1
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Ren J, Konrad BN, Wagner IC, Dresler M. Mnemonic training contextualizes working memory with long‐term memory representations: Commentary on Miller et al. (2022). Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:1639-1641. [PMID: 37002806 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jingyuan Ren
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center EN Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Boris N. Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center EN Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Isabella C. Wagner
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center EN Nijmegen The Netherlands
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2
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Adam LC, Repantis D, Konrad BN, Dresler M, Kühn S. Memory enhancement with stimulants: Differential neural effects of methylphenidate, modafinil, and caffeine. A pilot study. Brain Cogn 2021; 154:105802. [PMID: 34592684 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Human memory is susceptible to manipulation in many respects. While consolidation is well known to be prone to disruption, there is also growing evidence for the enhancement of memory function. Beside cognitive strategies and mnemonic training, the use of stimulants may improve memory processing in healthy adults. In this single-dose, double-blind, within-subject, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study, 20 mg methylphenidate (N = 13) or 200 mg modafinil (N = 12) or 200 mg caffeine (N = 14) were administrated to in total 39 healthy participants while performing a declarative memory task. Each participant received only one substance and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess drug-dependent memory effects of the substance for encoding and recognition compared to task-related activation under placebo. While methylphenidate showed some behavioral effect regarding memory recall performance, on the neural level, methylphenidate-dependent deactivations were found in fronto-parietal and temporal regions during recognition of previously learned words. No BOLD alterations were seen during encoding. Caffeine led to deactivations in the precentral gyrus during encoding whereas modafinil did not show any BOLD signal alterations at all. These results should be interpreted with caution since this a pilot study with several limitations, most importantly the small number of participants per group. However, our main finding of task-related deactivations may point to a drug-dependent increase of efficiency in physiological response to memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C Adam
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dimitris Repantis
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Boris N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Simone Kühn
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany
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3
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Wagner IC, Konrad BN, Schuster P, Weisig S, Repantis D, Ohla K, Kühn S, Fernández G, Steiger A, Lamm C, Czisch M, Dresler M. Durable memories and efficient neural coding through mnemonic training using the method of loci. Sci Adv 2021; 7:7/10/eabc7606. [PMID: 33658191 PMCID: PMC7929507 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc7606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Mnemonic techniques, such as the method of loci, can powerfully boost memory. We compared memory athletes ranked among the world's top 50 in memory sports to mnemonics-naïve controls. In a second study, participants completed a 6-week memory training, working memory training, or no intervention. Behaviorally, memory training enhanced durable, longer-lasting memories. Functional magnetic resonance imaging during encoding and recognition revealed task-based activation decreases in lateral prefrontal, as well as in parahippocampal and retrosplenial cortices in both memory athletes and participants after memory training, partly associated with better performance after 4 months. This was complemented by hippocampal-neocortical coupling during consolidation, which was stronger the more durable memories participants formed. Our findings advance knowledge on how mnemonic training boosts durable memory formation through decreased task-based activation and increased consolidation thereafter. This is in line with conceptual accounts of neural efficiency and highlights a complex interplay of neural processes critical for extraordinary memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- I C Wagner
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6525 EZ, Netherlands.
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - B N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6525 EZ, Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - P Schuster
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - S Weisig
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - D Repantis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - K Ohla
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - S Kühn
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - G Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6525 EZ, Netherlands
| | - A Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - C Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - M Czisch
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - M Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6525 EZ, Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
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4
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Ujma PP, Konrad BN, Simor P, Gombos F, Körmendi J, Steiger A, Dresler M, Bódizs R. Sleep EEG functional connectivity varies with age and sex, but not general intelligence. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 78:87-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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5
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Müller N, Campbell S, Nonaka M, Rost TM, Pipa G, Konrad BN, Steiger A, Czisch M, Fernández G, Dresler M, Genzel L. 2D:4D and spatial abilities: From rats to humans. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 151:85-87. [PMID: 29689300 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Variance in spatial abilities are thought to be determined by in utero levels of testosterone and oestrogen, measurable in adults by the length ratio of the 2nd and 4th digit (2D:4D). We confirmed the relationship between 2D:4D and spatial performance using rats in two different tasks (paired-associate task and watermaze) and replicated this in humans. We further clarified anatomical and functional brain correlates of the association between 2D:4D and spatial performance in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Müller
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - S Campbell
- CCNS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M Nonaka
- CCNS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - T M Rost
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Germany
| | - G Pipa
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Germany
| | - B N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - A Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - M Czisch
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - G Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - M Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - L Genzel
- CCNS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
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6
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Müller NCJ, Konrad BN, Kohn N, Muñoz-López M, Czisch M, Fernández G, Dresler M. Hippocampal-caudate nucleus interactions support exceptional memory performance. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:1379-1389. [PMID: 29138923 PMCID: PMC5869896 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1556-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Participants of the annual World Memory Championships regularly demonstrate extraordinary memory feats, such as memorising the order of 52 playing cards in 20 s or 1000 binary digits in 5 min. On a cognitive level, memory athletes use well-known mnemonic strategies, such as the method of loci. However, whether these feats are enabled solely through the use of mnemonic strategies or whether they benefit additionally from optimised neural circuits is still not fully clarified. Investigating 23 leading memory athletes, we found volumes of their right hippocampus and caudate nucleus were stronger correlated with each other compared to matched controls; both these volumes positively correlated with their position in the memory sports world ranking. Furthermore, we observed larger volumes of the right anterior hippocampus in athletes. Complementing these structural findings, on a functional level, fMRI resting state connectivity of the anterior hippocampus to both the posterior hippocampus and caudate nucleus predicted the athletes rank. While a competitive interaction between hippocampus and caudate nucleus is often observed in normal memory function, our findings suggest that a hippocampal-caudate nucleus cooperation may enable exceptional memory performance. We speculate that this cooperation reflects an integration of the two memory systems at issue-enabling optimal combination of stimulus-response learning and map-based learning when using mnemonic strategies as for example the method of loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils C J Müller
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Boris N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Nils Kohn
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monica Muñoz-López
- Human Neuroanatomy Laboratory, School of Medicine and Regional Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | | | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
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7
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Ujma PP, Konrad BN, Gombos F, Simor P, Pótári A, Genzel L, Pawlowski M, Steiger A, Bódizs R, Dresler M. The sleep EEG spectrum is a sexually dimorphic marker of general intelligence. Sci Rep 2017; 7:18070. [PMID: 29273758 PMCID: PMC5741768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18124-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The shape of the EEG spectrum in sleep relies on genetic and anatomical factors and forms an individual "EEG fingerprint". Spectral components of EEG were shown to be connected to mental ability both in sleep and wakefulness. EEG sleep spindle correlates of intelligence, however, exhibit a sexual dimorphism, with a more pronounced association to intelligence in females than males. In a sample of 151 healthy individuals, we investigated how intelligence is related to spectral components of full-night sleep EEG, while controlling for the effects of age. A positive linear association between intelligence and REM anterior beta power was found in females but not males. Transient, spindle-like "REM beta tufts" are described in the EEG of healthy subjects, which may reflect the functioning of a recently described cingular-prefrontal emotion and motor regulation network. REM sleep frontal high delta power was a negative correlate of intelligence. NREM alpha and sigma spectral power correlations with intelligence did not unequivocally remain significant after multiple comparisons correction, but exhibited a similar sexual dimorphism. These results suggest that the neural oscillatory correlates of intelligence in sleep are sexually dimorphic, and they are not restricted to either sleep spindles or NREM sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter P Ujma
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Budapest, Hungary.
- National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, H-1145, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Boris N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ferenc Gombos
- National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, H-1145, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Simor
- Nyírő Gyula Hospital, National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, H-1135, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adrián Pótári
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, Edinburg, United Kingdom
| | | | - Axel Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Róbert Bódizs
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Budapest, Hungary
- National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, H-1145, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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8
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Dresler M, Shirer WR, Konrad BN, Müller NCJ, Wagner IC, Fernández G, Czisch M, Greicius MD. Mnemonic Training Reshapes Brain Networks to Support Superior Memory. Neuron 2017; 93:1227-1235.e6. [PMID: 28279356 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Memory skills strongly differ across the general population; however, little is known about the brain characteristics supporting superior memory performance. Here we assess functional brain network organization of 23 of the world's most successful memory athletes and matched controls with fMRI during both task-free resting state baseline and active memory encoding. We demonstrate that, in a group of naive controls, functional connectivity changes induced by 6 weeks of mnemonic training were correlated with the network organization that distinguishes athletes from controls. During rest, this effect was mainly driven by connections between rather than within the visual, medial temporal lobe and default mode networks, whereas during task it was driven by connectivity within these networks. Similarity with memory athlete connectivity patterns predicted memory improvements up to 4 months after training. In conclusion, mnemonic training drives distributed rather than regional changes, reorganizing the brain's functional network organization to enable superior memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Dresler
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - William R Shirer
- Functional Imaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (FIND) Lab, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Boris N Konrad
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nils C J Müller
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Isabella C Wagner
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Czisch
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Michael D Greicius
- Functional Imaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (FIND) Lab, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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9
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Pótári A, Ujma PP, Konrad BN, Genzel L, Simor P, Körmendi J, Gombos F, Steiger A, Dresler M, Bódizs R. Age-related changes in sleep EEG are attenuated in highly intelligent individuals. Neuroimage 2016; 146:554-560. [PMID: 27670234 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired sleep is a frequent complaint in ageing and a risk factor for many diseases. Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep EEG delta power reflects neural plasticity and, in line with age-related cognitive decline, decreases with age. Individuals with higher general intelligence are less affected by age-related cognitive decline or other disorders and have longer lifespans. We investigated the correlation between age and EEG power in 159 healthy human subjects (age range: 17-69 years), and compared an average (IQ<120; N=87) with a high (IQ≥120; N=72) intelligence subgroup. We found less age-related decrease in all-night relative NREM sleep EEG delta power in the high intelligence subgroup. Our results suggest that highly intelligent individuals are less affected by the sleep-related effects of biological ageing, and therefore potentially less at risk for age-related cognitive deficits and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Pótári
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter P Ujma
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary; National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, H-1145 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Boris N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Péter Simor
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary; Nyírő Gyula Hospital, National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, H-1135 Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Körmendi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Pannon University, H-8200 Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Gombos
- Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, H-1088 Boudapest, Hungary
| | - Axel Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.
| | - Róbert Bódizs
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary
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10
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Kunath N, Müller NCJ, Tonon M, Konrad BN, Pawlowski M, Kopczak A, Elbau I, Uhr M, Kühn S, Repantis D, Ohla K, Müller TD, Fernández G, Tschöp M, Czisch M, Steiger A, Dresler M. Ghrelin modulates encoding-related brain function without enhancing memory formation in humans. Neuroimage 2016; 142:465-473. [PMID: 27402596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Ghrelin regulates energy homeostasis in various species and enhances memory in rodent models. In humans, the role of ghrelin in cognitive processes has yet to be characterized. Here we show in a double-blind randomized crossover design that acute administration of ghrelin alters encoding-related brain activity, however does not enhance memory formation in humans. Twenty-one healthy young male participants had to memorize food- and non-food-related words presented on a background of a virtual navigational route while undergoing fMRI recordings. After acute ghrelin administration, we observed decreased post-encoding resting state fMRI connectivity between the caudate nucleus and the insula, amygdala, and orbitofrontal cortex. In addition, brain activity related to subsequent memory performance was modulated by ghrelin. On the next day, however, no differences were found in free word recall or cued location-word association recall between conditions; and ghrelin's effects on brain activity or functional connectivity were unrelated to memory performance. Further, ghrelin had no effect on a cognitive test battery comprising tests for working memory, fluid reasoning, creativity, mental speed, and attention. In conclusion, in contrast to studies with animal models, we did not find any evidence for the potential of ghrelin acting as a short-term cognitive enhancer in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kunath
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - N C J Müller
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Tonon
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - B N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Pawlowski
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - A Kopczak
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - I Elbau
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - M Uhr
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - S Kühn
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - D Repantis
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CBF, Berlin, Germany
| | - K Ohla
- German Institute for Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany
| | - T D Müller
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - G Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Tschöp
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - M Czisch
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - A Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - M Dresler
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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11
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Müller NCJ, Genzel L, Konrad BN, Pawlowski M, Neville D, Fernández G, Steiger A, Dresler M. Motor Skills Enhance Procedural Memory Formation and Protect against Age-Related Decline. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157770. [PMID: 27333186 PMCID: PMC4917083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to consolidate procedural memories declines with increasing age. Prior knowledge enhances learning and memory consolidation of novel but related information in various domains. Here, we present evidence that prior motor experience-in our case piano skills-increases procedural learning and has a protective effect against age-related decline for the consolidation of novel but related manual movements. In our main experiment, we tested 128 participants with a sequential finger-tapping motor task during two sessions 24 hours apart. We observed enhanced online learning speed and offline memory consolidation for piano players. Enhanced memory consolidation was driven by a strong effect in older participants, whereas younger participants did not benefit significantly from prior piano experience. In a follow up independent control experiment, this compensatory effect of piano experience was not visible after a brief offline period of 30 minutes, hence requiring an extended consolidation window potentially involving sleep. Through a further control experiment, we rejected the possibility that the decreased effect in younger participants was caused by training saturation. We discuss our results in the context of the neurobiological schema approach and suggest that prior experience has the potential to rescue memory consolidation from age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils C. J. Müller
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (NCJM); (MD)
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Boris N. Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - David Neville
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Axel Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail: (NCJM); (MD)
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Ujma PP, Bódizs R, Gombos F, Stintzing J, Konrad BN, Genzel L, Steiger A, Dresler M. Nap sleep spindle correlates of intelligence. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17159. [PMID: 26607963 PMCID: PMC4660428 DOI: 10.1038/srep17159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep spindles are thalamocortical oscillations in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, that play an important role in sleep-related neuroplasticity and offline information processing. Several studies with full-night sleep recordings have reported a positive association between sleep spindles and fluid intelligence scores, however more recently it has been shown that only few sleep spindle measures correlate with intelligence in females, and none in males. Sleep spindle regulation underlies a circadian rhythm, however the association between spindles and intelligence has not been investigated in daytime nap sleep so far. In a sample of 86 healthy male human subjects, we investigated the correlation between fluid intelligence and sleep spindle parameters in an afternoon nap of 100 minutes. Mean sleep spindle length, amplitude and density were computed for each subject and for each derivation for both slow and fast spindles. A positive association was found between intelligence and slow spindle duration, but not any other sleep spindle parameter. As a positive correlation between intelligence and slow sleep spindle duration in full-night polysomnography has only been reported in females but not males, our results suggest that the association between intelligence and sleep spindles is more complex than previously assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter P Ujma
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.,National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Epilepsy Centrum, Department of Neurology, H-1145 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Róbert Bódizs
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.,Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, H-1088 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Gombos
- Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, H-1088 Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Boris N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ Edinburgh, UK
| | - Axel Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Dresler
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Ujma PP, Gombos F, Genzel L, Konrad BN, Simor P, Steiger A, Dresler M, Bódizs R. Corrigendum: A comparison of two sleep spindle detection methods based on all night averages: individually adjusted vs. fixed frequencies. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:415. [PMID: 26257631 PMCID: PMC4508513 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Péter P. Ujma
- Institute of Behavioral Science, Semmelweis UniversityBudapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Gombos
- Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic UniversityBudapest, Hungary
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of EdinburghEdinburgh, UK
| | | | - Péter Simor
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsBudapest, Hungary
- Nyírõ Gyula Hospital, National Institute of Psychiatry and AddictionsBudapest, Hungary
| | - Axel Steiger
- Max Planck Institute of PsychiatryMunich, Germany
| | - Martin Dresler
- Max Planck Institute of PsychiatryMunich, Germany
- Donders Institute, Radboud University Medical CentreNijmegen, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Martin Dresler,
| | - Róbert Bódizs
- Institute of Behavioral Science, Semmelweis UniversityBudapest, Hungary
- Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic UniversityBudapest, Hungary
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