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Shirzadi S, Dadgostar M, Einalou Z, Erdoğan SB, Akin A. Sex based differences in functional connectivity during a working memory task: an fNIRS study. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1207202. [PMID: 38390414 PMCID: PMC10881810 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1207202] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Differences in corticocerebral structure and function between males and females and their effects on behavior and the prevalence of various neuropsychiatric disorders have been considered as a fundamental topic in various fields of neuroscience. Recent studies on working memory (WM) reported the impact of sex on brain connectivity patterns, which reflect the important role of functional connectivity in the sex topic. Working memory, one of the most important cognitive tasks performed by regions of the PFC, can provide evidence regarding the presence of a difference between males and females. The present study aimed to assess sex differences in brain functional connectivity during working memory-related tasks by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In this regard, nine males and nine females completed a dual n-back working memory task with two target inputs of color and location stimuli in three difficulty levels (n = 0, 1, 2). Functional connectivity matrices were extracted for each subject for each memory load level. Females made less errors than males while spending more time performing the task for all workload levels except in 0-back related to the color stimulus, where the reaction time of females was shorter than males. The results of functional connectivity reveal the inverse behavior of two hemispheres at different memory workload levels between males and females. In the left hemisphere, males exhibited stronger connectivity compared to the females, while stronger connectivity was observed in the females' right hemisphere. Furthermore, an inverse trend was detected in the channel pairs with significant connectivity in the right hemisphere of males (falling) and females (rising) by enhancing working memory load level. Considering both behavioral and functional results for two sexes demonstrated a better performance in females due to the more effective use of the brain. The results indicate that sex affects functional connectivity between different areas in both hemispheres of the brain during cognitive tasks of varying difficulty levels although the general impression is that spatial capabilities are considered as a performance of the brain's right hemisphere. These results reinforce the presence of a sex effect in the functional imaging studies of hemodynamic function and emphasize the importance of evaluating brain network connectivity for achieving a better scientific understanding of sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Shirzadi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Dadgostar
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Zahra Einalou
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Sinem Burcu Erdoğan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ata Akin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Türkiye
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Montejo L, Sole B, Fortea L, Jimenez E, Martinez-Aran A, Martinez-Heras E, Sanchez-Moreno J, Ortuño M, Pariente J, Solanes A, Torrent C, Vilajosana E, De Prisco M, Vieta E, Radua J. Study protocol - elucidating the neural correlates of functional remediation for older adults with bipolar disorder. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1302255. [PMID: 38298927 PMCID: PMC10827946 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1302255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Beyond mood abnormalities, bipolar disorder (BD) includes cognitive impairments that worsen psychosocial functioning and quality of life. These deficits are especially severe in older adults with BD (OABD), a condition expected to represent most individuals with BD in the upcoming years. Restoring the psychosocial functioning of this population will thus soon represent a public health priority. To help tackle the problem, the Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona has recently adapted its Functional Remediation (FR) program to that population, calling it FROA-BD. However, while scarce previous studies localize the neural mechanisms of cognitive remediation interventions in the dorsal prefrontal cortex, the specific mechanisms are seldom unknown. In the present project, we will investigate the neural correlates of FR-OABD to understand its mechanisms better and inform for potential optimization. The aim is to investigate the brain features and changes associated with FROA-BD efficacy. Methods Thirty-two individuals with OABD in full or partial remission will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session before receiving FR-OABD. After completing the FR-OABD intervention, they will undergo another MRI session. The MRI sessions will include structural, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), functional MRI (fMRI) with working memory (n-back) and verbal learning tasks, and frontal spectroscopy. We will correlate the pre-post change in dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices activation during the n-back task with the change in psychosocial functioning [measured with the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST)]. We will also conduct exploratory whole-brain correlation analyses between baseline or pre-post changes in MRI data and other clinical and cognitive outcomes to provide more insights into the mechanisms and explore potential brain markers that may predict a better treatment response. We will also conduct separate analyses by sex. Discussion The results of this study may provide insights into how FROA-BD and other cognitive remediations modulate brain function and thus could optimize these interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Montejo
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brisa Sole
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lydia Fortea
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Jimenez
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anabel Martinez-Aran
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eloy Martinez-Heras
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit and Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases (ImaginEM), Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Sanchez-Moreno
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Ortuño
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Pariente
- Magnetic Resonance Image Core Facility, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aleix Solanes
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carla Torrent
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enric Vilajosana
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michele De Prisco
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Patelaki E, Foxe JJ, McFerren AL, Freedman EG. Maintaining Task Performance Levels Under Cognitive Load While Walking Requires Widespread Reallocation of Neural Resources. Neuroscience 2023; 532:113-132. [PMID: 37774910 PMCID: PMC10842245 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
This study elucidates the neural mechanisms underlying increasing cognitive load while walking by employing 2 versions of a response inhibition task, the '1-back' version and the more cognitively demanding '2-back' version. By using the Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) modality, electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, three-dimensional (3D) gait kinematics and task-related behavioral responses were collected while young adults (n = 61) performed either the 1-back or 2-back response inhibition task. Interestingly, increasing inhibitory difficulty from 1-back to 2-back during walking was not associated with any detectable costs in response accuracy, response speed, or gait consistency. However, the more difficult cognitive task was associated with distinct EEG component changes during both successful inhibitions (correct rejections) and successful executions (hits) of the motor response. During correct rejections, ERP changes were found over frontal regions, during latencies related to sensory gain control, conflict monitoring and working memory storage and processing. During hits, ERP changes were found over left-parietal regions during latencies related to orienting attention and subsequent selection and execution of the motor plan. The pattern of attenuation in walking-related EEG amplitude changes, during 2-back task performance, is thought to reflect more effortful recalibration of neural processes, a mechanism which might be a key driver of performance maintenance in the face of increased cognitive demands while walking. Overall, the present findings shed light on the extent of the neurocognitive capacity of young adults and may lead to a better understanding of how factors such as aging or neurological disorders could impinge on this capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Patelaki
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, 201 Robert B. Goergen Hall, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - John J Foxe
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Amber L McFerren
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Edward G Freedman
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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Deist M, Suliman S, Kidd M, Franklin D, Cherner M, Heaton RK, Spies G, Seedat S. Neuropsychological Test Norms for the Assessment of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Impairment Among South African Adults. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:3080-3097. [PMID: 36918465 PMCID: PMC10386947 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04029-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Reliable and valid neurocognitive (NC) test batteries that assess multiple domains of cognitive functioning are vital tools in the early detection of HIV-associated NC impairment. The HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center's International Neurobehavioral Battery (HNRC Battery) is one such diagnostic tool and has shown cultural validity in several international neuroHIV studies. However, no published norms are currently available for the full HNRC Battery in South Africa. To accurately interpret NC test results, appropriate reference norms are required. In light of this challenge, data were collected from 500 healthy, HIV-uninfected participants to develop demographically corrected South African norms. When demographically corrected United States of America (U.S.) norms were applied to the performance scores of our neurologically intact, HIV-negative sample, an impairment rate of 62.2% was observed compared to a 15.0% impairment rate when the newly generated South African norms were applied. These results reiterate the findings of other low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the need for localized, country-specific norms when interpreting NC performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Deist
- South African PTSD Research Programme of Excellence, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sharain Suliman
- South African PTSD Research Programme of Excellence, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Martin Kidd
- Centre for Statistical Consultation, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Donald Franklin
- The HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC), San Diego, USA
| | - Mariana Cherner
- The HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC), San Diego, USA
| | - Robert K Heaton
- The HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC), San Diego, USA
| | - Georgina Spies
- South African PTSD Research Programme of Excellence, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Soraya Seedat
- South African PTSD Research Programme of Excellence, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Chang L, Ryan MC, Liang H, Zhang X, Cunningham E, Wang J, Wilson E, Herskovits EH, Kottilil S, Ernst TM. Changes in Brain Activation Patterns During Working Memory Tasks in People With Post-COVID Condition and Persistent Neuropsychiatric Symptoms. Neurology 2023; 100:e2409-e2423. [PMID: 37185175 PMCID: PMC10256123 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207309] [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: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Post-COVID condition (PCC) is common and often involves neuropsychiatric symptoms. This study aimed to use blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI (BOLD-fMRI) to assess whether participants with PCC had abnormal brain activation during working memory (WM) and whether the abnormal brain activation could predict cognitive performance, motor function, or psychiatric symptoms. METHODS The participants with PCC had documented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at least 6 weeks before enrollment. Healthy control participants had no prior history of COVID-19 and negative tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Participants were assessed using 3 NIH Toolbox (NIHTB) batteries for Cognition (NIHTB-CB), Emotion (NIHTB-EB), and Motor function (NIHTB-MB) and selected tests from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Each had BOLD-fMRI at 3T, during WM (N-back) tasks with increasing attentional/WM load. RESULTS One hundred sixty-nine participants were screened; 50 fulfilled the study criteria and had complete and usable data sets for this cross-sectional cohort study. Twenty-nine participants with PCC were diagnosed with COVID-19 242 ± 156 days earlier; they had similar ages (42 ± 12 vs 41 ± 12 years), gender proportion (65% vs 57%), racial/ethnic distribution, handedness, education, and socioeconomic status, as the 21 uninfected healthy controls. Despite the high prevalence of memory (79%) and concentration (93%) complaints, the PCC group had similar performance on the NIHTB-CB as the controls. However, participants with PCC had greater brain activation than the controls across the network (false discovery rate-corrected p = 0.003, Tmax = 4.17), with greater activation in the right superior frontal gyrus (p = 0.009, Cohen d = 0.81, 95% CI 0.15-1.46) but lesser deactivation in the default mode regions (p = 0.001, d = 1.03, 95% CI 0.61-1.99). Compared with controls, participants with PCC also had poorer dexterity and endurance on the NIHTB-MB, higher T scores for negative affect and perceived stress, but lower T scores for psychological well-being on the NIHTB-EB, as well as more pain symptoms and poorer mental and physical health on measures from the PROMIS. Greater brain activation predicted poorer scores on measures that were abnormal on the NIHTB-EB. DISCUSSION Participants with PCC and neuropsychiatric symptoms demonstrated compensatory neural processes with greater usage of alternate brain regions, and reorganized networks, to maintain normal performance during WM tasks. BOLD-fMRI was sensitive for detecting brain abnormalities that correlated with various quantitative neuropsychiatric symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Chang
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
| | - Meghann C Ryan
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Huajun Liang
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Xin Zhang
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Eric Cunningham
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Justin Wang
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Eleanor Wilson
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Edward H Herskovits
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Shyamasundaran Kottilil
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Thomas M Ernst
- From the Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (L.C., M.C.R., H.L., X.Z., E.C., J.W., E.H.H., T.M.E.), and Department of Neurology (L.C.), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Department of Neurology (L.C., T.M.E.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Program in Neuroscience (L.C., M.C.R.), Institute of Human Virology (L.C., E.W., S.K.), and Division of Infectious Disease (E.W., S.K.), Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
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Tomasi D, Volkow ND. Measures of Brain Connectivity and Cognition by Sex in US Children. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e230157. [PMID: 36809470 PMCID: PMC9945095 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The neurobiological underpinnings underlying sex differences in cognition during adolescence are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE To examine sex differences in brain circuitry and their association with cognitive performance in US children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study analyzed behavioral and imaging data from 9- to 11-year-old children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study between August 2017 and November 2018. The ABCD study is an open-science, multisite study following up more than 11 800 youths into early adulthood for 10 years with annual laboratory-based assessments and biennial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The selection of ABCD study children for the current analysis was based on the availability of functional and structural MRI data sets in ABCD Brain Imaging Data Structure Community Collection format. Five hundred and sixty participants who had excessive level of head motion (>50% of time points with framewise displacement >0.5 mm) during resting-state functional MRI were excluded from the analyses. Data were analyzed between January and August 2022. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The main outcomes were the sex differences in (A) global functional connectivity density at rest and (B) mean water diffusivity (MD) and (C) the correlation of these metrics with total cognitive scores. RESULTS A total of 8961 children (4604 boys and 4357 girls; mean [SD] age, 9.92 [0.62] years) were included in this analysis. Girls had higher functional connectivity density in default mode network hubs than boys, predominantly in the posterior cingulate cortex (Cohen d = -0.36), and lower MD and transverse diffusivity, predominantly in the superior corticostriatal white matter bundle (Cohen d = 0.3). Age-corrected fluid and total composite scores were higher for girls than for boys (Cohen d = -0.08 [fluid] and -0.04 [total]; P = 2.7 × 10-5). Although total mean (SD) brain volume (1260 [104] mL in boys and 1160 [95] mL in girls; t = 50; Cohen d = 1.0; df = 8738) and the proportion of white matter (d = 0.4) were larger for boys than for girls, the proportion of gray matter was larger for girls than for boys (d = -0.3; P = 2.2 × 10-16). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings of this cross-sectional study on sex differences in brain connectivity and cognition are relevant to the future creation of brain developmental trajectory charts to monitor for deviations associated with impairments in cognition or behavior, including those due to psychiatric or neurological disorders. They could also serve as a framework for studies investigating the differential contribution of biological vs social or cultural factors in the neurodevelopmental trajectories of girls and boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dardo Tomasi
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, Maryland
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Argiris G, Stern Y, Habeck C. Neural similarity across task load relates to cognitive reserve and brain maintenance measures on the Letter Sternberg task: a longitudinal study. Brain Imaging Behav 2023; 17:100-113. [PMID: 36484923 PMCID: PMC9925407 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00746-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The aging process is characterized by change across several measures that index cognitive status and brain integrity. In the present study, 54 cognitively-healthy younger and older adults, were analyzed, longitudinally, on a verbal working memory task to investigate the effect of brain maintenance (i.e., cortical thickness) and cognitive reserve (i.e., NART IQ as proxy) factors on a derived measure of neural efficiency. Participants were scanned using fMRI while presented with the Letter Sternberg task, a verbal working memory task consisting of encoding, maintenance and retrieval phases, where cognitive load is manipulated by varying the number of presented items (i.e., between one and six letters). Via correlation analysis, we looked at region-level and whole-brain relationships between load levels within each phase and then computed a global task measure, what we term phase specificity, to analyze how similar neural responses were across load levels within each phase compared to between each phase. We found that longitudinal change in phase specificity was positively related to longitudinal change in cortical thickness, at both the whole-brain and regional level. Additionally, baseline NART IQ was positively related to longitudinal change in phase specificity over time. Furthermore, we found a longitudinal effect of sex on change in phase specificity, such that females displayed higher phase specificity over time. Cross-sectional findings aligned with longitudinal findings, with the notable exception of behavioral performance being positively linked to phase specificity cross-sectionally at baseline. Taken together, our findings suggest that phase specificity positively relates to brain maintenance and reserve factors and should be better investigated as a measure of neural efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgette Argiris
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Neurological Institute, 710 West 168th Street, 3rd floor, NY, 10032, New York, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Neurological Institute, 710 West 168th Street, 3rd floor, NY, 10032, New York, USA
| | - Christian Habeck
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Neurological Institute, 710 West 168th Street, 3rd floor, NY, 10032, New York, USA.
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8
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Singh S, Sarraf SR, Tripathi A, Ojha BK, Singh A. Gender Differences in Executive Functions of Patients Operated for Mild to Moderate Epidural Hematoma. INDIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background Impairment in neurocognitive functions are commonly followed by Epidural hematoma (EDH) . This cross-sectional study was aimed to study gender differences in neurocognitive functions in mild to moderate epidural hematoma patients (43 male and 19 female patients) post-surgery using standardized assessment tools of comprehensive neurocognitive function attention, speed, working memory, fluency, set-shifting, perseveration, planning and response inhibition.
Methods Descriptive statistics, i.e., mean and standard deviation (SD) values were computed, and a t-test was applied for further exploration.
Results The analysis of results shows that on the test of working memory, female group scored better as significant differences were found on N-Back (2 Back versions) and digit span-backward. On the verbal fluency test (COWA), significant difference was found as females scored higher than the male group on total responses. However, the male group was higher in total time and error than the female group on the test of sustained attention and divided attention.
Conclusion This study shows interesting results in terms of gender differences in executive function of patients operated for mild to moderate epidural hematoma. These findings have significant clinical and implications for planning intervention. The neuropsychological rehabilitation of patients operated for mild to moderate epidural hematoma has a crucial role in enhancing their recovery and overall functioning. Inputs about gender differences in neuro psychological functioning of these patients would help in decision making regarding neuropsychological rehabilitation incorporating the gender related differences too in their intervention plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Singh
- Department of Psychiatry, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Seema Rani Sarraf
- Department of Psychiatry, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Adarsh Tripathi
- Department of Psychiatry, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bal Krishna Ojha
- Department of Neurosurgery, King Georges Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Amandeep Singh
- Department of Psychiatry, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
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9
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Reduced working memory performance in PTSD and suicide among veterans presenting for treatment. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 156:299-307. [PMID: 36283133 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the United States, underscoring the continued need to understand the mechanisms underlying suicide risk. A growing body of research has examined the role of working memory deficits in suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), yet little research has evaluated putative pathways via which working memory impairments may heighten suicide risk. Elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) represent one plausible mechanism through which poor working memory performance may increase STBs. The present study utilized data from 140 treatment-seeking veterans who presented for an intake evaluation in the PTSD Clinical Team of a large VA Medical Center. Veterans completed self-report measures, a semi-structured PTSD evaluation, and a digit span working memory test. In addition to concurrent suicidal ideation assessed during the intake, additional information regarding past suicide attempts, presence of a safety plan, documentation of past suicidal behaviors, and engagement with suicide crisis lines were collected via electronic medical records. Consistent with hypotheses, a significant indirect path emerged such that poor working memory performance predicted greater suicidal ideation, greater likelihood of a past suicide attempt, and greater latent suicide risk via increased PTSS. However, no direct effect of working memory on STBs or indirect paths of PTSS on STBs via working memory emerged. These findings suggest that the relation between working memory and STBs may be explained by PTSS severity.
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10
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Faheem M, Akram W, Akram H, Khan MA, Siddiqui FA, Majeed I. Gender-based differences in prevalence and effects of ADHD in adults: A systematic review. Asian J Psychiatr 2022; 75:103205. [PMID: 35878424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that starts from childhood and lasts through adulthood. Historically thought as male dominant disorder, researches now emphasized that ADHD also effects females equally. Despite the ascending research on gender differences of ADHD, there is little known about its differences in prevalence and effects and there is a dearth of reviews that can draw a firm conclusion especially in adults. Data from the available medical literature published in English language literature of all time was reviewed systematically and tabulated to evaluate the gender-based differences in prevalence and effects of ADHD in adults. The studies revealed gender differences in adult ADHD in prevalence, and effects. Results showed that males have more prevalence as compared to females but females too have a significant presence of disorder. Females were more impaired as compared to men in most of the effects of ADHD like social functioning, time perception, stress tackling and mood disorder. Males were more impaired in working memory and educational functioning as compared to females. The review shows sufficient evidence of gender differences in adult ADHD in prevalence, and effects, that similarity across genders should not be assumed. It is concluded that there are plenty of conflicting evidence regarding gender differences in many areas of adult ADHD research, and to remove such discrepancies, the existing research is the need for more studies on gender differences and similarities in functioning of adults with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Faheem
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Waqas Akram
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Hadiqa Akram
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Mahtab Ahmad Khan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | | | - Imtiaz Majeed
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
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Mürner-Lavanchy IM, Parzer P, Brüstle J, Koenig J, Kaess M, Resch F. Normierung der Testbatterie COGBAT bei Jugendlichen im Alter von 12 bis 15 Jahren. ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR NEUROPSYCHOLOGIE 2022. [DOI: 10.1024/1016-264x/a000356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung: Das Jugendalter stellt eine wichtige Phase in der Entwicklung der Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit, der Aufmerksamkeit, des Gedächtnisses und der exekutiven Funktionen dar. Im Rahmen einer Normierungsstudie der kognitiven Basistestung (COGBAT) für das Jugendalter wurden Testwerte bei n = 269 Jugendlichen im Alter von 12 bis 15 Jahren erhoben und mit den Normen der Altersgruppe der 16- bis 30-Jährigen verglichen. Zusätzlich wurde überprüft, inwiefern sich diese Testergebnisse in der subjektiven Einschätzung zur Leistungsfähigkeit (FLei) und Psychopathologie (SDQ) abbilden lassen. Im Jugendalter zeigte sich ein starker Zuwachs in der kognitiven Flexibilität, der Verarbeitungs- und Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit sowie der Inhibitions- und Planungsfähigkeit. Ein bedeutsamer Geschlechtsunterschied fand sich in der Inhibition, mit stärkeren Leistungen bei Mädchen als bei Jungen. Zwischen den Testergebnissen und den subjektiven Einschätzungen zeigten sich keine Zusammenhänge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines M. Mürner-Lavanchy
- Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universität Bern, Schweiz
| | - Peter Parzer
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Deutschland
| | - Julia Brüstle
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Deutschland
| | - Julian Koenig
- Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universität Bern, Schweiz
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Deutschland
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie des Kindes- und Jugendalters, Universität zu Köln, Deutschland
| | - Michael Kaess
- Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universität Bern, Schweiz
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Deutschland
| | - Franz Resch
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Deutschland
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12
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Nikolin S, Tan YY, Martin D, Moffa A, Loo CK, Boonstra TW. Behavioural and neurophysiological differences in working memory function of depressed patients and healthy controls. J Affect Disord 2021; 295:559-568. [PMID: 34509071 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with deficits in working memory. Several cognitive subprocesses interact to produce working memory, including attention, encoding, maintenance and manipulation. We sought to clarify the contribution of functional deficits in these subprocesses in MDD by varying cognitive load during a working memory task. METHODS 41 depressed participants and 41 age and gender-matched healthy controls performed the n-back working memory task at three levels of difficulty (0-, 1-, and 2-back) in a pregistered study. We assessed response times, accuracy, and event-related electroencephalography (EEG), including P2 and P3 amplitudes, and frontal theta power (4-8 Hz). RESULTS MDD participants had prolonged response times and more positive frontal P3 amplitudes (i.e., Fz) relative to controls, mainly in the most difficult 2-back condition. Working memory accuracy, P2 amplitudes and frontal theta event-related synchronisation did not differ between groups at any level of task difficulty. CONCLUSIONS Depression is associated with generalized psychomotor slowing of working memory processes, and may involve compensatory hyperactivity in frontal and parietal regions. SIGNIFICANCE These findings provide insights into MDD working memory deficits, indicating that depressed individuals dedicate greater levels of cortical processing and cognitive resources to achieve comparable working memory performance to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stevan Nikolin
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road, Sydney, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia.
| | - Yi Yin Tan
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Donel Martin
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road, Sydney, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Adriano Moffa
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Colleen K Loo
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road, Sydney, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia; St. George Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Tjeerd W Boonstra
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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13
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The Effect of Mental Fatigue and Gender on Working Memory Performance during Repeated Practice by Young and Older Adults. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:6612805. [PMID: 34646318 PMCID: PMC8505107 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6612805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is one of the most investigated cognitive functions albeit the extent to which individual characteristics impact on performance is still unclear, especially when older adults are involved. The present study considers repeated practice of a visual N-Back task with three difficulty levels (1-, 2-, and 3-Back) in healthy young and older individuals. Our results reveal that, for both age groups, the expected mental fatigue was countered by a learning effect, in terms of accuracies and reaction times, which turned out to benefit females more than males, for all three N-Back levels. We conclude that future WM studies, in particular when relying on repeated N-Back sessions, should account for learning effects in relation to mental fatigue and gender, in both young and older adults.
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14
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Cousijn J, Ridderinkhof KR, Kaag AM. Sex-dependent prefrontal cortex activation in regular cocaine users: A working memory functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13003. [PMID: 33508891 PMCID: PMC8459240 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Although two thirds of patients with a cocaine use disorder (CUD) are female, little is known about sex differences in the (neuro)pathology of CUD. The aim of this explorative study was to investigate sex‐dependent differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning during a working memory (WM) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task in regular cocaine users (CUs), as PFC deficits are implicated in the shift from recreational cocaine use to CUD. Neural activation was measured using fMRI during a standard WM task (n‐back task) in 27 male and 28 female CUs and in 26 male and 28 female non‐cocaine users (non‐CUs). Although there were no main or interaction effects of sex and group on n‐back task performance, WM‐related (2‐back > 0‐back) PFC functioning was significantly moderated by sex and group: female compared with male CUs displayed higher WM‐related activation of the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), whereas female compared with male non‐CUs displayed lower WM‐related MFG activation. Additionally, WM‐related activation of the inferior frontal gyrus, insula, and putamen was negatively associated with cocaine use severity in female but not male CUs. These data support the hypothesis of sex‐dependent PFC differences in CUs and speculatively suggest that PFC deficits may be more strongly implicated in the development, continuation, and possibly treatment of CUD in females. Most importantly, the current data stress the importance of studying both males and females in psychiatry research as not doing so could greatly bias our knowledge of CUD and other psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Cousijn
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC) University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - K. Richard Ridderinkhof
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC) University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Anne Marije Kaag
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC) University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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15
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Chen C, Zhang Y, Zhen Z, Song Y, Hu S, Liu J. Quantifying the variability of neural activation in working memory: A functional probabilistic atlas. Neuroimage 2021; 239:118301. [PMID: 34171499 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory is a fundamental cognitive ability that allows the maintenance and manipulation of information for a brief period of time. Previous studies found a set of brain regions activated during working memory tasks, such as the prefrontal and parietal cortex. However, little is known about the variability of neural activation in working memory. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to quantify individual, hemispheric, and sex differences of working memory activation in a large cohort of healthy adults (N = 477). We delineated subject-specific activated regions in each individual, including the frontal pole, middle frontal gyrus, frontal eye field, superior parietal lobule, insular, precuneus, and anterior cingulate cortex. A functional probabilistic atlas was created to quantify individual variability in working memory regions. More than 90% of the participants activated all seven regions in both hemispheres, but the intersection of regions across participants was markedly less (50%), indicating significant individual differences in working memory activations. Moreover, we found hemispheric and sex differences in activation location, extent, and magnitude. Most activation regions were larger in the right than in the left hemisphere, but the magnitude of activation did not follow a similar pattern. Men showed more extensive and stronger activations than women. Taken together, our functional probabilistic atlas quantified variabilities of neural activation in working memory, providing a robust spatial reference for standardization of functional localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zonglei Zhen
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiying Song
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Siyuan Hu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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16
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Duan L, Ai H, Yang L, Xu L, Xu P. Gender Differences in Transnational Brand Purchase Decision Toward Mixed Culture and Original Culture Advertisements: An fNIRS Study. Front Psychol 2021; 12:654360. [PMID: 34177707 PMCID: PMC8226242 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Culture strategy is very important for transnational brand marketing. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a promising brain imaging modality for neuromarketing research. In the present study, we used fNIRS to explore the neural correlates of consumers' purchase decision on different cross-culture marketing strategies. Forty Chinese participants watched transnational brands and products advertised with photographs of the brands' original culture (the original culture advertisements) and advertised with photographs of Chinese culture (the mixed culture advertisements), respectively. The behavioral results showed that the female participants showed significantly higher purchase rate when watching the original culture advertisements than the mixed culture advertisements, whereas the male participants did not show significant preference between these two types. The fNIRS results further revealed that for the female participants, watching mixed culture advertisements evoked significant positive activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and negative activation in the medial prefrontal cortex, which was not found in the male participants. These findings suggest possible cognitive and emotional differences between men and women in purchase decision making toward different cross-culture marketing strategy. The present study also demonstrates the great potential of fNIRS in neuromarketing research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Duan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Ai
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lianlian Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Research Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnologies, Hong Kong, China
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17
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Ceglarek A, Hubalewska-Mazgaj M, Lewandowska K, Sikora-Wachowicz B, Marek T, Fafrowicz M. Time-of-day effects on objective and subjective short-term memory task performance. Chronobiol Int 2021; 38:1330-1343. [PMID: 34121547 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2021.1929279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The time-of-day along with the synchrony effect (better performance at optimal times of the day according to the chronotype) on the cognitive performance has been well established in previous research. This influence is mediated by both circadian and homeostatic processes consistent with the Borbély two-process model. This experiment focused on the objective and subjective performance of the visual short-term memory task requiring holistic processing. Sixty-five young, healthy participants including 40 females were divided into morning and evening types and performed a given task in two sessions - in the morning and in the evening. Type division was made according to the chronotype questionnaire and polymorphism of the PER3 clock gene. The task was a modified version of Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm adjusted to study short-term memory, in which visual, abstract stimuli were used. The analysis was based on an exploratory approach investigating the influence of circadian and individual (sex) factors on execution of memory task. Evening types were more accurate in the task compared to morning types, regardless of the part of the day. The time-of-day effect was revealed on objective measures (reaction times for hits and false alarms) and subjective effort put into the performance. The reaction times were slower in the morning unlike the effort that was greater in the evening. The time-of-day × sex interaction was observed in the case of subjective effort: men described the task as more demanding in the evening. The results could be explained by differences in hemispheric dominance depending on the time-of-day. The report provides new patterns of behavioral data analysis, investigating sex aspects and use of self-assessment scales of performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ceglarek
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroergonomics, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Hubalewska-Mazgaj
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Koryna Lewandowska
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroergonomics, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Barbara Sikora-Wachowicz
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroergonomics, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Marek
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroergonomics, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Fafrowicz
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroergonomics, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.,Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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18
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Piwowarski M, Gadomska-Lila K, Nermend K. Cognitive Neuroscience Methods in Enhancing Health Literacy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105331. [PMID: 34067790 PMCID: PMC8155837 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the article is to identify the usefulness of cognitive neuroscience methods in assessing the effectiveness of social advertising and constructing messages referring to the generally understood health promotion, which is to contribute to the development of health awareness, and hence to health literacy. The presented research has also proven useful in the field of managing the processes that improve the communication between the organization and its environment. The researchers experimentally applied cognitive neuroscience methods, mainly EEG measurements, including a metric which is one of the most frequently used to measure the reception of advertising messages, i.e., frontal asymmetry. The purpose of the study was to test cognitive responses as expressed by neural indices (memorization, interest) to the reception of an advertisement for the construction of a hospice for adults. For comparative purposes, a questionnaire survey was also conducted. The research findings have confirmed that there are significant differences in remembering the advertisement in question by different groups of recipients (women/men). They also indicate a different level of interest in the advertisement, which may result from different preferences of the recipients concerning the nature of ads. The obtained results contribute to a better understanding of how to design advertising messages concerning health, so that they increase the awareness of the recipients’ responsibility for their own health and induce specific behavior patterns aimed at supporting health-related initiatives, e.g., donating funds for building hospices or performing preventive tests. In this respect, the study findings help improve the organizations’ communication with their environment, thus enhancing their performance. The study has also confirmed the potential and innovativeness of cognitive neuroscience methods as well as their considerable possibilities for application in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Piwowarski
- Department of Decision Support Methods and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Szczecin, 71-004 Szczecin, Poland;
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Kesra Nermend
- Department of Decision Support Methods and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Szczecin, 71-004 Szczecin, Poland;
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Stein A, Iyer KK, Khetani AM, Barlow KM. Changes in working memory-related cortical responses following pediatric mild traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal fMRI study. JOURNAL OF CONCUSSION 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/20597002211006541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) lasting longer than 4 weeks affect 25% of children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion. Working memory (WM) problems are a common complaint in children with PPCS. Despite normal function on traditional neuropsychological tests, these children exhibit aberrant cortical responses within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and default mode network (DMN) regions – both of which are implicated in WM. Using a prospective, longitudinal cohort study design, we investigated changes in cortical fMRI responses within the dlPFC and DMN during an nback WM task at two timepoints: one and two months post-injury. Across these timepoints, the primary outcome was change in cortical activations (increase in BOLD) and deactivations (decrease in BOLD) of both dlPFC and DMN. Twenty-nine children (mean age 15.49 ± 2.15; 48.3% male) with fMRI scans at both timepoints were included, following data quality control. Student’s t-tests were used to examine cortical activations across time and task difficulty. ANCOVA F-tests examined cortical responses after removal of baseline across time, task difficulty and recovery. Volumes of interest (5 mm sphere) were placed in peak voxel regions of the DMN and dlPFC to compare cortical responses between recovered and unrecovered participants over time (one-way ANOVA). Between one and two months post-injury, we found significant increases in dlPFC activations and significant activations and deactivations in the DMN with increasing task difficulty, alongside improved task performance. Cortical responses of the DMN and bilateral dlPFC displayed increased intensity in recovered participants, together with improved attention and behavioural symptoms. Overall, our findings suggest evidence of neural compensation and ongoing cognitive recovery from pediatric TBI over time between one and two months post injury in children with PPCS. These results highlight the wider and persisting implications of mTBI in children, whose maturing brains are particularly vulnerable to TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena Stein
- Acquired Brain Injury in Children Research Program, Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kartik K Iyer
- Acquired Brain Injury in Children Research Program, Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Aneesh M Khetani
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Karen M Barlow
- Acquired Brain Injury in Children Research Program, Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- Queensland Pediatric Rehabilitation Service, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
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20
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Task-evoked reconfiguration of the fronto-parietal network is associated with cognitive performance in brain tumor patients. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:2351-2366. [PMID: 31456158 PMCID: PMC7647963 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00189-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In healthy participants, the strength of task-evoked network reconfigurations is associated with cognitive performance across several cognitive domains. It is, however, unclear whether the capacity for network reconfiguration also plays a role in cognitive deficits in brain tumor patients. In the current study, we examined whether the level of reconfiguration of the fronto-parietal (‘FPN’) and default mode network (‘DMN’) during task execution is correlated with cognitive performance in patients with different types of brain tumors. For this purpose, we combined data from a resting state and task-fMRI paradigm in patients with a glioma or meningioma. Cognitive performance was measured using the in-scanner working memory task, as well as an out-of-scanner cognitive flexibility task. Task-evoked changes in functional connectivity strength (defined as the mean of the absolute values of all connections) and in functional connectivity patterns within and between the FPN and DMN did not differ significantly across meningioma and fast (HGG) and slowly growing glioma (LGG) patients. Across these brain tumor patients, a significant and positive correlation was found between the level of task-evoked reconfiguration of the FPN and cognitive performance. This suggests that the capacity for FPN reconfiguration also plays a role in cognitive deficits in brain tumor patients, as was previously found for normal cognitive performance in healthy controls.
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21
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Faraza S, Waldenmaier J, Dyrba M, Wolf D, Fischer FU, Knaepen K, Kollmann B, Tüscher O, Binder H, Mierau A, Riedel D, Fellgiebel A, Teipel S. Dorsolateral Prefrontal Functional Connectivity Predicts Working Memory Training Gains. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:592261. [PMID: 33732134 PMCID: PMC7956962 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.592261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Normal aging is associated with working memory decline. A decrease in working memory performance is associated with age-related changes in functional activation patterns in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Cognitive training can improve cognitive performance in healthy older adults. We implemented a cognitive training study to assess determinants of generalization of training gains to untrained tasks, a key indicator for the effectiveness of cognitive training. We aimed to investigate the association of resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of DLPFC with working memory performance improvement and cognitive gains after the training. Method: A sample of 60 healthy older adults (mean age: 68 years) underwent a 4-week neuropsychological training, entailing a working memory task. Baseline resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) images were acquired in order to investigate the FC of DLPFC. To evaluate training effects, participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment before and after the training. A second follow-up assessment was applied 12 weeks after the training. We used cognitive scores of digit span backward and visual block span backward tasks representing working memory function. The training group was divided into subjects who had and who did not have training gains, which was defined as a higher improvement in working memory tasks than the control group (N = 19). Results: A high FC of DLPFC of the right hemisphere was significantly associated with training gains and performance improvement in the visuospatial task. The maintenance of cognitive gains was restricted to the time period directly after the training. The training group showed performance improvement in the digit span backward task. Conclusion: Functional activation patterns of the DLPFC were associated with the degree of working memory training gains and visuospatial performance improvement. Although improvement through cognitive training and acquisition of training gains are possible in aging, they remain limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Faraza
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Julia Waldenmaier
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Martin Dyrba
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock, Germany
| | - Dominik Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Center for Mental Health in Old Age, Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian U Fischer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Center for Mental Health in Old Age, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kristel Knaepen
- Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Bianca Kollmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Leibnitz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Oliver Tüscher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Leibnitz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Harald Binder
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics (IMBI), Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Mierau
- Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Exercise and Sport Science, LUNEX International University of Health, Exercise and Sports, Differdange, Luxembourg
| | - David Riedel
- Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Fellgiebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Center for Mental Health in Old Age, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefan Teipel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock, Germany
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22
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Dump the "dimorphism": Comprehensive synthesis of human brain studies reveals few male-female differences beyond size. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:667-697. [PMID: 33621637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
With the explosion of neuroimaging, differences between male and female brains have been exhaustively analyzed. Here we synthesize three decades of human MRI and postmortem data, emphasizing meta-analyses and other large studies, which collectively reveal few reliable sex/gender differences and a history of unreplicated claims. Males' brains are larger than females' from birth, stabilizing around 11 % in adults. This size difference accounts for other reproducible findings: higher white/gray matter ratio, intra- versus interhemispheric connectivity, and regional cortical and subcortical volumes in males. But when structural and lateralization differences are present independent of size, sex/gender explains only about 1% of total variance. Connectome differences and multivariate sex/gender prediction are largely based on brain size, and perform poorly across diverse populations. Task-based fMRI has especially failed to find reproducible activation differences between men and women in verbal, spatial or emotion processing due to high rates of false discovery. Overall, male/female brain differences appear trivial and population-specific. The human brain is not "sexually dimorphic."
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23
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Emergency front of neck access in children: a new learning approach in a rabbit model. Br J Anaesth 2020; 125:e61-e68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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D'Antuono G, Maini M, Marin D, Boccia M, Piccardi L. Effect of ageing on verbal and visuo-spatial working memory: Evidence from 880 individuals. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2020; 29:193-202. [PMID: 32125884 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2020.1732979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
It is well-known that ageing is associated with a decrease in working memory abilities. It is not so clear at what age the decline begins and if there are differences in the decline of verbal and visuo-spatial working memory. This study investigates the effect of ageing on verbal and visuo-spatial working memory by comparing the performance of 880 subjects aged between 15- and 80-year old who were subdivided into five groups. The results show that age is negatively correlated with performance on both verbal and visuo-spatial working memory tasks. Specifically, we observed a gradual deterioration in performance with increasing age starting at 36-year old. Comparing the performance of the five groups, it is possible to observe a clear decline in both verbal and visuo-spatial working memory domains in subjects over 66-year old. However, in the next youngest age group, it is possible to notice differences in performance depending on the type of material being processed and the cognitive load required. This variability is discussed by analyzing the factors that may have influenced test performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuela Maini
- Nucleo Speciale per le Gravissime Disabilità Acquisite, CRA "Virginia Grandi," Bologna, Italy
| | - Dario Marin
- SOC Neuropsichiatria ASUIUD, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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25
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The influence of context on information processing. Cogn Process 2020; 21:167-184. [PMID: 32086661 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-020-00958-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The main research question of this study is how the processing of information relates to different contextual characteristics. More specifically, how the context is associated with efficiency of information processing (success and speed), size of chunks, speed of chunk processing and the recall of a chunk. The research domain was the game of chess. The efficiency of information processing and the chunk characteristics were defined with the reconstruction of sequences of chess moves. Context variables were defined using a slightly adapted chess program. Variables on information dispersion, deviation, complexity and positivity were extracted in each chess position. Overall, the results showed that higher dispersion and complexity and lower positivity of information in a context lead to less efficient information processing. The results support the assumptions of the cognitive load theory about the negative effects of external factors burden on information processing and working memory. Our results also support the ACT-R theory, which suggests that more frequent information has a higher activation level and can therefore be retrieved more easily and quickly. The results are also congruent with the positivity effect, which proposes that it is easier to remember positive information than negative information. The findings of our study can be beneficial for the development of intelligent tutoring systems and the design of human-computer interaction systems.
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26
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Gurvich C, Thomas N, Kulkarni J. Sex differences in cognition and aging and the influence of sex hormones. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:103-115. [PMID: 33008519 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00008-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in cognitive functioning have been consistently reported in some cognitive tasks, with varying effect sizes. The most consistent findings in healthy adults are sex differences in the areas of mental rotation and aspects of attention and verbal memory. Sex differences in the vulnerability and manifestation of several psychiatric and neurologic diseases that involve cognitive disruption provide strong justification to continue investigating the social and biologic influences that underpin sex differences in cognitive functioning across health and disease. The biologic influences are thought to include genetic and epigenetic factors, sex chromosomes, and sex hormones. Sex steroid hormones that regulate reproductive function have multiple effects on the development, maintenance, and function of the brain, including significant effects on cognitive functioning. The aim of the current chapter is to provide a theoretical review of sex differences across different cognitive domains in adulthood and aging, as well as provide an overview on the role of sex hormones in cognitive function and cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Gurvich
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School and Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Natalie Thomas
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School and Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jayashri Kulkarni
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School and Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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27
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Khetani A, Rohr CS, Sojoudi A, Bray S, Barlow KM. Alteration in Cerebral Activation during a Working Memory Task after Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Controlled Cohort Study. J Neurotrauma 2019; 36:3274-3283. [DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.6117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aneesh Khetani
- Department of Neuroscience and Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Program, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christiane S. Rohr
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Program, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alireza Sojoudi
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Program, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Karen M. Barlow
- Faculty of Medicine, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
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28
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Different patterns of cortical activity in females and males during spatial long-term memory. Neuroimage 2019; 199:626-634. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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29
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Spets DS, Slotnick SD. Similar patterns of cortical activity in females and males during item memory. Brain Cogn 2019; 135:103581. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.103581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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30
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New Evidence for Gender Differences in Performing the Corsi Test but Not the Digit Span: Data from 208 Individuals. PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12646-019-00512-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
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31
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Does Working Memory Moderate the Within-Person Associations Between Pain Intensity and Negative Affect and Pain's Interference With Work Goal Pursuit? Clin J Pain 2019; 34:566-576. [PMID: 29135697 DOI: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Chronic pain exerts a pervasive negative influence on workers' productivity. However, a paucity of research has addressed the mechanisms underlying the pain → productivity relation. In the present study using intensive daily diary data, we examined whether working memory (WM) moderates the positive within-person associations between (1) morning pain intensity and (2) morning negative affect (NA) and later day pain's interference of work-goal (WG) pursuit. METHODS A community sample of 131 adults with chronic pain completed a battery of questionnaires, laboratory-measured WM, and a 21-day daily diary. RESULTS WM did not moderate the positive within-person association between morning pain intensity and afternoon/evening ratings of pain's interference with work goal pursuit. However, individuals with higher WM showed significantly attenuated positive within-person association between morning negative affect and pain's interference with afternoon/evening work goal pursuit. DISCUSSION WM appears to protect goal-relevant information from distractions due to negative affective arousal. The continued use of ecologically valid observational and intervention studies would shed further light on the influence of WM on the pursuit of valued work goals in the face of pain and negative affect.
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Wang H, He W, Wu J, Zhang J, Jin Z, Li L. A coordinate-based meta-analysis of the n-back working memory paradigm using activation likelihood estimation. Brain Cogn 2019; 132:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Amici F, Sánchez-Amaro A, Sebastián-Enesco C, Cacchione T, Allritz M, Salazar-Bonet J, Rossano F. The word order of languages predicts native speakers' working memory. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1124. [PMID: 30718704 PMCID: PMC6362290 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37654-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between language and thought is controversial. One hypothesis is that language fosters habits of processing information that are retained even in non-linguistic domains. In left-branching (LB) languages, modifiers usually precede the head, and real-time sentence comprehension may more heavily rely on retaining initial information in working memory. Here we presented a battery of working memory and short-term memory tasks to adult native speakers of four LB and four right-branching (RB) languages from Africa, Asia and Europe. In working memory tasks, LB speakers were better than RB speakers at recalling initial stimuli, but worse at recalling final stimuli. Our results show that the practice of parsing sentences in specific directions due to the syntax and word order of our native language not only predicts the way we remember words, but also other non-linguistic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Amici
- Junior Research Group "Primate Kin Selection", Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- University of Leipzig Faculty of Life Science, Institute of Biology, Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Talstrasse 33, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Alex Sánchez-Amaro
- Department of Comparative and Developmental Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0515, USA
| | - Carla Sebastián-Enesco
- William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Trix Cacchione
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Pedagogische Hochschule, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Bahnhofstrasse 6, 5210, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Allritz
- Department of Comparative and Developmental Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Juan Salazar-Bonet
- Department of International Programs, Florida State University, C/ Blanquerías 2, 46003, Valencia, Spain
| | - Federico Rossano
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0515, USA
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34
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Silberstein R, Camfield DA, Nield G, Stough C. Gender differences in parieto-frontal brain functional connectivity correlates of creativity. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01196. [PMID: 30688029 PMCID: PMC6379588 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Creativity is a complex construct that lies at the core of what has made human civilizations possible. One frequently used measure of creativity is the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults that yields an overall creativity score. In this study, we examine the relationship between the task-related differences in brain functional connectivity and the creativity score in a male and female group of participants. METHODS Brain functional connectivity was estimated from the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) event-related partial coherence in a group of 27 females and 27 males while they performed a low-demand visual vigilance task and the A-X version of the Continuous Performance Task. Task-related differences in brain functional connectivity (ΔFC) were correlated with the creativity score separately in the female and male groups. RESULTS We found that the creativity score was correlated with a parieto-frontal ΔFC component for both the female and male groups. However, significant gender differences were observed in both the timing and the laterality of the parietal component. Females exhibited a left parietal to bilateral frontal ΔFC component correlated with creativity score and this peaked on the appearance of a target in both tasks. By contrast, males demonstrated a right parietal to bilateral frontal ΔFC component correlated with creativity score which peaked on the appearance of the letter following the targets. CONCLUSION These findings are discussed in the context of the role of the Default Mode Network in creativity, and the role of gender-related differences in cortical networks that mediate creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Silberstein
- Centre for Human PsychopharmacologySwinburne UniversityMelbourneVic.Australia
- Neuro‐Insight Pty LtdMelbourneVic.Australia
| | - David A. Camfield
- Centre for Human PsychopharmacologySwinburne UniversityMelbourneVic.Australia
| | | | - Con Stough
- Centre for Human PsychopharmacologySwinburne UniversityMelbourneVic.Australia
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35
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Brain regions preferentially responding to transient and iso-intense painful or tactile stimuli. Neuroimage 2019; 192:52-65. [PMID: 30669009 PMCID: PMC6503155 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
How pain emerges from cortical activities remains an unresolved question in pain neuroscience. A first step toward addressing this question consists in identifying brain activities that occur preferentially in response to painful stimuli in comparison to non-painful stimuli. A key confound that has affected this important comparison in many previous studies is the intensity of the stimuli generating painful and non-painful sensations. Here, we compared the brain activity during iso-intense painful and tactile sensations sampled by functional MRI in 51 healthy participants. Specifically, the perceived intensity was recorded for every stimulus and only the stimuli with rigorously matched perceived intensity were selected and compared between painful and tactile conditions. We found that all brain areas activated by painful stimuli were also activated by tactile stimuli, and vice versa. Neural responses in these areas were correlated with the perceived stimulus intensity, regardless of stimulus modality. More importantly, among these activated areas, we further identified a number of brain regions showing stronger responses to painful stimuli than to tactile stimuli when perceived intensity was carefully matched, including the bilateral opercular cortex, the left supplementary motor area and the right frontal middle and inferior areas. Among these areas, the right frontal middle area still responded more strongly to painful stimuli even when painful stimuli were perceived less intense than tactile stimuli, whereas in this condition other regions showed stronger responses to tactile stimuli. In contrast, the left postcentral gyrus, the visual cortex, the right parietal inferior gyrus, the left parietal superior gyrus and the right cerebellum had stronger responses to tactile stimuli than to painful stimuli when perceived intensity was matched. When tactile stimuli were perceived less intense than painful stimuli, the left postcentral gyrus and the right parietal inferior gyrus still responded more strongly to tactile stimuli while other regions now showed similar responses to painful and tactile stimuli. These results suggest that different brain areas may be engaged differentially when processing painful and tactile information, although their neural activities are not exclusively dedicated to encoding information of only one modality but are strongly determined by perceived stimulus intensity regardless of stimulus modality. Transient painful and tactile stimuli activate the same brain areas. Neural activity in these areas encode stimulus intensity. Among these areas, a few may be engaged differentially in pain and touch processing.
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36
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Lau H, Shahar S, Mohamad M, Rajab NF, Yahya HM, Din NC, Hamid HA. Relationships between dietary nutrients intake and lipid levels with functional MRI dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation. Clin Interv Aging 2018; 14:43-51. [PMID: 30613138 PMCID: PMC6307498 DOI: 10.2147/cia.s183425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a key node in the cognitive control network that supports working memory. DLPFC dysfunction is related to cognitive impairment. It has been suggested that dietary components and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) play a vital role in brain health and cognitive function. Purpose This study aimed to investigate the relationships between dietary nutrient intake and lipid levels with functional MRI (fMRI) brain activation in DLPFC among older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Participants and methods A total of 15 community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment, aged ≥60 years, participated in this cross-sectional study at selected senior citizen clubs in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The 7-day recall Diet History Questionnaire was used to assess participants’ dietary nutrient intake. Fasting blood samples were also collected for lipid profile assessment. All participants performed N-back (0- and 1-back) working memory tasks during fMRI scanning. DLPFC (Brodmann’s areas 9 and 46, and inferior, middle, and superior frontal gyrus) was identified as a region of interest for analysis. Results Positive associations were observed between dietary intake of energy, protein, cholesterol, vitamins B6 and B12, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and HDL-C with DLPFC activation (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that vitamin B6 intake, β=0.505, t (14)=3.29, P=0.023, and Digit Symbol score, β=0.413, t (14)=2.89, P=0.045; R2=0.748, were positively related to DLPFC activation. Conclusion Increased vitamin B6 intake and cognitive processing speed were related to greater activation in the DLPFC region, which was responsible for working memory, executive function, attention, planning, and decision making. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijin Lau
- Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
| | - Suzana Shahar
- Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
| | - Mazlyfarina Mohamad
- Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nor Fadilah Rajab
- Biomedical Science Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hanis Mastura Yahya
- Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
| | - Normah Che Din
- Health Psychology Program, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hamzaini Abdul Hamid
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Enhancing effects of acute exposure to cannabis smoke on working memory performance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 157:151-162. [PMID: 30521850 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Numerous preclinical studies show that acute cannabinoid administration impairs cognitive performance. Almost all of this research has employed cannabinoid injections, however, whereas smoking is the preferred route of cannabis administration in humans. The goal of these experiments was to systematically determine how acute exposure to cannabis smoke affects working memory performance in a rat model. Adult male (n = 15) and female (n = 16) Long-Evans rats were trained in a food-motivated delayed response working memory task. Prior to test sessions, rats were exposed to smoke generated by burning different numbers of cannabis or placebo cigarettes, using a within-subjects design. Exposure to cannabis smoke had no effect on male rats' performance, but surprisingly, enhanced working memory accuracy in females, which tended to perform less accurately than males under baseline conditions. In addition, cannabis smoke enhanced working memory accuracy in a subgroup of male rats that performed comparably to the worst-performing females. Exposure to placebo smoke had no effect on performance, suggesting that the cannabinoid content of cannabis smoke was critical for its effects on working memory. Follow-up experiments showed that acute administration of either Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (0.0, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg) or the cannabinoid receptor type 1 antagonist rimonabant (0.0, 0.2, 0.6, 2.0 mg/kg) impaired working memory performance. These results indicate that differences in the route, timing, or dose of cannabinoid administration can yield distinct cognitive outcomes, and highlight the need for further investigation of this topic.
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TÜDÖS Z, HOK P, HLUŠTÍK P, GRAMBAL A. Functional MRI Study of Gender Effects in Brain Activations During Verbal Working Memory Task. Physiol Res 2018; 67:825-829. [DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.933742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging methods have been used to study differences of brain function between males and females. Differences in working memory have been also investigated, but results of such studies are mixed with respect to behavioral data, reaction times and activated brain areas. We tried to analyze functional MRI data acquired during the working memory task and search for differences of brain activation between genders. 20 healthy right-handed volunteers (10 males and 10 females) participated in the study. All of them were university students or fresh graduates. Subjects underwent block designed verbal working memory task (Item Recognition Task) inside the MRI scanner. Standard single-subject pre-processing and group fMRI analyses were performed using the FEAT software from FSL library. In the behavioral data, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of correct responses during the task. The task activated similar bilateral regions of frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes, basal ganglia, the brainstem and in the cerebellum, which corresponds to the previous verbal working memory neuroimaging research. In direct comparison, there was no statistically significant difference in brain activation between small samples of male and female young healthy volunteers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z. TÜDÖS
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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40
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Human R, Henry M, Jacobs WJ, Thomas KGF. Elevated Cortisol Leaves Working Memory Unaffected in Both Men and Women. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:299. [PMID: 30087603 PMCID: PMC6066520 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (as might occur, for example, when the organism encounters a threat to allostatic balance) leads to the release of cortisol into the bloodstream and, ultimately, to altered neural functioning in particular brain regions (e.g., the prefrontal cortex (PFC)). Although previous studies suggest that exposure to acute psychosocial stress (and hence, presumably, elevation of circulating cortisol levels) enhances male performance on PFC-based working memory (WM) tasks, few studies have adequately investigated female performance on WM tasks under conditions of elevated cortisol. Hence, we compared associations between elevated (relative to baseline) levels of circulating cortisol and n-back performance in a South African sample (38 women in the late luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, 38 men). On Day 1, participants completed practice n-back tasks. On Day 2, some completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), whereas others experienced a relaxation period, before completing 1-back and 3-back tasks. We measured self-reported anxiety and salivary cortisol at baseline, post-manipulation and end of session. We reconstituted group assignment so that all women with elevated cortisol were in one group (EC-Women; n = 17), all men with elevated cortisol were in another (EC-Men; n = 19), all women without elevated cortisol were in a third (NoEC-Women; n = 21), and all men without elevated cortisol were in a fourth (NoEC-Men; n = 19) group. Analyses suggested this reconstitution was effective: in EC, but not NoEC, groups cortisol levels rose significantly from baseline to post-manipulation. Analyses of n-back data detected significant relations to task load (i.e., better performance on 1-back than on 3-back tasks), but no significant relations to sex, performance accuracy/speed, or cortisol variation. The data patterns are inconsistent with reports describing sex differences in effects of stress on WM performance. We speculate that cross-study methodological differences account for these inconsistencies, and, particularly, that between-study variation in the magnitude of baseline cortisol levels might affect outcomes. For instance, diurnal cortisol rhythms of South African samples might have flatter curves, and lower baseline values, than predominantly Caucasian samples from the United States and western Europe due to greater prenatal and lifetime stress, more socioeconomic disadvantage and faster ancestral life history (LH) strategies. We describe ways to disconfirm this hypothesis, and urge further cross-national research exploring these possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Human
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Michelle Henry
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.,Academic Development Programme, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - W Jake Jacobs
- Anxiety Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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41
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Saylik R, Raman E, Szameitat AJ. Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition and Working Memory Tasks. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1072. [PMID: 30008688 PMCID: PMC6034094 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
It is proposed that emotional and cognitive functions may be differentiated based on sex. However, it is still unknown whether this assumption could be generalized for all emotional faces and working memory (WM) functions. To examine this, 50 females, and 60 males performed an emotion recognition task, consisting of a series of emotional faces as well as three working memory tasks from Cambridge Neuropsychological test battery (CANTAB); namely, spatial working memory (SWM), stocking of Cambridge (SOC), and intra/extradimensional shifts tasks (IED). The results found that females had faster response times in recognition of both positive and negative faces as compared to males. Furthermore, it was observed that while females were better on SWM task processing, males performed better on IED and four move SOC tasks, illustrating that processing of WM components may differentiate by sex. It has been concluded that emotional and cognitive functions are indeed sensitive to sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahmi Saylik
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Art and Science, Mus Alparslan University, Mus, Turkey
| | - Evren Raman
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Brunel University London, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andre J Szameitat
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Brunel University London, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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42
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Blasiman RN, Was CA. Why Is Working Memory Performance Unstable? A Review of 21 Factors. EUROPES JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 14:188-231. [PMID: 29899806 PMCID: PMC5973525 DOI: 10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we systematically reviewed twenty-one factors that have been shown to either vary with or influence performance on working memory (WM) tasks. Specifically, we review previous work on the influence of intelligence, gender, age, personality, mental illnesses/medical conditions, dieting, craving, stress/anxiety, emotion/motivation, stereotype threat, temperature, mindfulness training, practice, bilingualism, musical training, altitude/hypoxia, sleep, exercise, diet, psychoactive substances, and brain stimulation on WM performance. In addition to a review of the literature, we suggest several frameworks for classifying these factors, identify shared mechanisms between several variables, and suggest areas requiring further investigation. This review critically examines the breadth of research investigating WM while synthesizing the results across related subfields in psychology.
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43
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Sugiura L, Hata M, Matsuba-Kurita H, Uga M, Tsuzuki D, Dan I, Hagiwara H, Homae F. Explicit Performance in Girls and Implicit Processing in Boys: A Simultaneous fNIRS-ERP Study on Second Language Syntactic Learning in Young Adolescents. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:62. [PMID: 29568265 PMCID: PMC5853835 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning a second language (L2) proceeds with individual approaches to proficiency in the language. Individual differences including sex, as well as working memory (WM) function appear to have strong effects on behavioral performance and cortical responses in L2 processing. Thus, by considering sex and WM capacity, we examined neural responses during L2 sentence processing as a function of L2 proficiency in young adolescents. In behavioral tests, girls significantly outperformed boys in L2 tests assessing proficiency and grammatical knowledge, and in a reading span test (RST) assessing WM capacity. Girls, but not boys, showed significant correlations between L2 tests and RST scores. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and event-related potential (ERP) simultaneously, we measured cortical responses while participants listened to syntactically correct and incorrect sentences. ERP data revealed a grammaticality effect only in boys in the early time window (100–300 ms), implicated in phrase structure processing. In fNIRS data, while boys had significantly increased activation in the left prefrontal region implicated in syntactic processing, girls had increased activation in the posterior language-related region involved in phonology, semantics, and sentence processing with proficiency. Presumably, boys implicitly focused on rule-based syntactic processing, whereas girls made full use of linguistic knowledge and WM function. The present results provide important fundamental data for learning and teaching in L2 education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Sugiura
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.,Research Center for Language, Brain and Genetics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Hata
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroko Matsuba-Kurita
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minako Uga
- Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Welfare and Psychology, Health Science University, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tsuzuki
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.,Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ippeita Dan
- Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroko Hagiwara
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.,Research Center for Language, Brain and Genetics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Homae
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.,Research Center for Language, Brain and Genetics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
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44
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Gao C, Sun J, Yang X, Gong H. Gender differences in brain networks during verbal Sternberg tasks: A simultaneous near-infrared spectroscopy and electro-encephalography study. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2018; 11:e201700120. [PMID: 28921863 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201700120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Gender differences in psychological processes have been of great interest in a variety of fields including verbal fluency, emotion processing and working memory. Previous studies suggested that women outperform men in verbal working memory (VWM). However, the inherent mechanisms are still unclear. To obtain a deeper insight into the gender differences in brain networks in VWM, this study used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electro-encephalography (EEG) simultaneously to investigate gender-related brain networks during verbal Sternberg tasks. NIRS results confirmed that women surpass men in VWM from the perspective of both brain activation and connectivity. Results of EEG (effective connectivity and event-related spectral power) showed that men tend to use a more visuospatial strategy to encode memory. In addition, novel analysis methods of brain networks can provide useful information about the gender specifics of brain functions. Gender-related pseudo-color maps constructed from all channels of average HbO2 activity during low- and high-load tasks (from 0 to 6 seconds after beginning).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Gao
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Photonics of Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Jinyan Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoquan Yang
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Photonics of Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Hui Gong
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Photonics of Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
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Berger J, Demin K, Holtkamp M, Bengner T. Female verbal memory advantage in temporal, but not frontal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2018; 139:129-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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46
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Nota NM, Burke SM, den Heijer M, Soleman RS, Lambalk CB, Cohen-Kettenis PT, Veltman DJ, Kreukels BP. Brain sexual differentiation and effects of cross-sex hormone therapy in transpeople: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance study. Neurophysiol Clin 2017; 47:361-370. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
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Memisevic H, Biscevic I, Pasalic A. Developmental trends in semantic fluency in preschool children. COGENT PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2017.1403064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Haris Memisevic
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Skenderija 72, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Inga Biscevic
- Department of Special Education, Herzegovina University, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Shepard R, Beckett E, Coutellier L. Assessment of the acquisition of executive function during the transition from adolescence to adulthood in male and female mice. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 28:29-40. [PMID: 29102727 PMCID: PMC6987909 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) reached full maturity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Human studies provide important information about adolescent developmental trajectories; however, little remains known about the neural circuits underlying the acquisition of mature EF. Ethical and technical considerations with human subjects limit opportunities to design experimental studies that allows for an in-depth understanding of developmental changes in neural circuits that regulate cognitive maturation. Preclinical models can offer solutions to this problem. Unfortunately, current rodent models of adolescent development have inherent flaws that limit their translational value. For instance, females are often omitted from studies, preventing the assessment of potential sex-specific developmental trajectories. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether cognitive developmental changes in rodents are similar to those observed in humans. Here, we tested adolescent and adult male and female mice in a neurocognitive battery of assays. Based on this approach, we assessed mice performances within distinct subdomains of EF, and observed similarities with human developmental trajectories. Furthermore, the sex-specific cognitive changes we observed were paralleled by molecular and neural activity changes demonstrating that our approach can be used in future research to assess the contribution of precise neural circuits to adolescent cognitive maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Shepard
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Emily Beckett
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Laurence Coutellier
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Tschernegg M, Neuper C, Schmidt R, Wood G, Kronbichler M, Fazekas F, Enzinger C, Koini M. FMRI to probe sex-related differences in brain function with multitasking. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181554. [PMID: 28759619 PMCID: PMC5536366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although established as a general notion in society, there is no solid scientific foundation for the existence of sex-differences in multitasking. Reaction time and accuracy in dual task conditions have an inverse relationship relative to single task, independently from sex. While a more disseminated network, parallel to decreasing accuracy and reaction time has been demonstrated in dual task fMRI studies, little is known so far whether there exist respective sex-related differences in activation. Methods We subjected 20 women (mean age = 25.45; SD = 5.23) and 20 men (mean age = 27.55; SD = 4.00) to a combined verbal and spatial fMRI paradigm at 3.0T to assess sex-related skills, based on the assumption that generally women better perform in verbal tasks while men do better in spatial tasks. We also obtained behavioral tests for verbal and spatial intelligence, attention, executive functions, and working memory. Results No differences between women and men were observed in behavioral measures of dual-tasking or cognitive performance. Generally, brain activation increased with higher task load, mainly in the bilateral inferior and prefrontal gyri, the anterior cingulum, thalamus, putamen and occipital areas. Comparing sexes, women showed increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus in the verbal dual-task while men demonstrated increased activation in the precuneus and adjacent visual areas in the spatial task. Conclusion Against the background of equal cognitive and behavioral dual-task performance in both sexes, we provide first evidence for sex-related activation differences in functional networks for verbal and spatial dual-tasking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Tschernegg
- Institute of Psychology, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Graz, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christa Neuper
- Institute of Psychology, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Reinhold Schmidt
- Department of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Guilherme Wood
- Institute of Psychology, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute and Centre for Neurocognitive Research, Christian-Doppler-Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Franz Fazekas
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christian Enzinger
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Divisions of Neuroradiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Marisa Koini
- Department of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- * E-mail:
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50
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Colbert AM, Bo J. Evaluating relationships among clinical working memory assessment and inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors in a community sample of children. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2017; 66:34-43. [PMID: 28582687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined relationships between inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors and working memory (WM) functioning, and the utility of WM in categorical diagnosis of ADHD versus considering ADHD symptoms on a continuum. METHOD The study included 50 male children (6-12 years). Inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors were measured by the Conners-3P parent report, and WM was assessed by the WISC-IV WM subtests and Working Memory Index (WMI). RESULTS WISC-IV Arithmetic and Digit Span Backward were most consistently related to inattentive behaviors, and no WM measure was consistently related to ADHD hyperactive/impulsive behaviors. Arithmetic and Digit Span Backward also accounted for significant variance in inattentive behaviors and ADHD inattention symptoms, respectively. Neither the WMI nor the Arithmetic subtest correctly classified individuals diagnosed with ADHD. CONCLUSION Measurement of inattentive behaviors on a continuum best characterized relationships between symptoms of ADHD and WM functioning; WM functioning did not have utility in categorical understanding of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Colbert
- Department of Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 E 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
| | - Jin Bo
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, 341 MJ Science Building, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, United States
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