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Harkin B, Yates A. From Cognitive Function to Treatment Efficacy in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Insights from a Multidimensional Meta-Analytic Approach. J Clin Med 2024; 13:4629. [PMID: 39200772 PMCID: PMC11355017 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13164629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Meta-analysis is a statistical tool used to combine and synthesise the results of multiple independent studies on a particular topic. To this end, researchers isolate important moderators and mediators to investigate their influence on outcomes. This paper introduces a novel approach to meta-analysis, known as multidimensional meta-analysis (mi-MA), to study memory performance in those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Unlike traditional meta-analyses, mi-MA allows researchers to extract multiple data points (e.g., using different measures) from single studies and groups of participants, facilitating the exploration of relationships between various moderators while avoiding multicollinearity issues. Therefore, in the first instance, we outline the use of the mi-MA approach to quantify the impact of complex models of memory performance in individuals with OCD. This approach provides novel insights into the complex relationship between various factors affecting memory in people with OCD. By showcasing the effectiveness of mi-MA in analysing intricate data and modelling complex phenomena, the paper establishes it as a valuable tool for researchers exploring multifaceted phenomena, both within OCD research and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Harkin
- Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Building, Manchester M15 6BH, UK;
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2
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van Dooren R, Jongkees BJ, Sellaro R. Self-prioritization in working memory gating. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024:10.3758/s13414-024-02869-8. [PMID: 38491316 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-024-02869-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) involves a dynamic interplay between temporary maintenance and updating of goal-relevant information. The balance between maintenance and updating is regulated by an input-gating mechanism that determines which information should enter WM (gate opening) and which should be kept out (gate closing). We investigated whether updating and gate opening/closing are differentially sensitive to the kind of information to be encoded and maintained in WM. Specifically, since the social salience of a stimulus is known to affect cognitive performance, we investigated if self-relevant information differentially impacts maintenance, updating, or gate opening/closing. Participants first learned to associate two neutral shapes with two social labels (i.e., "you" vs. "stranger"), respectively. Subsequently they performed the reference-back paradigm, a well-established WM task that disentangles WM updating, gate opening, and gate closing. Crucially, the shapes previously associated with the self or a stranger served as target stimuli in the reference-back task. We replicated the typical finding of a repetition benefit when consecutive trials require opening the gate to WM. In Study 1 (N = 45) this advantage disappeared when self-associated stimuli were recently gated into WM and immediately needed to be replaced by stranger-associated stimuli. However, this was not replicated in a larger sample (Study 2; N = 90), where a repetition benefit always occurred on consecutive gate-opening trials. Overall, our results do not provide evidence that the self-relevance of stimuli modulates component processes of WM. We discuss possible reasons for this null finding, including the importance of continuous reinstatement and task-relevance of the shape-label associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel van Dooren
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bryant J Jongkees
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roberta Sellaro
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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3
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Wohltjen S, Wheatley T. Interpersonal eye-tracking reveals the dynamics of interacting minds. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1356680. [PMID: 38532792 PMCID: PMC10963423 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1356680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The human eye is a rich source of information about where, when, and how we attend. Our gaze paths indicate where and what captures our attention, while changes in pupil size can signal surprise, revealing our expectations. Similarly, the pattern of our blinks suggests levels of alertness and when our attention shifts between external engagement and internal thought. During interactions with others, these cues reveal how we coordinate and share our mental states. To leverage these insights effectively, we need accurate, timely methods to observe these cues as they naturally unfold. Advances in eye-tracking technology now enable real-time observation of these cues, shedding light on mutual cognitive processes that foster shared understanding, collaborative thought, and social connection. This brief review highlights these advances and the new opportunities they present for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Wohltjen
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Thalia Wheatley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Consortium for Interacting Minds, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, United States
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4
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Gunther KE, Fu X, MacNeill LA, Jones M, Ermanni B, Pérez-Edgar K. Now it's your turn!: Eye blink rate in a Jenga task modulated by interaction of task wait times, effortful control, and internalizing behaviors. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0294888. [PMID: 38457390 PMCID: PMC10923458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is a versatile neurotransmitter with implications in many domains, including anxiety and effortful control. Where high levels of effortful control are often regarded as adaptive, other work suggests that high levels of effortful control may be a risk factor for anxiety. Dopamine signaling may be key in understanding these relations. Eye blink rate is a non-invasive proxy metric of midbrain dopamine activity. However, much work with eye blink rate has been constrained to screen-based tasks which lack in ecological validity. We tested whether changes in eye blink rate during a naturalistic effortful control task differ as a function of parent-reported effortful control and internalizing behaviors. Children played a Jenga-like game with an experimenter, but for each trial the experimenter took an increasingly long time to take their turn. Blinks-per-second were computed during each wait period. Multilevel modeling examined the relation between duration of wait period, effortful control, and internalizing behaviors on eye blink rate. We found a significant 3-way interaction between effortful control, internalizing behaviors, and duration of the wait period. Probing this interaction revealed that for children with low reported internalizing behaviors (-1 SD) and high reported effortful control (+1 SD), eye blink rate significantly decreased as they waited longer to take their turn. These findings index task-related changes in midbrain dopamine activity in relation to naturalistic task demands, and that these changes may vary as a function of individual differences in effortful control and internalizing behaviors. We discuss possible top-down mechanisms that may underlie these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelley E. Gunther
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Xiaoxue Fu
- Department of Psychology, The University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - Leigha A. MacNeill
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Morgan Jones
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Briana Ermanni
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Koraly Pérez-Edgar
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States of America
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5
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Csizmadia P, Nagy B, Kővári L, Gaál ZA. Exploring the role of working memory gate opening process in creativity: An ERP study using the reference-back paradigm. Biol Psychol 2024; 187:108765. [PMID: 38417665 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between the gate opening process of working memory and an individual's proficiency in divergent (DT) and convergent thinking (CT) using the reference-back paradigm. Event-related potentials and reaction times were measured across groups with varying DT (N = 40, 27.35 ± 5.05 years) and CT levels (N = 40, 27.88 ± 4.95 years). Based on the role of striatal dopamine in supporting cognitive flexibility, which facilitates DT, and considering the significance of phasic dopamine activity as the gate opening signal originating from the basal ganglia, we assumed that the gate opening process may contribute differently to DT and CT. Despite the absence of behavioural differences in gate opening costs, distinct neural patterns emerged. In the early time windows (P1, N1), gate opening effects were detected in both DT and CT groups, with a notable interaction influenced by the level of DT, resulting in significant effects within the lower DT group. The P2 component showed a gate opening effect only in the higher DT group. In the P3 time window, the process unfolded comparably in all groups. Our results suggest that groups with different levels of convergent thinking (based on Matrix reasoning) and those with lower DT (based on Creativity Index) tend to select and activate the prefrontal cortex representation containing the required task information at an earlier stage, compared to those with better DT. This could be beneficial especially in the early phase of idea generation, as more elements become available to create associations and original ideas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Csizmadia
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., H-1111 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Boglárka Nagy
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., H-1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lili Kővári
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Doctoral School of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Kazinczy utca 23-27., H-1075 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Anna Gaál
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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Callara AL, Greco A, Scilingo EP, Bonfiglio L. Neuronal correlates of eyeblinks are an expression of primary consciousness phenomena. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12617. [PMID: 37537328 PMCID: PMC10400571 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39500-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The blinking rate far exceeds that required for moistening the cornea and changes depending on whether a person is resting or engaged in cognitive tasks. During ecological cognitive tasks (such as speaking, reading, and watching videos), blinks occur at breakpoints of attention suggesting a role in information segmentation, but the close relationship between cognition dynamics and blink timing still escapes a full understanding. The aim of the present study is to seek (1) if there is a temporal relationship between blink events and the consecutive steps of cognitive processing, and (2) if blink timing and the intensity of blink-related EEG responses are affected by task-relevance of stimuli. Our results show that, in a classical visual oddball task, (i) the occurrence of blinks is influenced by stimuli, irrespective of their relevance, (ii) blinks following relevant stimuli are only apparently delayed due to the need of finalizing a behavioural response, and (iii) stimulus relevance does not affect the intensity of the blink-related EEG response. This evidence reinforce the idea that blinks are not emitted until the last step of the processing sequence has been completed and suggests that blink-related EEG responses are generated by primary consciousness phenomena which are considered by their nature non-modulable (all-or-nothing) phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Luis Callara
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Via G. Caruso 16, 56122, Pisa, Italy
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, 56122, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alberto Greco
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Via G. Caruso 16, 56122, Pisa, Italy
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, 56122, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enzo Pasquale Scilingo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Via G. Caruso 16, 56122, Pisa, Italy
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, 56122, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Bonfiglio
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
- Unit of Developmental Neurorehabilitation, Maternal and Child Department, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
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Konjusha A, Yu S, Mückschel M, Colzato L, Ziemssen T, Beste C. Auricular Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Specifically Enhances Working Memory Gate Closing Mechanism: A System Neurophysiological Study. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4709-4724. [PMID: 37221097 PMCID: PMC10286950 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2004-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Everyday tasks and goal-directed behavior involve the maintenance and continuous updating of information in working memory (WM). WM gating reflects switches between these two core states. Neurobiological considerations suggest that the catecholaminergic and the GABAergic are likely involved in these dynamics. Both of these neurotransmitter systems likely underlie the effects to auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (atVNS). We examine the effects of atVNS on WM gating dynamics and their underlying neurophysiological and neurobiological processes in a randomized crossover study design in healthy humans of both sexes. We show that atVNS specifically modulates WM gate closing and thus specifically modulates neural mechanisms enabling the maintenance of information in WM. WM gate opening processes were not affected. atVNS modulates WM gate closing processes through the modulation of EEG alpha band activity. This was the case for clusters of activity in the EEG signal referring to stimulus information, motor response information, and fractions of information carrying stimulus-response mapping rules during WM gate closing. EEG-beamforming shows that modulations of activity in fronto-polar, orbital, and inferior parietal regions are associated with these effects. The data suggest that these effects are not because of modulations of the catecholaminergic (noradrenaline) system as indicated by lack of modulatory effects in pupil diameter dynamics, in the inter-relation of EEG and pupil diameter dynamics and saliva markers of noradrenaline activity. Considering other findings, it appears that a central effect of atVNS during cognitive processing refers to the stabilization of information in neural circuits, putatively mediated via the GABAergic system.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Goal-directed behavior depends on how well information in short-term memory can be flexibly updated but also on how well it can be shielded from distraction. These two functions were guarded by a working memory gate. We show how an increasingly popular brain stimulation techniques specifically enhances the ability to close the working memory gate to shield information from distraction. We show what physiological and anatomic aspects underlie these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anyla Konjusha
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Shijing Yu
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Lorenza Colzato
- Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, MS Centre, TU Dresden, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden 01307, Germany
- Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
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8
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Krishnappa Babu PR, Aikat V, Di Martino JM, Chang Z, Perochon S, Espinosa S, Aiello R, L H Carpenter K, Compton S, Davis N, Eichner B, Flowers J, Franz L, Dawson G, Sapiro G. Blink rate and facial orientation reveal distinctive patterns of attentional engagement in autistic toddlers: a digital phenotyping approach. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7158. [PMID: 37137954 PMCID: PMC10156751 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34293-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Differences in social attention are well-documented in autistic individuals, representing one of the earliest signs of autism. Spontaneous blink rate has been used to index attentional engagement, with lower blink rates reflecting increased engagement. We evaluated novel methods using computer vision analysis (CVA) for automatically quantifying patterns of attentional engagement in young autistic children, based on facial orientation and blink rate, which were captured via mobile devices. Participants were 474 children (17-36 months old), 43 of whom were diagnosed with autism. Movies containing social or nonsocial content were presented via an iPad app, and simultaneously, the device's camera recorded the children's behavior while they watched the movies. CVA was used to extract the duration of time the child oriented towards the screen and their blink rate as indices of attentional engagement. Overall, autistic children spent less time facing the screen and had a higher mean blink rate compared to neurotypical children. Neurotypical children faced the screen more often and blinked at a lower rate during the social movies compared to the nonsocial movies. In contrast, autistic children faced the screen less often during social movies than during nonsocial movies and showed no differential blink rate to social versus nonsocial movies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikram Aikat
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - J Matias Di Martino
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zhuoqing Chang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sam Perochon
- Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Steven Espinosa
- Office of Information Technology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rachel Aiello
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kimberly L H Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Scott Compton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Naomi Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian Eichner
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jacqueline Flowers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lauren Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Guillermo Sapiro
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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Yang Y, Cui T, Li D, Ji S, Chen Z, Shao W, Liu H, Ren TL. Breathable Electronic Skins for Daily Physiological Signal Monitoring. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2022; 14:161. [PMID: 35943631 PMCID: PMC9362661 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-022-00911-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
With the aging of society and the increase in people's concern for personal health, long-term physiological signal monitoring in daily life is in demand. In recent years, electronic skin (e-skin) for daily health monitoring applications has achieved rapid development due to its advantages in high-quality physiological signals monitoring and suitability for system integrations. Among them, the breathable e-skin has developed rapidly in recent years because it adapts to the long-term and high-comfort wear requirements of monitoring physiological signals in daily life. In this review, the recent achievements of breathable e-skins for daily physiological monitoring are systematically introduced and discussed. By dividing them into breathable e-skin electrodes, breathable e-skin sensors, and breathable e-skin systems, we sort out their design ideas, manufacturing processes, performances, and applications and show their advantages in long-term physiological signal monitoring in daily life. In addition, the development directions and challenges of the breathable e-skin are discussed and prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tianrui Cui
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Ding Li
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Shourui Ji
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhikang Chen
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Wancheng Shao
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Houfang Liu
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tian-Ling Ren
- School of Integrated Circuit, and Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China.
- Center for Flexible Electronics Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Ortega J, Plaska CR, Gomes BA, Ellmore TM. Spontaneous Eye Blink Rate During the Working Memory Delay Period Predicts Task Accuracy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:788231. [PMID: 35242077 PMCID: PMC8886217 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.788231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) has been linked to attention and memory, specifically working memory (WM). sEBR is also related to striatal dopamine (DA) activity with schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease showing increases and decreases, respectively, in sEBR. A weakness of past studies of sEBR and WM is that correlations have been reported using blink rates taken at baseline either before or after performance of the tasks used to assess WM. The goal of the present study was to understand how fluctuations in sEBR during different phases of a visual WM task predict task accuracy. In two experiments, with recordings of sEBR collected inside and outside of a magnetic resonance imaging bore, we observed sEBR to be positively correlated with WM task accuracy during the WM delay period. We also found task-related modulation of sEBR, including higher sEBR during the delay period compared to rest, and lower sEBR during task phases (e.g., stimulus encoding) that place demands on visual attention. These results provide further evidence that sEBR could be an important predictor of WM task performance with the changes during the delay period suggesting a role in WM maintenance. The relationship of sEBR to DA activity and WM maintenance is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jefferson Ortega
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chelsea Reichert Plaska
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bernard A Gomes
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Timothy M Ellmore
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
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11
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Blinking While Speaking and Talking, Hearing, and Listening: Communication or Individual Underlying Process? JOURNAL OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10919-021-00387-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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12
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Yu S, Mückschel M, Rempel S, Ziemssen T, Beste C. Time-on-task effects on working memory gating processes—A role of theta synchronization and the norepinephrine system. Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 3:tgac001. [PMID: 35098128 PMCID: PMC8794645 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Performance impairment as an effect of prolonged engagement in a specific task is commonly observed. Although this is a well-known effect in everyday life, little is known about how this affects central cognitive functions such as working memory (WM) processes. In the current study, we ask how time-on-task affects WM gating processes and thus processes regulating WM maintenance and updating. To this end, we combined electroencephalography methods and recordings of the pupil diameter as an indirect of the norepinephrine (NE) system activity. Our results showed that only WM gate opening but not closing processes showed time-on-task effects. On the neurophysiological level, this was associated with modulation of dorsolateral prefrontal theta band synchronization processes, which vanished with time-on-task during WM gate opening. Interestingly, also the modulatory pattern of the NE system, as inferred using pupil diameter data, changed. At the beginning, a strong correlation of pupil diameter data and theta band synchronization processes during WM gate opening is observed. This modulatory effect vanished at the end of the experiment. The results show that time-on-task has very specific effects on WM gate opening and closing processes and suggests an important role of NE system in the time-on-task effect on WM gate opening process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijing Yu
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden 01309
- Faculty of Medicine, University Neuropsychology Centre, TU Dresden 01309
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden 01309
- Faculty of Medicine, University Neuropsychology Centre, TU Dresden 01309
| | - Sarah Rempel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden 01309
- Faculty of Medicine, University Neuropsychology Centre, TU Dresden 01309
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, MS Centre, TU Dresden 01309
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden 01309
- Faculty of Medicine, University Neuropsychology Centre, TU Dresden 01309
- Address correspondence to Christian Beste, Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, D01309 Dresden, Germany.
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Baseline-dependent effect of dopamine's precursor L-tyrosine on working memory gating but not updating. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 20:521-535. [PMID: 32133585 PMCID: PMC7266860 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00783-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive goal-directed behavior requires a dynamic balance between maintenance and updating within working memory (WM). This balance is controlled by an input-gating mechanism implemented by dopamine in the basal ganglia. Given that dopaminergic manipulations can modulate performance on WM-related tasks, it is important to gain mechanistic insight into whether such manipulations differentially affect updating (i.e., encoding and removal) and the closely-related gate opening/closing processes that respectively enable/prevent updating. To clarify this issue, 2.0 g of dopamine’s precursor L-tyrosine was administered to healthy young adults (N = 45) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study. WM processes were empirically distinguished using the reference-back paradigm, which isolates performance related to updating, gate opening, and gate closing. L-tyrosine had a selective, baseline-dependent effect only on gate opening, which was evidenced by markedly reduced variance across subjects in gate opening performance in the L-tyrosine compared with the placebo condition, whereas the whole-sample average performance did not differ between conditions. This indicates a pattern of results whereby low-performing subjects improved, whereas high-performing subjects were impaired on L-tyrosine. Importantly, this inverted U-shaped pattern was not explained by regression to the mean. These results are consistent with an inverted-U relationship between dopamine and WM, and they indicate that updating and gating are differentially affected by a dopaminergic manipulation. This highlights the importance of distinguishing these processes when studying WM, for example, in the context of WM deficits in disorders with a dopaminergic pathophysiology.
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Rac-Lubashevsky R, Frank MJ. Analogous computations in working memory input, output and motor gating: Electrophysiological and computational modeling evidence. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008971. [PMID: 34097689 PMCID: PMC8211210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive cognitive-control involves a hierarchical cortico-striatal gating system that supports selective updating, maintenance, and retrieval of useful cognitive and motor information. Here, we developed a task that independently manipulates selective gating operations into working-memory (input gating), from working-memory (output gating), and of responses (motor gating) and tested the neural dynamics and computational principles that support them. Increases in gating demands, captured by gate switches, were expressed by distinct EEG correlates at each gating level that evolved dynamically in partially overlapping time windows. Further, categorical representations of specific maintained items and of motor responses could be decoded from EEG when the corresponding gate was switching, thereby linking gating operations to prioritization. Finally, gate switching at all levels was related to increases in the motor decision threshold as quantified by the drift diffusion model. Together these results support the notion that cognitive gating operations scaffold on top of mechanisms involved in motor gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Rac-Lubashevsky
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
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15
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Cognitive Control of Working Memory: A Model-Based Approach. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060721. [PMID: 34071635 PMCID: PMC8230184 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060721] [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: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM)-based decision making depends on a number of cognitive control processes that control the flow of information into and out of WM and ensure that only relevant information is held active in WM's limited-capacity store. Although necessary for successful decision making, recent work has shown that these control processes impose performance costs on both the speed and accuracy of WM-based decisions. Using the reference-back task as a benchmark measure of WM control, we conducted evidence accumulation modeling to test several competing explanations for six benchmark empirical performance costs. Costs were driven by a combination of processes, running outside of the decision stage (longer non-decision time) and showing the inhibition of the prepotent response (lower drift rates) in trials requiring WM control. Individuals also set more cautious response thresholds when expecting to update WM with new information versus maintain existing information. We discuss the promise of this approach for understanding cognitive control in WM-based decision making.
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16
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Ocular measures during associative learning predict recall accuracy. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 166:103-115. [PMID: 34052234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.05.010] [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: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to form associations between stimuli and commit those associations to memory is a cornerstone of human cognition. Dopamine and noradrenaline are critical neuromodulators implicated in a range of cognitive functions, including learning and memory. Eye blink rate (EBR) and pupil diameter have been shown to index dopaminergic and noradrenergic activity. Here, we examined how these ocular measures relate to accuracy in a paired-associate learning task where participants (N = 73) learned consistent object-location associations over eight trials consisting of pre-trial fixation, encoding, delay, and retrieval epochs. In order to examine how within-subject changes and between-subject changes in ocular metrics related to accuracy, we mean centered individual metric values on each trial based on within-person and across-subject means for each epoch. Within-participant variation in EBR was positively related to accuracy in both encoding and delay epochs: faster EBR within the individual predicted better retrieval. Differences in EBR across participants was negatively related to accuracy in the encoding epoch and in early trials of the pre-trial fixation: faster EBR, relative to other subjects, predicted poorer retrieval. Visual scanning behavior in pre-trial fixation and delay epochs was also positively related to accuracy in early trials: more scanning predicted better retrieval. We found no relationship between pupil diameter and accuracy. These results provide novel evidence supporting the utility of ocular metrics in illuminating cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms of paired-associate learning.
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17
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Trutti AC, Verschooren S, Forstmann BU, Boag RJ. Understanding subprocesses of working memory through the lens of model-based cognitive neuroscience. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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18
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Nir-Cohen G, Kessler Y, Egner T. Neural Substrates of Working Memory Updating. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:2285-2302. [PMID: 32897122 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) needs to protect current content from interference and simultaneously be amenable to rapid updating with newly relevant information. An influential model suggests these opposing requirements are met via a BG-thalamus gating mechanism that allows for selective updating of PFC WM representations. A large neuroimaging literature supports the general involvement of PFC, BG, and thalamus, as well as posterior parietal cortex, in WM. However, the specific functional contributions of these regions to key subprocesses of WM updating, namely, gate opening, content substitution, and gate closing, are still unknown, as common WM tasks conflate these processes. We therefore combined fMRI with the reference-back task, specifically designed to tease apart these subprocesses. Participants compared externally presented face stimuli to a reference face held in WM, while alternating between updating and maintaining this reference, resulting in opening versus closing the gate to WM. Gate opening and substitution processes were associated with strong BG, thalamic, and frontoparietal activation, but intriguingly, the same activity profile was observed for sensory cortex supporting task stimulus processing (i.e., the fusiform face area). In contrast, gate closing was not reliably associated with any of these regions. These findings provide new support for the involvement of the BG in gate opening, as suggested by the gating model, but qualify the model's assumptions by demonstrating that gate closing does not seem to depend on the BG and that gate opening also involves task-relevant sensory cortex.
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Van Slooten JC, Jahfari S, Theeuwes J. Spontaneous eye blink rate predicts individual differences in exploration and exploitation during reinforcement learning. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17436. [PMID: 31758031 PMCID: PMC6874684 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53805-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) has been linked to striatal dopamine function and to how individuals make value-based choices after a period of reinforcement learning (RL). While sEBR is thought to reflect how individuals learn from the negative outcomes of their choices, this idea has not been tested explicitly. This study assessed how individual differences in sEBR relate to learning by focusing on the cognitive processes that drive RL. Using Bayesian latent mixture modelling to quantify the mapping between RL behaviour and its underlying cognitive processes, we were able to differentiate low and high sEBR individuals at the level of these cognitive processes. Further inspection of these cognitive processes indicated that sEBR uniquely indexed explore-exploit tendencies during RL: lower sEBR predicted exploitative choices for high valued options, whereas higher sEBR predicted exploration of lower value options. This relationship was additionally supported by a network analysis where, notably, no link was observed between sEBR and how individuals learned from negative outcomes. Our findings challenge the notion that sEBR predicts learning from negative outcomes during RL, and suggest that sEBR predicts individual explore-exploit tendencies. These then influence value sensitivity during choices to support successful performance when facing uncertain reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne C Van Slooten
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sara Jahfari
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Royal Academy of Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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20
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Revisiting the relationship between the P3b and working memory updating. Biol Psychol 2019; 148:107769. [PMID: 31525391 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The P3b is an extensively studied neurophysiological phenomenon that is predominantly explained in the cognitive neuroscience literature as reflecting context updating, presumably in working memory (WM). Despite the prevalence and influence of the context updating hypothesis, direct empirical support for the role of WM updating in eliciting the P3b is still missing. The present study was designed to address the empirical gap in understanding the functional role of P3b in general, and specifically in relation to WM updating. A mass-univariate approach was used to test the unique contribution of WM updating, categorization, and stimulus probability to the P3b. The results indicated that the P3b is only modulated by the categorization process, a finding that challenges the WM updating hypothesis. Taken together these results, we suggest that the P3b reflects a WM guided target identification mechanism, which operates as part of a goal-directed learning strategy.
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21
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Hartley CA, Coelho CAO, Boeke E, Ramirez F, Phelps EA. Individual differences in blink rate modulate the effect of instrumental control on subsequent Pavlovian responding. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:87-97. [PMID: 30386862 PMCID: PMC6373194 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5082-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Pavlovian conditioned responses to cues that signal threat are rapidly acquired and tend to persist over time. However, recent research suggests that the ability to actively avoid or exert control over an anticipated threat can diminish the subsequent expression of Pavlovian responses. Studies in animal models suggest that active avoidance behavior and its consequences may be mediated by dopaminergic function. In the present study, we sought to replicate the finding that active control over threat can attenuate subsequent Pavlovian responding in humans and conducted exploratory analyses testing whether individual differences in blink rate, a putative index of dopaminergic function, might modulate this effect. METHODS Participants underwent Pavlovian aversive conditioning, followed immediately by one of two conditions. In the active avoidance condition, participants had the opportunity to actively prevent the occurrence of an anticipated shock, whereas in a yoked extinction condition, participants passively observed the cessation of shocks, but with no ability to influence their occurrence. The following day, the conditioned stimuli were presented without shock, but both groups of participants had no opportunity to employ active instrumental responses. Blink rate was measured throughout the task, and skin conductance responses served as our index of Pavlovian conditioned responding. RESULTS Consistent with our previous findings, we observed that the group that could actively avoid the shock on day 1 exhibited attenuated recovery of Pavlovian conditioned responses. Further, we found that individuals in the active avoidance group with higher blink rates exhibited a more robust attenuation of spontaneous recovery. CONCLUSION This finding suggests that individual variation in dopaminergic function may modulate the efficacy with which active avoidance strategies can attenuate reactive Pavlovian responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Hartley
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, USA.
| | - Cesar A O Coelho
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emily Boeke
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Phelps
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, USA
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, USA
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22
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Nakano T, Miyazaki Y. Blink synchronization is an indicator of interest while viewing videos. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 135:1-11. [PMID: 30428333 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The temporal pattern of spontaneous blinks changes greatly depending on an individual's internal cognitive state. For instance, when several individuals watch the same video, blinks can be synchronized at attentional breakpoints. The present study examined the degree of this blink synchronization, as reflecting an interest level, while viewing various video clips. In the first experiment, participants interested in soccer, shogi (Japanese chess), or a specific musical group watched a video clip related to each category and rated their interest level after viewing. Results revealed that blink synchronization increased with a rise in interest level in the video clips of soccer and shogi. Moreover, while blink synchronization increased when viewing preferred video clips for the soccer and music group fans, synchronization decreased when viewing videos from the other categories, except for the shogi fans. In contrast, the blink rates did not correlate with the interest level on the video content but changed with the number of shot transitions of it. In the second experiment, participants viewed a video in which a professional salesperson gave descriptions of several products for a few minutes each. When participants reported an interest in the product, blinks were synchronized to the salesperson's blinks. However, when feeling uninterested, blink synchronization did not occur. These results suggest that blink synchronization could be used as an involuntary index to assess a person's interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamami Nakano
- Graduate School of Frontiers Bioscience, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; JST PRESTO, Japan.
| | - Yuta Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Information, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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23
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Nomura R, Liang YZ, Morita K, Fujiwara K, Ikeguchi T. Threshold-varying integrate-and-fire model reproduces distributions of spontaneous blink intervals. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206528. [PMID: 30376565 PMCID: PMC6207319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous blinking is one of the most frequent human behaviours. While attentionally guided blinking may benefit human survival, the function of spontaneous frequent blinking in cognitive processes is poorly understood. To model human spontaneous blinking, we proposed a leaky integrate-and-fire model with a variable threshold which is assumed to represent physiological fluctuations during cognitive tasks. The proposed model is capable of reproducing bimodal, normal, and widespread peak-less distributions of inter-blink intervals as well as the more common popular positively skewed distributions. For bimodal distributions, the temporal positions of the two peaks depend on the baseline and the amplitude of the fluctuating threshold function. Parameters that reproduce experimentally derived bimodal distributions suggest that relatively slow oscillations (0.11–0.25 Hz) govern blink elicitations. The results also suggest that changes in blink rates would reflect fluctuations of threshold regulated by human internal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Nomura
- Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Ying-Zong Liang
- Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Morita
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kantaro Fujiwara
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tohru Ikeguchi
- Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
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San Anton E, Cleeremans A, Destrebecqz A, Peigneux P, Schmitz R. Spontaneous eyeblinks are sensitive to sequential learning. Neuropsychologia 2018; 119:489-500. [PMID: 30243927 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Although sequential learning and spontaneous eyeblink rate (EBR) have both been shown to be tightly related to cerebral dopaminergic activity, they have never been investigated at the same time. In the present study, EBR, taken as an indirect marker of dopaminergic activity, was investigated in two resting state conditions, both before and after visuomotor sequence learning in a serial reaction time task (SRT) and during task practice. Participants' abilities to produce and manipulate their knowledge about the sequential material were probed in a generation task. We hypothesized that the time course of spontaneous EBR might follow the progressive decrease of RTs during the SRT session. Additionally, we manipulated the structure of the transfer blocks as well as their respective order, assuming that (1) fully random trials might generate a larger psychophysiological response than an unlearned but structured material, and (2) a second (final) block of transfer might give rise to larger effects given that the sequential material was better consolidated after further practice. Finally, we tentatively hypothesized that, in addition to their online version, spontaneous EBR recorded during the pre- and post-learning resting sessions might be predictive of (1) the SRT learning curve, (2) the magnitude of the transfer effects, and (3) performance in the generation task. Results showed successful sequence learning with decreased accuracy and increased reaction times (RTs) in transfer blocks featuring a different material (random trials or a structured, novel sequence). In line with our hypothesis that EBR reflects dopaminergic activity associated with sequential learning, we observed increased EBR in random trials as well as when the second transfer block occurred at the end of the learning session. There was a positive relationship between the learning curve (RTs) and the slope of EBR during the SRT session. Additionally, inter-individual differences in resting and real-time EBR predicted the magnitude of accuracy and RTs transfer effects, respectively, but they were not related to participants' performances during the generation task. Notwithstanding, our results suggest that the degree of explicit sequential knowledge modulates the association between the magnitude of the transfer effect in EBR and SRT performance. Overall, the present study provides evidence that EBR may represent a valid indirect psychophysiological correlate of dopaminergic activity coupled to sequential learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estibaliz San Anton
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN) and ULB Neurosciences Institute (UNI), Belgium; Consciousness Cognition & Computation Group (CO3), Belgium
| | - Axel Cleeremans
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN) and ULB Neurosciences Institute (UNI), Belgium; Consciousness Cognition & Computation Group (CO3), Belgium
| | - Arnaud Destrebecqz
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN) and ULB Neurosciences Institute (UNI), Belgium; Consciousness Cognition & Computation Group (CO3), Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN) and ULB Neurosciences Institute (UNI), Belgium; Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF), Belgium
| | - Rémy Schmitz
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN) and ULB Neurosciences Institute (UNI), Belgium; Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF), Belgium.
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25
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Rac-Lubashevsky R, Kessler Y. Oscillatory Correlates of Control over Working Memory Gating and Updating: An EEG Study Using the Reference-back Paradigm. J Cogn Neurosci 2018; 30:1870-1882. [PMID: 30125218 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Optimal working memory (WM) functioning depends on a control mechanism that balances between maintenance and updating by closing or opening the gate to WM, respectively. Here, we examined the neural oscillation correlates of WM updating and of the control processes involved in gating. The reference-back paradigm was employed to manipulate gate opening, gate closing, and updating independently and examine how the control functions involved in these processes are mapped to oscillatory EEG activity. The results established that different oscillatory patterns were associated with the control process related to gate opening than in gate closing. During the time of gate closing, a relative increase in theta power was observed over midfrontal electrodes. This theta response is a known EEG signature of cognitive control that is proposed here to reflect reactive conflict resolution, achieved by closing the gate when facing irrelevant information. On the other hand, proactive gate opening in preparation for relevant information was associated with an increase in relative delta power over parietal-occipital electrodes. Finally, WM updating was associated with relative increase in delta power over midfrontal electrodes, suggesting a functional role of delta oscillations in WM updating.
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26
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Ocular signatures of proactive versus reactive cognitive control in young adults. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 18:1049-1063. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0621-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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27
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Pajkossy P, Szőllősi Á, Demeter G, Racsmány M. Physiological Measures of Dopaminergic and Noradrenergic Activity During Attentional Set Shifting and Reversal. Front Psychol 2018; 9:506. [PMID: 29695987 PMCID: PMC5904264 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) are important neurotransmitters, which are suggested to play a vital role in modulating the neural circuitry involved in the executive control of cognition. One way to investigate the functions of these neurotransmitter systems is to assess physiological indices of DA and NA transmission. Here we examined how variations of spontaneous eye-blink rate and pupil size, as indirect measures of DA and NA activity, respectively, are related to performance in a hallmark aspect of executive control: attentional set shifting. We used the Intra/Extradimensional Set Shifting Task, where participants have to choose between different compound stimuli while the stimulus-reward contingencies change periodically. During such rule shifts, participants have to refresh their attentional set while they reassess which stimulus-features are relevant. We found that both eye-blink rate (EBR) and pupil size increased after rule shifts, when explorative processes are required to establish stimulus–reward contingencies. Furthermore, baseline pupil size was related to performance during the most difficult, extradimensional set shifting stage, whereas baseline EBR was associated with task performance prior to this stage. Our results support a range of neurobiological models suggesting that the activity of DA and NA neurotransmitter systems determines individual differences in executive functions (EF), possibly by regulating neurotransmission in prefrontal circuits. We also suggest that assessing specific, easily accessible indirect physiological markers, such as pupil size and blink rate, contributes to the comprehension of the relationship between neurotransmitter systems and EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Pajkossy
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Szőllősi
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyula Demeter
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.,Rehabilitation Department of Brain Injuries, National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mihály Racsmány
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
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28
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Kessler Y. N-2 repetition leads to a cost within working memory and a benefit outside it. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yoav Kessler
- Department of Psychology and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Beer-Sheva Israel
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29
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Maffei A, Angrilli A. Spontaneous eye blink rate: An index of dopaminergic component of sustained attention and fatigue. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 123:58-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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30
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Kessler Y. The Role of Working Memory Gating in Task Switching: A Procedural Version of the Reference-Back Paradigm. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2260. [PMID: 29312095 PMCID: PMC5742995 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of working memory (WM) suggest that the contents of WM are separated from perceptual input by a gate, that enables shielding information against interference when closed, and allows for rapid updating when open. Recent work in the declarative WM domain provided evidence for this notion, demonstrating the behavioral cost of opening and closing the gate. The goal of the present work was to examine gating in procedural WM, namely in a task-switching experiment. In each trial, participants were presented with a digit and a task cue, indicating whether the required task was a parity or a magnitude decision. Critically, a colored frame around the stimulus indicated whether the task cue was relevant (attend trials), or whether it had to be ignored, and the previous task set should be applied regardless of the present cue (ignore trials). Switching between tasks, and between ignore and attend trials, was manipulated. The results of two experiments demonstrated that the cost of gate opening was eliminated in task switching trials, implying that both processes operate in parallel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav Kessler
- Department of Psychology and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
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Paprocki R, Lenskiy A. What Does Eye-Blink Rate Variability Dynamics Tell Us About Cognitive Performance? Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:620. [PMID: 29311876 PMCID: PMC5742176 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive performance is defined as the ability to utilize knowledge, attention, memory, and working memory. In this study, we briefly discuss various markers that have been proposed to predict cognitive performance. Next, we develop a novel approach to characterize cognitive performance by analyzing eye-blink rate variability dynamics. Our findings are based on a sample of 24 subjects. The subjects were given a 5-min resting period prior to a 10-min IQ test. During both stages, eye blinks were recorded from Fp1 and Fp2 electrodes. We found that scale exponents estimated for blink rate variability during rest were correlated with subjects' performance on the subsequent IQ test. This surprising phenomenon could be explained by the person to person variation in concentrations of dopamine in PFC and accumulation of GABA in the visual cortex, as both neurotransmitters play a key role in cognitive processes and affect blinking. This study demonstrates the possibility that blink rate variability dynamics at rest carry information about cognitive performance and can be employed in the assessment of cognitive abilities without taking a test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafal Paprocki
- Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan, South Korea
| | - Artem Lenskiy
- Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan, South Korea
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