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Keith CM, Lindberg KE, Wilhelmsen K, Mehta RI, Vieira Ligo Teixeira C, Miller M, Ward M, Navia RO, McCuddy WT, Miller L, Bryant K, Coleman M, D'Haese PF, Haut MW. Cortical Thickness Correlates of Go/No-go and Motor Sequencing in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Suspected Alzheimer Disease Dementia. Cogn Behav Neurol 2024; 37:144-153. [PMID: 39069962 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the cognitive hallmark of typical Alzheimer disease (AD) is impaired memory consolidation, increasing evidence suggests that the frontal lobes and associated executive functions are also impacted. OBJECTIVE We examined two neurobehavioral executive function tasks and associations with cortical thickness in patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), suspected AD dementia, and a healthy control group. METHODS First, we compared group performances on a go/no-go (GNG) task and on Luria's Fist-Edge-Palm (FEP) motor sequencing task. We then examined correlations between neurobehavioral task performance and the thickness of frontal cortical regions, AD signature regions, broader unbiased brain regions, and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). RESULTS Participants with MCI performed worse than healthy controls, but better than participants with suspected AD dementia on both tasks. Both GNG and FEP (to a slightly greater extent) tasks showed diffuse associations with most AD signature regions and multiple additional regions within the temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices. Similarly, both tasks showed significant associations with all other cognitive tasks examined. Of the frontal regions examined, only the middle frontal gyrus and pars opercularis were associated with performance on these tasks. Interactions between the precuneus and transtemporal gyri were most predictive of GNG task performance, while the interaction between superior temporal and lingual gyri was most predictive of FEP task performance. CONCLUSION This study replicates difficulties with both GNG and FEP tasks in participants with MCI and AD dementia. Both tasks showed widespread associations with the cortical thickness of various brain structures rather than localizing to frontal regions, consistent with the diffuse nature of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cierra M Keith
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Katharine E Lindberg
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Kirk Wilhelmsen
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Department of Neurology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Rashi I Mehta
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Department of Neuroradiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | | | - Mark Miller
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Melanie Ward
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Department of Neurology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - R Osvaldo Navia
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Department of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - William T McCuddy
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Liv Miller
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Kirk Bryant
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Michelle Coleman
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Pierre-François D'Haese
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Department of Neuroradiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Marc W Haut
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Department of Neurology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
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Beschin N, MacPherson SE, Barozzi N, Della Sala S. Luria's fist-edge-palm test: A small change makes a big difference. Cortex 2023; 169:191-202. [PMID: 37944207 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.09.011] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Slight modifications in the instructions or administration of neuropsychological tests could result in noticeable differences in performance. A good example is offered by a test devised by Luria to assess executive functioning in motor planning, the three-step fist-edge-palm (FEP) test, which is still frequently employed in clinical settings and features in several neuropsychological test batteries such as the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). While Luria described the orientation of the fist as horizontal to the testing desk (hFEP), recent versions of the task indicate the fist should be vertical to the testing desk (vFEP). The current study examined whether administering the hFEP or the vFEP tests results in different performance in healthy people, and whether one version is better than the other at detecting impairments in a patient population. The hFEP proved more challenging for healthy adults than the vFEP, and people with brain damage committed more errors on the hFEP than the vFEP. Both versions correlated with executive measures but also with several other cognitive variables, indicating that the test is not a specific marker of executive functions. Although performance on the FEP is sensitive to articulatory suppression, faster pace, and the number of sequences performed, none of these conditions fully account for the differences between the hFEP and vFEP. The additional demand of the hFEP appears to be due to the less natural (i.e., automatic) orientation of the horizontal fist. In conclusion, a small change in the administration of the test, eluding Luria's instructions, grossly modified its sensitivity. Clinicians and researchers should be wary of modifying instructions or testing procedures without considering the possible consequences of such modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Beschin
- Neuropsychological Service, Rehabilitation Unit, ASST Valle Olona, Somma Lombardo Hospital, Italy
| | - Sarah E MacPherson
- Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nicole Barozzi
- Neuropsychological Service, Rehabilitation Unit, ASST Valle Olona, Somma Lombardo Hospital, Italy
| | - Sergio Della Sala
- Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Ishikuro K, Hattori N, Otomune H, Furuya K, Nakada T, Miyahara K, Shibata T, Noguchi K, Kuroda S, Nakatsuji Y, Nishijo H. Neural Mechanisms of Neuro-Rehabilitation Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the Front-Polar Area. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1604. [PMID: 38002563 PMCID: PMC10670271 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13111604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technique that applies a weak current to the scalp to modulate neuronal excitability by stimulating the cerebral cortex. The technique can produce either somatic depolarization (anodal stimulation) or somatic hyperpolarization (cathodal stimulation), based on the polarity of the current used by noninvasively stimulating the cerebral cortex with a weak current from the scalp, making it a NIBS technique that can modulate neuronal excitability. Thus, tDCS has emerged as a hopeful clinical neuro-rehabilitation treatment strategy. This method has a broad range of potential uses in rehabilitation medicine for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). The present paper reviews the efficacy of tDCS over the front-polar area (FPA) in healthy subjects, as well as patients with PD, where tDCS is mainly applied to the primary motor cortex (M1 area). Multiple evidence lines indicate that the FPA plays a part in motor learning. Furthermore, recent studies have reported that tDCS applied over the FPA can improve motor functions in both healthy adults and PD patients. We argue that the application of tDCS to the FPA promotes motor skill learning through its effects on the M1 area and midbrain dopamine neurons. Additionally, we will review other unique outcomes of tDCS over the FPA, such as effects on persistence and motivation, and discuss their underlying neural mechanisms. These findings support the claim that the FPA could emerge as a new key brain region for tDCS in neuro-rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Ishikuro
- Department of Rehabilitation, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; (K.I.); (N.H.); (H.O.); (K.F.); (T.N.)
| | - Noriaki Hattori
- Department of Rehabilitation, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; (K.I.); (N.H.); (H.O.); (K.F.); (T.N.)
| | - Hironori Otomune
- Department of Rehabilitation, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; (K.I.); (N.H.); (H.O.); (K.F.); (T.N.)
| | - Kohta Furuya
- Department of Rehabilitation, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; (K.I.); (N.H.); (H.O.); (K.F.); (T.N.)
| | - Takeshi Nakada
- Department of Rehabilitation, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; (K.I.); (N.H.); (H.O.); (K.F.); (T.N.)
| | - Kenichiro Miyahara
- Department of Physical Therapy, Toyama College of Medical Welfare, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Takashi Shibata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Toyama Nishi General Hospital, Toyama 939-2716, Japan;
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Kyo Noguchi
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Satoshi Kuroda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Yuji Nakatsuji
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of East Asia, Shimonoseki 751-8503, Japan
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Husain SF, Wang N, McIntyre RS, Tran BX, Nguyen TP, Vu LG, Vu GT, Ho RC, Ho CS. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy of medical students answering various item types. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1178753. [PMID: 37377693 PMCID: PMC10291186 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1178753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Traditionally, the effect of assessment item types including true/false questions (TFQs), multiple-choice questions (MCQs), short answer questions (SAQs), and case scenario questions (CSQs) is examined through psychometric qualities or student interviews. However, brain activity while answering such questions or items remains unknown. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be used to safely measure cerebral cortex hemodynamic response during various tasks. Hence, this fNIRS study aimed to determine differences in frontotemporal cortex activity as medical students answered TFQs, MCQs, SAQs, and CSQs. Methods In total, 24 medical students (13 males and 11 females) were recruited in this study during their mid-psychiatry posting. Oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin levels in the frontal and temporal regions were measured with a 52-channel fNIRS system. Participants answered 9-18 trials under each of the four types of tasks that were based on their psychiatry curriculum during fNIRS measurements. The area under the oxy-hemoglobin curve (AUC) for each participant and each item type was derived. Repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons were used to determine differences in oxy-hemoglobin AUC between TFQs, MCQs, SAQs, and CSQs. Results Oxy-hemoglobin AUC was highest during the CSQs, followed by SAQs, MCQs, and TFQs in both the frontal and temporal regions. Statistically significant differences between different types of items were observed in oxy-hemoglobin AUC of the frontal region (p ≤ 0.001). Oxy-hemoglobin AUC in the frontal region was significantly higher during the CSQs than TFQ (p = 0.005) and during the SAQ than TFQ (p = 0.025). Although the percentage of correct responses was significantly lower in MCQ than in the other item types, there was no correlation between the percentage of correct response and oxy-hemoglobin AUC in both regions for all four item types (p > 0.05). Conclusion CSQs and SAQs elicited greater hemodynamic response than MCQs and TFQs in the prefrontal cortex of medical students. This suggests that more cognitive skills may be required to answer CSQs and SAQs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Fabeha Husain
- Institute of Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nixi Wang
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Roger S. McIntyre
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bach X. Tran
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Thao Phuong Nguyen
- Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
| | - Linh Gia Vu
- Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
| | - Giang Thu Vu
- Center of Excellence in Behavioral Medicine, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Institute of Health Economics and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Roger C. Ho
- Institute of Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cyrus S. Ho
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Zouraraki C, Karamaouna P, Giakoumaki SG. Cognitive Processes and Resting-State Functional Neuroimaging Findings in High Schizotypal Individuals and Schizotypal Personality Disorder Patients: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2023; 13:615. [PMID: 37190580 PMCID: PMC10137138 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040615] [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: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ample research findings indicate that there is altered brain functioning in the schizophrenia spectrum. Nevertheless, functional neuroimaging findings remain ambiguous for healthy individuals expressing high schizotypal traits and patients with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). The purpose of this systematic review was to identify patterns of task-related and resting-state neural abnormalities across these conditions. MEDLINE-PubMed and PsycINFO were systematically searched and forty-eight studies were selected. Forty studies assessed healthy individuals with high schizotypal traits and eight studies examined SPD patients with functional neuroimaging techniques (fNIRS; fMRI; Resting-state fMRI). Functional alterations in striatal, frontal and temporal regions were found in healthy individuals with high schizotypal traits. Schizotypal personality disorder was associated with default mode network abnormalities but further research is required in order to better conceive its neural correlates. There was also evidence for functional compensatory mechanisms associated with both conditions. To conclude, the findings suggest that brain dysfunctions are evident in individuals who lie along the subclinical part of the spectrum, further supporting the continuum model for schizophrenia susceptibility. Additional research is required in order to delineate the counterbalancing processes implicated in the schizophrenia spectrum, as this approach will provide promising insights for both conversion and protection from conversion into schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula Zouraraki
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymno, Greece; (C.Z.); (P.K.)
- University of Crete Research Center for the Humanities, The Social and Education Sciences (UCRC), University of Crete, Gallos University Campus, 74100 Rethymno, Greece
| | - Penny Karamaouna
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymno, Greece; (C.Z.); (P.K.)
- University of Crete Research Center for the Humanities, The Social and Education Sciences (UCRC), University of Crete, Gallos University Campus, 74100 Rethymno, Greece
| | - Stella G. Giakoumaki
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymno, Greece; (C.Z.); (P.K.)
- University of Crete Research Center for the Humanities, The Social and Education Sciences (UCRC), University of Crete, Gallos University Campus, 74100 Rethymno, Greece
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Iwama Y, Takamoto K, Hibi D, Nishimaru H, Matsumoto J, Setogawa T, Nishijo H. Young female participants show blunted placebo effects associated with blunted responses to a cue predicting a safe stimulus in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1001177. [PMID: 36263366 PMCID: PMC9574021 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1001177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Discrimination of cues predicting non-nociceptive/nociceptive stimuli is essential for predicting whether a non-painful or painful stimulus will be administered and for eliciting placebo/nocebo (pain reduction/pain enhancement) effects. Dysfunction of the neural system involved in placebo effects has been implicated in the pathology of chronic pain, while female sex is one of the important risk factors for development of chronic pain in young adults. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dl-PFC) is suggested to be involved in placebo effects and is sensitive to sex and age. In this study, to examine the neural mechanisms by which sex and age alter placebo and nocebo effects, we analyzed cerebral hemodynamic activities in the dl-PFC in different sex and age groups during a differential conditioning task. During the training session, two different sounds were followed by low- and high-intensity electrical shocks. In the following recording session, electrical shocks, the intensity of which was mismatched to the sounds, were occasionally administered to elicit placebo and nocebo effects. In young female participants, both placebo effects and hemodynamic responses to the conditioned sounds in the right dl-PFC were significantly lower than those in elderly female participants, while there were no age differences in male participants. The hemodynamic responses to the sound paired with the safe stimulus in the right dl-PFC were significantly correlated with placebo effects, except in the young female group. These results suggest that blunted placebo effects in the young female participants are ascribed to blunted responses to the sound associated with the safe stimulus in the right dl-PFC, and that sex- and age-related factors may alter the responsiveness of the right dl-PFC to associative cues predicting a safe stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudai Iwama
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kouichi Takamoto
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of East Asia, Shimonoseki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Hibi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Setogawa
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- *Correspondence: Hisao Nishijo,
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7
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Does Hypnotizability Affect Neurovascular Coupling During Cognitive Tasks? Physiol Behav 2022; 257:113915. [PMID: 35843420 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The susceptibility to hypnosis is a very pervasive psychophysiological trait characterized by different attentional abilities, information processing, and cardiovascular control. Since near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a good index of neurovascular coupling, we used it during mental computation (MC) and trail making task (TMT) in 13 healthy low-to-medium (med-lows) and 10 healthy medium-to-high hypnotizable (med-highs) participants classified according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (SHSS), form A, and characterized for the level of proneness to be deeply absorbed in cognitive tasks by the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS). Med-highs reported greater absorption than med-lows. The tissue hemoglobin index (THI) and the tissue oxygenation index (TOI) increased across the tasks only in med-highs who displayed also different time courses of THI and TOI during MC and TMT, which indicates different tasks processing despite the two groups' similar performance. The findings suggest that the med-highs' tissue oxygenation is more finely adjusted to metabolic demands than med-lows'.
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Le DT, Watanabe K, Ogawa H, Matsushita K, Imada N, Taki S, Iwamoto Y, Imura T, Araki H, Araki O, Ono T, Nishijo H, Fujita N, Urakawa S. Involvement of the Rostromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Human-Robot Interaction: fNIRS Evidence From a Robot-Assisted Motor Task. Front Neurorobot 2022; 16:795079. [PMID: 35370598 PMCID: PMC8970051 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2022.795079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Assistive exoskeleton robots are being widely applied in neurorehabilitation to improve upper-limb motor and somatosensory functions. During robot-assisted exercises, the central nervous system appears to highly attend to external information-processing (IP) to efficiently interact with robotic assistance. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. The rostromedial prefrontal cortex (rmPFC) may be the core of the executive resource allocation that generates biases in the allocation of processing resources toward an external IP according to current behavioral demands. Here, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate the cortical activation associated with executive resource allocation during a robot-assisted motor task. During data acquisition, participants performed a right-arm motor task using elbow flexion-extension movements in three different loading conditions: robotic assistive loading (ROB), resistive loading (RES), and non-loading (NON). Participants were asked to strive for kinematic consistency in their movements. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance and general linear model-based methods were employed to examine task-related activity. We demonstrated that hemodynamic responses in the ventral and dorsal rmPFC were higher during ROB than during NON. Moreover, greater hemodynamic responses in the ventral rmPFC were observed during ROB than during RES. Increased activation in ventral and dorsal rmPFC subregions may be involved in the executive resource allocation that prioritizes external IP during human-robot interactions. In conclusion, these findings provide novel insights regarding the involvement of executive control during a robot-assisted motor task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Trung Le
- Department of Musculoskeletal Functional Research and Regeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Kazuki Watanabe
- Department of Musculoskeletal Functional Research and Regeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ogawa
- Department of Musculoskeletal Functional Research and Regeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kojiro Matsushita
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Facility of Engineering, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Naoki Imada
- Department of Rehabilitation, Araki Neurosurgical Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shingo Taki
- Department of Rehabilitation, Araki Neurosurgical Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuji Iwamoto
- Department of Rehabilitation, Araki Neurosurgical Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Imura
- Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hiroshima Cosmopolitan University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hayato Araki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Araki Neurosurgical Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Osamu Araki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Araki Neurosurgical Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Taketoshi Ono
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Naoto Fujita
- Department of Musculoskeletal Functional Research and Regeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Susumu Urakawa
- Department of Musculoskeletal Functional Research and Regeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- *Correspondence: Susumu Urakawa
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