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Akkoyun M, Koçoğlu K, Eraslan Boz H, Tüfekci IY, Ekin M, Akdal G. Visual search for real-world scenes in patients with Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3567. [PMID: 38841742 PMCID: PMC11154822 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visual attention-related processes that underlie visual search behavior are impaired in both the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), which is considered a risk factor for AD. Although traditional computer-based array tasks have been used to investigate visual search, information on the visual search patterns of AD and MCI patients in real-world environments is limited. AIM The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences in visual search behaviors among individuals with AD, aMCI, and healthy controls (HCs) in real-world scenes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 92 participants were enrolled, including 28 with AD, 32 with aMCI, and 32 HCs. During the visual search task, participants were instructed to look at a single target object amid distractors, and their eye movements were recorded. RESULTS The results indicate that patients with AD made more fixations on distractors and fewer fixations on the target, compared to patients with aMCI and HC groups. Additionally, AD patients had longer fixation durations on distractors and spent less time looking at the target than both patients with aMCI and HCs. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that visual search behavior is impaired in patients with AD and can be distinguished from aMCI and healthy individuals. For future studies, it is important to longitudinally monitor visual search behavior in the progression from aMCI to AD. CONCLUSION Our study holds significance in elucidating the interplay between impairments in attention, visual processes, and other underlying cognitive processes, which contribute to the functional decline observed in individuals with AD and aMCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Müge Akkoyun
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Health SciencesDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
| | - Koray Koçoğlu
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Health SciencesDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
| | - Hatice Eraslan Boz
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Health SciencesDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
- Department of Neurology, Unit of NeuropsychologyDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
| | - Işıl Yağmur Tüfekci
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Health SciencesDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
| | - Merve Ekin
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Health SciencesDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
| | - Gülden Akdal
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Health SciencesDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of MedicineDokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTürkiye
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Disrupted Value-Directed Strategic Processing in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Behavioral and Neural Correlates. Geriatrics (Basel) 2022; 7:geriatrics7030056. [PMID: 35645279 PMCID: PMC9149834 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics7030056] [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: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Value-directed strategic processing involves attending to higher-value information while inhibiting lower-value information. This preferential processing is relatively preserved in cognitively normal older adults but is impaired in individuals with dementia. No studies have investigated whether value-directed strategic processing is disrupted in earlier stages of cognitive decline, namely, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The current study examined behavioral and EEG differences in value-directed strategic processing between 18 individuals with MCI and 18 cognitively normal older controls using a value-directed list learning task. Behaviorally, individuals with MCI recalled fewer total and high-value words compared to controls, but no group differences were observed in low-value word recall. Neurally, individuals with MCI had reduced theta synchronization relative to controls between 100 and 200 ms post-stimulus. Greater alpha desynchronization was observed for high- versus low-value words between 300 and 400 ms in controls but not in the MCI group. The groups showed some processing similarities, with greater theta synchronization for low-value words between 700 and 800 ms and greater alpha desynchronization for high-value words between 500 and 1100 ms. Overall, value-directed strategic processing was compromised in individuals with MCI on both behavioral and neural measures relative to controls. These findings add to the growing body of literature on differences between typical cognitive aging and MCI.
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Song Y, Xu W, Chen S, Hu G, Ge H, Xue C, Qi W, Lin X, Chen J. Functional MRI-Specific Alterations in Salience Network in Mild Cognitive Impairment: An ALE Meta-Analysis. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:695210. [PMID: 34381352 PMCID: PMC8350339 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.695210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia. Amnestic MCI (aMCI) and non-amnestic MCI are the two subtypes of MCI with the former having a higher risk for progressing to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Compared with healthy elderly adults, individuals with MCI have specific functional alterations in the salience network (SN). However, no consistent results are documenting these changes. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the specific functional alterations in the SN in MCI and aMCI. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for scientific neuroimaging literature based on three research methods, namely, functional connectivity (FC), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation or fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF/fALFF). Then, we conducted the coordinate-based meta-analysis by using the activation likelihood estimation algorithm. Results: In total, 30 functional neuroimaging studies were included. After extracting the data and analyzing it, we obtained specific changes in some brain regions in the SN including decreased ALFF/fALFF in the left superior temporal gyrus, the insula, the precentral gyrus, and the precuneus in MCI and aMCI; increased FC in the thalamus, the caudate, the superior temporal gyrus, the insula, and the cingulate gyrus in MCI; and decreased ReHo in the anterior cingulate gyrus in aMCI. In addition, as to FC, interactions of the SN with other networks including the default mode network and the executive control network were also observed mainly in the middle frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus in MCI and inferior frontal gyrus in aMCI. Conclusions: Specific functional alternations in the SN and interactions of the SN with other networks in MCI could be useful as potential imaging biomarkers for MCI or aMCI. Meanwhile, it provided a new insight in predicting the progression of health to MCI or aMCI and novel targets for proper intervention to delay the progression. Systematic Review Registration: [PROSPERO], identifier [No. CRD42020216259].
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Song
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenwen Xu
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guanjie Hu
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Brain Functional Imaging, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Honglin Ge
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Brain Functional Imaging, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chen Xue
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenzhang Qi
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xingjian Lin
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiu Chen
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Brain Functional Imaging, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Colella D, Guerra A, Paparella G, Cioffi E, Di Vita A, Trebbastoni A, Berardelli A, Bologna M. Motor dysfunction in mild cognitive impairment as tested by kinematic analysis and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 132:315-322. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Huang V, Hogan DB, Ismail Z, Maxwell CJ, Smith EE, Callahan BL. Evaluating the Real-World Representativeness of Participants with Mild Cognitive Impairment in Canadian Research Protocols: a Comparison of the Characteristics of a Memory Clinic Patients and Research Samples. Can Geriatr J 2020; 23:297-328. [PMID: 33282050 PMCID: PMC7704078 DOI: 10.5770/cgj.23.416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Studies of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) employ rigorous eligibility criteria, resulting in sampling that may not be representative of the broader clinical population. Objective To compare the characteristics of MCI patients in a Calgary memory clinic to those of MCI participants in published Canadian studies. Methods Clinic participants included 555 MCI patients from the PROspective Registry of Persons with Memory SyMPToms (PROMPT) registry in Calgary. Research participants included 4,981 individuals with MCI pooled from a systematic literature review of 112 original, English-language peer-reviewed Canadian studies. Both samples were compared on baseline sociodemographic variables, medical and psychiatric comorbidities, and cognitive performance for MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Results Overall, clinic patients tended to be younger, more often male, and more educated than research participants. Psychiatric disorders, traumatic brain injury, and sensory impairment were commonplace in PROMPT (up to 83% affected) but > 80% studies in the systematic review excluded these conditions. PROMPT patients also performed worse on global cognition measures than did research participants. Conclusion Stringent eligibility criteria in Canadian research studies excluded a considerable subset of MCI patients with comorbid medical or psychiatric conditions. This exclusion may contribute to differences in cognitive performance and outcomes compared to real-world clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Huang
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON
| | - David B Hogan
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB
| | - Zahinoor Ismail
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Colleen J Maxwell
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB.,Schools of Pharmacy and Public Health & Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
| | - Eric E Smith
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB
| | - Brandy L Callahan
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB.,Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
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Yang HL, Chu H, Miao NF, Chang PC, Tseng P, Chen R, Chiu HL, Banda KJ, Chou KR. The Construction and Evaluation of Executive Attention Training to Improve Selective Attention, Focused Attention, and Divided Attention for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2019; 27:1257-1267. [PMID: 31248769 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2019.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the immediate and long-term effects of executive attention training on selective attention, focused attention, and divided attention in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. METHODS A double-blind, multisite randomized controlled trial at five sites. Seventy participants (mean age: 78.19 ± 7.22 years) were assigned to an experimental group (executive attention training, n = 35) or an active control group (n = 35). The training duration was the same for both groups (45 minutes per session, 3 times per week, 18 sessions in total). Primary outcome measure was selective attention (Digit Span Task). Secondary outcome measures included focused attention (Stroop Color Word Test) and divided attention (Trail-Making Test Part B). Data were collected at pretest, post-test, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS In GEE analysis, findings indicated a significant improvement in selective attention at post-test, whereas divided attention showed significant reducing omission error at 3-month follow-up. There was no significant effect of group in focused attention associated with the executive attention training compared with active control group. CONCLUSION The executive attention training significantly improved selective attention and divided attention performance. Future studies should identify transfer effects of attention training, and that can employ early screening to provide integrated attention training, and decrease its relevant risks on competency in performing daily activities, such as falling and driving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Ling Yang
- School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsin Chu
- Institute of Aerospace and Undersea Medicine, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nae-Fang Miao
- Post-Baccalaureate Program in Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pi-Chen Chang
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Philip Tseng
- Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain and Consciousness Research Center, TMU - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Ruey Chen
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Huei-Ling Chiu
- School of Gerontology Health Management, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kondwani Joseph Banda
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Endoscopy Unit, Department of Surgery , Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Kuei-Ru Chou
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Psychiatric Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Mason EJ, Hussey EP, Molitor RJ, Ko PC, Donahue MJ, Ally BA. Family History of Alzheimer's Disease is Associated with Impaired Perceptual Discrimination of Novel Objects. J Alzheimers Dis 2017; 57:735-745. [PMID: 28304286 PMCID: PMC5389043 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Early detection may be the key to developing therapies that will combat Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been consistently demonstrated that one of the main pathologies of AD, tau, is present in the brain decades before a clinical diagnosis. Tau pathology follows a stereotypical route through the medial temporal lobe beginning in the entorhinal and perirhinal cortices. If early pathology leads to very subtle changes in behavior, it may be possible to detect these changes in subjects years before a clinical diagnosis can currently be made. We aimed to discover if cognitively normal middle-aged adults (40-60 years old) at increased risk for AD due to family history would have impaired performance on a cognitive task known to challenge the perirhinal cortex. Using an oddity detection task, we found that subjects with a family history of AD had lowered accuracy without demonstrating differences in rate of acquisition. There were no differences between subjects' medial temporal lobe volume or cortical thickness, indicating that the changes in behavior were not due to significant atrophy. These results demonstrate that subtle changes in perceptual processing are detectable years before a typical diagnosis even when there are no differences detectable in structural imaging data. Anatomically-targeted cognitive testing may be useful in identifying subjects in the earliest stages of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Mason
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Erin P Hussey
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Robert J Molitor
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Philip C Ko
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Manus J Donahue
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Brandon A Ally
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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Chau SA, Herrmann N, Sherman C, Chung J, Eizenman M, Kiss A, Lanctôt KL. Visual Selective Attention Toward Novel Stimuli Predicts Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients. J Alzheimers Dis 2016; 55:1339-1349. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-160641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Chau
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nathan Herrmann
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Chelsea Sherman
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jonathan Chung
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Moshe Eizenman
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alex Kiss
- Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Krista L. Lanctôt
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Borsa VM, Della Rosa PA, Catricalà E, Canini M, Iadanza A, Falini A, Abutalebi J, Iannaccone S. Interference and conflict monitoring in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A structural study of the anterior cingulate cortex. J Neuropsychol 2016; 12:23-40. [PMID: 27147117 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is a clinical condition characterized by memory impairment in the absence of any other cognitive impairment and is commonly associated with high conversion to Alzheimer's disease. Recent evidence shows that executive functions and selective attention mechanisms could also be impaired in aMCI. In this study, we investigated performance differences (i.e., reaction times [RTs] and accuracy) between a group of aMCI participants and a group of age-matched healthy individuals on the attentional network task (ANT) focusing on situations with increased interference. In particular, we assessed the relationship between interference and conflict effects and grey matter volumes (GMVs) of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/pre-supplementary motor area in the entire sample because of its crucial role in conflict monitoring. When compared with controls, aMCI participants were less accurate on the ANT, showing increased interference and conflict effects, but no differences in RTs. In addition, aMCI participants exhibited lower GMV in the ACC than controls. While better accuracy for interference and conflict effects was associated with an increase of GMV in the ACC for both groups, RTs from the interference effect were negatively correlated with GMV of the ACC only in aMCI participants. In other words, lower GMV values of the ACC were paralleled with significantly impaired performance in terms of interference resolution. In conclusion, our study suggests the presence of a selective impairment in interference and conflict monitoring in aMCI, which in turn is associated with decreased GMVs in the ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia M Borsa
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University San Raffaele and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Pasquale A Della Rosa
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University San Raffaele and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.,Free University of Bolzan, Bolzano, Italy
| | | | - Matteo Canini
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University San Raffaele and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Antonella Iadanza
- Department of Neuroscience, University San Raffaele and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Falini
- Department of Neuroscience, University San Raffaele and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University San Raffaele and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University San Raffaele and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
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