1
|
Ludwig M, Yi YJ, Lüsebrink F, Callaghan MF, Betts MJ, Yakupov R, Weiskopf N, Dolan RJ, Düzel E, Hämmerer D. Functional locus coeruleus imaging to investigate an ageing noradrenergic system. Commun Biol 2024; 7:777. [PMID: 38937535 PMCID: PMC11211439 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06446-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), our main source of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain, declines with age and is a potential epicentre of protein pathologies in neurodegenerative diseases (ND). In vivo measurements of LC integrity and function are potentially important biomarkers for healthy ageing and early ND onset. In the present study, high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI), a reversal reinforcement learning task, and dedicated post-processing approaches were used to visualise age differences in LC function (N = 50). Increased LC responses were observed during emotionally and task-related salient events, with subsequent accelerations and decelerations in reaction times, respectively, indicating context-specific adaptive engagement of the LC. Moreover, older adults exhibited increased LC activation compared to younger adults, indicating possible compensatory overactivation of a structurally declining LC in ageing. Our study shows that assessment of LC function is a promising biomarker of cognitive aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Ludwig
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Yeo-Jin Yi
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Falk Lüsebrink
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- NMR Methods Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Betts
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Renat Yakupov
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Emrah Düzel
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Brown T, Kim K, Gehring WJ, Lustig C, Bohnen NI. Sensitivity to and Control of Distraction: Distractor-Entrained Oscillation and Frontoparietal EEG Gamma Synchronization. Brain Sci 2024; 14:609. [PMID: 38928609 PMCID: PMC11202030 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060609] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
While recent advancements have been made towards a better understanding of the involvement of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the context of cognitive control, the exact mechanism is still not fully understood. Successful behavior requires the correct detection of goal-relevant cues and resisting irrelevant distractions. Frontal parietal networks have been implicated as important for maintaining cognitive control in the face of distraction. The present study investigated the role of gamma-band power in distraction resistance and frontoparietal networks, as its increase is linked to cholinergic activity. We examined changes in gamma activity and their relationship to frontoparietal top-down modulation for distractor challenges and to bottom-up distractor processing. Healthy young adults were tested using a modified version of the distractor condition sustained attention task (dSAT) while wearing an EEG. The modified distractor was designed so that oscillatory activities could be entrained to it, and the strength of entrainment was used to assess the degree of distraction. Increased top-down control during the distractor challenge increased gamma power in the left parietal regions rather than the right prefrontal regions predicted from rodent studies. Specifically, left parietal gamma power increased in response to distraction where the amount of this increase was negatively correlated with the neural activity reflecting bottom-up distractor processing in the visual area. Variability in gamma power in right prefrontal regions was associated with increased response time variability during distraction. This may suggest that the right prefrontal region may contribute to the signaling needed for top-down control rather than its implementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Brown
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Kamin Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (K.K.); (W.J.G.); (C.L.)
| | - William J. Gehring
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (K.K.); (W.J.G.); (C.L.)
| | - Cindy Lustig
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (K.K.); (W.J.G.); (C.L.)
| | - Nicolaas I. Bohnen
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Neurology Service and GRECC, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sakaki M, Murayama K, Izuma K, Aoki R, Yomogita Y, Sugiura A, Singhi N, Matsumoto M, Matsumoto K. Motivated with joy or anxiety: Does approach-avoidance goal framing elicit differential reward-network activation in the brain? COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:469-490. [PMID: 38291308 PMCID: PMC11078806 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01154-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Psychological research on human motivation repeatedly observed that approach goals (i.e., goals to attain success) increase task enjoyment and intrinsic motivation more strongly than avoidance goals (i.e., goals to avoid failure). The present study sought to address how the reward network in the brain-including the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex-is involved when individuals engage in the same task with a focus on approach or avoidance goals. Participants reported stronger positive emotions when they focused on approach goals, but stronger anxiety and disappointment when they focused on avoidance goals. The fMRI analyses revealed that the reward network in the brain showed similar levels of activity to cues predictive of approach and avoidance goals. In contrast, the two goal states were associated with different patterns of activity in the visual cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum during success and failure outcomes. Representation similarity analysis further revealed shared and different representations within the striatum and vmPFC between the approach and avoidance goal states, suggesting both the similarity and uniqueness of the mechanisms behind the two goal states. In addition, the distinct patterns of activation in the striatum were associated with distinct subjective experiences participants reported between the approach and the avoidance conditions. These results suggest the importance of examining the pattern of striatal activity in understanding the mechanisms behind different motivational states in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Sakaki
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
- Research Institute, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan.
| | - Kou Murayama
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
- Research Institute, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
| | - Keise Izuma
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- School of Economics & Management, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
- Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
| | - Ryuta Aoki
- Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Ayaka Sugiura
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Japan
| | - Nishad Singhi
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Kenji Matsumoto
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kim AJ, Nguyen K, Mather M. Eye movements reveal age differences in how arousal modulates saliency priority but not attention processing speed. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.06.592619. [PMID: 38766110 PMCID: PMC11100628 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.06.592619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The arousal-biased competition theory posits that inducing arousal increases attentional priority of salient stimuli while reducing priority of non-pertinent stimuli. However, unlike in young adults, older adults rarely exhibit shifts in priority under increased arousal, and prior studies have proposed different neural mechanisms to explain how arousal differentially modulates selective attention in older adults. Therefore, we investigated how the threat of unpredictable shock differentially modulates attentional control mechanisms in young and older adults by observing eye movements. Participants completed two oculomotor search tasks in which the salient distractor was typically captured by attention (singleton search) or proactively suppressed (feature search). We found that arousal did not modulate attentional priority for any stimulus among older adults nor affect the speed of attention processing in either age group. Furthermore, we observed that arousal modulated pupil sizes and found a correlation between evoked pupil responses and oculomotor function. Our findings suggest age differences in how the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system interacts with neural networks of attention and oculomotor function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andy Jeesu Kim
- University of Southern California, School of Gerontology
| | | | - Mara Mather
- University of Southern California, School of Gerontology
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lee TH, Kim SH, Neal J, Katz B, Kim IH. A collection of 157 individual neuromelanin-sensitive images accompanied by non-linear neuromelanin-sensitive atlas and a probabilistic locus coeruleus atlas. Data Brief 2024; 53:110140. [PMID: 38357452 PMCID: PMC10864836 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The current dataset aims to support and enhance the research reliability of neuromelanin regions in the brainstem, such as locus coeruleus (LC), by offering raw neuromelanin-sensitive images. The dataset includes raw neuromelanin-sensitive images from 157 healthy individuals (8-64 years old). In addition, leveraging individual neuromelanin-sensitive images, a non-linear neuromelanin-sensitive atlas, generated through an iterative warping process, is included to tackle the common challenge of a limited field of view in neuromelanin-sensitive images. Finally, the dataset encompasses a probabilistic LC atlas generated through a majority voting approach with pre-existing multiple atlas-based segmentations. This process entails warping pre-existing atlases onto individual spaces and identifying voxels with a majority consensus of over 50 % across the atlases. This LC probabilistic atlas can minimize uncertainty variance associated with choosing a specific single atlas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, USA
| | - Sun Hyung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Joshua Neal
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, USA
| | - Benjamin Katz
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, USA
| | - Il Hwan Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Neal J, Song I, Katz B, Lee TH. Association of Intrinsic Functional Connectivity between the Locus Coeruleus and Salience Network with Attentional Ability. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:1557-1569. [PMID: 37584586 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a brainstem region associated with broad neural arousal because of norepinephrine production, but it has increasingly been associated with specific cognitive processes. These include sustained attention, with deficits associated with various neuropsychological disorders. Neural models of attention deficits have focused on interrupted dynamics between the salience network (SAL) with the frontoparietal network, which has been associated with task-switching and processing of external stimuli, respectively. Conflicting findings for these regions suggest the possibility of upstream signaling leading to attention dysfunction, and recent research suggests LC involvement. In this study, resting-state functional connectivity and behavioral performance on an attention task was examined within 584 individuals. Analysis revealed significant clusters connected to LC activity in the SAL. Given previous findings that attention deficits may be caused by SAL network switching dysfunctions, findings here further suggest that dysfunction in LC-SAL connectivity may impair attention.
Collapse
|
7
|
Lee K, Sayre B, James TA, Duarte A. Age-related reductions in arousal-enhanced memory are moderated by trait emotion regulation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15469. [PMID: 37726345 PMCID: PMC10509193 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41741-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional arousal is known to enhance episodic memory in young adults. However, compared to valence, little is known about how healthy aging impacts arousal-enhanced memory effects. Furthermore, while emotion regulation is believed to improve with age, it is unclear how individual differences in emotion regulation influence arousal-enhanced memory. In this large-scale online study, we investigated the impact of age and individual differences in emotion regulation on arousal-enhanced memory. During encoding, participants made arousal ratings about negative, neutral, and positive images, and we compared their subsequent memory of high and low-arousal images. We found the impact of emotional arousal on memory was reduced with age, especially for older adults who habitually suppress their emotions. Our findings show that arousal-related memory benefits are reduced with advancing age, and that individual differences in habitual usage of emotion regulation impact these age-related alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyoungeun Lee
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA.
- School of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA.
| | - Brialisse Sayre
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
- School of Medicine, Mercer University, Macon, USA
| | - Taylor A James
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| | - Audrey Duarte
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
- School of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Krohn F, Lancini E, Ludwig M, Leiman M, Guruprasath G, Haag L, Panczyszyn J, Düzel E, Hämmerer D, Betts M. Noradrenergic neuromodulation in ageing and disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105311. [PMID: 37437752 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105311] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small brainstem structure located in the lower pons and is the main source of noradrenaline (NA) in the brain. Via its phasic and tonic firing, it modulates cognition and autonomic functions and is involved in the brain's immune response. The extent of degeneration to the LC in healthy ageing remains unclear, however, noradrenergic dysfunction may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite their differences in progression at later disease stages, the early involvement of the LC may lead to comparable behavioural symptoms such as preclinical sleep problems and neuropsychiatric symptoms as a result of AD and PD pathology. In this review, we draw attention to the mechanisms that underlie LC degeneration in ageing, AD and PD. We aim to motivate future research to investigate how early degeneration of the noradrenergic system may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD and PD which may also be relevant to other neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Krohn
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - E Lancini
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - M Ludwig
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - M Leiman
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - G Guruprasath
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - L Haag
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - J Panczyszyn
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - E Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London UK-WC1E 6BT, UK; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - D Hämmerer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London UK-WC1E 6BT, UK; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M Betts
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lin FV, Heffner KL. Autonomic nervous system flexibility for understanding brain aging. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102016. [PMID: 37459967 PMCID: PMC10530154 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
A recent call was made for autonomic nervous system (ANS) measures as digital health markers for early detection of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (AD/ADRD). Nevertheless, contradictory or inconclusive findings exist. To help advance understanding of ANS' role in dementia, we draw upon aging and dementia-related literature, and propose a framework that centers on the role of ANS flexibility to guide future work on application of ANS function to differentiating the degree and type of dementia-related brain pathologies. We first provide a brief review of literature within the past 10 years on ANS and dementia-related brain pathologies. Next, we present an ANS flexibility model, describing how the model can be applied to understand these brain pathologies, as well as differentiate or even be leveraged to modify typical brain aging and dementia. Lastly, we briefly discuss the implication of the model for understanding resilience and vulnerability to dementia-related outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feng V Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, USA.
| | - Kathi L Heffner
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester, USA; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gargano A, Olabiyi BF, Palmisano M, Zimmer A, Bilkei-Gorzo A. Possible role of locus coeruleus neuronal loss in age-related memory and attention deficits. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1264253. [PMID: 37694113 PMCID: PMC10492095 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1264253] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive abilities, including memory and attention. It is generally accepted that age-related histological changes such as increased neuroinflammatory glial activity and a reduction in the number of specific neuronal populations contribute to cognitive aging. Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) undergo an approximately 20 % loss during ageing both in humans and mice, but whether this change contributes to cognitive deficits is not known. To address this issue, we asked whether a similar loss of LC neurons in young animals as observed in aged animals impairs memory and attention, cognitive domains that are both influenced by the noradrenergic system and impaired in aging. Methods For that, we treated young healthy mice with DSP-4, a toxin that specifically kills LC noradrenergic neurons. We compared the performance of DSP-4 treated young mice with the performance of aged mice in models of attention and memory. To do this, we first determined the dose of DSP-4, which causes a similar 20 % neuronal loss as is typical in aged animals. Results Young mice treated with DSP-4 showed impaired attention in the presence of distractor and memory deficits in the 5-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRTT). Old, untreated mice showed severe deficits in both the 5-CSRTT and in fear extinction tests. Discussion Our data now suggest that a reduction in the number of LC neurons contributes to impaired working memory and greater distractibility in attentional tasks but not to deficits in fear extinction. We hypothesize that the moderate loss of LC noradrenergic neurons during aging contributes to attention deficits and working memory impairments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Andras Bilkei-Gorzo
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Azer L, Xie W, Park HB, Zhang W. Detrimental effects of effortful physical exertion on a working memory dual-task in older adults. Psychol Aging 2023; 38:291-304. [PMID: 37104787 PMCID: PMC10238666 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Action and cognition often interact in everyday life and are both sensitive to the effects of aging. The present study tested the effects of a simple physical action, effortful handgrip exertion, on working memory (WM) and inhibitory control in younger and older adults. Using a novel dual-task paradigm, participants engaged in a WM task with 0 or 5-distractors under concurrent physical exertion (5% vs. 30% individual maximum voluntary contraction). Effortful physical exertion, although failing to effect WM accuracy in the distractor absent condition for both age groups, reduced WM accuracy for the older, but not young adults, in the distractor-present condition. Similarly, older adults experienced greater distractor interference in the distractor-present condition under high physical exertion, indexed by slower reaction time (RT), confirmed by hierarchical Bayesian modeling of RT distributions. Our finding that a simple but effortful physical task results in impaired cognitive control may be empirically important for understanding everyday functions of older adults. For example, the ability to ignore task-irrelevant items declines with age and this decline is greater when simultaneously performing a physical task, which is a frequent occurrence in daily life. The negative interactions between cognitive and motor tasks may further impair daily functions, beyond the negative consequences of reduced inhibitory control and physical abilities in older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Azer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
| | - Weizhen Xie
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health
| | - Hyung-Bum Park
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bachman SL, Attanti S, Mather M. Isometric handgrip exercise speeds working memory responses in younger and older adults. Psychol Aging 2023; 38:305-322. [PMID: 36931831 PMCID: PMC10238670 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000728] [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] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Physiological arousal affects attention and memory, sometimes enhancing and other times impairing what we attend to and remember. In the present study, we investigated how changes in physiological arousal-induced through short bursts of isometric handgrip exercise-affected subsequent working memory performance. A sample of 57 younger (ages 18-29) and 56 older (ages 65-85) participants performed blocks of isometric handgrip exercise in which they periodically squeezed a therapy ball, alternating with blocks of an auditory working memory task. We found that, compared with those in a control group, participants who performed isometric handgrip had faster reaction times on the working memory task. Handgrip-speeded responses were observed for both younger and older participants, across working memory loads. Analysis of multimodal physiological responses indicated that physiological arousal increased during handgrip. Our findings suggest that performing short bouts of isometric handgrip exercise can improve processing speed, and they offer testable possibilities for the mechanism underlying handgrip's effects on performance. The potential for acute isometric exercise to temporarily improve processing speed may be of particular relevance for older adults who show declines in processing speed and working memory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sumedha Attanti
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Frank CC, Seaman KL. Aging, uncertainty, and decision making-A review. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:773-787. [PMID: 36670294 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01064-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There is a great deal of uncertainty in the world. One common source of uncertainty results from incomplete or missing information about probabilistic outcomes (i.e., outcomes that may occur), which influences how people make decisions. The impact of this type of uncertainty may particularly pronounced for older adults, who, as the primary leaders around the world, make highly impactful decisions with lasting outcomes. This review examines the ways in which uncertainty about probabilistic outcomes is perceived, handled, and represented in the aging brain, with an emphasis on how uncertainty may specifically affect decision making in later life. We describe the role of uncertainty in decision making and aging from four perspectives, including 1) theoretical, 2) self-report, 3) behavioral, and 4) neuroscientific. We report evidence of any age-related differences in uncertainty among these contexts and describe how these changes may affect decision making. We then integrate the findings across the distinct perspectives, followed by a discussion of important future directions for research on aging and uncertainty, including prospection, domain-specificity in risk-taking behaviors, and choice overload.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen C Frank
- Center for Vital Longevity, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Kendra L Seaman
- Center for Vital Longevity, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
- School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lawn T, Howard MA, Turkheimer F, Misic B, Deco G, Martins D, Dipasquale O. From Neurotransmitters to Networks: Transcending Organisational Hierarchies with Molecular-informed Functional Imaging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105193. [PMID: 37086932 PMCID: PMC10390343 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
The human brain exhibits complex interactions across micro, meso-, and macro-scale organisational principles. Recent synergistic multi-modal approaches have begun to link micro-scale information to systems level dynamics, transcending organisational hierarchies and offering novel perspectives into the brain's function and dysfunction. Specifically, the distribution of micro-scale properties (such as receptor density or gene expression) can be mapped onto macro-scale measures from functional MRI to provide novel neurobiological insights. Methodological approaches to enrich functional imaging analyses with molecular information are rapidly evolving, with several streams of research having developed relatively independently, each offering unique potential to explore the trans-hierarchical functioning of the brain. Here, we address the three principal streams of research - spatial correlation, molecular-enriched network, and in-silico whole brain modelling analyses - to provide a critical overview of the different sources of molecular information, how this information can be utilised within analyses of fMRI data, the merits and pitfalls of each methodology, and, through the use of key examples, highlight their promise to shed new light on key domains of neuroscientific inquiry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Lawn
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Matthew A Howard
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Federico Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, Barcelona 08005, Spain; Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Daniel Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Ottavia Dipasquale
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhang Y, Chen Y, Xin Y, Peng B, Liu S. Norepinephrine system at the interface of attention and reward. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 125:110751. [PMID: 36933778 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
Reward learning is key to survival for individuals. Attention plays an important role in the rapid recognition of reward cues and establishment of reward memories. Reward history reciprocally guides attention to reward stimuli. However, the neurological processes of the interplay between reward and attention remain largely elusive, due to the diversity of the neural substrates that participate in these two processes. In this review, we delineate the complex and differentiated locus coeruleus norepinephrine (LC-NE) system in relation to different behavioral and cognitive substrates of reward and attention. The LC receives reward related sensory, perceptual, and visceral inputs, releases NE, glutamate, dopamine and various neuropeptides, forms reward memories, drives attentional bias and selects behavioral strategies for reward. Preclinical and clinical studies have found that abnormalities in the LC-NE system are involved in a variety of psychiatric conditions marked by disturbed functions in reward and attention. Therefore, we propose that the LC-NE system is an important hub in the interplay between reward and attention as well as a critical therapeutic target for psychiatric disorders characterized by compromised functions in reward and attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiao Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200335, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200335, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yushi Xin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Beibei Peng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Shuai Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200335, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gallant SN, Kennedy BL, Bachman SL, Huang R, Cho C, Lee TH, Mather M. Behavioral and fMRI evidence that arousal enhances bottom-up selectivity in young but not older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 120:149-166. [PMID: 36198230 PMCID: PMC9805381 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system integrates signals about arousal states throughout the brain and helps coordinate cognitive selectivity. However, age-related changes in this system may impact how arousal coordinates selectivity in older adults. To examine this, we compared how increases in emotional arousal modulates cognitive selectivity for images differing in perceptual salience in young and older adults. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that relative to older adults, hearing an arousing sound enhanced young adults' bottom-up processing and incidental memory for high versus low salience category-selective body images. We also examined how arousing sounds impacted a top-down goal to detect dot-probes that appeared immediately after high or low salience images. We found that young adults were slower to detect probes appearing after high salience body images on arousing trials, whereas older adults showed this pattern on non-arousing trials. Taken together, our findings show that arousal's effect on selectivity changes with age and differs across bottom-up and top-down processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara N. Gallant
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Briana L. Kennedy
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Shelby L. Bachman
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ringo Huang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Christine Cho
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Fung MY, Lee YH, Lee YTA, Wong ML, Li JTS, Nok Ng EE, Lee VWY. Feasibility of a telephone-delivered educational intervention for knowledge transfer of COVID-19-related information to older adults in Hong Kong: a pre-post-pilot study. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2022; 8:228. [PMID: 36203186 PMCID: PMC9535844 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-022-01169-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational interventions have become necessary to prevent the spread of health-related misinformation among Hong Kong older adults. The primary objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a student-led, telephone-delivered intervention to improve COVID-19-related health knowledge among Hong Kong older adults. The secondary objective was to evaluate the impact of the intervention on the student volunteers. Methods Twenty-five participants aged 65 or above who were able to communicate in Cantonese and had no hearing or cognitive impairments were recruited for this longitudinal pre–post-study from a community center in Hong Kong. The pilot telephone-delivered intervention consisted of five telephone call sessions conducted by 25 student volunteers. Each participant was paired with the same volunteer throughout the intervention. The first four sessions included pre-tests that assessed the participants’ understanding of three COVID-19-related themes: medication safety, healthcare voucher scheme, and COVID-19 myth-busting. Standardized explanations of the pre-test questions were offered to participants during the phone calls. In the last session, a post-test on all the themes was conducted. The intervention’s feasibility was assessed based on (a) percentage changes in the participants’ test scores, (b) attrition rate, and (c) the acceptability of the intervention by the participants. The impact of the intervention on the student volunteers was evaluated based on a student feedback survey. There was no control group. Results Significant improvements in the participants’ test scores (out of 100%) for all themes were observed after the intervention: from 76 to 95.2% for medication safety, from 64.0 to 88.8% for the healthcare voucher scheme, and from 78.0 to 93.2% for COVID-19 myth-busting. The average improvement in test scores of the three themes was 18.4% (95% CI 12.2 to 24.6%). Most participants were satisfied with the program. The student feedback survey suggested that the intervention enhanced students’ communication skills and understanding of Hong Kong older adults. Conclusion This pilot study offers initial evidence of the potential and feasibility of student-led, telephone-delivered educational interventions for the transfer of COVID-19-related knowledge to older adults and their benefits for the student volunteers. Future studies should include larger samples and a control group. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-022-01169-y.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mong Yung Fung
- Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yu Hong Lee
- Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yan Tung Astor Lee
- Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Mei Ling Wong
- Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Joyce Tik Sze Li
- Center for Learning Enhancement and Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Enoch E Nok Ng
- Center for Learning Enhancement and Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Vivian Wing Yan Lee
- Center for Learning Enhancement and Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Olivares MJ, Toledo C, Ortolani D, Ortiz FC, Díaz HS, Iturriaga R, Del Río R. Sleep dysregulation in sympathetic-mediated diseases: implications for disease progression. Sleep 2022; 45:6649852. [DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsac166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays an important role in the coordination of several physiological functions including sleep/wake process. Significant changes in ANS activity occur during wake-to-sleep transition maintaining the adequate cardiorespiratory regulation and brain activity. Since sleep is a complex homeostatic function, partly regulated by the ANS, it is not surprising that sleep disruption trigger and/or evidence symptoms of ANS impairment. Indeed, several studies suggest a bidirectional relationship between impaired ANS function (i.e. enhanced sympathetic drive), and the emergence/development of sleep disorders. Furthermore, several epidemiological studies described a strong association between sympathetic-mediated diseases and the development and maintenance of sleep disorders resulting in a vicious cycle with adverse outcomes and increased mortality risk. However, which and how the sleep/wake control and ANS circuitry becomes affected during the progression of ANS-related diseases remains poorly understood. Thus, understanding the physiological mechanisms underpinning sleep/wake-dependent sympathetic modulation could provide insights into diseases involving autonomic dysfunction. The purpose of this review is to explore potential neural mechanisms involved in both the onset/maintenance of sympathetic-mediated diseases (Rett syndrome, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, obstructive sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart failure, hypertension, and neurodegenerative diseases) and their plausible contribution to the generation of sleep disorders in order to review evidence that may serve to establish a causal link between sleep disorders and heightened sympathetic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María José Olivares
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory Control, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Santiago , Chile
| | - Camilo Toledo
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory Control, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Santiago , Chile
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes , Punta Arenas , Chile
| | - Domiziana Ortolani
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory Control, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Santiago , Chile
| | - Fernando C Ortiz
- Mechanisms of Myelin Formation and Repair Laboratory, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile , Santiago , Chile
| | - Hugo S Díaz
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory Control, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Santiago , Chile
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes , Punta Arenas , Chile
| | - Rodrigo Iturriaga
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory Control, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Santiago , Chile
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes , Punta Arenas , Chile
| | - Rodrigo Del Río
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory Control, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Santiago , Chile
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes , Punta Arenas , Chile
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Santiago , Chile
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Swallow KM, Broitman AW, Riley E, Turker HB. Grounding the Attentional Boost Effect in Events and the Efficient Brain. Front Psychol 2022; 13:892416. [PMID: 35936250 PMCID: PMC9355572 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.892416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention and memory for everyday experiences vary over time, wherein some moments are better attended and subsequently better remembered than others. These effects have been demonstrated in naturalistic viewing tasks with complex and relatively uncontrolled stimuli, as well as in more controlled laboratory tasks with simpler stimuli. For example, in the attentional boost effect (ABE), participants perform two tasks at once: memorizing a series of briefly presented stimuli (e.g., pictures of outdoor scenes) for a later memory test, and responding to other concurrently presented cues that meet pre-defined criteria (e.g., participants press a button for a blue target square and do nothing for a red distractor square). However, rather than increasing dual-task interference, attending to a target cue boosts, rather than impairs, subsequent memory for concurrently presented information. In this review we describe current data on the extent and limitations of the attentional boost effect and whether it may be related to activity in the locus coeruleus neuromodulatory system. We suggest that insight into the mechanisms that produce the attentional boost effect may be found in recent advances in the locus coeruleus literature and from understanding of how the neurocognitive system handles stability and change in everyday events. We consequently propose updates to an early account of the attentional boost effect, the dual-task interaction model, to better ground it in what is currently known about event cognition and the role that the LC plays in regulating brain states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khena M. Swallow
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Cognitive Science Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Khena M. Swallow,
| | - Adam W. Broitman
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Cognitive Science Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Elizabeth Riley
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Hamid B. Turker
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Cognitive Science Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
de Seymour JV, Beck KL, Conlon CA, von Hurst PR, Mumme KD, Haskell-Ramsay CF, Jones MB. Plasma nervonic acid levels were negatively associated with attention levels in community-living older adults in New Zealand. Metabolomics 2022; 18:54. [PMID: 35842880 PMCID: PMC9288952 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-022-01908-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The global population is aging. Preserving function and independence of our aging population is paramount. A key component to maintaining independence is the preservation of cognitive function. Metabolomics can be used to identify biomarkers of cognition before noticeable deterioration. Our study investigated the plasma metabolome of 332 community-living New Zealanders between 65 and 74 years of age, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Six cognitive domains were assessed. Of the 123 metabolites identified using an in-house mass spectral libraries of standards, nervonic acid had a significant, inverse association with the attention domain (P-value = 1.52E- 4; FDR = 0.019), after adjusting for covariates (apolipoprotein E -ε4 genotype, sex, body fat percentage (standardised by sex), age, education, deprivation index, physical activity, metabolic syndrome, polypharmacy, smoking status, and alcohol intake) and multiple testing. Attention is defined as the ability to concentrate on selected aspects of the environment while ignoring other stimuli. This is the first study to identify nervonic acid as a potential biomarker of attention in older adults. Future research should confirm this association in a longitudinal study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamie V de Seymour
- College of Health, Massey University Auckland, Private Bag 102904, North Shore, 0745, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kathryn L Beck
- College of Health, Massey University Auckland, Private Bag 102904, North Shore, 0745, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Cathryn A Conlon
- College of Health, Massey University Auckland, Private Bag 102904, North Shore, 0745, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Pamela R von Hurst
- College of Health, Massey University Auckland, Private Bag 102904, North Shore, 0745, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karen D Mumme
- College of Health, Massey University Auckland, Private Bag 102904, North Shore, 0745, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Mary Beatrix Jones
- Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Moyal R, Turker HB, Luh WM, Swallow KM. Auditory Target Detection Enhances Visual Processing and Hippocampal Functional Connectivity. Front Psychol 2022; 13:891682. [PMID: 35769754 PMCID: PMC9234495 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.891682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Though dividing one's attention between two input streams typically impairs performance, detecting a behaviorally relevant stimulus can sometimes enhance the encoding of unrelated information presented at the same time. Previous research has shown that selection of this kind boosts visual cortical activity and memory for concurrent items. An important unanswered question is whether such effects are reflected in processing quality and functional connectivity in visual regions and in the hippocampus. In this fMRI study, participants were asked to memorize a stream of naturalistic images and press a button only when they heard a predefined target tone (400 or 1,200 Hz, counterbalanced). Images could be presented with a target tone, with a distractor tone, or without a tone. Auditory target detection increased activity throughout the ventral visual cortex but lowered it in the hippocampus. Enhancements in functional connectivity between the ventral visual cortex and the hippocampus were also observed following auditory targets. Multi-voxel pattern classification of image category was more accurate on target tone trials than on distractor and no tone trials in the fusiform gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus. This effect was stronger in visual cortical clusters whose activity was more correlated with the hippocampus on target tone than on distractor tone trials. In agreement with accounts suggesting that subcortical noradrenergic influences play a role in the attentional boost effect, auditory target detection also caused an increase in locus coeruleus activity and phasic pupil responses. These findings outline a network of cortical and subcortical regions that are involved in the selection and processing of information presented at behaviorally relevant moments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roy Moyal
- Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Hamid B. Turker
- Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Wen-Ming Luh
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Khena M. Swallow
- Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Hausman HK, Hardcastle C, Kraft JN, Evangelista ND, Boutzoukas EM, O’Shea A, Albizu A, Langer K, Van Etten EJ, Bharadwaj PK, Song H, Smith SG, Porges E, Hishaw GA, Wu S, DeKosky S, Alexander GE, Marsiske M, Cohen R, Woods AJ. The association between head motion during functional magnetic resonance imaging and executive functioning in older adults. NEUROIMAGE. REPORTS 2022; 2:100085. [PMID: 37377763 PMCID: PMC10299743 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Minimizing head motion during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is important for maintaining the integrity of neuroimaging data. While there are a variety of techniques to control for head motion, oftentimes, individuals with excessive in-scanner motion are removed from analyses. Movement in the scanner tends to increase with age; however, the cognitive profile of these "high-movers" in older adults has yet to be explored. This study aimed to assess the association between in-scanner head motion (i.e., number of "invalid scans" flagged as motion outliers) and cognitive functioning (e.g., executive functioning, processing speed, and verbal memory performance) in a sample of 282 healthy older adults. Spearman's Rank-Order correlations showed that a higher number of invalid scans was significantly associated with poorer performance on tasks of inhibition and cognitive flexibility and with older age. Since performance in these domains tend to decline as a part of the non-pathological aging process, these findings raise concerns regarding the potential systematic exclusion due to motion of older adults with lower executive functioning in neuroimaging samples. Future research should continue to explore prospective motion correction techniques to better ensure the collection of quality neuroimaging data without excluding informative participants from the sample.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna K. Hausman
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Cheshire Hardcastle
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jessica N. Kraft
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nicole D. Evangelista
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Emanuel M. Boutzoukas
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Andrew O’Shea
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Alejandro Albizu
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kailey Langer
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Emily J. Van Etten
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Pradyumna K. Bharadwaj
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Hyun Song
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Samantha G. Smith
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Eric Porges
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Georg A. Hishaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Samuel Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Steven DeKosky
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gene E. Alexander
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Michael Marsiske
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ronald Cohen
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Adam J. Woods
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Dahl MJ, Mather M, Werkle-Bergner M, Kennedy BL, Guzman S, Hurth K, Miller CA, Qiao Y, Shi Y, Chui HC, Ringman JM. Locus coeruleus integrity is related to tau burden and memory loss in autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 112:39-54. [PMID: 35045380 PMCID: PMC8976827 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abnormally phosphorylated tau, an indicator of Alzheimer's disease, accumulates in the first decades of life in the locus coeruleus (LC), the brain's main noradrenaline supply. However, technical challenges in in-vivo assessments have impeded research into the role of the LC in Alzheimer's disease. We studied participants with or known to be at-risk for mutations in genes causing autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD) with early onset, providing a unique window into the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's largely disentangled from age-related factors. Using high-resolution MRI and tau PET, we found lower rostral LC integrity in symptomatic participants. LC integrity was associated with individual differences in tau burden and memory decline. Post-mortem analyses in a separate set of carriers of the same mutation confirmed substantial neuronal loss in the LC. Our findings link LC degeneration to tau burden and memory in Alzheimer's, and highlight a role of the noradrenergic system in this neurodegenerative disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Briana L Kennedy
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Samuel Guzman
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kyle Hurth
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carol A Miller
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yuchuan Qiao
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI), USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yonggang Shi
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI), USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Helena C Chui
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John M Ringman
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lower novelty-related locus coeruleus function is associated with Aβ-related cognitive decline in clinically healthy individuals. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1571. [PMID: 35322012 PMCID: PMC8943159 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28986-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal and human imaging research reported that the presence of cortical Alzheimer’s Disease’s (AD) neuropathology, beta-amyloid and neurofibrillary tau, is associated with altered neuronal activity and circuitry failure, together facilitating clinical progression. The locus coeruleus (LC), one of the initial subcortical regions harboring pretangle hyperphosphorylated tau, has widespread connections to the cortex modulating cognition. Here we investigate whether LC’s in-vivo neuronal activity and functional connectivity (FC) are associated with cognitive decline in conjunction with beta-amyloid. We combined functional MRI of a novel versus repeated face-name paradigm, beta-amyloid-PET and longitudinal cognitive data of 128 cognitively unimpaired older individuals. We show that LC activity and LC-FC with amygdala and hippocampus was higher during novelty. We also demonstrated that lower novelty-related LC activity and LC-FC with hippocampus and parahippocampus were associated with steeper beta-amyloid-related cognitive decline. Our results demonstrate the potential of LC’s functional properties as a gauge to identify individuals at-risk for AD-related cognitive decline. Older individuals exhibiting diminished function of the locus coeruleus while learning new information show faster cognitive decline that is typical for Alzheimer’s disease.
Collapse
|
25
|
Functional Coupling of the Locus Coeruleus Is Linked to Successful Cognitive Control. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12030305. [PMID: 35326262 PMCID: PMC8946131 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030305] [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: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a brainstem structure that sends widespread efferent projections throughout the mammalian brain. The LC constitutes the major source of noradrenaline (NE), a modulatory neurotransmitter that is crucial for fundamental brain functions such as arousal, attention, and cognitive control. This role of the LC-NE is traditionally not believed to reflect functional influences on the frontoparietal network or the striatum, but recent advances in chemogenetic manipulations of the rodent brain have challenged this notion. However, demonstrations of LC-NE functional connectivity with these areas in the human brain are surprisingly sparse. Here, we close this gap. Using an established emotional stroop task, we directly compared trials requiring response conflict control with trials that did not require this, but were matched for visual stimulus properties, response modality, and controlled for pupil dilation differences across both trial types. We found that LC-NE functional coupling with the parietal cortex and regions of the striatum is substantially enhanced during trials requiring response conflict control. Crucially, the strength of this functional coupling was directly related to individual reaction time differences incurred by conflict resolution. Our data concur with recent rodent findings and highlight the importance of converging evidence between human and nonhuman neurophysiology to further understand the neural systems supporting adaptive and maladaptive behavior in health and disease.
Collapse
|
26
|
Porat S, Sibilia F, Yoon J, Shi Y, Dahl MJ, Werkle-Bergner M, Düzel S, Bodammer N, Lindenberger U, Kühn S, Mather M. Age Differences in Diffusivity in the Locus Coeruleus and its Ascending Noradrenergic Tract. Neuroimage 2022; 251:119022. [PMID: 35192943 PMCID: PMC9183949 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a small brainstem nucleus that promotes arousal and attention. Recent studies have examined the microstructural properties of the LC using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and found unexpected age-related differences in fractional anisotropy - a measure of white matter integrity. Here, we used two datasets (Berlin Aging Study-II, N = 301, the Leipzig Study for Mind-Body-Emotion Interactions, N = 220), to replicate published findings and expand them by investigating diffusivity in the LC’s ascending noradrenergic bundle. In younger adults, LC fractional anisotropy was significantly lower, compared to older adults. However, in the LC’s ascending noradrenergic bundle, we observed significantly higher fractional anisotropy in younger adults, relative to older adults. These findings indicate that diffusivity in the LC versus the ascending noradrenergic bundle are both susceptible to structural changes in aging that have opposing effects on fractional anisotropy.
Collapse
|
27
|
Greening SG, Lee TH, Burleigh L, Grégoire L, Robinson T, Jiang X, Mather M, Kaplan J. Mental imagery can generate and regulate acquired differential fear conditioned reactivity. Sci Rep 2022; 12:997. [PMID: 35046506 PMCID: PMC8770773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05019-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental imagery is an important tool in the cognitive control of emotion. The present study tests the prediction that visual imagery can generate and regulate differential fear conditioning via the activation and prioritization of stimulus representations in early visual cortices. We combined differential fear conditioning with manipulations of viewing and imagining basic visual stimuli in humans. We discovered that mental imagery of a fear-conditioned stimulus compared to imagery of a safe conditioned stimulus generated a significantly greater conditioned response as measured by self-reported fear, the skin conductance response, and right anterior insula activity (experiment 1). Moreover, mental imagery effectively down- and up-regulated the fear conditioned responses (experiment 2). Multivariate classification using the functional magnetic resonance imaging data from retinotopically defined early visual regions revealed significant decoding of the imagined stimuli in V2 and V3 (experiment 1) but significantly reduced decoding in these regions during imagery-based regulation (experiment 2). Together, the present findings indicate that mental imagery can generate and regulate a differential fear conditioned response via mechanisms of the depictive theory of imagery and the biased-competition theory of attention. These findings also highlight the potential importance of mental imagery in the manifestation and treatment of psychological illnesses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven G Greening
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T 2N2, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Lauryn Burleigh
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
| | - Laurent Grégoire
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Tyler Robinson
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
| | - Xinrui Jiang
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Dahl MJ, Mather M, Werkle-Bergner M. Noradrenergic modulation of rhythmic neural activity shapes selective attention. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:38-52. [PMID: 34799252 PMCID: PMC8678372 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
During moments involving selective attention, the thalamus orchestrates the preferential processing of prioritized information by coordinating rhythmic neural activity within a distributed frontoparietal network. The timed release of neuromodulators from subcortical structures dynamically sculpts neural synchronization in thalamocortical networks to meet current attentional demands. In particular, noradrenaline modulates the balance of cortical excitation and inhibition, as reflected by thalamocortical alpha synchronization (~8-12 Hz). These neuromodulatory adjustments facilitate the selective processing of prioritized information. Thus, by disrupting effective rhythmic coordination in attention networks, age-related locus coeruleus (LC) degeneration can impair higher levels of neural processing. In sum, findings across different levels of analysis and modalities shed light on how the noradrenergic modulation of neural synchronization helps to shape selective attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 90089 Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 90089 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Does older adults' cognition particularly suffer from stress? A systematic review of acute stress effects on cognition in older age. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:583-602. [PMID: 34896431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.009] [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: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This literature review provides the first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative systematic synthesis of acute laboratory stress effects on older adults' cognition by specifying the direction and magnitude of those effects both overall and for different cognitive processes separately. A systematic literature search was performed, and effect sizes estimated whenever possible. We found meta-analytical evidence that stress has negative effects on older adults' verbal fluency (gadj = -0.53, 95 % CI [-2.70, 1.63]), null-to-negative effects on episodic memory (gadj = -0.26, 95 % CI [-0.44, -0.08]), null effects on executive functions (gadj = 0.07, 95 % CI [-0.31, 0.46]), and enhancing effects on working memory (gadj = 0.16, 95 % CI [-0.01, 0.33]). Relating these findings to those in young adults, notable differences emerged for some cognitive functions, such as opposing effects on working memory between age groups. Our review further reveals that stress effects on older adults' memory retention, associative memory, prospective memory, interference control or cognitive flexibility are heavily understudied. We provide a conceptual and methodological framework for future studies in older adults.
Collapse
|
30
|
Song I, Neal J, Lee TH. Age-Related Intrinsic Functional Connectivity Changes of Locus Coeruleus from Childhood to Older Adults. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1485. [PMID: 34827484 PMCID: PMC8615904 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus is critical for selective information processing by modulating the brain's connectivity configuration. Increasingly, studies have suggested that LC controls sensory inputs at the sensory gating stage. Furthermore, accumulating evidence has shown that young children and older adults are more prone to distraction and filter out irrelevant information less efficiently, possibly due to the unoptimized LC connectivity. However, the LC connectivity pattern across the life span is not fully examined yet, hampering our ability to understand the relationship between LC development and the distractibility. In this study, we examined the intrinsic network connectivity of the LC using a public fMRI dataset with wide-range age samples. Based on LC-seed functional connectivity maps, we examined the age-related variation in the LC connectivity with a quadratic model. The analyses revealed two connectivity patterns explicitly. The sensory-related brain regions showed a positive quadratic age effect (u-shape), and the frontal regions for the cognitive control showed a negative quadratic age effect (inverted u-shape). Our results imply that such age-related distractibility is possibly due to the impaired sensory gating by the LC and the insufficient top-down controls by the frontal regions. We discuss the underlying neural mechanisms and limitations of our study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inuk Song
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA; (I.S.); (J.N.)
| | - Joshua Neal
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA; (I.S.); (J.N.)
| | - Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA; (I.S.); (J.N.)
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Katsumi Y, Andreano JM, Barrett LF, Dickerson BC, Touroutoglou A. Greater Neural Differentiation in the Ventral Visual Cortex Is Associated with Youthful Memory in Superaging. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5275-5287. [PMID: 34190976 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Superagers are older adults who maintain youthful memory despite advanced age. Previous studies showed that superagers exhibit greater structural and intrinsic functional brain integrity, which contribute to their youthful memory. However, no studies, to date, have examined brain activity as superagers learn and remember novel information. Here, we analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected from 41 young and 40 older adults while they performed a paired associate visual recognition memory task. Superaging was defined as youthful performance on the long delay free recall of the California Verbal Learning Test. We assessed the fidelity of neural representations as participants encoded and later retrieved a series of word stimuli paired with a face or a scene image. Superagers, like young adults, exhibited more distinct neural representations in the fusiform gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus while viewing visual stimuli belonging to different categories (greater neural differentiation) and more similar category representations between encoding and retrieval (greater neural reinstatement), compared with typical older adults. Greater neural differentiation and reinstatement were associated with superior memory performance in all older adults. Given that the fidelity of cortical sensory processing depends on neural plasticity and is trainable, these mechanisms may be potential biomarkers for future interventions to promote successful aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Katsumi
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 1020083, Japan.,Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Joseph M Andreano
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Bradford C Dickerson
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Alexandra Touroutoglou
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Hartikainen KM. Emotion-Attention Interaction in the Right Hemisphere. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1006. [PMID: 34439624 PMCID: PMC8394055 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemispheric asymmetries in affective and cognitive functions have been extensively studied. While both cerebral hemispheres contribute to most affective and cognitive processes, neuroscientific literature and neuropsychological evidence support an overall right hemispheric dominance for emotion, attention and arousal. Emotional stimuli, especially those with survival value such as threat, tend to be prioritized in attentional resource competition. Arousing unpleasant emotional stimuli have prioritized access, especially to right-lateralized attention networks. Interference of task performance may be observed when limited resources are exhausted by task- and emotion-related processing. Tasks that rely on right hemisphere-dependent processing, like attending to the left visual hemifield or global-level visual features, are especially vulnerable to interference due to attention capture by unpleasant emotional stimuli. The aim of this review is to present literature regarding the special role of the right hemisphere in affective and attentional brain processes and their interaction. Furthermore, clinical and technological implications of this interaction will be presented. Initially, the effects of focal right hemisphere lesion or atrophy on emotional functions will be introduced. Neurological right hemisphere syndromes including aprosodia, anosognosia and neglect, which further point to the predominance of the intact right hemisphere in emotion, attention and arousal will be presented. Then there will be a brief review of electrophysiological evidence, as well as evidence from patients with neglect that support attention capture by emotional stimuli in the right hemisphere. Subsequently, experimental work on the interaction of emotion, attention and cognition in the right hemispheres of healthy subjects will be presented. Finally, clinical implications for better understanding and assessment of alterations in emotion-attention interaction due to brain disorder or treatment, such as neuromodulation, that impact affective brain functions will be discussed. It will be suggested that measuring right hemispheric emotion-attention interactions may provide basis for novel biomarkers of brain health. Such biomarkers allow for improved diagnostics in brain damage and disorders and optimized treatments. To conclude, future technological applications will be outlined regarding brain physiology-based measures that reflect engagement of the right hemisphere in affective and attentional processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaisa M. Hartikainen
- Behavioral Neurology Research Unit, Tampere University Hospital, 33521 Tampere, Finland; or
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Coronel-Oliveros C, Castro S, Cofré R, Orio P. Structural Features of the Human Connectome That Facilitate the Switching of Brain Dynamics via Noradrenergic Neuromodulation. Front Comput Neurosci 2021; 15:687075. [PMID: 34335217 PMCID: PMC8316621 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2021.687075] [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: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural connectivity of human brain allows the coexistence of segregated and integrated states of activity. Neuromodulatory systems facilitate the transition between these functional states and recent computational studies have shown how an interplay between the noradrenergic and cholinergic systems define these transitions. However, there is still much to be known about the interaction between the structural connectivity and the effect of neuromodulation, and to what extent the connectome facilitates dynamic transitions. In this work, we use a whole brain model, based on the Jasen and Rit equations plus a human structural connectivity matrix, to find out which structural features of the human connectome network define the optimal neuromodulatory effects. We simulated the effect of the noradrenergic system as changes in filter gain, and studied its effects related to the global-, local-, and meso-scale features of the connectome. At the global-scale, we found that the ability of the network of transiting through a variety of dynamical states is disrupted by randomization of the connection weights. By simulating neuromodulation of partial subsets of nodes, we found that transitions between integrated and segregated states are more easily achieved when targeting nodes with greater connection strengths-local feature-or belonging to the rich club-meso-scale feature. Overall, our findings clarify how the network spatial features, at different levels, interact with neuromodulation to facilitate the switching between segregated and integrated brain states and to sustain a richer brain dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Coronel-Oliveros
- Instituto Milenio Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias, Mención Biofísica y Biología Computacional, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Samy Castro
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Faculté de Psychologie, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Studies (USIAS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Rodrigo Cofré
- CIMFAV-Ingemat, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI), Paris-Saclay University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Patricio Orio
- Instituto Milenio Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Maier SU, Grueschow M. Pupil dilation predicts individual self-regulation success across domains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14342. [PMID: 34253756 PMCID: PMC8275757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93121-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple theories have proposed that increasing central arousal through the brain's locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system may facilitate cognitive control and memory. However, the role of the arousal system in emotion regulation is less well understood. Pupil diameter is a proxy to infer upon the central arousal state. We employed an emotion regulation paradigm with a combination of design features that allowed us to dissociate regulation from emotional arousal in the pupil diameter time course of 34 healthy adults. Pupil diameter increase during regulation predicted individual differences in emotion regulation success beyond task difficulty. Moreover, the extent of this individual regulatory arousal boost predicted performance in another self-control task, dietary health challenges. Participants who harnessed more regulation-associated arousal during emotion regulation were also more successful in choosing healthier foods. These results suggest that a common arousal-based facilitation mechanism may support an individual's self-control across domains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia U Maier
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Bluemlisalpstrasse 10, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marcus Grueschow
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Bluemlisalpstrasse 10, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Liu J, Tao J, Xia R, Li M, Huang M, Li S, Chen X, Wilson G, Park J, Zheng G, Chen L, Kong J. Mind-Body Exercise Modulates Locus Coeruleus and Ventral Tegmental Area Functional Connectivity in Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:646807. [PMID: 34194314 PMCID: PMC8236862 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.646807] [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: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a common global health problem. Recently, the potential of mind-body intervention for MCI has drawn the interest of investigators. This study aims to comparatively explore the modulation effect of Baduanjin, a popular mind-body exercise, and physical exercise on the cognitive function, as well as the norepinephrine and dopamine systems using the resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) method in patients with MCI. 69 patients were randomized to the Baduanjin, brisk walking, or healthy education control group for 6 months. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were applied at baseline and at the end of the experiment. Results showed that (1) compared to the brisk walking, the Baduanjin significantly increased MoCA scores; (2) Baduanjin significantly increased the right locus coeruleus (LC) and left ventral tegmental area (VTA) rsFC with the right insula and right amygdala compared to that of the control group; and the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) compared to that of the brisk walking group; (3) the increased right LC-right insula rsFC and right LC-right ACC rsFC were significantly associated with the corresponding MoCA score after 6-months of intervention; (4) both exercise groups experienced an increased effective connectivity from the right ACC to the left VTA compared to the control group; and (5) Baduanjin group experienced an increase in gray matter volume in the right ACC compared to the control group. Our results suggest that Baduanjin can significantly modulate intrinsic functional connectivity and the influence of the norepinephrine (LC) and dopamine (VTA) systems. These findings may shed light on the mechanisms of mind-body intervention and aid the development of new treatments for MCI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Liu
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States.,Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Research Center of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jing Tao
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Research Center of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Orthopedics & Traumatology of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
| | - Rui Xia
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Moyi Li
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Maomao Huang
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shuzhen Li
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiangli Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Georgia Wilson
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Joe Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Guohua Zheng
- School of Nursing and Health Management, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Lidian Chen
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jian Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Breton-Provencher V, Drummond GT, Sur M. Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine in Learned Behavior: Anatomical Modularity and Spatiotemporal Integration in Targets. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:638007. [PMID: 34163331 PMCID: PMC8215268 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.638007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), a small brainstem nucleus, is the primary source of the neuromodulator norepinephrine (NE) in the brain. The LC receives input from widespread brain regions, and projects throughout the forebrain, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. LC neurons release NE to control arousal, but also in the context of a variety of sensory-motor and behavioral functions. Despite its brain-wide effects, much about the role of LC-NE in behavior and the circuits controlling LC activity is unknown. New evidence suggests that the modular input-output organization of the LC could enable transient, task-specific modulation of distinct brain regions. Future work must further assess whether this spatial modularity coincides with functional differences in LC-NE subpopulations acting at specific times, and how such spatiotemporal specificity might influence learned behaviors. Here, we summarize the state of the field and present new ideas on the role of LC-NE in learned behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
Modulation of cognitive control by emotion and motivation has become a major topic in cognition research; however, characterizing the extent to which these influences may dissociate has proved challenging. Here, I examine recent advances in this literature, focusing on: (1) neuromodulator mechanisms underlying positive affect and reward motivation effects on cognitive control; (2) contingency and associative learning in interactions between affect/reward and cognitive control; (3) aspects of task design, unrelated to affect/reward, that may have acted as confounding influences on cognitive control in prior work. I suggest that positive affect and reward should not be considered singular in their effects on cognitive control, but instead varying on multiple parameters and interacting with task demands, to determine goal-directed, adaptive behavior.
Collapse
|
38
|
Wiegand I, Wolfe JM. Target value and prevalence influence visual foraging in younger and older age. Vision Res 2021; 186:87-102. [PMID: 34062375 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence and reward-value of targets have an influence on visual search. The strength of the effect of an item's reward-value on attentional selection varies substantially between individuals and is potentially sensitive to aging. We investigated individual and age differences in a hybrid foraging task, in which the prevalence and value of multiple target types was varied. Using optimal foraging theory measures, foraging was more efficient overall in younger than older observers. However, the influence of prevalence and value on target selections was similar across age groups, suggesting that the underlying cognitive mechanisms are preserved in older age. When prevalence was varied but target value was balanced, younger and older observers preferably selected the most frequent target type and were biased to select another instance of the previously selected target type. When value was varied, younger and older observers showed a tendency to select high-value targets, but preferences were more diverse between individuals. When value and prevalence were inversely related, some observers showed particularly strong preferences for high-valued target types, while others showed a preference for high-prevalent, albeit low-value, target types. In younger adults, individual differences in the selection choices correlated with a personality index, suggesting that avoiding selections of low-value targets may be related to reward-seeking behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Department of Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Visual Attention Lab, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jeremy M Wolfe
- Visual Attention Lab, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Ophthalmology & Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Sullivan MD, Huang R, Rovetti J, Sparrow EP, Spaniol J. Associations between phasic arousal and decisions under risk in younger and older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:262-271. [PMID: 34134055 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Higher arousal is linked to simple decision strategies and an increased preference for immediate rewards in younger adults, but little is known about the influence of arousal on decision making in older adults. In light of age-related locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system declines, we predicted a reduced association between arousal and decision behavior in older adults. Younger and older participants made a series of choices between smaller, higher-probability and larger, lower-probability financial gains. Each choice was preceded by the presentation of a high-arousal or low-arousal sound. Pupil dilation was continuously recorded as an index of task-evoked arousal. Both age groups showed significant modulation of pupil dilation as a function of arousal condition. Higher-arousal sounds were associated with shorter response times, particularly in younger adults. Furthermore, higher-arousal sounds were associated with greater risk aversion in younger adults and greater risk seeking in older adults, in line with an arousal-related amplification of baseline preferences in both age groups. Jointly, these findings help inform current theories of the effects of arousal on information processing in younger and older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ringo Huang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abstract
Many aspects of attention decline with aging. There is a current debate on how aging also affects sustained attention. In this study, we contribute to this debate by meta-analytically comparing performance on the go/no-go Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) in younger and older adults. We included only studies in which the SART had a low proportion of no-go trials (5%–30%), there was a random or quasirandom stimulus presentation, and data on both healthy younger and older adults were available. A total of 12 studies were suitable with 832 younger adults and 690 older adults. Results showed that older adults were slower than younger adults on go trials (g = 1, 95% CI [.72, 1.27]) and more accurate than younger adults on no-go trials (g = .59, 95% CI [.32, .85]). Moreover, older adults were slower after a no-go error than younger adults (g = .79, 95% CI [.60, .99]). These results are compatible with an age-related processing speed deficit, mostly suggested by longer go RTs, but also with an increased preference for a prudent strategy, as demonstrated by fewer no-go errors and greater posterror slowing in older adults. An inhibitory deficit account could not explain these findings, as older adults actually outperformed younger adults by producing fewer false alarms to no-go stimuli. These findings point to a more prudent strategy when using attentional resources in aging that allows reducing the false-alarm rate in tasks producing a tendency for automatic responding.
Collapse
|
41
|
Park HB, Ahn S, Zhang W. Visual search under physical effort is faster but more vulnerable to distractor interference. COGNITIVE RESEARCH-PRINCIPLES AND IMPLICATIONS 2021; 6:17. [PMID: 33710497 PMCID: PMC7977006 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-021-00283-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognition and action are often intertwined in everyday life. It is thus pivotal to understand how cognitive processes operate with concurrent actions. The present study aims to assess how simple physical effort operationalized as isometric muscle contractions affects visual attention and inhibitory control. In a dual-task paradigm, participants performed a singleton search task and a handgrip task concurrently. In the search task, the target was a shape singleton among distractors with a homogeneous but different shape. A salient-but-irrelevant distractor with a unique color (i.e., color singleton) appeared on half of the trials (Singleton distractor present condition), and its presence often captures spatial attention. Critically, the visual search task was performed by the participants with concurrent hand grip exertion, at 5% or 40% of their maximum strength (low vs. high physical load), on a hand dynamometer. We found that visual search under physical effort is faster, but more vulnerable to distractor interference, potentially due to arousal and reduced inhibitory control, respectively. The two effects further manifest in different aspects of RT distributions that can be captured by different components of the ex-Gaussian model using hierarchical Bayesian method. Together, these results provide behavioral evidence and a novel model for two dissociable cognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of simple muscle exertion on the ongoing visual search process on a moment-by-moment basis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Bum Park
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, USA.
| | - Shinhae Ahn
- Department of Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Turkileri N, Field DT, Ellis JA, Sakaki M. Emotional arousal enhances the impact of long-term memory in attention. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2021.1883031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nilgun Turkileri
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Psychology Department, Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Nevsehir, Turkey
| | - David T. Field
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Whiteknights, Reading, UK
| | - Judi A. Ellis
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Whiteknights, Reading, UK
| | - Michiko Sakaki
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Whiteknights, Reading, UK
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Waschke L, Kloosterman NA, Obleser J, Garrett DD. Behavior needs neural variability. Neuron 2021; 109:751-766. [PMID: 33596406 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Human and non-human animal behavior is highly malleable and adapts successfully to internal and external demands. Such behavioral success stands in striking contrast to the apparent instability in neural activity (i.e., variability) from which it arises. Here, we summon the considerable evidence across scales, species, and imaging modalities that neural variability represents a key, undervalued dimension for understanding brain-behavior relationships at inter- and intra-individual levels. We believe that only by incorporating a specific focus on variability will the neural foundation of behavior be comprehensively understood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonhard Waschke
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Niels A Kloosterman
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Obleser
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior, and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Ross JA, Van Bockstaele EJ. The Locus Coeruleus- Norepinephrine System in Stress and Arousal: Unraveling Historical, Current, and Future Perspectives. Front Psychiatry 2021; 11:601519. [PMID: 33584368 PMCID: PMC7873441 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.601519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Arousal may be understood on a spectrum, with excessive sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, and inattention on one side, a wakeful state in the middle, and hypervigilance, panic, and psychosis on the other side. However, historically, the concepts of arousal and stress have been challenging to define as measurable experimental variables. Divergent efforts to study these subjects have given rise to several disciplines, including neurobiology, neuroendocrinology, and cognitive neuroscience. We discuss technological advancements that chronologically led to our current understanding of the arousal system, focusing on the multifaceted nucleus locus coeruleus. We share our contemporary perspective and the hypotheses of others in the context of our current technological capabilities and future developments that will be required to move forward in this area of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zivan M, Morag I, Yarmolovsky J, Geva R. Hyper-Reactivity to Salience Limits Social Interaction Among Infants Born Pre-term and Infant Siblings of Children With ASD. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:646838. [PMID: 34054606 PMCID: PMC8160104 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.646838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to engage attention with selected stimuli is essential for infants to explore the world and process information relating to their surroundings. There are two main populations with a higher risk to develop attentional and social deficits whose deficits may arise from difficulties in regulating attention to salient cues: (1) siblings of children diagnosed with Autism; and (2) infants who were born pre-term. This study investigated infants' (N = 97) attention-engagement and pupil-dilation (PD) at 9 months of age, using a gaze-contingent paradigm and a structured social interaction. Specifically, we explored attention to stimuli with simple salient features (e.g., clear defined shapes, colors, and motions) vs. more complex non-social cues (amorphous shapes, colors, and motions) and social interaction in typically developing infants (TD, N = 25) and among two groups of infants at-risk to develop social difficulties (pre-terms, N = 56; siblings of children with Autism, N = 16). Findings show that the two risk groups preferred stimuli with simple features (F = 11.306, p < 0.001), accompanied by increased PD (F = 6.6, p < 0.001). Specifically, pre-term infants showed increased PD toward simple vs. complex stimuli (p < 0.001), while siblings showed a pervasive hyper-arousal to both simple and complex stimuli. Infants in the TD group preferred complex stimuli with no change in PD. Finally, the preference for the simple stimulus mediated the relationship between increased risk for social difficulties and decreased engagement duration in face-to-face interaction with the experimenter. Results suggest that activation of the attention-salience network shapes social abilities at infancy. Further, hyper-reactivity to salient stimuli limits social interaction among infants born pre-term and siblings of children with ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Zivan
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Iris Morag
- Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.,Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jessica Yarmolovsky
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,The Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ronny Geva
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,The Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Bachman SL, Dahl MJ, Werkle-Bergner M, Düzel S, Forlim CG, Lindenberger U, Kühn S, Mather M. Locus coeruleus MRI contrast is associated with cortical thickness in older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 100:72-82. [PMID: 33508564 PMCID: PMC7920995 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that neuronal integrity of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is important for later-life cognition. Less understood is how LC integrity relates to brain correlates of cognition, such as brain structure. Here, we examined the relationship between cortical thickness and a measure reflecting LC integrity in older (n = 229) and younger adults (n = 67). Using a magnetic resonance imaging sequence which yields high signal intensity in the LC, we assessed the contrast between signal intensity of the LC and that of neighboring pontine reference tissue. The Freesurfer software suite was used to quantify cortical thickness. LC contrast was positively related to cortical thickness in older adults, and this association was prominent in parietal, frontal, and occipital regions. Brain regions where LC contrast was related to cortical thickness include portions of the frontoparietal network which have been implicated in noradrenergically modulated cognitive functions. These findings provide novel evidence for a link between LC structure and cortical brain structure in later adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shelby L Bachman
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Düzel
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Caroline Garcia Forlim
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Simone Kühn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Sun W, Tang Y, Qiao Y, Ge X, Mather M, Ringman JM, Shi Y. A probabilistic atlas of locus coeruleus pathways to transentorhinal cortex for connectome imaging in Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117301. [PMID: 32861791 PMCID: PMC7797167 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the latest Braak staging of Alzheimer's disease (AD), tau pathology occurs earliest in the brain in the locus coeruleus (LC) of the brainstem, then propagates to the transentorhinal cortex (TEC), and later to other neocortical regions. Recent animal and in vivo human brain imaging research also support the trans-axonal propagation of tau pathology. In addition, neurochemical studies link norepinephrine to behavioral symptoms in AD. It is thus critical to examine the integrity of the LC-TEC pathway in studying the early development of the disease, but there has been limited work in this direction. By leveraging the high-resolution and multi-shell diffusion MRI data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP), in this work we develop a novel method for the reconstruction of the LC-TEC pathway in a cohort of 40 HCP subjects carefully selected based on rigorous quality control of the residual distortion artifacts in the brainstem. A probabilistic atlas of the LC-TEC pathway of both hemispheres is then developed in the MNI152 space and distributed publicly on the NITRC website. To apply our atlas on clinical imaging data, we develop an automated approach to calculate the medial core of the LC-TEC pathway for localized analysis of connectivity changes. In a cohort of 138 subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), we demonstrate the detection of the decreased fiber integrity in the LC-TEC pathways with increasing disease severity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Sun
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles 90033, CA, USA
| | - Yuchun Tang
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles 90033, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yuchuan Qiao
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles 90033, CA, USA
| | - Xinting Ge
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles 90033, CA, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John M. Ringman
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yonggang Shi
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles 90033, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Reward anticipation selectively boosts encoding of gist for visual objects. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20196. [PMID: 33214646 PMCID: PMC7677401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77369-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reward anticipation at encoding enhances later recognition, but it is unknown to what extent different levels of processing at encoding (gist vs. detail) can benefit from reward-related memory enhancement. In the current study, participants (N = 50) performed an incidental encoding task in which they made gist-related or detail-related judgments about pairs of visual objects while in anticipation of high or low reward. Results of a subsequent old/new recognition test revealed a reward-related memory benefit that was specific to objects from pairs encoded in the attention-to-gist condition. These findings are consistent with the theory of long-axis specialization along the human hippocampus, which localizes gist-based memory processes to the anterior hippocampus, a region highly interconnected with the dopaminergic reward network.
Collapse
|
49
|
Li Y, Ward MJ, Richardson RM, G'Sell M, Ghuman AS. Endogenous activity modulates stimulus and circuit-specific neural tuning and predicts perceptual behavior. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4014. [PMID: 32782303 PMCID: PMC7419548 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17729-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception reflects not only sensory inputs, but also the endogenous state when these inputs enter the brain. Prior studies show that endogenous neural states influence stimulus processing through non-specific, global mechanisms, such as spontaneous fluctuations of arousal. It is unclear if endogenous activity influences circuit and stimulus-specific processing and behavior as well. Here we use intracranial recordings from 30 pre-surgical epilepsy patients to show that patterns of endogenous activity are related to the strength of trial-by-trial neural tuning in different visual category-selective neural circuits. The same aspects of the endogenous activity that relate to tuning in a particular neural circuit also correlate to behavioral reaction times only for stimuli from the category that circuit is selective for. These results suggest that endogenous activity can modulate neural tuning and influence behavior in a circuit- and stimulus-specific manner, reflecting a potential mechanism by which endogenous neural states facilitate and bias perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanning Li
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Program in Neural Computation and Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Michael J Ward
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - R Mark Richardson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Max G'Sell
- Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Avniel Singh Ghuman
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Program in Neural Computation and Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Llanos F, McHaney JR, Schuerman WL, Yi HG, Leonard MK, Chandrasekaran B. Non-invasive peripheral nerve stimulation selectively enhances speech category learning in adults. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2020; 5:12. [PMID: 32802406 PMCID: PMC7410845 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-020-0070-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Adults struggle to learn non-native speech contrasts even after years of exposure. While laboratory-based training approaches yield learning, the optimal training conditions for maximizing speech learning in adulthood are currently unknown. Vagus nerve stimulation has been shown to prime adult sensory-perceptual systems towards plasticity in animal models. Precise temporal pairing with auditory stimuli can enhance auditory cortical representations with a high degree of specificity. Here, we examined whether sub-perceptual threshold transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), paired with non-native speech sounds, enhances speech category learning in adults. Twenty-four native English-speakers were trained to identify non-native Mandarin tone categories. Across two groups, tVNS was paired with the tone categories that were easier- or harder-to-learn. A control group received no stimulation but followed an identical thresholding procedure as the intervention groups. We found that tVNS robustly enhanced speech category learning and retention of correct stimulus-response associations, but only when stimulation was paired with the easier-to-learn categories. This effect emerged rapidly, generalized to new exemplars, and was qualitatively different from the normal individual variability observed in hundreds of learners who have performed in the same task without stimulation. Electroencephalography recorded before and after training indicated no evidence of tVNS-induced changes in the sensory representation of auditory stimuli. These results suggest that paired-tVNS induces a temporally precise neuromodulatory signal that selectively enhances the perception and memory consolidation of perceptually salient categories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Llanos
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Jacie R. McHaney
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - William L. Schuerman
- Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Han G. Yi
- Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Matthew K. Leonard
- Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| |
Collapse
|