, Marshall CR, Warren JD, Hardy CJD. Processing of Degraded Speech in Brain Disorders. Brain Sci 2021; 11:394. [PMID: 33804653 PMCID: PMC8003678 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11030394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The speech we hear every day is typically "degraded" by competing sounds and the idiosyncratic vocal characteristics of individual speakers. While the comprehension of "degraded" speech is normally automatic, it depends on dynamic and adaptive processing across distributed neural networks. This presents the brain with an immense computational challenge, making degraded speech processing vulnerable to a range of brain disorders. Therefore, it is likely to be a sensitive marker of neural circuit dysfunction and an index of retained neural plasticity. Considering experimental methods for studying degraded speech and factors that affect its processing in healthy individuals, we review the evidence for altered degraded speech processing in major neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke. We develop a predictive coding framework for understanding deficits of degraded speech processing in these disorders, focussing on the "language-led dementias"-the primary progressive aphasias. We conclude by considering prospects for using degraded speech as a probe of language network pathophysiology, a diagnostic tool and a target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Jiang
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (J.J.); (E.B.); (J.C.S.J.); (R.S.W.); (C.R.M.); (J.D.W.)
| | - Elia Benhamou
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (J.J.); (E.B.); (J.C.S.J.); (R.S.W.); (C.R.M.); (J.D.W.)
| | - Sheena Waters
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK;
| | - Jeremy C. S. Johnson
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (J.J.); (E.B.); (J.C.S.J.); (R.S.W.); (C.R.M.); (J.D.W.)
| | - Anna Volkmer
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK;
| | - Rimona S. Weil
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (J.J.); (E.B.); (J.C.S.J.); (R.S.W.); (C.R.M.); (J.D.W.)
| | - Charles R. Marshall
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (J.J.); (E.B.); (J.C.S.J.); (R.S.W.); (C.R.M.); (J.D.W.)
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK;
| | - Jason D. Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (J.J.); (E.B.); (J.C.S.J.); (R.S.W.); (C.R.M.); (J.D.W.)
| | - Chris J. D. Hardy
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (J.J.); (E.B.); (J.C.S.J.); (R.S.W.); (C.R.M.); (J.D.W.)
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Hsu YF, Waszak F, Strömmer J, Hämäläinen JA. Human Brain Ages With Hierarchy-Selective Attenuation of Prediction Errors. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2156-2168. [PMID: 33258914 PMCID: PMC7945026 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
From the perspective of predictive coding, our brain embodies a hierarchical generative model to realize perception, which proactively predicts the statistical structure of sensory inputs. How are these predictive processes modified as we age? Recent research suggested that aging leads to decreased weighting of sensory inputs and increased reliance on predictions. Here we investigated whether this age-related shift from sensorium to predictions occurs at all levels of hierarchical message passing. We recorded the electroencephalography responses with an auditory local-global paradigm in a cohort of 108 healthy participants from 3 groups: seniors, adults, and adolescents. The detection of local deviancy seems largely preserved in older individuals at earlier latency (including the mismatch negativity followed by the P3a but not the reorienting negativity). In contrast, the detection of global deviancy is clearly compromised in older individuals, as they showed worse task performance and attenuated P3b. Our findings demonstrate that older brains show little decline in sensory (i.e., first-order) prediction errors but significant diminution in contextual (i.e., second-order) prediction errors. Age-related deficient maintenance of auditory information in working memory might affect whether and how lower-level prediction errors propagate to the higher level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fang Hsu
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, National Taiwan Normal University, 106308 Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, 106308 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Florian Waszak
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (INCC), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8002, 75006 Paris, France
- Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Juho Strömmer
- Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jarmo A Hämäläinen
- Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Raimo S, Boccia M, Di Vita A, Cropano M, Guariglia C, Grossi D, Palermo L. The Body Across Adulthood: On the Relation Between Interoception and Body Representations. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:586684. [PMID: 33716641 PMCID: PMC7943607 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.586684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Interoceptive information plays a pivotal role in building body representations (BR), but the association between interoception and the different types of BR in healthy individuals has never been systematically investigated. Thus, this study aimed to explore the association between BR and interoceptive sensibility (IS) throughout adulthood. One hundred thirty-seven healthy participants (50 aged from 18 to 40 years old; 50 aged from 41 to 60 years old; and 37 over 60 years old) were given a self-report tool for assessing IS (the Self-Awareness Questionnaire; SAQ), and a specific battery including tasks evaluating three different BR (i.e., the body schema, using the Hand Laterality Task; the body structural representation, using the Frontal Body Evocation task, FBE; and body semantics, using the Object-Body Part Association Task) as well as control tasks (i.e., tasks with non-body stimuli). The older age group (aged over 60 years old) showed lower performances on the tasks probing the body schema and body structural representation than younger groups (aged 18 to 40 and 41 to 60 years old). More interestingly, worse performances on a task assessing the body schema were significantly associated with higher IS with older age, suggesting that higher awareness of one's inner body sensations would decrease the plasticity of this BR. These findings are interpreted according to the neuropsychological model of BR development and the effects of aging on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Raimo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- I.R.C.C.S. Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Vita
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- I.R.C.C.S. Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Cropano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Cecilia Guariglia
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- I.R.C.C.S. Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Grossi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Liana Palermo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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Age-Related Decline of Sensorimotor Integration Influences Resting-State Functional Brain Connectivity. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10120966. [PMID: 33321926 PMCID: PMC7764051 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10120966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related decline in sensorimotor integration involves both peripheral and central components related to proprioception and kinesthesia. To explore the role of cortical motor networks, we investigated the association between resting-state functional connectivity and a gap-detection angle measured during an arm-reaching task. Four region pairs, namely the left primary sensory area with the left primary motor area (S1left-M1left), the left supplementary motor area with M1left (SMAleft-M1left), the left pre-supplementary motor area with SMAleft (preSMAleft-SMAleft), and the right pre-supplementary motor area with the right premotor area (preSMAright-PMdright), showed significant age-by-gap detection ability interactions in connectivity in the form of opposite-sign correlations with gap detection ability between younger and older participants. Morphometry and tractography analyses did not reveal corresponding structural effects. These results suggest that the impact of aging on sensorimotor integration at the cortical level may be tracked by resting-state brain activity and is primarily functional, rather than structural. From the observation of opposite-sign correlations, we hypothesize that in aging, a "low-level" motor system may hyper-engage unsuccessfully, its dysfunction possibly being compensated by a "high-level" motor system, wherein stronger connectivity predicts higher gap-detection performance. This hypothesis should be tested in future neuroimaging and clinical studies.
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Vachon CM, Modchalingam S, ‘t Hart BM, Henriques DYP. The effect of age on visuomotor learning processes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239032. [PMID: 32925937 PMCID: PMC7489529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowing where our limbs are in space is essential for moving and for adapting movements to various changes in our environments and bodies. The ability to adapt movements declines with age, and age-related cognitive decline can explain a decreased ability to adopt and deploy explicit, cognitive strategies in motor learning. Age-related sensory decline could also lead to a reduced fidelity of sensory position signals and error signals, each of which can affect implicit motor adaptation. Here we investigate two estimates of limb position; one based on proprioception, the other on predicted sensory consequences of movements. Each is considered a measure of an implicit adaptation process and may be affected by both age and cognitive strategies. Both older (n = 38) and younger (n = 42) adults adapted to a 30° visuomotor rotation in a centre-out reaching task. We make an explicit, cognitive strategy available to half of participants in each age group with a detailed instruction. After training, we first quantify the explicit learning elicited by instruction. Instructed older adults initially use the provided strategy slightly less than younger adults but show a similar ability to evoke it after training. This indicates that cognitive explanations for age-related decline in motor learning are limited. In contrast, training induced much larger shifts of state estimates of hand location in older adults compared to younger adults. This is not modulated by strategy instructions, and appears driven by recalibrated proprioception, which is almost twice as large in older adults, while predictions might not be updated in older adults. This means that in healthy aging, some implicit processes may be compensating for other changes to maintain motor capabilities, while others also show age-related decline (data: https://osf.io/qzhmy).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad Michael Vachon
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shanaathanan Modchalingam
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Denise Y. P. Henriques
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Hezemans FH, Wolpe N, Rowe JB. Apathy is associated with reduced precision of prior beliefs about action outcomes. J Exp Psychol Gen 2020; 149:1767-1777. [PMID: 32039624 PMCID: PMC7397861 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Apathy is a debilitating syndrome that is associated with reduced goal-directed behavior. Although apathy is common and detrimental to prognosis in many neuropsychiatric diseases, its underlying mechanisms remain controversial. We propose a new model of apathy, in the context of Bayesian theories of brain function, whereby actions require predictions of their outcomes to be held with sufficient precision for "explaining away" differences in sensory inputs. In the active inference model, apathy results from reduced precision of prior beliefs about action outcomes. We tested this hypothesis using a visuomotor task in healthy adults (N = 47), with experimental manipulation of physical effort and financial reward. Bayesian modeling of performance and participants' perception of their performance was used to infer the precision of their priors. We confirmed that the perception of performance was biased toward the target, which was accounted for by relatively precise prior beliefs about action outcomes. These priors were consistently more precise than the corresponding performance distribution, and were scaled to effort and reward. Crucially, prior precision was negatively associated with trait apathy, suggesting that apathetic individuals had less precise prior beliefs about action outcomes. The results support a Bayesian account of apathy that could inform future studies of clinical populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank H Hezemans
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition, University of Cambridge
| | - Noham Wolpe
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition, University of Cambridge
| | - James B Rowe
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition, University of Cambridge
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