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Cao L, Palmisano C, Chen X, Isaias IU, Händel BF. Spontaneous blink-related beta power increase and theta phase reset in subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson patients during walking. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 161:17-26. [PMID: 38432185 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.02.019] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Both blinking and walking are altered in Parkinson's disease and both motor outputs have been shown to be linked in healthy subjects. Additionally, studies suggest an involvement of basal ganglia activity and striatal dopamine in blink generation. We investigated the role of the basal ganglia circuitry on spontaneous blinking and if this role is dependent on movement state and striatal dopamine. METHODS We analysed subthalamic nucleus (STN) activity in seven chronically implanted patients for deep brain stimulation (DBS) with respect to blinks and movement state (resting state and unperturbed walking). Neurophysiological recordings were combined with individual molecular brain imaging assessing the dopamine reuptake transporter (DAT) density for the left and right striatum separately. RESULTS We found a significantly higher blink rate during walking compared to resting. The blink rate during walking positively correlated with the DAT density of the left caudate nucleus. During walking only, spontaneous blinking was followed by an increase in the right STN beta power and a bilateral subthalamic phase reset in the low frequencies. The right STN blink-related beta power modulation correlated negatively with the DAT density of the contralateral putamen. The left STN blink-related beta power correlated with the DAT density of the putamen in the less dopamine-depleted hemisphere. Both correlations were specific to the walking condition and to beta power following a blink. CONCLUSION Our findings show that spontaneous blinking is related to striatal dopamine and has a frequency specific deployment in the STN. This correlation depends on the current movement state such as walking. SIGNIFICANCE This work indicates that subcortical activity following a motor event as well as the relationship between dopamine and motor events can be dependent on the motor state. Accordingly, disease related changes in brain activity should be assessed during natural movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyu Cao
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilian-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chiara Palmisano
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Xinyu Chen
- Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilian-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ioannis U Isaias
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Parkinson Institute Milan, ASST G. Pini CTO, Milano, Italy
| | - Barbara F Händel
- Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilian-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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2
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Le Cunff AL, Dommett E, Giampietro V. Neurophysiological measures and correlates of cognitive load in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia: A scoping review and research recommendations. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:256-282. [PMID: 38109476 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16201] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Working memory is integral to a range of critical cognitive functions such as reasoning and decision-making. Although alterations in working memory have been observed in neurodivergent populations, there has been no review mapping how cognitive load is measured in common neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia. This scoping review explores the neurophysiological measures used to study cognitive load in these specific populations. Our findings highlight that electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are the most frequently used methods, with a limited number of studies employing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), magnetoencephalography (MEG) or eye-tracking. Notably, eye-related measures are less commonly used, despite their prominence in cognitive load research among neurotypical individuals. The review also highlights potential correlates of cognitive load, such as neural oscillations in the theta and alpha ranges for EEG studies, blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses in lateral and medial frontal brain regions for fMRI and fNIRS studies and eye-related measures such as pupil dilation and blink rate. Finally, critical issues for future studies are discussed, including the technical challenges associated with multimodal approaches, the possible impact of atypical features on cognitive load measures and balancing data richness with participant well-being. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of cognitive load measurement in neurodivergent populations and point to important methodological considerations for future neuroscientific research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Le Cunff
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eleanor Dommett
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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3
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Zou L, Herold F, Ludyga S, Kamijo K, Müller NG, Pontifex MB, Heath M, Kuwamizu R, Soya H, Hillman CH, Ando S, Alderman BL, Cheval B, Kramer AF. Look into my eyes: What can eye-based measures tell us about the relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance? JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2023; 12:568-591. [PMID: 37148971 PMCID: PMC10466196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing interest to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that drive the positive associations of physical activity and fitness with measures of cognitive performance. To better understand those mechanisms, several studies have employed eye-based measures (e.g., eye movement measures such as saccades, pupillary measures such as pupil dilation, and vascular measures such as retinal vessel diameter) deemed to be proxies for specific neurobiological mechanisms. However, there is currently no systematic review providing a comprehensive overview of these studies in the field of exercise-cognition science. Thus, this review aimed to address that gap in the literature. METHODS To identify eligible studies, we searched 5 electronic databases on October 23, 2022. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using a modified version of the Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise (TESTEX scale, for interventional studies) and the critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute (for cross-sectional studies). RESULTS Our systematic review (n = 35 studies) offers the following main findings: (a) there is insufficient evidence available to draw solid conclusions concerning gaze-fixation-based measures; (b) the evidence that pupillometric measures, which are a proxy for the noradrenergic system, can explain the positive effect of acute exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive performance is mixed; (c) physical training- or fitness-related changes of the cerebrovascular system (operationalized via changes in retinal vasculature) are, in general, positively associated with cognitive performance improvements; (d) acute and chronic physical exercises show a positive effect based on an oculomotor-based measure of executive function (operationalized via antisaccade tasks); and (e) the positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive performance is partly mediated by the dopaminergic system (operationalized via spontaneous eye-blink rate). CONCLUSION This systematic review offers confirmation that eye-based measures can provide valuable insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that may drive positive associations between physical activity and fitness and measures of cognitive performance. However, due to the limited number of studies utilizing specific methods for obtaining eye-based measures (e.g., pupillometry, retinal vessel analysis, spontaneous eye blink rate) or investigating a possible dose-response relationship, further research is necessary before more nuanced conclusions can be drawn. Given that eye-based measures are economical and non-invasive, we hope this review will foster the future application of eye-based measures in the field of exercise-cognition science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liye Zou
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany.
| | - Fabian Herold
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ludyga
- Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, University of Basel, Basel 4052, Switzerland
| | - Keita Kamijo
- Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya 466-8666, Japan
| | - Notger G Müller
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Matthew B Pontifex
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Matthew Heath
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London ON N6A 3K7, Canada; Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Ryuta Kuwamizu
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan
| | - Hideaki Soya
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan; Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Soichi Ando
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Brandon L Alderman
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Boris Cheval
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland; Laboratory for the Study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression (E3Lab), Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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Reyna VF, Müller SM, Edelson SM. Critical tests of fuzzy trace theory in brain and behavior: uncertainty across time, probability, and development. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:746-772. [PMID: 36828988 PMCID: PMC9957613 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01058-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Uncertainty permeates decisions from the trivial to the profound. Integrating brain and behavioral evidence, we discuss how probabilistic (varied outcomes) and temporal (delayed outcomes) uncertainty differ across age and individuals; how critical tests adjudicate between theories of uncertainty (prospect theory and fuzzy-trace theory); and how these mechanisms might be represented in the brain. The same categorical gist representations of gains and losses account for choices and eye-tracking data in both value-allocation (add money to gambles) and risky-choice tasks, disconfirming prospect theory and confirming predictions of fuzzy-trace theory. The analysis is extended to delay discounting and disambiguated choices, explaining hidden-zero effects that similarly turn on categorical distinctions between some gain and no gain, certain gain and uncertain gain, gain and loss, and now and later. Bold activation implicates dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices in gist strategies that are not just one tool in a grab-bag of cognitive options but rather are general strategies that systematically predict behaviors across many different tasks involving probabilistic and temporal uncertainty. High valuation (e.g., ventral striatum; ventromedial prefrontal cortex) and low executive control (e.g., lateral prefrontal cortex) contribute to risky and impatient choices, especially in youth. However, valuation in ventral striatum supports reward-maximizing and gist strategies in adulthood. Indeed, processing becomes less "rational" in the sense of maximizing gains and more noncompensatory (eye movements indicate fewer tradeoffs) as development progresses from adolescence to adulthood, as predicted. Implications for theoretically predicted "public-health paradoxes" are discussed, including gist versus verbatim thinking in drug experimentation and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silke M. Müller
- Department General Psychology: Cognition, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
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5
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Demiral ŞB, Kure Liu C, Benveniste H, Tomasi D, Volkow ND. Activation of brain arousal networks coincident with eye blinks during resting state. Cereb Cortex 2023:6991186. [PMID: 36653022 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad001] [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: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Eye-blinking has been implicated in arousal and attention. Here we test the hypothesis that blinking-moments represent arousal surges associated with activation of the ascending arousal network (AAN) and its thalamic projections. For this purpose, we explored the temporal relationship between eye-blinks and fMRI BOLD activity in AAN and thalamic nuclei, as well as whole brain cluster corrected activations during eyes-open, resting-state fMRI scanning. We show that BOLD activations in the AAN nuclei peaked prior to the eye blinks and in thalamic nuclei peaked prior to and during the blink, consistent with the role of eye blinking in arousal surges. Additionally, we showed visual cortex peak activation prior to the eye blinks, providing further evidence of the visual cortex's role in arousal, and document cerebellar peak activation post eye blinks, which might reflect downstream engagement from arousal surges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şükrü Barış Demiral
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Kure Liu
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA
| | - Helene Benveniste
- Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Dardo Tomasi
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA.,National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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6
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Bigliassi M, Filho E. Functional significance of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during exhaustive exercise. Biol Psychol 2022; 175:108442. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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7
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Demiral ŞB, Manza P, Biesecker E, Wiers C, Shokri-Kojori E, McPherson K, Dennis E, Johnson A, Tomasi D, Wang GJ, Volkow ND. Striatal D1 and D2 receptor availability are selectively associated with eye-blink rates after methylphenidate treatment. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1015. [PMID: 36163254 PMCID: PMC9513088 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03979-5] [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: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye-blink rate has been proposed as a biomarker of the brain dopamine system, however, findings have not been consistent. This study assessed the relationship between blink rates, measured after oral placebo) (PL) and after a challenge with oral methylphenidate (MP; 60 mg) and striatal D1 receptor (D1R) (measured at baseline) and D2 receptor (D2R) availability (measured after PL and after MP) in healthy participants. PET measures of baseline D1R ([11C]NNC112) (BL-D1R) and D2R availability ([11C]raclopride) after PL (PL-D2R) and after MP (MP-D2R) were quantified in the striatum as non-displaceable binding potential. MP reduced the number of blinks and increased the time participants kept their eyes open. Correlations with dopamine receptors were only significant for the eye blink measures obtained after MP; being positive for BL-D1R in putamen and MP-D2R in caudate (PL-D2R were not significant). MP-induced changes in blink rates (PL minus MP) were negatively correlated with BL-D1R in caudate and putamen. Our findings suggest that eye blink measures obtained while stressing the dopamine system might provide a more sensitive behavioral biomarker of striatal D1R or D2R in healthy volunteers than that obtained at baseline or after placebo. PET imaging in human participants revealed that D1 and D2 dopamine receptor availability was associated with eye-blink rates following treatment with oral methylphenidate, but not a placebo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şükrü B Demiral
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Peter Manza
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erin Biesecker
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Corinde Wiers
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Evan Dennis
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Allison Johnson
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dardo Tomasi
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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8
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Moinnereau MA, de Oliveira AA, Falk TH. Immersive media experience: a survey of existing methods and tools for human influential factors assessment. QUALITY AND USER EXPERIENCE 2022; 7:5. [PMID: 35729990 PMCID: PMC9198412 DOI: 10.1007/s41233-022-00052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) applications, especially those where the user is untethered to a computer, are becoming more prevalent as new hardware is developed, computational power and artificial intelligence algorithms are available, and wireless communication networks are becoming more reliable, fast, and providing higher reliability. In fact, recent projections show that by 2022 the number of VR users will double, suggesting the sector was not negatively affected by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The success of any immersive communication system is heavily dependent on the user experience it delivers, thus now more than ever has it become crucial to develop reliable models of immersive media experience (IMEx). In this paper, we survey the literature for existing methods and tools to assess human influential factors (HIFs) related to IMEx. In particular, subjective, behavioural, and psycho-physiological methods are covered. We describe tools available to monitor these HIFs, including the user's sense of presence and immersion, cybersickness, and mental/affective states, as well as their role in overall experience. Special focus is placed on psycho-physiological methods, as it was found that such in-depth evaluation was lacking from the existing literature. We conclude by touching on emerging applications involving multiple-sensorial immersive media and provide suggestions for future research directions to fill existing gaps. It is hoped that this survey will be useful for researchers interested in building new immersive (adaptive) applications that maximize user experience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alcyr Alves de Oliveira
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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9
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A proxy measure of striatal dopamine predicts individual differences in temporal precision. Psychon Bull Rev 2022; 29:1307-1316. [PMID: 35318580 PMCID: PMC9436857 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02077-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The perception of time is characterized by pronounced variability across individuals, with implications for a diverse array of psychological functions. The neurocognitive sources of this variability are poorly understood, but accumulating evidence suggests a role for inter-individual differences in striatal dopamine levels. Here we present a pre-registered study that tested the predictions that spontaneous eyeblink rates, which provide a proxy measure of striatal dopamine availability, would be associated with aberrant interval timing (lower temporal precision or overestimation bias). Neurotypical adults (N = 69) underwent resting state eye tracking and completed visual psychophysical interval timing and control tasks. Elevated spontaneous eyeblink rates were associated with poorer temporal precision but not with inter-individual differences in perceived duration or performance on the control task. These results signify a role for striatal dopamine in variability in human time perception and can help explain deficient temporal precision in psychiatric populations characterized by elevated dopamine levels.
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10
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Ortega J, Plaska CR, Gomes BA, Ellmore TM. Spontaneous Eye Blink Rate During the Working Memory Delay Period Predicts Task Accuracy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:788231. [PMID: 35242077 PMCID: PMC8886217 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.788231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) has been linked to attention and memory, specifically working memory (WM). sEBR is also related to striatal dopamine (DA) activity with schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease showing increases and decreases, respectively, in sEBR. A weakness of past studies of sEBR and WM is that correlations have been reported using blink rates taken at baseline either before or after performance of the tasks used to assess WM. The goal of the present study was to understand how fluctuations in sEBR during different phases of a visual WM task predict task accuracy. In two experiments, with recordings of sEBR collected inside and outside of a magnetic resonance imaging bore, we observed sEBR to be positively correlated with WM task accuracy during the WM delay period. We also found task-related modulation of sEBR, including higher sEBR during the delay period compared to rest, and lower sEBR during task phases (e.g., stimulus encoding) that place demands on visual attention. These results provide further evidence that sEBR could be an important predictor of WM task performance with the changes during the delay period suggesting a role in WM maintenance. The relationship of sEBR to DA activity and WM maintenance is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jefferson Ortega
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chelsea Reichert Plaska
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bernard A Gomes
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Timothy M Ellmore
- Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
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11
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Martin SL, Jones AKP, Brown CA, Kobylecki C, Whitaker GA, El-Deredy W, Silverdale MA. Altered Pain Processing Associated with Administration of Dopamine Agonist and Antagonist in Healthy Volunteers. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12030351. [PMID: 35326306 PMCID: PMC8946836 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Striatal dopamine dysfunction is associated with the altered top-down modulation of pain processing. The dopamine D2-like receptor family is a potential substrate for such effects due to its primary expression in the striatum, but evidence for this is currently lacking. Here, we investigated the effect of pharmacologically manipulating striatal dopamine D2 receptor activity on the anticipation and perception of acute pain stimuli in humans. Participants received visual cues that induced either certain or uncertain anticipation of two pain intensity levels delivered via a CO2 laser. Rating of the pain intensity and unpleasantness was recorded. Brain activity was recorded with EEG and analysed via source localisation to investigate neural activity during the anticipation and receipt of pain. Participants completed the experiment under three conditions, control (Sodium Chloride), D2 receptor agonist (Cabergoline), and D2 receptor antagonist (Amisulpride), in a repeated-measures, triple-crossover, double-blind study. The antagonist reduced an individuals’ ability to distinguish between low and high pain following uncertain anticipation. The EEG source localisation showed that the agonist and antagonist reduced neural activations in specific brain regions associated with the sensory integration of salient stimuli during the anticipation and receipt of pain. During anticipation, the agonist reduced activity in the right mid-temporal region and the right angular gyrus, whilst the antagonist reduced activity within the right postcentral, right mid-temporal, and right inferior parietal regions. In comparison to control, the antagonist reduced activity within the insula during the receipt of pain, a key structure involved in the integration of the sensory and affective aspects of pain. Pain sensitivity and unpleasantness were not changed by D2R modulation. Our results support the notion that D2 receptor neurotransmission has a role in the top-down modulation of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Martin
- Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6GX, UK
- The Human Pain Research Group, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (A.K.P.J.); (C.A.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anthony K. P. Jones
- The Human Pain Research Group, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (A.K.P.J.); (C.A.B.)
| | - Christopher A. Brown
- The Human Pain Research Group, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (A.K.P.J.); (C.A.B.)
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Christopher Kobylecki
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Neurology, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford M6 8HD, UK; (C.K.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Grace A. Whitaker
- Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Federico Santa María Technical University, Valparaíso 1680, Chile;
| | - Wael El-Deredy
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso 1680, Chile;
| | - Monty A. Silverdale
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Neurology, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford M6 8HD, UK; (C.K.); (M.A.S.)
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12
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Schröder R, Reuter M, Faßbender K, Plieger T, Poulsen J, Lui SSY, Chan RCK, Ettinger U. The role of the SLC6A3 3' UTR VNTR in nicotine effects on cognitive, affective, and motor function. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:489-507. [PMID: 34854936 PMCID: PMC8638222 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06028-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Nicotine has been widely studied for its pro-dopaminergic effects. However, at the behavioural level, past investigations have yielded heterogeneous results concerning effects on cognitive, affective, and motor outcomes, possibly linked to individual differences at the level of genetics. A candidate polymorphism is the 40-base-pair variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism (rs28363170) in the SLC6A3 gene coding for the dopamine transporter (DAT). The polymorphism has been associated with striatal DAT availability (9R-carriers > 10R-homozygotes), and 9R-carriers have been shown to react more strongly to dopamine agonistic pharmacological challenges than 10R-homozygotes. OBJECTIVES In this preregistered study, we hypothesized that 9R-carriers would be more responsive to nicotine due to genotype-related differences in DAT availability and resulting dopamine activity. METHODS N=194 non-smokers were grouped according to their genotype (9R-carriers, 10R-homozygotes) and received either 2-mg nicotine or placebo gum in a between-subject design. Spontaneous blink rate (SBR) was obtained as an indirect measure of striatal dopamine activity and smooth pursuit, stop signal, simple choice and affective processing tasks were carried out in randomized order. RESULTS Reaction times were decreased under nicotine compared to placebo in the simple choice and stop signal tasks, but nicotine and genotype had no effects on any of the other task outcomes. Conditional process analyses testing the mediating effect of SBR on performance and how this is affected by genotype yielded no significant results. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we could not confirm our main hypothesis. Individual differences in nicotine response could not be explained by rs28363170 genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Reuter
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kaja Faßbender
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Plieger
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jessie Poulsen
- Nicotine Science Center, Fertin Pharma A/S, Vejle, Denmark
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience (NACN) Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ulrich Ettinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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13
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Murali S, Händel B. Motor restrictions impair divergent thinking during walking and during sitting. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 86:2144-2157. [PMID: 34997860 PMCID: PMC8742166 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01636-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Creativity, specifically divergent thinking, has been shown to benefit from unrestrained walking. Despite these findings, it is not clear if it is the lack of restriction that leads to the improvement. Our goal was to explore the effects of motor restrictions on divergent thinking for different movement states. In addition, we assessed whether spontaneous eye blinks, which are linked to motor execution, also predict performance. In experiment 1, we compared the performance in Guilford’s alternate uses task (AUT) during walking vs. sitting, and analysed eye blink rates during both conditions. We found that AUT scores were higher during walking than sitting. Albeit eye blinks differed significantly between movement conditions (walking vs. sitting) and task phase (baseline vs. thinking vs. responding), they did not correlate with task performance. In experiment 2 and 3, participants either walked freely or in a restricted path, or sat freely or fixated on a screen. When the factor restriction was explicitly modulated, the effect of walking was reduced, while restriction showed a significant influence on the fluency scores. Importantly, we found a significant correlation between the rate of eye blinks and creativity scores between subjects, depending on the restriction condition. Our study shows a movement state-independent effect of restriction on divergent thinking. In other words, similar to unrestrained walking, unrestrained sitting also improves divergent thinking. Importantly, we discuss a mechanistic explanation of the effect of restriction on divergent thinking based on the increased size of the focus of attention and the consequent bias towards flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriya Murali
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Barbara Händel
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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14
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Brych M, Murali S, Händel B. How the motor aspect of speaking influences the blink rate. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258322. [PMID: 34624051 PMCID: PMC8500445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The blink rate increases if a person indulges in a conversation compared to quiet rest. Since various factors were suggested to explain this increase, the present series of studies tested the influence of different motor activities, cognitive processes and auditory input on the blink behavior but at the same time minimized visual stimulation as well as social influences. Our results suggest that neither cognitive demands without verbalization, nor isolated lip, jaw or tongue movements, nor auditory input during vocalization or listening influence our blinking behavior. In three experiments, we provide evidence that complex facial movements during unvoiced speaking are the driving factors that increase blinking. If the complexity of the motor output increased such as during the verbalization of speech, the blink rate rose even more. Similarly, complex facial movements without cognitive demands, such as sucking on a lollipop, increased the blink rate. Such purely motor-related influences on blinking advise caution particularly when using blink rates assessed during patient interviews as a neurological indicator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Brych
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Supriya Murali
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Händel
- Department of Psychology III, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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15
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Stebbins HE, Jacobs ME, Hatton KT, Kaila EN, Rhoades MM. Spontaneous eye blink rate mediates the relationship between sleepiness and impulsivity to negative stimuli. Biol Psychol 2021; 165:108191. [PMID: 34530069 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108191] [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: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that sleep deprivation results in a negativity bias, especially in the context of impaired response inhibition. In the present study we investigated spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR), a correlate of dopamine function, as a mediator of the relationship between subjective sleepiness and impulsivity toward negative stimuli on a Go/NoGo task. Participants rated their sleepiness on a number of measures including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) and subscales of the Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire (CSRQ). The findings revealed that EBR mediated the relationship between sleepiness as measured by the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) and commission errors on negatively valanced stimuli. These findings suggest that reduced inhibition in responding to negative stimuli can be found as a function of subjective sleepiness and that changes in dopamine function may be one contributing factor explaining this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary E Stebbins
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA.
| | - Megan E Jacobs
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA
| | | | - Erin N Kaila
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA
| | - Mollie M Rhoades
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, USA
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16
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Mueller D, Halfmann K. Dopamine, religiosity, and utilitarian moral judgment. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:627-638. [PMID: 34461025 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1974935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Our goal was to examine the relationship between biological and sociocultural factors that predict utilitarian moral judgment. Utilitarian moral judgments occur when a specific action is based on the outcome rather than its consistency with social norms. We predicted that (1) individuals with higher levels of dopamine will make more utilitarian decisions and (2) individuals who express greater religiosity will make less utilitarian judgments. We measured dopamine using spontaneous eyeblink rate, an indirect measure associated with striatal dopaminergic transmission. A total of 96 participants completed a utilitarian moral judgment task where they made judgments regarding nonmoral, impersonal, personal low-conflict, and personal high-conflict moral dilemmas. Then, participants completed a questionnaire measuring religiosity. We found a negative relationship between religiosity and the proportion of "yes" judgments participants made in the high-conflict personal dilemmas, which was consistent with our second hypothesis. None of our other hypotheses were supported. Understanding biological and cultural factors that relate to utilitarian moral judgment may also help in developing artificial intelligence that more closely mimic human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Mueller
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI, USA
| | - Kameko Halfmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI, USA
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17
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Spontaneous Eye Blinks Predict Executive Functioning in Seniors. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-021-00217-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAs the world’s population is aging rapidly, cognitive training is an extensively used approach to attempt improvement of age-related cognitive functioning. With increasing numbers of older adults required to remain in the workforce, it is important to be able to reliably predict future functional decline, as well as the individual advantages of cognitive training. Given the correlation between age-related decline and striatal dopaminergic function, we investigated whether eye blink rate (EBR), a non-invasive, indirect indicator of dopaminergic activity, could predict executive functioning (response inhibition, switching and working memory updating) as well as trainability of executive functioning in older adults. EBR was collected before and after a cognitive flexibility training, cognitive training without flexibility, or a mock training. EBR predicted working memory updating performance on two measures of updating, as well as trainability of working memory updating, whereas performance and trainability in inhibition and switching tasks could not be predicted by EBR. Our findings tentatively indicate that EBR permits prediction of working memory performance in older adults. To fully interpret the relationship with executive functioning, we suggest future research should assess both EBR and dopamine receptor availability among seniors.
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18
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Ocular measures during associative learning predict recall accuracy. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 166:103-115. [PMID: 34052234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.05.010] [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: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to form associations between stimuli and commit those associations to memory is a cornerstone of human cognition. Dopamine and noradrenaline are critical neuromodulators implicated in a range of cognitive functions, including learning and memory. Eye blink rate (EBR) and pupil diameter have been shown to index dopaminergic and noradrenergic activity. Here, we examined how these ocular measures relate to accuracy in a paired-associate learning task where participants (N = 73) learned consistent object-location associations over eight trials consisting of pre-trial fixation, encoding, delay, and retrieval epochs. In order to examine how within-subject changes and between-subject changes in ocular metrics related to accuracy, we mean centered individual metric values on each trial based on within-person and across-subject means for each epoch. Within-participant variation in EBR was positively related to accuracy in both encoding and delay epochs: faster EBR within the individual predicted better retrieval. Differences in EBR across participants was negatively related to accuracy in the encoding epoch and in early trials of the pre-trial fixation: faster EBR, relative to other subjects, predicted poorer retrieval. Visual scanning behavior in pre-trial fixation and delay epochs was also positively related to accuracy in early trials: more scanning predicted better retrieval. We found no relationship between pupil diameter and accuracy. These results provide novel evidence supporting the utility of ocular metrics in illuminating cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms of paired-associate learning.
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19
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Ruitenberg MFL, van Wouwe NC, Wylie SA, Abrahamse EL. The role of dopamine in action control: Insights from medication effects in Parkinson's disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:158-170. [PMID: 33905788 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder associated primarily with overt motor symptoms. Several studies show that PD is additionally accompanied by impairments in covert cognitive processes underlying goal-directed motor functioning (e.g., action planning, conflict adaptation, inhibition), and that dopaminergic medication may modulate these action control components. In this review we aim to leverage findings from studies in this domain to elucidate the role of dopamine (DA) in action control. A qualitative review of studies that investigated the effects of medication status (on vs. off) on action control in PD suggests a component-specific role for DA in action control, although the expression of medication effects depends on characteristics of both the patients and experimental tasks used to measure action control. We discuss these results in the light of findings from other research lines examining the role of DA in action control (e.g., animal research, pharmacology), and recommend that future studies use multi-method, within-subject approaches to model DA effects on action control across different components as well as underlying striatal pathways (ventral vs. dorsal).
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Affiliation(s)
- M F L Ruitenberg
- Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - N C van Wouwe
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - S A Wylie
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - E L Abrahamse
- Department of Communication and Cognition, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
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20
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Simkute D, Nagula I, Tarailis P, Burkauskas J, Griskova-Bulanova I. Internet Usage Habits and Experienced Levels of Psychopathology: A Pilot Study on Association with Spontaneous Eye Blinking Rate. J Pers Med 2021; 11:288. [PMID: 33918557 PMCID: PMC8068990 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11040288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing availability of the internet has resulted in the increased prevalence of problematic online behaviors. Reliable and affordable neurobiological and psychological biomarkers that distinguish problematic internet use (PIU) from functional online activities are of utmost importance. Previous studies have shown a relationship between spontaneous eye blinking rate (sEBR) and changes in dopamine regulation in neurological and psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. In this study, we utilized sEBR to examine the potential link between individual differences in dopaminergic neurotransmission and PIU. In sum, 62 subjects participated in this study (median age 25, IQR 6 years, 34 females). The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-9), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Clark-Beck Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (CBOCI) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) were used for psychological assessment. The sEBRs were assessed with an electrooculogram recorded from above and below the left eye and from the right and left outer canthi. The group with PIU (PIUQ-9 > 20) expressed higher levels of impulsivity and compulsive behavior symptoms than the control group. In the group with PIU, impulsivity levels were inversely related to sEBR, and a trend of negative association of sEBR with compulsive behavior was observed. Future research should enroll subjects with high levels of PIU and strongly expressed psychopathology levels to further address the utility of sEBR as a potential biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dovile Simkute
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
| | - Igor Nagula
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
| | - Povilas Tarailis
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
| | - Julius Burkauskas
- Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vyduno Str. 4, LT-00135 Palanga, Lithuania;
| | - Inga Griskova-Bulanova
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (I.N.); (P.T.)
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21
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Acunzo DJ, Oakley DA, Terhune DB. The neurochemistry of hypnotic suggestion. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS 2021; 63:355-371. [PMID: 33999774 DOI: 10.1080/00029157.2020.1865869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
A diverse array of studies has been devoted to understanding the neurochemical systems supporting responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions, with implications for experimental and clinical applications of hypnosis. However, this body of research has only rarely been integrated and critically evaluated and the prospects for the reliable pharmacological manipulation of hypnotic suggestibility remain poorly understood. Here we draw on pharmacological, genotyping, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological research to synthesize current knowledge regarding the potential role of multiple widely-studied neurochemicals in response to suggestion. Although we reveal multiple limitations with this body of evidence, we identify converging results implicating different neurochemical systems in response to hypnotic suggestion. We conclude by assessing the extent to which different results align or diverge and outline multiple avenues for future research. Elucidating the neurochemical systems underlying response to suggestion has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of suggestion.
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22
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Laeng B, Garvija L, Løseth G, Eikemo M, Ernst G, Leknes S. 'Defrosting' music chills with naltrexone: The role of endogenous opioids for the intensity of musical pleasure. Conscious Cogn 2021; 90:103105. [PMID: 33711654 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The endogenous opioid system has been implicated during experiences of pleasure (i.e., from food or sex). Music can elicit intense emotional and bodily sensations of pleasure, called 'Chills'. We investigated the effects of an opioid antagonist (50 mg naltrexone) or placebo (40 μg d3-vitamin) while listening to self-selected music or other 'control' music selected by another participant. We used a novel technique of continuous measurement of pleasantness with an eye tracker system, where participants shifted their eyes along a visual analogue scale, in the semblance of a thermometer so that, as the music unfolded, gaze positions indicated the self-reported hedonic experience. Simultaneously, we obtained pupil diameters. Self-reported pleasure remained unchanged by naltrexone, which - however - selectively decreased pupillary diameters during 'Chills'. Hence, the endogenous μ-opioid signaling is not necessary for subjective enjoyment of music but an opioid blockade dampens pupil responses to peak pleasure, consistent with decreased arousal to the music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Norway.
| | - Lara Garvija
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Guro Løseth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marie Eikemo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gernot Ernst
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Vestre Viken Health Trust, Kongsberg Hospital, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
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23
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Preliminary effects of prefrontal tDCS on dopamine-mediated behavior and psychophysiology. Behav Brain Res 2021; 402:113091. [PMID: 33359843 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The ability to manipulate dopamine in vivo through non-invasive, reversible mechanisms has the potential to impact clinical, translational, and basic research. Recent PET studies have demonstrated increased dopamine release in the striatum after bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We sought to extend this work by examining whether bifrontal tDCS could demonstrate an effect on behavioral and physiological correlates of subcortical dopamine activity. We conducted a preliminary between-subjects study (n = 30) with active and sham tDCS and used spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR), facial attractiveness ratings, and greyscales orienting bias as indirect proxies for dopamine functioning. The initial design and analyses were pre-registered (https://osf.io/gmnpc). Stimulation did not significantly affect any of the three measures, though effect sizes were often moderately large and were all in the predicted directions. Additional exploratory analyses suggested that stimulation's effect on EBR might depend on pre-stimulation dopamine levels. Our results suggest that larger samples than those that are standard in tDCS literature should be used to assess the effect of tDCS on dopamine using indirect measures. Further, exploratory results add to a growing body of work demonstrating the importance of accounting for individual differences in tDCS response.
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24
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Chen HY, Dix A, Goh JOS, Smolka MN, Thurm F, Li SC. Effects and mechanisms of information saliency in enhancing value-based decision-making in younger and older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 99:86-98. [PMID: 33422897 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aging attenuates frontostriatal network functioning, which could lead to deficits in value computation when decision-making involves uncertainty. Although it has been shown that visually enhancing information saliency of outcome probability can improve decision-making in old age, mechanisms of this effect are still unclear. In the present study, the saliency of outcome probability was increased using a color-coding scheme as a decision aid in a mixed lottery choice task, and spontaneous eye-blink rate and pupillary responses were assessed in younger and older adults. Older adults showed lower value sensitivity than younger adults; however, increasing information saliency benefitted choice behaviors in both age groups. Furthermore, the decision aid reduced pupil size during decision-making in both age groups, suggesting that enhancing information saliency decreases cognitive demands of value computation. Baseline value sensitivity was negatively correlated with benefit of enhancing information saliency only in older adults. As value representations in older decision makers are less distinctive at baseline, they may have required more environmental compensation than younger adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Yu Chen
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Annika Dix
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Chair of Engineering Psychology and Applied Cognitive Research, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joshua Oon Soo Goh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franka Thurm
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Shu-Chen Li
- Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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25
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McGovern JE, Masucci MD, Le TP, Cohen AS. The (b)link between amotivation and psychosis: Insights through phasic eye blink rate. Psychiatry Res 2020; 294:113490. [PMID: 33038790 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Motivation deficits within Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSDs) are associated with abnormal striatal dopamine responses during reward processing. Eye blink rate (EBR) has been used as a proxy for striatal dopamine; however, it is unclear whether EBR is sensitive to individual differences in amotivation. Amotivation (clinician-rated and self-reported) and EBR during an effort-based reward task were assessed in 28 outpatients with SSDs. EBR was lower during more "active" task phases relative to rest periods. Higher EBR during reward anticipation was associated with lower self-reported, but not clinician-rated, motivation. These preliminary results support a task-engagement, rather than striatal dopamine, account of EBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E McGovern
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States; Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, United States.
| | - Michael D Masucci
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States; Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, United States
| | - Thanh P Le
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States
| | - Alex S Cohen
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, United States; Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, United States
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26
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Öztürk L, Büning PE, Frangos E, de Lartigue G, Veldhuizen MG. tVNS Increases Liking of Orally Sampled Low-Fat Foods: A Pilot Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:600995. [PMID: 33328943 PMCID: PMC7731579 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.600995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently a role for the vagus nerve in conditioning food preferences was established in rodents. In a prospective controlled clinical trial in humans, invasive vagus nerve stimulation shifted food choice toward lower fat content. Here we explored whether hedonic aspects of an orally sampled food stimulus can be modulated by non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) in humans. In healthy participants (n = 10, five women, 20-32 years old, no obesity) we tested liking and wanting ratings of food samples with varying fat or sugar content with or without tVNS in a sham-controlled within-participants design. To determine effects of tVNS on food intake, we also measured voluntary consumption of milkshake. Spontaneous eye blink rate was measured as a proxy for dopamine tone. Liking of low-fat, but not high-fat puddings, was higher for tVNS relative to sham stimulation. Other outcomes showed no differences. These findings support a role for the vagus nerve promoting post-ingestive reward signals. Our results suggest that tVNS may be used to increase liking of low-calorie foods, which may support healthier food choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Öztürk
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Pia Elisa Büning
- The John B. Pierce Laboratory, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eleni Frangos
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Guillaume de Lartigue
- The John B. Pierce Laboratory, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Maria G. Veldhuizen
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
- The John B. Pierce Laboratory, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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Intra-subject consistency of spontaneous eye blink rate in young women across the menstrual cycle. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15666. [PMID: 32973291 PMCID: PMC7519086 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72749-2] [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: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR) has been linked to different cognitive processes and neurobiological factors. It has also been proposed as a putative index for striatal dopaminergic function. While estradiol is well-known to increase dopamine levels through multiple mechanisms, no study up to date has investigated whether the EBR changes across the menstrual cycle. This question is imperative however, as women have sometimes been excluded from studies using the EBR due to potential effects of their hormonal profile. Fifty-four women were tested for spontaneous EBR at rest in three different phases of their menstrual cycle: during menses (low progesterone and estradiol), in the pre-ovulatory phase (when estradiol levels peak and progesterone is still low), and during the luteal phase (high progesterone and estradiol). No significant differences were observed across the menstrual cycle and Bayes factors show strong support for the null hypothesis. Instead, we observed high intra-individual consistency of the EBR in our female sample. Accordingly, we strongly encourage including female participants in EBR studies, regardless of their cycle phase.
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Boonstra EA, van Schouwenburg MR, Seth AK, Bauer M, Zantvoord JB, Kemper EM, Lansink CS, Slagter HA. Conscious perception and the modulatory role of dopamine: no effect of the dopamine D2 agonist cabergoline on visual masking, the attentional blink, and probabilistic discrimination. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2855-2872. [PMID: 32621073 PMCID: PMC7501106 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05579-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Conscious perception is thought to depend on global amplification of sensory input. In recent years, striatal dopamine has been proposed to be involved in gating information and conscious access, due to its modulatory influence on thalamocortical connectivity. OBJECTIVES Since much of the evidence that implicates striatal dopamine is correlational, we conducted a double-blind crossover pharmacological study in which we administered cabergoline-a dopamine D2 agonist-and placebo to 30 healthy participants. Under both conditions, we subjected participants to several well-established experimental conscious-perception paradigms, such as backward masking and the attentional blink task. RESULTS We found no evidence in support of an effect of cabergoline on conscious perception: key behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) findings associated with each of these tasks were unaffected by cabergoline. CONCLUSIONS Our results cast doubt on a causal role for dopamine in visual perception. It remains an open possibility that dopamine has causal effects in other tasks, perhaps where perceptual uncertainty is more prominent.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Boonstra
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA) Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - M R van Schouwenburg
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - A K Seth
- Department of Informatics Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Azrieli Programme on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness, Toronto, Canada
| | - M Bauer
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - J B Zantvoord
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Bascule, Academic Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - E M Kemper
- Department of Pharmacy, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - C S Lansink
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - H A Slagter
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA) Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Magliacano A, Fiorenza S, Estraneo A, Trojano L. Eye blink rate increases as a function of cognitive load during an auditory oddball paradigm. Neurosci Lett 2020; 736:135293. [PMID: 32771601 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Previous evidence suggests that changes in spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR) in human adults might reflect the amount of attentional demand (i.e. cognitive load) during cognitive tasks. However, the actual direction of this relation is uncertain, since most studies investigated the role of cognitive load on EBR by employing visual tasks only. Here we aimed at elucidating the relationship between EBR and cognitive load in non-visual tasks. Sixteen healthy participants performed two auditory oddball tasks, i.e. passive listening to auditory tones versus active counting of target tones; each oddball task was immediately followed by a rest phase. Throughout the oddball tasks we assessed EBR and recorded the P300 on ERPs as an electrophysiological measure of attention. The results showed that participants' EBR increased during the active task compared to the respective rest phase. Amplitude and latency of the P300 too differed between passive and active tasks, but changes in EBR and P300 features were not correlated with each other. Our findings demonstrated that an increase in cognitive load is associated with an increase in EBR in cognitive tasks not involving visual attention. These findings are consistent with previous evidence suggesting shared neurobiological bases between attention and EBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Magliacano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy.
| | - Salvatore Fiorenza
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, SB S.p.A., Laboratorio di Valutazione Multimodale dei Disordini della Coscienza, Telese Terme BN, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Trojano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
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30
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Chakroun K, Mathar D, Wiehler A, Ganzer F, Peters J. Dopaminergic modulation of the exploration/exploitation trade-off in human decision-making. eLife 2020; 9:e51260. [PMID: 32484779 PMCID: PMC7266623 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Involvement of dopamine in regulating exploration during decision-making has long been hypothesized, but direct causal evidence in humans is still lacking. Here, we use a combination of computational modeling, pharmacological intervention and functional magnetic resonance imaging to address this issue. Thirty-one healthy male participants performed a restless four-armed bandit task in a within-subjects design under three drug conditions: 150 mg of the dopamine precursor L-dopa, 2 mg of the D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol, and placebo. Choices were best explained by an extension of an established Bayesian learning model accounting for perseveration, directed exploration and random exploration. Modeling revealed attenuated directed exploration under L-dopa, while neural signatures of exploration, exploitation and prediction error were unaffected. Instead, L-dopa attenuated neural representations of overall uncertainty in insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Our results highlight the computational role of these regions in exploration and suggest that dopamine modulates how this circuit tracks accumulating uncertainty during decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karima Chakroun
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - David Mathar
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Antonius Wiehler
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière - ICM, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche - CENIR, Sorbonne Universités, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Florian Ganzer
- German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Jan Peters
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, University of CologneCologneGermany
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Cherry RL, Adair HS, Chen T, Hendrix DVH, Ward DA. Effect of attentional focus levels on spontaneous eyeblink rate in horses. Vet Ophthalmol 2020; 23:690-695. [PMID: 32437053 DOI: 10.1111/vop.12778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Spontaneous eyeblink rate (SEBR) is inversely proportional to the level of attentional focus in humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of attentional focus on SEBR in horses. PROCEDURES Twenty client-owned horses (2.5-23 years of age, five mares, 15 geldings) were evaluated. A GoPro HERO5 Session™ video recorder was attached to the halter and directed toward the eyes. Horses were acclimated for two hours before study commencement. Horses were filmed in five scenarios requiring different levels of attention: alone in a stall ("stall"), stall with an observer ("person"), standing in an arena ("stand"), walking in an arena ("walk"), and trotting in arena ("trot"). Each of the five scenarios was filmed for ten minutes. Video recordings were reviewed, and SEBR (incomplete, complete, and total blinks) was measured for both eyes in each scenario. RESULTS The median (25%,75%) total SEBRs (blinks/min) were as follows: STALL: OD-16.6 (12.4, 24.3), OS-18.8 (11.5, 26.9); PERSON: OD-17.7 (14.6, 24.2), OS-17.4 (13.9, 24.4); STAND: OD-18.7 (15.1, 24.4), OS-19.4 (16.2, 24.7); WALK: OD-40.1 (34.1, 44.8), OS-40.6 (33.8, 44.7); and TROT: OD-39.7 (30.3, 44.6), OS-39.4 (28.6, 45.0). The total SEBRs at walk and trot were significantly greater than SEBR in stationary scenarios. CONCLUSIONS Despite requiring increased levels of attentional focus, activities involving motion caused increased SEBR in horses. We hypothesize the need for additional tear distribution due to tear evaporation (associated with air movement over the corneas) prevailed over the level of attentional focus to increase the SEBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose L Cherry
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Henry S Adair
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Thomas Chen
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Diane V H Hendrix
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Daniel A Ward
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Substance use is associated with reduced devaluation sensitivity. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 19:40-55. [PMID: 30377929 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Substance use has been linked to impairments in reward processing and decision-making, yet empirical research on the relationship between substance use and devaluation of reward in humans is limited. We report findings from two studies that tested whether individual differences in substance use behavior predicted reward learning strategies and devaluation sensitivity in a nonclinical sample. Participants in Experiment 1 (N = 66) and Experiment 2 (N = 91) completed subscales of the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory and then performed a two-stage reinforcement learning task that included a devaluation procedure. Spontaneous eye blink rate was used as an indirect proxy for dopamine functioning. In Experiment 1, correlational analysis revealed a negative relationship between substance use and devaluation sensitivity. In Experiment 2, regression modeling revealed that while spontaneous eyeblink rate moderated the relationship between substance use and reward learning strategies, substance use alone was related to devaluation sensitivity. These results suggest that once reward-action associations are established during reinforcement learning, substance use predicted reduced sensitivity to devaluation independently of variation in eyeblink rate. Thus, substance use is not only related to increased habit formation but also to difficulty disengaging from learned habits. Implications for the role of the dopaminergic system in habitual responding in individuals with substance use problems are discussed.
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Zhang T, Yu L, Han X. The interaction effect between dopamine and task difficulty: Spontaneous eye blink rates diversely relate with Nogo-N2 across various task difficulties. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 150:1-10. [PMID: 31996297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nogo- N2 and P3 are the two major components in the neural time course of response inhibition (RI) and are both related, albeit differently, to dopamine (DA). However, contradictory results from previous studies imply that there may be an interaction effect between DA and task difficulty on the neural time course of RI. To investigate this, we assessed the correlation between spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR) and N2/P3 elicited by the Go/Nogo tasks across various task difficulties, manipulated by the Nogo-stimuli probability (NP) and Go-stimuli response deadline (RTD). In experiment 1, there were two conditions, low (20%) and high (40%) NP, both of which were fixed on an RTD of 1000 ms. We found that higher EBR was significantly related to a more negative Nogo-N2 amplitude. In experiment 2, there were also two conditions, long (1000 ms) and short (300 ms) RTD, both of which were fixed on an NP of 20%. We found that higher EBR was significantly related to more negative Nogo-N2 amplitude in both conditions, however, there was no significant correlation between EBR and P3 in both of the experiments. These results confirmed the interaction effect between DA and task difficulty on the neural course of the Go/Nogo task. This suggests that task difficulty should be considered in future studies that investigate the influence of DA on RI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Lurong Yu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xianzhong Han
- Department of pharmacy, Chongqing General Hospital, UCAS, Chongqing, China
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Schutte I, Deschamps PKH, van Harten PN, Kenemans JL. Dopaminergic and noradrenergic manipulation of anticipatory reward and probability event-related potentials. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2019-2030. [PMID: 32313980 PMCID: PMC7306042 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05515-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Predicting what will happen in the future in terms of potential reward is essential in daily life. The aim of the current study was to investigate the neurotransmitter systems involved in the anticipation of reward value and probability. We hypothesized that dopaminergic and noradrenergic antagonism would affect anticipation of reward value and probability, respectively. Twenty-three healthy participants were included in a haloperidol (2 mg) × clonidine (0.150 mg) × placebo cross-over design and subjected to a Go/NoGo experimental task during which cues signaled the probability of subsequent target appearance. Reward value (amount of money that could be won for correct and fast responding to the target) as well as probability of target appearance was orthogonally manipulated across four task blocks. Cue-elicited EEG event-related potentials were recorded to assess anticipation of value and probability, respectively. The processing of reward value was affected by dopaminergic antagonism (haloperidol), as evidenced by reduction of the reward-related positivity and P300 to reward cues. This reduction was specifically significant for subjects with high baseline dopamine levels for the P300 and most pronounced for these subjects for the reward-related positivity. In contrast, the processing of reward probability was affected by noradrenergic antagonism (clonidine). In addition, both drugs reduced overall performance (omission rate, response speed variability). We conclude that at least anticipation of reward value and probability, respectively, is specifically affected by dopaminergic versus noradrenergic antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Schutte
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter K. H. Deschamps
- grid.7692.a0000000090126352Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter N. van Harten
- grid.412966.e0000 0004 0480 1382Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.491215.a0000 0004 0468 1456Psychiatric Center GGZ Centraal, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - J. Leon Kenemans
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Hornung T, Chan WH, Müller RA, Townsend J, Keehn B. Dopaminergic hypo-activity and reduced theta-band power in autism spectrum disorder: A resting-state EEG study. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 146:101-106. [PMID: 31669326 PMCID: PMC6933439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies using a variety of methodologies have reported inconsistent dopamine (DA) findings in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ranging from dopaminergic hypo- to hyper-activity. Theta-band power derived from scalp-recorded electroencephalography (EEG), which may be associated with dopamine levels in frontal cortex, has also been shown to be atypical in ASD. The present study examined spontaneous eye-blink rate (EBR), an indirect, non-invasive measure of central dopaminergic activity, and theta power in children with ASD to determine: 1) whether ASD may be associated with atypical DA levels, and 2) whether dopaminergic dysfunction may be associated with aberrant theta-band activation. METHOD Participants included thirty-two children with ASD and thirty-two age-, IQ-, and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. Electroencephalography and eye-tracking data were acquired while participants completed an eyes-open resting-state session. Blinks were counted and EBR was determined by dividing blink frequency by session duration and theta power (4-7.5 Hz) was extracted from midline leads. RESULTS Eye-blink rate and theta-band activity were significantly reduced in children with ASD as compared to their TD peers. For all participants, greater midline theta power was associated with increased EBR (related to higher DA levels). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that ASD may be associated with dopaminergic hypo-activity, and that this may contribute to atypical theta-band power. Lastly, EBR may be a useful tool to non-invasively index dopamine levels in ASD and could potentially have many clinical applications, including selecting treatment options and monitoring treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hornung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Wen-Hsuan Chan
- Research on Autism and Development Lab, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Jeanne Townsend
- Research on Autism and Development Lab, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Brandon Keehn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America; Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America.
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Van Slooten JC, Jahfari S, Theeuwes J. Spontaneous eye blink rate predicts individual differences in exploration and exploitation during reinforcement learning. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17436. [PMID: 31758031 PMCID: PMC6874684 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53805-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) has been linked to striatal dopamine function and to how individuals make value-based choices after a period of reinforcement learning (RL). While sEBR is thought to reflect how individuals learn from the negative outcomes of their choices, this idea has not been tested explicitly. This study assessed how individual differences in sEBR relate to learning by focusing on the cognitive processes that drive RL. Using Bayesian latent mixture modelling to quantify the mapping between RL behaviour and its underlying cognitive processes, we were able to differentiate low and high sEBR individuals at the level of these cognitive processes. Further inspection of these cognitive processes indicated that sEBR uniquely indexed explore-exploit tendencies during RL: lower sEBR predicted exploitative choices for high valued options, whereas higher sEBR predicted exploration of lower value options. This relationship was additionally supported by a network analysis where, notably, no link was observed between sEBR and how individuals learned from negative outcomes. Our findings challenge the notion that sEBR predicts learning from negative outcomes during RL, and suggest that sEBR predicts individual explore-exploit tendencies. These then influence value sensitivity during choices to support successful performance when facing uncertain reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne C Van Slooten
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sara Jahfari
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Royal Academy of Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Attentional blink and putative noninvasive dopamine markers: Two experiments to consolidate possible associations. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 19:1444-1457. [PMID: 31396846 PMCID: PMC6861702 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-019-00717-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive behavioral control involves a balance between top-down persistence and flexible updating of goals under changing demands. According to the metacontrol state model (MSM), this balance emerges from the interaction between the frontal and the striatal dopaminergic system. The attentional blink (AB) task has been argued to tap into the interaction between persistence and flexibility, as it reflects overpersistence—the too-exclusive allocation of attentional resources to the processing of the first of two consecutive targets. Notably, previous studies are inconclusive about the association between the AB and noninvasive proxies of dopamine including the spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR), which allegedly assesses striatal dopamine levels. We aimed to substantiate and extend previous attempts to predict individual sizes of the AB in two separate experiments with larger sample sizes (N = 71 & N = 65) by means of noninvasive behavioral and physiological proxies of dopamine (DA), such as sEBR and mood measures, which are likely to reflect striatal dopamine levels, and color discrimination, which has been argued to tap into the frontal dopamine levels. Our findings did not confirm the prediction that AB size covaries with sEBR, mood, or color discrimination. The implications of this inconsistency with previous observations are discussed.
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Maffei A, Angrilli A. Spontaneous blink rate as an index of attention and emotion during film clips viewing. Physiol Behav 2019; 204:256-263. [PMID: 30822434 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Spontaneous blinking is a non-invasive indicator known to reflect dopaminergic influence over frontal cortex and attention allocation in perceptual tasks. 38 participants watched eighteen short film clips (2 min), designed to elicit specific affective states, and arranged in six different emotional categories, while their eye movements were recorded from the vertical electroculogram. The largest blink rate inhibition, reflecting greater attention allocation to the movie, was observed during the presentation of Erotic clips, excerpts on wilderness depicting beautiful landscapes (Scenery), as well as clips showing crying characters (Compassion). Instead, the minimum blink rate inhibition was found for Fear clips, which induced a defensive response with stimulus rejection. Blink rate across time evidenced how Compassion clips elicited early inhibition while Sadness clips induced a slower, later inhibition. Correlation analyses also revealed a negative correlation (r < -0.40) between total blink rate recorded during Erotic and Compassion clips and self-reported interest. Overall, the main variable explaining blink rate was emotional Valence. Results suggest that blink modulation is related with the motivational relevance and biological significance of the stimuli, tracking their differential recruitment of attentional resources. Furthermore, they provide a solid background for studying the emotion-attention patterns and their deficits also in clinical samples (e.g., neurological and psychiatric patients) using spontaneous blinking as a not-interfering psychophysiological measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy; IN CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova Section, Italy; PNC - Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy.
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Byrne KA, Worthy DA. Examining the link between reward and response inhibition in individuals with substance abuse tendencies. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 194:518-525. [PMID: 30544087 PMCID: PMC6340392 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use problems are often characterized by dysregulation in reward sensitivity and inhibitory control. In line with this representation, the goal of this investigation was to determine how substance abuse tendencies among university students affect incentivized response inhibition. Additionally, this study examined whether striatal dopamine moderates the impact of substance use on response inhibition performance. METHODS The sample included ninety-eight university students. Participants completed this prospective experimental study at an on-campus laboratory. All participants completed substance abuse and disinhibition subscales of the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory-Brief Form. Using a within-subjects design, participants then performed the Stop Signal Task under both neutral (unrewarded) and reward conditions, in which correct response cancellations resulted in a monetary reward. Striatal tonic dopamine levels were operationalized using spontaneous eyeblink rate. RESULTS The outcome measures were Stop Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) performance in the unrewarded and rewarded phases of the task. A hierarchical linear regression analysis, controlling for trait disinhibition, age, gender, and cigarette smoking status, identified an interactive effect of substance use and striatal dopamine levels on incentivized SSRT. Substance abuse tendencies were associated with slower SSRT and thus poorer inhibitory control under reward conditions among individuals with low levels of striatal dopamine (F = 7.613, p = .007). CONCLUSIONS This work has implications for research examining advanced drug use trajectories. In situations in which rewards are at stake, drug users with low tonic dopamine may be more motivated to seek those rewards at the expense of regulating inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaileigh A. Byrne
- Department of Psychology, Clemson University, 418 Brackett Hall Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Darrell A. Worthy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A and M University, 400 Bizzell St., College Station, TX 77843, USA
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40
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Hartley CA, Coelho CAO, Boeke E, Ramirez F, Phelps EA. Individual differences in blink rate modulate the effect of instrumental control on subsequent Pavlovian responding. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:87-97. [PMID: 30386862 PMCID: PMC6373194 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5082-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Pavlovian conditioned responses to cues that signal threat are rapidly acquired and tend to persist over time. However, recent research suggests that the ability to actively avoid or exert control over an anticipated threat can diminish the subsequent expression of Pavlovian responses. Studies in animal models suggest that active avoidance behavior and its consequences may be mediated by dopaminergic function. In the present study, we sought to replicate the finding that active control over threat can attenuate subsequent Pavlovian responding in humans and conducted exploratory analyses testing whether individual differences in blink rate, a putative index of dopaminergic function, might modulate this effect. METHODS Participants underwent Pavlovian aversive conditioning, followed immediately by one of two conditions. In the active avoidance condition, participants had the opportunity to actively prevent the occurrence of an anticipated shock, whereas in a yoked extinction condition, participants passively observed the cessation of shocks, but with no ability to influence their occurrence. The following day, the conditioned stimuli were presented without shock, but both groups of participants had no opportunity to employ active instrumental responses. Blink rate was measured throughout the task, and skin conductance responses served as our index of Pavlovian conditioned responding. RESULTS Consistent with our previous findings, we observed that the group that could actively avoid the shock on day 1 exhibited attenuated recovery of Pavlovian conditioned responses. Further, we found that individuals in the active avoidance group with higher blink rates exhibited a more robust attenuation of spontaneous recovery. CONCLUSION This finding suggests that individual variation in dopaminergic function may modulate the efficacy with which active avoidance strategies can attenuate reactive Pavlovian responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Hartley
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, USA.
| | - Cesar A O Coelho
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emily Boeke
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Phelps
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, USA
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, USA
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41
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Nakano T, Miyazaki Y. Blink synchronization is an indicator of interest while viewing videos. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 135:1-11. [PMID: 30428333 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The temporal pattern of spontaneous blinks changes greatly depending on an individual's internal cognitive state. For instance, when several individuals watch the same video, blinks can be synchronized at attentional breakpoints. The present study examined the degree of this blink synchronization, as reflecting an interest level, while viewing various video clips. In the first experiment, participants interested in soccer, shogi (Japanese chess), or a specific musical group watched a video clip related to each category and rated their interest level after viewing. Results revealed that blink synchronization increased with a rise in interest level in the video clips of soccer and shogi. Moreover, while blink synchronization increased when viewing preferred video clips for the soccer and music group fans, synchronization decreased when viewing videos from the other categories, except for the shogi fans. In contrast, the blink rates did not correlate with the interest level on the video content but changed with the number of shot transitions of it. In the second experiment, participants viewed a video in which a professional salesperson gave descriptions of several products for a few minutes each. When participants reported an interest in the product, blinks were synchronized to the salesperson's blinks. However, when feeling uninterested, blink synchronization did not occur. These results suggest that blink synchronization could be used as an involuntary index to assess a person's interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamami Nakano
- Graduate School of Frontiers Bioscience, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; JST PRESTO, Japan.
| | - Yuta Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Information, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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42
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A potential link between gambling addiction severity and central dopamine levels: Evidence from spontaneous eye blink rates. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13371. [PMID: 30190487 PMCID: PMC6127194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31531-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence points at similarities between substance use disorders (SUD) and gambling disorder on the behavioral and neural level. In SUD, attenuation of striatal D2/3-receptor availability is a consistent finding, at least for stimulating substances. For gambling disorder, no clear association with striatal D2/3-receptor availability has been unveiled so far. With its presumably negligible dopaminergic toxicity, possible differences in receptor availability in gambling disorder might constitute a vulnerability marker. Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) is discussed as a potential proxy measure for striatal dopamine D2/3-receptor availability. Here we examined sEBR in 21 male problem gamblers and 20 healthy control participants. In addition, participants completed a screening questionnaire for overall psychopathology and self-reported measures of alcohol and nicotine consumption. We found no significant difference in sEBR between gamblers and controls. However, in gamblers, sEBR was negatively associated with gambling severity and positively associated with psychopathology. A final exploratory analysis revealed that healthy controls with low sEBR displayed higher alcohol and nicotine consumption than healthy participants with high sEBR. Although the exact association between dopamine transmission and sEBR is still debated, our findings reveal that sEBR is sensitive to inter-individual differences in gambling disorder severity in problem gamblers.
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43
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Sescousse G, Ligneul R, van Holst RJ, Janssen LK, de Boer F, Janssen M, Berry AS, Jagust WJ, Cools R. Spontaneous eye blink rate and dopamine synthesis capacity: preliminary evidence for an absence of positive correlation. Eur J Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29514419 PMCID: PMC5969266 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine is central to a number of cognitive functions and brain disorders. Given the cost of neurochemical imaging in humans, behavioural proxy measures of dopamine have gained in popularity in the past decade, such as spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR). Increased sEBR is commonly associated with increased dopamine function based on pharmacological evidence and patient studies. Yet, this hypothesis has not been validated using in vivo measures of dopamine function in humans. To fill this gap, we measured sEBR and striatal dopamine synthesis capacity using [18F]DOPA PET in 20 participants (nine healthy individuals and 11 pathological gamblers). Our results, based on frequentist and Bayesian statistics, as well as region‐of‐interest and voxel‐wise analyses, argue against a positive relationship between sEBR and striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. They show that, if anything, the evidence is in favour of a negative relationship. These results, which complement findings from a recent study that failed to observe a relationship between sEBR and dopamine D2 receptor availability, suggest that caution and nuance are warranted when interpreting sEBR in terms of a proxy measure of striatal dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Sescousse
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Romain Ligneul
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Ruth J van Holst
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lieneke K Janssen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Femke de Boer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands.,Social, Health, and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Janssen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne S Berry
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - William J Jagust
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Van Slooten JC, Jahfari S, Knapen T, Theeuwes J. Individual differences in eye blink rate predict both transient and tonic pupil responses during reversal learning. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185665. [PMID: 28961277 PMCID: PMC5621687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The pupil response under constant illumination can be used as a marker of cognitive processes. In the past, pupillary responses have been studied in the context of arousal and decision-making. However, recent work involving Parkinson's patients suggested that pupillary responses are additionally affected by reward sensitivity. Here, we build on these findings by examining how pupil responses are modulated by reward and loss while participants (N = 30) performed a Pavlovian reversal learning task. In fast (transient) pupil responses, we observed arousal-based influences on pupil size both during the expectation of upcoming value and the evaluation of unexpected monetary outcomes. Importantly, after incorporating eye blink rate (EBR), a behavioral correlate of striatal dopamine levels, we observed that participants with lower EBR showed stronger pupil dilation during the expectation of upcoming reward. Subsequently, when reward expectations were violated, participants with lower EBR showed stronger pupil responses after experiencing unexpected loss. Across trials, the detection of a reward contingency reversal was reflected in a slow (tonic) dilatory pupil response observed already several trials prior to the behavioral report. Interestingly, EBR correlated positively with this tonic detection response, suggesting that variability in the arousal-based detection response may reflect individual differences in striatal dopaminergic tone. Our results provide evidence that a behavioral marker of baseline striatal dopamine level (EBR) can potentially be used to describe the differential effects of value-based learning in the arousal-based pupil response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne C. Van Slooten
- Department of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Sara Jahfari
- Department of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Tomas Knapen
- Department of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
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