1
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Kato DD, Bruno RM. Stability of cross-sensory input to primary somatosensory cortex across experience. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.07.607026. [PMID: 39149350 PMCID: PMC11326227 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.07.607026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Merging information from across sensory modalities is key to forming robust, disambiguated percepts of the world, yet how the brain achieves this feat remains unclear. Recent observations of cross-modal influences in primary sensory cortical areas have suggested that multisensory integration may occur in the earliest stages of cortical processing, but the role of these responses is still poorly understood. We address these questions by testing several hypotheses about the possible functions served by auditory influences on the barrel field of mouse primary somatosensory cortex (S1) using in vivo 2-photon calcium imaging. We observed sound-evoked spiking activity in a small fraction of cells overall, and moreover that this sparse activity was insufficient to encode auditory stimulus identity; few cells responded preferentially to one sound or another, and a linear classifier trained to decode auditory stimuli from population activity performed barely above chance. Moreover S1 did not encode information about specific audio-tactile feature conjunctions that we tested. Our ability to decode auditory audio-tactile stimuli from neural activity remained unchanged after both passive experience and reinforcement. Collectively, these results suggest that while a primary sensory cortex is highly plastic with regard to its own modality, the influence of other modalities are remarkably stable and play a largely stimulus-non-specific role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Kato
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Randy M Bruno
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
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2
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Jansen M, Lockwood PL, Cutler J, de Bruijn ERA. l-DOPA and oxytocin influence the neurocomputational mechanisms of self-benefitting and prosocial reinforcement learning. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119983. [PMID: 36848972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans learn through reinforcement, particularly when outcomes are unexpected. Recent research suggests similar mechanisms drive how we learn to benefit other people, that is, how we learn to be prosocial. Yet the neurochemical mechanisms underlying such prosocial computations remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether pharmacological manipulation of oxytocin and dopamine influence the neurocomputational mechanisms underlying self-benefitting and prosocial reinforcement learning. Using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design, we administered intranasal oxytocin (24 IU), dopamine precursor l-DOPA (100 mg + 25 mg carbidopa), or placebo over three sessions. Participants performed a probabilistic reinforcement learning task with potential rewards for themselves, another participant, or no one, during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Computational models of reinforcement learning were used to calculate prediction errors (PEs) and learning rates. Participants behavior was best explained by a model with different learning rates for each recipient, but these were unaffected by either drug. On the neural level, however, both drugs blunted PE signaling in the ventral striatum and led to negative signaling of PEs in the anterior mid-cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal gyrus, and precentral gyrus, compared to placebo, and regardless of recipient. Oxytocin (versus placebo) administration was additionally associated with opposing tracking of self-benefitting versus prosocial PEs in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula and superior temporal gyrus. These findings suggest that both l-DOPA and oxytocin induce a context-independent shift from positive towards negative tracking of PEs during learning. Moreover, oxytocin may have opposing effects on PE signaling when learning to benefit oneself versus another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Patricia L Lockwood
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Jo Cutler
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Ellen R A de Bruijn
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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3
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Wolff S, Brechmann A. Dorsal posterior cingulate cortex responds to negative feedback information supporting learning and relearning of response policies. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5947-5956. [PMID: 36533512 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Many challenges in life come without explicit instructions. Instead, humans need to test, select, and adapt their behavioral responses based on feedback from the environment. While reward-centric accounts of feedback processing primarily stress the reinforcing aspect of positive feedback, feedback’s central function from an information-processing perspective is to offer an opportunity to correct errors, thus putting a greater emphasis on the informational content of negative feedback. Independent of its potential rewarding value, the informational value of performance feedback has recently been suggested to be neurophysiologically encoded in the dorsal portion of the posterior cingulate cortex (dPCC). To further test this association, we investigated multidimensional categorization and reversal learning by comparing negative and positive feedback in an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment. Negative feedback, compared with positive feedback, increased activation in the dPCC as well as in brain regions typically involved in error processing. Only in the dPCC, subarea d23, this effect was significantly enhanced in relearning, where negative feedback signaled the need to shift away from a previously established response policy. Together with previous findings, this result contributes to a more fine-grained functional parcellation of PCC subregions and supports the dPCC’s involvement in the adaptation to behaviorally relevant information from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Wolff
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Combinatorial NeuroImaging, , Brenneckestr. 6, Magdeburg 39118 , Germany
| | - André Brechmann
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Combinatorial NeuroImaging, , Brenneckestr. 6, Magdeburg 39118 , Germany
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4
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Rabinovich RJ, Kato DD, Bruno RM. Learning enhances encoding of time and temporal surprise in mouse primary sensory cortex. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5504. [PMID: 36127340 PMCID: PMC9489862 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33141-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary sensory cortex has long been believed to play a straightforward role in the initial processing of sensory information. Yet, the superficial layers of cortex overall are sparsely active, even during sensory stimulation; additionally, cortical activity is influenced by other modalities, task context, reward, and behavioral state. Our study demonstrates that reinforcement learning dramatically alters representations among longitudinally imaged neurons in superficial layers of mouse primary somatosensory cortex. Learning an object detection task recruits previously unresponsive neurons, enlarging the neuronal population sensitive to touch and behavioral choice. Cortical responses decrease upon repeated stimulus presentation outside of the behavioral task. Moreover, training improves population encoding of the passage of time, and unexpected deviations in trial timing elicit even stronger responses than touches do. In conclusion, the superficial layers of sensory cortex exhibit a high degree of learning-dependent plasticity and are strongly modulated by non-sensory but behaviorally-relevant features, such as timing and surprise. Activity in the superficial layers of the sensory cortex is believed to be largely driven by incoming sensory stimuli. Here the authors demonstrate how learning changes neural responses to sensations according to both behavioral relevance and timing, suggesting a high degree of non-sensory modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Rabinovich
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Daniel D Kato
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Randy M Bruno
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA. .,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA. .,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA. .,Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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5
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Arsalidou M, Vijayarajah S, Sharaev M. Basal ganglia lateralization in different types of reward. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:2618-2646. [PMID: 31927758 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00215-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Reward processing is a fundamental human activity. The basal ganglia are recognized for their role in reward processes; however, specific roles of the different nuclei (e.g., nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen and globus pallidus) remain unclear. Using quantitative meta-analyses we assessed whole-brain and basal ganglia specific contributions to money, erotic, and food reward processing. We analyzed data from 190 fMRI studies which reported stereotaxic coordinates of whole-brain, within-group results from healthy adult participants. Results showed concordance in overlapping and distinct cortical and sub-cortical brain regions as a function of reward type. Common to all reward types was concordance in basal ganglia nuclei, with distinct differences in hemispheric dominance and spatial extent in response to the different reward types. Food reward processing favored the right hemisphere; erotic rewards favored the right lateral globus pallidus and left caudate body. Money rewards engaged the basal ganglia bilaterally including its most anterior part, nucleus accumbens. We conclude by proposing a model of common reward processing in the basal ganglia and separate models for money, erotic, and food rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Arsalidou
- Department of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation. .,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Sagana Vijayarajah
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maksim Sharaev
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russian Federation
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6
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Bean NL, Stein BE, Rowland BA. Stimulus value gates multisensory integration. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:3142-3159. [PMID: 33667027 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The brain enhances its perceptual and behavioral decisions by integrating information from its multiple senses in what are believed to be optimal ways. This phenomenon of "multisensory integration" appears to be pre-conscious, effortless, and highly efficient. The present experiments examined whether experience could modify this seemingly automatic process. Cats were trained in a localization task in which congruent pairs of auditory-visual stimuli are normally integrated to enhance detection and orientation/approach performance. Consistent with the results of previous studies, animals more reliably detected and approached cross-modal pairs than their modality-specific component stimuli, regardless of whether the pairings were novel or familiar. However, when provided evidence that one of the modality-specific component stimuli had no value (it was not rewarded) animals ceased integrating it with other cues, and it lost its previous ability to enhance approach behaviors. Cross-modal pairings involving that stimulus failed to elicit enhanced responses even when the paired stimuli were congruent and mutually informative. However, the stimulus regained its ability to enhance responses when it was associated with reward. This suggests that experience can selectively block access of stimuli (i.e., filter inputs) to the multisensory computation. Because this filtering process results in the loss of useful information, its operation and behavioral consequences are not optimal. Nevertheless, the process can be of substantial value in natural environments, rich in dynamic stimuli, by using experience to minimize the impact of stimuli unlikely to be of biological significance, and reducing the complexity of the problem of matching signals across the senses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi L Bean
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Barry E Stein
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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7
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Using pharmacological manipulations to study the role of dopamine in human reward functioning: A review of studies in healthy adults. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:123-158. [PMID: 33202256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) plays a key role in reward processing and is implicated in psychological disorders such as depression, substance use, and schizophrenia. The role of DA in reward processing is an area of highly active research. One approach to this question is drug challenge studies with drugs known to alter DA function. These studies provide good experimental control and can be performed in parallel in laboratory animals and humans. This review aimed to summarize results of studies using pharmacological manipulations of DA in healthy adults. 'Reward' is a complex process, so we separated 'phases' of reward, including anticipation, evaluation of cost and benefits of upcoming reward, execution of actions to obtain reward, pleasure in response to receiving a reward, and reward learning. Results indicated that i) DAergic drugs have different effects on different phases of reward; ii) the relationship between DA and reward functioning appears unlikely to be linear; iii) our ability to detect the effects of DAergic drugs varies depending on whether subjective, behavioral, imaging measures are used.
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8
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Kraft JN, O'Shea A, Albizu A, Evangelista ND, Hausman HK, Boutzoukas E, Nissim NR, Van Etten EJ, Bharadwaj PK, Song H, Smith SG, Porges E, DeKosky S, Hishaw GA, Wu S, Marsiske M, Cohen R, Alexander GE, Woods AJ. Structural Neural Correlates of Double Decision Performance in Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:278. [PMID: 33117145 PMCID: PMC7493680 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Speed of processing is a cognitive domain that encompasses the speed at which an individual can perceive a given stimulus, interpret the information, and produce a correct response. Speed of processing has been shown to decline more rapidly than other cognitive domains in an aging population, suggesting that this domain is particularly vulnerable to cognitive aging (Chee et al., 2009). However, given the heterogeneity of neuropsychological measures used to assess the domains underpinning speed of processing, a diffuse pattern of brain regions has been implicated. The current study aims to investigate the structural neural correlates of speed of processing by assessing cortical volume and speed of processing scores on the POSIT Double Decision task within a healthy older adult population (N = 186; mean age = 71.70 ± 5.32 years). T1-weighted structural images were collected via a 3T Siemens scanner. The current study shows that less cortical thickness in right temporal, posterior frontal, parietal and occipital lobe structures were significantly associated with poorer Double Decision scores. Notably, these include the lateral orbitofrontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, superior, transverse, and inferior temporal gyrus, temporal pole, insula, parahippocampal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, lingual gyrus, superior and inferior parietal gyrus and lateral occipital gyrus. Such findings suggest that speed of processing performance is associated with a wide array of cortical regions that provide unique contributions to performance on the Double Decision task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N Kraft
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Andrew O'Shea
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Alejandro Albizu
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Nicole D Evangelista
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Hanna K Hausman
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Emanuel Boutzoukas
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Nicole R Nissim
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Emily J Van Etten
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Pradyumna K Bharadwaj
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Hyun Song
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Samantha G Smith
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Eric Porges
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Steven DeKosky
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Georg A Hishaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Samuel Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Michael Marsiske
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ronald Cohen
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Gene E Alexander
- Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Adam J Woods
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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9
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Dorsal posterior cingulate cortex encodes the informational value of feedback in human-computer interaction. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13030. [PMID: 32747695 PMCID: PMC7400569 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68300-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In communication between humans as well as in human–computer interaction, feedback is ubiquitous. It is essential for keeping up the dialogue between interaction partners, evaluating the adequacy of an action, or improving task performance. While the neuroscientific view on feedback has largely focused on its function as reward, more general definitions also emphasise its function as information about aspects of one’s task performance. Using fMRI in a computer-controlled auditory categorisation task, we studied the neural correlates of the informational value of computer-given feedback independent of reward. Feedback about the correctness of a decision, compared with feedback only indicating the registration of a decision, increases activation of the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, supporting this region’s role in adapting to behaviourally relevant information. Both conditions elicit equally strong activation of the dorsal striatum which does not support an interpretation of feedback information as a type of reward. Instead, we suggest that it reflects a more fundamental aspect of human interaction behaviour, namely the establishment of a state that enables us to continue with the next step of the interaction.
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10
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Guo L, Weems JT, Walker WI, Levichev A, Jaramillo S. Choice-Selective Neurons in the Auditory Cortex and in Its Striatal Target Encode Reward Expectation. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3687-3697. [PMID: 30837264 PMCID: PMC6510333 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2585-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Learned behavioral responses to sounds depend largely on the expected outcomes associated with each potential choice. Where and how the nervous system integrates expectations about reward with auditory sensory information to drive appropriate decisions is not fully understood. Using a two-alternative choice task in which the expected reward associated with each sound varied over time, we investigated potential sites along the corticostriatal pathway for the integration of sound signals, behavioral choice, and reward information in male mice. We found that auditory cortical neurons encode not only sound identity, but also the animal's choice and the expected size of reward. This influence of reward expectation on sound- and choice-related activity was further enhanced in the major striatal target of the auditory cortex: the posterior tail of the dorsal striatum. These results indicate that choice-specific information is integrated with reward signals throughout the corticostriatal pathway, potentially contributing to adaptation in sound-driven behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Learning and maintenance of sensory-motor associations require that neural circuits keep track of sensory stimuli, choices, and outcomes. It is not clear at what stages along the auditory sensorimotor pathway these signals are integrated to influence future behavior in response to sounds. Our results show that the activity of auditory cortical neurons and of their striatal targets encodes the animals' choices and expectation of reward, in addition to stimulus identity. These results challenge previous views of the influence of motor signals on auditory circuits and identifies potential loci for integration of task-related information necessary for updating auditory decisions in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Guo
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Jardon T Weems
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - William I Walker
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Anastasia Levichev
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Santiago Jaramillo
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
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11
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Wikman P, Rinne T, Petkov CI. Reward cues readily direct monkeys' auditory performance resulting in broad auditory cortex modulation and interaction with sites along cholinergic and dopaminergic pathways. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3055. [PMID: 30816142 PMCID: PMC6395775 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38833-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In natural settings, the prospect of reward often influences the focus of our attention, but how cognitive and motivational systems influence sensory cortex is not well understood. Also, challenges in training nonhuman animals on cognitive tasks complicate cross-species comparisons and interpreting results on the neurobiological bases of cognition. Incentivized attention tasks could expedite training and evaluate the impact of attention on sensory cortex. Here we develop an Incentivized Attention Paradigm (IAP) and use it to show that macaque monkeys readily learn to use auditory or visual reward cues, drastically influencing their performance within a simple auditory task. Next, this paradigm was used with functional neuroimaging to measure activation modulation in the monkey auditory cortex. The results show modulation of extensive auditory cortical regions throughout primary and non-primary regions, which although a hallmark of attentional modulation in human auditory cortex, has not been studied or observed as broadly in prior data from nonhuman animals. Psycho-physiological interactions were identified between the observed auditory cortex effects and regions including basal forebrain sites along acetylcholinergic and dopaminergic pathways. The findings reveal the impact and regional interactions in the primate brain during an incentivized attention engaging auditory task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Wikman
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Teemu Rinne
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Christopher I Petkov
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
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12
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Weis T, Krick CM, Reith W, Lachmann T. Is it still speech? Different processing strategies in learning to discriminate stimuli in the transition from speech to non-speech including feedback evaluation. Brain Cogn 2018; 125:1-13. [PMID: 29800729 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Processing of speech was investigated by using stimuli gradually changing from speech (vowels) to non-speech (spectral rotated vowels). Stimuli were presented in descending levels of vocalization blends, from pure speech to non-speech, through step-wise combinations, resulting in ambiguous versions of the sounds. Participants performed a two-alternative forced choice task: categorization of sounds were made according to whether they contained more speech or non-speech. Performance feedback was presented visually on each trial. Reaction times (RT) after sound presentation, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data during auditory and visual processing, were analyzed. RT data suggested individual differences with a distinct group, good performers, functioning better in distinguishing stimuli with a higher degree of ambiguous blends compared to poor performers, who were not able to distinguish these stimuli correctly. fMRI data confirmed this finding. During auditory stimulation, good performers showed neural activation in the ventral auditory pathway, including the primary auditory cortex and the anterior superior temporal sulcus (responsible for speech processing). Poor performers, in contrast, showed neural activation in the dorsal auditory pathway, including the bilateral superior temporal gyrus. Group differences were also found for visual feedback processing. Differences observed between the groups were interpreted as reflecting different neural processing strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Weis
- Cognitive and Developmental Psychology Unit, Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Christoph M Krick
- Clinic of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Reith
- Clinic of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Lachmann
- Cognitive and Developmental Psychology Unit, Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany; University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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13
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Francis NA, Winkowski DE, Sheikhattar A, Armengol K, Babadi B, Kanold PO. Small Networks Encode Decision-Making in Primary Auditory Cortex. Neuron 2018; 97:885-897.e6. [PMID: 29398362 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Sensory detection tasks enhance representations of behaviorally meaningful stimuli in primary auditory cortex (A1). However, it remains unclear how A1 encodes decision-making. Neurons in A1 layer 2/3 (L2/3) show heterogeneous stimulus selectivity and complex anatomical connectivity, and receive input from prefrontal cortex. Thus, task-related modulation of activity in A1 L2/3 might differ across subpopulations. To study the neural coding of decision-making, we used two-photon imaging in A1 L2/3 of mice performing a tone-detection task. Neural responses to targets showed attentional gain and encoded behavioral choice. To characterize network representation of behavioral choice, we analyzed functional connectivity using Granger causality, pairwise noise correlations, and neural decoding. During task performance, small groups of four to five neurons became sparsely linked, locally clustered, and rostro-caudally oriented, while noise correlations both increased and decreased. Our results suggest that sensory-based decision-making involves small neural networks driven by the sum of sensory input, attentional gain, and behavioral choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolas A Francis
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Daniel E Winkowski
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Alireza Sheikhattar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Kevin Armengol
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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14
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Elmer S, Hausheer M, Albrecht J, Kühnis J. Human Brainstem Exhibits higher Sensitivity and Specificity than Auditory-Related Cortex to Short-Term Phonetic Discrimination Learning. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7455. [PMID: 28785043 PMCID: PMC5547112 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07426-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Phonetic discrimination learning is an active perceptual process that operates under the influence of cognitive control mechanisms by increasing the sensitivity of the auditory system to the trained stimulus attributes. It is assumed that the auditory cortex and the brainstem interact in order to refine how sounds are transcribed into neural codes. Here, we evaluated whether these two computational entities are prone to short-term functional changes, whether there is a chronological difference in malleability, and whether short-term training suffices to alter reciprocal interactions. We performed repeated cortical (i.e., mismatch negativity responses, MMN) and subcortical (i.e., frequency-following response, FFR) EEG measurements in two groups of participants who underwent one hour of phonetic discrimination training or were passively exposed to the same stimulus material. The training group showed a distinctive brainstem energy reduction in the trained frequency-range (i.e., first formant), whereas the passive group did not show any response modulation. Notably, brainstem signal change correlated with the behavioral improvement during training, this result indicating a close relationship between behavior and underlying brainstem physiology. Since we did not reveal group differences in MMN responses, results point to specific short-term brainstem changes that precede functional alterations in the auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Elmer
- Auditory Research Group Zurich (ARGZ), Division Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marcela Hausheer
- Auditory Research Group Zurich (ARGZ), Division Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joëlle Albrecht
- Auditory Research Group Zurich (ARGZ), Division Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Kühnis
- Auditory Research Group Zurich (ARGZ), Division Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Friesen CL, Bardouille T, Neyedli HF, Boe SG. Combined Action Observation and Motor Imagery Neurofeedback for Modulation of Brain Activity. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 10:692. [PMID: 28119594 PMCID: PMC5223402 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor imagery (MI) and action observation have proven to be efficacious adjuncts to traditional physiotherapy for enhancing motor recovery following stroke. Recently, researchers have used a combined approach called imagined imitation (II), where an individual watches a motor task being performed, while simultaneously imagining they are performing the movement. While neurofeedback (NFB) has been used extensively with MI to improve patients' ability to modulate sensorimotor activity and enhance motor recovery, the effectiveness of using NFB with II to modulate brain activity is unknown. This project tested the ability of participants to modulate sensorimotor activity during electroencephalography-based II-NFB of a complex, multi-part unilateral handshake, and whether this ability transferred to a subsequent bout of MI. Moreover, given the goal of translating findings from NFB research into practical applications, such as rehabilitation, the II-NFB system was designed with several user interface and user experience features, in an attempt to both drive user engagement and match the level of challenge to the abilities of the subjects. In particular, at easy difficulty levels the II-NFB system incentivized contralateral sensorimotor up-regulation (via event related desynchronization of the mu rhythm), while at higher difficulty levels the II-NFB system incentivized sensorimotor lateralization (i.e., both contralateral up-regulation and ipsilateral down-regulation). Thirty-two subjects, receiving real or sham NFB attended four sessions where they engaged in II-NFB training and subsequent MI. Results showed the NFB group demonstrated more bilateral sensorimotor activity during sessions 2–4 during II-NFB and subsequent MI, indicating mixed success for the implementation of this particular II-NFB system. Here we discuss our findings in the context of the design features included in the II-NFB system, highlighting limitations that should be considered in future designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Friesen
- Laboratory for Brain Recovery and Function, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada
| | - Timothy Bardouille
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada; Biomedical Translational Imaging Centre, IWK Health CentreHalifax, NS, Canada; School of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada
| | - Heather F Neyedli
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada; School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada
| | - Shaun G Boe
- Laboratory for Brain Recovery and Function, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada; School of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada; School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada
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16
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Jarvers C, Brosch T, Brechmann A, Woldeit ML, Schulz AL, Ohl FW, Lommerzheim M, Neumann H. Reversal Learning in Humans and Gerbils: Dynamic Control Network Facilitates Learning. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:535. [PMID: 27909395 PMCID: PMC5112252 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Biologically plausible modeling of behavioral reinforcement learning tasks has seen great improvements over the past decades. Less work has been dedicated to tasks involving contingency reversals, i.e., tasks in which the original behavioral goal is reversed one or multiple times. The ability to adjust to such reversals is a key element of behavioral flexibility. Here, we investigate the neural mechanisms underlying contingency-reversal tasks. We first conduct experiments with humans and gerbils to demonstrate memory effects, including multiple reversals in which subjects (humans and animals) show a faster learning rate when a previously learned contingency re-appears. Motivated by recurrent mechanisms of learning and memory for object categories, we propose a network architecture which involves reinforcement learning to steer an orienting system that monitors the success in reward acquisition. We suggest that a model sensory system provides feature representations which are further processed by category-related subnetworks which constitute a neural analog of expert networks. Categories are selected dynamically in a competitive field and predict the expected reward. Learning occurs in sequentialized phases to selectively focus the weight adaptation to synapses in the hierarchical network and modulate their weight changes by a global modulator signal. The orienting subsystem itself learns to bias the competition in the presence of continuous monotonic reward accumulation. In case of sudden changes in the discrepancy of predicted and acquired reward the activated motor category can be switched. We suggest that this subsystem is composed of a hierarchically organized network of dis-inhibitory mechanisms, dubbed a dynamic control network (DCN), which resembles components of the basal ganglia. The DCN selectively activates an expert network, corresponding to the current behavioral strategy. The trace of the accumulated reward is monitored such that large sudden deviations from the monotonicity of its evolution trigger a reset after which another expert subnetwork can be activated-if it has already been established before-or new categories can be recruited and associated with novel behavioral patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Jarvers
- Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology, Institute of Neural Information Processing, Ulm UniversityUlm, Germany
| | - Tobias Brosch
- Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology, Institute of Neural Information Processing, Ulm UniversityUlm, Germany
| | - André Brechmann
- Special Lab Non-Invasive Brain Imaging, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Marie L. Woldeit
- Department Systems Physiology, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Andreas L. Schulz
- Department Systems Physiology, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Frank W. Ohl
- Department Systems Physiology, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Lommerzheim
- Special Lab Non-Invasive Brain Imaging, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Heiko Neumann
- Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology, Institute of Neural Information Processing, Ulm UniversityUlm, Germany
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17
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Puschmann S, Huster RJ, Thiel CM. Mapping the spatiotemporal dynamics of processing task-relevant and task-irrelevant sound feature changes using concurrent EEG-fMRI. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:3400-16. [PMID: 27280466 PMCID: PMC6867321 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The cortical processing of changes in auditory input involves auditory sensory regions as well as different frontoparietal brain networks. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the activation spread across these networks has, however, not been investigated in detail so far. We here approached this issue using concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), providing us with simultaneous information on both the spatial and temporal patterns of change-related activity. We applied an auditory stimulus categorization task with switching categorization rules, allowing to analyze change-related responses as a function of the changing sound feature (pitch or duration) and the task relevance of the change. Our data show the successive progression of change-related activity from regions involved in early change detection to the ventral and dorsal attention networks, and finally the central executive network. While early change detection was found to recruit feature-specific networks involving auditory sensory but also frontal and parietal brain regions, the later spread of activity across the frontoparietal attention and executive networks was largely independent of the changing sound feature, suggesting the existence of a general feature-independent processing pathway of change-related information. Task relevance did not modulate early auditory sensory processing, but was mainly found to affect processing in frontal brain regions. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3400-3416, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Puschmann
- Biological Psychology LabDepartment of PsychologyCluster of Excellence “Hearing4all,”European Medical School, Carl Von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburgGermany
| | - René J. Huster
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- The Mind Research NetworkAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - Christiane M. Thiel
- Biological Psychology LabDepartment of PsychologyCluster of Excellence “Hearing4all,”European Medical School, Carl Von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburgGermany
- Research Center Neurosensory ScienceCarl Von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburgGermany
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18
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Bar RJ, DeSouza JFX. Tracking Plasticity: Effects of Long-Term Rehearsal in Expert Dancers Encoding Music to Movement. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147731. [PMID: 26824475 PMCID: PMC4732757 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge of neural plasticity suggests that neural networks show adaptation to environmental and intrinsic change. In particular, studies investigating the neuroplastic changes associated with learning and practicing motor tasks have shown that practicing such tasks results in an increase in neural activation in several specific brain regions. However, studies comparing experts and non-experts suggest that experts employ less neuronal activation than non-experts when performing a familiar motor task. Here, we aimed to determine the long-term changes in neural networks associated with learning a new dance in professional ballet dancers over 34 weeks. Subjects visualized dance movements to music while undergoing fMRI scanning at four time points over 34-weeks. Results demonstrated that initial learning and performance at seven weeks led to increases in activation in cortical regions during visualization compared to the first week. However, at 34 weeks, the cortical networks showed reduced activation compared to week seven. Specifically, motor learning and performance over the 34 weeks showed the typical inverted-U-shaped function of learning. Further, our result demonstrate that learning of a motor sequence of dance movements to music in the real world can be visualized by expert dancers using fMRI and capture highly significant modeled fits of the brain network variance of BOLD signals from early learning to expert level performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel J. Bar
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joseph F. X. DeSouza
- Centre for Vision Research, Department of Psychology, Department of Biology, Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program, Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Studies, Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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19
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Happel MFK. Dopaminergic impact on local and global cortical circuit processing during learning. Behav Brain Res 2015; 299:32-41. [PMID: 26608540 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We have learned to detect, predict and behaviorally respond to important changes in our environment on short and longer time scales. Therefore, brains of humans and higher animals build upon a perceptual and semantic salience stored in their memories mainly generated by associative reinforcement learning. Functionally, the brain needs to extract and amplify a small number of features of sensory input with behavioral relevance to a particular situation in order to guide behavior. In this review, I argue that dopamine action, particularly in sensory cortex, orchestrates layer-dependent local and long-range cortical circuits integrating sensory associated bottom-up and semantically relevant top-down information, respectively. Available evidence reveals that dopamine thereby controls both the selection of perceptually or semantically salient signals as well as feedback processing from higher-order areas in the brain. Sensory cortical dopamine thereby governs the integration of selected sensory information within a behavioral context. This review proposes that dopamine enfolds this function by temporally distinct actions on particular layer-dependent local and global cortical circuits underlying the integration of sensory, and non-sensory cognitive and behavioral variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max F K Happel
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, D-39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
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20
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Fisher M, Loewy R, Carter C, Lee A, Ragland JD, Niendam T, Schlosser D, Pham L, Miskovich T, Vinogradov S. Neuroplasticity-based auditory training via laptop computer improves cognition in young individuals with recent onset schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2015; 41:250-8. [PMID: 24444862 PMCID: PMC4266283 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbt232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cognitive deficits that characterize schizophrenia are present in the prodrome, worsen with illness onset, and predict functional outcome. Cognitive dysfunction is thus a critical target for early intervention in young individuals with recent onset schizophrenia. METHOD This 2-site double-blind randomized controlled trial investigated cognitive training of auditory processing/verbal learning in 86 subjects with recent onset schizophrenia (mean age of 21 years). Subjects were given laptop computers to take home and were asked to perform 40 hours of training or 40 hours of commercial computer games over 8 weeks. We examined cognitive measures recommended by the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia initiative (MATRICS), symptoms, and functioning. We also assessed baseline reward anticipation to index motivational system functioning and measured changes in auditory processing speed after 20 hours of training to assess target engagement. RESULTS Auditory training subjects demonstrated significant improvements in global cognition, verbal memory, and problem solving compared with those of computer games control subjects. Both groups showed a slight but significant decrease in symptoms and no change in functional outcome measures. Training-induced cognitive gains at posttraining showed significant associations with reward anticipation at baseline and with improvement in auditory processing speed at 20 hours. CONCLUSION Neuroscience-informed cognitive training via laptop computer represents a promising treatment approach for cognitive dysfunction in early schizophrenia. An individual's baseline motivational system functioning (reward anticipation), and ability to engage in auditory processing speed improvement, may represent important predictors of treatment outcome. Future studies must investigate whether cognitive training improves functioning and how best to integrate it into critical psychosocial interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Fisher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA;,Department of Psychiatry, San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Rachel Loewy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Cameron Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Ashley Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Tara Niendam
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, CA
| | | | - Lien Pham
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Tara Miskovich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Sophia Vinogradov
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Department of Psychiatry, San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA;
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Weis T, Puschmann S, Brechmann A, Thiel CM. Positive and negative reinforcement activate human auditory cortex. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:842. [PMID: 24367318 PMCID: PMC3852233 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior studies suggest that reward modulates neural activity in sensory cortices, but less is known about punishment. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and an auditory discrimination task, where participants had to judge the duration of frequency modulated tones. In one session correct performance resulted in financial gains at the end of the trial, in a second session incorrect performance resulted in financial loss. Incorrect performance in the rewarded as well as correct performance in the punishment condition resulted in a neutral outcome. The size of gains and losses was either low or high (10 or 50 Euro cent) depending on the direction of frequency modulation. We analyzed neural activity at the end of the trial, during reinforcement, and found increased neural activity in auditory cortex when gaining a financial reward as compared to gaining no reward and when avoiding financial loss as compared to receiving a financial loss. This was independent on the size of gains and losses. A similar pattern of neural activity for both gaining a reward and avoiding a loss was also seen in right middle temporal gyrus, bilateral insula and pre-supplemental motor area, here however neural activity was lower after correct responses compared to incorrect responses. To summarize, this study shows that the activation of sensory cortices, as previously shown for gaining a reward is also seen during avoiding a loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Weis
- Biological Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Puschmann
- Biological Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence, “Hearing4all,” Carl von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburg, Germany
| | - André Brechmann
- Special-Lab Non-invasive Brain Imaging, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Christiane M. Thiel
- Biological Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence, “Hearing4all,” Carl von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky UniversityOldenburg, Germany
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