1
|
Mertin R, Diesta C, Brüggemann N, Rosales RL, Hanssen H, Westenberger A, Steinhardt J, Heldmann M, Manalo HTS, Oropilla JQ, Klein C, Helmchen C, Sprenger A. Oculomotor abnormalities indicate early executive dysfunction in prodromal X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP). J Neurol 2023; 270:4262-4275. [PMID: 37191726 PMCID: PMC10421788 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11761-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND X-Linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a movement disorder characterized by the presence of both dystonia and parkinsonism with one or the other more prominent in the initial stages and later on manifesting with more parkinsonian features towards the latter part of the disease. XDP patients show oculomotor abnormalities indicating prefrontal and striatal impairment. This study investigated oculomotor behavior in non-manifesting mutation carriers (NMC). We hypothesized that oculomotor disorders occur before the appearance of dystonic or parkinsonian signs. This could help to functionally identify brain regions already affected in the prodromal stage of the disease. METHODS Twenty XDP patients, 13 NMC, and 28 healthy controls (HC) performed different oculomotor tasks typically affected in patients with parkinsonian signs. RESULTS The error rate for two types of volitional saccades, i.e., anti-saccades and memory-guided saccades, was increased not only in XDP patients but also in NMC compared to HC. However, the increase in error rates of both saccade types were highly correlated in XDP patients only. Hypometria of reflexive saccades was only found in XDP patients. Initial acceleration and maintenance velocity of smooth pursuit eye movements were only impaired in XDP patients. CONCLUSIONS Despite being asymptomatic, NMC already showed some oculomotor deficits reflecting fronto-striatal impairments, typically found in XDP patients. However, NMC did not show saccade hypometria and impaired smooth pursuit as seen in advanced Parkinson's disease and XDP, suggesting oculomotor state rather than trait signs in these mutation carriers. Neurodegeneration may commence in the striatum and prefrontal cortex, specifically the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renana Mertin
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Cid Diesta
- Makati Medical Center, Makati City, Philippines
- Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Manila, Philippines
| | - Norbert Brüggemann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Raymond L Rosales
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Santo Thomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Henrike Hanssen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ana Westenberger
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Julia Steinhardt
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Marcus Heldmann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Institute of Psychology II, University Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Jean Q Oropilla
- Makati Medical Center, Makati City, Philippines
- Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Manila, Philippines
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Christoph Helmchen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Andreas Sprenger
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany.
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
- Institute of Psychology II, University Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tari B, Edgar C, Persaud P, Dalton C, Heath M. The unidirectional prosaccade switch-cost: no evidence for the passive dissipation of an oculomotor task-set inertia. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2061-2071. [PMID: 35727365 PMCID: PMC9211787 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06394-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is a core component of executive function and supports the ability to ‘switch’ between different tasks. Our group has examined the cost associated with switching between a prosaccade (i.e., a standard task requiring a saccade to veridical target location) and an antisaccade (i.e., a non-standard task requiring a saccade mirror-symmetrical to veridical target) in predictable (i.e., AABB) and unpredictable (e.g., AABAB…) switching paradigms. Results have shown that reaction times (RTs) for a prosaccade preceded by an antisaccade (i.e., task-switch trial) are longer than when preceded by its same task-type (i.e., task-repeat trial), whereas RTs for antisaccade task-switch and task-repeat trials do not differ. The asymmetrical switch-cost has been attributed to an antisaccade task-set inertia that proactively delays a subsequent prosaccade (i.e., the unidirectional prosaccade switch-cost). A salient question arising from previous work is whether the antisaccade task-set inertia passively dissipates or persistently influences prosaccade RTs. Accordingly, participants completed separate AABB (i.e., A = prosaccade, B = antisaccade) task-switching conditions wherein the preparation interval for each trial was ‘short’ (1000–2000 ms; i.e., the timeframe used in previous work), ‘medium’ (3000–4000 ms) and ‘long’ (5000–6000 ms). Results demonstrated a reliable prosaccade switch-cost for each condition (ps < 0.02) and two one-sided test statistics indicated that switch cost magnitudes were within an equivalence boundary (ps < 0.05). Hence, null and equivalence tests demonstrate that an antisaccade task-set inertia does not passively dissipate and represents a temporally persistent feature of oculomotor control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Tari
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Chloe Edgar
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Priyanka Persaud
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Connor Dalton
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Matthew Heath
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada. .,Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, The University of Western Ontario, 1201 Western Rd, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada. .,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dalmaso M, Castelli L, Galfano G. Microsaccadic rate and pupil size dynamics in pro-/anti-saccade preparation: the impact of intermixed vs. blocked trial administration. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2019; 84:1320-1332. [PMID: 30603866 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-018-01141-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged fixation can lead to the generation of tiny and fast eye movements called microsaccades, whose dynamics can be associated with higher cognitive mechanisms. Saccade preparation is also reflected in microsaccadic activity, but the few studies on this topic provided mixed results. For instance, fewer microsaccades have been observed when participants were asked to prepare for an anti-saccade (i.e., a saccade in the opposite direction to the target) as compared to a pro-saccade (i.e., a saccade executed towards a target), but null results have also been reported. In the attempt to shed new light on this topic, two experiments were carried out in which the context of presentation of pro- and anti-saccade trials was manipulated. Pupil size was also recorded, as a further index of cognitive load. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to prepare and perform pro- and anti-saccades in response to a peripheral target, according to a central instruction cue provided at the beginning of each trial (intermixed condition). In Experiment 2, the same task was employed, but pro- and anti-saccade trials were delivered in two distinct blocks (blocked condition). In both experiments, greater saccadic latencies and lower accuracy emerged for anti- than for pro-saccades. However, in the intermixed condition, a lower microsaccadic rate and a greater pupil size emerged when participants prepared for anti- rather than pro-saccades, whereas these differences disappeared in the blocked condition. These results suggest that contextual factors may play a key role in shaping oculomotor dynamics linked to saccade preparation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario Dalmaso
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy.
| | - Luigi Castelli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Giovanni Galfano
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy
| |
Collapse
|