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Vrijling ACL, de Boer MJ, Renken RJ, Marsman JBC, Grillini A, Petrillo CE, Heutink J, Jansonius NM, Cornelissen FW. Stimulus contrast, pursuit mode, and age strongly influence tracking performance on a continuous visual tracking task. Vision Res 2023; 205:108188. [PMID: 36773370 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108188] [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: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Human observers tend to naturally track moving stimuli. This tendency may be exploited towards an intuitive means of screening visual function as an impairment induced reduction in stimulus visibility will decrease tracking performance. Yet, to be able to detect subtle impairments, stimulus contrast is critical. If too high, the decrease in performance may remain undetected. Therefore, for this approach to become reliable and sensitive, we need a detailed understanding of how age, stimulus contrast, and the type of stimulus movement affect continuous tracking performance. To do so, we evaluated how well twenty younger and twenty older participants tracked a semi-randomly moving stimulus (Goldmann size III, 0.43 degrees of visual angle), presented at five contrast levels (5%-10%-20%-40%-80%). The stimulus could move smoothly only (smooth pursuit mode) or in alternation with displacements (saccadic pursuit mode). Additionally, we assessed static foveal and peripheral contrast thresholds. For all participants, tracking performance improved with increasing contrast in both pursuit modes. To reach threshold performance levels, older participants required about twice as much contrast (20% vs. 10% and 40% vs. 20% in smooth and saccadic modes respectively). Saccadic pursuit detection thresholds correlated significantly with static peripheral contrast thresholds (rho = 0.64). Smooth pursuit detection thresholds were uncorrelated with static foveal contrast thresholds (rho = 0.29). We conclude that continuous visual stimulus tracking is strongly affected by stimulus contrast, pursuit mode, and age. This provides essential insights that can be applied towards new and intuitive approaches of screening visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C L Vrijling
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Royal Dutch Visio, Centre of Expertise for Blind and Partially Sighted People, Huizen, the Netherlands.
| | - M J de Boer
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - R J Renken
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - J B C Marsman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - J Heutink
- Royal Dutch Visio, Centre of Expertise for Blind and Partially Sighted People, Huizen, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - N M Jansonius
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - F W Cornelissen
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Geugies H, Opmeer EM, Marsman JBC, Figueroa CA, van Tol MJ, Schmaal L, van der Wee NJA, Aleman A, Penninx BWJH, Veltman DJ, Schoevers RA, Ruhé HG. Decreased functional connectivity of the insula within the salience network as an indicator for prospective insufficient response to antidepressants. Neuroimage Clin 2019; 24:102064. [PMID: 31795046 PMCID: PMC6883326 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Connectivity analyses complemented with a metric exploring switching in brain activity. Lower insula-salience connectivity predicts insufficient antidepressant response. This same insula region is activated less when switching from task to a rest. This could be a potential biomarkers for predicting future antidepressant response.
Insufficient response to treatment is the main cause of prolonged suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). Early identification of insufficient response could result in faster and more targeted treatment strategies to reduce suffering. We therefore explored whether baseline alterations within and between resting state functional connectivity networks could serve as markers of insufficient response to antidepressant treatment in two years of follow-up. We selected MDD patients (N = 17) from the NEtherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), who received ≥ two antidepressants, indicative for insufficient response, during the two year follow-up, a group of MDD patients who received only one antidepressant (N = 32) and a healthy control group (N = 19) matched on clinical characteristics and demographics. An independent component analysis (ICA) of baseline resting-state scans was conducted after which functional connectivity within the components was compared between groups. We observed lower connectivity of the right insula within the salience network in the group with ≥ two antidepressants compared to the group with one antidepressant. No difference in connectivity was found between the patient groups and healthy control group. Given the suggested role of the right insula in switching between task-positive mode (activation during attention-demanding tasks) and task-negative mode (activation during the absence of any task), we explored whether right insula activation differed during switching between these two modes. We observed that in the ≥2 antidepressant group, the right insula was less active compared to the group with one antidepressant, when switching from task-positive to task-negative mode than the other way around. These findings imply that lower right insula connectivity within the salience network may serve as an indicator for prospective insufficient response to antidepressants. This result, supplemented by the diminished insula activation when switching between task and rest related networks, could indicate an underlying mechanism that, if not sufficiently targeted by current antidepressants, could lead to insufficient response. When replicated, these findings may contribute to the identification of biomarkers for early detection of insufficient response.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Geugies
- University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - E M Opmeer
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - J B C Marsman
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - C A Figueroa
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Locatie AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M J van Tol
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - L Schmaal
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Locatie VUmc, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - N J A van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A Aleman
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - B W J H Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Locatie VUmc, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - D J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Locatie VUmc, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R A Schoevers
- University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences (BCN), Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - H G Ruhé
- University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Locatie AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Berghuis KMM, Fagioli S, Maurits NM, Zijdewind I, Marsman JBC, Hortobágyi T, Koch G, Bozzali M. Age-related changes in brain deactivation but not in activation after motor learning. Neuroimage 2018; 186:358-368. [PMID: 30439511 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
It is poorly understood how healthy aging affects neural mechanisms underlying motor learning. We used blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) contrasts to examine age-related changes in brain activation after acquisition and consolidation (24 h) of a visuomotor tracking skill. Additionally, structural magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging were used to examine age-related structural changes in the brain. Older adults had reduced gray matter volume (628 ± 57 ml) and mean white matter anisotropy (0.18 ± 0.03) compared with young adults (741 ± 59 ml and 0.22 ± 0.02, respectively). Although motor performance was 53% lower in older (n = 15, mean age 63.1 years) compared with young adults (n = 15, mean age 25.5 years), motor practice improved motor performance similarly in both age groups. While executing the task, older adults showed in general greater brain activation compared with young adults. BOLD activation decreased in parietal and occipital areas after skill acquisition but activation increased in these areas after consolidation in both age groups, indicating more efficient visuospatial processing immediately after skill acquisition. Changes in deactivation in specific areas were age-dependent after consolidating the motor skill into motor memory. Young adults showed greater deactivations from post-test to retention in parietal, occipital and temporal cortices, whereas older adults showed smaller deactivation in the frontal cortex. Since learning rate was similar between age groups, age-related changes in activation patterns may be interpreted as a compensatory mechanism for age-related structural decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M M Berghuis
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, the Netherlands; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Rome, Italy.
| | - S Fagioli
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Rome, Italy; University of Roma Tre, Department of Education, Rome, Italy
| | - N M Maurits
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neurology, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - I Zijdewind
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - J B C Marsman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - T Hortobágyi
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - G Koch
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Rome, Italy
| | - M Bozzali
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Rome, Italy; University of Sussex, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Department of Neuroscience, Brighton, United Kingdom
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Demenescu LR, Renken R, Kortekaas R, van Tol MJ, Marsman JBC, van Buchem MA, van der Wee NJA, Veltman DJ, den Boer JA, Aleman A. Neural correlates of perception of emotional facial expressions in out-patients with mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. A multicenter fMRI study. Psychol Med 2011; 41:2253-2264. [PMID: 21557888 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291711000596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression has been associated with limbic hyperactivation and frontal hypoactivation in response to negative facial stimuli. Anxiety disorders have also been associated with increased activation of emotional structures such as the amygdala and insula. This study examined to what extent activation of brain regions involved in perception of emotional faces is specific to depression and anxiety disorders in a large community-based sample of out-patients. METHOD An event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm was used including angry, fearful, sad, happy and neutral facial expressions. One hundred and eighty-two out-patients (59 depressed, 57 anxiety and 66 co-morbid depression-anxiety) and 56 healthy controls selected from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) were included in the present study. Whole-brain analyses were conducted. The temporal profile of amygdala activation was also investigated. RESULTS Facial expressions activated the amygdala and fusiform gyrus in depressed patients with or without anxiety and in healthy controls, relative to scrambled faces, but this was less evident in patients with anxiety disorders. The response shape of the amygdala did not differ between groups. Depressed patients showed dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) hyperactivation in response to happy faces compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that stronger frontal activation to happy faces in depressed patients may reflect increased demands on effortful emotion regulation processes triggered by mood-incongruent stimuli. The lack of strong differences in neural activation to negative emotional faces, relative to healthy controls, may be characteristic of the mild-to-moderate severity of illness in this sample and may be indicative of a certain cognitive-emotional processing reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Demenescu
- Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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