1
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Becker J, Viertler M, Korn CW, Blank H. The pupil dilation response as an indicator of visual cue uncertainty and auditory outcome surprise. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2686-2701. [PMID: 38469976 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
In everyday perception, we combine incoming sensory information with prior expectations. Expectations can be induced by cues that indicate the probability of following sensory events. The information provided by cues may differ and hence lead to different levels of uncertainty about which event will follow. In this experiment, we employed pupillometry to investigate whether the pupil dilation response to visual cues varies depending on the level of cue-associated uncertainty about a following auditory outcome. Also, we tested whether the pupil dilation response reflects the amount of surprise about the subsequently presented auditory stimulus. In each trial, participants were presented with a visual cue (face image) which was followed by an auditory outcome (spoken vowel). After the face cue, participants had to indicate by keypress which of three auditory vowels they expected to hear next. We manipulated the cue-associated uncertainty by varying the probabilistic cue-outcome contingencies: One face was most likely followed by one specific vowel (low cue uncertainty), another face was equally likely followed by either of two vowels (intermediate cue uncertainty) and the third face was followed by all three vowels (high cue uncertainty). Our results suggest that pupil dilation in response to task-relevant cues depends on the associated uncertainty, but only for large differences in the cue-associated uncertainty. Additionally, in response to the auditory outcomes, the pupil dilation scaled negatively with the cue-dependent probabilities, likely signalling the amount of surprise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janika Becker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marvin Viertler
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph W Korn
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Section Social Neuroscience, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Helen Blank
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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2
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Hu J, Vetter P. How the eyes respond to sounds. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1532:18-36. [PMID: 38152040 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Eye movements have been extensively studied with respect to visual stimulation. However, we live in a multisensory world, and how the eyes are driven by other senses has been explored much less. Here, we review the evidence on how audition can trigger and drive different eye responses and which cortical and subcortical neural correlates are involved. We provide an overview on how different types of sounds, from simple tones and noise bursts to spatially localized sounds and complex linguistic stimuli, influence saccades, microsaccades, smooth pursuit, pupil dilation, and eye blinks. The reviewed evidence reveals how the auditory system interacts with the oculomotor system, both behaviorally and neurally, and how this differs from visually driven eye responses. Some evidence points to multisensory interaction, and potential multisensory integration, but the underlying computational and neural mechanisms are still unclear. While there are marked differences in how the eyes respond to auditory compared to visual stimuli, many aspects of auditory-evoked eye responses remain underexplored, and we summarize the key open questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junchao Hu
- Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Petra Vetter
- Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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3
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Mihali A, Broeker M, Ragalmuto FDM, Horga G. Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7826. [PMID: 38030601 PMCID: PMC10687029 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42813-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introspective agents can recognize the extent to which their internal perceptual experiences deviate from the actual states of the external world. This ability, also known as insight, is critically required for reality testing and is impaired in psychosis, yet little is known about its cognitive underpinnings. We develop a Bayesian modeling framework and a psychophysics paradigm to quantitatively characterize this type of insight while people experience a motion after-effect illusion. People can incorporate knowledge about the illusion into their decisions when judging the actual direction of a motion stimulus, compensating for the illusion (and often overcompensating). Furthermore, confidence, reaction-time, and pupil-dilation data all show signatures consistent with inferential adjustments in the Bayesian insight model. Our results suggest that people can question the veracity of what they see by making insightful inferences that incorporate introspective knowledge about internal distortions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra Mihali
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Marianne Broeker
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University, Teachers College, New York, NY, USA
- University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford, UK
| | - Florian D M Ragalmuto
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
- Vrije Universiteit, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Science, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Berliner FortbildungsAkademie, Berlin, DE, Germany
| | - Guillermo Horga
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA.
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4
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Pike AC, Sharpley AL, Park RJ, Cowen PJ, Browning M, Pulcu E. Adaptive learning from outcome contingencies in eating-disorder risk groups. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:340. [PMID: 37925461 PMCID: PMC10625579 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02633-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Eating disorders are characterised by altered eating patterns alongside overvaluation of body weight or shape, and have relatively low rates of successful treatment and recovery. Notably, cognitive inflexibility has been implicated in both the development and maintenance of eating disorders, and understanding the reasons for this inflexibility might indicate avenues for treatment development. We therefore investigate one potential cause of this inflexibility: an inability to adjust learning when outcome contingencies change. We recruited (n = 82) three groups of participants: those who had recovered from anorexia nervosa (RA), those who had high levels of eating disorder symptoms but no formal diagnosis (EA), and control participants (HC). They performed a reinforcement learning task (alongside eye-tracking) in which the volatility of wins and losses was independently manipulated. We predicted that both the RA and EA groups would adjust their learning rates less than the control participants. Unexpectedly, the RA group showed elevated adjustment of learning rates for both win and loss outcomes compared to control participants. The RA group also showed increased pupil dilation to stable wins and reduced pupil dilation to stable losses. Their learning rate adjustment was associated with the difference between their pupil dilation to volatile vs. stable wins. In conclusion, we find evidence that learning rate adjustment is unexpectedly higher in those who have recovered from anorexia nervosa, indicating that the relationship between eating disorders and cognitive inflexibility may be complex. Given our findings, investigation of noradrenergic agents may be valuable in the field of eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Pike
- Department of Psychology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
- Anxiety Laboratory, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17-19 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
| | - Ann L Sharpley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Rebecca J Park
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip J Cowen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Erdem Pulcu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
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5
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Majcen Rosker Z, Mocnik G, Kristjansson E, Vodicar M, Rosker J. Pupillometric parameters of alertness during unpredictable but not predictable smooth pursuit neck torsion test are altered in patients with neck pain disorders: a cross-sectional study. Exp Brain Res 2023:10.1007/s00221-023-06648-z. [PMID: 37454001 PMCID: PMC10386920 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06648-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite commonly investigated predictable smooth-pursuit neck-torsion tasks (SPNT) in neck pain patients, unpredictable conditions have been seldom investigated but are indicative of preserved oculomotor functions during neck torsion. Although not previously studied, some speculations about compensatory cognitive mechanisms such as increased phasic alertness during unpredictable tasks were suggested. The aim of this study was to investigate eye movement accuracy and pupillometric responses during predictable and unpredictable SPNT test in neck pain patients and asymptomatic controls. Eye movements (gain and SPNT-difference) and pupillometry indicative of tonic (average and relative pupil diameter) and phasic (index of cognitive activity-ICA) alertness were measured in 28 idiopathic neck pain patients and 30 asymptomatic individuals using infrared video-oculography during predictable and unpredictable SPNT test. Gain in unpredictable SPNT test was lower as compared to predictable tasks and presented with similar levels in neutral and neck torsion positions, but not in the predictable SPNT test. ICA was lower during neutral position in all tasks in patients as compared to control group but increased during neck torsion positions in unpredictable tasks. Relative pupil diameters presented with no differences between the groups or neck positions, but the opposite was observed for average pupil diameter. Higher ICA indicates an increase in phasic alertness in neck pain patients despite no alterations in oculomotor control during SPNT test. This is the first study to indicate cognitive deficits in oculomotor task in neck pain patients. The latter could negatively affect other tasks where additional cognitive resources must be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grega Mocnik
- Laboratory for Digital Signal Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia
| | | | - Miha Vodicar
- Chair of Orthopaedics, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jernej Rosker
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, 6310, Izola, Slovenia
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6
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Pajkossy P, Gesztesi G, Racsmány M. How uncertain are you? Disentangling expected and unexpected uncertainty in pupil-linked brain arousal during reversal learning. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:578-599. [PMID: 36823250 PMCID: PMC10390386 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01072-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
During decision making, we are continuously faced with two sources of uncertainty regarding the links between stimuli, our actions, and outcomes. On the one hand, our expectations are often probabilistic, that is, stimuli or actions yield the expected outcome only with a certain probability (expected uncertainty). On the other hand, expectations might become invalid due to sudden, unexpected changes in the environment (unexpected uncertainty). Several lines of research show that pupil-linked brain arousal is a sensitive indirect measure of brain mechanisms underlying uncertainty computations. Thus, we investigated whether it is involved in disentangling these two forms of uncertainty. To this aim, we measured pupil size during a probabilistic reversal learning task. In this task, participants had to figure out which of two response options led to reward with higher probability, whereby sometimes the identity of the more advantageous response option was switched. Expected uncertainty was manipulated by varying the reward probability of the advantageous choice option, whereas the level of unexpected uncertainty was assessed by using a Bayesian computational model estimating change probability and resulting uncertainty. We found that both aspects of unexpected uncertainty influenced pupil responses, confirming that pupil-linked brain arousal is involved in model updating after unexpected changes in the environment. Furthermore, high level of expected uncertainty impeded the detection of sudden changes in the environment, both on physiological and behavioral level. These results emphasize the role of pupil-linked brain arousal and underlying neural structures in handling situations in which the previously established contingencies are no longer valid.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Pajkossy
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp 3, Budapest, 1111, Hungary.
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - G Gesztesi
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp 3, Budapest, 1111, Hungary
| | - M Racsmány
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Center for Cognitive Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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7
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Lempert KM, Carballeira C, Sehgal S, Kable JW. Pupillometric evidence for a temporal expectations-based account of persistence under temporal uncertainty. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023:10.3758/s13415-023-01100-9. [PMID: 37081224 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01100-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
People often quit waiting for delayed rewards when the exact timing of those rewards is uncertain. This behavior often has been attributed to self-control failure. Another possibility is that quitting is the result of a rational decision-making process in the face of uncertainty, based on the decision-maker's expectations about the possible arrival times of the awaited reward. There are forms of temporal expectations (e.g., heavy-tailed) under which the expected time remaining until a reward arrives actually increases as time elapses. In those cases, the rational strategy is to quit waiting when the expected reward is no longer worth the expected time remaining. To arbitrate between the "limited self-control" and "temporal expectations" accounts of persistence, we measured pupil diameter during a persistence task, as a physiological marker of surprise (phasic responses) and effort (pre-decision diameter). Phasic pupil responses were elevated in response to reward receipt. Critically, the extent to which pupils dilated following rewards depended on the delay: people showed larger pupillary surprise responses the more delayed the reward was. This result suggests that people expect the reward less the longer they wait for it-a form of temporal expectations under which limiting persistence is rational. Moreover, predecision pupil diameter before quit events was not associated with how long the participant had been waiting, but rather, depended on how atypical the quit decision was compared with the participant's usual behavior. These data provide physiological evidence for a temporal expectations account of persistence under temporal uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina M Lempert
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, 11530, USA
| | - Caroline Carballeira
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Sakshi Sehgal
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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8
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Brunyé TT, Drew T, Kerr KF, Shucard H, Powell K, Weaver DL, Elmore JG. Zoom behavior during visual search modulates pupil diameter and reflects adaptive control states. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282616. [PMID: 36893083 PMCID: PMC9997932 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282616] [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: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptive gain theory proposes that the dynamic shifts between exploration and exploitation control states are modulated by the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system and reflected in tonic and phasic pupil diameter. This study tested predictions of this theory in the context of a societally important visual search task: the review and interpretation of digital whole slide images of breast biopsies by physicians (pathologists). As these medical images are searched, pathologists encounter difficult visual features and intermittently zoom in to examine features of interest. We propose that tonic and phasic pupil diameter changes during image review may correspond to perceived difficulty and dynamic shifts between exploration and exploitation control states. To examine this possibility, we monitored visual search behavior and tonic and phasic pupil diameter while pathologists (N = 89) interpreted 14 digital images of breast biopsy tissue (1,246 total images reviewed). After viewing the images, pathologists provided a diagnosis and rated the level of difficulty of the image. Analyses of tonic pupil diameter examined whether pupil dilation was associated with pathologists' difficulty ratings, diagnostic accuracy, and experience level. To examine phasic pupil diameter, we parsed continuous visual search data into discrete zoom-in and zoom-out events, including shifts from low to high magnification (e.g., 1× to 10×) and the reverse. Analyses examined whether zoom-in and zoom-out events were associated with phasic pupil diameter change. Results demonstrated that tonic pupil diameter was associated with image difficulty ratings and zoom level, and phasic pupil diameter showed constriction upon zoom-in events, and dilation immediately preceding a zoom-out event. Results are interpreted in the context of adaptive gain theory, information gain theory, and the monitoring and assessment of physicians' diagnostic interpretive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tad T. Brunyé
- Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States of America
| | - Trafton Drew
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Kathleen F. Kerr
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Hannah Shucard
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Kate Powell
- Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States of America
| | - Donald L. Weaver
- Department of Pathology, University of Vermont and Vermont Cancer Center, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Joann G. Elmore
- David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
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9
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Rutar D, Colizoli O, Selen L, Spieß L, Kwisthout J, Hunnius S. Differentiating between Bayesian parameter learning and structure learning based on behavioural and pupil measures. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0270619. [PMID: 36795714 PMCID: PMC9934335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Within predictive processing two kinds of learning can be distinguished: parameter learning and structure learning. In Bayesian parameter learning, parameters under a specific generative model are continuously being updated in light of new evidence. However, this learning mechanism cannot explain how new parameters are added to a model. Structure learning, unlike parameter learning, makes structural changes to a generative model by altering its causal connections or adding or removing parameters. Whilst these two types of learning have recently been formally differentiated, they have not been empirically distinguished. The aim of this research was to empirically differentiate between parameter learning and structure learning on the basis of how they affect pupil dilation. Participants took part in a within-subject computer-based learning experiment with two phases. In the first phase, participants had to learn the relationship between cues and target stimuli. In the second phase, they had to learn a conditional change in this relationship. Our results show that the learning dynamics were indeed qualitatively different between the two experimental phases, but in the opposite direction as we originally expected. Participants were learning more gradually in the second phase compared to the first phase. This might imply that participants built multiple models from scratch in the first phase (structure learning) before settling on one of these models. In the second phase, participants possibly just needed to update the probability distribution over the model parameters (parameter learning).
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Affiliation(s)
- Danaja Rutar
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Olympia Colizoli
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Selen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Johan Kwisthout
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sabine Hunnius
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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10
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Arévalo-López C, Gleitze S, Madariaga S, Plaza-Rosales I. Pupillary response to chromatic light stimuli as a possible biomarker at the early stage of glaucoma: a review. Int Ophthalmol 2023; 43:343-356. [PMID: 35781599 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-022-02381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease of the optic nerve currently considered a severe health problem because of its high prevalence, being the primary cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The most common type corresponds to Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma. Glaucoma produces, among other alterations, a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and its axons which are the key contributors to generate action potentials that reach the visual cortex to create the visual image. Glaucoma is characterized by Visual Field loss whose main feature is to be painless and therefore makes early detection difficult, causing a late diagnosis and a delayed treatment indication that slows down its progression. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which represent a subgroup of RGCs are characterized by their response to short-wave light stimulation close to 480 nm, their non-visual function, and their role in the generation of the pupillary reflex. Currently, the sensitivity of clinical examinations correlates to RGC damage; however, the need for an early damage biomarker is still relevant. It is an urgent task to create new diagnostic approaches to detect an early stage of glaucoma in a prompt, quick, and economical manner. We summarize the pathology of glaucoma and its current clinical detection methods, and we suggest evaluating the pupillary response to chromatic light as a potential biomarker of disease, due to its diagnostic benefit and its cost-effectiveness in clinical practice in order to reduce irreversible damage caused by glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Arévalo-López
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Silvia Gleitze
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Samuel Madariaga
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Laboratorio de Neurosistemas, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Ecological Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Santiago, Chile
| | - Iván Plaza-Rosales
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. .,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. .,Laboratorio de Neurosistemas, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. .,Ecological Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Santiago, Chile.
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11
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Hashemi A, Leonovych O, Jiménez EC, Sierra-Marcos A, Romeo A, Valenzuala PB, Puig MS, Moliner JL, Tubau E, Supèr H. Classification of MCI patients using vergence eye movements and pupil responses obtained during a visual oddball test. AGING AND HEALTH RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ahr.2023.100121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
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12
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Yamada K, Toda K. Pupillary dynamics of mice performing a Pavlovian delay conditioning task reflect reward-predictive signals. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1045764. [PMID: 36567756 PMCID: PMC9772849 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1045764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupils can signify various internal processes and states, such as attention, arousal, and working memory. Changes in pupil size have been associated with learning speed, prediction of future events, and deviations from the prediction in human studies. However, the detailed relationships between pupil size changes and prediction are unclear. We explored pupil size dynamics in mice performing a Pavlovian delay conditioning task. A head-fixed experimental setup combined with deep-learning-based image analysis enabled us to reduce spontaneous locomotor activity and to track the precise dynamics of pupil size of behaving mice. By setting up two experimental groups, one for which mice were able to predict reward in the Pavlovian delay conditioning task and the other for which mice were not, we demonstrated that the pupil size of mice is modulated by reward prediction and consumption, as well as body movements, but not by unpredicted reward delivery. Furthermore, we clarified that pupil size is still modulated by reward prediction even after the disruption of body movements by intraperitoneal injection of haloperidol, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist. These results suggest that changes in pupil size reflect reward prediction signals. Thus, we provide important evidence to reconsider the neuronal circuit involved in computing reward prediction error. This integrative approach of behavioral analysis, image analysis, pupillometry, and pharmacological manipulation will pave the way for understanding the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of reward prediction and the prediction errors essential to learning and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Yamada
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan,*Correspondence: Kota Yamada
| | - Koji Toda
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan,Koji Toda
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13
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Subramaniam A, Liu S, Lochhead L, Appelbaum LG. A systematic review of transcranial direct current stimulation on eye movements and associated psychological function. Rev Neurosci 2022; 34:349-364. [PMID: 36310385 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The last decades have seen a rise in the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) approaches to modulate brain activity and associated behavior. Concurrently, eye tracking (ET) technology has improved to allow more precise quantitative measurement of gaze behavior, offering a window into the mechanisms of vision and cognition. When combined, tDCS and ET provide a powerful system to probe brain function and measure the impact on visual function, leading to an increasing number of studies that utilize these techniques together. The current pre-registered, systematic review seeks to describe the literature that integrates these approaches with the goal of changing brain activity with tDCS and measuring associated changes in eye movements with ET. The literature search identified 26 articles that combined ET and tDCS in a probe-and-measure model and are systematically reviewed here. All studies implemented controlled interventional designs to address topics related to oculomotor control, cognitive processing, emotion regulation, or cravings in healthy volunteers and patient populations. Across these studies, active stimulation typically led to changes in the number, duration, and timing of fixations compared to control stimulation. Notably, half the studies addressed emotion regulation, each showing hypothesized effects of tDCS on ET metrics, while tDCS targeting the frontal cortex was widely used and also generally produced expected modulation of ET. This review reveals promising evidence of the impact of tDCS on eye movements and associated psychological function, offering a framework for effective designs with recommendations for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwin Subramaniam
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sicong Liu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Liam Lochhead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lawrence Gregory Appelbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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14
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Pupil dilation and response slowing distinguish deliberate explorative choices in the probabilistic learning task. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:1108-1129. [PMID: 35359274 PMCID: PMC9458574 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00996-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This study examined whether pupil size and response time would distinguish directed exploration from random exploration and exploitation. Eighty-nine participants performed the two-choice probabilistic learning task while their pupil size and response time were continuously recorded. Using LMM analysis, we estimated differences in the pupil size and response time between the advantageous and disadvantageous choices as a function of learning success, i.e., whether or not a participant has learned the probabilistic contingency between choices and their outcomes. We proposed that before a true value of each choice became known to a decision-maker, both advantageous and disadvantageous choices represented a random exploration of the two options with an equally uncertain outcome, whereas the same choices after learning manifested exploitation and direct exploration strategies, respectively. We found that disadvantageous choices were associated with increases both in response time and pupil size, but only after the participants had learned the choice-reward contingencies. For the pupil size, this effect was strongly amplified for those disadvantageous choices that immediately followed gains as compared to losses in the preceding choice. Pupil size modulations were evident during the behavioral choice rather than during the pretrial baseline. These findings suggest that occasional disadvantageous choices, which violate the acquired internal utility model, represent directed exploration. This exploratory strategy shifts choice priorities in favor of information seeking and its autonomic and behavioral concomitants are mainly driven by the conflict between the behavioral plan of the intended exploratory choice and its strong alternative, which has already proven to be more rewarding.
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15
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Zingale E, Romeo A, Rizzo S, Cimino C, Bonaccorso A, Carbone C, Musumeci T, Pignatello R. Fluorescent Nanosystems for Drug Tracking and Theranostics: Recent Applications in the Ocular Field. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050955. [PMID: 35631540 PMCID: PMC9147643 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The greatest challenge associated with topical drug delivery for the treatment of diseases affecting the posterior segment of the eye is to overcome the poor bioavailability of the carried molecules. Nanomedicine offers the possibility to overcome obstacles related to physiological mechanisms and ocular barriers by exploiting different ocular routes. Functionalization of nanosystems by fluorescent probes could be a useful strategy to understand the pathway taken by nanocarriers into the ocular globe and to improve the desired targeting accuracy. The application of fluorescence to decorate nanocarrier surfaces or the encapsulation of fluorophore molecules makes the nanosystems a light probe useful in the landscape of diagnostics and theranostics. In this review, a state of the art on ocular routes of administration is reported, with a focus on pathways undertaken after topical application. Numerous studies are reported in the first section, confirming that the use of fluorescent within nanoparticles is already spread for tracking and biodistribution studies. The first section presents fluorescent molecules used for tracking nanosystems’ cellular internalization and permeation of ocular tissues; discussions on the classification of nanosystems according to their nature (lipid-based, polymer-based, metallic-based and protein-based) follows. The following sections are dedicated to diagnostic and theranostic uses, respectively, which represent an innovation in the ocular field obtained by combining dual goals in a single administration system. For its great potential, this application of fluorescent nanoparticles would experience a great development in the near future. Finally, a brief overview is dedicated to the use of fluorescent markers in clinical trials and the market in the ocular field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elide Zingale
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
| | - Alessia Romeo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
| | - Salvatore Rizzo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
| | - Cinzia Cimino
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
| | - Angela Bonaccorso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
- NANO-i—Research Center for Ocular Nanotechnology, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Claudia Carbone
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
- NANO-i—Research Center for Ocular Nanotechnology, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Teresa Musumeci
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
- NANO-i—Research Center for Ocular Nanotechnology, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosario Pignatello
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (E.Z.); (A.R.); (S.R.); (C.C.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (T.M.)
- NANO-i—Research Center for Ocular Nanotechnology, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
- Correspondence:
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16
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The oculomotor signature of expected surprise. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2543. [PMID: 35169177 PMCID: PMC8847614 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06403-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Expected surprise, defined as the anticipation of uncertainty associated with the occurrence of a future event, plays a major role in gaze shifting and spatial attention. In the present study, we analyzed its impact on oculomotor behavior. We hypothesized that the occurrence of anticipatory saccades could decrease with increasing expected surprise and that its influence on visually-guided responses could be different given the presence of sensory information and perhaps competitive attentional effects. This hypothesis was tested in humans using a saccadic reaction time task in which a cue indicated the future stimulus position. In the ‘no expected surprise’ condition, the visual target could appear only at one previously cued location. In other conditions, more likely future positions were cued with increasing expected surprise. Anticipation was more frequent and pupil size was larger in the ‘no expected surprise’ condition compared with all other conditions, probably due to increased arousal. The latency of visually-guided saccades increased linearly with the logarithm of surprise (following Hick’s law) but their maximum velocity repeated the arousal-related pattern. Therefore, expected surprise affects anticipatory and visually-guided responses differently. Moreover, these observations suggest a causal chain linking surprise, attention and saccades that could be disrupted in attentional or impulse control disorders.
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17
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Nilsson EJ, Bärgman J, Ljung Aust M, Matthews G, Svanberg B. Let Complexity Bring Clarity: A Multidimensional Assessment of Cognitive Load Using Physiological Measures. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2022; 3:787295. [PMID: 38235474 PMCID: PMC10790847 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2022.787295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The effects of cognitive load on driver behavior and traffic safety are unclear and in need of further investigation. Reliable measures of cognitive load for use in research and, subsequently, in the development and implementation of driver monitoring systems are therefore sought. Physiological measures are of interest since they can provide continuous recordings of driver state. Currently, however, a few issues related to their use in this context are not usually taken into consideration, despite being well-known. First, cognitive load is a multidimensional construct consisting of many mental responses (cognitive load components) to added task demand. Yet, researchers treat it as unidimensional. Second, cognitive load does not occur in isolation; rather, it is part of a complex response to task demands in a specific operational setting. Third, physiological measures typically correlate with more than one mental state, limiting the inferences that can be made from them individually. We suggest that acknowledging these issues and studying multiple mental responses using multiple physiological measures and independent variables will lead to greatly improved measurability of cognitive load. To demonstrate the potential of this approach, we used data from a driving simulator study in which a number of physiological measures (heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, skin conductance, pupil diameter, eye blink rate, eye blink duration, EEG alpha power, and EEG theta power) were analyzed. Participants performed a cognitively loading n-back task at two levels of difficulty while driving through three different traffic scenarios, each repeated four times. Cognitive load components and other coinciding mental responses were assessed by considering response patterns of multiple physiological measures in relation to multiple independent variables. With this approach, the construct validity of cognitive load is improved, which is important for interpreting results accurately. Also, the use of multiple measures and independent variables makes the measurements (when analyzed jointly) more diagnostic-that is, better able to distinguish between different cognitive load components. This in turn improves the overall external validity. With more detailed, diagnostic, and valid measures of cognitive load, the effects of cognitive load on traffic safety can be better understood, and hence possibly mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J. Nilsson
- Volvo Cars Safety Centre, Volvo Car Corporation, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jonas Bärgman
- Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Gerald Matthews
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Bo Svanberg
- Volvo Cars Safety Centre, Volvo Car Corporation, Gothenburg, Sweden
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18
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Ioannucci S, Boutin A, Michelet T, Zenon A, Badets A. Conscious awareness of motor fluidity improves performance and decreases cognitive effort in sequence learning. Conscious Cogn 2021; 95:103220. [PMID: 34655968 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103220] [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: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Motor skill learning is improved when participants are instructed to judge after each trial whether their performed movements have reached maximal fluidity. Consequently, the conscious awareness of this maximal fluidity can be classified as a genuine learning factor for motor sequences. However, it is unknown whether this effect of conscious awareness on motor learning could be mediated by the increased cognitive effort that may accompany such judgment making. The main aim of this study was to test this hypothesis in comparing two groups with, and without, the conscious awareness of the maximal fluidity. To assess the possible involvement of cognitive effort, we have recorded the pupillary dilation to the task, which is well-known to increase in proportion to cognitive effort. Results confirmed that conscious awareness indeed improved motor sequence learning of the trained sequence specifically. Pupil dilation was smaller during trained than during novel sequence performance, indicating that sequence learning decreased the cognitive cost of sequence execution. However, we found that in the group that had to judge on their maximal fluidity, pupil dilation during sequence production was smaller than in the control group, indicating that the motor improvement induced by the fluidity judgment does not involve additional cognitive effort. We discuss these results in the context of motor learning and cognitive effort theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Ioannucci
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine (UMR 5287), Université de Bordeaux, France
| | - Arnaud Boutin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405, Orsay, France; Université d'Orléans, CIAMS, 45067, Orléans, France
| | - Thomas Michelet
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine (UMR 5287), Université de Bordeaux, France
| | - Alexandre Zenon
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine (UMR 5287), Université de Bordeaux, France
| | - Arnaud Badets
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine (UMR 5287), Université de Bordeaux, France.
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19
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Kanovský M, Halamová J, Strnádelová B, Moro R, Bielikova M. Pupil size variation in primary facial expressions–testing potential biomarker of self-criticism. Artif Intell Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10462-021-10057-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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20
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Benhamou E, Zhao S, Sivasathiaseelan H, Johnson JCS, Requena-Komuro MC, Bond RL, van Leeuwen JEP, Russell LL, Greaves CV, Nelson A, Nicholas JM, Hardy CJD, Rohrer JD, Warren JD. Decoding expectation and surprise in dementia: the paradigm of music. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab173. [PMID: 34423301 PMCID: PMC8376684 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Making predictions about the world and responding appropriately to unexpected events are essential functions of the healthy brain. In neurodegenerative disorders, such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease, impaired processing of 'surprise' may underpin a diverse array of symptoms, particularly abnormalities of social and emotional behaviour, but is challenging to characterize. Here, we addressed this issue using a novel paradigm: music. We studied 62 patients (24 female; aged 53-88) representing major syndromes of frontotemporal dementia (behavioural variant, semantic variant primary progressive aphasia, non-fluent-agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia) and typical amnestic Alzheimer's disease, in relation to 33 healthy controls (18 female; aged 54-78). Participants heard famous melodies containing no deviants or one of three types of deviant note-acoustic (white-noise burst), syntactic (key-violating pitch change) or semantic (key-preserving pitch change). Using a regression model that took elementary perceptual, executive and musical competence into account, we assessed accuracy detecting melodic deviants and simultaneously recorded pupillary responses and related these to deviant surprise value (information-content) and carrier melody predictability (entropy), calculated using an unsupervised machine learning model of music. Neuroanatomical associations of deviant detection accuracy and coupling of detection to deviant surprise value were assessed using voxel-based morphometry of patients' brain MRI. Whereas Alzheimer's disease was associated with normal deviant detection accuracy, behavioural and semantic variant frontotemporal dementia syndromes were associated with strikingly similar profiles of impaired syntactic and semantic deviant detection accuracy and impaired behavioural and autonomic sensitivity to deviant information-content (all P < 0.05). On the other hand, non-fluent-agrammatic primary progressive aphasia was associated with generalized impairment of deviant discriminability (P < 0.05) due to excessive false-alarms, despite retained behavioural and autonomic sensitivity to deviant information-content and melody predictability. Across the patient cohort, grey matter correlates of acoustic deviant detection accuracy were identified in precuneus, mid and mesial temporal regions; correlates of syntactic deviant detection accuracy and information-content processing, in inferior frontal and anterior temporal cortices, putamen and nucleus accumbens; and a common correlate of musical salience coding in supplementary motor area (all P < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons in pre-specified regions of interest). Our findings suggest that major dementias have distinct profiles of sensory 'surprise' processing, as instantiated in music. Music may be a useful and informative paradigm for probing the predictive decoding of complex sensory environments in neurodegenerative proteinopathies, with implications for understanding and measuring the core pathophysiology of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Benhamou
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Sijia Zhao
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Harri Sivasathiaseelan
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jeremy C S Johnson
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Maï-Carmen Requena-Komuro
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Rebecca L Bond
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Janneke E P van Leeuwen
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Lucy L Russell
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Caroline V Greaves
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Annabel Nelson
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jennifer M Nicholas
- Department of Medical Statistics, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Chris J D Hardy
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jason D Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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21
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Mäki-Marttunen V. Pupil-based States of Brain Integration across Cognitive States. Neuroscience 2021; 471:61-71. [PMID: 34303781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Arousal is a potent mechanism that provides the brain with functional flexibility and adaptability to external conditions. Within the wake state, arousal levels driven by activity in the neuromodulatory systems are related to specific signatures of neural activation and brain synchrony. However, direct evidence is still lacking on the varying effects of arousal on macroscopic brain characteristics and across a variety of cognitive states in humans. Using a concurrent fMRI-pupillometry approach, we used pupil size as a proxy for arousal and obtained patterns of brain integration associated with increasing arousal levels. We carried out this analysis on resting-state data and data from two attentional tasks implicating different cognitive processes. We found that an increasing level of arousal was related to a state of increased brain integration. This effect was prominent in the salience, visual and default-mode networks in all conditions, while other regions showed task-specificity. Increased integration in the salience network was also related to faster pupil dilation in the two attentional tasks. Furthermore, task performance was related to arousal level, with lower accuracy at higher level of arousal. Taken together, our study provides evidence in humans for pupil size as an index of brain network state, and supports the role of arousal as a switch that drives brain coordination in specific brain regions according to the cognitive state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Mäki-Marttunen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Postboks 1094, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway; Cognitive Psychology Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, Netherlands.
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22
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Tardiff N, Medaglia JD, Bassett DS, Thompson-Schill SL. The modulation of brain network integration and arousal during exploration. Neuroimage 2021; 240:118369. [PMID: 34242784 PMCID: PMC8507424 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118369] [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: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in how neuromodulators shape brain networks. Recent neuroimaging studies provide evidence that brainstem arousal systems, such as the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system (LC-NE), influence functional connectivity and brain network topology, suggesting they have a role in flexibly reconfiguring brain networks in order to adapt behavior and cognition to environmental demands. To date, however, the relationship between brainstem arousal systems and functional connectivity has not been assessed within the context of a task with an established relationship between arousal and behavior, with most prior studies relying on incidental variations in arousal or pharmacological manipulation and static brain networks constructed over long periods of time. These factors have likely contributed to a heterogeneity of effects across studies. To address these issues, we took advantage of the association between LC-NE-linked arousal and exploration to probe the relationships between exploratory choice, arousal—as measured indirectly via pupil diameter—and brain network dynamics. Exploration in a bandit task was associated with a shift toward fewer, more weakly connected modules that were more segregated in terms of connectivity and topology but more integrated with respect to the diversity of cognitive systems represented in each module. Functional connectivity strength decreased, and changes in connectivity were correlated with changes in pupil diameter, in line with the hypothesis that brainstem arousal systems influence the dynamic reorganization of brain networks. More broadly, we argue that carefully aligning dynamic network analyses with task designs can increase the temporal resolution at which behaviorally- and cognitively-relevant modulations can be identified, and offer these results as a proof of concept of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Tardiff
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| | - John D Medaglia
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Neurology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, United States
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23
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Lanatà A, Greco A, Ciardelli M, Uvelli A, Fratini E, Manzoni D, Scilingo EP, Santarcangelo EL, Sebastiani L. Linear and non linear measures of pupil size as a function of hypnotizability. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5196. [PMID: 33664358 PMCID: PMC7970859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84756-y] [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: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher arousal and cortical excitability have been observed in high hypnotizable individuals (highs) with respect to low hypnotizables (lows), which may be due to differences in the activation of ascending activating systems. The present study investigated the possible hypnotizability-related difference in the cortical noradrenergic tone sustained by the activity of the Locus Coeruleus which is strongly related to pupil size. This was measured during relaxation in three groups of participants—highs (N = 15), lows (N = 15) and medium hypnotizable individuals (mediums, N = 11)—in the time and frequency domains and through the Recurrence Quantification Analysis. ECG and Skin Conductace (SC) were monitored to extract autonomic indices of relaxation (heart interbeats intervals, parasympathetic component of heart rate variability (RMSSD) and tonic SC (MeanTonicSC). Most variables indicated that participants relaxed throughout the session. Pupil features did not show significant differences between highs, mediums and lows, except for the spectral Band Median Frequency which was higher in mediums than in lows and highs at the beginning, but not at the end of the session.Thus, the present findings of pupil size cannot account for the differences in arousal and motor cortex excitability observed between highs and lows in resting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Lanatà
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Greco
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mirco Ciardelli
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Allison Uvelli
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Diego Manzoni
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enzo P Scilingo
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrica L Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Laura Sebastiani
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
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24
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Poli F, Serino G, Mars RB, Hunnius S. Infants tailor their attention to maximize learning. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/39/eabb5053. [PMID: 32967830 PMCID: PMC7531891 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb5053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Infants' remarkable learning abilities allow them to rapidly acquire many complex skills. It has been suggested that infants achieve this learning by optimally allocating their attention to relevant stimuli in the environment, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we modeled infants' looking behavior during a learning task through an ideal learner that quantified the informational structure of environmental stimuli. We show that saccadic latencies, looking time, and time spent engaged with a stimulus sequence are explained by the properties of the learning environments, including the level of surprise of the stimulus, overall predictability of the environment, and progress in learning the environmental structure. These findings reveal the factors that shape infants' advanced learning, emphasizing their predisposition to seek out stimuli that maximize learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Poli
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
| | - G Serino
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - R B Mars
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - S Hunnius
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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25
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Filipowicz ALS, Glaze CM, Kable JW, Gold JI. Pupil diameter encodes the idiosyncratic, cognitive complexity of belief updating. eLife 2020; 9:e57872. [PMID: 32420866 PMCID: PMC7289603 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pupils tend to dilate in response to surprising events, but it is not known whether these responses are primarily stimulus driven or instead reflect a more nuanced relationship between pupil-linked arousal systems and cognitive expectations. Using an auditory adaptive decision-making task, we show that evoked pupil diameter is more parsimoniously described as signaling violations of learned, top-down expectations than changes in low-level stimulus properties. We further show that both baseline and evoked pupil diameter is modulated by the degree to which individual subjects use these violations to update their subsequent expectations, as reflected in the complexity of their updating strategy. Together these results demonstrate a central role for idiosyncratic cognitive processing in how arousal systems respond to new inputs and, via our complexity-based analyses, offer a potential framework for understanding these effects in terms of both inference processes aimed to reduce belief uncertainty and more traditional notions of mental effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre LS Filipowicz
- Departments of Neursocience, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Departments of Psychology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Departments of Computational Neuroscience Initiative, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Christopher M Glaze
- Departments of Neursocience, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Departments of Psychology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Departments of Computational Neuroscience Initiative, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Departments of Psychology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Departments of Computational Neuroscience Initiative, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Joshua I Gold
- Departments of Neursocience, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Departments of Computational Neuroscience Initiative, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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