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Zhang DW, Johnstone SJ, Sauce B, Arns M, Sun L, Jiang H. Remote neurocognitive interventions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder - Opportunities and challenges. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 127:110802. [PMID: 37257770 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110802] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Improving neurocognitive functions through remote interventions has been a promising approach to developing new treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Remote neurocognitive interventions may address the shortcomings of the current prevailing pharmacological therapies for AD/HD, e.g., side effects and access barriers. Here we review the current options for remote neurocognitive interventions to reduce AD/HD symptoms, including cognitive training, EEG neurofeedback training, transcranial electrical stimulation, and external cranial nerve stimulation. We begin with an overview of the neurocognitive deficits in AD/HD to identify the targets for developing interventions. The role of neuroplasticity in each intervention is then highlighted due to its essential role in facilitating neuropsychological adaptations. Following this, each intervention type is discussed in terms of the critical details of the intervention protocols, the role of neuroplasticity, and the available evidence. Finally, we offer suggestions for future directions in terms of optimizing the existing intervention protocols and developing novel protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Wei Zhang
- Department of Psychology/Center for Place-Based Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China; Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.
| | - Stuart J Johnstone
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia; Brain & Behaviour Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martijn Arns
- Research Institute Brainclinics, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; NeuroCare Group, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Li Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Han Jiang
- College of Special Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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Matzel LD, Sauce B. A multi-faceted role of dual-state dopamine signaling in working memory, attentional control, and intelligence. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1060786. [PMID: 36873775 PMCID: PMC9978119 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1060786] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic evidence strongly suggests that individual differences in intelligence will not be reducible to a single dominant cause. However, some of those variations/changes may be traced to tractable, cohesive mechanisms. One such mechanism may be the balance of dopamine D1 (D1R) and D2 (D2R) receptors, which regulate intrinsic currents and synaptic transmission in frontal cortical regions. Here, we review evidence from human, animal, and computational studies that suggest that this balance (in density, activity state, and/or availability) is critical to the implementation of executive functions such as attention and working memory, both of which are principal contributors to variations in intelligence. D1 receptors dominate neural responding during stable periods of short-term memory maintenance (requiring attentional focus), while D2 receptors play a more specific role during periods of instability such as changing environmental or memory states (requiring attentional disengagement). Here we bridge these observations with known properties of human intelligence. Starting from theories of intelligence that place executive functions (e.g., working memory and attentional control) at its center, we propose that dual-state dopamine signaling might be a causal contributor to at least some of the variation in intelligence across individuals and its change by experiences/training. Although it is unlikely that such a mechanism can account for more than a modest portion of the total variance in intelligence, our proposal is consistent with an array of available evidence and has a high degree of explanatory value. We suggest future directions and specific empirical tests that can further elucidate these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Judd N, Sauce B, Klingberg T. Schooling substantially improves intelligence, but neither lessens nor widens the impacts of socioeconomics and genetics. NPJ Sci Learn 2022; 7:33. [PMID: 36522329 PMCID: PMC9755250 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-022-00148-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Schooling, socioeconomic status (SES), and genetics all impact intelligence. However, it is unclear to what extent their contributions are unique and if they interact. Here we used a multi-trait polygenic score for cognition (cogPGS) with a quasi-experimental regression discontinuity design to isolate how months of schooling relate to intelligence in 6567 children (aged 9-11). We found large, independent effects of schooling (β ~ 0.15), cogPGS (β ~ 0.10), and SES (β ~ 0.20) on working memory, crystallized (cIQ), and fluid intelligence (fIQ). Notably, two years of schooling had a larger effect on intelligence than the lifetime consequences, since birth, of SES or cogPGS-based inequalities. However, schooling showed no interaction with cogPGS or SES for the three intelligence domains tested. While schooling had strong main effects on intelligence, it did not lessen, nor widen the impact of these preexisting SES or genetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Judd
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Torkel Klingberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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Sauce B, Liebherr M, Judd N, Klingberg T. The impact of digital media on children's intelligence while controlling for genetic differences in cognition and socioeconomic background. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7720. [PMID: 35545630 PMCID: PMC9095723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11341-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital media defines modern childhood, but its cognitive effects are unclear and hotly debated. We believe that studies with genetic data could clarify causal claims and correct for the typically unaccounted role of genetic predispositions. Here, we estimated the impact of different types of screen time (watching, socializing, or gaming) on children’s intelligence while controlling for the confounding effects of genetic differences in cognition and socioeconomic status. We analyzed 9855 children from the USA who were part of the ABCD dataset with measures of intelligence at baseline (ages 9–10) and after two years. At baseline, time watching (r = − 0.12) and socializing (r = − 0.10) were negatively correlated with intelligence, while gaming did not correlate. After two years, gaming positively impacted intelligence (standardized β = + 0.17), but socializing had no effect. This is consistent with cognitive benefits documented in experimental studies on video gaming. Unexpectedly, watching videos also benefited intelligence (standardized β = + 0.12), contrary to prior research on the effect of watching TV. Although, in a posthoc analysis, this was not significant if parental education (instead of SES) was controlled for. Broadly, our results are in line with research on the malleability of cognitive abilities from environmental factors, such as cognitive training and the Flynn effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Magnus Liebherr
- Department of General Psychology: Cognition, University Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Nicholas Judd
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Torkel Klingberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
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Klingberg T, Judd N, Sauce B. Assessing the impact of environmental factors on the adolescent brain: the importance of regional analyses and genetic controls. World Psychiatry 2022; 21:146-147. [PMID: 35015364 PMCID: PMC8751551 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas Judd
- Department of NeuroscienceKarolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of NeuroscienceKarolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
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Sauce B, Wiedenhoeft J, Judd N, Klingberg T. Change by challenge: A common genetic basis behind childhood cognitive development and cognitive training. NPJ Sci Learn 2021; 6:16. [PMID: 34078902 PMCID: PMC8172838 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-021-00096-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The interplay of genetic and environmental factors behind cognitive development has preoccupied multiple fields of science and sparked heated debates over the decades. Here we tested the hypothesis that developmental genes rely heavily on cognitive challenges-as opposed to natural maturation. Starting with a polygenic score (cogPGS) that previously explained variation in cognitive performance in adults, we estimated its effect in 344 children and adolescents (mean age of 12 years old, ranging from 6 to 25) who showed changes in working memory (WM) in two distinct samples: (1) a developmental sample showing significant WM gains after 2 years of typical, age-related development, and (2) a training sample showing significant, experimentally-induced WM gains after 25 days of an intense WM training. We found that the same genetic factor, cogPGS, significantly explained the amount of WM gain in both samples. And there was no interaction of cogPGS with sample, suggesting that those genetic factors are neutral to whether the WM gains came from development or training. These results represent evidence that cognitive challenges are a central piece in the gene-environment interplay during cognitive development. We believe our study sheds new light on previous findings of interindividual differences in education (rich-get-richer and compensation effects), brain plasticity in children, and the heritability increase of intelligence across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Wiedenhoeft
- Core Facility Medical Biometry and Statistical Bioinformatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicholas Judd
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Torkel Klingberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Crawford DW, Bendrath S, Manzano MD, Mehta A, Patel HM, Piela MC, Sauce B, Matzel LD. Intelligence demands flexibility: Individual differences in attentional disengagement strongly predict the general cognitive ability of mice. Learning and Motivation 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Matzel LD, Crawford DW, Sauce B. Déjà vu All Over Again: A Unitary Biological Mechanism for Intelligence Is (Probably) Untenable. J Intell 2020; 8:jintelligence8020024. [PMID: 32498282 PMCID: PMC7713016 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence8020024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly a century ago, Spearman proposed that “specific factors can be regarded as the ‘nuts and bolts’ of cognitive performance…, while the general factor is the mental energy available to power the specific engines”. Geary (2018; 2019) takes Spearman’s analogy of “mental energy” quite literally and doubles-down on the notion by proposing that a unitary energy source, the mitochondria, explains variations in both cognitive function and health-related outcomes. This idea is reminiscent of many earlier attempts to describe a low-level biological determinant of general intelligence. While Geary does an admirable job developing an innovative theory with specific and testable predictions, this new theory suffers many of the shortcomings of previous attempts at similar goals. We argue that Geary’s theory is generally implausible, and does not map well onto known psychological and genetic properties of intelligence or its relationship to health and fitness. While Geary’s theory serves as an elegant model of “what could be”, it is less successful as a description of “what is”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis D. Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Dylan W. Crawford
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden;
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Judd N, Sauce B, Wiedenhoeft J, Tromp J, Chaarani B, Schliep A, van Noort B, Penttilä J, Grimmer Y, Insensee C, Becker A, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Quinlan EB, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Gowland P, Heinz A, Ittermann B, Martinot JL, Paillère Martinot ML, Artiges E, Nees F, Papadopoulos Orfanos D, Paus T, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Millenet S, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Garavan H, Klingberg T. Cognitive and brain development is independently influenced by socioeconomic status and polygenic scores for educational attainment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:12411-12418. [PMID: 32430323 PMCID: PMC7275733 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001228117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic factors and socioeconomic status (SES) inequalities play a large role in educational attainment, and both have been associated with variations in brain structure and cognition. However, genetics and SES are correlated, and no prior study has assessed their neural associations independently. Here we used a polygenic score for educational attainment (EduYears-PGS), as well as SES, in a longitudinal study of 551 adolescents to tease apart genetic and environmental associations with brain development and cognition. Subjects received a structural MRI scan at ages 14 and 19. At both time points, they performed three working memory (WM) tasks. SES and EduYears-PGS were correlated (r = 0.27) and had both common and independent associations with brain structure and cognition. Specifically, lower SES was related to less total cortical surface area and lower WM. EduYears-PGS was also related to total cortical surface area, but in addition had a regional association with surface area in the right parietal lobe, a region related to nonverbal cognitive functions, including mathematics, spatial cognition, and WM. SES, but not EduYears-PGS, was related to a change in total cortical surface area from age 14 to 19. This study demonstrates a regional association of EduYears-PGS and the independent prediction of SES with cognitive function and brain development. It suggests that the SES inequalities, in particular parental education, are related to global aspects of cortical development, and exert a persistent influence on brain development during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Judd
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
| | - John Wiedenhoeft
- Department of Medical Statistics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
| | - Jeshua Tromp
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2311, The Netherlands
| | - Bader Chaarani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
| | - Alexander Schliep
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 41756, Sweden
| | - Betteke van Noort
- Hochschule für Gesundheit und Medizin, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, 14197, Germany
| | - Jani Penttilä
- Department of Social and Health Care, Psychosocial Services Adolescent Outpatient Clinic, University of Tampere, Lahti, 33100, Finland
| | - Yvonne Grimmer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, 69117, Germany
| | - Corinna Insensee
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Göttingen, 37075, Germany
| | - Andreas Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Göttingen, 37075, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, 69117, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Erin Burke Quinlan
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, 69117, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, 68131, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Berlin, 38116, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- INSERM Unit 1000 "Neuroimaging & Psychiatry," Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University Paris Saclay, University Paris Descartes, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- INSERM Unit 1000 "Neuroimaging & Psychiatry," Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University Paris Saclay, University Paris Descartes, Paris, 75006, France
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Eric Artiges
- INSERM Unit 1000 "Neuroimaging & Psychiatry," Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University Paris Saclay, University Paris Descartes, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, 69117, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, 68131, Germany
| | - Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos
- NeuroSpin, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Tomáš Paus
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Göttingen, 37075, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, 69117, Germany
| | - Sabina Millenet
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, 69117, Germany
| | - Juliane H Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01087, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01062, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01069, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
| | - Torkel Klingberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden;
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Darki F, Sauce B, Klingberg T. Inter-Individual Differences in Striatal Connectivity Is Related to Executive Function Through Fronto-Parietal Connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2019; 30:672-681. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The striatum has long been associated with cognitive functions, but the mechanisms behind this are still unclear. Here we tested a new hypothesis that the striatum contributes to executive function (EF) by strengthening cortico-cortical connections. Striatal connectivity was evaluated by measuring the resting-state functional connectivity between ventral and dorsal striatum in 570 individuals, aged 3–20 years. Using structural equation modeling, we found that inter-individual differences in striatal connectivity had an indirect effect (via fronto-parietal functional connectivity) and a direct effect on a compound EF measure of working memory, inhibition, and set-shifting/flexibility. The effect of fronto-parietal connectivity on cognition did not depend on age: the influence was as strong in older as younger children. In contrast, striatal connectivity was closely related to changes in cognitive ability during childhood development, suggesting a specific role of the striatum in cognitive plasticity. These results support a new principle for striatal functioning, according to which striatum promotes cognitive development by strengthening of cortico-cortical connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Darki
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Torkel Klingberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Sauce B, Bendrath S, Herzfeld M, Siegel D, Style C, Rab S, Korabelnikov J, Matzel LD. The impact of environmental interventions among mouse siblings on the heritability and malleability of general cognitive ability. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0289. [PMID: 30104434 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
General cognitive ability can be highly heritable in some species, but at the same time, is very malleable. This apparent paradox could potentially be explained by gene-environment interactions and correlations that remain hidden due to experimental limitations on human research and blind spots in animal research. Here, we shed light on this issue by combining the design of a sibling study with an environmental intervention administered to laboratory mice. The analysis included 58 litters of four full-sibling genetically heterogeneous CD-1 male mice, for a total of 232 mice. We separated the mice into two subsets of siblings: a control group (maintained in standard laboratory conditions) and an environmental-enrichment group (which had access to continuous physical exercise and daily exposure to novel environments). We found that general cognitive ability in mice has substantial heritability (24% for all mice) and is also malleable. The mice that experienced the enriched environment had a mean intelligence score that was 0.44 standard deviations higher than their siblings in the control group (equivalent to gains of 6.6 IQ points in humans). We also found that the estimate of heritability changed between groups (55% in the control group compared with non-significant 15% in the enrichment group), analogous to findings in humans across socio-economic status. Unexpectedly, no evidence of gene-environment interaction was detected, and so the change in heritability might be best explained by higher environmental variance in the enrichment group. Our findings, as well as the 'sibling intervention procedure' for mice, may be valuable to future research on the heritability, mechanisms and evolution of cognition.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, Solna 171 65, Sweden
| | - Sophie Bendrath
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Margalit Herzfeld
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Dan Siegel
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Conner Style
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sayeeda Rab
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jonathan Korabelnikov
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Matzel LD, Bendrath S, Herzfeld M, Crawford DW, Sauce B. Mouse twins separated when young: A history of exploration doubles the heritability of boldness and differentially affects the heritability of measures of learning. Intelligence 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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13
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Abstract
The typical practice of averaging group performance during extinction gives the impression that responding declines gradually and homogeneously. However, previous studies of extinction in human infants have shown that some individuals persist in responding, whereas others abruptly cease responding. As predicted by theories of control, the infants who quickly resign typically display signs of sadness and despair when the expected reward is omitted. Using genetically diverse mice, here we observed a similar pattern of individual differences and the associated phenotypes. After learning to approach a food reward, upon extinction, some animals rapidly abandoned approach to the goal box, whereas other animals persisted in entering and searching the goal box. Interestingly, the persistent mice were slower to "give up" when confined to an inescapable pool of water (a test asserted to be indicative of susceptibility to depression) and exhibited a more extensive pattern of search for omitted rewards. Thus, extinction reveals a continuum in persistence, in which low values might reflect a susceptibility to the negative effects of stress and might predispose individuals to depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Christopher Wass
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Michael Lewis
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
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Cauchoix M, Chow PKY, van Horik JO, Atance CM, Barbeau EJ, Barragan-Jason G, Bize P, Boussard A, Buechel SD, Cabirol A, Cauchard L, Claidière N, Dalesman S, Devaud JM, Didic M, Doligez B, Fagot J, Fichtel C, Henke-von der Malsburg J, Hermer E, Huber L, Huebner F, Kappeler PM, Klein S, Langbein J, Langley EJG, Lea SEG, Lihoreau M, Lovlie H, Matzel LD, Nakagawa S, Nawroth C, Oesterwind S, Sauce B, Smith EA, Sorato E, Tebbich S, Wallis LJ, Whiteside MA, Wilkinson A, Chaine AS, Morand-Ferron J. The repeatability of cognitive performance: a meta-analysis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170281. [PMID: 30104426 PMCID: PMC6107569 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural and cognitive processes play important roles in mediating an individual's interactions with its environment. Yet, while there is a vast literature on repeatable individual differences in behaviour, relatively little is known about the repeatability of cognitive performance. To further our understanding of the evolution of cognition, we gathered 44 studies on individual performance of 25 species across six animal classes and used meta-analysis to assess whether cognitive performance is repeatable. We compared repeatability (R) in performance (1) on the same task presented at different times (temporal repeatability), and (2) on different tasks that measured the same putative cognitive ability (contextual repeatability). We also addressed whether R estimates were influenced by seven extrinsic factors (moderators): type of cognitive performance measurement, type of cognitive task, delay between tests, origin of the subjects, experimental context, taxonomic class and publication status. We found support for both temporal and contextual repeatability of cognitive performance, with mean R estimates ranging between 0.15 and 0.28. Repeatability estimates were mostly influenced by the type of cognitive performance measures and publication status. Our findings highlight the widespread occurrence of consistent inter-individual variation in cognition across a range of taxa which, like behaviour, may be associated with fitness outcomes.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cauchoix
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS UMR5321, Evolutionary Ecology Group, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 21 allée de Brienne, 31015 Toulouse, France
| | - P K Y Chow
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Division of Biospohere Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - J O van Horik
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - C M Atance
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - E J Barbeau
- Centre de recherche Cerveau et Cognition, UPS-CNRS, UMR5549, Toulouse, France
| | - G Barragan-Jason
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 21 allée de Brienne, 31015 Toulouse, France
| | - P Bize
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - A Boussard
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrheniusväg 18B, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S D Buechel
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrheniusväg 18B, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A Cabirol
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - L Cauchard
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - N Claidière
- LPC, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - S Dalesman
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - J M Devaud
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - M Didic
- AP-HM Timone & Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France
| | - B Doligez
- Department of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology, CNRS UMR 5558, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - J Fagot
- LPC, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - C Fichtel
- Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primatology, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus 'Primate Cognition', Göttingen, Germany
| | - J Henke-von der Malsburg
- Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primatology, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus 'Primate Cognition', Göttingen, Germany
| | - E Hermer
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - L Huber
- Leibniz Science Campus 'Primate Cognition', Göttingen, Germany
| | - F Huebner
- Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primatology, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus 'Primate Cognition', Göttingen, Germany
| | - P M Kappeler
- Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primatology, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus 'Primate Cognition', Göttingen, Germany
| | - S Klein
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - J Langbein
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - E J G Langley
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - S E G Lea
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - M Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - H Lovlie
- IFM Biology, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden
| | - L D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - S Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - C Nawroth
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - S Oesterwind
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - B Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - E A Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - E Sorato
- IFM Biology, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden
| | - S Tebbich
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - L J Wallis
- Clever Dog Lab, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - M A Whiteside
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - A Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - A S Chaine
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS UMR5321, Evolutionary Ecology Group, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 21 allée de Brienne, 31015 Toulouse, France
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Wass C, Sauce B, Pizzo A, Matzel LD. Dopamine D1 receptor density in the mPFC responds to cognitive demands and receptor turnover contributes to general cognitive ability in mice. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4533. [PMID: 29540721 PMCID: PMC5852043 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22668-0] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In both humans and mice, performance on tests of intelligence or general cognitive ability (GCA) is related to dopamine D1 receptor-mediated activity in the prelimbic cortex, and levels of DRD1 mRNA predict the GCA of mice. Here we assessed the turnover rate of D1 receptors as well as the expression level of the D1 chaperone protein (DRiP78) in the medial PPC (mPFC) of mice to determine whether rate of receptor turnover was associated with variations in the GCA of genetically heterogeneous mice. Following assessment of GCA (aggregate performance on four diverse learning tests) mice were administered an irreversible dopamine receptor antagonist (EEDQ), after which the density of new D1 receptors were quantified. GCA was positively correlated with both the rate of D1 receptor recovery and levels of DRiP78. Additionally, the density of D1 receptors was observed to increase within 60 min (or less) in response to intense demands on working memory, suggesting that a pool of immature receptors was available to accommodate high cognitive loads. These results provide evidence that innate general cognitive abilities are related to D1 receptor turnover rates in the prefrontal cortex, and that an intracellular pool of immature D1 receptors are available to accommodate cognitive demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Wass
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Alessandro Pizzo
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
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Abstract
Intelligence can have an extremely high heritability, but also be malleable; a paradox that has been the source of continuous controversy. Here we attempt to clarify the issue, and advance a frequently overlooked solution to the paradox: Intelligence is a trait with unusual properties that create a large reservoir of hidden gene-environment (GE) networks, allowing for the contribution of high genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in IQ. GE interplay is difficult to specify with current methods, and is underestimated in standard metrics of heritability (thus inflating estimates of "genetic" effects). We describe empirical evidence for GE interplay in intelligence, with malleability existing on top of heritability. The evidence covers cognitive gains consequent to adoption/immigration, changes in IQ's heritability across life span and socioeconomic status, gains in IQ over time consequent to societal development (the Flynn effect), the slowdown of age-related cognitive decline, and the gains in intelligence from early education. The GE solution has novel implications for enduring problems, including our inability to identify intelligence-related genes (also known as IQ's "missing heritability"), and the loss of initial benefits from early intervention programs (such as "Head Start"). The GE solution can be a powerful guide to future research, and may also aid policies to overcome barriers to the development of intelligence, particularly in impoverished and underprivileged populations. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University
| | - Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University
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Abstract
Early in the 20th century, individual differences were a central focus of psychologists. By the end of that century, studies of individual differences had become far less common, and attention to these differences played little role in the development of contemporary theory. To illustrate the important role of individual differences, here we consider variations in intelligence as a compelling example. General intelligence (g) has now been demonstrated in at least 2 distinct genera: primates (including humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and tamarins) and rodents (mice and rats). The expression of general intelligence varies widely across individuals within a species; these variations have tremendous functional consequence, and are attributable to interactions of genes and environment. Here we provide evidence for these assertions, describe the processes that contribute to variations in general intelligence, as well as the methods that underlie the analysis of individual differences. We conclude by describing why consideration of individual differences is critical to our understanding of learning, cognition, and behavior, and illustrate how attention to individual differences can contribute to more effective administration of therapeutic strategies for psychological disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University
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18
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Sauce B, Goes CP, Forti I, O. do Monte BG, Watanabe IM, Cunha J, Peripato AC. A link between thrifty phenotype and maternal care across two generations of intercrossed mice. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177954. [PMID: 28542485 PMCID: PMC5438120 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects are causal influences from mother to offspring beyond genetic information, and have lifelong consequences for multiple traits. Previously, we reported that mice whose mothers did not nurse properly had low birth weight followed by rapid fat accumulation and disturbed development of some organs. That pattern resembles metabolic syndromes known collectively as the thrifty phenotype, which is believed to be an adaptation to a stressful environment which prepares offspring for reduced nutrient supply. The potential link between maternal care, stress reactivity, and the thrifty phenotype, however, has been poorly explored in the human and animal literature: only a couple of studies even mention (much less, test) these concepts under a cohesive framework. Here, we explored this link using mice of the parental inbred strains SM/J and LG/J–who differ dramatically in their maternal care–and the intercrossed generations F1 and F2. We measured individual differences in 15 phenotypes and used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. We found a remarkable relationship between thrifty phenotype and lower quality of maternal behaviors, including nest building, pup retrieval, grooming/licking, and nursing. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show, in any mammal, a clear connection between the natural variation in thrifty phenotype and maternal care. Both traits in the mother also had a substantial effect on survival rate in the F3 offspring. To our surprise, however, stress reactivity seemed to play no role in our models. Furthermore, the strain of maternal grandmother, but not of paternal grandmother, affected the variation of maternal care in F2 mice, and this effect was mediated by thrifty phenotype in F2. Since F1 animals were all genetically identical, this finding suggests that maternal effects pass down both maternal care and thrifty phenotype in these mice across generations via epigenetic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States of America
| | - Carolina P. Goes
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Program in Cellular Biology and Histology Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabela Forti
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center of Health and Biological Sciences Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Bruno Gabriel O. do Monte
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center of Health and Biological Sciences Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Isabela M. Watanabe
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center of Health and Biological Sciences Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Joao Cunha
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center of Health and Biological Sciences Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Andrea C. Peripato
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center of Health and Biological Sciences Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Matzel LD, Kolata S, Light K, Sauce B. The tendency for social submission predicts superior cognitive performance in previously isolated male mice. Behav Processes 2017; 134:12-21. [PMID: 27457190 PMCID: PMC5209282 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The imposition of subordination may negatively impact cognitive performance in common social settings (e.g., the classroom), and likewise, laboratory studies of animals indicate that the stress associated with social defeat can impair cognitive performance. It is less clear whether an animal's predisposition for social subordination (i.e., a tendency that is expressed prior to experience with social defeat) is related to its cognitive abilities (e.g., "general" intelligence). Using genetically diverse CD-1 male mice, here we determined that in the absence of adult experience with social hierarchies or social defeat, the predisposition for social subordination was associated with superior general cognitive ability (aggregate performance across a battery of five learning tasks). The tendency for social subordination was not dependent on the mice' body weight, but both general cognitive ability and the tendency for social subordination were directly related to high stress reactivity (i.e., free corticosterone elevations induced by mild stress). This pattern of results suggests that submissive behavior and sensitivity to stress may be associated with superior cognitive potential, and this can reflect a native predisposition that precedes exposure to social pressures. More broadly, these results raise the possibility that socially subordinate animals evolved compensatory strategies to facilitate their survival, and that absent the imposition of subordination, normally submissive individuals may be better prepared for cognitive/academic achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral Systems Neuroscience Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ,08854, United States.
| | - Stefan Kolata
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral Systems Neuroscience Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ,08854, United States
| | - Kenneth Light
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral Systems Neuroscience Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ,08854, United States
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Sauce B, Wass C, Smith A, Kwan S, Matzel LD. The external-internal loop of interference: two types of attention and their influence on the learning abilities of mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 116:181-92. [PMID: 25452087 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Attention is a component of the working memory system, and is responsible for protecting task-relevant information from interference. Cognitive performance (particularly outside of the laboratory) is often plagued by interference, and the source of this interference, either external or internal, might influence the expression of individual differences in attentional ability. By definition, external attention (also described as "selective attention") protects working memory against sensorial distractors of all kinds, while internal attention (also called "inhibition") protects working memory against emotional impulses, irrelevant information from memory, and automatically-generated responses. At present, it is unclear if these two types of attention are expressed independently in non-human animals, and how they might differentially impact performance on other cognitive processes, such as learning. By using a diverse battery of four attention tests (with varying levels of internal and external sources of interference), here we aimed both to explore this issue, and to obtain a robust and general (less task-specific) measure of attention in mice. Exploratory factor analyses revealed two factors (external and internal attention) that in total, accounted for 73% of the variance in attentional performance. Confirmatory factor analyses found an excellent fit with the data of the model of attention that assumed an external and internal distinction (with a resulting correlation of 0.43). In contrast, a model of attention that assumed one source of variance (i.e., "general attention") exhibited a poor fit with the data. Regarding the relationship between attention and learning, higher resistance against external sources of interference promoted better new learning, but tended to impair performance when cognitive flexibility was required, such as during the reversal of a previously instantiated response. The present results suggest that there can be (at least) two types of attention that contribute to the common variance in attentional performance in mice, and that external and internal attentions might have opposing influences on the rate at which animals learn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Christopher Wass
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Andrew Smith
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Stephanie Kwan
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States.
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21
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Wass C, Pizzo A, Sauce B, Kawasumi Y, Sturzoiu T, Ree F, Otto T, Matzel LD. Dopamine D1 sensitivity in the prefrontal cortex predicts general cognitive abilities and is modulated by working memory training. Learn Mem 2013; 20:617-27. [PMID: 24129098 PMCID: PMC3799419 DOI: 10.1101/lm.031971.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
A common source of variance (i.e., “general intelligence”) underlies an individual's performance across diverse tests of cognitive ability, and evidence indicates that the processing efficacy of working memory may serve as one such source of common variance. One component of working memory, selective attention, has been reported to co-vary with general intelligence, and dopamine D1 signaling in prefrontal cortex can modulate attentional abilities. Based on their aggregate performance across five diverse tests of learning, here we characterized the general cognitive ability (GCA) of CD-1 outbred mice. In response to a D1 agonist (SKF82958, 1 mg/kg), we then assessed the relationship between GCA and activation of D1 receptor (D1R)-containing neurons in the prelimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex, the agranular insular cortex, and the dorsomedial striatum. Increased activation of D1R-containing neurons in the prelimbic cortex (but not the agranular insular cortex or dorsomedial striatum) was observed in animals of high GCA relative to those of low GCA (quantified by c-Fos activation in response to the D1 agonist). However, a Western blot analysis revealed no differences in the density of D1Rs in the prelimbic cortex between animals of high and low GCA. Last, it was observed that working memory training promoted an increase in animals’ GCA and enhanced D1R-mediated neuronal activation in the prelimbic cortex. These results suggest that the sensitivity (but not density) of D1Rs in the prelimbic cortex may both regulate GCA and be a target for working memory training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Wass
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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22
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Abstract
A person’s performance across multiple cognitive tests tends to covary. This ubiquitous observation suggests that various cognitive domains are regulated in common, and this covariance underlies the interpretation of many quantitative tests of “intelligence.” We find that, as in humans, differences in intelligence exist across genetically heterogeneous mice. Specifically, we have observed a covariance in the performance of mice across diverse tests of learning, reasoning, and attention. As in humans, the processing efficacy of working memory is both correlated with animals’ general cognitive abilities and may in some instances serve to regulate behaviors indicative of intelligence. Beyond its axiomatic significance in demonstrating the evolutionary conservation of a cognitive trait, studies of mice may provide unique opportunities to assess the molecular (e.g., brain-specific RNA expression; transgenics) and neuroanatomic substrates for intelligence. One such approach is briefly described here. Using this approach, we have determined that the signaling efficacy of the dopamine D1 receptor in the prefrontal cortex is one potential link between performance on both working-memory tasks and tests of intelligence. In combination, studies of both humans and nonhuman animals provide converging lines of evidence that might evade either approach in isolation.
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23
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Smith AM, Spiegler KM, Sauce B, Wass CD, Sturzoiu T, Matzel LD. Voluntary aerobic exercise increases the cognitive enhancing effects of working memory training. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:626-35. [PMID: 24036169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Increases in performance on tests of attention and learning are often observed shortly after a period of aerobic exercise, and evidence suggests that humans who engage in regular exercise are partially protected from age-related cognitive decline. However, the cognitive benefits of exercise are typically short-lived, limiting the practical application of these observations. Here, we explored whether physical exercise might induce lasting changes in general cognitive ability if that exercise was combined with working memory training, which is purported to broadly impact cognitive performance. Mice received either exercise treatment (6 weeks of voluntary running wheel access), working memory training (in a dual radial-arm maze), both treatments, or various control treatments. After this period of exercise, working memory training was initiated (alternating with days of exercise), and continued for several weeks. Upon completion of these treatments, animals were assessed (2-4 weeks later) for performance on four diverse learning tasks, and the aggregate performance of individual animals across all four learning tasks was estimated. Working memory training alone promoted small increases in general cognitive performance, although any beneficial effects of exercise alone had dissipated by the time of learning assessments. However, the two treatments in combination more than doubled the improvement in general cognitive performance supported by working memory training alone. Unlike the transient effects that acute aerobic exercise can have on isolated learning tasks, these results indicate that an acute period of exercise combined with working memory training can have synergistic and lasting impact on general cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Smith
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
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24
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Abstract
IN A SEMINAL PAPER WRITTEN FIVE DECADES AGO, CRONBACH DISCUSSED THE TWO HIGHLY DISTINCT APPROACHES TO SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY: experimental and correlational. Today, although these two approaches are fruitfully implemented and embraced across some fields of psychology, this synergy is largely absent from other areas, such as in the study of learning and behavior. Both Tolman and Hull, in a rare case of agreement, stated that the correlational approach held little promise for the understanding of behavior. Interestingly, this dismissal of the study of individual differences was absent in the biologically oriented branches of behavior analysis, namely, behavioral genetics and ethology. Here we propose that the distinction between "causation" and "causes of variation" (with its origins in the field of genetics) reveals the potential value of the correlational approach in understanding the full complexity of learning and behavior. Although the experimental approach can illuminate the causal variables that modulate learning, the analysis of individual differences can elucidate how much and in which way variables interact to support variations in learning in complex natural environments. For example, understanding that a past experience with a stimulus influences its "associability" provides little insight into how individual predispositions interact to modulate this influence on associability. In this "new" light, we discuss examples from studies of individual differences in animals' performance in the Morris water maze and from our own work on individual differences in general intelligence in mice. These studies illustrate that, opposed to what Underwood famously suggested, studies of individual differences can do much more to psychology than merely providing preliminary indications of cause-effect relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ, USA
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Chiavegatto S, Sauce B, Ambar G, Cheverud JM, Peripato AC. Hypothalamic expression of Peg3 gene is associated with maternal care differences between SM/J and LG/J mouse strains. Brain Behav 2012; 2:365-76. [PMID: 22950040 PMCID: PMC3432959 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal care is essential in mammals, and variations in the environment provided by mothers may directly influence the viability of newborns and emotional behavior later in life. A previous study investigated genetic variations associated with maternal care in an intercross of LG/J and SM/J inbred mouse strains and identified two single-locus QTLs (quantitative trait loci). Here, we selected three candidate genes located within these QTLs intervals; Oxt on chromosome 2, and FosB and Peg3 on chromosome 7 and tested their association with maternal care. LG/J females showed impaired postpartum nest building and pup retrieval, a one-day delay in milk ejection, reduced exploratory activity, and higher anxiety-like behavior when compared to SM/J females. The nucleotide sequences of Oxt and FosB were similar between strains, as were their hypothalamic expression levels. Conversely, Peg3 nucleotide sequences showed four nonsynonymous replacement substitutions on LG/J dams, T11062G, G13744A, A13808G, and G13813A, and a 30 base pair (10 aa) in tandem repeat in the coding region with three copies in SM/J and five copies in LG/J. Maternal care impaired LG/J mothers express 37% lower Peg3 mRNA levels in the hypothalamus on the second postpartum day. We also found an association of the Peg3 repeat-variant and poor maternal care in F(2) heterozygote females derived from a LG/J × SM/J intercross. These results may suggest that the maternally imprinted Peg3 gene is responsible for the single-locus QTL on chromosome 7 that has been shown to influence maternal care in these strains. Furthermore, these data provide additional support for an epigenetic regulation of maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Chiavegatto
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- National Institute for Developmental Psychiatry for Childhood and Adolescence (INCT‐CNPq), Brazil
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Biological Science and Health Center, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Ambar
- Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - James M. Cheverud
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 63110, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Andrea C. Peripato
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Biological Science and Health Center, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil
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Abstract
Maternal care is critical to offspring growth and survival, which is greatly improved by building an effective nest. Some suggest that genetic variation and underlying genetic effects differ between fitness-related traits and other phenotypes. We investigated the genetic architecture of a fitness-related trait, nest building, in F2 female mice intercrossed from inbred strains SM/J and LG/J using a QTL analysis for six related nest phenotypes (Presence and Structure pre- and postpartum, prepartum Material Used and postpartum Temperature). We found 15 direct-effect QTLs explaining from 4 to 13% of the phenotypic variation in nest building, mostly with non-additive effect. Epistatic analyses revealed 71 significant epistatic interactions which together explain from 28.4 to 75.5% of the variation, indicating an important role for epistasis in the adaptive process of nest building behavior in mice. Our results suggest a genetic architecture with small direct effects and a larger number of epistatic interactions as expected for fitness-related phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center of Health and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Sao Carlos Sao Carlos, Brazil
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