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Patel RR, Gandhi P, Spencer K, Salem NA, Erikson CM, Borgonetti V, Vlkolinsky R, Rodriguez L, Nadav T, Bajo M, Roberts AJ, Dayne Mayfield R, Roberto M. Functional and morphological adaptation of medial prefrontal corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1-expressing neurons in male mice following chronic ethanol exposure. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100657. [PMID: 38983690 PMCID: PMC11231756 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic ethanol dependence and withdrawal activate corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-containing GABAergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which tightly regulate glutamatergic pyramidal neurons. Using male CRF1:GFP reporter mice, we recently reported that CRF1-expressing (mPFCCRF1+) neurons predominantly comprise mPFC prelimbic layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, undergo profound adaptations following chronic ethanol exposure, and regulate anxiety and conditioned rewarding effects of ethanol. To explore the effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure on glutamate transmission, the impact of chronic alcohol on spine density and morphology, as well as persistent changes in dendritic-related gene expression, we employed whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, diOlistic labeling for dendritic spine analysis, and dendritic gene expression analysis to further characterize mPFCCRF1+ and mPFCCRF1- prelimbic layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. We found increased glutamate release in mPFCCRF1+ neurons with ethanol dependence, which recovered following withdrawal. In contrast, we did not observe significant changes in glutamate transmission in neighboring mPFCCRF1- neurons. Acute application of 44 mM ethanol significantly reduced glutamate release onto mPFCCRF1+ neurons, which was observed across all treatment groups. However, this sensitivity to acute ethanol was only evident in mPFCCRF1- neurons during withdrawal. In line with alterations in glutamate transmission, we observed a decrease in total spine density in mPFCCRF1+ neurons during dependence, which recovered following withdrawal, while again no changes were observed in mPFCCRF- neurons. Given the observed decreases in mPFCCRF1+ stubby spines during withdrawal, we then identified persistent changes at the dendritic gene expression level in mPFCCRF1+ neurons following withdrawal that may underlie these structural adaptations. Together, these findings highlight the varying responses of mPFCCRF1+ and mPFCCRF1- cell-types to acute and chronic ethanol exposure, as well as withdrawal, revealing specific functional, morphological, and molecular adaptations that may underlie vulnerability to ethanol and the lasting effects of ethanol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reesha R Patel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Pauravi Gandhi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathryn Spencer
- Core Microscopy Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nihal A Salem
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Chloe M Erikson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Vittoria Borgonetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Roman Vlkolinsky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Larry Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Tali Nadav
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michal Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Amanda J Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - R Dayne Mayfield
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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Wüllhorst R, Wüllhorst V, Endrass T. Risk-Taking Is Associated with Decreased Subjective Value Signals and Increased Prediction Error Signals in the Hot Columbia Card Task. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1337232024. [PMID: 38561225 PMCID: PMC11112641 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1337-23.2024] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
It remains a pressing concern to understand how neural computations relate to risky decisions. However, most observations of brain-behavior relationships in the risk-taking domain lack a rigorous computational basis or fail to emulate of the dynamic, sequential nature of real-life risky decision-making. Recent advances emphasize the role of neural prediction error (PE) signals. We modeled, according to prospect theory, the choices of n = 43 human participants (33 females, 10 males) performing an EEG version of the hot Columbia Card Task, featuring rounds of sequential decisions between stopping (safe option) and continuing with increasing odds of a high loss (risky option). Single-trial regression EEG analyses yielded a subjective value signal at centroparietal (300-700 ms) and frontocentral (>800 ms) electrodes and in the delta band, as well as PE signals tied to the feedback-related negativity, P3a, and P3b, and in the theta band. Higher risk preference (total number of risky choices) was linked to attenuated subjective value signals but increased PE signals. Higher P3-like activity associated with the most positive PE in each round predicted stopping in the present round but not risk-taking in the subsequent round. Our findings indicate that decreased representation of decision values and increased sensitivity to winning despite low odds (positive PE) facilitate risky choices at the subject level. Strong neural responses when gains are least expected (the most positive PE on each round) adaptively contribute to safer choices at the trial-by-trial level but do not affect risky choice at the round-by-round level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Wüllhorst
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01187, Germany
| | - Verena Wüllhorst
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01187, Germany
| | - Tanja Endrass
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01187, Germany
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Stock AK, Werner A, Kuntke P, Petasch MS, Bensmann W, Zink N, Koyun AH, Quednow BB, Beste C. Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid and Glutamate Concentrations in the Striatum and Anterior Cingulate Cortex Not Found to Be Associated with Cognitive Flexibility. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1192. [PMID: 37626548 PMCID: PMC10452168 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081192] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility and goal-directed behavior heavily depend on fronto-striatal networks. Within these circuits, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate play an important role in (motor) response inhibition, but it has remained largely unclear whether they are also relevant for cognitive inhibition. We hence investigated the functional role of these transmitters for cognitive inhibition during cognitive flexibility. Healthy young adults performed two paradigms assessing different aspects of cognitive flexibility. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to quantify GABA+ and total glutamate/glutamine (Glx) levels in the striatum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) referenced to N-acetylaspartate (NAA). We observed typical task switching and backward inhibition effects, but striatal and ACC concentrations of GABA+/NAA and Glx/NAA were not associated with cognitive flexibility in a functionally relevant manner. The assumption of null effects was underpinned by Bayesian testing. These findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive inhibition are functionally distinct faculties, that depend on (at least partly) different brain structures and neurotransmitter systems. While previous studies consistently demonstrated that motor response inhibition is modulated by ACC and striatal GABA levels, our results suggest that the functionally distinct cognitive inhibition required for successful switching is not, or at least to a much lesser degree, modulated by these factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (M.-S.P.); (W.B.); (N.Z.); (A.H.K.); (C.B.)
- Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, School of Science, TU Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Annett Werner
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (A.W.); (P.K.)
| | - Paul Kuntke
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (A.W.); (P.K.)
| | - Miriam-Sophie Petasch
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (M.-S.P.); (W.B.); (N.Z.); (A.H.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Wiebke Bensmann
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (M.-S.P.); (W.B.); (N.Z.); (A.H.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Nicolas Zink
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (M.-S.P.); (W.B.); (N.Z.); (A.H.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Anna Helin Koyun
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (M.-S.P.); (W.B.); (N.Z.); (A.H.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Boris B. Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland;
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, University of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, D-01309 Dresden, Germany; (M.-S.P.); (W.B.); (N.Z.); (A.H.K.); (C.B.)
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Konjusha A, Colzato L, Ghin F, Stock A, Beste C. Auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for alcohol use disorder: A chance to improve treatment? Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13202. [DOI: 10.1111/adb.13202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anyla Konjusha
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
- University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Lorenza Colzato
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
- University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Filippo Ghin
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
- University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Ann‐Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
- University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
- Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology TU Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
- University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Dresden Germany
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Petruo V, Takacs A, Mückschel M, Hommel B, Beste C. Multi-level decoding of task sets in neurophysiological data during cognitive flexibility. iScience 2021; 24:103502. [PMID: 34934921 PMCID: PMC8654636 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is essential to achieve higher level goals. Cognitive theories assume that the activation/deactivation of goals and task rules is central to understand cognitive flexibility. However, how this activation/deactivation dynamic is implemented on a neurophysiological level is unclear. Using EEG-based multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) methods, we show that activation of relevant information occurs parallel in time at multiple levels in the neurophysiological signal containing aspects of stimulus-related processing, response selection, and motor response execution, and relates to different brain regions. The intensity with which task sets are activated and processed dynamically decreases and increases. The temporal stability of these activations could, however, hardly explain behavioral performance. Instead, task set deactivation processes associated with left orbitofrontal regions and inferior parietal regions selectively acting on motor response task sets are relevant. The study shows how propositions from cognitive theories stressing the importance task set activation/deactivation during cognitive flexibility are implemented on a neurophysiological level. Stimulus-related, motor, and response selection aspects of task set were decoded Activation of task rule information occurs at multiple neurophysiological levels Activation and deactivation of rule sets contributes to cognitive flexibility
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Petruo
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam Takacs
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany.,Cognitive Psychology Unit & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, C-2-S LIBC P.O. Box 9600, Leiden, Netherlands.,Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Qianfoshan Campus, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Lixia District, Ji'nan 250014, China
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany.,Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Qianfoshan Campus, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Lixia District, Ji'nan 250014, China
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6
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Li G, Chen Y, Tang X, Li CSR. Alcohol use severity and the neural correlates of the effects of sleep disturbance on sustained visual attention. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 142:302-311. [PMID: 34416549 PMCID: PMC8429210 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol misuse is associated with sleep disturbance and cognitive dysfunction. However, the neural processes inter-relating the severity of alcohol use, sleep disturbance and cognitive performance remain under-investigated. We addressed this issue with a dataset of 964 subjects (504 women) curated from the Human Connectome Project. Participants were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and fMRI while identifying relational dimension pictures and matching dimension pictures (as a control) in alternating blocks. Imaging data were analyzed with published routines and the results were evaluated at a corrected threshold. Subjects showed lower accuracy rate and longer reaction time (RT) in relational than control blocks. The difference in RT between the two blocks (RTRel-Con) was driven primarily by the RT and correlated positively with performance accuracy of relational trials, suggesting that a more cautious response (i.e., longer RTRel-Con) improved accuracy. The severity of alcohol use, identified from principal component analysis of drinking metrics, was positively correlated with sleep disturbance. Further, whole-brain regression identified activity of the superior colliculus (SC) during relational vs. control blocks in positive and negative correlation with RTRel-Con and PSQI score, respectively. Mediation and path analyses demonstrated a significant model: more severe alcohol use → greater sleep disturbance → diminished SC activity → impaired performance. These findings support the influences of alcohol misuse on sleep and suggest neural correlates that mediate the relationship between sleep disturbance and altered sustained attention in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Li
- Department of Biomedical engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Address correspondence to: C.-S. Ray Li, Connecticut Mental Health Center S112, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519-1109, U.S.A. Phone: +1 203-974-7354, or Xiaoying Tang, 815-2 Teaching Building No.5, Beijing Institute of technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China Phone: +86 010-68915998,
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De Falco E, White SM, Morningstar MD, Ma B, Nkurunziza LT, Ahmed‐Dilibe A, Wellman CL, Lapish CC. Impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency are associated with increased alcohol consumption in rodent models of excessive drinking. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13004. [PMID: 33508872 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by impairments in decision-making that can exist as stable traits or transient states. Cognitive inflexibility reflects an inability to update information that guides decision-making and is thought to contribute to the inability to abstain from drinking. While several studies have reported evidence of impaired cognitive flexibility following chronic alcohol exposure, evidence that a pre-existing impairment in cognitive flexibility is a heritable risk factor for AUD is scarce. Here, we found that cognitive flexibility was impaired in rodents selectively bred for excessive alcohol consumption (alcohol preferring (P) rats), on the attentional set-shifting task (ASST). Further, the degree of impairment is predictive of future ethanol consumption, thus suggesting that cognitive inflexibility is a stable trait capable of predisposing one for drinking. In a second set of experiments, we observed an impairment in the ability of P rats to use a previously learned rule to guide foraging in a simple discrimination task. Convergence across several behavioral measures suggested that this impairment reflected a state of heightened urgency that interfered with decision-making. A similar impairment on a simple discrimination task was observed in Wistar rats with a history of alcohol consumption. These findings indicate how trait and state variables-in this case, impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency, respectively-may influence the risk for excessive drinking. Furthermore, our results suggest that cognitive inflexibility and urgency can exist as both risk factors for and the result of alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela De Falco
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Shelby M. White
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Mitchell D. Morningstar
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Baofeng Ma
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Lionnel T. Nkurunziza
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Anisah Ahmed‐Dilibe
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Cara L. Wellman
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences Indiana University, Bloomington IN USA
| | - Christopher C. Lapish
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
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Riedel P, Wolff M, Spreer M, Petzold J, Plawecki MH, Goschke T, Zimmermann US, Smolka MN. Acute alcohol does not impair attentional inhibition as measured with Stroop interference scores but impairs Stroop performance. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:1593-1607. [PMID: 33660080 PMCID: PMC8139883 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05792-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Inhibition is a core executive function and refers to the ability to deliberately suppress attention, behavior, thoughts, and/or emotions and instead act in a specific manner. While acute alcohol exposure has been shown to impair response inhibition in the stop-signal and Go/NoGo tasks, reported alcohol effects on attentional inhibition in the Stroop task are inconsistent. Notably, studies have operationalized attentional inhibition variably and there has been intra- and inter-individual variability in alcohol exposure. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the acute effects of alcohol on attentional inhibition, considering previous limitations. METHODS In a single-blind, cross-over design, 40 non-dependent participants with a medium-to-high risk drinking behavior performed a Counting Stroop task (CST) under a baseline and an arterial blood alcohol concentration (aBAC) clamp at 80 mg%. Attentional inhibition was assessed as the alteration of reaction times (RT), error rates (ER), and inverse efficiency scores (IES) between incongruent and congruent trials (interference score). Stroop performance was also assessed regardless of trial-type. RESULTS Compared to saline, acute alcohol exposure via an aBAC clamp did not affect CST interference scores but increased RTs and IES in both incongruent and congruent trials. CONCLUSIONS Attentional inhibition (Stroop interference score) was not impaired by clamped moderate alcohol exposure. Acute alcohol impaired Stroop performance evidenced by a general increase in response times. Our findings suggest that response and attentional inhibition do not share the same neurocognitive mechanisms and are affected differently by alcohol. Results could also be explained by automated behaviors known to be relatively unaffected by acute alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Würzburger Straße 35, 01187, Dresden, Germany
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - M Wolff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Department of General Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - M Spreer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - J Petzold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Würzburger Straße 35, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - M H Plawecki
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 355 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - T Goschke
- Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Würzburger Straße 35, 01187, Dresden, Germany
- Department of General Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - U S Zimmermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Addiction Medicine and Psychotherapy, kbo-Isar-Amper-Klinikum München-Ost, Vockestraße 72, 85540, Haar, Germany
| | - M N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
- Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Würzburger Straße 35, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
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Fairbairn CE, Kang D, Federmeier KD. Alcohol and Neural Dynamics: A Meta-analysis of Acute Alcohol Effects on Event-Related Brain Potentials. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:990-1000. [PMID: 33579536 PMCID: PMC8106628 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An understanding of alcohol's acute neural effects could augment our knowledge of mechanisms underlying alcohol-related cognitive/motor impairment and inform interventions for addiction. Focusing on studies employing event-related brain potential methods, which offer a direct measurement of neural activity in functionally well-characterized brain networks, we present the first meta-analysis to explore acute effects of alcohol on the human brain. METHODS Databases were searched for randomized laboratory alcohol-administration trials assessing brain activity using event-related potentials. Hedges' g coefficients were pooled using 3-level random-effects meta-regression. RESULTS Sixty independent randomized controlled trials met inclusion (total N = 2149). Alcohol's effects varied significantly across neural systems, with alcohol leading to reductions in event-related potential components linked with attention (P3b), g = -0.40, 95% CI (-0.50, -0.29), automatic auditory processing (mismatch negativity), g = -0.44, 95% CI (-0.66, -0.22), and performance monitoring (error-related negativity), g = -0.56, 95% CI (-0.79, -0.33). These effects were moderated by alcohol dose, emerging as significant at doses as low as 0.026% blood alcohol concentration and increasing to moderate/large at 0.12%. In contrast, irrespective of dose, relatively small or nonsignificant alcohol effects emerged in other processing domains, including those linked to executive control (N2b responses) and stimulus classification (N2c responses). CONCLUSIONS Contrary to traditional conceptualizations of alcohol as a "dirty drug" with broad central nervous system depressant effects, results instead support accounts positing targeted alcohol effects in specific processing domains. By identifying alcohol effects on brain systems involved in performance monitoring and attention, results move toward the identification of mechanisms underlying alcohol-related impairment as well as factors reinforcing addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine E. Fairbairn
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Dahyeon Kang
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Kara D. Federmeier
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
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Karayanidis F, McKewen M. More than “just a test”—Task-switching paradigms offer an early warning system for cognitive decline. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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11
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Gunn C, Fairchild G, Verster JC, Adams S. Does Alcohol Hangover Affect Emotion Regulation Capacity? Evidence From a Naturalistic Cross-Over Study Design. Alcohol Alcohol 2020; 56:425-432. [PMID: 33179037 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agaa123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of alcohol hangover on emotion regulation. METHODS Forty-five non-smoking, healthy participants aged between 18 and 30 years completed a lab-based emotion regulation task assessing cognitive reappraisal and an emotion regulation questionnaire (State-Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale [S-DERS]) when hungover (morning following a night of heavy drinking) and under a no-hangover condition in a naturalistic, within-subjects design study. RESULTS Participants reported poorer emotion regulation overall (P < 0.001, d = 0.75), and for the subscales 'Non-Acceptance', 'Modulation' and 'Clarity' (Ps ≤ 0.001, ds ≥ 0.62), but not 'Awareness' on the S-DERS, in the hangover versus the no-hangover condition. Hangover did not impair emotion regulation ability as assessed using the lab-based task (Ps ≥ 0.21, ds ≤ 0.40), but there was a general negative shift in valence ratings (i.e. all images were rated more negatively) in the hangover relative to the no-hangover condition (P < 0.001, d = 1.16). CONCLUSION These results suggest that emotion regulation in everyday life and emotional reactivity may be adversely affected by alcohol hangover, but some emotion regulation strategies (e.g. deliberate cognitive reappraisal) may be unaffected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Gunn
- Addiction and Mental Health Group, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Joris C Verster
- Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584CG, The Netherlands.,Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CM, The Netherlands.,Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Sally Adams
- Addiction and Mental Health Group, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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12
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Stock A, Pertermann M, Mückschel M, Beste C. High-dose ethanol intoxication decreases 1/f neural noise or scale-free neural activity in the resting state. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12818. [PMID: 31368192 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking is a frequent phenomenon in many western societies and has been associated with an increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life. Yet, the effects of high-dose alcohol intoxication on neurophysiological processes are still quite poorly understood. This is particularly the case given that neurophysiological brain activity not only contains recurring (oscillatory) patterns of activity, but also a significant fraction of "scale-free" or arrhythmic dynamics referred to as 1/f type activity, pink noise, or 1/f neural noise. Neurobiological considerations suggest that it should be modulated by alcohol intoxication. To investigate this assumption, we collected resting state EEG data from n = 23 healthy young male subjects in a crossover design, where each subject was once tested sober and once tested while intoxicated (mean breath alcohol concentration of 1.1 permille ±0.2). Analyses of the 1/f neural dynamics showed that ethanol intoxication decreased resting state 1/f neural noise, as compared with a sober state. The effects were strongest when the eyes were closed and particularly reliable in the beta frequency band. Given that the dynamics of the beta band have been shown to strongly depend on GABAA receptor neural transmission, this finding nicely aligns with the fact that ethanol increases GABAergic signaling. The study reveals a currently unreported effect of binge drinking on neurophysiological dynamics, which likely revealed a higher sensitivity for ethanol effects than most commonly considered measures of power in neural oscillations. Implications and applicability of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann‐Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Germany
| | - Maik Pertermann
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Germany
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine TU Dresden Germany
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13
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Gunn C, Fairchild G, Verster JC, Adams S. The Effects of Alcohol Hangover on Executive Functions. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E1148. [PMID: 32316438 PMCID: PMC7230396 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9041148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has suggested that processes reliant on executive functions are impaired by an alcohol hangover, yet few studies have investigated the effect of hangovers on core executive function processes. Therefore, the current study investigated the effect of hangovers on the three core components of the unity/diversity model of executive functions: the ability to switch attention, update information in working memory, and maintain goals. Thirty-five 18-to-30-year-old non-smoking individuals who reported experiencing a hangover at least once in the previous month participated in this study. They completed tasks measuring switching (number-switching task), updating (n-back task), and goal maintenance (AX Continuous Performance Test, AX-CPT) whilst experiencing a hangover and without a hangover in a 'naturalistic' within-subjects crossover design. Participants made more errors in the switching task (p = 0.019), more errors in both the 1- (p < 0.001) and 2-back (p < 0.001) versions of the n-back, and more errors in the AX-CPT (p = 0.007) tasks when experiencing a hangover, compared to the no-hangover condition. These results suggest that an alcohol hangover impairs core executive function processes that are important for everyday behaviours, such as decision-making, planning, and mental flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Gunn
- Addiction and Mental Health Group, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Joris C. Verster
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, 3584CG Utrecht, The Netherlands;
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, 3584CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Sally Adams
- Addiction and Mental Health Group, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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14
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Benson S, Ayre E, Garrisson H, Wetherell MA, Verster JC, Scholey A. Alcohol Hangover and Multitasking: Effects on Mood, Cognitive Performance, Stress Reactivity, and Perceived Effort. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9041154. [PMID: 32316689 PMCID: PMC7230521 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9041154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of hangover on mood, multitasking ability, and psychological stress reactivity to cognitive demand. Using a crossover design and semi-naturalistic methodology, 25 participants attended the laboratory in the morning following a night of (i) alcohol abstinence and (ii) alcohol self-administration during a typical night out (with order counterbalanced across participants). They completed a four-module multitasking framework (MTF, a widely used laboratory stressor) and a battery of questionnaires assessing mood, hangover symptom severity, and previous night’s sleep. The effects of the MTF on mood and perceived workload were also assessed. Participants in the hangover condition reported significantly lower alertness and contentment coupled with a higher mental fatigue and anxiety. Multitasking ability was also significantly impaired in the hangover condition. Completion of the cognitive stressor increased reported levels of mental demand, effort, and frustration, and decreased perceived level of performance. MTF completion did not differentially affect mood. Lastly, participants rated their sleep as significantly worse during the night prior to the hangover compared with the control condition. These findings confirm the negative cognitive and mood effects of hangover on mood. They also demonstrate that hangover is associated with greater perceived effort during task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Benson
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne VIC 3122, Australia; (S.B.); (E.A.); (M.A.W.); (J.C.V.)
| | - Elizabeth Ayre
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne VIC 3122, Australia; (S.B.); (E.A.); (M.A.W.); (J.C.V.)
| | - Harriet Garrisson
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne VIC 3122, Australia; (S.B.); (E.A.); (M.A.W.); (J.C.V.)
| | - Mark A Wetherell
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne VIC 3122, Australia; (S.B.); (E.A.); (M.A.W.); (J.C.V.)
- Stress Research Group, Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Northumberland Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Joris C Verster
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne VIC 3122, Australia; (S.B.); (E.A.); (M.A.W.); (J.C.V.)
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, 3584CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Scholey
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne VIC 3122, Australia; (S.B.); (E.A.); (M.A.W.); (J.C.V.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-(3)921-489-32
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15
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Shnitko TA, Gonzales SW, Newman N, Grant KA. Behavioral Flexibility in Alcohol-Drinking Monkeys: The Morning After. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:729-737. [PMID: 31984521 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy alcohol drinking has aspects of inflexible behavior. This study addressed the consequences of chronic alcohol drinking on cognitive and sensory-motor domains of behavioral flexibility in rhesus monkeys. METHODS Behavioral flexibility was assessed in 12 monkeys (n = 9, ethanol [EtOH] drinkers) with a set-shifting visual discrimination procedure before alcohol self-administration and while maintaining consumption of 1.5 g/kg/d EtOH. Task performance was assessed in the morning after ~18 hours of drinking 1.5 g/kg, and 1 hour before the next day's drinking session began. The first 10 set-shifting sessions had the original (preethanol) test parameters and were used to determine retention of preethanol performance. Then, an effect of sensory-motor challenge (60% reduction in the size of the discriminative stimuli) on performance was assessed during 10 additional sessions. RESULTS There were no average group-dependent differences in the performance between control and EtOH groups at the preethanol time-point. The daily consumption of 1.5 g/kg/d produced binge alcohol intakes in 7 of 9 monkeys (blood EtOH concentration [BEC ≥ 80 mg/dl]). Chronic daily intakes of 1.5 g/kg had no effect on retention of the task in the sober state. However, when challenged with a reduction in the size of the stimuli, daily 1.5 g/kg EtOH resulted in a decrement in performance due to an increase in the number of errors. CONCLUSIONS Rhesus monkeys consuming 1.5 g/kg alcohol daily perform equally as could as control monkeys in retention of a well-learned cognitive task. However, this pattern of daily alcohol intake robustly decreased the ability to flexibly adjust behavior when confronted with novel changes to perceptual stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Shnitko
- From the, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- From the, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon
| | - Natali Newman
- From the, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- From the, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon.,Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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16
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Nixon SJ, Lewis B. Clarifying the neurobehavioral sequelae of moderate drinking lifestyles and acute alcohol effects with aging. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 148:39-78. [PMID: 31733667 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological estimates indicate not only an increase in the proportion of older adults, but also an increase in those who continue moderate alcohol consumption. Substantial literatures have attempted to characterize health benefits/risks of moderate drinking lifestyles. Not uncommonly, reports address outcomes in a single outcome, such as cardiovascular function or cognitive decline, rather than providing a broader overview of systems. In this narrative review, retaining focus on neurobiological considerations, we summarize key findings regarding moderate drinking and three health domains, cardiovascular health, Type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cognition. Interestingly, few investigators have studied bouts of low/moderate doses of alcohol consumption, a pattern consistent with moderate drinking lifestyles. Here, we address both moderate drinking as a lifestyle and as an acute event. Review of health-related correlates illustrates continuing inconsistencies. Although substantive reductions in risk for cardiovascular and T2D events are reported, robust conclusions remain elusive. Similarly, whereas moderate drinking is often associated with enhanced cognition and lower dementia risk, few benefits are noted in rates of decline or alterations in brain structure. The effect of sex/gender varies across health domains and by consumption levels. For example, women appear to differentially benefit from alcohol use in terms of T2D, but experience greater risk when considering aspects of cardiovascular function. Finally, we observe that socially relevant alcohol doses do not consistently impair performance in older adults. Rather, older drinkers demonstrate divergent, but not necessarily detrimental, patterns in neural activation and some behavioral measures relative to younger drinkers. Taken together, the epidemiological and laboratory studies reinforce the need for greater attention to key individual differences and for the conduct of systematic studies sensitive to age-related shifts in neurobiological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jo Nixon
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - Ben Lewis
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL, United States
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17
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Numbers in action during cognitive flexibility – A neurophysiological approach on numerical operations underlying task switching. Cortex 2019; 120:101-115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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18
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Opitz A, Hubert J, Beste C, Stock AK. Alcohol Hangover Slightly Impairs Response Selection but not Response Inhibition. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8091317. [PMID: 31461971 PMCID: PMC6780538 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8091317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol hangover commonly occurs after an episode of heavy drinking. It has previously been demonstrated that acute high-dose alcohol intoxication reduces cognitive control, while automatic processes remain comparatively unaffected. However, it has remained unclear whether alcohol hangover, as a consequence of binge drinking, modulates the interplay between cognitive control and automaticity in a comparable way. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of alcohol hangover on controlled versus automatic response selection and inhibition. N = 34 healthy young men completed a Simon Nogo task, once sober and once hungover. Hangover symptoms were experimentally induced by a standardized administration of alcoholic drinks (with high congener content) on the night before the hangover appointment. We found no significant hangover effects, which suggests that alcohol hangover did not produce the same functional deficits as an acute high-dose intoxication. Yet still, add-on Bayesian analyses revealed that hangover slightly impaired response selection, but not response inhibition. This pattern of effects cannot be explained with the current knowledge on how ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde may modulate response selection and inhibition via the dopaminergic or GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Opitz
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan Hubert
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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19
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Bensmann W, Kayali ÖF, Beste C, Stock AK. Young frequent binge drinkers show no behavioral deficits in inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 93:93-101. [PMID: 30946938 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol intoxication and abuse are well-known to cause impairments in executive functioning and control. Still, we know surprisingly little about individuals engaging in frequent binge drinking, even though they have an increased risk to develop an alcohol use disorder (AUD) later in life. As this risk has been suggested to be linked to (premorbid) executive deficits, we assessed changes in cognitive flexibility and inhibition with the help of a switching task and a stop-change task. Both paradigms had previously been shown to be modulated by alcohol, as well as by functional variations in dopaminergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. We employed an extreme group approach, where we compared pre-selected samples of frequent binge drinkers and non-frequent binge drinkers, all of which had stably pursued their respective consumption pattern for at least 3 years. In combination with Bayes analyses, our results showed that individuals engaging in frequent binge drinking showed no impairments of cognitive flexibility or inhibition, as compared to non-frequent binge drinkers. These observations suggest that frequent binge drinking alone is not associated with the cognitive control deficits commonly observed in AUD. Importantly, the investigated executive functions are known to be altered both during binge drinking and in individuals with AUD. It could hence be speculated that their intermittent consumption pattern prevents non-AUD frequent binge drinkers from the homeostatic counter-regulations of alcohol- and control-associated neurotransmitter systems that may be observed in AUD patients. Yet, this hypothesis still needs to be tested in future research, including studies that combine MR and molecular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Bensmann
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Özlem Feray Kayali
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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20
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van Lawick van Pabst AE, Devenney LE, Verster JC. Sex Differences in the Presence and Severity of Alcohol Hangover Symptoms. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8060867. [PMID: 31213020 PMCID: PMC6617014 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8060867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated significant sex differences in alcohol intoxication effects. In contrast, the majority of studies on the alcohol hangover phase did not investigate sex differences. Therefore, the current study examined possible sex differences in the presence and severity of alcohol hangover symptoms. Data from n = 2446 Dutch students (male = 50.7%, female = 49.3%) were analyzed. They reported the presence and severity of 22 hangover symptoms experienced after their past month heaviest drinking occasion. Subjects were categorized according to their estimated peak blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) and presence and severity of the hangover symptoms were compared between men and women. In the lowest eBAC group (0% ≤ eBAC < 0.08%), no significant sex differences were found. In the subsequent eBAC group (0.08% ≤ eBAC < 0.11%), severity of nausea was significantly higher in women than in men. In the third eBAC group (0.11% ≤ eBAC < 0.2%), women reported higher severity scores on nausea, tiredness, weakness, and dizziness than men. Men reported the presence of confusion significantly more often than women, and women reported the presence of shivering significantly more often than men. In the fourth eBAC group (0.2% ≤ eBAC < 0.3%), women reported higher severity scores on nausea and tiredness than men. In the highest eBAC group (0.3% ≤ eBAC < 0.4%), no significant sex differences were found. In conclusion, across the eBAC groups, severity scores of nausea and tiredness were higher in women than in men. However, albeit statistically significant, the observed sex differences in presence and severity of hangover symptoms were of small magnitude, and therefore, have little clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lydia E Devenney
- School of Psychology, Life and Health sciences Ulster University, BT52 1SA Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
| | - Joris C Verster
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia.
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21
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Zink N, Zhang R, Chmielewski WX, Beste C, Stock AK. Detrimental effects of a high-dose alcohol intoxication on sequential cognitive flexibility are attenuated by practice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:97-108. [PMID: 30193989 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
It is well-known that alcohol impairs behavioral control and motor response inhibition, but it has remained rather unclear whether it also impairs cognitive inhibition. As automatized behavior is less vulnerable towards the detrimental effects of alcohol than cognitive control processes, potential cognitive inhibition deficits might however improve with training. We investigated the effect of an acute, binge-like alcohol intoxication in a balanced within-subjects design, asking n=32 healthy young males to perform a backward inhibition paradigm once sober and once while intoxicated (~1.1 ‰). To identify the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms, we analyzed stimulus- and response selection-related processes in neurophysiological data after Residue Iteration Decomposition (RIDE). Alcohol generally impaired behavioral task performance (accuracy and response times) during task switching. This was associated with impaired attentional processing of the task-relevant cue (reflected by reduced P1 and N1 amplitudes), which likely resulted in a larger need for reactive control at the later stage of response selection and control (reflected by increased fronto-central theta power). Without prior practice (~30 minutes), the intoxicated participants further struggled to overcome the cognitive inhibition of a previously relevant task set (reflected by a larger backward inhibition effect). This was linked to reduced posterior theta power, which reflects alcohol-induced impairments in working memory capacity and task set-relevant memory retrieval. As individuals with ~30 min task practice did not show the same alcohol-related deficit, it may be deduced that (partial) task set automatization via stimulus-response associations may help to reduce the detrimental effects of alcohol on cognitive inhibition during task switching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Zink
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Rui Zhang
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Witold X Chmielewski
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Germany.
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22
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Shnitko TA, Gonzales SW, Grant KA. Low cognitive flexibility as a risk for heavy alcohol drinking in non-human primates. Alcohol 2019; 74:95-104. [PMID: 30097387 PMCID: PMC6202248 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse is frequently considered a habitual or inflexible behavior; however, measures of pre-existing cognitive flexibility prior to initiation of alcohol use are usually not available. This study used rhesus monkeys and an attentional set-shifting task to investigate whether pre-existing cognitive flexibility would predict increased risk for heavy alcohol drinking. As previously reported, monkeys were given 30 daily set-shifting sessions prior to alcohol access. These sessions consisted of the same sequence of eight unique visual discriminations (sets) of two objects that varied on two dimensions (shapes and colors). The ratio of errors per trials, session duration, and maximum set reached were primary dependent variables from each session and were used to compose a session performance index (PI) that ranged from a low performance PI of 31 to an optimal performance PI of 247. Here, animals underwent an alcohol induction period followed by 22 weeks of daily (22-h) self-administration sessions with free access to water and alcohol. Based on average daily alcohol intake during 22 weeks of 22-h/day access, the monkeys were categorized as non-heavy (mean = 2.0 ± 0.3 g/kg/day; n = 3) and heavy (mean = 3.3 ± 0.5 g/kg/day; n = 6) drinkers. The two groups diverged in performance on the set-shifting task across the 30 pre-alcohol sessions, and at the end of the pre-alcohol testing, the group average PI was 216 ± 27 and 137 ± 71 for the future non-heavy and heavy drinkers, respectively. The data show that low cognitive flexibility assessed with a set-shifting procedure was predictive of future classification as a heavy alcohol drinker. The data highlight individual differences in both cognitive flexibility and in alcohol self-administration in this population of rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Shnitko
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L-470, Portland, OR 97239-3098, United States.
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23
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Gunn C, Mackus M, Griffin C, Munafò MR, Adams S. A systematic review of the next-day effects of heavy alcohol consumption on cognitive performance. Addiction 2018; 113:2182-2193. [PMID: 30144191 PMCID: PMC6282576 DOI: 10.1111/add.14404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Studies examining the next-day cognitive effects of heavy alcohol consumption have produced mixed findings, which may reflect inconsistencies in definitions of 'hangover'. Recent consensus has defined hangover as 'mental and physical symptoms, experienced the day after a single episode of heavy drinking, starting when blood alcohol concentration (BAC) approaches zero'. In light of this, we aimed to review the literature systematically to evaluate and estimate mean effect sizes of the next-day effects of heavy alcohol consumption on cognition. METHODS Embase, PubMed and PsycNET databases were searched between December 2016 and May 2018 using terms based on 'alcohol' and 'hangover'. Studies of experimental designs which reported the next-day cognitive effects of heavy alcohol consumption in a 'hangover' group with BAC < 0.02% were reviewed. A total of 805 articles were identified. Thirty-nine full-text articles were screened by two independent reviewers and 19 included in the systematic review; 11 articles provided sufficient data to be included in the meta-analysis; 1163 participants across 19 studies conducted since 1970 were included in the analysis. Data for study design, hangover severity, BAC at testing and cognitive performance were extracted and effect estimates calculated. RESULTS The systematic review suggested that sustained attention and driving abilities were impaired during hangover. Mixed results were observed for: psychomotor skills, short- (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) and divided attention. The meta-analysis revealed evidence of impairments in STM [g = 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.15-1.13], LTM (Hedges' g = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.01-1.17) sustained attention (g = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.07-0.87) and psychomotor speed (Hedges' g = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.31-1.00) during alcohol hangover. CONCLUSION The research literature suggests that alcohol hangovers may involve impaired cognitive functions and performance of everyday tasks such as driving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Gunn
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and Department of PsychologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Marlou Mackus
- Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of PsychopharmacologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Chris Griffin
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and Department of PsychologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and School of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of BristolBristolUK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) at the University of BristolBristolUK
| | - Sally Adams
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and Department of PsychologyUniversity of BathBathUK
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Petruo VA, Mückschel M, Beste C. On the role of the prefrontal cortex in fatigue effects on cognitive flexibility - a system neurophysiological approach. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6395. [PMID: 29686384 PMCID: PMC5913330 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24834-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Demanding tasks like cognitive flexibility show time-related deterioration of performance (i.e. fatigability effects). Fatigability has been associated with structural and functional properties of the prefrontal cortex. However, the electrophysiological underpinnings of these processes are not well understood. We examined n = 34 healthy participants with a task switching paradigm in which switches were either signaled by cues or needed to be maintained by working memory processes. We analyzed event-related potentials (ERPs) and performed residue iteration decomposition (RIDE) to account for effects of fatigue on intra-individual variability of neurophysiological data. This was combined with source localization methods. We show that task switching is affected by time on task (TOT) effects mostly when working memory processes are needed. On a neurophysiological level, this effect could not be observed in standard ERPs, but only after accounting for intra-individual variability using RIDE. The RIDE data suggests that during task switching, fatigability specifically affects response recoding processes that are associated with functions of the middle frontal gyrus (MFG; BA10). The results underline propositions of the ‘opportunity cost model’, which states that fatigability effects of executive functions depend on the degree to which tasks engage similar prefrontal regions - in this case working memory and task switching mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A Petruo
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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Wolff N, Zink N, Stock AK, Beste C. On the relevance of the alpha frequency oscillation's small-world network architecture for cognitive flexibility. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13910. [PMID: 29066804 PMCID: PMC5654836 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14490-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is a major requirement for successful behavior. nNeural oscillations in the alpha frequency band were repeatedly associated with cognitive flexibility in task-switching paradigms. Alpha frequencies are modulated by working memory load and are used to process information during task switching, however we do not know how this oscillatory network communication is modulated. In order to understand the mechanisms that drive cognitive flexibility, ERPs, oscillatory power and how the communication within these networks is organized are of importance. The EEG data show that during phases reflecting preparatory processes to pre-activate task sets, alpha oscillatory power but not the small world properties of the alpha network architecture was modulated. During the switching only the N2 ERP component showed clear modulations. After the response, alpha oscillatory power reinstates and therefore seems to be important to deactivate or maintain the previous task set. For these reactive control processes the network architecture in terms of small-world properties is modulated. Effects of memory load on small-world aspects were seen in repetition trials, where small-world properties were higher when memory processes were relevant. These results suggest that the alpha oscillatory network becomes more small-world-like when reactive control processes during task switching are less complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Wolff
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicolas Zink
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU, Dresden, Germany. .,Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.
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Wolff N, Mückschel M, Ziemssen T, Beste C. The role of phasic norepinephrine modulations during task switching: evidence for specific effects in parietal areas. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:925-940. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1531-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Wolff N, Buse J, Tost J, Roessner V, Beste C. Modulations of cognitive flexibility in obsessive compulsive disorder reflect dysfunctions of perceptual categorization. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2017; 58:939-949. [PMID: 28452405 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite cognitive inflexibility is trait like in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients and underlies clinical symptomatology, it is elusive at what stage of information processing deficits, leading to cognitive inflexibility, emerges. We hypothesize that inhibitory control mechanisms during early stimulus categorization and integration into a knowledge system underlie these deficits. METHODS We examined N = 25 adolescent OCD patients and matched healthy controls (HC) in a paradigm manipulating the importance of the knowledge system to perform task switching. This was done using a paradigm in which task switches were signaled either by visual stimuli or by working memory processes. This was combined with event-related potential recordings and source localization. RESULTS Obsessive compulsive disorder patients showed increased switch costs in the memory as compared with the cue-based block, while HC showed similar switch costs in both blocks. At the neurophysiological level, these changes in OCD were not reflected by the N2 and P3 reflecting response-associated processes but by the P1 reflecting inhibitory control during sensory categorization processes. Activation differences in the right inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus are associated with the P1 effect. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive flexibility in adolescent OCD patients is strongly modulated by working memory load. Contrary to common sense, not response-associated processes, but inhibitory control mechanisms during early stimulus categorization processes are likely to underlie cognitive inflexibility in OCD. These processes are associated with right inferior frontal and superior temporal gyrus mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Wolff
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Judith Buse
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jadwiga Tost
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
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Wolff N, Mückschel M, Beste C. Neural mechanisms and functional neuroanatomical networks during memory and cue-based task switching as revealed by residue iteration decomposition (RIDE) based source localization. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:3819-3831. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1437-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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