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Uemura M, Katagiri Y, Imai E, Kawahara Y, Otani Y, Ichinose T, Kondo K, Kowa H. Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Coordinates Contextual Mental Imagery for Single-Beat Manipulation during Rhythmic Sensorimotor Synchronization. Brain Sci 2024; 14:757. [PMID: 39199452 PMCID: PMC11352649 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14080757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Flexible pulse-by-pulse regulation of sensorimotor synchronization is crucial for voluntarily showing rhythmic behaviors synchronously with external cueing; however, the underpinning neurophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) plays a key role by coordinating both proactive and reactive motor outcomes based on contextual mental imagery. To test our hypothesis, a missing-oddball task in finger-tapping paradigms was conducted in 33 healthy young volunteers. The dynamic properties of the dACC were evaluated by event-related deep-brain activity (ER-DBA), supported by event-related potential (ERP) analysis and behavioral evaluation based on signal detection theory. We found that ER-DBA activation/deactivation reflected a strategic choice of motor control modality in accordance with mental imagery. Reverse ERP traces, as omission responses, confirmed that the imagery was contextual. We found that mental imagery was updated only by environmental changes via perceptual evidence and response-based abductive reasoning. Moreover, stable on-pulse tapping was achievable by maintaining proactive control while creating an imagery of syncopated rhythms from simple beat trains, whereas accuracy was degraded with frequent erroneous tapping for missing pulses. We conclude that the dACC voluntarily regulates rhythmic sensorimotor synchronization by utilizing contextual mental imagery based on experience and by creating novel rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maho Uemura
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe 654-0142, Japan; (Y.O.); (H.K.)
- School of Music, Mukogawa Women’s University, Nishinomiya 663-8558, Japan;
| | - Yoshitada Katagiri
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan;
| | - Emiko Imai
- Department of Biophysics, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe 654-0142, Japan;
| | - Yasuhiro Kawahara
- Department of Human life and Health Sciences, Division of Arts and Sciences, The Open University of Japan, Chiba 261-8586, Japan;
| | - Yoshitaka Otani
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe 654-0142, Japan; (Y.O.); (H.K.)
- Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kobe International University, Kobe 658-0032, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ichinose
- School of Music, Mukogawa Women’s University, Nishinomiya 663-8558, Japan;
| | | | - Hisatomo Kowa
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe 654-0142, Japan; (Y.O.); (H.K.)
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Afnan J, Cai Z, Lina JM, Abdallah C, Delaire E, Avigdor T, Ros V, Hedrich T, von Ellenrieder N, Kobayashi E, Frauscher B, Gotman J, Grova C. EEG/MEG source imaging of deep brain activity within the maximum entropy on the mean framework: Simulations and validation in epilepsy. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26720. [PMID: 38994740 PMCID: PMC11240147 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Electro/Magneto-EncephaloGraphy (EEG/MEG) source imaging (EMSI) of epileptic activity from deep generators is often challenging due to the higher sensitivity of EEG/MEG to superficial regions and to the spatial configuration of subcortical structures. We previously demonstrated the ability of the coherent Maximum Entropy on the Mean (cMEM) method to accurately localize the superficial cortical generators and their spatial extent. Here, we propose a depth-weighted adaptation of cMEM to localize deep generators more accurately. These methods were evaluated using realistic MEG/high-density EEG (HD-EEG) simulations of epileptic activity and actual MEG/HD-EEG recordings from patients with focal epilepsy. We incorporated depth-weighting within the MEM framework to compensate for its preference for superficial generators. We also included a mesh of both hippocampi, as an additional deep structure in the source model. We generated 5400 realistic simulations of interictal epileptic discharges for MEG and HD-EEG involving a wide range of spatial extents and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels, before investigating EMSI on clinical HD-EEG in 16 patients and MEG in 14 patients. Clinical interictal epileptic discharges were marked by visual inspection. We applied three EMSI methods: cMEM, depth-weighted cMEM and depth-weighted minimum norm estimate (MNE). The ground truth was defined as the true simulated generator or as a drawn region based on clinical information available for patients. For deep sources, depth-weighted cMEM improved the localization when compared to cMEM and depth-weighted MNE, whereas depth-weighted cMEM did not deteriorate localization accuracy for superficial regions. For patients' data, we observed improvement in localization for deep sources, especially for the patients with mesial temporal epilepsy, for which cMEM failed to reconstruct the initial generator in the hippocampus. Depth weighting was more crucial for MEG (gradiometers) than for HD-EEG. Similar findings were found when considering depth weighting for the wavelet extension of MEM. In conclusion, depth-weighted cMEM improved the localization of deep sources without or with minimal deterioration of the localization of the superficial sources. This was demonstrated using extensive simulations with MEG and HD-EEG and clinical MEG and HD-EEG for epilepsy patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jawata Afnan
- Multimodal Functional Imaging Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Zhengchen Cai
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Marc Lina
- Physnum Team, Centre De Recherches Mathématiques, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Electrical Engineering Department, École De Technologie Supérieure, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Sacré-Coeur Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Chifaou Abdallah
- Multimodal Functional Imaging Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Analytical Neurophysiology Lab, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Edouard Delaire
- Multimodal Functional Imaging Lab, Department of Physics and Concordia School of Health, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tamir Avigdor
- Multimodal Functional Imaging Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Analytical Neurophysiology Lab, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Victoria Ros
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tanguy Hedrich
- Multimodal Functional Imaging Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas von Ellenrieder
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Eliane Kobayashi
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Birgit Frauscher
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Analytical Neurophysiology Lab, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jean Gotman
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Christophe Grova
- Multimodal Functional Imaging Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Physnum Team, Centre De Recherches Mathématiques, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Multimodal Functional Imaging Lab, Department of Physics and Concordia School of Health, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Sarabzadeh M, Shariatzadeh M. Electroneuromyography comparison between pre-elderly adult females with and without MS; the potential role of a mind-body therapy in improving neurophysiological profile of MS during pandemic. J Bodyw Mov Ther 2024; 39:489-495. [PMID: 38876673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.03.026] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Imaginary exercises seem to be useful therapeutic approaches to modulate neuromuscular functions due to two main reasons: first, this training would not greatly increase body temperature, and secondly, it can positively affect brain-muscle pathways-which are both primary factors should be considered in rehabilitation programs for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHOD 32 pre-elderly adult females with relapsing-remitting MS (n = 16 - age M (SD): 56.75 (5.07)) and without MS (n = 16 - age M (SD): 56.56 (4.35)) voluntarily recruited. First, they were assigned into two groups: MS patients and healthy controls, to investigate baseline between-group comparison. Then, MS patients were randomly divided into two groups of eight each, designated as experimental and control groups. Recording the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of tibial nerve and integrated electromyographic muscle activation (IEMG) of gastrocnemius muscle was conducted twice, before and after a six-week mind-body exercise therapy to evaluate its effectiveness on improving neuromuscular function. RESULTS The results showed significant difference in both tibial NCV (P < 0.001) and IEMG (P = 0.001) variables between non-MS group and MS group. Furthermore, there was a significant main effect of intervention (P = 0.05) and time (P < 0.001) on IEMG in the MS group, while there was no significant effect of intervention (P = 0.18) and time (P = 0.23) on NCV (p = 0.89). CONCLUSION Neuromuscular dysfunction were apparent in MS patients, and a mind-body therapy of imagery isometric training was found to be useful on improving the neurological deficit in women with MS. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER UMIN000046935.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Sarabzadeh
- Research Associate in Exercise Physiology & Neurophysiotherapy, Iran's National Elites Foundation (INEF), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Shariatzadeh
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Sport Sciences Research Institute, Tehran, Iran. Tel: 0989122914857.
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Pirazzini G, Ursino M. Modeling the contribution of theta-gamma coupling to sequential memory, imagination, and dreaming. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1326609. [PMID: 38947492 PMCID: PMC11211613 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1326609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Gamma oscillations nested in a theta rhythm are observed in the hippocampus, where are assumed to play a role in sequential episodic memory, i.e., memorization and retrieval of events that unfold in time. In this work, we present an original neurocomputational model based on neural masses, which simulates the encoding of sequences of events in the hippocampus and subsequent retrieval by exploiting the theta-gamma code. The model is based on a three-layer structure in which individual Units oscillate with a gamma rhythm and code for individual features of an episode. The first layer (working memory in the prefrontal cortex) maintains a cue in memory until a new signal is presented. The second layer (CA3 cells) implements an auto-associative memory, exploiting excitatory and inhibitory plastic synapses to recover an entire episode from a single feature. Units in this layer are disinhibited by a theta rhythm from an external source (septum or Papez circuit). The third layer (CA1 cells) implements a hetero-associative net with the previous layer, able to recover a sequence of episodes from the first one. During an encoding phase, simulating high-acetylcholine levels, the network is trained with Hebbian (synchronizing) and anti-Hebbian (desynchronizing) rules. During retrieval (low-acetylcholine), the network can correctly recover sequences from an initial cue using gamma oscillations nested inside the theta rhythm. Moreover, in high noise, the network isolated from the environment simulates a mind-wandering condition, randomly replicating previous sequences. Interestingly, in a state simulating sleep, with increased noise and reduced synapses, the network can "dream" by creatively combining sequences, exploiting features shared by different episodes. Finally, an irrational behavior (erroneous superimposition of features in various episodes, like "delusion") occurs after pathological-like reduction in fast inhibitory synapses. The model can represent a straightforward and innovative tool to help mechanistically understand the theta-gamma code in different mental states.
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Dijkstra N. Uncovering the Role of the Early Visual Cortex in Visual Mental Imagery. Vision (Basel) 2024; 8:29. [PMID: 38804350 PMCID: PMC11130976 DOI: 10.3390/vision8020029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The question of whether the early visual cortex (EVC) is involved in visual mental imagery remains a topic of debate. In this paper, I propose that the inconsistency in findings can be explained by the unique challenges associated with investigating EVC activity during imagery. During perception, the EVC processes low-level features, which means that activity is highly sensitive to variation in visual details. If the EVC has the same role during visual mental imagery, any change in the visual details of the mental image would lead to corresponding changes in EVC activity. Within this context, the question should not be whether the EVC is 'active' during imagery but how its activity relates to specific imagery properties. Studies using methods that are sensitive to variation in low-level features reveal that imagery can recruit the EVC in similar ways as perception. However, not all mental images contain a high level of visual details. Therefore, I end by considering a more nuanced view, which states that imagery can recruit the EVC, but that does not mean that it always does so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Dijkstra
- Department of Imaging Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Ryom KI, Basu A, Stendardi D, Ciaramelli E, Treves A. Taking time to compose thoughts with prefrontal schemata. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:1101-1114. [PMID: 38483564 PMCID: PMC11078815 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06785-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Under what conditions can prefrontal cortex direct the composition of brain states, to generate coherent streams of thoughts? Using a simplified Potts model of cortical dynamics, crudely differentiated into two halves, we show that once activity levels are regulated, so as to disambiguate a single temporal sequence, whether the contents of the sequence are mainly determined by the frontal or by the posterior half, or by neither, depends on statistical parameters that describe its microcircuits. The frontal cortex tends to lead if it has more local attractors, longer lasting and stronger ones, in order of increasing importance. Its guidance is particularly effective to the extent that posterior cortices do not tend to transition from state to state on their own. The result may be related to prefrontal cortex enforcing its temporally-oriented schemata driving coherent sequences of brain states, unlike the atemporal "context" contributed by the hippocampus. Modelling a mild prefrontal (vs. posterior) lesion offers an account of mind-wandering and event construction deficits observed in prefrontal patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang Il Ryom
- SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Anindita Basu
- SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Debora Stendardi
- Dip. Psicologia Renzo Canestrari, Univ. Bologna, Viale C. Berti-Pichat 5, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisa Ciaramelli
- Dip. Psicologia Renzo Canestrari, Univ. Bologna, Viale C. Berti-Pichat 5, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Treves
- SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
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Faustmann LL, Altgassen M. A matter of precision? Scene imagery in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2024; 17:529-542. [PMID: 38470059 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3119] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The ability to create mental representations of scenes is essential for remembering, predicting, and imagining. In individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) this ability may be impaired. Considering that autistic characteristics such as weak central coherence or reduced communication abilities may disadvantage autistic participants in traditional imagery tasks, this study attempted to use a novel task design to measure the ability of scene imagery. Thirty high-functioning adults with ASD and 27 non-autistic matched control adults were asked to describe imagined fictitious scenes using two types of scene imagery tasks. In a free imagery task, participants were asked to imagine a scene based on a given keyword. In a guided imagery task, participants had to imagine a scene based on a detailed description of the scene. Additionally, narrative abilities were assessed using the Narrative Scoring Scheme. Statistical analyses revealed no group effects in the free and guided imagery of fictional scenes. Participants with ASD performed worse than control participants in the narrative task. Narrative abilities correlated positively with performance in both imagery tasks in the ASD group only. Hence, individuals with ASD seem to show as good imagery abilities as non-autistic individuals. The results are discussed in the light of the differences between imagery and imagination and possible gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa L Faustmann
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mareike Altgassen
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Lenormand D, Fauvel B, Piolino P. The formation of episodic autobiographical memory is predicted by mental imagery, self-reference, and anticipated details. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1355343. [PMID: 38476385 PMCID: PMC10930760 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1355343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite the ecological nature of episodic memory (EM) and the importance of consolidation in its functioning, studies tackling both subjects are still scarce. Therefore, the present study aims at establishing predictions of the future of newly encoded information in EM in an ecological paradigm. Methods Participants recorded two personal events per day with a SenseCam portable camera, for 10 days, and characterized the events with different subjective scales (emotional valence and intensity, self-concept and self-relevance, perspective and anticipated details at a month, mental images…). They then performed a surprise free recall at 5 days and 1 month after encoding. Machine learning algorithms were used to predict the future of events (episodic or forgotten) in memory at 1 month. Results The best algorithm showed an accuracy of 78%, suggesting that such a prediction is reliably possible. Variables that best differentiated between episodic and forgotten memories at 1 month were mental imagery, self-reference, and prospection (anticipated details) at encoding and the first free recall. Discussion These results may establish the basis for the development of episodic autobiographical memory during daily experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Lenormand
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | | | - Pascale Piolino
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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Steel A, Garcia BD, Goyal K, Mynick A, Robertson CE. Scene Perception and Visuospatial Memory Converge at the Anterior Edge of Visually Responsive Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5723-5737. [PMID: 37474310 PMCID: PMC10401646 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2043-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
To fluidly engage with the world, our brains must simultaneously represent both the scene in front of us and our memory of the immediate surrounding environment (i.e., local visuospatial context). How does the brain's functional architecture enable sensory and mnemonic representations to closely interface while also avoiding sensory-mnemonic interference? Here, we asked this question using first-person, head-mounted virtual reality and fMRI. Using virtual reality, human participants of both sexes learned a set of immersive, real-world visuospatial environments in which we systematically manipulated the extent of visuospatial context associated with a scene image in memory across three learning conditions, spanning from a single FOV to a city street. We used individualized, within-subject fMRI to determine which brain areas support memory of the visuospatial context associated with a scene during recall (Experiment 1) and recognition (Experiment 2). Across the whole brain, activity in three patches of cortex was modulated by the amount of known visuospatial context, each located immediately anterior to one of the three scene perception areas of high-level visual cortex. Individual subject analyses revealed that these anterior patches corresponded to three functionally defined place memory areas, which selectively respond when visually recalling personally familiar places. In addition to showing activity levels that were modulated by the amount of visuospatial context, multivariate analyses showed that these anterior areas represented the identity of the specific environment being recalled. Together, these results suggest a convergence zone for scene perception and memory of the local visuospatial context at the anterior edge of high-level visual cortex.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT As we move through the world, the visual scene around us is integrated with our memory of the wider visuospatial context. Here, we sought to understand how the functional architecture of the brain enables coexisting representations of the current visual scene and memory of the surrounding environment. Using a combination of immersive virtual reality and fMRI, we show that memory of visuospatial context outside the current FOV is represented in a distinct set of brain areas immediately anterior and adjacent to the perceptually oriented scene-selective areas of high-level visual cortex. This functional architecture would allow efficient interaction between immediately adjacent mnemonic and perceptual areas while also minimizing interference between mnemonic and perceptual representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Steel
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Brenda D Garcia
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Kala Goyal
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Anna Mynick
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Caroline E Robertson
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
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Abstract
In a complex world, we are constantly faced with environmental stimuli that shape our moment-to-moment experiences. But just as rich and complex as the external world is the internal milieu-our imagination. Imagination offers a powerful vehicle for playing out hypothetical experiences in the mind's eye. It allows us to mentally time travel to behold what the future might bring, including our greatest desires or fears. Indeed, imagined experiences tend to be emotion-laden. How and why are humans capable of this remarkable feat? Based on psychological findings, we highlight the importance of imagination for emotional aspects of cognition and behavior, namely in the generation and regulation of emotions. Based on recent cognitive neuroscience work, we identify putative neural networks that are most critical for emotional imagination, with a major focus on the default mode network. Finally, we briefly highlight the possible functional implications of individual differences in imagination. Overall, we hope to address why humans have the capacity to simulate hypothetical emotional experiences and how this ability can be harnessed in adaptive (and sometimes maladaptive) ways. We end by discussing open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantelle M Cocquyt
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniela J Palombo
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Fan CL, Sokolowski HM, Rosenbaum RS, Levine B. What about "space" is important for episodic memory? WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1645. [PMID: 36772875 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Early cognitive neuroscientific research revealed that the hippocampus is crucial for spatial navigation in rodents, and for autobiographical episodic memory in humans. Researchers quickly linked these streams to propose that the human hippocampus supports memory through its role in representing space, and research on the link between spatial cognition and episodic memory in humans has proliferated over the past several decades. Different researchers apply the term "spatial" in a variety of contexts, however, and it remains unclear what aspect of space may be critical to memory. Similarly, "episodic" has been defined and tested in different ways. Naturalistic assessment of spatial memory and episodic memory (i.e., episodic autobiographical memory) is required to unify the scale and biological relevance in comparisons of spatial and mnemonic processing. Limitations regarding the translation of rodent to human research, human ontogeny, and inter-individual variability require greater consideration in the interpretation of this literature. In this review, we outline the aspects of space that are (and are not) commonly linked to episodic memory, and then we discuss these dimensions through the lens of individual differences in naturalistic autobiographical memory. Future studies should carefully consider which aspect(s) of space are being linked to memory within the context of naturalistic human cognition. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina L Fan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian Levine
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Eckstein KN, Rosenbaum D, Zehender N, Pleiss S, Platzbecker S, Martinelli A, Herrmann ML, Wildgruber D. Induced feelings of external influence during instructed imaginations in healthy subjects. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1005479. [PMID: 36389532 PMCID: PMC9664387 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1005479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The psychopathological phenomenon of delusions of influence comprises variable disturbances of the self-environment-border leading to the feeling of external influence on thoughts, feelings, impulses or behaviors. Delusions of influence are a hallmark in psychotic illness, but nevertheless, attenuated forms can also appear in healthy individuals. Here we present a newly developed paradigm to induce and assess feelings of external influence during instructed imaginations in healthy individuals. In the current study, we asked 60 healthy individuals to visually imagine different objects. To induce feelings of external influence, we applied one of three different physical setups (low-amplitude transcranial direct current stimulation, eye contact, or skin-to-skin hand touch), and informed the participants whether or not an external influence was attempted during the respective trial. The physical setup (setup vs. no setup, Z = -3.847, p < 0.001, r = 0.497) as well as the information given to the participants (confirmation vs. negation, Z = -5.218, p < 0.001, r = 0.674) alone were able to modulate the feeling of external influence in all three interventions. The impact of information (whether influence was attempted or not attempted) significantly exceeded the impact of the physical setup on the ratings of experienced external influence (Z = -2.394, p = 0.016, r = 0.310). Moreover, the response latency correlated with the estimated feeling of external influence (r S = 0.392, p = 0.002). Additional analyses addressed the influence of the emotional content of imagined objects and examined the intensity and emotional valence of the imaginations. Further supplemental analyses correlated external influence estimation of the participants with other psychopathological measures (trait markers for supernatural beliefs, proneness to hallucinations, and delusions and attributional style). In conclusion, this study endorses a quantitative model of psychopathological characteristics, in this case feelings of external influence that can be induced by external cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin N. Eckstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,*Correspondence: Kathrin N. Eckstein,
| | - David Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nadine Zehender
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Pleiss
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sharon Platzbecker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anne Martinelli
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,School of Psychology, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Matthias L. Herrmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Wildgruber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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13
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Ursino M, Cesaretti N, Pirazzini G. A model of working memory for encoding multiple items and ordered sequences exploiting the theta-gamma code. Cogn Neurodyn 2022; 17:489-521. [PMID: 37007198 PMCID: PMC10050512 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-022-09836-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractRecent experimental evidence suggests that oscillatory activity plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of information in working memory, both in rodents and humans. In particular, cross-frequency coupling between theta and gamma oscillations has been suggested as a core mechanism for multi-item memory. The aim of this work is to present an original neural network model, based on oscillating neural masses, to investigate mechanisms at the basis of working memory in different conditions. We show that this model, with different synapse values, can be used to address different problems, such as the reconstruction of an item from partial information, the maintenance of multiple items simultaneously in memory, without any sequential order, and the reconstruction of an ordered sequence starting from an initial cue. The model consists of four interconnected layers; synapses are trained using Hebbian and anti-Hebbian mechanisms, in order to synchronize features in the same items, and desynchronize features in different items. Simulations show that the trained network is able to desynchronize up to nine items without a fixed order using the gamma rhythm. Moreover, the network can replicate a sequence of items using a gamma rhythm nested inside a theta rhythm. The reduction in some parameters, mainly concerning the strength of GABAergic synapses, induce memory alterations which mimic neurological deficits. Finally, the network, isolated from the external environment (“imagination phase”) and stimulated with high uniform noise, can randomly recover sequences previously learned, and link them together by exploiting the similarity among items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Ursino
- Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, Campus of Cesena Area di Campus Cesena Via Dell’Università 50, 47521 Cesena, FC Italy
| | - Nicole Cesaretti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, Campus of Cesena Area di Campus Cesena Via Dell’Università 50, 47521 Cesena, FC Italy
| | - Gabriele Pirazzini
- Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, Campus of Cesena Area di Campus Cesena Via Dell’Università 50, 47521 Cesena, FC Italy
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14
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López-Madrona VJ, Medina Villalon S, Badier JM, Trébuchon A, Jayabal V, Bartolomei F, Carron R, Barborica A, Vulliémoz S, Alario FX, Bénar CG. Magnetoencephalography can reveal deep brain network activities linked to memory processes. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4733-4749. [PMID: 35766240 PMCID: PMC9491290 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recording from deep neural structures such as hippocampus noninvasively and yet with high temporal resolution remains a major challenge for human neuroscience. Although it has been proposed that deep neuronal activity might be recordable during cognitive tasks using magnetoencephalography (MEG), this remains to be demonstrated as the contribution of deep structures to MEG recordings may be too small to be detected or might be eclipsed by the activity of large‐scale neocortical networks. In the present study, we disentangled mesial activity and large‐scale networks from the MEG signals thanks to blind source separation (BSS). We then validated the MEG BSS components using intracerebral EEG signals recorded simultaneously in patients during their presurgical evaluation of epilepsy. In the MEG signals obtained during a memory task involving the recognition of old and new images, we identified with BSS a putative mesial component, which was present in all patients and all control subjects. The time course of the component selectively correlated with stereo‐electroencephalography signals recorded from hippocampus and rhinal cortex, thus confirming its mesial origin. This finding complements previous studies with epileptic activity and opens new possibilities for using MEG to study deep brain structures in cognition and in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel Medina Villalon
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Epileptology and Cerebral Rhythmology, Marseille, France
| | | | - Agnès Trébuchon
- APHM, Timone Hospital, Epileptology and Cerebral Rhythmology, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Marseille, France
| | | | - Fabrice Bartolomei
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Epileptology and Cerebral Rhythmology, Marseille, France
| | - Romain Carron
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Marseille, France
| | | | - Serge Vulliémoz
- EEG and Epilepsy Unit, University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Christian G Bénar
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France
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15
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Bradley MM, Sambuco N, Lang PJ. Neural correlates of repeated retrieval of emotional autobiographical events. Neuropsychologia 2022; 169:108203. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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16
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Matijevic S, Andrews-Hanna JR, Wank AA, Ryan L, Grilli MD. Individual differences in the relationship between episodic detail generation and resting state functional connectivity vary with age. Neuropsychologia 2022; 166:108138. [PMID: 34968505 PMCID: PMC8816892 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to generate episodic details while recollecting autobiographical events is believed to depend on a collection of brain regions that form a posterior medial network (PMN). How age-related differences in episodic detail generation relate to the PMN, however, remains unclear. The present study sought to examine individual differences, and the role of age, in PMN resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) associations with episodic detail generation. Late middle-aged and older adults (N = 41, ages 52-81), and young adults (N = 21, ages 19-35) were asked to describe recent personal events, and these memory narratives were coded for episodic, semantic and 'miscellaneous' details. Independent components analysis and regions-of-interest analyses were used to assess rsFC within the PMN separately for anterior connections (hippocampal and medial prefrontal) and posterior connections (hippocampal, parahippocampal and parieto-occipital), as these connections purportedly serve different functional roles in episodic detail generation. Compared to younger adults, older adults produced memory narratives with lower episodic specificity (ratio of episodic:total details) and a greater amount of semantic detail. Among the older adults, episodic detail amounts and episodic specificity were reduced with increasing age. There were no significant age differences in PMN rsFC. Stronger anterior PMN rsFC was related to lower episodic detail in the older adult group, but not in the young. Among the older adults, increasing age brought on an association between increased anterior PMN rsFC and reduced episodic specificity. In contrast, increasing age brought on an association between increased posterior PMN rsFC and increased semantic detail. The present study provides evidence that functional connectivity within the PMN, particularly anterior PMN, tracks individual differences in the amount of episodic details retrieved by older adults. Furthermore, these brain-behavior relationships appear to be age-specific, indicating that some process within aging alters the nature of how anterior PMN rsFC and episodic detail relate to each other. Whether this process entails an age-related loss of integrity to the PMN, or an age-related shift toward semantic retrieval, remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica R Andrews-Hanna
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Aubrey A Wank
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Lee Ryan
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Matthew D Grilli
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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17
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Shurtleff HA, Poliakov A, Barry D, Wright JN, Warner MH, Novotny EJ, Marashly A, Buckley R, Goldstein HE, Hauptman JS, Ojemann JG, Shaw DWW. A clinically applicable functional MRI memory paradigm for use with pediatric patients. Epilepsy Behav 2022; 126:108461. [PMID: 34896785 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Clinically employable functional MRI (fMRI) memory paradigms are not yet established for pediatric patient epilepsy surgery workups. Seeking to establish such a paradigm, we evaluated the effectiveness of memory fMRI tasks we developed by quantifying individual activation in a clinical pediatric setting, analyzing patterns of activation relative to the side of temporal lobe (TL) pathology, and comparing fMRI and Wada test results. METHODS We retrospectively identified 72 patients aged 6.7-20.9 years with pathology (seizure focus and/or tumor) limited to the TL who had attempted memory and language fMRI tasks over a 9-year period as part of presurgical workups. Memory fMRI tasks required visualization of autobiographical memories in a block design alternating with covert counting. Language fMRI protocols involved verb and sentence generation. Scans were both qualitatively interpreted and quantitatively assessed for blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal change using region of interest (ROI) masks. We calculated the percentage of successfully scanned individual cases, compared 2 memory task activation masks in cases with left versus right TL pathology, and compared fMRI with Wada tests when available. Patients who had viable fMRI and Wada tests had generally concordant results. RESULTS Of the 72 cases, 60 (83%), aged 7.6-20.9 years, successfully performed the memory fMRI tasks and 12 (17%) failed. Eleven of 12 unsuccessful scans were due to motion and/or inability to perform the tasks, and the success of a twelfth was indeterminate due to orthodontic metal artifact. Seven of the successful 60 cases had distorted anatomy that precluded employing predetermined masks for quantitative analysis. Successful fMRI memory studies showed bilateral mesial temporal activation and quantitatively demonstrated: (1) left activation (L-ACT) less than right activation (R-ACT) in cases with left temporal lobe (L-TL) pathology, (2) nonsignificant R-ACT less than L-ACT in cases with right temporal lobe (R-TL) pathology, and (3) lower L-ACT plus R-ACT activation for cases with L-TL versus R-TL pathology. Patients who had viable fMRI and Wada tests had generally concordant results. SIGNIFICANCE This study demonstrates evidence of an fMRI memory task paradigm that elicits reliable activation at the individual level and can generally be accomplished in clinically involved pediatric patients. This autobiographical memory paradigm showed activation in mesial TL structures, and cases with left compared to right TL pathology showed differences in activation consistent with extant literature in TL epilepsy. Further studies will be required to assess outcome prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillary A Shurtleff
- Neurosciences Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Center for Integrated Brain Research Seattle Children's, United States.
| | | | - Dwight Barry
- Clinical Analytics, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Jason N Wright
- Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States
| | - Molly H Warner
- Neurosciences Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Center for Integrated Brain Research Seattle Children's, United States
| | - Edward J Novotny
- Neurosciences Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Center for Integrated Brain Research Seattle Children's, United States; Neurology, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States
| | - Ahmad Marashly
- Neurosciences Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Center for Integrated Brain Research Seattle Children's, United States; Neurology, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States
| | - Robert Buckley
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States
| | - Hannah E Goldstein
- Neurosciences Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States; Neurological Surgery, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Jason S Hauptman
- Neurosciences Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States; Neurological Surgery, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Jeffrey G Ojemann
- Neurosciences Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Center for Integrated Brain Research Seattle Children's, United States; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States; Neurological Surgery, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Dennis W W Shaw
- Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States
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18
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Viol A, Treves A, Ciaramelli E. Navigating through the ebbs and flows of language. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 70:130-136. [PMID: 34801786 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Is progress in understanding the neural basis for spatial navigation relevant to the human language faculty? Not so much at the shortest scale, where movement is continuous, a recent study in the space of vowels suggests. At a much larger scale, however, that of the verbalization of run-away thoughts, a rich phenomenology appears to involve critical contributions by some of the brain structures also involved in spatial cognition. Their interactions may have to be approached with models operating at an integrated cortical level and allowing for the compositionality of multiple local attractor states. A useful window on the latching dynamics enabled by cortico-cortical interactions may be offered by altered states of consciousness. As an example, psychedelic states have been reported to alter the graph properties of functional connectivity in the cortex so as to facilitate wide-ranging trips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Viol
- SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Treves
- SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Elisa Ciaramelli
- Dip. di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Viale Berti-Pichat 5, 40126, Bologna, Italy
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19
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Abstract
Creativity generates novel solutions to tasks by processing information. Imagination and mental representations are part of the creative process; we can mull over ideas of our own making, and construct algorithms or scenarios from them. Social scenario-building can be viewed as a human cognitive "super-power" that involves abstraction, meta-representation, time-travel, and directed imaginative thought. We humans have a "theater in our minds" to play out a near-infinite array of social strategies and contingencies. Here we propose an integrative model for why and how humans evolved extraordinary creative abilities. We posit that a key aspect of hominin evolution involved relatively open and fluid social relationships among communities, enabled by a unique extended family structure similar to that of contemporary hunter-gatherer band societies. Intercommunity relationships facilitated the rapid flow of information-"Culture"-that underpinned arms-races in information processing, language, imagination, and creativity that distinguishes humans from other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark V. Flinn
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
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20
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Chen D, Kunz L, Lv P, Zhang H, Zhou W, Liang S, Axmacher N, Wang L. Theta oscillations coordinate grid-like representations between ventromedial prefrontal and entorhinal cortex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj0200. [PMID: 34705507 PMCID: PMC8550230 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Grid cells and theta oscillations are fundamental constituents of the brain’s navigation system and have been described in the entorhinal cortex (EC). Recent fMRI studies reveal that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) contains grid-like representations. However, the neural mechanisms underlying human vmPFC grid-like representations and their interactions with EC grid activity have remained unknown. We conducted intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) recordings from epilepsy patients during a virtual spatial navigation task. Oscillatory theta power in the vmPFC exhibited a sixfold rotational symmetry that was coordinated with grid-like representations in the EC. We found that synchronous theta oscillations occurred between these regions that predicted navigational performance. Analysis of information transfer revealed a unidirectional signal from vmPFC to EC during memory retrieval. Together, this study provides insights into the previously unknown neural signature and functional role of grid-like representations outside the EC and their synchronization with the entorhinal grid during human spatial navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lukas Kunz
- Epilepsy Center, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Pengcheng Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Wenjing Zhou
- Department of Epilepsy Center, Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuli Liang
- Functional Neurosurgery Department, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author.
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21
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Testing covariance models for MEG source reconstruction of hippocampal activity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17615. [PMID: 34475476 PMCID: PMC8413350 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96933-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Beamforming is one of the most commonly used source reconstruction methods for magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG). One underlying assumption, however, is that distant sources are uncorrelated and here we tested whether this is an appropriate model for the human hippocampal data. We revised the Empirical Bayesian Beamfomer (EBB) to accommodate specific a-priori correlated source models. We showed in simulation that we could use model evidence (as approximated by Free Energy) to distinguish between different correlated and uncorrelated source scenarios. Using group MEG data in which the participants performed a hippocampal-dependent task, we explored the possibility that the hippocampus or the cortex or both were correlated in their activity across hemispheres. We found that incorporating a correlated hippocampal source model significantly improved model evidence. Our findings help to explain why, up until now, the majority of MEG-reported hippocampal activity (typically making use of beamformers) has been estimated as unilateral.
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22
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Ciaramelli E, De Luca F, Kwan D, Mok J, Bianconi F, Knyagnytska V, Craver C, Green L, Myerson J, Rosenbaum RS. The role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex in reward valuation and future thinking during intertemporal choice. eLife 2021; 10:67387. [PMID: 34342577 PMCID: PMC8331177 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intertemporal choices require trade-offs between short-term and long-term outcomes. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) damage causes steep discounting of future rewards (delay discounting [DD]) and impoverished episodic future thinking (EFT). The role of vmPFC in reward valuation, EFT, and their interaction during intertemporal choice is still unclear. Here, 12 patients with lesions to vmPFC and 41 healthy controls chose between smaller-immediate and larger-delayed hypothetical monetary rewards while we manipulated reward magnitude and the availability of EFT cues. In the EFT condition, participants imagined personal events to occur at the delays associated with the larger-delayed rewards. We found that DD was steeper in vmPFC patients compared to controls, and not modulated by reward magnitude. However, EFT cues downregulated DD in vmPFC patients as well as controls. These findings indicate that vmPFC integrity is critical for the valuation of (future) rewards, but not to instill EFT in intertemporal choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ciaramelli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Flavia De Luca
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Donna Kwan
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jenkin Mok
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Francesca Bianconi
- Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Violetta Knyagnytska
- Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Carl Craver
- Department of Philosophy, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Leonard Green
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Joel Myerson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
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23
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McCormick C, Maguire EA. The distinct and overlapping brain networks supporting semantic and spatial constructive scene processing. Neuropsychologia 2021; 158:107912. [PMID: 34116069 PMCID: PMC8287593 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Scene imagery features prominently when we recall autobiographical memories, imagine the future and navigate around in the world. Consequently, in this study we sought to better understand how scene representations are supported by the brain. Processing scenes involves a variety of cognitive processes that in the real world are highly interactive. Here, however, our goal was to separate semantic and spatial constructive scene processes in order to identify the brain areas that were distinct to each process, those they had in common, and the connectivity between regions. To this end, participants searched for either semantic or spatial constructive impossibilities in scenes during functional MRI. We focussed our analyses on only those scenes that were possible, thus removing any error detection that would evoke reactions such as surprise or novelty. Importantly, we also counterbalanced possible scenes across participants, enabling us to examine brain activity and connectivity for the same possible scene images under two different conditions. We found that participants adopted different cognitive strategies, which were reflected in distinct oculomotor behaviour, for each condition. These were in turn associated with increased engagement of lateral temporal and parietal cortices for semantic scene processing, the hippocampus for spatial constructive scene processing, and increased activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) that was common to both. Connectivity analyses showed that the vmPFC switched between semantic and spatial constructive brain networks depending on the task at hand. These findings further highlight the well-known semantic functions of lateral temporal areas, while providing additional support for the previously-asserted contribution of the hippocampus to scene construction, and recent suggestions that the vmPFC may play a key role in orchestrating scene processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia McCormick
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
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24
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Watching Movies Unfold, a Frame-by-Frame Analysis of the Associated Neural Dynamics. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0099-21.2021. [PMID: 34193513 PMCID: PMC8272404 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0099-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Our lives unfold as sequences of events. We experience these events as seamless, although they are composed of individual images captured in between the interruptions imposed by eye blinks and saccades. Events typically involve visual imagery from the real world (scenes), and the hippocampus is frequently engaged in this context. It is unclear, however, whether the hippocampus would be similarly responsive to unfolding events that involve abstract imagery. Addressing this issue could provide insights into the nature of its contribution to event processing, with relevance for theories of hippocampal function. Consequently, during magnetoencephalography (MEG), we had female and male humans watch highly matched unfolding movie events composed of either scene image frames that reflected the real world, or frames depicting abstract patterns. We examined the evoked neuronal responses to each image frame along the time course of the movie events. Only one difference between the two conditions was evident, and that was during the viewing of the first image frame of events, detectable across frontotemporal sensors. Further probing of this difference using source reconstruction revealed greater engagement of a set of brain regions across parietal, frontal, premotor, and cerebellar cortices, with the largest change in broadband (1–30 Hz) power in the hippocampus during scene-based movie events. Hippocampal engagement during the first image frame of scene-based events could reflect its role in registering a recognizable context perhaps based on templates or schemas. The hippocampus, therefore, may help to set the scene for events very early on.
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25
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Gurguryan L, Rioux M, Sheldon S. Reduced anterior hippocampal and ventromedial prefrontal activity when repeatedly retrieving autobiographical memories. Hippocampus 2021; 31:869-880. [PMID: 33835623 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Research has reported that repeatedly retrieving a novel or imagined event representation reduces activity within brain regions critical for constructing mental scenarios, namely the anterior hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). The primary aim of this investigation was to test if this pattern reported for imagined events would be found when repeatedly recollecting autobiographical memories. Twenty-four participants retrieved 12 pre-selected autobiographical memories four times while undergoing an fMRI scan. We used a region of interest approach to investigate how the anterior and posterior hippocampus as well as cortical regions critical for memory retrieval-the vmPFC and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)-are affected by repeated retrievals. This analysis revealed an effect in the bilateral anterior hippocampi and vmPFC, but not the posterior hippocampus nor the PCC, with activity decreasing in these regions as a function of repeated retrievals. A multivariate analytic approach (Partial Least Squares) was used to assess whole-brain patterns of neural activity associated with repeated retrievals. This analysis revealed one pattern of neural activity associated with the initial retrieval of a memory (e.g., inferior frontal and temporal lobe regions) and a separate pattern of activity associated with later retrievals that was distributed primarily across the lateral parietal cortices. These findings suggest that the anterior hippocampus and the vmPFC support the episodic construction of an autobiographical memory the first time it is retrieved and that alternate nonconstructive processes support its subsequent retrieval shortly thereafter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri Gurguryan
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mathilde Rioux
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Signy Sheldon
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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26
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Patai EZ, Spiers HJ. The Versatile Wayfinder: Prefrontal Contributions to Spatial Navigation. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:520-533. [PMID: 33752958 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports decision-making, goal tracking, and planning. Spatial navigation is a behavior that taxes these cognitive processes, yet the role of the PFC in models of navigation has been largely overlooked. In humans, activity in dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) and ventrolateral PFC (vlPFC) during detours, reveal a role in inhibition and replanning. Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is implicated in planning and spontaneous internally-generated changes of route. Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) integrates representations of the environment with the value of actions, providing a 'map' of possible decisions. In rodents, medial frontal areas interact with hippocampus during spatial decisions and switching between navigation strategies. In reviewing these advances, we provide a framework for how different prefrontal regions may contribute to different stages of navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Zita Patai
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, UK; Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language sciences, University College London, UK.
| | - Hugo J Spiers
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language sciences, University College London, UK.
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27
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Ciaramelli E, Anelli F, Frassinetti F. An asymmetry in past and future mental time travel following vmPFC damage. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:315-325. [PMID: 33382070 PMCID: PMC7943363 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in mental time travel toward the past and the future is debated. Here, patients with focal lesions to the vmPFC and brain-damaged and healthy controls mentally projected themselves to a past, present or future moment of subjective time (self-projection) and classified a series of events as past or future relative to the adopted temporal self-location (self-reference). We found that vmPFC patients were selectively impaired in projecting themselves to the future and in recognizing relative-future events. These findings indicate that vmPFC damage hinders the mental processing of and movement toward future events, pointing to a prominent, multifaceted role of vmPFC in future-oriented mental time travel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ciaramelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
- Center for Studies and Research of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Cesena 47521, Italy
| | - Filomena Anelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
- Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences, “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro 88100, Italy
| | - Francesca Frassinetti
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Operative Unit for Recovery and Functional Rehabilitation, Institute of Castel Goffredo, Mantova 46042, Italy
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28
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McCormick C, Dalton MA, Zeidman P, Maguire EA. Characterising the hippocampal response to perception, construction and complexity. Cortex 2021; 137:1-17. [PMID: 33571913 PMCID: PMC8048772 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The precise role played by the hippocampus in supporting cognitive functions such as episodic memory and future thinking is debated, but there is general agreement that it involves constructing representations comprised of numerous elements. Visual scenes have been deployed extensively in cognitive neuroscience because they are paradigmatic multi-element stimuli. However, questions remain about the specificity and nature of the hippocampal response to scenes. Here, we devised a paradigm in which we had participants search pairs of images for either colour or layout differences, thought to be associated with perceptual or spatial constructive processes respectively. Importantly, images depicted either naturalistic scenes or phase-scrambled versions of the same scenes, and were either simple or complex. Using this paradigm during functional MRI scanning, we addressed three questions: 1. Is the hippocampus recruited specifically during scene processing? 2. If the hippocampus is more active in response to scenes, does searching for colour or layout differences influence its activation? 3. Does the complexity of the scenes affect its response? We found that, compared to phase-scrambled versions of the scenes, the hippocampus was more responsive to scene stimuli. Moreover, a clear anatomical distinction was evident, with colour detection in scenes engaging the posterior hippocampus whereas layout detection in scenes recruited the anterior hippocampus. The complexity of the scenes did not influence hippocampal activity. These findings seem to align with perspectives that propose the hippocampus is especially attuned to scenes, and its involvement occurs irrespective of the cognitive process or the complexity of the scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia McCormick
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Marshall A Dalton
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Peter Zeidman
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
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29
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Monk AM, Dalton MA, Barnes GR, Maguire EA. The Role of Hippocampal-Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Neural Dynamics in Building Mental Representations. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:89-103. [PMID: 32985945 PMCID: PMC7116437 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) play key roles in numerous cognitive domains including mind-wandering, episodic memory, and imagining the future. Perspectives differ on precisely how they support these diverse functions, but there is general agreement that it involves constructing representations composed of numerous elements. Visual scenes have been deployed extensively in cognitive neuroscience because they are paradigmatic multielement stimuli. However, it remains unclear whether scenes, rather than other types of multifeature stimuli, preferentially engage hippocampus and vmPFC. Here, we leveraged the high temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography to test participants as they gradually built scene imagery from three successive auditorily presented object descriptions and an imagined 3-D space. This was contrasted with constructing mental images of nonscene arrays that were composed of three objects and an imagined 2-D space. The scene and array stimuli were, therefore, highly matched, and this paradigm permitted a closer examination of step-by-step mental construction than has been undertaken previously. We observed modulation of theta power in our two regions of interest-anterior hippocampus during the initial stage and vmPFC during the first two stages, of scene relative to array construction. Moreover, the scene-specific anterior hippocampal activity during the first construction stage was driven by the vmPFC, with mutual entrainment between the two brain regions thereafter. These findings suggest that hippocampal and vmPFC neural activity is especially tuned to scene representations during the earliest stage of their formation, with implications for theories of how these brain areas enable cognitive functions such as episodic memory.
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30
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Barry DN, Clark IA, Maguire EA. The relationship between hippocampal subfield volumes and autobiographical memory persistence. Hippocampus 2020; 31:362-374. [PMID: 33320970 PMCID: PMC8048905 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Structural integrity of the human hippocampus is widely acknowledged to be necessary for the successful encoding and retrieval of autobiographical memories. However, evidence for an association between hippocampal volume and the ability to recall such memories in healthy individuals is mixed. Here we examined this issue further by combining two approaches. First, we focused on the anatomically distinct subregions of the hippocampus where more nuanced associations may be expressed compared to considering the whole hippocampal volume. A manual segmentation protocol of hippocampal subregions allowed us to separately calculate the volumes of the dentate gyrus/CA4, CA3/2, CA1, subiculum, pre/parasubiculum and uncus. Second, a critical feature of autobiographical memories is that they can span long time periods, and so we sought to consider how memory details persist over time by conducting a longitudinal study whereby participants had to recall the same autobiographical memories on two visits spaced 8 months apart. Overall, we found that there was no difference in the total number of internal (episodic) details produced at Visits 1 and 2. However, further probing of detail subcategories revealed that specifically the amount of subjective thoughts and emotions included during recall had declined significantly by the second visit. We also observed a strong correlation between left pre/parasubiculum volume and the amount of autobiographical memory internal details produced over time. This positive relationship was evident for particular facets of the memories, with remembered events, perceptual observations and thoughts and emotions benefitting from greater volume of the left pre/parasubiculum. These preliminary findings expand upon existing functional neuroimaging evidence by highlighting a potential link between left pre/parasubiculum volume and autobiographical memory. A larger pre/parasubiculum appears not only to protect against memory decay, but may possibly enhance memory persistence, inviting further scrutiny of the role of this brain region in remote autobiographical memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Barry
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ian A Clark
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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31
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Monk AM, Barnes GR, Maguire EA. The Effect of Object Type on Building Scene Imagery-an MEG Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:592175. [PMID: 33240069 PMCID: PMC7683518 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.592175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported that some objects evoke a sense of local three-dimensional space (space-defining; SD), while others do not (space-ambiguous; SA), despite being imagined or viewed in isolation devoid of a background context. Moreover, people show a strong preference for SD objects when given a choice of objects with which to mentally construct scene imagery. When deconstructing scenes, people retain significantly more SD objects than SA objects. It, therefore, seems that SD objects might enjoy a privileged role in scene construction. In the current study, we leveraged the high temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography (MEG) to compare the neural responses to SD and SA objects while they were being used to build imagined scene representations, as this has not been examined before using neuroimaging. On each trial, participants gradually built a scene image from three successive auditorily-presented object descriptions and an imagined 3D space. We then examined the neural dynamics associated with the points during scene construction when either SD or SA objects were being imagined. We found that SD objects elicited theta changes relative to SA objects in two brain regions, the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG). Furthermore, using dynamic causal modeling, we observed that the vmPFC drove STG activity. These findings may indicate that SD objects serve to activate schematic and conceptual knowledge in vmPFC and STG upon which scene representations are then built.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Monk
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth R Barnes
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Zhang M, Hupbach A. Repeated encoding fosters retention of perceptual detail in visual recognition memory. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:457-461. [PMID: 33060282 PMCID: PMC7571268 DOI: 10.1101/lm.052209.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In a 2014 issue of Learning & Memory, Reagh and Yassa proposed that repeated encoding leads to semanticization and loss of perceptual detail in memory. We presented object images one or three times and tested recognition of targets and corresponding similar lures. Correct lure rejections after one in comparison to three exposures were more frequently associated with corresponding target misses, suggesting that higher lure rejections after one exposure reflect memory failure rather than perceptual fidelity. Signal detection theory analysis showed that three exposures improved lure-old discriminations. Thus, repeated encoding fosters rather than hinders retention of perceptual detail in visual recognition memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengting Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
| | - Almut Hupbach
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
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33
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Tierney TM, Levy A, Barry DN, Meyer SS, Shigihara Y, Everatt M, Mellor S, Lopez JD, Bestmann S, Holmes N, Roberts G, Hill RM, Boto E, Leggett J, Shah V, Brookes MJ, Bowtell R, Maguire EA, Barnes GR. Mouth magnetoencephalography: A unique perspective on the human hippocampus. Neuroimage 2020; 225:117443. [PMID: 33059052 PMCID: PMC8214102 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional magnetoencephalographic (MEG) brain imaging scanners consist of a rigid sensor array surrounding the head; this means that they are maximally sensitive to superficial brain structures. New technology based on optical pumping means that we can now consider more flexible and creative sensor placement. Here we explored the magnetic fields generated by a model of the human hippocampus not only across scalp but also at the roof of the mouth. We found that simulated hippocampal sources gave rise to dipolar field patterns with one scalp surface field extremum at the temporal lobe and a corresponding maximum or minimum at the roof of the mouth. We then constructed a fitted dental mould to accommodate an Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM). We collected data using a previously validated hippocampal-dependant task to test the empirical utility of a mouth-based sensor, with an accompanying array of left and right temporal lobe OPMs. We found that the mouth sensor showed the greatest task-related theta power change. We found that this sensor had a mild effect on the reconstructed power in the hippocampus (~10% change) but that coherence images between the mouth sensor and reconstructed source images showed a global maximum in the right hippocampus. We conclude that augmenting a scalp-based MEG array with sensors in the mouth shows unique promise for both basic scientists and clinicians interested in interrogating the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim M Tierney
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK.
| | - Andrew Levy
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Daniel N Barry
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Sofie S Meyer
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17-19 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | | | - Matt Everatt
- S4S (UK) Limited & Smilelign Ltd, 151 Rutland Road, Sheffield S3 9PT, UK
| | - Stephanie Mellor
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jose David Lopez
- Engineering Faculty, Universidad de Antioquia UDEA, calle 70 No 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Sven Bestmann
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Niall Holmes
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Gillian Roberts
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Ryan M Hill
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Elena Boto
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - James Leggett
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Vishal Shah
- QuSpin Inc., 2011 Cherry Street, Unit 112, Louisville, CO 80027, USA
| | - Matthew J Brookes
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Richard Bowtell
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Gareth R Barnes
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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34
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McCormick C, Barry DN, Jafarian A, Barnes GR, Maguire EA. vmPFC Drives Hippocampal Processing during Autobiographical Memory Recall Regardless of Remoteness. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5972-5987. [PMID: 32572443 PMCID: PMC7899055 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to recall past experiences, autobiographical memories (AMs), is crucial to cognition, endowing us with a sense of self and underwriting our capacity for autonomy. Traditional views assume that the hippocampus orchestrates event recall, whereas recent accounts propose that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) instigates and coordinates hippocampal-dependent processes. Here we sought to characterize the dynamic interplay between the hippocampus and vmPFC during AM recall to adjudicate between these perspectives. Leveraging the high temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography, we found that the left hippocampus and the vmPFC showed the greatest power changes during AM retrieval. Moreover, responses in the vmPFC preceded activity in the hippocampus during initiation of AM recall, except during retrieval of the most recent AMs. The vmPFC drove hippocampal activity during recall initiation and also as AMs unfolded over subsequent seconds, and this effect was evident regardless of AM age. These results recast the positions of the hippocampus and the vmPFC in the AM retrieval hierarchy, with implications for theoretical accounts of memory processing and systems-level consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia McCormick
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniel N Barry
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Amirhossein Jafarian
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Gareth R Barnes
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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35
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Sekeres MJ, Moscovitch M, Winocur G, Pishdadian S, Nichol D, Grady CL. Reminders activate the prefrontal-medial temporal cortex and attenuate forgetting of event memory. Hippocampus 2020; 31:28-45. [PMID: 32965760 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Replicas of an aspect of an experienced event can serve as effective reminders, yet little is known about the neural basis of such reminding effects. Here we examined the neural activity underlying the memory-enhancing effect of reminders 1 week after encoding of naturalistic film clip events. We used fMRI to determine differences in network activity associated with recently reactivated memories relative to comparably aged, non-reactivated memories. Reminders were effective in facilitating overall retrieval of memory for film clips, in an all-or-none fashion. Prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were activated during both reminders and retrieval. Peak activation in ventro-lateral prefrontal cortex (vPFC) preceded peak activation in the right hippocampus during the reminders. For film clips that were successfully retrieved after 7 days, pre-retrieval reminders did not enhance the quality of the retrieved memory or the number of details retrieved, nor did they more strongly engage regions of the recollection network than did successful retrieval of a non-reminded film clip. These results suggest that reminders prior to retrieval are an effective means of boosting retrieval of otherwise inaccessible episodic events, and that the inability to recall certain events after a delay of a week largely reflects a retrieval deficit, rather than a storage deficit for this information. The results extend other evidence that vPFC drives activation of the hippocampus to facilitate memory retrieval and scene construction, and show that this facilitation also occurs when reminder cues precede successful retrieval attempts. The time course of vPFC-hippocampal activity during the reminder suggests that reminders may first engage schematic information meditated by vPFC followed by a recollection process mediated by the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie J Sekeres
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Morris Moscovitch
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gordon Winocur
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sara Pishdadian
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dan Nichol
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cheryl L Grady
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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36
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Clark IA, Monk AM, Maguire EA. Characterizing Strategy Use During the Performance of Hippocampal-Dependent Tasks. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2119. [PMID: 32982868 PMCID: PMC7490521 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Recalling the past, thinking about the future, and navigating in the world are linked with a brain structure called the hippocampus. Precisely, how the hippocampus enables these critical cognitive functions is still debated. The strategies people use to perform tasks associated with these functions have been under-studied, and yet, such information could augment our understanding of the associated cognitive processes and neural substrates. Here, we devised and deployed an in-depth protocol to examine the explicit strategies used by 217 participants to perform four naturalistic tasks widely acknowledged to be hippocampal-dependent, namely, those assessing scene imagination, autobiographical memory recall, future thinking, and spatial navigation. In addition, we also investigated strategy use for three laboratory-based memory tasks, one of which is held to be hippocampal-dependent - concrete verbal paired associates (VPA) - and two tasks, which are likely hippocampal-independent - abstract VPA and the dead or alive semantic memory test. We found that scene visual imagery was the dominant strategy not only when mentally imagining scenes, but also during autobiographical memory recall, when thinking about the future and during navigation. Moreover, scene visual imagery strategies were used most frequently during the concrete VPA task, whereas verbal strategies were most prevalent for the abstract VPA task and the dead or alive semantic memory task. The ubiquity of specifically scene visual imagery use across a range of tasks may attest to its, perhaps underappreciated, importance in facilitating cognition, while also aligning with perspectives that emphasize a key role for the hippocampus in constructing scene imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eleanor A. Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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37
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Nawa NE, Ando H. Effective connectivity during autobiographical memory search. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01719. [PMID: 32538553 PMCID: PMC7428471 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We used dynamic causal modeling (DCM) to examine effective connectivity during cued autobiographical memory (AM) search in a left-hemispheric network consisting of six major regions within the large network of brain regions recruited during memory retrieval processes. METHODS Functional MRI data were acquired while participants were shown verbal cues describing common life events and requested to search for a personal memory associated with the cue. We examined directed couplings between the ventromedial (vmPFC), dorsomedial (dmPFC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (dlPFC), hippocampus, angular gyrus, and the posterior midline cortex (RSC/PCC/Prec). RESULTS During AM search, the vmPFC, dlPFC, and RSC/PCC/Prec acted as primary drivers of activity in the rest of the network. Moreover, when AM search completed successfully (Hits), the effective connectivity of the hippocampus on the vmPFC and angular gyrus was up-modulated. Likewise, there was an increase in the influence of the RSC/PCC/Prec in the activity of the dlPFC and dmPFC. Further analysis indicated that the modulation observed during Hits is primarily a distributed phenomenon that relies on the interplay between different brain regions. CONCLUSION These results suggest that prefrontal and posterior midline cortical regions together with the dlPFC largely coordinate the processes underlying AM search, setting up the conditions on which the angular gyrus and the hippocampus may act upon when the outcome of the search is successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norberto Eiji Nawa
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontiers Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ando
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontiers Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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Does hippocampal volume explain performance differences on hippocampal-dependant tasks? Neuroimage 2020; 221:117211. [PMID: 32739555 PMCID: PMC7762813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence is mixed about whether hippocampal volume affects cognitive task performance. This is particularly the case concerning individual differences in healthy people. We collected structural MRI data from 217 healthy people. They also had widely-varying performance on cognitive tasks linked to the hippocampus. In-depth analyses showed little evidence hippocampal volume affected task performance.
Marked disparities exist across healthy individuals in their ability to imagine scenes, recall autobiographical memories, think about the future and navigate in the world. The importance of the hippocampus in supporting these critical cognitive functions has prompted the question of whether differences in hippocampal grey matter volume could be one source of performance variability. Evidence to date has been somewhat mixed. In this study we sought to mitigate issues that commonly affect these types of studies. Data were collected from a large sample of 217 young, healthy adult participants, including whole brain structural MRI data (0.8 mm isotropic voxels) and widely-varying performance on scene imagination, autobiographical memory, future thinking and navigation tasks. We found little evidence that hippocampal grey matter volume was related to task performance in this healthy sample. This was the case using different analysis methods (voxel-based morphometry, partial correlations), when whole brain or hippocampal regions of interest were examined, when comparing different sub-groups (divided by gender, task performance, self-reported ability), and when using latent variables derived from across the cognitive tasks. Hippocampal grey matter volume may not, therefore, significantly influence performance on tasks known to require the hippocampus in healthy people. Perhaps only in extreme situations, as in the case of licensed London taxi drivers, are measurable ability-related hippocampus volume changes consistently exhibited.
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Wagner IC, Rütgen M, Lamm C. Pattern similarity and connectivity of hippocampal-neocortical regions support empathy for pain. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:273-284. [PMID: 32248233 PMCID: PMC7235961 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy is thought to engage mental simulation, which in turn is known to rely on hippocampal-neocortical processing. Here, we tested how hippocampal-neocortical pattern similarity and connectivity contributed to pain empathy. Using this approach, we analyzed a data set of 102 human participants who underwent functional MRI while painful and non-painful electrical stimulation was delivered to themselves or to a confederate. As hypothesized, results revealed increased pattern similarity between first-hand pain and pain empathy (compared to non-painful control conditions) within the hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex, the temporo-parietal junction and anterior insula. While representations in these regions were unaffected by confederate similarity, pattern similarity in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex was increased the more dissimilar the other individual was perceived. Hippocampal-neocortical connectivity during first-hand pain and pain empathy engaged largely distinct but neighboring primary motor regions, and empathy-related hippocampal coupling with the fusiform gyrus positively scaled with trait measures of perspective taking. These findings suggest that shared representations and mental simulation might contribute to pain empathy via hippocampal-neocortical pattern similarity and connectivity, partially affected by personality traits and the similarity of the observed individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella C Wagner
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Markus Rütgen
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria
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Williams AN, Ridgeway S, Postans M, Graham KS, Lawrence AD, Hodgetts CJ. The role of the pre-commissural fornix in episodic autobiographical memory and simulation. Neuropsychologia 2020; 142:107457. [PMID: 32259556 PMCID: PMC7322517 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychological and functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence suggests that the ability to vividly remember our personal past, and imagine future scenarios, involves two closely connected regions: the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Despite evidence of a direct anatomical connection from hippocampus to vmPFC, it is unknown whether hippocampal-vmPFC structural connectivity supports both past- and future-oriented episodic thinking. To address this, we applied a novel deterministic tractography protocol to diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data from a group of healthy young adult humans who undertook an adapted past-future autobiographical interview (portions of this data were published in Hodgetts et al., 2017a). This tractography protocol enabled distinct subdivisions of the fornix, detected previously in axonal tracer studies, to be reconstructed in vivo, namely the pre-commissural (connecting the hippocampus to vmPFC) and post-commissural (linking the hippocampus and medial diencephalon) fornix. As predicted, we found that inter-individual differences in pre-commissural - but not post-commissural - fornix microstructure (fractional anisotropy) were significantly correlated with the episodic richness of both past and future autobiographical narratives. Notably, these results held when controlling for non-episodic narrative content, verbal fluency, and grey matter volumes of the hippocampus and vmPFC. This study provides novel evidence that reconstructing events from one's personal past, and constructing possible future events, involves a distinct, structurally-instantiated hippocampal-vmPFC pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angharad N Williams
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom; Max Planck Research Group Adaptive Memory, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Samuel Ridgeway
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Postans
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
| | - Kim S Graham
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew D Lawrence
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Carl J Hodgetts
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
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Benedek M, Jurisch J, Koschutnig K, Fink A, Beaty RE. Elements of creative thought: Investigating the cognitive and neural correlates of association and bi-association processes. Neuroimage 2020; 210:116586. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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Neural correlates of retrieval-based enhancement of autobiographical memory in older adults. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1447. [PMID: 31996715 PMCID: PMC6989450 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58076-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Lifelog photo review is considered to enhance the recall of personal events. While a sizable body of research has explored the neural basis of autobiographical memory (AM), there is limited neural evidence on the retrieval-based enhancement effect on event memory among older adults in the real-world environment. This study examined the neural processes of AM as was modulated by retrieval practice through lifelog photo review in older adults. In the experiment, blood-oxygen-level dependent response during subjects’ recall of recent events was recorded, where events were cued by photos that may or may not have been exposed to a priori retrieval practice (training). Subjects remembered more episodic details under the trained relative to non-trained condition. Importantly, the neural correlates of AM was exhibited by (1) dissociable cortical areas related to recollection and familiarity, and (2) a positive correlation between the amount of recollected episodic details and cortical activation within several lateral temporal and parietal regions. Further analysis of the brain activation pattern at a few regions of interest within the core remember network showed a training_condition × event_detail interaction effect, suggesting that the boosting effect of retrieval practice depended on the level of recollected event details.
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Wilson NA, Ramanan S, Roquet D, Goldberg ZL, Hodges JR, Piguet O, Irish M. Scene construction impairments in frontotemporal dementia: Evidence for a primary hippocampal contribution. Neuropsychologia 2019; 137:107327. [PMID: 31887311 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The capacity to generate naturalistic three-dimensional and spatially coherent representations of the world, i.e., scene construction, is posited to lie at the heart of a wide range of complex cognitive endeavours. Clinical populations with selective damage to key nodes of a putative scene construction network of the brain have provided important insights regarding the contribution of medial temporal and prefrontal regions in this regard. Here, we explored the capacity for atemporal scene construction, and its associated neural substrates, in the behavioural-variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD); a neurodegenerative brain disorder in which atrophy systematically erodes medial and lateral prefrontal cortices with variable medial temporal lobe involvement. Nineteen bvFTD patients were compared to 18 typical Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and 25 healthy older Control participants on a scene construction task. Relative to Controls, both patient groups displayed marked impairments in generating contextually detailed and spatially coherent scenes, with bvFTD indistinguishable from AD patients across the majority of task metrics. Voxel-based morphometry, based on structural brain MRI, revealed divergent neural substrates of scene construction performance in each patient group. Despite widespread medial and lateral prefrontal atrophy, the capacity to generate richly detailed and spatially coherent scenes in bvFTD was found to rely predominantly upon the integrity of right medial temporal structures, including the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus. Scene construction impairments in AD, by contrast, hinged upon the integrity of posterior parietal brain regions. Our findings in bvFTD resonate with a large body of work implicating the right hippocampus in the construction of spatially integrated scene imagery. How these impairments relate to changes in autobiographical memory and prospection in bvFTD will be an important question for future studies to address.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki-Anne Wilson
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Siddharth Ramanan
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel Roquet
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Zoë-Lee Goldberg
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John R Hodges
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Olivier Piguet
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Muireann Irish
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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Barry DN, Tierney TM, Holmes N, Boto E, Roberts G, Leggett J, Bowtell R, Brookes MJ, Barnes GR, Maguire EA. Imaging the human hippocampus with optically-pumped magnetoencephalography. Neuroimage 2019; 203:116192. [PMID: 31521823 PMCID: PMC6854457 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Optically-pumped (OP) magnetometers allow magnetoencephalography (MEG) to be performed while a participant's head is unconstrained. To fully leverage this new technology, and in particular its capacity for mobility, the activity of deep brain structures which facilitate explorative behaviours such as navigation, must be detectable using OP-MEG. One such crucial brain region is the hippocampus. Here we had three healthy adult participants perform a hippocampal-dependent task - the imagination of novel scene imagery - while being scanned using OP-MEG. A conjunction analysis across these three participants revealed a significant change in theta power in the medial temporal lobe. The peak of this activated cluster was located in the anterior hippocampus. We repeated the experiment with the same participants in a conventional SQUID-MEG scanner and found similar engagement of the medial temporal lobe, also with a peak in the anterior hippocampus. These OP-MEG findings indicate exciting new opportunities for investigating the neural correlates of a range of crucial cognitive functions in naturalistic contexts including spatial navigation, episodic memory and social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Barry
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Tim M Tierney
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Niall Holmes
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Elena Boto
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Gillian Roberts
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - James Leggett
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Richard Bowtell
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Matthew J Brookes
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Gareth R Barnes
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
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Barry DN, Maguire EA. Consolidating the Case for Transient Hippocampal Memory Traces. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:635-636. [PMID: 31270021 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Barry
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
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Ramanathan KR, Maren S. Nucleus reuniens mediates the extinction of contextual fear conditioning. Behav Brain Res 2019; 374:112114. [PMID: 31351844 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Learning and remembering the context in which events occur requires interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The nucleus reuniens (RE) is a ventral midline thalamic nucleus that coordinates activity in the mPFC and HPC and is involved in spatial and contextual memory. We recently found that the RE is critical for contextual fear conditioning in rats, a form of learning that involves interactions between the HPC and mPFC. Here we examined whether the RE mediates the extinction of contextual fear. After contextual fear conditioning, rats underwent an extinction procedure in which they were merely exposed to the conditioning context; freezing behavior during the extinction procedure and during a retrieval test 24 h later served as an index of conditioned fear. Muscimol inactivation of the RE prior to extinction impaired the acquisition of both short- and long-term extinction memories. Similarly, inactivation of the RE prior to the extinction retrieval test also impaired the expression of extinction; this effect was not state-dependent. Taken together, these results reveal that the extinction of contextual fear memories requires the RE, which is consistent with a broader role for the RE in forms of learning that require HPC-mPFC interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik R Ramanathan
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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