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Zekveld AA, Kramer SE, Heslenfeld DJ, Versfeld NJ, Vriend C. Hearing Impairment: Reduced Pupil Dilation Response and Frontal Activation During Degraded Speech Perception. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024:1-18. [PMID: 39392910 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-24-00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE A relevant aspect of listening is the effort required during speech processing, which can be assessed by pupillometry. Here, we assessed the pupil dilation response of normal-hearing (NH) and hard of hearing (HH) individuals during listening to clear sentences and masked or degraded sentences. We combined this assessment with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural correlates of the pupil dilation response. METHOD Seventeen NH participants (Mage = 46 years) were compared to 17 HH participants (Mage = 45 years) who were individually matched in age and educational level. Participants repeated sentences that were presented clearly, that were distorted, or that were masked. The sentence intelligibility level of masked and distorted sentences was 50% correct. Silent baseline trials were presented as well. Performance measures, pupil dilation responses, and fMRI data were acquired. RESULTS HH individuals had overall poorer speech reception than the NH participants, but not for noise-vocoded speech. In addition, an interaction effect was observed with smaller pupil dilation responses in HH than in NH listeners for the degraded speech conditions. Hearing impairment was associated with higher activation across conditions in the left superior temporal gyrus, as compared to the silent baseline. However, the region of interest analysis indicated lower activation during degraded speech relative to clear speech in bilateral frontal regions and the insular cortex, for HH compared to NH listeners. Hearing impairment was also associated with a weaker relation between the pupil response and activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus. Overall, degraded speech evoked higher frontal activation than clear speech. CONCLUSION Brain areas associated with attentional and cognitive-control processes may be increasingly recruited when speech is degraded and are related to the pupil dilation response, but this relationship is weaker in HH listeners. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27162135.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana A Zekveld
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, the Netherlands
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Sophia E Kramer
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Heslenfeld
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Niek J Versfeld
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, the Netherlands
| | - Chris Vriend
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Brain Imaging, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands
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2
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Liu Z, Wang Z, Cao B, Li F. Pupillary response to cognitive control in depression-prone individuals. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 205:112426. [PMID: 39214257 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 08/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Revealing the pupillary correlates of depression-prone individuals is conducive to the early intervention and treatment of depression. This study recruited 31 depression-prone and 31 healthy individuals. They completed an emotional task-switching task combined with a go/no-go task, and task-evoked pupillary responses (TEPR) were recorded. Behavioral results showed no significant differences in behavioral performance in terms of cognitive flexibility and inhibition between the depression-prone group and the healthy control group. The pupillary results revealed that (1) the depression-prone group showed slightly lower TEPRs to positive stimuli than the healthy controls during cue presentation; (2) during target presentation, the depression-prone group did not show an effect of emotional valence on the pupillary response in the task-repeat trials; and (3) compared to the healthy controls, the depression-prone group showed significantly smaller TEPRs to negative no-go stimuli and had a longer latency of the second peak of pupil dilation in no-go trials. These results imply that depression-prone individuals may have slower neural responses in cognitive control tasks and emotion-specific weakened cognitive control than healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong Liu
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, China; School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China
| | - Zhijing Wang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, China; School of Humanities and Management, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Bihua Cao
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, China
| | - Fuhong Li
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, China.
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3
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Algermissen J, den Ouden HEM. Pupil dilation reflects effortful action invigoration in overcoming aversive Pavlovian biases. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:720-739. [PMID: 38773022 PMCID: PMC11233311 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01191-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
"Pavlovian" or "motivational" biases describe the phenomenon that the valence of prospective outcomes modulates action invigoration: Reward prospect invigorates action, whereas punishment prospect suppresses it. The adaptive role of these biases in decision-making is still unclear. One idea is that they constitute a fast-and-frugal decision strategy in situations characterized by high arousal, e.g., in presence of a predator, which demand a quick response. In this pre-registered study (N = 35), we tested whether such a situation-induced via subliminally presented angry versus neutral faces-leads to increased reliance on Pavlovian biases. We measured trial-by-trial arousal by tracking pupil diameter while participants performed an orthogonalized Motivational Go/NoGo Task. Pavlovian biases were present in responses, reaction times, and even gaze, with lower gaze dispersion under aversive cues reflecting "freezing of gaze." The subliminally presented faces did not affect responses, reaction times, or pupil diameter, suggesting that the arousal manipulation was ineffective. However, pupil dilations reflected facets of bias suppression, specifically the physical (but not cognitive) effort needed to overcome aversive inhibition: Particularly strong and sustained dilations occurred when participants managed to perform Go responses to aversive cues. Conversely, no such dilations occurred when they managed to inhibit responses to Win cues. These results suggest that pupil diameter does not reflect response conflict per se nor the inhibition of prepotent responses, but specifically effortful action invigoration as needed to overcome aversive inhibition. We discuss our results in the context of the "value of work" theory of striatal dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Algermissen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University, Cognition, and Behaviour, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6526 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Hanneke E M den Ouden
- Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University, Cognition, and Behaviour, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6526 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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4
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Rose JM, Ganbold O, Rose AM, Thibodeau JC, Rotaru K. Overcoming resistance to belief revision and correction of misinformation beliefs: psychophysiological and behavioral effects of a counterfactual mindset. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12493. [PMID: 38822014 PMCID: PMC11143297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63230-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In a series of experiments involving beliefs and misinformation beliefs, we find that individuals who are prompted with a counterfactual mindset are significantly more likely to change their existing beliefs when presented with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. While research finds that beliefs that are considered part of one's identity are highly resistant to change in the face of evidence that challenges these beliefs, four experiments provide evidence that counterfactual generation causes individuals to adjust beliefs and correct misinformation beliefs in response to contradicting evidence. Indeed, we find that a counterfactual mindset was effective in promoting incorporation of accurate facts and causing individuals to revise misinformation beliefs about COVID vaccination safety for a large sample of individuals who have rejected COVID vaccinations. Finally, the results of the psychophysiological experiment reveal that counterfactual generation alters decision makers' search strategies, increases their cognitive arousal in response to evidence that challenges their beliefs, and increases their desire to seek out disconfirming evidence. Overall, the four experiments indicate that counterfactual generation can effectively activate mindsets that increase individuals' willingness to evaluate evidence that contradicts their beliefs and adjust their beliefs in response to evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Rose
- Department of Accounting, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Odkhishig Ganbold
- Department of Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia
| | - Anna M Rose
- Department of Accounting, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Jay C Thibodeau
- Department of Accounting, Bentley University, Waltham, MA, 02452, US
| | - Kristian Rotaru
- Department of Accounting, Monash Business School, Monash University, Caulfield East, VIC, 3145, Australia.
- The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, BrainPark, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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5
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McLaughlin DJ, Colvett JS, Bugg JM, Van Engen KJ. Sequence effects and speech processing: cognitive load for speaker-switching within and across accents. Psychon Bull Rev 2024; 31:176-186. [PMID: 37442872 PMCID: PMC10867039 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02322-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Prior work in speech processing indicates that listening tasks with multiple speakers (as opposed to a single speaker) result in slower and less accurate processing. Notably, the trial-to-trial cognitive demands of switching between speakers or switching between accents have yet to be examined. We used pupillometry, a physiological index of cognitive load, to examine the demands of processing first (L1) and second (L2) language-accented speech when listening to sentences produced by the same speaker consecutively (no switch), a novel speaker of the same accent (within-accent switch), and a novel speaker with a different accent (across-accent switch). Inspired by research on sequential adjustments in cognitive control, we aimed to identify the cognitive demands of accommodating a novel speaker and accent by examining the trial-to-trial changes in pupil dilation during speech processing. Our results indicate that switching between speakers was more cognitively demanding than listening to the same speaker consecutively. Additionally, switching to a novel speaker with a different accent was more cognitively demanding than switching between speakers of the same accent. However, there was an asymmetry for across-accent switches, such that switching from an L1 to an L2 accent was more demanding than vice versa. Findings from the present study align with work examining multi-talker processing costs, and provide novel evidence that listeners dynamically adjust cognitive processing to accommodate speaker and accent variability. We discuss these novel findings in the context of an active control model and auditory streaming framework of speech processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew J McLaughlin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Paseo Mikeletegi, 69, 20009, Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Jackson S Colvett
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Julie M Bugg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kristin J Van Engen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
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6
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LoTemplio S, Silcox J, Murdock R, Strayer DL, Payne BR. To err is human- to understand error-processing is divine: Contributions of working memory and anxiety to error-related brain and pupil responses. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14392. [PMID: 37496438 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14392] [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: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Both anxiety and working memory capacity appear to predict increased (more negative) error-related negativity (ERN) amplitudes, despite being inversely related to one another. Until the interactive effects of these variables on the ERN are clarified, there may be challenges posed to our ability to use the ERN as an endophenotype for anxiety, as some have suggested. The compensatory error monitoring hypothesis suggests that high trait-anxiety individuals have larger ERN amplitudes because they must employ extra, compensatory efforts to override the working memory demands of their anxiety. Yet, to our knowledge, no ERN study has employed direct manipulation of working memory demands in conjunction with direct manipulations of induced (state) anxiety. Furthermore, little is known about how these manipulations affect other measures of error processing, such as the error-related pupil dilation response and post-error behavioral adjustments. Therefore, we manipulate working memory load and anxiety in a 2 × 2 within-subjects design to examine the interactive effects of working memory load and anxiety on ERN amplitude, error-related pupil dilation response amplitude, and post-error behavior. There were no effects of our manipulations on ERN amplitude, suggesting a strong interpretation of compensatory error-processing theory. However, our worry manipulation affected post-error behavior, such that worry caused a reduction in post-error accuracy. Additionally, our working memory manipulation affected error-related PDR magnitude and the amplitude of the error-related positivity (Pe), such that increased working memory load decreased the amplitude of these responses. Implications of these results within the context of the compensatory error processing framework are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jack Silcox
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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7
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Bouzidi YS, Gendolla GHE. Action-orientation shields against primed cognitive conflict effects on effort-related cardiac response. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14407. [PMID: 37551961 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
This article presents a quasi-experiment (N = 79 university students) testing whether individual differences in action-state orientation moderate primed cognitive conflict's effects on sympathetically mediated cardiac response during task performance reflecting effort. Action control theory posits that action-oriented individuals are less receptive to distracting affective stimuli during goal pursuit than state-oriented individuals because action-orientation is related to higher volitional skills. Therefore, we expected that action-oriented individuals should be shielded against conflict primes' effect on effort-related responses in the cardiovascular system. By contrast, state-oriented individuals should be more sensitive to irrelevant negative affective stimulation and therefore mobilize higher resources under such conditions. Responses of the cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) during a moderately difficult short-term memory task corroborated these predictions. The present findings provide the first evidence that individual differences in action-state orientation indeed moderate previously demonstrated cognitive conflict priming effects on effort-related cardiac response and extend recent findings on action shielding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Bouzidi
- FPSE, Section of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido H E Gendolla
- FPSE, Section of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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8
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De Cesarei A, D'Ascenzo S, Nicoletti R, Codispoti M. Novelty and learning in cognitive control: evidence from the Simon task. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:2390-2406. [PMID: 37000249 PMCID: PMC10497436 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01813-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
While information that is associated with inappropriate responses can interfere with an ongoing task and be detrimental to performance, cognitive control mechanisms and specific contextual conditions can alleviate interference from unwanted information. In the spatial correspondence (Simon) task, interference has been consistently shown to be reduced by spatial non-correspondence in the previous trial (i.e., correspondence sequence effect, CSE); however the mechanisms supporting this sequential effect are not well understood. Here we investigated the role of novelty and trial-to-trial changes in stimulus and response features in a Simon task, observing similar modulation of CSE for novel and non-novel stimulus changes. However, changing the response modality from trial to trial dampened CSE, and this dampening was more pronounced when the probability of switch trials was higher, suggesting a role for long-term learning. The results are consistent with recent accounts, which indicate that spatial interference can be prevented by cognitive control mechanisms triggered by learned bindings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea De Cesarei
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Stefania D'Ascenzo
- Department of Philosophy and Communication Studies, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Nicoletti
- Department of Philosophy and Communication Studies, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maurizio Codispoti
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127, Bologna, Italy
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9
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Bouzidi YS, Gendolla GHE. Is cognitive conflict really effortful? Conflict priming and shielding effects on cardiac response. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14169. [PMID: 36073767 PMCID: PMC10078432 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Two experiments with N = 221 university students investigated the impact of primed cognitive conflict on effort assessed as cardiac response in tasks that were not conflict-related themselves. Manifest cognitive conflict in cognitive control tasks is confounded with objective response difficulty (e.g., in incongruent Stroop task trials). This makes conclusions about the effortfulness of cognitive conflict itself difficult. We bypassed this problem by administrating pictures of congruent versus incongruent Stroop task stimuli as conflict primes. As predicted, primed cognitive conflict increased cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) responses in an easy attention task in Experiment 1. Accordingly, cognitive conflict itself is indeed effortful. This effect was replicated in an easy short-term memory task in Experiment 2. Moreover, as further predicted, the primed cognitive conflict effect on PEP reactivity disappeared when participants could personally choose task characteristics. This latter effect corresponds to other recent evidence showing that personal action choice shields against incidental affective influences on action execution and especially on effort-related cardiovascular response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Bouzidi
- Geneva Motivation Lab, FPSE, Section of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido H E Gendolla
- Geneva Motivation Lab, FPSE, Section of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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10
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Lu R, Bao N, Zhang X, Shi J. Attentional resource allocation among individuals with different fluid intelligence: The integrated control hypothesis and its evidence from pupillometry. Neuropsychologia 2022; 169:108190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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11
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Ogawa T, Todoriki N, Tsuneoka M. The Use of Pupillometry in Autobiographical Implicit Association Test. Front Psychol 2021; 12:729897. [PMID: 34659038 PMCID: PMC8511414 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.729897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) is a reaction time-based methodology to assess one's recognition of the truth value of propositions about an autobiographical episode. This study introduced pupillometry to examine its utility as an additional measure of aIAT. Participants blindly chose one of two cards and memorized it. They then underwent the aIAT to assess the cards they chose. The pupil diameter was larger in the block in which sentences related to the chosen card shared the same response key with sentences describing false events than the block in which sentences related to the chosen card shared the same response key with true-event sentences. Although preliminary, pupil measurement also yielded high efficiency in discriminating the chosen card. These results indicate that pupillometry can be used as a measure of aIAT.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natsu Todoriki
- Forensic Science Laboratory of Chiba Prefecture Police Head Quarter, Chiba, Japan
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12
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Maier SU, Grueschow M. Pupil dilation predicts individual self-regulation success across domains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14342. [PMID: 34253756 PMCID: PMC8275757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93121-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple theories have proposed that increasing central arousal through the brain's locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system may facilitate cognitive control and memory. However, the role of the arousal system in emotion regulation is less well understood. Pupil diameter is a proxy to infer upon the central arousal state. We employed an emotion regulation paradigm with a combination of design features that allowed us to dissociate regulation from emotional arousal in the pupil diameter time course of 34 healthy adults. Pupil diameter increase during regulation predicted individual differences in emotion regulation success beyond task difficulty. Moreover, the extent of this individual regulatory arousal boost predicted performance in another self-control task, dietary health challenges. Participants who harnessed more regulation-associated arousal during emotion regulation were also more successful in choosing healthier foods. These results suggest that a common arousal-based facilitation mechanism may support an individual's self-control across domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia U Maier
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Bluemlisalpstrasse 10, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marcus Grueschow
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Bluemlisalpstrasse 10, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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13
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Grueschow M, Stenz N, Thörn H, Ehlert U, Breckwoldt J, Brodmann Maeder M, Exadaktylos AK, Bingisser R, Ruff CC, Kleim B. Real-world stress resilience is associated with the responsivity of the locus coeruleus. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2275. [PMID: 33859187 PMCID: PMC8050280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22509-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals may show different responses to stressful events. Here, we investigate the neurobiological basis of stress resilience, by showing that neural responsitivity of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC-NE) and associated pupil responses are related to the subsequent change in measures of anxiety and depression in response to prolonged real-life stress. We acquired fMRI and pupillometry data during an emotional-conflict task in medical residents before they underwent stressful emergency-room internships known to be a risk factor for anxiety and depression. The LC-NE conflict response and its functional coupling with the amygdala was associated with stress-related symptom changes in response to the internship. A similar relationship was found for pupil-dilation, a potential marker of LC-NE firing. Our results provide insights into the noradrenergic basis of conflict generation, adaptation and stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Grueschow
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Nico Stenz
- Division of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Thörn
- Division of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Ehlert
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Breckwoldt
- Medical School, Deanery, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Roland Bingisser
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian C Ruff
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Kleim
- Division of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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14
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Chandler MC, McGowan AL, Brascamp JW, Pontifex MB. Phasic activity of the locus-coeruleus is not a mediator of the relationship between fitness and inhibition in college-aged adults. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 165:1-7. [PMID: 33774078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic fitness is consistently and robustly associated with superior performance on assessments of cognitive control. One potential mechanism underlying this phenomenon is activation of the locus-coeruleus. Specifically, individuals with greater aerobic fitness may be better able to sustain engagement in a cognitively demanding task via a superior ability to meet the metabolic demands of this neural system. Accordingly, the present investigation examined 1) the relationship between aerobic fitness and phasic activation of the locus-coeruleus (indexed using pupillometry) and 2) the potential mediating influence of locus-coeruleus activity on the relationship between aerobic fitness and cognitive task performance. Participants performed an inhibition task while their pupillary responses were measured using an infrared eye tracker. A VO2max test was then performed to determine individuals' aerobic fitness levels. Consistent with previous research, higher levels of aerobic fitness were related to shorter reaction time. However, phasic activity of the locus-coeruleus did not mediate this relationship - nor did it relate to aerobic fitness level. These results suggest that aerobic fitness does not relate to differences in locus-coeruleus activity in the context of cognitive control in college-aged adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison C Chandler
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, United States of America.
| | - Amanda L McGowan
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, United States of America
| | - Jan W Brascamp
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, United States of America
| | - Matthew B Pontifex
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, United States of America
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15
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Sapir A, Hershman R, Henik A. Top-down effect on pupillary response: Evidence from shape from shading. Cognition 2021; 212:104664. [PMID: 33743516 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Shaded 2D images often create an illusion of depth, due to the shading information and assumptions regarding the location of the light source. Specifically, 2D images that are lighter on top usually appear convex while images that are darker on top, usually appear concave, reflecting the assumption that light is coming from above. The process of recovering the 3D shape of a shaded image is called Shape from Shading. Here we examined whether the pupil responds to the illusion of depth in a shape from shading task. In three experiments we show that pupil size is affected by the percept of depth, so that it dilates more when participants perceive the stimulus as concave, compared to when they perceive it as convex. This only happens if participants make a judgment regarding the shape of the stimulus or when they view it passively but are aware of the different shapes. No differences in pupil size were found with passive viewing if participants were not aware of the illusion, suggesting that some aspects of shape from shading require attention. All stimuli were equiluminant, and the percept of depth was created by manipulating the orientation of the shading, so that changes in pupil size could not be accounted by changes in the amount of light in the image. We posit, and confirmed it in a behavioral control experiment, that the perception of depth is translated to a subjective perception of darkness, due to the "darker is deeper" heuristic and conclude that the pupillary physiological response reflects the subjective perception of light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Sapir
- School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
| | - Ronen Hershman
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Avishai Henik
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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16
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Lanatà A, Greco A, Ciardelli M, Uvelli A, Fratini E, Manzoni D, Scilingo EP, Santarcangelo EL, Sebastiani L. Linear and non linear measures of pupil size as a function of hypnotizability. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5196. [PMID: 33664358 PMCID: PMC7970859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84756-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher arousal and cortical excitability have been observed in high hypnotizable individuals (highs) with respect to low hypnotizables (lows), which may be due to differences in the activation of ascending activating systems. The present study investigated the possible hypnotizability-related difference in the cortical noradrenergic tone sustained by the activity of the Locus Coeruleus which is strongly related to pupil size. This was measured during relaxation in three groups of participants—highs (N = 15), lows (N = 15) and medium hypnotizable individuals (mediums, N = 11)—in the time and frequency domains and through the Recurrence Quantification Analysis. ECG and Skin Conductace (SC) were monitored to extract autonomic indices of relaxation (heart interbeats intervals, parasympathetic component of heart rate variability (RMSSD) and tonic SC (MeanTonicSC). Most variables indicated that participants relaxed throughout the session. Pupil features did not show significant differences between highs, mediums and lows, except for the spectral Band Median Frequency which was higher in mediums than in lows and highs at the beginning, but not at the end of the session.Thus, the present findings of pupil size cannot account for the differences in arousal and motor cortex excitability observed between highs and lows in resting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Lanatà
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Greco
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mirco Ciardelli
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Allison Uvelli
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Diego Manzoni
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enzo P Scilingo
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrica L Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Laura Sebastiani
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
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17
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Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Humans Induces Pupil Dilation and Attenuates Alpha Oscillations. J Neurosci 2020; 41:320-330. [PMID: 33214317 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1361-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is widely used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy and depression. While the precise mechanisms mediating its long-term therapeutic effects are not fully resolved, they likely involve locus coeruleus (LC) stimulation via the nucleus of the solitary tract, which receives afferent vagal inputs. In rats, VNS elevates LC firing and forebrain noradrenaline levels, whereas LC lesions suppress VNS therapeutic efficacy. Noninvasive transcutaneous VNS (tVNS) uses electrical stimulation that targets the auricular branch of the vagus nerve at the cymba conchae of the ear. However, the extent to which tVNS mimics VNS remains unclear. Here, we investigated the short-term effects of tVNS in healthy human male volunteers (n = 24), using high-density EEG and pupillometry during visual fixation at rest. We compared short (3.4 s) trials of tVNS to sham electrical stimulation at the earlobe (far from the vagus nerve branch) to control for somatosensory stimulation. Although tVNS and sham stimulation did not differ in subjective intensity ratings, tVNS led to robust pupil dilation (peaking 4-5 s after trial onset) that was significantly higher than following sham stimulation. We further quantified, using parallel factor analysis, how tVNS modulates idle occipital alpha (8-13Hz) activity identified in each participant. We found greater attenuation of alpha oscillations by tVNS than by sham stimulation. This demonstrates that tVNS reliably induces pupillary and EEG markers of arousal beyond the effects of somatosensory stimulation, thus supporting the hypothesis that tVNS elevates noradrenaline and other arousal-promoting neuromodulatory signaling, and mimics invasive VNS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Current noninvasive brain stimulation techniques are mostly confined to modulating cortical activity, as is typical with transcranial magnetic or transcranial direct/alternating current electrical stimulation. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has been proposed to stimulate subcortical arousal-promoting nuclei, though previous studies yielded inconsistent results. Here we show that short (3.4 s) tVNS pulses in naive healthy male volunteers induced transient pupil dilation and attenuation of occipital alpha oscillations. These markers of brain arousal are in line with the established effects of invasive VNS on locus coeruleus-noradrenaline signaling, and support that tVNS mimics VNS. Therefore, tVNS can be used as a tool for studying how endogenous subcortical neuromodulatory signaling affects human cognition, including perception, attention, memory, and decision-making; and also for developing novel clinical applications.
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18
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Decker A, Finn A, Duncan K. Errors lead to transient impairments in memory formation. Cognition 2020; 204:104338. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Task-evoked pupillary responses track effort exertion: Evidence from task-switching. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 21:592-606. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00843-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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20
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Zekveld AA, van Scheepen JAM, Versfeld NJ, Kramer SE, van Steenbergen H. The Influence of Hearing Loss on Cognitive Control in an Auditory Conflict Task: Behavioral and Pupillometry Findings. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:2483-2492. [PMID: 32610026 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The pupil dilation response is sensitive not only to auditory task demand but also to cognitive conflict. Conflict is induced by incompatible trials in auditory Stroop tasks in which participants have to identify the presentation location (left or right ear) of the words "left" or "right." Previous studies demonstrated that the compatibility effect is reduced if the trial is preceded by another incompatible trial (conflict adaptation). Here, we investigated the influence of hearing status on cognitive conflict and conflict adaptation in an auditory Stroop task. Method Two age-matched groups consisting of 32 normal-hearing participants (M age = 52 years, age range: 25-67 years) and 28 participants with hearing impairment (M age = 52 years, age range: 23-64 years) performed an auditory Stroop task. We assessed the effects of hearing status and stimulus compatibility on reaction times (RTs) and pupil dilation responses. We furthermore analyzed the Pearson correlation coefficients between age, degree of hearing loss, and the compatibility effects on the RT and pupil response data across all participants. Results As expected, the RTs were longer and pupil dilation was larger for incompatible relative to compatible trials. Furthermore, these effects were reduced for trials following incompatible (as compared to compatible) trials (conflict adaptation). No general effect of hearing status was observed, but the correlations suggested that higher age and a larger degree of hearing loss were associated with more interference of current incompatibility on RTs. Conclusions Conflict processing and adaptation effects were observed on the RTs and pupil dilation responses in an auditory Stroop task. No general effects of hearing status were observed, but the correlations suggested that higher age and a greater degree of hearing loss were related to reduced conflict processing ability. The current study underlines the relevance of taking into account cognitive control and conflict adaptation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana A Zekveld
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J A M van Scheepen
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Niek J Versfeld
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sophia E Kramer
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, University of Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, the Netherlands
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21
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Ehgoetz Martens KA, Peterson DS, Almeida QJ, Lewis SJG, Hausdorff JM, Nieuwboer A. Behavioural manifestations and associated non-motor features of freezing of gait: A narrative review and theoretical framework. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:350-364. [PMID: 32603716 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, non-motor related symptoms and provocative contexts have offered unique opportunities to gain insight into the potential mechanisms that may underpin freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease (PD). While this large body of work has informed several theoretical models, to date, few are capable of explaining behavioural findings across multiple domains (i.e. cognitive, sensory-perceptual and affective) and in different behavorial contexts. As such, the exact nature of these interrelationships and their neural basis remain quite enigmatic. Here, the non-motor, behavioural evidence for cognitive, sensory-perceptual and affective contributors to FOG are reviewed and synthesized by systematically examining (i) studies that manipulated contextual environments that provoke freezing of gait, (ii) studies that uncovered factors that have been proposed to contribute to freezing, and (iii) studies that longitudinally tracked factors that predict the future development of freezing of gait. After consolidating the evidence, we offer a novel perspective for integrating these multi-faceted behavioural patterns and identify key challenges that warrant consideration in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel S Peterson
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Veterans Affairs Medical Centre, Arizona, USA
| | - Quincy J Almeida
- Movement Disorders Research & Rehabilitation Centre, Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Simon J G Lewis
- ForeFront Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Hausdorff
- Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition and Mobility, Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Dept of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alice Nieuwboer
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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22
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Allaert J, De Raedt R, Sanchez-Lopez A, Baeken C, Vanderhasselt MA. Mind the social feedback: effects of tDCS applied to the left DLPFC on psychophysiological responses during the anticipation and reception of social evaluations. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 17:131-141. [PMID: 32412085 PMCID: PMC8824563 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC) is implicated in anticipatory (i.e. during anticipation of emotional stimuli) and online (i.e. during confrontation with emotional stimuli) emotion regulatory processes. However, research that investigates the causal role of the lDLPFC in these processes is lacking. In this study, 74 participants received active or sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the lDLPFC. Participants were told strangers evaluated them. These (rigged) social evaluations were presented, and in 50% of the trials, participants could anticipate the valence (positive or negative) of the upcoming social feedback. Pupil dilation (a marker of cognitive resource allocation), and skin conductance responses (a marker of arousal) were measured. The results indicate that active (compared to sham) tDCS reduced arousal during the confrontation with anticipated feedback, but only marginally during the confrontation with unanticipated feedback. When participants were given the opportunity to anticipate the social feedback, tDCS reduced arousal, irrespective of whether one was anticipating or being confronted with the anticipated feedback. Moreover, tDCS reduced cognitive resource allocation during anticipation, which was associated with resource allocation increases during the subsequent confrontation. Altogether, results suggest that the lDLPFC is causally implicated in the interplay between anticipatory and online emotion regulatory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Allaert
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium.,Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium.,Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), University Hospital UZBrussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium.,Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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23
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Landman LL, van Steenbergen H. Emotion and conflict adaptation: the role of phasic arousal and self-relevance. Cogn Emot 2020; 34:1083-1096. [PMID: 32036746 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1722615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Conflict adaptation reflects the increase in cognitive control after previous conflict between task-relevant and task-irrelevant information. Tonic (sustained) arousal elicited by emotional words embedded in a conflict task has previously been shown to increase conflict adaptation. However, the role of phasic (transient) emotional arousal remains unclear. In Experiment 1 (N = 55), we therefore investigated the effect of phasic arousal using a colour flanker task with negative, positive, and neutral words as stimuli. We hypothesised that phasic arousal elicited in this context will increase conflict adaptation in the subsequent trial. Indeed, when the words were positive or negative as compared to neutral, we observed increased conflict adaptation. In Experiment 2 (N = 54), we examined the role of the self-relevance by presenting words with a self-related pronoun ("my") or sender-related pronoun ("his"/"her"). We expected that emotional words with high self-relevance would lead to stronger effects of emotional arousal on conflict adaptation. Confirming this hypothesis, results showed that emotional words within a self-related context again increased conflict adaptation, whereas this effect was not observed in the sender-related context. Taken together, these results are the first to show that phasic arousal elicited by emotional words increases conflict adaptation, in particular when these words have high self-relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa L Landman
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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24
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Ptok MJ, Hannah KE, Watter S. Memory effects of conflict and cognitive control are processing stage-specific: evidence from pupillometry. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 85:1029-1046. [PMID: 32036444 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01295-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of studies in the conflict/control and perceptual desirable difficulty literatures show memory benefits for information in high-conflict task situations. Recent work suggests that increased conflict does not produce a task-wide encoding benefit; rather, conflict must focus high-level attention on to-be-tested information to produce an encoding benefit. We used pupil dilation measures to directly assess this stage-specific model of conflict-encoding effects. We show clear performance costs of incongruency (slower RT and larger pupil dilation) with both semantic and response distractors, but show memory benefits only with semantic conflict. Further, when participants were encouraged to focus more (eliciting greater endogenous effort and control for all trials, not just incongruent trials), we observe larger and more similar pupil responses and reduced memory differences between high versus low semantic conflict conditions. These data confirm and extend a stage-specific model of conflict-encoding effects, with converging behavioural and physiological data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Ptok
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | | | - Scott Watter
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
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25
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Berger A, Mitschke V, Dignath D, Eder A, van Steenbergen H. The face of control: Corrugator supercilii tracks aversive conflict signals in the service of adaptive cognitive control. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13524. [PMID: 31930536 PMCID: PMC7079141 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control is the ability to monitor, evaluate, and adapt behavior in the service of long‐term goals. Recent theories have proposed that the integral negative emotions elicited by conflict are critical for the adaptive adjustment of cognitive control. However, evidence for the negative valence of conflict in cognitive control tasks mainly comes from behavioral studies that interrupted trial sequences, making it difficult to directly test the link between conflict‐induced affect and subsequent increases in cognitive control. In the present study, we therefore use online measures of valence‐sensitive electromyography (EMG) of the facial corrugator (frowning) and zygomaticus (smiling) muscles while measuring the adaptive cognitive control in a Stroop‐like task. In line with the prediction that conflict is aversive, results showed that conflict relative to non‐conflict trials led to increased activity of the corrugator muscles after correct responses, both in a flanker task (Experiment 1) and in a prime‐probe task (Experiment 2). This conflict‐induced corrugator activity effect correlated marginally with conflict‐driven increases in cognitive control in the next trial in the confound‐minimalized task used in Experiment 2. However, in the absence of performance feedback (Experiment 3), no reliable effect of conflict was observed in the facial muscle activity despite robust behavioral conflict adaptation. Taken together, our results show that facial EMG can be used as an indirect index of the temporal dynamics of conflict‐induced aversive signals and/or effortful processes in particular when performance feedback is presented, providing important new insights into the dynamic affective nature of cognitive control. Cognitive control plays a pivotal role in goal‐directed behavior. Nevertheless, it still remains elusive what mechanisms determine how cognitive control is recruited. Recent theories have proposed that negative emotions elicited by conflict help to adaptively increase the cognitive control. Although there is indeed accumulating evidence for the negative valence of conflict, no study has yet linked this directly to increased adaptive control. Using valence‐sensitive EMG measures, we here show that conflict is associated with increased activation of the corrugator (frowning) muscle and that the size of this effect predicts the size of conflict‐driven control adjustment in the next trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Berger
- Department of Psychology, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Mitschke
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - David Dignath
- Institute for Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Andreas Eder
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden University Institute of Psychology, Leiden, The Netherlands
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26
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Bartoli E, Conner CR, Kadipasaoglu CM, Yellapantula S, Rollo MJ, Carter CS, Tandon N. Temporal Dynamics of Human Frontal and Cingulate Neural Activity During Conflict and Cognitive Control. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3842-3856. [PMID: 29028974 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control refers to the ability to produce flexible, goal-oriented behavior in the face of changing task demands and conflicting response tendencies. A classic cognitive control experiment is the Stroop-color naming task, which requires participants to name the color in which a word is written while inhibiting the tendency to read the word. By comparing stimuli with conflicting word-color associations to congruent ones, control processes over response tendencies can be isolated. We assessed the spatial specificity and temporal dynamics in the theta and gamma bands for regions engaged in detecting and resolving conflict in a cohort of 13 patients using a combination of high-resolution surface and depth recordings. We show that cognitive control manifests as a sustained increase in gamma band power, which correlates with response time. Conflict elicits a sustained gamma power increase but a transient theta power increase, specifically localized to the left cingulate sulcus and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Additionally, activity in DLPFC is affected by trial-by-trial modulation of cognitive control (the Gratton effect). Altogether, the sustained local neural activity in dorsolateral and medial regions is what determines the timing of the correct response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Bartoli
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher R Conner
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cihan M Kadipasaoglu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sudha Yellapantula
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew J Rollo
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
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27
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Fröber K, Pittino F, Dreisbach G. How sequential changes in reward expectation modulate cognitive control: Pupillometry as a tool to monitor dynamic changes in reward expectation. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 148:35-49. [PMID: 31863851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Much evidence suggests that positive affect associated with performance-contingent reward modulates cognitive flexibility and stability. For example, in voluntary task switching, it has been shown that unchanged high reward promotes cognitive stability whereas increases or decreases in reward prospect as well as unchanged low reward promote cognitive flexibility (higher voluntary switch rate, VSR). Pupil diameter has been shown to respond to reward prospect, to task switching manipulations, and more generally to effort in cognitive control tasks and thus appears to be the ideal tool to learn more about the processes underlying these reward-modulated decisions. Therefore, we measured pupillary activity in two voluntary task switching experiments with randomly changing reward magnitudes. Behaviorally, VSR was again lowest when reward remained high as compared to all other reward sequences. Baseline pupil diameter was generally higher following switch trials as compared to repetition trials. Furthermore, the pupil responded dynamically to the reward manipulation: Phasic cue- and target-locked pupil dilation was larger in the reward phase as compared to the non-reward baseline block. Most importantly, phasic pupil dilation in the target interval was highest when reward prospect increased and lowest when reward prospect decreased, suggesting that motivational arousal fluctuates in sync with changes in reward expectation. These results are discussed with respect to current theories on cognitive control as a form of affect regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Fröber
- Department of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | | | - Gesine Dreisbach
- Department of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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28
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Naber M, Murphy P. Pupillometric investigation into the speed-accuracy trade-off in a visuo-motor aiming task. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13499. [PMID: 31736089 PMCID: PMC7027463 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Convergent lines of evidence suggest that fluctuations in the size of the pupil may be associated with the trade‐off between the speed (adrenergic, sympathetic) and accuracy (cholinergic, parasympathetic) of behavior across a variety of task contexts. Here, we explored whether pupil size was related to this trade‐off during a visuospatial motor aiming task. Participants were shown visual targets at random locations on a screen and were instructed and incentivized to move a computer mouse‐controlled cursor to the center of the targets, either as fast as possible, as accurately as possible, or to strike a balance between the two. Behavioral results showed that these instructions led to typical speed‐accuracy trade‐off effects on movement reaction times and hit distances to target centers. Pupillometric analyses revealed that movements were faster and less accurate when participants had relatively large baseline pupil sizes, as measured before target onset. Furthermore, trial‐evoked pupil dilation was related specifically to a bias toward speed in the trade‐off and the speed of the ballistic and error‐correction phases of the motor responses such that larger pupils predicted shorter latencies and higher movement speeds. Pupil responses were also associated with performance in a manner that may reflect the combined influence of a number of factors, including the generation of dynamic urgency and an arousal response to negative feedback. Our results generally support a role for pupil‐linked arousal in regulating the trade‐off between speed and accuracy, while also highlighting how the trial‐related pupil response can exhibit multifaceted, temporally discrete associations with behavior. The eye’s pupil has been considered a “window into the soul” as its dynamics are related to a wide variety of cognitive processes. Here, we present convergent evidence that both slow, prestimulus fluctuations and fast, event‐related changes in pupil diameter are sensitive to a fundamental trade‐off between the speed and accuracy of visuo‐motor actions—an association that holds for both instructed and endogenous variation in this trade‐off. This finding complements a growing literature linking pupil size to adaptive, contextually appropriate changes in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marnix Naber
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Vision Sciences Laboratory, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Peter Murphy
- Section Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Abstract
Pupil dilation is an effective indicator of cognitive and affective processes. Although several eyetracker systems on the market can provide effective solutions for pupil dilation measurement, there is a lack of tools for processing and analyzing the data provided by these systems. For this reason, we developed CHAP: open-source software written in MATLAB. This software provides a user-friendly graphical user interface for processing and analyzing pupillometry data. Our software creates uniform conventions for the preprocessing and analysis of pupillometry data and provides a quick and easy-to-use tool for researchers interested in pupillometry. To download CHAP or join our mailing list, please visit CHAP's website: http://in.bgu.ac.il/en/Labs/CNL/chap .
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Abstract
In conditions of constant illumination, the eye pupil diameter indexes the modulation of arousal state and responds to a large breadth of cognitive processes, including mental effort, attention, surprise, decision processes, decision biases, value beliefs, uncertainty, volatility, exploitation/exploration trade-off, or learning rate. Here, I propose an information theoretic framework that has the potential to explain the ensemble of these findings as reflecting pupillary response to information processing. In short, updates of the brain’s internal model, quantified formally as the Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence between prior and posterior beliefs, would be the common denominator to all these instances of pupillary dilation to cognition. I show that stimulus presentation leads to pupillary response that is proportional to the amount of information the stimulus carries about itself and to the quantity of information it provides about other task variables. In the context of decision making, pupil dilation in relation to uncertainty is explained by the wandering of the evidence accumulation process, leading to large summed KL divergences. Finally, pupillary response to mental effort and variations in tonic pupil size are also formalized in terms of information theory. On the basis of this framework, I compare pupillary data from past studies to simple information-theoretic simulations of task designs and show good correspondance with data across studies. The present framework has the potential to unify the large set of results reported on pupillary dilation to cognition and to provide a theory to guide future research.
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Fehring DJ, Samandra R, Rosa MG, Mansouri FA. Negative Emotional Stimuli Enhance Conflict Resolution Without Altering Arousal. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:282. [PMID: 31456675 PMCID: PMC6700260 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In our daily life, we frequently need to make decisions between competing behavioral options while we are exposed to various contextual factors containing emotional/social information. We examined how changes in emotional/arousal state influence resolving conflict between behavioral rules. Visual stimuli with emotional content (positive, negative and neutral) and music (High/Low tempo), which could potentially alter emotional/arousal states, were included in the task context while participants performed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The WCST requires the application of abstract matching rules, to resolve conflict between competing behavioral options. We found that conflict influenced both accuracy and response time (RT) in implementing rules. Measuring event-related autonomic responses indicated that these behavioral effects were accompanied by concomitant alterations in arousal levels. Performance in the WCST was modulated by the emotional content of visual stimuli and appeared as a faster response and higher accuracy when trials commenced with negative emotional stimuli. These effects were dependent on the level of conflict but were not accompanied by changes in arousal levels. Here, we report that visual stimuli with emotional content influence conflict processing without trial-by-trial changes in arousal level. Our findings indicate intricate interactions between emotional context and various aspects of executive control such as conflict resolution and suggest that these interactions are not necessarily mediated through alterations in arousal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Fehring
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ranshikha Samandra
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Marcello G Rosa
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, VIC, Australia
| | - Farshad A Mansouri
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Allaert J, Sanchez-Lopez A, De Raedt R, Baeken C, Vanderhasselt MA. Inverse effects of tDCS over the left versus right DLPC on emotional processing: A pupillometry study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218327. [PMID: 31216313 PMCID: PMC6583989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives The Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is implicated in cognitive and emotional responses. Yet, research that investigates the causal role of the left versus right DLPFC during the processes of emotion appraisal is lacking. In the current study, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was used to disentangle the functional lateralization of the DLPFC on emotional processing in response to the anticipation of, and subsequent confrontation with emotional stimuli in healthy volunteers. Methods Forty-eight subjects received both active and sham (on separate days) anodal tDCS over either the left (N = 24) or right (N = 24) DLPFC. Subjects’ pupil dilation (PD, a physiological marker of cognitive resource allocation) was recorded while performing an appraisal task in which negative and positive emotion eliciting images were presented, each preceded by an informative cue indicating the valence of the upcoming stimulus. Results As compared to sham stimulation, left DLPFC anodal tDCS resulted in increased PD when confronted with negative emotional images, whereas right DLPFC anodal tDCS resulted in decreased PD when confronted with emotional images, irrespective of valence. Limitations The interpretation of pupil dilation in response to emotional stimuli is limited. Conclusion These findings suggest inverse lateralized DLPFC effects on cognitive resource allocation (as measured by pupillary responses) when confronted with emotional stimuli. The current findings may shed some light on mechanisms that explain the antidepressant effects of non-invasive brain stimulation of the left DLPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Allaert
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Alvaro Sanchez-Lopez
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), University Hospital UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) enhances conflict-triggered adjustment of cognitive control. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 18:680-693. [PMID: 29693214 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0596-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Response conflicts play a prominent role in the flexible adaptation of behavior as they represent context-signals that indicate the necessity for the recruitment of cognitive control. Previous studies have highlighted the functional roles of the affectively aversive and arousing quality of the conflict signal in triggering the adaptation process. To further test this potential link with arousal, participants performed a response conflict task in two separate sessions with either transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), which is assumed to activate the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NE) system, or with neutral sham stimulation. In both sessions the N2 and P3 event-related potentials (ERP) were assessed. In line with previous findings, conflict interference, the N2 and P3 amplitude were reduced after conflict. Most importantly, this adaptation to conflict was enhanced under tVNS compared to sham stimulation for conflict interference and the N2 amplitude. No effect of tVNS on the P3 component was found. These findings suggest that tVNS increases behavioral and electrophysiological markers of adaptation to conflict. Results are discussed in the context of the potentially underlying LC-NE and other neuromodulatory (e.g., GABA) systems. The present findings add important pieces to the understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of conflict-triggered adjustment of cognitive control.
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Pupillometric indices of locus-coeruleus activation are not modulated following single bouts of exercise. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 140:41-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Peinkhofer C, Knudsen GM, Moretti R, Kondziella D. Cortical modulation of pupillary function: systematic review. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6882. [PMID: 31119083 PMCID: PMC6510220 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pupillary light reflex is the main mechanism that regulates the pupillary diameter; it is controlled by the autonomic system and mediated by subcortical pathways. In addition, cognitive and emotional processes influence pupillary function due to input from cortical innervation, but the exact circuits remain poorly understood. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the mechanisms behind pupillary changes associated with cognitive efforts and processing of emotions and to investigate the cerebral areas involved in cortical modulation of the pupillary light reflex. METHODOLOGY We searched multiple databases until November 2018 for studies on cortical modulation of pupillary function in humans and non-human primates. Of 8,809 papers screened, 258 studies were included. RESULTS Most investigators focused on pupillary dilatation and/or constriction as an index of cognitive and emotional processing, evaluating how changes in pupillary diameter reflect levels of attention and arousal. Only few tried to correlate specific cerebral areas to pupillary changes, using either cortical activation models (employing micro-stimulation of cortical structures in non-human primates) or cortical lesion models (e.g., investigating patients with stroke and damage to salient cortical and/or subcortical areas). Results suggest the involvement of several cortical regions, including the insular cortex (Brodmann areas 13 and 16), the frontal eye field (Brodmann area 8) and the prefrontal cortex (Brodmann areas 11 and 25), and of subcortical structures such as the locus coeruleus and the superior colliculus. CONCLUSIONS Pupillary dilatation occurs with many kinds of mental or emotional processes, following sympathetic activation or parasympathetic inhibition. Conversely, pupillary constriction may occur with anticipation of a bright stimulus (even in its absence) and relies on a parasympathetic activation. All these reactions are controlled by subcortical and cortical structures that are directly or indirectly connected to the brainstem pupillary innervation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Peinkhofer
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Medical Faculty, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gitte M. Knudsen
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rita Moretti
- Medical Faculty, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Neurological Unit, Trieste University Hospital, Cattinara, Trieste, Italy
| | - Daniel Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Technology and Science, Trondheim, Norway
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Park S, Mun S, Lee DW, Whang M. IR-camera-based measurements of 2D/3D cognitive fatigue in 2D/3D display system using task-evoked pupillary response. APPLIED OPTICS 2019; 58:3467-3480. [PMID: 31044844 DOI: 10.1364/ao.58.003467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This study was carried out to evaluate a method used to measure three-dimensional (3D) cognitive fatigue based on the pupillary response. This technique was designed to overcome measurement burdens by using non-contact methods. The pupillary response is related to cognitive function by a neural pathway and may be an indicator of 3D cognitive fatigue. Twenty-six undergraduate students (including 14 women) watched both 2D and 3D versions of a video for 70 min. The participants experienced visual fatigue after viewing the 3D content. Measures such as subjective rating, response time, event-related potential latency, heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) alpha power, and task-evoked pupillary response (TEPR) latency were significantly different. Multitrait-multimethod matrix analysis indicated that HEP and TEPR latency measures had stronger reliability and higher correlations with 3D cognitive fatigue than other measures. TEPR latency may be useful for quantitatively determining 3D visual fatigue, as it can be easily used to evaluate 3D visual fatigue using a non-contact method without measuring burden.
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Too good to be true? Psychological responses to uncommon options in risk–reward environments. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Abstract
Pupillometry research has experienced an enormous revival in the last two decades. Here we briefly review the surge of recent studies on task-evoked pupil dilation in the context of cognitive control tasks with the primary aim being to evaluate the feasibility of using pupil dilation as an index of effort exertion, rather than task demand or difficulty. Our review shows that across the three cognitive control domains of updating, switching, and inhibition, increases in task demands typically leads to increases in pupil dilation. Studies show a diverging pattern with respect to the relationship between pupil dilation and performance and we show how an effort account of pupil dilation can provide an explanation of these findings. We also discuss future directions to further corroborate this account in the context of recent theories on cognitive control and effort and their potential neurobiological substrates.
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Hershaw JN, Ettenhofer ML. Insights into cognitive pupillometry: Evaluation of the utility of pupillary metrics for assessing cognitive load in normative and clinical samples. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 134:62-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Park S, Whang M. Infrared Camera-Based Non-contact Measurement of Brain Activity From Pupillary Rhythms. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1400. [PMID: 30364205 PMCID: PMC6192458 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupillary responses are associated with affective processing, cognitive function, perception, memory, attention, and other brain activities involving neural pathways. The present study aimed to develop a noncontact system to measure brain activity based on pupillary rhythms using an infra-red web camera. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and pupil imaging of 70 undergraduate volunteers (35 female, 35 male) were measured in response to sound stimuli designed to evoke arousal, relaxation, happiness, sadness, or neutral responses. This study successfully developed a real-time system that could detect an EEG spectral index (relative power: low beta in FP1; mid beta in FP1; SMR in FP1; beta in F3; high beta in F8; gamma P4; mu in C4) from pupillary rhythms using the synchronization phenomenon in harmonic frequency (1/100 f) between the pupil and brain oscillations. This method was effective in measuring and evaluating brain activity using a simple, low-cost, noncontact system, and may be an alternative to previous methods used to evaluate brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangin Park
- Industry-Academy Cooperation Team, Sangmyung University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Mincheol Whang
- Department of Intelligent Engineering Informatics for Human, Sangmyung University, Seoul, South Korea
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Bell L, Vogt J, Willemse C, Routledge T, Butler LT, Sakaki M. Beyond Self-Report: A Review of Physiological and Neuroscientific Methods to Investigate Consumer Behavior. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1655. [PMID: 30245657 PMCID: PMC6137131 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The current paper investigates the value and application of a range of physiological and neuroscientific techniques in applied marketing research and consumer science, highlighting new insights from research in social psychology and neuroscience. We review measures of sweat secretion, heart rate, facial muscle activity, eye movements, and electrical brain activity, using techniques including skin conductance, pupillometry, eyetracking, and magnetic brain imaging. For each measure, after a brief explanation of the underlying technique, we illustrate concepts and mechanisms that the measure allows researchers in marketing and consumer science to investigate, with a focus on consumer attitudes and behavior. By providing reviews on recent research that applied these methods in consumer science and relevant related fields, we also highlight methodological and theoretical strengths and limitations, with an emphasis on ecological validity. We argue that the inclusion of physiological and neuroscientific techniques can advance consumer research by providing insights into the often unconscious mechanisms underlying consumer behavior. Therefore, such technologies can help researchers and marketing practitioners understand the mechanisms of consumer behavior and improve predictions of consumer behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Bell
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Vogt
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Laurie T. Butler
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Michiko Sakaki
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
- Research Institute, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan
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Ocular signatures of proactive versus reactive cognitive control in young adults. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 18:1049-1063. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0621-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Midfrontal theta and pupil dilation parametrically track subjective conflict (but also surprise) during intertemporal choice. Neuroimage 2018; 172:838-852. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.10.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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D'Ascenzo S, Lugli L, Baroni G, Guidotti R, Rubichi S, Iani C, Nicoletti R. Visual versus auditory Simon effect: A behavioural and physiological investigation. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 71:917-930. [PMID: 28293982 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2017.1307429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether the visual and auditory Simon effects could be accounted for by the same mechanism. In a single experiment, we performed a detailed comparison of the visual and the auditory Simon effects arising in behavioural responses and in pupil dilation, a psychophysiological measure considered as a marker of the cognitive effort induced by conflict processing. To address our question, we performed sequential and distributional analyses on both reaction times and pupil dilation. Results confirmed that the mechanisms underlying the visual and auditory Simon effects are functionally equivalent in terms of the interaction between unconditional and conditional response processes. The two modalities, however, differ with respect to the strength of their activation and inhibition. Importantly, pupillary data mirrored the pattern observed in behavioural data for both tasks, adding physiological evidence to the current literature on the processing of visual and auditory information in a conflict task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania D'Ascenzo
- 1 Department of Communication and Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.,2 Department of Philosophy and Communication, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luisa Lugli
- 2 Department of Philosophy and Communication, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Baroni
- 2 Department of Philosophy and Communication, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Guidotti
- 3 Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, and Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies, 'G. D'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Sandro Rubichi
- 4 Department of Education and Human Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Cristina Iani
- 1 Department of Communication and Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Roberto Nicoletti
- 2 Department of Philosophy and Communication, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Pre-stimulus pupil dilation and the preparatory control of attention. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188787. [PMID: 29220361 PMCID: PMC5722334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Task preparation involves multiple component processes, including a general evaluative process that signals the need for adjustments in control, and the engagement of task-specific control settings. Here we examined the dynamics of these different mechanisms in preparing the attentional control system for visual search. We explored preparatory activity using pupil dilation, a well-established measure of task demands and effortful processing. In an initial exploratory experiment, participants were cued at the start of each trial to search for either a salient color singleton target (an easy search task) or a low-salience shape singleton target (a difficult search task). Pupil dilation was measured during the preparation period from cue onset to search display onset. Mean dilation was larger in preparation for the difficult shape target than the easy color target. In two additional experiments, we sought to vary effects of evaluative processing and task-specific preparation separately. Experiment 2 showed that when the color and shape search tasks were matched for difficulty, the shape target no longer evoked larger dilations, and the pattern of results was in fact reversed. In Experiment 3, we manipulated difficulty within a single feature dimension, and found that the difficult search task evoked larger dilations. These results suggest that pupil dilation reflects expectations of difficulty in preparation for a search task, consistent with the activity of an evaluative mechanism. We did not find consistent evidence for relationship between pupil dilation and search performance (accuracy and response timing), suggesting that pupil dilation during search preparation may not be strongly linked to ongoing task-specific preparation.
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Dunn TL, Inzlicht M, Risko EF. Anticipating cognitive effort: roles of perceived error-likelihood and time demands. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2017; 83:1033-1056. [PMID: 29134281 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-017-0943-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Why are some actions evaluated as effortful? In the present set of experiments we address this question by examining individuals' perception of effort when faced with a trade-off between two putative cognitive costs: how much time a task takes vs. how error-prone it is. Specifically, we were interested in whether individuals anticipate engaging in a small amount of hard work (i.e., low time requirement, but high error-likelihood) vs. a large amount of easy work (i.e., high time requirement, but low error-likelihood) as being more effortful. In between-subject designs, Experiments 1 through 3 demonstrated that individuals anticipate options that are high in perceived error-likelihood (yet less time consuming) as more effortful than options that are perceived to be more time consuming (yet low in error-likelihood). Further, when asked to evaluate which of the two tasks was (a) more effortful, (b) more error-prone, and (c) more time consuming, effort-based and error-based choices closely tracked one another, but this was not the case for time-based choices. Utilizing a within-subject design, Experiment 4 demonstrated overall similar pattern of judgments as Experiments 1 through 3. However, both judgments of error-likelihood and time demand similarly predicted effort judgments. Results are discussed within the context of extant accounts of cognitive control, with considerations of how error-likelihood and time demands may independently and conjunctively factor into judgments of cognitive effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy L Dunn
- Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, 995 Regent Dr. Koelbel Building 419 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
| | - Michael Inzlicht
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Rotman School of Management, Toronto, Canada
| | - Evan F Risko
- Department of Psychology, Universiy of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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More pain, more gain: Blocking the opioid system boosts adaptive cognitive control. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 80:99-103. [PMID: 28324705 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The ability to adaptively increase cognitive control in response to cognitive challenges is crucial for goal-directed behavior. Recent findings suggest that aversive arousal triggers adaptive increases of control, but the neurochemical mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Given the known contributions of the opioid system to hedonic states, we investigated whether blocking this system increases adaptive control modulations. To do so, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled psychopharmacological study (n=52 females) involving a Stroop-like task. Specifically, we assessed the effect of naltrexone, an opioid blocker most selective to the mu-opioid system, on two measures of adaptive control that are thought to depend differentially on aversive arousal: post-error slowing and conflict adaptation. Consistent with our hypothesis, relative to placebo, naltrexone increased post-error slowing without influencing conflict adaptation. This finding not only supports the view that aversive arousal triggers adaptive control but also reveals a novel role for the opioid system in modulating such effects.
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Proulx T, Sleegers W, Tritt SM. The expectancy bias: Expectancy-violating faces evoke earlier pupillary dilation than neutral or negative faces. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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A locus coeruleus-norepinephrine account of individual differences in working memory capacity and attention control. Psychon Bull Rev 2017; 24:1282-1311. [DOI: 10.3758/s13423-016-1220-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Diede NT, Bugg JM. Cognitive effort is modulated outside of the explicit awareness of conflict frequency: Evidence from pupillometry. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 2017; 43:824-835. [PMID: 28068124 DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Classic theories of cognitive control conceptualized controlled processes as slow, strategic, and willful, with automatic processes being fast and effortless. The context-specific proportion compatibility (CSPC) effect, the reduction in the compatibility effect in a context (e.g., location) associated with a high relative to low likelihood of conflict, challenged classic theories by demonstrating fast and flexible control that appears to operate outside of conscious awareness. Two theoretical questions yet to be addressed are whether the CSPC effect is accompanied by context-dependent variation in effort, and whether the exertion of effort depends on explicit awareness of context-specific task demands. To address these questions, pupil diameter was measured during a CSPC paradigm. Stimuli were randomly presented in either a mostly compatible location or a mostly incompatible location. Replicating prior research, the CSPC effect was found. The novel finding was that pupil diameter was greater in the mostly incompatible location compared to the mostly compatible location, despite participants' lack of awareness of context-specific task demands. Additionally, this difference occurred regardless of trial type or a preceding switch in location. These patterns support the view that context (location) dictates selection of optimal attentional settings in the CSPC paradigm, and varying levels of effort and performance accompany these settings. Theoretically, these patterns imply that cognitive control may operate fast, flexibly, and outside of awareness, but not effortlessly. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel T Diede
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Julie M Bugg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
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