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Su K, Huang Z, Li Q, Fan M, Li T, Yin D. Dissociable functional responses along the posterior-anterior gradient of the frontal and parietal cortices revealed by parametric working memory and training. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1681-1696. [PMID: 38995366 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02834-z] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
While the storage capacity is limited, accumulating studies have indicated that working memory (WM) can be improved by cognitive training. However, understanding how exactly the brain copes with limited WM capacity and how cognitive training optimizes the brain remains inconclusive. Given the hierarchical functional organization of WM, we hypothesized that the activation profiles along the posterior-anterior gradient of the frontal and parietal cortices characterize WM load and training effects. To test this hypothesis, we recruited 51 healthy volunteers and adopted a parametric WM paradigm and training method. In contrast to exclusively strengthening the activation of posterior areas, a broader range of activation concurrently occurred in the anterior areas to cope with increased memory load for all subjects at baseline. Moreover, there was an imbalance in the responses of the posterior and anterior areas to the same increment of 1 item at different load levels. Although a general decrease in activation after adaptive training, the changes in the posterior and anterior areas were distinct at different memory loads. Particularly, we found that the activation gradient between the posterior and anterior areas was significantly increased at load 4-back after adaptive training, and the changes were correlated with improvement in WM performance. Together, our results demonstrate a shift in the predominant role of posterior and anterior areas in the frontal and parietal cortices when approaching WM capacity limits. Additionally, the training-induced performance improvement likely benefits from the elevated neural efficiency reflected in the increased activation gradient between the posterior and anterior areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiqiang Su
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhong-Shan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Ziyi Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhong-Shan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Qianwen Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Mingxia Fan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Ting Li
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, 200335, China
| | - Dazhi Yin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhong-Shan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China.
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, 200335, China.
- Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Science of Anhui Province on Adolescent Mental Health and Crisis Intelligence Intervention, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, 241002, China.
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McKeon SD, Perica MI, Calabro FJ, Foran W, Hetherington H, Moon CH, Luna B. Prefrontal Excitation/ Inhibition Balance Supports Adolescent Enhancements in Circuit Signal to Noise Ratio. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.15.608100. [PMID: 39229165 PMCID: PMC11370379 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.15.608100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
The development and refinement of neuronal circuitry allow for stabilized and efficient neural recruitment, supporting adult-like behavioral performance. During adolescence, the maturation of PFC is proposed to be a critical period (CP) for executive function, driven by a break in balance between glutamatergic excitation and GABAergic inhibition (E/I) neurotransmission. During CPs, cortical circuitry fine-tunes to improve information processing and reliable responses to stimuli, shifting from spontaneous to evoked activity, enhancing the SNR, and promoting neural synchronization. Harnessing 7T MR spectroscopy and EEG in a longitudinal cohort (N = 164, ages 10-32 years, 283 neuroimaging sessions), we outline associations between age-related changes in glutamate and GABA neurotransmitters and EEG measures of cortical SNR. We find developmental decreases in spontaneous activity and increases in cortical SNR during our auditory steady state task using 40 Hz stimuli. Decreases in spontaneous activity were associated with glutamate levels in DLPFC, while increases in cortical SNR were associated with more balanced Glu and GABA levels. These changes were associated with improvements in working memory performance. This study provides evidence of CP plasticity in the human PFC during adolescence, leading to stabilized circuitry that allows for the optimal recruitment and integration of multisensory input, resulting in improved executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane D McKeon
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Maria I Perica
- The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Finnegan J Calabro
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Will Foran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hoby Hetherington
- Resonance Research Incorporated, Billerica, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Chan-Hong Moon
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Beatriz Luna
- The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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3
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Zhao W, Su K, Zhu H, Kaiser M, Fan M, Zou Y, Li T, Yin D. Activity flow under the manipulation of cognitive load and training. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120761. [PMID: 39069226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Flexible cognitive functions, such as working memory (WM), usually require a balance between localized and distributed information processing. However, it is challenging to uncover how local and distributed processing specifically contributes to task-induced activity in a region. Although the recently proposed activity flow mapping approach revealed the relative contribution of distributed processing, few studies have explored the adaptive and plastic changes that underlie cognitive manipulation. In this study, we recruited 51 healthy volunteers (31 females) and investigated how the activity flow and brain activation of the frontoparietal systems was modulated by WM load and training. While the activation of both executive control network (ECN) and dorsal attention network (DAN) increased linearly with memory load at baseline, the relative contribution of distributed processing showed a linear response only in the DAN, which was prominently attributed to within-network activity flow. Importantly, adaptive training selectively induced an increase in the relative contribution of distributed processing in the ECN and also a linear response to memory load, which were predominantly due to between-network activity flow. Furthermore, we demonstrated a causal effect of activity flow prediction through training manipulation on connectivity and activity. In contrast with classic brain activation estimation, our findings suggest that the relative contribution of distributed processing revealed by activity flow prediction provides unique insights into neural processing of frontoparietal systems under the manipulation of cognitive load and training. This study offers a new methodological framework for exploring information integration versus segregation underlying cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyun Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Kaiqiang Su
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Hengcheng Zhu
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, MN, USA
| | - Marcus Kaiser
- Precision Imaging Beacon, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom; School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mingxia Fan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yong Zou
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Ting Li
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200335, China
| | - Dazhi Yin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200335, China.
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4
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Georgoudas M, Moraitou D, Poptsi E, Tsardoulias E, Kesanli D, Papaliagkas V, Tsolaki M. The Mixed Role of Sleep and Time of Day in Working Memory Performance of Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:1622. [PMID: 39201180 PMCID: PMC11353340 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12161622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The importance of night sleep for maintaining good physical and cognitive health is well documented as well as its negative changes during aging. Since Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients bear additional disturbances in their sleep, this study aimed at examining whether there are potential mixed effects of sleep and afternoon time of day (ToD) on the storage, processing, and updating components of working memory (WM) capacity in older adults with MCI. In particular, the study compared patients' performance in the three working memory components, in two-time conditions: "early in the morning and after night sleep", and "in the afternoon and after many hours since night sleep". The Working Memory Capacity & Updating Task from the R4Alz battery was administered twice to 50 older adults diagnosed with MCI. The repeated measures analysis showed statistically significant higher performance in the morning condition for the working memory updating component (p < 0.001). Based on the findings, it seems that the afternoon ToD condition negatively affects tasks with high cognitive demands such as the WM updating task in MCI patients. These findings could determine the optimal timing for cognitive rehabilitation programs for MCI patients and the necessary sleep duration when they are engaged in cognitively demanding daily activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Georgoudas
- IPPS “Neuroscience and Neurodegeneration”, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Despina Moraitou
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Brain and Behavior, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.M.); (E.P.)
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (CIRI-AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Day Center “Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD)”, 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eleni Poptsi
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Brain and Behavior, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.M.); (E.P.)
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (CIRI-AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Day Center “Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD)”, 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Emmanouil Tsardoulias
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Despina Kesanli
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Vasileios Papaliagkas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Magda Tsolaki
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (CIRI-AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Day Center “Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD)”, 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Li J, Aoi MC, Miller CT. Representing the dynamics of natural marmoset vocal behaviors in frontal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.17.585423. [PMID: 38559173 PMCID: PMC10979968 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.17.585423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Here we tested the respective contributions of primate premotor and prefrontal cortex to support vocal behavior. We applied a model-based GLM analysis that better accounts for the inherent variance in natural, continuous behaviors to characterize the activity of neurons throughout frontal cortex as freely-moving marmosets engaged in conversational exchanges. While analyses revealed functional clusters of neural activity related to the different processes involved in the vocal behavior, these clusters did not map to subfields of prefrontal or premotor cortex, as has been observed in more conventional task-based paradigms. Our results suggest a distributed functional organization for the myriad neural mechanisms underlying natural social interactions and has implications for our concepts of the role that frontal cortex plays in governing ethological behaviors in primates.
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Jackson JB, Rich AN, Moerel D, Teichmann L, Duncan J, Woolgar A. Domain general frontoparietal regions show modality-dependent coding of auditory and visual rules. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.04.583318. [PMID: 38903119 PMCID: PMC11188079 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.04.583318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
A defining feature of human cognition is our ability to respond flexibly to what we see and hear, changing how we respond depending on our current goals. In fact, we can rapidly associate almost any input stimulus with any arbitrary behavioural response. This remarkable ability is thought to depend on a frontoparietal "multiple demand" circuit which is engaged by many types of cognitive demand and widely referred to as domain general. However, it is not clear how responses to multiple input modalities are structured within this system. Domain generality could be achieved by holding information in an abstract form that generalises over input modality, or in a modality-tagged form, which uses similar resources but produces unique codes to represent the information in each modality. We used a stimulus-response task, with conceptually identical rules in two sensory modalities (visual and auditory), to distinguish between these possibilities. Multivariate decoding of functional magnetic resonance imaging data showed that representations of visual and auditory rules recruited overlapping neural resources but were expressed in modality-tagged non-generalisable neural codes. Our data suggest that this frontoparietal system may draw on the same or similar resources to solve multiple tasks, but does not create modality-general representations of task rules, even when those rules are conceptually identical between domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. B. Jackson
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - A. N. Rich
- Perception in Action Research Centre & School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - D. Moerel
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - L. Teichmann
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - J. Duncan
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - A. Woolgar
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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7
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Viswanathan P, Stein AM, Nieder A. Sequential neuronal processing of number values, abstract decision, and action in the primate prefrontal cortex. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002520. [PMID: 38364194 PMCID: PMC10871863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Decision-making requires processing of sensory information, comparing the gathered evidence to make a judgment, and performing the action to communicate it. How neuronal representations transform during this cascade of representations remains a matter of debate. Here, we studied the succession of neuronal representations in the primate prefrontal cortex (PFC). We trained monkeys to judge whether a pair of sequentially presented displays had the same number of items. We used a combination of single neuron and population-level analyses and discovered a sequential transformation of represented information with trial progression. While numerical values were initially represented with high precision and in conjunction with detailed information such as order, the decision was encoded in a low-dimensional subspace of neural activity. This decision encoding was invariant to both retrospective numerical values and prospective motor plans, representing only the binary judgment of "same number" versus "different number," thus facilitating the generalization of decisions to novel number pairs. We conclude that this transformation of neuronal codes within the prefrontal cortex supports cognitive flexibility and generalizability of decisions to new conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Viswanathan
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Anna M. Stein
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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8
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Almarzouki AF. Stress, working memory, and academic performance: a neuroscience perspective. Stress 2024; 27:2364333. [PMID: 38910331 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2364333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The relationship between stress and working memory (WM) is crucial in determining students' academic performance, but the interaction between these factors is not yet fully understood. WM is a key cognitive function that is important for learning academic skills, such as reading, comprehension, problem-solving, and math. Stress may negatively affect cognition, including WM, via various mechanisms; these include the deleterious effect of glucocorticoids and catecholamines on the structure and function of brain regions that are key for WM, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. This review explores the mechanisms underlying how stress impacts WM and how it can decrease academic performance. It highlights the importance of implementing effective stress-management strategies to protect WM function and improve academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer F Almarzouki
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Apostel A, Panichello M, Buschman TJ, Rose J. Corvids optimize working memory by categorizing continuous stimuli. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1122. [PMID: 37932494 PMCID: PMC10628182 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is a crucial element of the higher cognition of primates and corvid songbirds. Despite its importance, WM has a severely limited capacity and is vulnerable to noise. In primates, attractor dynamics mitigate the effect of noise by discretizing continuous information. Yet, it remains unclear whether similar dynamics are seen in avian brains. Here, we show jackdaws (Corvus monedula) have similar behavioral biases as humans; memories are less precise and more biased as memory demands increase. Model-based analysis reveal discrete attractors are evenly spread across the stimulus space. Altogether, our comparative approach suggests attractor dynamics in primates and corvids mitigate the effect of noise by systematically drifting towards specific attractors. By demonstrating this effect in an evolutionary distant species, our results strengthen attractor dynamics as general, adaptive biological principle to efficiently use WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylin Apostel
- Neural Basis of Learning, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | | | - Timothy J Buschman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jonas Rose
- Neural Basis of Learning, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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Li D, Hu Y, Qi M, Zhao C, Jensen O, Huang J, Song Y. Prioritizing flexible working memory representations through retrospective attentional strengthening. Neuroimage 2023; 269:119902. [PMID: 36708973 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119902] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work has proposed two potential benefits of retrospective attention on working memory (WM): target strengthening and non-target inhibition. It remains unknown which hypothesis contributes to the improved WM performance, yet the neural mechanisms responsible for this attentional benefit are unclear. Here, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) signals while 33 participants performed a retrospective-cue WM task. Multivariate pattern classification analysis revealed that only representations of target features were enhanced by valid retrospective attention during retention, supporting the target strengthening hypothesis. Further univariate analysis found that mid-frontal theta inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) and ERP components were modulated by valid retrospective attention and correlated with individual differences and moment-to-moment fluctuations on behavioral outcomes, suggesting that both trait- and state-level variability in attentional preparatory processes influence goal-directed behavior. Furthermore, task-irrelevant target spatial location could be decoded from EEG signals, indicating that enhanced spatial binding of target representation is vital to high WM precision. Importantly, frontoparietal theta-alpha phase-amplitude coupling was increased by valid retrospective attention and predicted the reduced random guessing rates. This long-range connection supported top-down information flow in the engagement of frontoparietal networks, which might organize attentional states to integrate target features. Altogether, these results provide neurophysiological bases that retrospective attention improves WM precision by enhancing flexible target representation and emphasize the critical role of the frontoparietal attentional network in the control of WM representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Yiqing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengdi Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Cognition and Neuroergonomics, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Ole Jensen
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jing Huang
- Center for Cognition and Neuroergonomics, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China.
| | - Yan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Earl B. Humans, fish, spiders and bees inherited working memory and attention from their last common ancestor. Front Psychol 2023; 13:937712. [PMID: 36814887 PMCID: PMC9939904 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.937712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
All brain processes that generate behaviour, apart from reflexes, operate with information that is in an "activated" state. This activated information, which is known as working memory (WM), is generated by the effect of attentional processes on incoming information or information previously stored in short-term or long-term memory (STM or LTM). Information in WM tends to remain the focus of attention; and WM, attention and STM together enable information to be available to mental processes and the behaviours that follow on from them. WM and attention underpin all flexible mental processes, such as solving problems, making choices, preparing for opportunities or threats that could be nearby, or simply finding the way home. Neither WM nor attention are necessarily conscious, and both may have evolved long before consciousness. WM and attention, with similar properties, are possessed by humans, archerfish, and other vertebrates; jumping spiders, honey bees, and other arthropods; and members of other clades, whose last common ancestor (LCA) is believed to have lived more than 600 million years ago. It has been reported that very similar genes control the development of vertebrate and arthropod brains, and were likely inherited from their LCA. Genes that control brain development are conserved because brains generate adaptive behaviour. However, the neural processes that generate behaviour operate with the activated information in WM, so WM and attention must have existed prior to the evolution of brains. It is proposed that WM and attention are widespread amongst animal species because they are phylogenetically conserved mechanisms that are essential to all mental processing, and were inherited from the LCA of vertebrates, arthropods, and some other animal clades.
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Zhu F, Zhu X, Bi X, Kuang D, Liu B, Zhou J, Yang Y, Ren Y. Comparative effectiveness of various physical exercise interventions on executive functions and related symptoms in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1133727. [PMID: 37033046 PMCID: PMC10080114 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1133727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Physical exercise has been recommended as an important nonpharmacological therapeutic strategy for managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess the comparative impact of different physical exercise modalities on enhancing executive functions (EFs) and alleviating symptoms in children and adolescents with ADHD. Methods We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, CNKI, and clinical trials databases from inception to October 20, 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies investigating physical exercise for ADHD-related symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention, and executive functions were included. The frequentist random-effect NMA method was applied to pool the results. Results A total of 59 studies (including 39 RCTs, 5 quasi-RCTs, and 15 self-controlled trials) published between 1983 and 2022 were incorporated into the systematic review, of which 44 studies with 1757 participants were eligible for meta-analysis. All types of physical exercise were effective in improving EFs (SMD = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.83 to 1.46), and open-skill activities which require participants to react in a dynamically changing and externally paced environment induced the most incredible benefits for executive functions (SUCRA = 98.0%, SMD = 1.96, and 95% CI: 1.15 to 2.77). Subgroup analyses for EFs revealed varied findings that open-skill activities were the most promising physical exercise type for improving inhibitory control (SUCRA = 99.1%, SMD = 1.94, and 95% CI: 1.24 to 2.64), and closed-skill activities dominated by aerobic exercises had a slightly higher probability of being the most promising physical exercise intervention for working memory (SUCRA = 75.9%, SMD = 1.21, and 95% CI: -0.22 to 2.65), and multicomponent physical exercise tended to be the most effective in cognitive flexibility (SUCRA = 70.3%, SMD = 1.44, and 95% CI: -0.19 to 3.07). Regarding ADHD-related symptoms, closed-skill activities dominated by aerobic exercises might be more advantageous for hyperactivity/impulsivity (SUCRA = 72.5%, SMD = -1.60, and 95% CI: -3.02 to -0.19) and inattention (SUCRA = 96.3%, SMD = -1.51, and 95% CI: -2.33 to -0.69) improvement. Conclusion Physical exercise can significantly help to alleviate the symptoms of ADHD and improve executive functions in children and adolescents with ADHD. Most of all, to promote adherence to treatment, they should be encouraged to perform the physical exercises that they enjoy most.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feilong Zhu
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaotong Zhu
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Bi
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Dongqing Kuang
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Boya Liu
- School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jingyi Zhou
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Yang
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanchun Ren
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuanchun Ren,
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13
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Abstract
While working memory (WM) allows us to store past information, its function is to guide future behavior. Given this role, the tight link between how WMs are maintained and how they are read out to be transformed into context-appropriate actions remains relatively unexplored. Beyond helping us understand memory-guided behavior, focusing on WM readout may also help us better understand the neural basis of memory maintenance.
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Kikumoto A, Mayr U, Badre D. The role of conjunctive representations in prioritizing and selecting planned actions. eLife 2022; 11:e80153. [PMID: 36314769 PMCID: PMC9651952 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
For flexible goal-directed behavior, prioritizing and selecting a specific action among multiple candidates are often important. Working memory has long been assumed to play a role in prioritization and planning, while bridging cross-temporal contingencies during action selection. However, studies of working memory have mostly focused on memory for single components of an action plan, such as a rule or a stimulus, rather than management of all of these elements during planning. Therefore, it is not known how post-encoding prioritization and selection operate on the entire profile of representations for prospective actions. Here, we assessed how such control processes unfold over action representations, highlighting the role of conjunctive representations that nonlinearly integrate task-relevant features during maintenance and prioritization of action plans. For each trial, participants prepared two independent rule-based actions simultaneously, then they were retro-cued to select one as their response. Prior to the start of the trial, one rule-based action was randomly assigned to be high priority by cueing that it was more likely to be tested. We found that both full action plans were maintained as conjunctive representations during action preparation, regardless of priority. However, during output selection, the conjunctive representation of the high-priority action plan was more enhanced and readily selected as an output. Furthermore, the strength of the high-priority conjunctive representation was associated with behavioral interference when the low-priority action was tested. Thus, multiple alternate upcoming actions were maintained as integrated representations and served as the target of post-encoding attentional selection mechanisms to prioritize and select an action from within working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Kikumoto
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- RIKEN Center for Brain ScienceWakoJapan
| | - Ulrich Mayr
- Department of Psychology, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | - David Badre
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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15
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Kwak Y, Curtis CE. Unveiling the abstract format of mnemonic representations. Neuron 2022; 110:1822-1828.e5. [PMID: 35395195 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) enables information storage for future use, bridging the gap between perception and behavior. We hypothesize that WM representations are abstractions of low-level perceptual features. However, the neural nature of these putative abstract representations has thus far remained impenetrable. Here, we demonstrate that distinct visual stimuli (oriented gratings and moving dots) are flexibly recoded into the same WM format in visual and parietal cortices when that representation is useful for memory-guided behavior. Specifically, the behaviorally relevant features of the stimuli (orientation and direction) were extracted and recoded into a shared mnemonic format that takes the form of an abstract line-like pattern. We conclude that mnemonic representations are abstractions of percepts that are more efficient than and proximal to the behaviors they guide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Kwak
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Clayton E Curtis
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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