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Vila‐Villar A, Naya‐Fernández M, Madrid A, Madinabeitia‐Mancebo E, Robles‐García V, Cudeiro J, Arias P. Exploring the role of the left
DLPFC
in fatigue during unresisted rhythmic movements. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14078. [PMID: 35428988 PMCID: PMC9539568 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding central fatigue during motor activities is important in neuroscience and different medical fields. The central mechanisms of motor fatigue are known in depth for isometric muscle contractions; however, current knowledge about rhythmic movements and central fatigue is rather scarce. In this study, we explored the role of an executive area (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC]) in fatigue development during rhythmic movement execution, finger tapping (FT) at the maximal rate, and fatigue after effects on the stability of rhythmic patterns. Participants (n = 19) performed six sets of unresisted FT (with a 3 min rest in‐between). Each set included four interleaved 30 s repetitions of self‐selected (two repetitions) and maximal rate FT (two repetitions) without rest in‐between. Left DLPFC involvement in the task was perturbed by transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) in two sessions (one real and one sham). Moreover, half of the self‐selected FT repetitions were performed concurrently with a demanding cognitive task, the Stroop test. Compared with sham stimulation, real tSMS stimulation prevented waning in tapping frequency at the maximal rate without affecting perceived levels of fatigue. Participants' engagement in the Stroop test just prior to maximal FT reduced the movement amplitude during this mode of execution. Movement variability at self‐selected rates increased during Stroop execution, especially under fatigue previously induced by maximal FT. Our results indicate cognitive‐motor interactions and a prominent role of the prefrontal cortex in fatigue and the motor control of simple repetitive movement patterns. We suggest the need to approach motor fatigue including cognitive perspectives. We show the fundamental role of executive areas in fatigue caused by very simple repetitive movements. Fatigue developed less during the maximal frequency of movement production, while the left DLPFC received magnetic stimulation (in right‐handers). The role of cognitive‐motor interaction in fine motor control was also clear when participants engaged in cognitive tasks. At the clinical level, our work reinforces the need to treat fatigue from a comprehensive perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aranza Vila‐Villar
- Department of Physiotherapy, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and INEF Galicia Universidade da Coruña, NEUROcom (Neuroscience and Motor Control Group) and Biomedical Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC) A Coruña Spain
| | - Mariña Naya‐Fernández
- Department of Physiotherapy, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and INEF Galicia Universidade da Coruña, NEUROcom (Neuroscience and Motor Control Group) and Biomedical Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC) A Coruña Spain
| | - Antonio Madrid
- Department of Physiotherapy, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and INEF Galicia Universidade da Coruña, NEUROcom (Neuroscience and Motor Control Group) and Biomedical Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC) A Coruña Spain
| | - Elena Madinabeitia‐Mancebo
- Department of Physiotherapy, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and INEF Galicia Universidade da Coruña, NEUROcom (Neuroscience and Motor Control Group) and Biomedical Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC) A Coruña Spain
| | - Verónica Robles‐García
- Department of Physiotherapy, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and INEF Galicia Universidade da Coruña, NEUROcom (Neuroscience and Motor Control Group) and Biomedical Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC) A Coruña Spain
| | - Javier Cudeiro
- Department of Physiotherapy, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and INEF Galicia Universidade da Coruña, NEUROcom (Neuroscience and Motor Control Group) and Biomedical Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC) A Coruña Spain
- Centro de Estimulación Cerebral de Galicia A Coruña Spain
| | - Pablo Arias
- Department of Physiotherapy, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and INEF Galicia Universidade da Coruña, NEUROcom (Neuroscience and Motor Control Group) and Biomedical Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC) A Coruña Spain
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Cheng DT, Rice LC, McCaul ME, Rilee JJ, Faulkner ML, Sheu YS, Mathena JR, Desmond JE. Neural Substrates Underlying Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:620-631. [PMID: 31984510 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive alcohol consumption produces changes in the brain that often lead to cognitive impairments. One fundamental form of learning, eyeblink classical conditioning (EBC), has been widely used to study the neurobiology of learning and memory. Participants with alcohol use disorders (AUD) have consistently shown a behavioral deficit in EBC. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study is the first to examine brain function during conditioning in abstinent AUD participants and healthy participants. METHODS AUD participants met DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence, had at least a 10-year history of heavy drinking, and were abstinent from alcohol for at least 30 days. During fMRI, participants received auditory tones that predicted the occurrence of corneal airpuffs. Anticipatory eyeblink responses to these tones were monitored during the experiment to assess learning-related changes. RESULTS Behavioral results indicate that AUD participants showed significant conditioning deficits and that their history of lifetime drinks corresponded to these deficits. Despite this learning impairment, AUD participants showed hyperactivation in several key cerebellar structures (including lobule VI) during conditioning. For all participants, history of lifetime drinks corresponded with their lobule VI activity. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that excessive alcohol consumption is associated with abnormal cerebellar hyperactivation and conditioning impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic T Cheng
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Laura C Rice
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mary E McCaul
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jessica J Rilee
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Monica L Faulkner
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yi-Shin Sheu
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joanna R Mathena
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - John E Desmond
- From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Chen SCJ, Lin JH, Hsu JS, Shih CM, Lai JJ, Hsu MJ. Influence of Alternate Hot and Cold Thermal Stimulation in Cortical Excitability in Healthy Adults: An fMRI Study. J Clin Med 2019; 9:jcm9010018. [PMID: 31861675 PMCID: PMC7019540 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke rehabilitation using alternate hot and cold thermal stimulation (altTS) has been reported to improve motor function in hemiplegia; however, the influence of brain excitability induced by altTS remains unclear. This study examined cortical activation induced by altTS in healthy adults, focusing on motor-related areas. This involved a repeated crossover experimental design with two temperature settings (innocuous altTS with alternate heat-pain and cold-pain thermal and noxious altTS with alternate heat and cold thermal) testing both arms (left side and right side). Thirty-one healthy, right-handed participants received four episodes of altTS on four separate days. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed both before and after each intervention to determine whether altTS intervention affects cortical excitability, while participants performed a finger-tapping task during scanning. The findings revealed greater response intensity of cortical excitability in participants who received noxious altTS in the primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, and somatosensory cortex than in those who received innocuous altTS. Moreover, there was more motor-related excitability in the contra-lateral brain when heat was applied to the dominant arm, and more sensory-associated excitability in the contra-lateral brain when heat was applied to the nondominant arm. The findings highlight the effect of heat on cortical excitability and provide insights into the application of altTS in stroke rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Chia-Ju Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan;
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan;
| | - Jau-Hong Lin
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan;
- Department of Physical Therapy, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Sheng Hsu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; (J.-S.H.); (C.-M.S.); (J.-J.L.)
| | - Chiu-Ming Shih
- Department of Medical Imaging, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; (J.-S.H.); (C.-M.S.); (J.-J.L.)
| | - Jui-Jen Lai
- Department of Medical Imaging, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; (J.-S.H.); (C.-M.S.); (J.-J.L.)
| | - Miao-Ju Hsu
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan;
- Department of Physical Therapy, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-7-3121101 (ext. 2673); Fax: +886-7-3215845
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Chan JS, Jin Y, Luo Y, Yan JH. Dysfunctional preparatory processes in hazardous drinkers: An ERP study. Alcohol 2019; 77:71-77. [PMID: 30355520 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol drinking is associated with impaired cognitive and motor performance. This electrophysiological study examined the differences in the preparatory processes preceding motor imagery (visual and kinesthetic) and execution between hazardous drinkers and non-hazardous drinking controls. Twenty-two hazardous drinkers and 22 non-hazardous drinking controls were recruited to participate in the study. They were required to produce a 3-key response sequence physically or mentally 3 s after the appearance of a corresponding cue. Here we showed significantly smaller amplitudes of both early and late negative contingent variation in hazardous drinkers compared to controls. In addition, the early negative contingent variation preceding motor execution was greater than those in the motor imagery conditions in both groups. Results of this study suggest impairments of attentional control and motor preparation in hazardous drinkers. Preparatory processes of motor execution and motor imagery mainly differ from each other in voluntary attention orientation, but not in motor preparation.
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Grodin EN, Steckler LE, Momenan R. Altered Striatal Response During Effort-Based Valuation and Motivation in Alcohol-Dependent Individuals. Alcohol Alcohol 2016; 51:638-646. [PMID: 26893259 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agw003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS To use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural circuitry behind effort-related valuation and motivation in a population of alcohol-dependent participants and healthy controls. METHODS Seventeen alcohol-dependent participants and a comparison group of 17 healthy control participants completed an effort-based motivation paradigm during an fMRI scan, in which they were required to exert effort at varying levels in order to earn a monetary reward. RESULTS We found that alcohol-dependent participants were less motivated during trials requiring high levels of effort. The whole-brain fMRI analysis revealed that alcohol-dependent participants displayed an increased blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal during low and unknown effort cues in the dorsal and ventral striatum compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSION These findings provide the first evidence that alcohol-dependent participants and healthy controls differ in their effort-based valuation and motivation processing. Alcohol-dependent participants displayed a hyperactive mesolimbic reward circuitry recruited by non-drug rewards, potentially reflecting a sensitization to reward in this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica N Grodin
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA Brown-National Institutes of Health Graduate Partnership Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Leah E Steckler
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Cheng DT, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Molteno CD, Stanton ME, Desmond JE. Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Alcoholism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:155. [PMID: 26578987 PMCID: PMC4629452 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcoholism is a debilitating disorder that can take a significant toll on health and professional and personal relationships. Excessive alcohol consumption can have a serious impact on both drinkers and developing fetuses, leading to long-term learning impairments. Decades of research in laboratory animals and humans have demonstrated the value of eyeblink classical conditioning (EBC) as a well-characterized model system to study the neural mechanisms underlying associative learning. Behavioral EBC studies in adults with alcohol use disorders and in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders report a clear learning deficit in these two patient populations, suggesting alcohol-related damage to the cerebellum and associated structures. Insight into the neural mechanisms underlying these learning impairments has largely stemmed from laboratory animal studies. In this mini-review, we present and discuss exemplary animal findings and data from patient and neuroimaging studies. An improved understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying learning deficits in EBC related to alcoholism and prenatal alcohol exposure has the potential to advance the diagnoses, treatment, and prevention of these and other pediatric and adult disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic T Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD , USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa ; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, MI , USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa ; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Mark E Stanton
- Department of Psychology, University of Delaware , Newark, DE , USA
| | - John E Desmond
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD , USA
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Oscar-Berman M, Valmas MM, Sawyer KS, Ruiz SM, Luhar RB, Gravitz ZR. Profiles of impaired, spared, and recovered neuropsychologic processes in alcoholism. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2014; 125:183-210. [PMID: 25307576 PMCID: PMC4515358 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-62619-6.00012-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Long-term chronic alcoholism is associated with disparate and widespread residual consequences for brain functioning and behavior, and alcoholics suffer a variety of cognitive deficiencies and emotional abnormalities. Alcoholism has heterogeneous origins and outcomes, depending upon factors such as family history, age, gender, and mental or physical health. Consequently, the neuropsychologic profiles associated with alcoholism are not uniform among individuals. Moreover, within and across research studies, variability among subjects is substantial and contributes to characteristics associated with differential treatment outcomes after detoxification. In order to refine our understanding of alcoholism-related impaired, spared, and recovered abilities, we focus on five specific functional domains: (1) memory; (2) executive functions; (3) emotion and psychosocial skills; (4) visuospatial cognition; and (5) psychomotor abilities. Although the entire brain might be vulnerable in uncomplicated alcoholism, the brain systems that are considered to be most at risk are the frontocerebellar and mesocorticolimbic circuitries. Over time, with abstinence from alcohol, the brain appears to become reorganized to provide compensation for structural and behavioral deficits. By relying on a combination of clinical and scientific approaches, future research will help to refine the compensatory roles of healthy brain systems, the degree to which abstinence and treatment facilitate the reversal of brain atrophy and dysfunction, and the importance of individual differences to outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Mary M. Valmas
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Kayle S. Sawyer
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Susan Mosher Ruiz
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Riya B. Luhar
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Zoe R. Gravitz
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
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Quarantelli M, Giardino G, Prinster A, Aloj G, Carotenuto B, Cirillo E, Marsili A, Salvatore E, Del Giudice E, Pignata C. Steroid treatment in Ataxia-Telangiectasia induces alterations of functional magnetic resonance imaging during prono-supination task. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2013; 17:135-40. [PMID: 22763152 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2011] [Revised: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 06/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ataxia-Teleangiectasia (A-T) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cerebellar degeneration. Till few years ago only supportive care was available to improve the neurological function in A-T patients. Even though A-T remains an incurable disease, we recently demonstrated a drug dependent amelioration of neurological signs in A-T patients during a short-term treatment with oral betamethasone. AIMS The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the steroid induced motor performance changes in A-T are associated with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) modifications. This represents a preliminary pilot study, which requires a validation on a larger cohort of patients. METHODS Six A-T patients received a 10-days cycle of oral betamethasone at 0.03 mg/kg/day. fMRI studies were carried out at T0 and at the end of the cycle. The neurological evaluation was performed through the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) quantification. The fMRI protocol was a block design with alternating epochs of rest and prono-supination of the dominant (right) hand. RESULTS The voxel-based comparison showed a remarkable increase in the number of activated voxels within the motor cortex under the on-therapy condition as compared with the cortical activity under baseline condition in the 2 patients who completed the study protocol. CONCLUSIONS Changes in motor performance in A-T patients treated with betamethasone are coupled with an increase in the activation in relevant cortical areas, thus suggesting that in A-T patients steroid treatment could improve motor performance facilitating cortical compensatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Quarantelli
- Biostructure and Bioimaging Institute, National Research Council, Naples, Italy
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9
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Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A. Neuropsychology and neuroimaging studies in alcohol-dependence. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.3917/rne.053.0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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10
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Pitel AL, Chanraud S, Rohlfing T, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV. Face-name association learning and brain structural substrates in alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2012; 36:1171-9. [PMID: 22509954 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01731.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associative learning is required for face-name association and is impaired in alcoholism, but the cognitive processes and brain structural components underlying this deficit remain unclear. It is also unknown whether prompting alcoholics to implement a deep level of processing during face-name encoding would enhance performance. METHODS Abstinent alcoholics and controls performed a levels-of-processing face-name learning task. Participants indicated whether the face was that of an honest person (deep encoding) or that of a man (shallow encoding). Retrieval was examined using an associative (face-name) recognition task and a single-item (face or name only) recognition task. Participants also underwent 3T structural MRI. RESULTS Compared with controls, alcoholics had poorer associative and single-item learning and performed at similar levels. Level of processing at encoding had little effect on recognition performance but affected reaction time (RT). Correlations with brain volumes were generally modest and based primarily on RT in alcoholics, where the deeper the processing at encoding, the more restricted the correlations with brain volumes. In alcoholics, longer control task RTs correlated modestly with smaller tissue volumes across several anterior to posterior brain regions; shallow encoding correlated with calcarine and striatal volumes; deep encoding correlated with precuneus and parietal volumes; and associative recognition RT correlated with cerebellar volumes. In controls, poorer associative recognition with deep encoding correlated significantly with smaller volumes of frontal and striatal structures. CONCLUSIONS Despite prompting, alcoholics did not take advantage of encoding memoranda at a deep level to enhance face-name recognition accuracy. Nonetheless, conditions of deeper encoding resulted in faster RTs and more specific relations with regional brain volumes than did shallow encoding. The normal relation between associative recognition and corticostriatal volumes was not present in alcoholics. Rather, their speeded RTs occurred at the expense of accuracy and were related most robustly to cerebellar volumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Lise Pitel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, USA
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11
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De Guio F, Jacobson SW, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Meintjes EM. Functional magnetic resonance imaging study comparing rhythmic finger tapping in children and adults. Pediatr Neurol 2012; 46:94-100. [PMID: 22264703 PMCID: PMC3266619 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2011.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study compared brain activation during unpaced rhythmic finger tapping in 12-year-old children with that of adults. Subjects pressed a button at a pace initially indicated by a metronome (12 consecutive tones), and then continued for 16 seconds of unpaced tapping to provide an assessment of their ability to maintain a steady rhythm. These analyses focused on the superior vermis of the cerebellum, which is known to play a key role in timing. Twelve adults and 12 children performed this rhythmic finger tapping task in a 3 T scanner. Whole-brain analyses were performed in Brain Voyager, with a random-effects analysis of variance using a general linear model. A dedicated cerebellar atlas was used to localize cerebellar activations. As in adults, unpaced rhythmic finger tapping in children demonstrated activations in the primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, and cerebellum. However, overall activation was different, in that adults demonstrated much more deactivation in response to the task, particularly in the occipital and frontal cortices. The other main differences involved the additional recruitment of motor and premotor areas in children compared with adults, and increased activity in the vermal region of the cerebellum. These findings suggest that the timing component of the unpaced rhythmic finger tapping task is less efficient and automatic in children, who need to recruit the superior vermis more intensively to maintain the rhythm, although they performed somewhat more poorly than adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- François De Guio
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
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12
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Yu H, Li Q, Wang D, Shi L, Lu G, Sun L, Wang L, Zhu W, Mak YT, Wong N, Wang Y, Pan F, Yew DT. Mapping the central effects of chronic ketamine administration in an adolescent primate model by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Neurotoxicology 2011; 33:70-7. [PMID: 22178134 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Revised: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ketamine, a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is capable of triggering excessive glutamate release and subsequent cortical excitation which may induce psychosis-like behavior and cognitive anomalies. Growing evidence suggests that acute ketamine administration can provoke dose-dependent positive and negative schizophrenia-like symptoms. While the acute effects of ketamine are primarily linked to aberrant activation of the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures with elevated glutamate and dopamine levels, the long-term effects of ketamine on brain functions and neurochemical homeostasis remain incompletely understood. In recent years, reports of ketamine abuse, especially among young individuals, have surged rapidly, with profound socioeconomic and health impacts. We herein investigated the chronic effects of ketamine on brain function integrity in an animal model of adolescent cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Immunohistochemical study was also conducted to examine neurochemical changes in the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems in the prefrontal cortex following chronic ketamine administration. Our results suggest that repeated exposure to ketamine markedly reduced neural activities in the ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra in midbrain, posterior cingulate cortex, and visual cortex in ketamine-challenged monkeys. In contrast, hyperfunction was observed in the striatum and entorhinal cortex. In terms of neurochemical and locomotive changes, chronically ketamine-challenged animals were found to have reduced tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) but not choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) levels in the prefrontal cortex, which was accompanied by diminished total movement compared with the controls. Importantly, the mesolimbic, mesocortical and entorhinal-striatal systems were found to be functionally vulnerable to ketamine's chronic effects. Dysfunctions of these neural circuits have been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder (ADD). Collectively, our results support the proposition that repeated ketamine exposure can be exploited as a pharmacological paradigm for studying the central effects of ketamine relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongluan Yu
- Department of Medical Psychology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250012, PR China
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Rogers BP, Parks MH, Nickel MK, Katwal SB, Martin PR. Reduced fronto-cerebellar functional connectivity in chronic alcoholic patients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 36:294-301. [PMID: 22085135 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01614.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol dependence is associated with neurocognitive deficits related to neuropathological changes in structure, metabolism, and function of the brain. Impairments of motor functioning in alcoholics have been attributed to well-characterized neuropathological brain abnormalities in cerebellum. METHODS Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we studied in vivo the functional connectivity between cerebellar and cortical brain regions. Participants were 10 uncomplicated chronic alcoholic patients studied after 5 to 7 days of abstinence when signs of withdrawal had abated and 10 matched healthy controls. We focused on regions of prefrontal, frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex that exhibited an fMRI response associated with nondominant hand finger tapping in the patients but not in the controls. We predicted that fronto-cerebellar functional connectivity would be diminished in alcoholics compared with controls. RESULTS Functional connectivity in a circuit involving premotor areas (Brodmann Area 6) and Lobule VI of the superior cerebellum was reduced in the patients compared with the controls. Functional connectivity was also reduced in a circuit involving prefrontal cortex (Brodmann Area 9) and Lobule VIII of the inferior cerebellum. Reductions in connectivity were specific to fronto-cerebellar circuits and were not found in other regions examined. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show a pattern in recently abstinent alcoholic patients of specific deficits in functional connectivity and recruitment of additional brain regions for the performance of a simple finger-tapping task. A small sample, differences in smoking, and a brief abstinence period preclude definitive conclusions, but this pattern of diminished fronto-cerebellar functional connectivity is highly compatible with the characteristic neuropathological lesions documented in alcoholics and may reflect brain dysfunction associated with alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baxter P Rogers
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2310, USA.
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Zahr NM, Pitel AL, Chanraud S, Sullivan EV. Contributions of studies on alcohol use disorders to understanding cerebellar function. Neuropsychol Rev 2010; 20:280-9. [PMID: 20809198 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-010-9141-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2010] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathological, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging studies of human alcoholism provide evidence for degradation of frontal, pontine, thalamic, and cerebellar brain sites and disturbed associated functions. Current studies using neuroimaging combined with examination of executive functions, traditionally considered the sole purview of the frontal lobes, have identified a role for the cerebellum serving as a compensatory processing adjunct to enable normal performance on challenging tasks tapping executive functions. This overview proposes that disruption of an executive frontocerebellar network is a major contributor to characteristic behaviors of alcoholism that, on the one hand, enable alcohol use disorders, and on the other hand, lead to compensation for dysfunctions in alcoholism traditionally considered frontally-based.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M Zahr
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Rasmussen EB, Newland MC. Quantification of ethanol's antipunishment effect in humans using the generalized matching equation. J Exp Anal Behav 2010; 92:161-80. [PMID: 20354597 DOI: 10.1901/jeab.2009.92-161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2008] [Accepted: 04/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Increases in rates of punished behavior by the administration of anxiolytic drugs (called antipunishment effects) are well established in animals but not humans. The present study examined antipunishment effects of ethanol in humans using a choice procedure. The behavior of 5 participants was placed under six concurrent variable-interval schedules of monetary reinforcement. In three of the six concurrent schedules, punishment, in the form of monetary loss, was superimposed on one alternative. Data were analyzed according to the generalized matching equation which distinguishes between bias (allocation of behavior beyond what matching to relative reinforcer densities would predict) and sensitivity to reinforcement (how well behavior tracks relative reinforcer densities). In addition, participants completed a pencil-tapping test. Under placebo punishment conditions, all participants demonstrated low response rates and a bias against the alternative associated with punishment, despite a resultant loss of available reinforcers. Bias against the punished alternative was dose-dependently reduced in participants shown to be most sensitive to ethanol (0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 g/kg) in measures of overall responding and on the pencil-tapping test. No ethanol-induced change in bias was noted when punishment was not imposed. Sensitivity to reinforcement also decreased for participants shown to be sensitive to ethanol. In addition to extending antipunishment effects to humans, these results also show that antipunishment effects can be quantified via the matching equation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin B Rasmussen
- Dept. of Psychology, Campus Box 8112, Idaho State University, ID 83206, USA.
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Parks MH, Greenberg DS, Nickel MK, Dietrich MS, Rogers BP, Martin PR. Recruitment of additional brain regions to accomplish simple motor tasks in chronic alcohol-dependent patients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010; 34:1098-109. [PMID: 20374203 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01186.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic alcohol-dependent patients (ALC) exhibit neurocognitive impairments attributed to alcohol-induced fronto-cerebellar damage. Deficits are typically found in complex task performance, whereas simple tasks may not be significantly compromised, perhaps because of little understood compensatory changes. METHODS We compared finger tapping with either hand at externally paced (EP) or maximal self-paced (SP) rates and concomitant brain activation in ten pairs of right-hand dominant, age-, and gender-matched, severe, uncomplicated ALC and normal controls (NC) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). RESULTS Mean tapping rates were not significantly different in ALC and NC for either task, but SP tapping variances were greater in ALC for both hands. SP tapping was more rapid with dominant hand (DH) than non-dominant hand (NDH) for both groups. EP and SP tapping with the non-dominant hand demonstrated significantly more activation in ALC than NC in the pre and postcentral gyri, inferior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and the middle temporal gyrus. Areas activated only by ALC (not at all by NC) during NDH tapping included the inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and postcentral gyrus. There were no significant group activation differences with DH tapping. No brain regions activated more in NC than ALC. SP tapping in contrast to EP activated fronto-cerebellar networks in NC, including postcentral gyrus, anterior cingulate, and the anterior lobe and vermis of the cerebellum, but only parietal precuneus in ALC. CONCLUSIONS These findings with NDH finger tapping support previous reports of neurocognitive inefficiencies in ALC. Inferior frontal activation with EP in ALC, but not in NC, suggests engagement of regions needed for planning, organization, and impulse regulation; greater contralateral parietal lobe activation with SP in ALC may reflect right hemispheric impairments in visuospatial performance. Contrasting brain activation during SP and EP suggests that ALC may not have enlisted a fronto-cerebellar network as did NC but rather employed a higher order planning mode by recruiting parietal lobe functions to attain normal mean finger tapping rates. Elucidation of the compensatory neural mechanisms that allow near normal performance by ALC on simple tasks can inform functional rehabilitation of patients in recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell H Parks
- Vanderbilt Addiction Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Phillips JG, Ogeil RP, Müller F. Alcohol consumption and handwriting: A kinematic analysis. Hum Mov Sci 2009; 28:619-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2009.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Li CSR, Luo X, Yan P, Bergquist K, Sinha R. Altered impulse control in alcohol dependence: neural measures of stop signal performance. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2009; 33:740-50. [PMID: 19170662 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00891.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered impulse control has been implicated in the shaping of habitual alcohol use and eventual alcohol dependence. We sought to identify the neural correlates of altered impulse control in 24 abstinent patients with alcohol dependence (PAD), as compared to 24 demographics matched healthy control subjects (HC). In particular, we examined the processes of risk taking and cognitive control as the neural endophenotypes of alcohol dependence. METHODS To this end, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted during a stop signal task (SST), in which a procedure was used to elicit errors in the participants. The paradigm allowed trial-by-trial evaluation of response inhibition, error processing, and post-error behavioral adjustment. Furthermore, by imposing on the subjects to be both fast and accurate, the SST also introduced a distinct element of risk, which participants may or may not avert during the task. Brain imaging data were analyzed with Statistical Parametric Mapping in covariance analyses accounting for group disparity in general performance. RESULTS The results showed that, compared to HC, PAD demonstrated longer go trial reaction time (RT) and higher stop success rate (SS%). HC and PAD were indistinguishable in stop signal reaction time (SSRT) and post-error slowing (PES). In a covariance analysis accounting for go trial RT and SS%, HC showed greater activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex than PAD, when subjects with short and long SSRT were contrasted. By comparing PAD and HC directly during stop errors (SE), as contrasted with SS, we observed greater activity in PAD in bilateral visual and frontal cortices. Compared to HC, PAD showed less activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during PES, an index of post-error behavioral adjustment. Furthermore, PAD who showed higher alcohol urge at the time of the fMRI were particularly impaired in dorsolateral prefrontal activation, as compared to those with lower alcohol urge. Finally, compared to HC subjects, PAD showed less activity in cortical and subcortical structures including putamen, insula, and amygdala during risk-taking decisions in the SST. CONCLUSION These preliminary results provided evidence for altered neural processing during impulse control in PAD. These findings may provide a useful neural signature in the evaluation of treatment outcomes and development of novel pharmacotherapy for alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiang-Shan Ray Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06519, USA.
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19
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Autopsy and neuroimaging research in stably abstinent alcoholics illuminated structural and functional abnormalities in brain areas that organize and coordinate motor functioning. Researchers that used behavioural tasks to measure motor functioning found that abstinent alcoholics perform worse than healthy controls. These researchers however did not analyze timed responses into their cognitive and motor components. They thus were unable to decide which aspects of information processing are impaired. We here used a Fitts' task to examine differences in cognitive and motor components between abstinent alcoholics and healthy controls. METHODS Fifty-two abstinent alcoholics and 52 healthy controls participated in this research design. Fine motor functioning was assessed by means of the Fitts' task. RESULTS Abstinent alcoholics needed more time to perform timed responses than healthy controls. As both reaction and movement times were higher in abstinent alcoholics, both cognitive and motor processes seem to be impaired. When the task became more difficult (small targets instead of large targets) abstinent alcoholics needed proportionally more time to give the correct response than healthy controls. This phenomenon solely applied to movement times. CONCLUSIONS These research data indicate that abstinent alcoholics are somewhat impaired on a behavioral level. The execution of timed responses indeed was lengthier in abstinent alcoholics than in healthy controls. As both cognitive and motor processes were impaired, we here assume that both central and peripheral processes are affected by progressive alcohol intake. Abstinent alcoholics also have more difficulties to adapt their motor responses to changing task conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bieke De Wilde
- Psychiatrisch Centrum Broeders Alexianen, Boechout, Belgium.
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Akine Y, Kato M, Muramatsu T, Umeda S, Mimura M, Asai Y, Tanada S, Obata T, Ikehira H, Kashima H, Suhara T. Altered brain activation by a false recognition task in young abstinent patients with alcohol dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2007; 31:1589-97. [PMID: 17624993 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00453.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy alcohol intake induces both structural and functional changes in the central nervous system. Recent research developments converged on the idea that even in patients with alcohol dependence without apparent structural brain changes, some cognitive impairment exists, and associated functional change could be visualized by neuroimaging techniques. However, these data were from old (more than 50 years) patients using working memory and response inhibition tasks. Whether young abstinent patients show aberrant signs of brain activation is a matter of interest, specifically by the long-term memory retrieval task. METHODS Subjects were 9 young patients with alcohol dependence with long-term abstinent (8 males and 1 female) and age- and education-matched 9 healthy controls (7 males and 2 females). We used a modified false recognition task in a functional MRI study. RESULTS The young patients with alcohol dependence showed reduced activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), left pulvinar in the thalamus, and in the right ventral striatum, although behavioral performances and regional patterns of brain activation were similar between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS Long-term memory retrieval induced altered activations in prefrontal lobes, ACC, thalamus, and ventral striatum in young patients with alcohol dependence. These findings were correspondent to deficits of goal directed behavior, monitoring the erroneous responses, memory function, and drug-seeking behavior. Furthermore, these reduced activations can be considered as latent "lesions," suggesting subclinical pathology in alcoholic brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihide Akine
- Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan
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Cairney S, Clough A, Jaragba M, Maruff P. Cognitive impairment in Aboriginal people with heavy episodic patterns of alcohol use. Addiction 2007; 102:909-15. [PMID: 17523985 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.01840.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With chronic alcohol abuse, cognitive studies suggest that progressive cognitive decline may precede more serious and irreversible neurological syndromes. The early detection of cognitive impairment may therefore aid in the prevention of permanent brain damage. Despite the devastating consequences of alcohol abuse among Aboriginal Australians, the effects on brain function have never been studied in this population and a lack of appropriate assessment tools has prevented the development of such research. AIMS To determine the impact of long-term and heavy episodic alcohol use on cognitive function in Aboriginal people. DESIGN Cross-sectional comparing heavy episodic alcohol users with non-alcohol users. SETTING Two remote Aboriginal communities in north-east Arnhem Land, northern Australia. SUBJECTS The control group consisted of 24 non-drinkers (15 males, nine female) and the heavy episodic group consisted of 20 people (19 males, one female) who had been drinking alcohol in a heavy episodic style (median 14 drinks per occasion) for a mean of 8.9 years (SD = 5.0). MEASUREMENTS Interview to obtain demographic information, substance abuse history and symptoms of mental health and wellbeing, together with a computerized cognitive assessment battery (CogState Ltd). FINDINGS Compared with non-drinkers, heavy episodic drinkers showed reduced psychomotor speed (P = 0.04) and reduced accuracy when performing tasks of attention (P = 0.045), working memory (P = 0.04), implicit memory (P = 0.03) and associate learning and memory (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Specific cognitive abnormalities that suggest frontostriatal abnormalities and have been observed in association with chronic alcoholism in other populations were observed among Aboriginal Australians who were heavy episodic alcoholic users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheree Cairney
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT, Australia.
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Van Horn JD, Yanos M, Schmitt PJ, Grafton ST. Alcohol-induced suppression of BOLD activity during goal-directed visuomotor performance. Neuroimage 2006; 31:1209-21. [PMID: 16527492 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2005] [Revised: 01/16/2006] [Accepted: 01/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurophysiological influence of alcohol produces deficits of many cognitive functions, including executive and motor control processes. This study examined the acute effects of alcohol in the context of goal-directed visuomotor performance during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subjects consumed alcohol-laced gelatin during one scan session and non-alcoholic placebo gelatin in another. During each session, subjects performed a visuomotor target capture where they received continuous or terminal positional feedback information. Blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity in the cerebellum was suppressed in the presence of alcohol, consistent with the known ethanol sensitivity of the cerebellum. A fronto-parietal network was identified as most affected by alcohol consumption, with differential patterns of BOLD contingent on visual feedback. Results indicate that alcohol selectively suppresses cognitive activity in frontal and posterior parietal brain regions that, in conjunction with cerebellar nuclei, are believed to contribute to the formation of internal cognitive models of motor representation and action.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Darrell Van Horn
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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Mostofsky SH, Rimrodt SL, Schafer JGB, Boyce A, Goldberg MC, Pekar JJ, Denckla MB. Atypical motor and sensory cortex activation in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of simple sequential finger tapping. Biol Psychiatry 2006; 59:48-56. [PMID: 16139806 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2004] [Revised: 05/12/2005] [Accepted: 06/07/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to be associated with anomalous motor development, including excessive overflow movements. The neurological basis of these deficits has not been established. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to determine whether differences in brain activation during sequential finger tapping are present in children with ADHD compared with typically developing control subjects. METHODS Twenty-two right-handed children between 8 and 12 years old, 11 with ADHD and 11 typically developing control subjects closely matched for age and gender, performed self-paced sequential finger tapping during fMRI acquisition. RESULTS There were no significant between-group differences in speed of sequential finger tapping. The between-group whole-brain comparison showed greater magnitude of activation for control subjects than children with ADHD in the right superior parietal lobe during both right-handed and left-handed finger tapping. The region-of-interest analysis within Brodmann Area 4 revealed that children with ADHD showed a significantly smaller extent of fMRI activation in the primary motor cortex contralateral to the finger-sequencing hand. CONCLUSIONS Despite similar speed of sequential finger tapping, children with ADHD showed decreased contralateral motor cortex and right parietal cortex activation during both right-handed finger sequencing (RHFS) and left-handed finger sequencing (LHFS). The fMRI findings suggest that children with ADHD have anomalous development of cortical systems necessary for execution of patterned movements.
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Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A. Neurocircuitry in alcoholism: a substrate of disruption and repair. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2005; 180:583-94. [PMID: 15834536 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-2267-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 322] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2005] [Accepted: 03/10/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The chronic, excessive consumption of alcohol results in significant modification of selective neural systems of the brain structure, physiology, and function. Quantitative MR structural imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and functional MRI (fMRI), together with neuropsychological challenges, have enabled rigorous in vivo characterization of the results of alcoholism on the brain in the human condition. Neuroimaging has also enabled longitudinal study for the examination of alcoholism's dynamic course through periods of drinking and sobriety. Controlled studies have revealed compelling evidence for alcohol-related brain structural and functional modification--some longstanding, some transient, and some compensatory. Patterns of circuitry disruption identified through structural and functional MRI studies suggest a central role for degradation of frontocerebellar neuronal nodes and connecting circuitry affecting widespread brain regions and contributing to alcoholism's salient, enduring, and debilitating cognitive and motor deficits--executive dysfunction, visuospatial impairment, and ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neuroscience Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, USA.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Alcohol dependence is a significant challenge to society and health-care services. The associated cognitive deficits are thought to affect behavioral control, therapy and liability to relapse. The present review demonstrates important new findings. RECENT FINDINGS Recent interest focused on compensatory functional circuits, components of executive functioning, externally induced attentional biases and the relevance of the cognitive deficits for therapy and rehabilitation. SUMMARY Recent studies found widespread compromised fronto-cortico-cerebellar circuits to underlie cognitive deficits. The inclusion of cerebellar structures to support functions traditionally associated with cortical and even prefrontal structures is important. However, most importantly, alcohol-dependent patients use additional and generally higher-order executive functions to compensate for deficient task performance. The compensatory mechanisms might help to explain close to normal functioning in basic cognitive domains enabled by support of executive components. But deficits in executive functions themselves might emerge more directly. New approaches concerning executive functioning, analyzing functional components of executive tasks, found response inhibition and decision-making to be impaired but normal performance in simple working memory tasks. Multiple withdrawals have been shown to lead to a higher degree of executive deficit. The causing mechanism underlying the attentional bias induced by alcohol-related words (stroop effect) is still under debate. Correlation of cognitive deficits with therapy outcome turned out to be weak. However, important interactions of cognitive deficits with personality, therapy-setting and successful coping, together with the finding that cognitive performance of alcohol-dependent patients could be enhanced by motivating instructions, might open new strategies in treatment planning and cognitive rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Scheurich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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Tapert SF, Schweinsburg AD, Barlett VC, Brown SA, Frank LR, Brown GG, Meloy MJ. Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Response and Spatial Working Memory in Adolescents With Alcohol Use Disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2004; 28:1577-86. [PMID: 15597092 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000141812.81234.a6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have suggested neural disruption and reorganization in young and older adults with alcohol use disorders (AUD). However, it remains unclear at what age and when in the progression of AUD changes in brain functioning might occur. METHODS Alcohol use disordered (n = 15) and nonabusing (n = 19) boys and girls aged 15 to 17 were recruited from local high schools. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected after a minimum of 5 days' abstinence as participants performed spatial working memory and simple motor tasks. RESULTS Adolescents with AUD showed greater brain response to the spatial working memory task in bilateral parietal cortices and diminished response in other regions, including the left precentral gyrus and bilateral cerebellar areas (clusters > or =943 microl; p < 0.05), although groups did not differ on behavioral measures of task performance. No brain response differences were observed during a simple finger-tapping task. The degree of abnormality was greater for teens who reported experiencing more withdrawal or hangover symptoms and who consumed more alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Adolescents with AUD show abnormalities in brain response to a spatial working memory task, despite adequate performance, suggesting that subtle neuronal reorganization may occur early in the course of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan F Tapert
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA.
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Sullivan EV. Compromised pontocerebellar and cerebellothalamocortical systems: speculations on their contributions to cognitive and motor impairment in nonamnesic alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2004; 27:1409-19. [PMID: 14506401 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000085586.91726.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticopontocerebellar and cerebellothalamocortical circuits underlie a wide range of neuropsychological processes compromised by alcoholism. The analyses herein tested whether abnormalities of volumes of brain structures forming nodes of these separate feed-forward and feedback systems are selectively related to each other and whether any of these noncortical regions can account for cognitive and motor deficits occurring as sequelae of chronic alcoholism. METHODS Regional brain measures originated from our prior neuroimaging studies, showing in alcoholics significant volume deficits in the principal structures of interest: cerebellar hemispheres, vermis, pons, and thalamus as well as prefrontal, frontal, and parietal cortex. Neuropsychological functions targeted for analysis-problem solving, visuospatial ability, and static postural stability-showed 0.6 to 1.6 SD deficits in these alcoholic men. RESULTS In alcoholics, the patterns of correlations were consistent with dissociation of thalamic and pontine circuitry. Pontine and thalamic volumes were not correlated with each other. Pontine volumes correlated with white matter volumes of anterior superior vermis and gray and white matter volumes of the cerebellar hemispheres but not with cortical regional volumes. Thalamic volumes correlated with gray matter volumes of the cerebellar hemispheres, parietal cortex, and inferior posterior vermian lobule, which itself correlated with parietal, prefrontal, and frontal cortical volumes. Controls did not show these correlational patterns. Brain structure-function relationships in alcoholics examined with multiple regression identified anterior vermian but not prefrontal or parietal volume as a unique predictor of balance scores; vermian and thalamic but not prefrontal cortical volumes as predictors of card sorting scores; and cerebellar hemispheric white matter but not parietal cortical volume as a predictor of visuospatial ability. CONCLUSIONS Each major node of frontocerebellar circuitry shows volume deficits in alcoholics but can be independently compromised. Disruption of these circuits may underlie alcoholism-related neuropsychological deficits, either by abnormalities present in individual nodes or by disconnection via interruption of selective circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5723, USA.
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