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Derks B, Kumar VS, Yadnik S, Panis B, Bosch AM, Cassiman D, Janssen MCH, Schuhmann T, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Jansma BM. Impact of theta transcranial alternating current stimulation on language production in adult classic galactosemia patients. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024. [PMID: 38659221 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12742] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Patients with classic galactosemia (CG), an inborn error of galactose metabolism, suffer from impairments in cognition, including language processing. Potential causes are atypical brain oscillations. Recent electroencephalogram (EEG) showed differences in the P300 event-related-potential (ERP) and alterations in the alpha/theta-range during speech planning. This study investigated whether transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at theta-frequency compared to sham can cause a normalization of the ERP post stimulation and improves language performance. Eleven CG patients and fourteen healthy controls participated in two tACS-sessions (theta 6.5 Hz/sham). They were engaged in an active language task, describing animated scenes at three moments, that is, pre/during/post stimulation. Pre and post stimulation, behavior (naming accuracy, voice-onset-times; VOT) and mean-amplitudes of ERP were compared, by means of a P300 time-window analysis and cluster-based-permutation testing during speech planning. The results showed that theta stimulation, not sham, significantly reduced naming error-percentage in patients, not in controls. Theta did not systematically speed up naming beyond a general learning effect, which was larger for the patients. The EEG analysis revealed a significant pre-post stimulation effect (P300/late positivity), in patients and during theta stimulation only. In conclusion, theta-tACS improved accuracy in language performance in CG patients compared to controls and altered the P300 and late positive ERP-amplitude, suggesting a lasting effect on neural oscillation and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Derks
- Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, MosaKids Children's Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GROW, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- European Reference Network for Hereditary Metabolic Disorders (MetabERN) Member and United for Metabolic Diseases Member, Udine, Italy
| | - Varsha Shashi Kumar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sai Yadnik
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca Panis
- Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, MosaKids Children's Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- European Reference Network for Hereditary Metabolic Disorders (MetabERN) Member and United for Metabolic Diseases Member, Udine, Italy
| | - Annet M Bosch
- Department of Paediatrics, Division of Metabolic Diseases, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Inborn errors of metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David Cassiman
- Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology and Adult Metabolic Center, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mirian C H Janssen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - M Estela Rubio-Gozalbo
- Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, MosaKids Children's Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GROW, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- European Reference Network for Hereditary Metabolic Disorders (MetabERN) Member and United for Metabolic Diseases Member, Udine, Italy
| | - Bernadette M Jansma
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Sack AT, Paneva J, Küthe T, Dijkstra E, Zwienenberg L, Arns M, Schuhmann T. Target Engagement and Brain State Dependence of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Implications for Clinical Practice. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:536-544. [PMID: 37739330 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.09.011] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is capable of noninvasively inducing lasting neuroplastic changes when applied repetitively across multiple treatment sessions. In recent years, repetitive TMS has developed into an established evidence-based treatment for various neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. Despite significant advancements in our understanding of the mechanisms of action of TMS, there is still much to learn about how these mechanisms relate to the clinical effects observed in patients. If there is one thing about TMS that we know for sure, it is that TMS effects are state dependent. In this review, we describe how the effects of TMS on brain networks depend on various factors, including cognitive brain state, oscillatory brain state, and recent brain state history. These states play a crucial role in determining the effects of TMS at the moment of stimulation and are therefore directly linked to what is referred to as target engagement in TMS therapy. There is no control over target engagement without considering the different brain state dependencies of our TMS intervention. Clinical TMS protocols are largely ignoring this fundamental principle, which may explain the large variability and often still limited efficacy of TMS treatments. We propose that after almost 30 years of research on state dependency of TMS, it is time to change standard clinical practice by taking advantage of this fundamental principle. Rather than ignoring TMS state dependency, we can use it to our clinical advantage to improve the effectiveness of TMS treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Brain + Nerve Center, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Jasmina Paneva
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Tara Küthe
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Eva Dijkstra
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Heart and Brain Group, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Neurowave, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lauren Zwienenberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Heart and Brain Group, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Synaeda Psycho Medisch Centrum, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn Arns
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Brain + Nerve Center, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Heart and Brain Group, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Baldi S, Schuhmann T, Goossens L, Schruers KRJ. Individualized, connectome-based, non-invasive stimulation of OCD deep-brain targets: A proof-of-concept. Neuroimage 2024; 288:120527. [PMID: 38286272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120527] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) generally improves with deep-brain stimulation (DBS), thought to modulate neural activity at both the implantation site and in connected brain regions. However, its invasive nature, side-effects, and lack of customization, make non-invasive treatments preferable. Harnessing the established remote effects of cortical transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), connectivity-based approaches have emerged for depression that aim at influencing distant regions connected to the stimulation site. We here investigated whether effective OCD DBS targets (here subthalamic nucleus [STN] and nucleus accumbens [NAc]) could be modulated non-invasively with TMS. In a proof-of-concept study with nine healthy individuals, we used 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and probabilistic tractography to reconstruct the fiber tracts traversing manually segmented STN/NAc. Two TMS targets were individually selected based on the strength of their structural connectivity to either the STN, or both the STN and NAc. In a sham-controlled, within-subject cross-over design, TMS was administered over the personalized targets, located around the precentral and middle frontal gyrus. Resting-state functional 3T MRI was acquired before, and at 5 and 25 min after stimulation to investigate TMS-induced changes in the functional connectivity of the STN and NAc with other regions of the brain. Static and dynamic seed-to-voxel correlation analyses were conducted. TMS over both targets was able to modulate the functional connectivity of the STN and NAc, engaging both overlapping and distinct regions, and unfolding following different temporal dynamics. Given the relevance of the engaged connected regions to OCD pathology, we argue that a personalized, connectivity-based procedure is worth investigating as potential treatment for refractory OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Baldi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Liesbet Goossens
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Koen R J Schruers
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Dantas AM, Sack AT, Bruggen E, Jiao P, Schuhmann T. Modulating risk-taking behavior with theta-band tACS. Neuroimage 2023; 283:120422. [PMID: 37884165 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120422] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Although risk is prevalent in decision-making, the specific neural processes underlying risk-taking behavior remain unclear. Previous studies have suggested that frontal theta-band activity plays a crucial role in modulating risk-taking behavior. The functional relevance of theta in risk-taking behavior is yet to be clearly established and studies using noninvasive brain stimulation have yielded inconsistent findings. We aimed to investigate this relevance using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) over right or left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). We also studied the influence of stimulation intensity on risk-taking behavior and electrophysiological effects. We applied theta-band (6.5 Hz) tACS over the left (F3) and right (F4) DLPFC with lower (1.5 mA) and higher (3 mA) tACS intensities. We employed a single-blinded, sham-controlled, within-subject design and combined tACS with electroencephalography (EEG) measurements and the Maastricht Gambling Task (MGT) to elicit and evaluate risk-taking behavior. Our results show an increase in risk-taking behavior after left DLPFC stimulation at both intensities and a reduction of risk-taking behavior after 3 mA (and not 1.5 mA) right DLPFC stimulation compared to sham. Further analyses showed a negative correlation between resting-state frontal theta-power and risk-taking behavior. Overall, frontal theta-power was increased after left, but not right, theta-band tACS independent of stimulation intensity. Our findings confirm the functional relevance of frontal theta-band activity in decision-making under risk and the differential role of left and right DLPFC. We also were able to show that stimulation intensity did have an effect on behavioral responses, namely risk-taking behavior. Significant right hemisphere stimulation effects were observed only after high-intensity stimulation. Nevertheless, electrophysiological effects were only significant after left DLPFC stimulation, regardless of tACS intensity. Furthermore, the results indicate the role of the baseline frontal theta-power in the direction of behavioral effects after theta-band tACS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline M Dantas
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University. Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University. Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health, and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Center, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+). P. Debyelaan 25, 6229 HX, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University. Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University. Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health, and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Center, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+). P. Debyelaan 25, 6229 HX, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Bruggen
- Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University. P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands; BISS - Brightlands Institute for Smart Society, Maastricht University, Heerlen, the Netherlands; Netspar - Network for Studies on Pension, Aging and Retirement
| | - Peiran Jiao
- Department of Finance, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University. P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University. Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University. Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Koutsomitros T, Schwarz SA, van der Zee KT, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. Home-administered transcranial direct current stimulation with asynchronous remote supervision in the treatment of depression: feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effectiveness. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1206805. [PMID: 38025428 PMCID: PMC10652875 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1206805] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Background Depression is an often chronic condition, characterized by wide-ranging physical, cognitive and psychosocial symptoms that can lead to disability, premature mortality or suicide. It affects 350 million people globally, yet up to 30% do not respond to traditional treatment, creating an urgent need for novel non-pharmacological treatments. This open-label naturalistic study assesses the practical feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effectiveness of home-administered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with asynchronous remote supervision, in the treatment of depression. Method Over the course of 3 weeks, 40 patients with depression received psychotherapy and half of this group also received daily bi-frontal tDCS stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These patients received tDCS for 30 min per session with the anode placed over F3 and the cathode over F4, at an intensity of 2 mA for 21 consecutive days. We measured patients' level of depression symptoms at four time points using the Beck Depression Inventory, before treatment and at 1-week intervals throughout the treatment period. We monitored practical feasibility such as daily protocol compliance and tolerability including side effects, with the PlatoScience cloud-based remote supervision platform. Results Of the 20 patients in the tDCS group, 90% were able to comply with the protocol by not missing more than three of their assigned sessions, and none dropped out of the study. No serious adverse events were reported, with only 14 instances of mild to moderate side effects and two instances of scalp pain rated as severe, out of a total of 420 stimulation sessions. Patients in the tDCS group showed a significantly greater reduction in depression symptoms after 3 weeks of treatment, compared to the treatment as usual (TAU) group [t(57.2) = 2.268, p = 0.027]. The tDCS group also showed greater treatment response (50%) and depression remission rates (75%) compared to the TAU group (5 and 30%, respectively). Discussion Conclusion These findings provide a possible indication of the clinical effectiveness of home-administered tDCS for the treatment of depression, and its feasibility and tolerability in combination with asynchronous supervision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Koutsomitros
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Greek rTMS Clinic, Medical Psychotherapeutic Centre (I.Ψ.K.), Thessaloniki, Greece
- Institute of Psychotherapy, Medical Psychotherapeutic Centre (I.Ψ.K.), Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Sandra A. Schwarz
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Kenneth T. van der Zee
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Donders Institute, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Brain and Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Wang T, de Graaf T, Tanner L, Schuhmann T, Duecker F, Sack AT. Hemispheric Asymmetry in TMS-Induced Effects on Spatial Attention: A Meta-Analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2023:10.1007/s11065-023-09614-2. [PMID: 37736863 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-023-09614-2] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Hemispheric asymmetry is a fundamental principle in the functional architecture of the brain. It plays an important role in attention research where right hemisphere dominance is core to many attention theories. Lesion studies seem to confirm such hemispheric dominance with patients being more likely to develop left hemineglect after right hemispheric stroke than vice versa. However, the underlying concept of hemispheric dominance is still not entirely clear. Brain stimulation studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) might be able to illuminate this concept. To examine the putative hemispheric asymmetry in spatial attention, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies applying inhibitory TMS protocols to the left or right posterior parietal cortices (PPC), assessing effects on attention biases with the landmark and line bisection task. A total of 18 studies including 222 participants from 1994 to February 2022 were identified. The analysis revealed a significant shift of the perceived midpoint towards the ipsilateral hemifield after right PPC suppression (Cohen's d = 0.52), but no significant effect after left PPC suppression (Cohen's d = 0.26), suggesting a hemispheric asymmetry even though the subgroup difference does not reach significance (p = .06). A complementary Bayesian meta-analysis revealed a high probability of at least a medium effect size after right PPC disruption versus a low probability after left PPC disruption. This is the first quantitative meta-analysis supporting right hemisphere-specific TMS-induced spatial attention deficits, mimicking hemineglect in healthy participants. We discuss the result in the light of prominent attention theories, ultimately concluding how difficult it remains to differentiate between these theories based on attentional bias scores alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Tom de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Lisabel Tanner
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Felix Duecker
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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van der Werf OJ, Schuhmann T, de Graaf T, Ten Oever S, Sack AT. Investigating the role of task relevance during rhythmic sampling of spatial locations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12707. [PMID: 37543646 PMCID: PMC10404272 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38968-z] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently it has been discovered that visuospatial attention operates rhythmically, rather than being stably employed over time. A low-frequency 7-8 Hz rhythmic mechanism coordinates periodic windows to sample relevant locations and to shift towards other, less relevant locations in a visual scene. Rhythmic sampling theories would predict that when two locations are relevant 8 Hz sampling mechanisms split into two, effectively resulting in a 4 Hz sampling frequency at each location. Therefore, it is expected that rhythmic sampling is influenced by the relative importance of locations for the task at hand. To test this, we employed an orienting task with an arrow cue, where participants were asked to respond to a target presented in one visual field. The cue-to-target interval was systematically varied, allowing us to assess whether performance follows a rhythmic pattern across cue-to-target delays. We manipulated a location's task relevance by altering the validity of the cue, thereby predicting the correct location in 60%, 80% or 100% of trials. Results revealed significant 4 Hz performance fluctuations at cued right visual field targets with low cue validity (60%), suggesting regular sampling of both locations. With high cue validity (80%), we observed a peak at 8 Hz towards non-cued targets, although not significant. These results were in line with our hypothesis suggesting a goal-directed balancing of attentional sampling (cued location) and shifting (non-cued location) depending on the relevance of locations in a visual scene. However, considering the hemifield specificity of the effect together with the absence of expected effects for cued trials in the high valid conditions we further discuss the interpretation of the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olof J van der Werf
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom de Graaf
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Ten Oever
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Language and Computation in Neural Systems Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain and Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Dantas AM, Sack AT, Bruggen E, Jiao P, Schuhmann T. The functional relevance of right DLPFC and VMPFC in risk-taking behavior. Cortex 2023; 159:64-74. [PMID: 36608421 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.11.009] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prefrontal cortex can be partialized in various anatomical and functional sub regions. Among those regions, both right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) have been associated with risk-taking behavior based on neuroimaging studies. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) studies aiming at demonstrating the functional relevance of neural activity in these areas almost exclusively focused on the rDLPFC, where its experimental stimulation with a (generally) inhibitory protocol lead to a measurable increase in risk-taking behavior due to reduced cognitive control. The functional relevance of VMPFC in risk-taking behavior has not yet been addressed using NIBS, although multiple neuroimaging studies correlate this area's activity with valuation. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS Here, we used NIBS to investigate the functional relevance of both, the rDLPFC and VMPFC in risk-taking behavior. We hypothesized that, compared to sham stimulation, VMPFC suppression leads to a reduction in risk-taking behavior by reducing the appeal to higher value options and consequently the attractiveness of riskier options, whereas rDLPFC suppression leads to an increase in risk taking, replicating previous findings. METHODS We applied continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), a generally inhibitory protocol, to stimulate either VMPFC or DLPFC before the execution of the computerized Maastricht Gambling Task (MGT) in a within-subject design with 30 participants. The MGT allowed the analysis of potential brain region-specific effects of cTBS on risk-taking behavior such as participants' choices of average values, probabilities, and response time. RESULTS cTBS applied to either rDLPFC or VMPFC both led to an increase in risk-taking behavior and in the average value chosen as compared to sham transcranial magnetic stimulation. No effect on the choice of probabilities was found. A significant increase in response time was observed exclusively after suppressing rDLPFC. We speculate that these similar behavioral consequences following cTBS over DLPFC and VMPFC are likely due to the strong anatomical and functional interconnection between both brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline M Dantas
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Elisabeth Bruggen
- Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Peiran Jiao
- Department of Finance, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
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Micheli L, Negrini M, Schuhmann T, Riedl A. Brain stimulation reveals distinct motives underlying reciprocal punishment and reward. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221590. [PMID: 36321495 PMCID: PMC9627709 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1590] [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] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Reciprocal fairness, in the form of punishment and reward, is at the core of human societal order. Its underlying neural mechanisms are, however, not fully understood. We systemize suggestive evidence regarding the involvement of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in reciprocal fairness in three cognitive mechanisms (cognitive control, domain-general and self-reference). We test them and provide novel insights in a comprehensive behavioural experiment with non-invasive brain stimulation where participants can punish greedy actions and reward generous actions. Brain stimulation of either brain area decreases reward and punishment when reciprocation is costly but unexpectedly increases reward when it is non-costly. None of the hypothesized mechanisms fully accounts for the observed behaviour, and the asymmetric involvement of the investigated brain areas in punishment and reward suggests that different psychological mechanisms are underlying punishing selfishness and rewarding generosity. We propose that, for reciprocal punishment, the rDLPFC and the mPFC process self-relevant information, in terms of both personal cost and personal involvement; for reciprocal reward, these brain regions are involved in controlling selfish and pure reciprocity motives, while simultaneously promoting the enforcement of fairness norms. These insights bear importance for endeavours to build biologically plausible models of human behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Micheli
- Institute of Psychology, Würzburg University, Würzburg, Germany,Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management & Maastricht University – Center of Neuroeconomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcello Negrini
- Department of Microeconomics and Public Economics & Maastricht University – Center of Neuroeconomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands,Open Evidence Research, Milan, Italy,Paris School of Economics, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Arno Riedl
- Department of Microeconomics and Public Economics & Maastricht University – Center of Neuroeconomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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10
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Middag-van Spanje M, Schuhmann T, Nijboer T, van der Werf O, Sack AT, van Heugten C. Study protocol of transcranial electrical stimulation at alpha frequency applied during rehabilitation: A randomized controlled trial in chronic stroke patients with visuospatial neglect. BMC Neurol 2022; 22:402. [PMID: 36324088 PMCID: PMC9628038 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02932-7] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A frequent post stroke disorder in lateralized attention is visuospatial neglect (VSN). As VSN has a strong negative impact on recovery in general and independence during daily life, optimal treatment is deemed urgent. Next to traditional stroke treatment, non-invasive brain stimulation offers the potential to facilitate stroke recovery as a complementary approach. In the present study, visual scanning training (VST; the current conventional treatment) will be combined with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to evaluate the additive effects of repeated sessions of tACS in combination with six-weeks VST rehabilitation. METHODS In this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled intervention study (RCT), we will compare the effects of active tACS plus VST to sham (placebo) tACS plus VST, both encompassing 18 VST training sessions, 40 minutes each, during 6 weeks. Chronic stroke patients with VSN (> 6 months post-stroke onset) are considered eligible for study participation. In total 22 patients are needed for the study. The primary outcome is change in performance on a cancellation task. Secondary outcomes are changes in performance on a visual detection task, two line bisection tasks, and three measures to assess changes in activities of daily living. Assessment is at baseline, directly after the first and ninth training session, after the last training session (post training), and 1 week and 3 months after termination of the training (follow-up). DISCUSSION If effective, a tACS-VST rehabilitation program could be implemented as a treatment option for VSN. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov ; registration number: NCT05466487; registration date: July 18, 2022 retrospectively registered; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05466487.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marij Middag-van Spanje
- grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,InteraktContour, Nunspeet, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tanja Nijboer
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Olof van der Werf
- grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline van Heugten
- Limburg Brain Injury Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,grid.412966.e0000 0004 0480 1382School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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11
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Middag‐van Spanje M, Duecker F, Gallotto S, de Graaf TA, van Heugten C, Sack AT, Schuhmann T. Transcranial magnetic stimulation over posterior parietal cortex modulates alerting and executive control processes in attention. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5853-5868. [PMID: 36161393 PMCID: PMC9828423 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15830] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Attention includes three different functional components: generating and maintaining an alert state (alerting), orienting to sensory events (orienting), and resolving conflicts between alternative actions (executive control). Neuroimaging and patient studies suggest that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is involved in all three attention components. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has repeatedly been applied over the PPC to study its functional role for shifts and maintenance of visuospatial attention. Most TMS-PPC studies used only detection tasks or orienting paradigms to investigate TMS-PPC effects on attention processes, neglecting the alerting and executive control components of attention. The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of PPC in all three functional components of attention: alerting, orienting, and executive control. To this end, we disrupted PPC with TMS (continuous theta-burst stimulation), to modulate subsequent performance on the Lateralized-Attention Network Test, used to assess the three attention components separately. Our results revealed hemifield-specific effects on alerting and executive control functions, but we did not find stimulation effects on orienting performance. While this field of research and associated clinical development have been predominantly focused on orienting performance, our results suggest that parietal cortex and its modulation may affect other aspects of attention as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marij Middag‐van Spanje
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands,InteraktContourNunspeetThe Netherlands
| | - Felix Duecker
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands,Maastricht Brain Imaging CenterMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Stefano Gallotto
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Tom A. de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands,Maastricht Brain Imaging CenterMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Caroline van Heugten
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Brain + Nerve CentreMaastricht University Medical Centre+MaastrichtThe Netherlands,Limburg Brain Injury CenterMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands,Maastricht Brain Imaging CenterMaastrichtThe Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Brain + Nerve CentreMaastricht University Medical Centre+MaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands,Maastricht Brain Imaging CenterMaastrichtThe Netherlands
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12
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Koutsomitros T, van der Zee KT, Evagorou O, Schuhmann T, Zamar AC, Sack AT. A Different rTMS Protocol for a Different Type of Depression: 20.000 rTMS Pulses for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression Type II. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11185434. [PMID: 36143081 PMCID: PMC9505040 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11185434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this open-label naturalistic study, we assess the feasibility, tolerability, and effectiveness of a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol with a reduced total pulse number for treating patients suffering from bipolar disorder type II. All patients received one rTMS treatment session of 1000 pulses for 20 consecutive working days, accumulating to 20.000 rTMS pulses applied over 4 weeks. We measured the patients’ symptoms before the start, halfway through, directly after, and one month after treatment. We quantified the depression symptoms using both the Beck depression inventory scale and the symptom checklist-90 depression subscale. Patients showed a significant reduction in depression symptoms directly after treatment and an even further reduction one month after treatment. The remission rates were at 26% halfway through treatment (after the 10th session), 61% directly after treatment (after the 20th session), and increased to 78% at the 1-month follow-up. Importantly, the protocol proved to be feasible and highly tolerable in this patient population, with no adverse effects being reported. Considering these positive results, further research should focus on replicating these findings in larger clinical samples with control groups and longer follow-up periods, while potentially adding maintenance sessions to optimize the treatment effect and stability for bipolar disorder type II patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Koutsomitros
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Greek rTMS Clinic, Medical Psychotherapeutic Centre (ΙΨΚ), 546 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +30-2310-236236
| | - Kenneth T. van der Zee
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, 6229 EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, 6229 EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain and Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
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13
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Schuhmann T, Duecker F, Middag-van Spanje M, Gallotto S, van Heugten C, Schrijnemaekers AC, van Oostenbrugge R, Sack AT. Transcranial alternating brain stimulation at alpha frequency reduces hemispatial neglect symptoms in stroke patients. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2022; 22:100326. [PMID: 35990733 PMCID: PMC9364103 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/Objective Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) may help alleviate attention deficits in stroke patients with hemispatial neglect by modulating oscillatory brain activity. We applied high-definition (HD)-tACS at alpha frequency over the contralesional hemisphere to support unilateral oscillatory alpha activity and correct for the pathologically altered attention bias in neglect patients. Methods We performed a within-subject, placebo-controlled study in which sixteen stroke patients with hemispatial neglect underwent 10 Hz (alpha) as well as sham (placebo) stimulation targeting the contralesional posterior parietal cortex. Attentional bias was measured with a computerized visual detection paradigm and two standard paper-and-pencil neglect tests. Results We revealed a significant shift of attentional resources after alpha-HD-tACS, but not sham tACS, toward the ipsilateral and thus contralesional hemifield leading to a reduction in neglect symptoms, measured with a computerized visual detection paradigm and a widely used standard paper and pencil neglect tests. Conclusions We showed a significant alpha-HD-tACS-induced shift of attentional resources toward the contralesional hemifield, thus leading to a reduction in neglect symptoms. Importantly, HD-tACS effects persisted after the stimulation itself had ended. This tACS protocol, based on intrinsic oscillatory processes, may be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for neglect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Felix Duecker
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Marij Middag-van Spanje
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,InteraktContour, Nunspeet, the Netherlands
| | - Stefano Gallotto
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,EEG and Epilepsy Unit, University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine of Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Caroline van Heugten
- Limburg Brain Injury Center, the Netherlands.,Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.,School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Anne-Claire Schrijnemaekers
- Adelante Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Brain Injury, Hoensbroek, the Netherlands.,Mondriaan Mental Health Centre, Department of Adult Psychiatry, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Robert van Oostenbrugge
- Department of Neurology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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14
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Paneva J, Leunissen I, Schuhmann T, de Graaf TA, Jønsson MG, Onarheim B, Sack AT. Using Remotely Supervised At-Home TES for Enhancing Mental Resilience. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:838187. [PMID: 35754763 PMCID: PMC9218567 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.838187] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We are in the midst of a mental health crisis with major depressive disorder being the most prevalent among mental health disorders and up to 30% of patients not responding to first-line treatments. Noninvasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) techniques have proven to be effective in treating depression. However, there is a fundamental problem of scale. Currently, any type of NIBS treatment requires patients to repeatedly visit a clinic to receive brain stimulation by trained personnel. This is an often-insurmountable barrier to both patients and healthcare providers in terms of time and cost. In this perspective, we assess to what extent Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES) might be administered with remote supervision in order to address this scaling problem and enable neuroenhancement of mental resilience at home. Social, ethical, and technical challenges relating to hardware- and software-based solutions are discussed alongside the risks of stimulation under- or over-use. Solutions to provide users with a safe and transparent ongoing assessment of aptitude, tolerability, compliance, and/or misuse are proposed, including standardized training, eligibility screening, as well as compliance and side effects monitoring. Looking into the future, such neuroenhancement could be linked to prevention systems which combine home-use TES with digital sensor and mental monitoring technology to index decline in mental wellbeing and avoid relapse. Despite the described social, ethical legal, and technical challenges, the combination of remotely supervised, at-home TES setups with dedicated artificial intelligence systems could be a powerful weapon to combat the mental health crisis by bringing personalized medicine into people’s homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Paneva
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Inge Leunissen
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Tom A de Graaf
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Morten Gørtz Jønsson
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | | | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain + Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands
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15
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Ten Oever S, van der Werf OJ, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. Absence of behavioral rhythms: noise or unexplained neuronal mechanisms? (response to Fiebelkorn, 2021). Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:3121-3124. [PMID: 35193154 PMCID: PMC9545739 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Ten Oever
- Language and Computation in Neural Systems group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Olof J van der Werf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain and Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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16
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Kemmerer SK, Sack AT, de Graaf TA, Ten Oever S, De Weerd P, Schuhmann T. Frequency-specific transcranial neuromodulation of alpha power alters visuospatial attention performance. Brain Res 2022; 1782:147834. [PMID: 35176250 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at 10Hz has been shown to modulate spatial attention. However, the frequency-specificity and the oscillatory changes underlying this tACS effect are still largely unclear. Here, we applied high-definition tACS at individual alpha frequency (IAF), two control frequencies (IAF+/-2Hz) and sham to the left posterior parietal cortex and measured its effects on visuospatial attention performance and offline alpha power (using electroencephalography, EEG). We revealed a behavioural and electrophysiological stimulation effect relative to sham for IAF but not control frequency stimulation conditions: there was a leftward lateralization of alpha power for IAF tACS, which differed from sham for the first out of three minutes following tACS. At a high value of this EEG effect (moderation effect), we observed a leftward attention bias relative to sham. This effect was task-specific, i.e. it could be found in an endogenous attention but not in a detection task. Only in the IAF tACS condition, we also found a correlation between the magnitude of the alpha lateralization and the attentional bias effect. Our results support a functional role of alpha oscillations in visuospatial attention and the potential of tACS to modulate it. The frequency-specificity of the effects suggests that an individualization of the stimulation frequency is necessary in heterogeneous target groups with a large variation in IAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Kemmerer
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - A T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Brain + Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - T A de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - S Ten Oever
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - P De Weerd
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - T Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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17
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Knehans R, Schuhmann T, Roef D, Nelen H, à Campo J, Lobbestael J. Modulating Behavioural and Self-Reported Aggression with Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: A Literature Review. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020200. [PMID: 35203963 PMCID: PMC8870113 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020200] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behaviour is at the basis of many harms in society, such as violent crime. The efforts to explain, study, and possibly reduce aggression span various disciplines, including neuroscience. The specific brain networks which are involved in the modulation of aggressive behaviour include cortical asymmetry and brain areas such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). Recent non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) research suggests that both transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) can play a role in the modulation of aggressive behaviour by directly changing brain activity. In this review, we systematically explore and discuss 11 experimental studies that aimed to modulate aggressive behaviour or self-reported aggression using NIBS. Out of these 11 studies, nine significantly up- or downregulated aggression by using tDCS or cTBS targeting the DLPFC, VLPFC or VMPFC. The potential applications of these findings span both the clinical and the forensic psychological domains. However, the results are limited by the methodological heterogeneity in the aggression measures used across the studies, and by their generally small sample sizes. Future research should consider improving the localization and specificity of NIBS by employing neuro-navigational instruments and standardized scoring methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Knehans
- Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, 6211 LH Maastricht, The Netherlands; (D.R.); (H.N.); (J.à.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands;
| | - David Roef
- Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, 6211 LH Maastricht, The Netherlands; (D.R.); (H.N.); (J.à.C.)
| | - Hans Nelen
- Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, 6211 LH Maastricht, The Netherlands; (D.R.); (H.N.); (J.à.C.)
| | - Joost à Campo
- Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, 6211 LH Maastricht, The Netherlands; (D.R.); (H.N.); (J.à.C.)
| | - Jill Lobbestael
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands;
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Mikellides G, Michael P, Psalta L, Stefani A, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. Accelerated Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation in Smoking Cessation: Placebo Effects Equal to Active Stimulation When Using Advanced Placebo Coil Technology. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:892075. [PMID: 35686190 PMCID: PMC9170940 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.892075] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Smoking is currently one of the main public health problems. Smoking cessation is known to be difficult for most smokers because of nicotine dependence. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to be effective in the reduction of nicotine craving and cigarette consumption. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS; four sessions per day for 5 consecutive days) over the left DLPFC in smoking cessation, and we investigated whether the exposure to smoking-related cues compared to neutral cues during transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) impacts treatment outcome. A double-blind, randomized, controlled study was conducted in which 89 participants (60 males and 29 females; age 45.62 ± 13.42 years) were randomly divided into three groups: the first group received active aiTBS stimulation while watching neutral videos, the second group received active aiTBS stimulation while watching smoking-related videos and the last group received sham stimulation while watching smoking-related videos. Our results suggest that aiTBS is a tolerable treatment. All treatment groups equally reduced cigarette consumption, nicotine dependence, craving and perceived stress. The effect on nicotine dependence, general craving and perceived stress lasted for at least 1 week after the end of treatment. Active aiTBS over the left DLPFC, combined with smoking related cues, is as effective as active aiTBS combined with neutral cues as well as placebo aiTBS in smoking cessation. These findings extend the results of previous studies indicating that TMS therapy is associated with considerably large placebo effects and that these placebo effects may be further increased when using advanced placebo coil technology. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT05271175.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Mikellides
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Cyprus rTMS Centre, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | | | - Lilia Psalta
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.,School of Science, University of Central Lancashire, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | - Artemis Stefani
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands
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19
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Mikellides G, Michael P, Gregoriou A, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. Bilateral Orbitofrontal Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Frontal Lobe Epilepsy: A Case Report. Case Rep Neurol 2021; 13:729-737. [PMID: 34950012 PMCID: PMC8647097 DOI: 10.1159/000520257] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a common and severe neurological disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Nowadays, antiseizure medications (ASMs) are the main treatment for most epilepsy patients, although many of them do not respond to ASMs and suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Alternative and novel treatment methods have been offered nowadays, showing promising results for the treatment of DRE. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive method that has become increasingly popular in the last decades. This article reports a patient with frontal lobe epilepsy. We aimed to investigate whether bilateral orbitofrontal (OFC) low-frequency rTMS (LF-rTMS) is feasible and tolerable, safe, and potentially clinically effective in treating epileptic seizures. The patient's satisfaction with rTMS therapy was self-reported to be high, as rTMS helped in reducing the frequency of the focal attacks and completely abolished the preceding feeling of fear and panic. Therefore, bilateral OFC rTMS treatment can be well tolerated in patients with frontal epilepsy although the findings of the present case report with regard to clinical efficacy warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Mikellides
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Cyprus rTMS Centre, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | | | - Angelos Gregoriou
- Consultant Neurologist and Epileptologist, Aretaeio Private Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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20
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Rodríguez-Nieto G, Dewitte M, Sack AT, Schuhmann T. Individual Differences in Testosterone and Self-Control Predict Compulsive Sexual Behavior Proneness in Young Males. Front Psychol 2021; 12:723449. [PMID: 34925132 PMCID: PMC8677662 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.723449] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to control sexual urges and impulses is essential to achieve individual and social harmony. Failing to regulate sexual behavior can lead to the interference with daily life goals, sexual diseases transmission and moral violations, among others. The dual control model of sexual response proposes that an imbalance between sexual excitation and sexual inhibition mechanisms may lead to sexual dysregulation, thereby explaining problematic sexual behavior. Interindividual differences in self-control and testosterone levels are likely to modulate sexual regulation mechanisms, but these individual features have scarcely been studied in the context of compulsive sexual behavior. This study investigated the role of sexual excitation and inhibition, self-control and testosterone levels in predicting individuals' proneness to display compulsive sexual behavior. Seventy healthy young males provided a saliva sample for testosterone measurements and filled in questionnaires on self-control, sexual excitation, sexual inhibition, sexual compulsivity and sexual behavior. High testosterone levels and low self-control were associated with higher sexual compulsivity scores. Additionally, testosterone levels and sexual inhibition negatively predicted the frequency of sexual behavior with a partner. The results of our study highlight the joint role of psychological traits and testosterone levels in compulsive sexual behavior proneness, providing implications regarding the prevention and treatment of this condition in young males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Rodríguez-Nieto
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Marieke Dewitte
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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21
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Koutsomitros T, Evagorou O, Schuhmann T, Zamar A, Sack AT. Advances in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and its applications in resistant depression. Psychiatriki 2021; 32:90-98. [PMID: 34990384 DOI: 10.22365/jpsych.2021.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation that is receiving increasingly attentionTranscranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation that is receiving increasingly attentionfor new clinical applications. Through electromagnetic induction cortical activity can be modulated and therapeuticeffects can be achieved in a variety of psychiatric and neurological conditions. According to the World Health Organization(WHO) depression is the most disabling disease in the world and 350 million people suffer from depression globally. Majordepression is the most common disorder to be treated with TMS and the first mental disorder for which TMS received approvalfrom the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We here introduce the basic principles of TMS, discuss the latestdata on safety and side effects, and present various TMS treatment protocols as well as treatment response predictors inmajor depressive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Koutsomitros
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Greek rTMS clinic, Medical Psychotherapeutic Centre (ΙΨΚ), Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brainand Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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22
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Mikellides G, Michael P, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. TMS-Induced Seizure during FDA-Approved Bilateral DMPFC Protocol for Treating OCD: A Case Report. Case Rep Neurol 2021; 13:584-590. [PMID: 34703446 PMCID: PMC8460881 DOI: 10.1159/000518999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation therapy that has become a method of choice for the treatment of several neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and OCD. It is considered to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment, with only few side effects. The most serious adverse event during any rTMS treatment is the potential induction of a seizure. rTMS has shown very encouraging results for treatment-resistant OCD, although the optimal target area and the stimulation frequency are still matters of controversy. Here, we present a 19-year-old female patient with OCD who experienced seizure during the 7th session of her rTMS treatment using the FDA-approved 20-Hz protocol for OCD applied bilaterally over the left and right DMPFC using a double-cone coil. Nonetheless, it still unknown whether the seizure occurred as a consequence of rTMS, as the patient was also in a specific seizure risk group. Future reviews are needed to further clarify the mechanisms that may trigger seizures during rTMS treatments in order to reduce the likelihood of rTMS-induced seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Mikellides
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Cyprus rTMS Centre, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | | | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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23
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Schilberg L, Ten Oever S, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. Phase and power modulations on the amplitude of TMS-induced motor evoked potentials. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255815. [PMID: 34529682 PMCID: PMC8445484 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The evaluation of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) promises valuable information about fundamental brain related mechanisms and may serve as a diagnostic tool for clinical monitoring of therapeutic progress or surgery procedures. However, reports about spontaneous fluctuations of MEP amplitudes causing high intra-individual variability have led to increased concerns about the reliability of this measure. One possible cause for high variability of MEPs could be neuronal oscillatory activity, which reflects fluctuations of membrane potentials that systematically increase and decrease the excitability of neuronal networks. Here, we investigate the dependence of MEP amplitude on oscillation power and phase by combining the application of single pulse TMS over the primary motor cortex with concurrent recordings of electromyography and electroencephalography. Our results show that MEP amplitude is correlated to alpha phase, alpha power as well as beta phase. These findings may help explain corticospinal excitability fluctuations by highlighting the modulatory effect of alpha and beta phase on MEPs. In the future, controlling for such a causal relationship may allow for the development of new protocols, improve this method as a (diagnostic) tool and increase the specificity and efficacy of general TMS applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Schilberg
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Ten Oever
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Language and Computation in Neural Systems Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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24
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van der Werf OJ, Ten Oever S, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. No evidence of rhythmic visuospatial attention at cued locations in a spatial cuing paradigm, regardless of their behavioural relevance. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:3100-3116. [PMID: 34131983 PMCID: PMC9542203 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that visuospatial attentional performance is not stable over time but fluctuates in a rhythmic fashion. These attentional rhythms allow for sampling of different visuospatial locations in each cycle of this rhythm. However, it is still unclear in which paradigmatic circumstances rhythmic attention becomes evident. First, it is unclear at what spatial locations rhythmic attention occurs. Second, it is unclear how the behavioural relevance of each spatial location determines the rhythmic sampling patterns. Here, we aim to elucidate these two issues. Firstly, we aim to find evidence of rhythmic attention at the predicted (i.e. cued) location under moderately informative predictor value, replicating earlier studies. Secondly, we hypothesise that rhythmic attentional sampling behaviour will be affected by the behavioural relevance of the sampled location, ranging from non-informative to fully informative. To these aims, we used a modified Egly-Driver task with three conditions: a fully informative cue, a moderately informative cue (replication condition), and a non-informative cue. We did not find evidence of rhythmic sampling at cued locations, failing to replicate earlier studies. Nor did we find differences in rhythmic sampling under different predictive values of the cue. The current data does not allow for robust conclusions regarding the non-cued locations due to the absence of a priori hypotheses. Post-hoc explorative data analyses, however, clearly indicate that attention samples non-cued locations in a theta-rhythmic manner, specifically when the cued location bears higher behavioural relevance than the non-cued locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olof J van der Werf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Ten Oever
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Language and Computation in Neural Systems group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain and Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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25
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Thomson AC, Schuhmann T, de Graaf TA, Sack AT, Rutten BPF, Kenis G. The Effects of Serum Removal on Gene Expression and Morphological Plasticity Markers in Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 42:1829-1839. [PMID: 33656634 PMCID: PMC9239930 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-021-01062-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Despite the widespread use of the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line in modeling human neurons in vitro, protocols for growth, differentiation and experimentation differ considerably across the literature. Many studies fully differentiate SH-SY5Y cells before experimentation, to investigate plasticity measures in a mature, human neuronal-like cell model. Prior to experimentation, serum is often removed from cell culture media, to arrest the cell growth cycle and synchronize cells. However, the exact effect of this serum removal before experimentation on mature, differentiated SH-SY5Y cells has not yet been described. In studies using differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, any effect of serum removal on plasticity markers may influence results. The aim of the current study was to systematically characterize, in differentiated, neuronal-like SH-SY5Y cells, the potentially confounding effects of complete serum removal in terms of morphological and gene expression markers of plasticity. We measured changes in commonly used morphological markers and in genes related to neuroplasticity and synaptogenesis, particularly in the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway. We found that complete serum removal from already differentiated SH-SY5Y cells increases neurite length, neurite branching, and the proportion of cells with a primary neurite, as well as proportion of βIII-Tubulin and MAP2 expressing cells. Gene expression results also indicate increased expression of PSD95 and NTRK2 expression 24 h after serum removal. We conclude that serum deprivation in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells affects morphology and gene expression and can potentially confound plasticity-related outcome measures, having significant implications for experimental design in studies using differentiated SH-SY5Y cells as a model of human neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix C Thomson
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, Maastricht, The Netherlands. .,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands. .,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. .,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom A de Graaf
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Bart P F Rutten
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Gunter Kenis
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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26
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Dantas AM, Sack AT, Bruggen E, Jiao P, Schuhmann T. Reduced risk-taking behavior during frontal oscillatory theta band neurostimulation. Brain Res 2021; 1759:147365. [PMID: 33582119 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most of our decisions involve a certain degree of risk regarding the outcomes of our choices. People vary in the way they make decisions, resulting in different levels of risk-taking behavior. These differences have been linked to prefrontal theta band activity. However, a direct functional relationship between prefrontal theta band activity and risk-taking has not yet been demonstrated. OBJECTIVE We used noninvasive brain stimulation to test the functional relevance of prefrontal oscillatory theta activity for the regulatory control of risk-taking behavior. METHODS In a within-subject experiment, 31 healthy participants received theta (6.5 Hertz [Hz]), gamma (40 Hz), and sham transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) over the left prefrontal cortex (lPFC). During stimulation, participants completed a task assessing their risk-taking behavior as well as response times and sensitivity to value and outcome probabilities. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded before and immediately after stimulation to investigate possible long-lasting stimulation effects. RESULTS Theta band, but not gamma band or sham, tACS led to a significant reduction in risk-taking behavior, indicating a frequency-specific effect of prefrontal brain stimulation on the modulation of risk-taking behavior. Moreover, theta band stimulation led to increased response times and decreased sensitivity to reward values. EEG data analyses did not show an offline increase in power in the stimulated frequencies after the stimulation protocol. CONCLUSION These findings provide direct empirical evidence for the effects of prefrontal theta band stimulation on behavioral risk-taking regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline M Dantas
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain + Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Bruggen
- Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Peiran Jiao
- Department of Finance, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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27
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Mikellides G, Michael P, Psalta L, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. A Retrospective Naturalistic Study Comparing the Efficacy of Ketamine and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:784830. [PMID: 35095600 PMCID: PMC8792891 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.784830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common mental disorder that affects many people worldwide, while a significant proportion of patients remain non-responsive to antidepressant medications. Alternative treatment options such as ketamine therapy and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy are offered nowadays. This study aims to describe and compare the acute antidepressive efficacy of both, intramuscular ketamine and rTMS in depression patients seeking help in a naturalistic clinical mental health setting. The clinical records of 24 patients with treatment resistant depression were collected from the clinical base of a real life clinic. Twelve patients were treated with intramuscular ketamine, twice weekly for 8 sessions, and twelve patients were treated with 30 sessions of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex - intermittent theta-burst stimulation (DLPFC-iTBS). Using three clinical assessments (HDRS, HAM-A, BDI-II), our data reveal that both therapies led to significant improvement in symptoms from pre- to post- treatment, as well as that the two experimental groups did not differ significantly with respect to pre- to post- depressive and anxiety symptoms, indicating that the effect of both experimental groups in our sample was equally effective. Furthermore, our results showed high remission and response rates in both groups, with no statistical differences between the patients of ketamine group and rTMS group in remission and response rates. We show a significant pre- to post- treatment reduction in depressive and anxiety symptoms, with no significant differences between the two experimental groups, indicating that the effect of both therapies was equally effective in our limited sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Mikellides
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Cyprus rTMS Centre, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | | | - Lilia Psalta
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.,School of Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Cyprus
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Brain + Nerve Centre, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Rodríguez-Nieto G, Sack AT, Dewitte M, Emmerling F, Schuhmann T. The Modulatory Role of Cortisol in the Regulation of Sexual Behavior in Young Males. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:552567. [PMID: 33250723 PMCID: PMC7674834 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.552567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The proneness to be sexually aroused, to perform sexual acts, or to be sexually disinhibited during a particular mood varies across individuals. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying this specific and variable relationship between mood and sex-related processes are poorly understood. We propose that cortisol may act as an important moderator in this as it has shown to influence sexual arousal and to play a neuromodulatory role during emotion regulation. Here, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in a sample of young males to investigate whether cortisol modulates the neural response during the approach of sexual stimuli in an approach-avoidance task and whether this potential relationship explains the individual differences in sexual inhibition and in mood-related sexual interest and activity. We revealed that cortisol associates with the anteromedial prefrontal cortex activation during the approach towards sexual stimuli. Moreover, this anteromedial prefrontal cortex response was dependent on individual differences in sexual inhibition and the improvements of negative mood as a result of sexual activity. The anteromedial prefrontal cortex is already known to process bottom-up information, reward, and risk estimation. The neuromodulatory role of cortisol within this region during sexual approach may represent a previously unknown yet key element in the regulation of sexual behavior in young males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Rodríguez-Nieto
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Movement Sciences, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Marieke Dewitte
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Franziska Emmerling
- Chair of Research and Science Management, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Gemany
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Thomson AC, Kenis G, Tielens S, de Graaf TA, Schuhmann T, Rutten BP, Sack AT. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Induced Plasticity Mechanisms: TMS-Related Gene Expression and Morphology Changes in a Human Neuron-Like Cell Model. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:528396. [PMID: 33192288 PMCID: PMC7604533 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.528396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation, used to alter cortical excitability both in research and clinical applications. The intermittent and continuous Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS and cTBS) protocols have been shown to induce opposite after-effects on human cortex excitability. Animal studies have implicated synaptic plasticity mechanisms long-term potentiation (LTP, for iTBS) and depression (LTD, for cTBS). However, the neural basis of TMS effects has not yet been studied in human neuronal cells, in particular at the level of gene expression and synaptogenesis. To investigate responses to TBS in living human neurons, we differentiated human SH-SY5Y cells toward a mature neural phenotype, and stimulated them with iTBS, cTBS, or sham (placebo) TBS. Changes in (a) mRNA expression of a set of target genes (previously associated with synaptic plasticity), and (b) morphological parameters of neurite outgrowth following TBS were quantified. We found no general effects of stimulation condition or time on gene expression, though we did observe a significantly enhanced expression of plasticity genes NTRK2 and MAPK9 24 h after iTBS as compared to sham TBS. This specific effect provides unique support for the widely assumed plasticity mechanisms underlying iTBS effects on human cortex excitability. In addition to this protocol-specific increase in plasticity gene expression 24 h after iTBS stimulation, we establish the feasibility of stimulating living human neuron with TBS, and the importance of moving to more complex human in vitro models to understand the underlying plasticity mechanisms of TBS stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix C. Thomson
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Gunter Kenis
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Sylvia Tielens
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Tom A. de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Bart P.F. Rutten
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Lobbestael J, Emmerling F, Brugman S, Broers N, Sack AT, Schuhmann T, Bonnemayer C, Benning R, Arntz A. Toward a More Valid Assessment of Behavioral Aggression: An Open Source Platform and an Empirically Derived Scoring Method for Using the Competitive Reaction Time Task (CRTT). Assessment 2020; 28:1065-1079. [PMID: 32964741 DOI: 10.1177/1073191120959757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While the Competitive Reaction Time Task (CRTT) is the most used behavioral aggression paradigm, it is characterized by methodological heterogeneity and quantification strategies for its' outcome are unstandardized. Therefore, the standards of measuring aggression should be improved. This article contributes on such an improvement by providing: (a) a freely available CRTT online administration program, and (b) a factor-analytically derived scoring method. Based on a combined sample (n = 423), a two-factor model was fit to the 30-trial CRTT version. The first factor included all trial scores subsequent to the first time the participant received aversive feedback (i.e., provoked factor) and the second factor included all trial scores prior to this first aversive feedback (i.e., unprovoked factor). Construct validity was evidenced based on the factors` differential relationship with self-reported aggression and narcissism. Our factor analytic findings empirically support the superiority of one of the existing CRTT scoring methods, that is, separately averaging all preprovocation versus all postprovocation trials. We discuss practical recommendations for CRTT users and outline future empirical avenues. This article aims at stimulating joint efforts to move toward standardization of CRTT implementation and outcome measure analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nick Broers
- Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Arnoud Arntz
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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31
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Kaiser M, Schuhmann T, Werner S, Freund H. Multilevel reactor design for methanol synthesis. CHEM-ING-TECH 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/cite.202055215] [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] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Kaiser
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Chemische Reaktionstechnik / Katalytische Reaktoren und Prozesstechnik Cauerstr. 3 91058 Erlangen Deutschland
| | - T. Schuhmann
- Air Liquide Global E&C Solutions Germany GmbH Olof-Palme-Str. 35 60439 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - S. Werner
- Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH BU Catalysts Semmelweißstr. 1 82152 Planegg Germany
| | - H. Freund
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Chemische Reaktionstechnik / Katalytische Reaktoren und Prozesstechnik Cauerstr. 3 91058 Erlangen Deutschland
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Peters JC, Reithler J, Graaf TAD, Schuhmann T, Goebel R, Sack AT. Concurrent human TMS-EEG-fMRI enables monitoring of oscillatory brain state-dependent gating of cortico-subcortical network activity. Commun Biol 2020; 3:40. [PMID: 31969657 PMCID: PMC6976670 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0764-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [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: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite growing interest, the causal mechanisms underlying human neural network dynamics remain elusive. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) allows to noninvasively probe neural excitability, while concurrent fMRI can log the induced activity propagation through connected network nodes. However, this approach ignores ongoing oscillatory fluctuations which strongly affect network excitability and concomitant behavior. Here, we show that concurrent TMS-EEG-fMRI enables precise and direct monitoring of causal dependencies between oscillatory states and signal propagation throughout cortico-subcortical networks. To demonstrate the utility of this multimodal triad, we assessed how pre-TMS EEG power fluctuations influenced motor network activations induced by subthreshold TMS to right dorsal premotor cortex. In participants with adequate motor network reactivity, strong pre-TMS alpha power reduced TMS-evoked hemodynamic activations throughout the bilateral cortico-subcortical motor system (including striatum and thalamus), suggesting shunted network connectivity. Concurrent TMS-EEG-fMRI opens an exciting noninvasive avenue of subject-tailored network research into dynamic cognitive circuits and their dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith C Peters
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Department of Vision, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Joel Reithler
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Vision, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom A de Graaf
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Rainer Goebel
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Vision, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Schuhmann T, Kemmerer SK, Duecker F, de Graaf TA, ten Oever S, De Weerd P, Sack AT. Left parietal tACS at alpha frequency induces a shift of visuospatial attention. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217729. [PMID: 31774818 PMCID: PMC6881009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217729] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Voluntary shifts of visuospatial attention are associated with a lateralization of parieto-occipital alpha power (7-13Hz), i.e. higher power in the hemisphere ipsilateral and lower power contralateral to the locus of attention. Recent noninvasive neuromodulation studies demonstrated that alpha power can be experimentally increased using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS We hypothesized that tACS at alpha frequency over the left parietal cortex induces shifts of attention to the left hemifield. However, spatial attention shifts not only occur voluntarily (endogenous/ top-down), but also stimulus-driven (exogenous/ bottom-up). To study the task-specificity of the potential effects of tACS on attentional processes, we administered three conceptually different spatial attention tasks. METHODS 36 healthy volunteers were recruited from an academic environment. In two separate sessions, we applied either high-density tACS at 10Hz, or sham tACS, for 35-40 minutes to their left parietal cortex. We systematically compared performance on endogenous attention, exogenous attention, and stimulus detection tasks. RESULTS In the endogenous attention task, a greater leftward bias in reaction times was induced during left parietal 10Hz tACS as compared to sham. There were no stimulation effects in either the exogenous attention or the stimulus detection task. CONCLUSION The study demonstrates that high-density tACS at 10Hz can be used to modulate visuospatial attention performance. The tACS effect is task-specific, indicating that not all forms of attention are equally susceptible to the stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Selma K. Kemmerer
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Felix Duecker
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom A. de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne ten Oever
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter De Weerd
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain + Nerve Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Thomson AC, de Graaf TA, Kenis G, Rutten BP, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. No additive meta plasticity effects of accelerated iTBS with short inter-session intervals. Brain Stimul 2019; 12:1301-1303. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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35
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Thomson A, Tielens S, Schuhmann T, De Graaf T, Kenis G, Rutten B, Sack A. The effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on living human neurons. Brain Stimul 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2018.12.724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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36
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Rodriguez-Nieto G, Emmerling F, Dewitte M, Sack AT, Schuhmann T. The Role of Inhibitory Control Mechanisms in the Regulation of Sexual Behavior. Arch Sex Behav 2019; 48:481-494. [PMID: 30671876 PMCID: PMC6373525 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1283-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Sexual behavior is the open manifestation of a complex interplay between psychophysiological mechanisms that either facilitate or inhibit sexual thoughts, desires, and associated behaviors. Whereas sexual excitation has been widely studied, less is known about the impact of inhibitory control mechanisms that enable individuals to refrain from sexual cognition and behavior. The present study examined: (1) the relationship between general and sexual inhibitory mechanisms (as measured through self-reports and computer-based tasks), (2) the relation between sexual inhibitory processes at cognitive and motor-motivational levels and with sexual inhibition as an individual trait, and (3) the predictive value of these parameters on sexual thoughts (cognition) and behavior. We demonstrate that general inhibitory control (i.e., the ability to suppress any preponderant response) and the specific inhibition of sexual responses represent distinct processes that require at least partly different control mechanisms. Similarly, the ability to inhibit sexual visual input and the ability to suppress sexually driven responses seem to be two independent processes. The different inhibitory processes distinctively predicted the frequency of sexual thoughts and sexual behavior. We propose that these different inhibitory mechanisms are at play during different phases of sexual regulation (before and after the generation and unfolding of sexual arousal) and that a specific deficit in one of these processes may underlie the distinctive symptomatology and comorbidity of sexual disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Rodriguez-Nieto
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Franziska Emmerling
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marieke Dewitte
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Rodriguez-Nieto G, Sack AT, Dewitte M, Emmerling F, Schuhmann T. Putting out the blaze: The neural mechanisms underlying sexual inhibition. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0208809. [PMID: 30601828 PMCID: PMC6314635 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208809] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The successful inhibition of sexual thoughts, desires, and behaviors represents an essential ability for adequate functioning in our daily life. Evidence derived from lesion studies indicates a link between sexual inhibition and the general ability for behavioral and cognitive control. This is further supported by the high comorbidity of sexual compulsivity with other inhibition-related disorders. Here, we aimed at investigating whether sexual and general inhibition recruit overlapping or distinct neural correlates in the brain. Furthermore, we investigated the specificity of two different kinds of sexual inhibition: inhibition of sexually driven motor responses and inhibition of sexual incoming information. To this end, 22 healthy participants underwent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while performing a task requiring general response inhibition (Go/No-go), as well as cognitive and motivational sexual inhibition (Negative Affective Priming and Approach-Avoidance task). Our within-subject within-session design enabled the direct statistical comparison between general and sexual inhibitory mechanisms. The general inhibition task recruited mainly prefrontal and insular regions, replicating previous findings. In contrast, the two types of sexual inhibition activated both common and distinct neural networks. Whereas cognitive sexual inhibition engaged the inferior frontal gyrus, the orbitofrontal cortex and the fusiform gyrus, motivational sexual inhibition was characterized by a hypoactivation in the anterolateral prefrontal cortex. Both types of sexual inhibition recruited the inferior frontal gyrus and the inferotemporal cortex. However, the activity of the inferior frontal gyrus did not correlate with behavioral inhibitory scores. These results support the hypothesis of inhibitory processing being an emergent property of a functional network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Rodriguez-Nieto
- Brain Stimulation and Cognition Lab, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Brain Stimulation and Cognition Lab, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Marieke Dewitte
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | | | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Brain Stimulation and Cognition Lab, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Brugman S, Lobbestael J, Sack AT, Cima MJ, Schuhmann T, Emmerling F, Arntz A. Cognitive predictors of reactive and proactive aggression in a forensic sample: A comparison with a non-clinical sample. Psychiatry Res 2018; 269:610-620. [PMID: 30208350 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.08.095] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed at examining cognitive predictors of reactive and proactive aggression in a forensic-psychiatric (n = 80) and a non-clinical sample (n = 98; Brugman et al., 2015). Three different cognitive predictors were incorporated: (1) attentional bias towards aggressive stimuli (measured with Emotional Stroop task) and towards angry faces (measured with a visual search task); (2) interpretation biases (measured with Aggressive Interpretative Bias Task (AIBT) and a vignette task), and (3) implicit self-aggression association (measured with a Single-Target Implicit Association Task). To measure aggression, the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) and the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) were used. An automatic self-aggression association positively predicted proactive aggressive behavior on the TAP in both samples. Furthermore, this self-aggression association predicted, increased self-reported proactive aggression (RPQ) in the forensic sample only. Pain, injury, and danger interpretations reported on the vignettes, negatively predicted self-reported proactive aggression in both samples. A stronger aggressive interpretation bias on the AIBT predicted more reactive aggressive behavior (TAP) in the non-clinical sample only. Taken together, findings show both common and distinct mechanisms in reactively vs. proactively driven aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Brugman
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science (CPS), Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.; Forensic Psychiatric Centre Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jill Lobbestael
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science (CPS), Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike J Cima
- Department of Developmental Psychopathology, Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Stichting CONRISQ group, Zetten, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, The Netherlands
| | - Franziska Emmerling
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, The Netherlands; Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Arnoud Arntz
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science (CPS), Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.; Department of Clinical Psychology, Department of Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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39
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Rodriguez G, Sack AT, Dewitte M, Schuhmann T. Inhibit My Disinhibition: The Role of the Inferior Frontal Cortex in Sexual Inhibition and the Modulatory Influence of Sexual Excitation Proneness. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:300. [PMID: 30093856 PMCID: PMC6070629 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00300] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual behaviour is the result of an interplay between distinct neural inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms. Individual differences in sexual excitation and sexual inhibition are proposed to play an important role in the processes sustaining the regulation of sexual behaviour. While much research has focused on the neural correlates of response inhibition, highlighting a prominent role of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), very little is known regarding the neural mechanisms underlying different aspects of sexual inhibition. Here, we experimentally combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to: (i) test the functional role of IFG during motivational and cognitive sexual inhibition; and (ii) reveal whether this IFG involvement in sexual inhibitory processes depends on sexual excitation and sexual inhibition as traits. Twenty-two participants performed an Approach-Avoidance (AA) and a Negative Affective Priming (NAP) paradigm to assess motivational and cognitive sexual inhibition respectively. Our fMRI study showed IFG being selectively activated during cognitive but not motivational sexual inhibition. Importantly, the level of this neural activity was modulated by individual sexual excitation scores. Interestingly, a transient disruption of IFG activity using TMS led to an improvement in cognitive, not motivational, sexual inhibition, but only when accounting for individual sexual excitation scores. These findings clearly document that sexual excitation modulates IFG activity levels during cognitive sexual inhibition, and at the same time determines the effects of TMS on IFG by improving cognitive control exclusively for individuals with high sexual excitation scores. These findings provide new insights regarding the functional role of IFG, and underscore the relevance of individual psychological differences in understanding the brain mechanisms underlying socioaffective processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Rodriguez
- Brain Stimulation and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Brain Stimulation and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Marieke Dewitte
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Brain Stimulation and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Schilberg L, Engelen T, ten Oever S, Schuhmann T, de Gelder B, de Graaf TA, Sack AT. Phase of beta-frequency tACS over primary motor cortex modulates corticospinal excitability. Cortex 2018; 103:142-152. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Abstract
Conscious experiences are linked to activity in our brain: the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). Empirical research on these NCCs covers a wide range of brain activity signals, measures, and methodologies. In this paper, we focus on spontaneous brain oscillations; rhythmic fluctuations of neuronal (population) activity which can be characterized by a range of parameters, such as frequency, amplitude (power), and phase. We provide an overview of oscillatory measures that appear to correlate with conscious perception. We also discuss how increasingly sophisticated techniques allow us to study the causal role of oscillatory activity in conscious perception (i.e., ‘entrainment’). This review of oscillatory correlates of consciousness suggests that, for example, activity in the alpha-band (7–13 Hz) may index, or even causally support, conscious perception. But such results also showcase an increasingly acknowledged difficulty in NCC research; the challenge of separating neural activity necessary for conscious experience to arise (prerequisites) from neural activity underlying the conscious experience itself (substrates) or its results (consequences).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Gallotto
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht UniversityMaastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging CentreMaastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht UniversityMaastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging CentreMaastricht, Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht UniversityMaastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging CentreMaastricht, Netherlands
| | - Tom A de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht UniversityMaastricht, Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging CentreMaastricht, Netherlands
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Duecker F, Schuhmann T, Bien N, Jacobs C, Sack AT. Moving Beyond Attentional Biases: Shifting the Interhemispheric Balance between Left and Right Posterior Parietal Cortex Modulates Attentional Control Processes. J Cogn Neurosci 2017; 29:1267-1278. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01119] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The concept of interhemispheric competition has been very influential in attention research, and the occurrence of biased attention due to an imbalance in posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is well documented. In this context, the vast majority of studies have assessed attentional performance with tasks that did not include an explicit experimental manipulation of attention, and, as a consequence, it remains largely unknown how these findings relate to core attentional constructs such as endogenous and exogenous control and spatial orienting and reorienting. We here addressed this open question by creating an imbalance between left and right PPC with transcranial direct current stimulation, resulting in right-hemispheric dominance, and assessed performance on three experimental paradigms that isolate distinct attentional processes. The comparison between active and sham transcranial direct current stimulations revealed a highly informative pattern of results with differential effects across tasks. Our results demonstrate the functional necessity of PPC for endogenous and exogenous attentional control and, importantly, link the concept of interhemispheric competition to core attentional processes, thus moving beyond the notion of biased attention after noninvasive brain stimulation over PPC.
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Emmerling F, Duecker F, de Graaf TA, Schuhmann T, Adam JJ, Sack AT. Foresight beats hindsight: The neural correlates underlying motor preparation in the pro-/anti-cue paradigm. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00663. [PMID: 28523216 PMCID: PMC5434179 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.663] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human motor behaviors are characterized by both, reactive and proactive mechanisms. Yet, studies investigating the neural correlates of motor behavior almost exclusively focused on reactive motor processes. Here, we employed the pro-/anti-cue motor preparation paradigm to systematically study proactive motor control in an imaging environment. In this paradigm, either pro- or anti-cues are presented in a blocked design. Four fingers (two from each hand) are mapped onto four visual target locations. Visual targets require a speeded response by one corresponding finger, but, most importantly, they are preceded by visual cues that are congruent ("pro-cue"), incongruent ("anti-cue"), or neutral with respect to the responding hand. With short cue-target intervals, congruence effects are based on automatic motor priming of the correct hand (in case of pro-cues) or incorrect hand (in case of anti-cues), generating, respectively, reaction time benefits or reaction time costs relative to the neutral-cue. With longer cue-target intervals, slower top-down processes become effective, transforming early anti-cue interference into late anti-cue facilitation. METHODS We adapted this paradigm to be compatible with neuroimaging, tested and validated it behaviorally-both inside and outside the imaging environment-and implemented it in a whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging study. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Our imaging results indicate that pro-cues elicited much less neural activation than did anti-cues, the latter recruiting well-known cognitive top-down networks related to attention, response inhibition, and error monitoring/signaling, thereby revealing high-level influences on proactive motor processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Emmerling
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Center Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Felix Duecker
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Center Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Tom A de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Center Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Center Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Jos J Adam
- Department of Human Biology and Movement Sciences Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Center Maastricht The Netherlands
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Emmerling F, Martijn C, Alberts HJEM, Thomson AC, David B, Kessler D, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. The (non-)replicability of regulatory resource depletion: A field report employing non-invasive brain stimulation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174331. [PMID: 28362843 PMCID: PMC5376079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive effort and self-control are exhausting. Although evidence is ambiguous, behavioural studies have repeatedly suggested that control-demanding tasks seem to deplete a limited cache of self-regulatory resources leading to performance degradations and fatigue. While resource depletion has indirectly been associated with a decline in right prefrontal cortex capacity, its precise neural underpinnings have not yet been revealed. This study consisted of two independent experiments, which set out to investigate the causal role of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in a classic dual phase depletion paradigm employing non-invasive brain stimulation. In Experiment 1 we demonstrated a general depletion effect, which was significantly eliminated by anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to the right DLPFC. In Experiment 2, however, we failed to replicate the basic psychological depletion effect within a second independent sample. The dissimilar results are discussed in the context of the current 'replication crisis' and suggestions for future studies are offered. While our current results do not allow us to firmly argue for or against the existence of resource depletion, we outline why it is crucial to further clarify which specific external and internal circumstances lead to limited replicability of the described effect. We showcase and discuss the current inter-lab replication problem based on two independent samples tested within one research group (intra-lab).
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Emmerling
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carolien Martijn
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo J. E. M. Alberts
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alix C. Thomson
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Bastian David
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniel Kessler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Schilberg L, Schuhmann T, Sack A. P299 Inter-individual variability and intra-individual reliability of iTBS-induced neuroplasticity mechanisms in the healthy brain. Clin Neurophysiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2016.10.407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Schilberg L, Schuhmann T, Sack AT. Interindividual Variability and Intraindividual Reliability of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation-induced Neuroplasticity Mechanisms in the Healthy Brain. J Cogn Neurosci 2017; 29:1022-1032. [PMID: 28129054 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
We combined patterned TMS with EMG in several sessions of a within-subject design to assess and characterize intraindividual reliability and interindividual variability of TMS-induced neuroplasticity mechanisms in the healthy brain. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) was applied over M1 to induce long-term potentiation-like mechanisms as assessed by changes in corticospinal excitability. Furthermore, we investigated the association between the observed iTBS effects and individual differences in prolonged measures of corticospinal excitability. Our results show that iTBS-induced measures of neuroplasticity suffer from high variability between individuals within a single assessment visit and from low reliability within individuals across two assessment visits. This indicates that both group and individual effects of iTBS on corticospinal excitability cannot be assumed to be reliable and therefore need to be interpreted with caution, at least when measured by changes in the amplitudes of motor-evoked potentials.
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Abstract
The insular cortex has consistently been associated with various aspects of emotion regulation and social interaction, including anger processing and overt aggression. Aggression research distinguishes proactive or instrumental aggression from retaliation, i.e. aggression in response to provocation. Here, we investigated the specific role of the insular cortex during retaliation, employing a controlled behavioral aggression paradigm implementing different levels of provocation. Fifteen healthy male volunteers underwent whole brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify brain regions involved in interaction with either a provoking or a non-provoking opponent. FMRI group analyses were complemented by examining the parametric modulations of brain activity related to the individual level of displayed aggression. These analyses identified a hemispheric lateralization as well as an anatomical segregation of insular cortex with specifically the left posterior part being involved in retaliation. The left-lateralization of insular activity during retaliation is in accordance with evidence from electro-physiological studies, suggesting left-lateralized fronto-cortical dominance during anger processing and aggressive acts. The posterior localization of insular activity, on the other hand, suggests a spatial segregation within insular cortex with particularly the posterior part being involved in the processing of emotions that trigger intense bodily sensations and immediate action tendencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Emmerling
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jill Lobbestael
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Arnoud Arntz
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Brugman
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Thomas Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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48
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Brugman S, Lobbestael J, von Borries AKL, Bulten BEH, Cima M, Schuhmann T, Dambacher F, Sack AT, Arntz A. Cognitive predictors of violent incidents in forensic psychiatric inpatients. Psychiatry Res 2016; 237:229-37. [PMID: 26850647 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study tested the predictive value of attentional bias, emotion recognition, automatic associations, and response inhibition, in the assessment of in-clinic violent incidents. Sixty-nine male forensic patients participated and completed an Emotional Stroop to measure attentional bias for threat and aggression, a Single Target - Implicit Association Task to assess automatic associations, a Graded Emotional Recognition Task to measure emotion recognition, and an Affective Go/NoGo to measure response inhibition. Violent incidents were derived from patient files and scored on severity level. The predictive value of level of psychopathy was tested with the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R). Generalized linear mixed model analyses showed that increased attention towards threat and aggression, difficulty recognizing sad faces and factor 2 of the PCL-R predicted the sum of violent incidents. Specifically, verbal aggression was predicted by increased attention towards threat and aggression, difficulty to recognize sad and happy faces, and PCL-R factor 2; physical aggression by decreased response inhibition, higher PCL-R factor 2 and lower PCL-R factor 1 scores; and aggression against property by difficulty recognizing angry faces. Findings indicate that cognitive tasks could be valuable in predicting aggression, thereby extending current knowledge on dynamic factors predicting aggressive behavior in forensic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Brugman
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
| | - Jill Lobbestael
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Maaike Cima
- Department of Research, Forensic Psychiatric Centre de Rooyse Wissel, The Netherlands; Department of Developmental Psychology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, The Netherlands
| | - Franziska Dambacher
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, The Netherlands
| | - Arnoud Arntz
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Dambacher F, Schuhmann T, Lobbestael J, Arntz A, Brugman S, Sack AT. No Effects of Bilateral tDCS over Inferior Frontal Gyrus on Response Inhibition and Aggression. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132170. [PMID: 26161664 PMCID: PMC4498781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [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: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Response inhibition is defined as the capacity to adequately withdraw pre-planned responses. It has been shown that individuals with deficits in inhibiting pre-planned responses tend to display more aggressive behaviour. The prefrontal cortex is involved in both, response inhibition and aggression. While response inhibition is mostly associated with predominantly right prefrontal activity, the neural components underlying aggression seem to be left-lateralized. These differences in hemispheric dominance are conceptualized in cortical asymmetry theories on motivational direction, which assign avoidance motivation (relevant to inhibit responses) to the right and approach motivation (relevant for aggressive actions) to the left prefrontal cortex. The current study aimed to directly address the inverse relationship between response inhibition and aggression by assessing them within one experiment. Sixty-nine healthy participants underwent bilateral transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to the inferior frontal cortex. In one group we induced right-hemispheric fronto-cortical dominance by means of a combined right prefrontal anodal and left prefrontal cathodal tDCS montage. In a second group we induced left-hemispheric fronto-cortical dominance by means of a combined left prefrontal anodal and right prefrontal cathodal tDCS montage. A control group received sham stimulation. Response inhibition was assessed with a go/no-go task (GNGT) and aggression with the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP). We revealed that participants with poorer performance in the GNGT displayed more aggression during the TAP. No effects of bilateral prefrontal tDCS on either response inhibition or aggression were observed. This is at odds with previous brain stimulation studies applying unilateral protocols. Our results failed to provide evidence in support of the prefrontal cortical asymmetry model in the domain of response inhibition and aggression. The absence of tDCS effects might also indicate that the methodological approach of shifting cortical asymmetry by means of bilateral tDCS protocols has failed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Dambacher
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jill Lobbestael
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Arnoud Arntz
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Brugman
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Dambacher F, Schuhmann T, Lobbestael J, Arntz A, Brugman S, Sack AT. Reducing proactive aggression through non-invasive brain stimulation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 10:1303-9. [PMID: 25680991 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [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: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior poses a threat to human collaboration and social safety. It is of utmost importance to identify the functional mechanisms underlying aggression and to develop potential interventions capable of reducing dysfunctional aggressive behavior already at a brain level. We here experimentally shifted fronto-cortical asymmetry to manipulate the underlying motivational emotional states in both male and female participants while assessing the behavioral effects on proactive and reactive aggression. Thirty-two healthy volunteers received either anodal transcranial direct current stimulation to increase neural activity within right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, or sham stimulation. Aggressive behavior was measured with the Taylor Aggression Paradigm. We revealed a general gender effect, showing that men displayed more behavioral aggression than women. After the induction of right fronto-hemispheric dominance, proactive aggression was reduced in men. This study demonstrates that non-invasive brain stimulation can reduce aggression in men. This is a relevant and promising step to better understand how cortical brain states connect to impulsive actions and to examine the causal role of the prefrontal cortex in aggression. Ultimately, such findings could help to examine whether the brain can be a direct target for potential supportive interventions in clinical settings dealing with overly aggressive patients and/or violent offenders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Dambacher
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands,
| | - Teresa Schuhmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jill Lobbestael
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, and
| | - Arnoud Arntz
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, and Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Brugman
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, and
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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