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Martin EM, Rupprecht S, Schrenk S, Kattlun F, Utech I, Radscheidt M, Brodoehl S, Schwab M, Reuken PA, Stallmach A, Habekost T, Finke K. A hypoarousal model of neurological post-COVID syndrome: the relation between mental fatigue, the level of central nervous activation and cognitive processing speed. J Neurol 2023; 270:4647-4660. [PMID: 37356025 PMCID: PMC10511382 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11819-7] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge on the nature of post-COVID neurological sequelae often manifesting as cognitive dysfunction and fatigue is still unsatisfactory. OBJECTIVES We assumed that cognitive dysfunction and fatigue in post-COVID syndrome are critically linked via hypoarousal of the brain. Thus, we assessed whether tonic alertness as a neurocognitive index of arousal is reduced in these patients and how this relates to the level of central nervous activation and subjective mental fatigue as further indices of arousal. METHODS 40 post-COVID patients with subjective cognitive dysfunction and 40 matched healthy controls underwent a whole-report paradigm of briefly presented letter arrays. Based on report performance and computational modelling according to the theory of visual attention, the parameter visual processing speed (VPS) was quantified as a proxy of tonic alertness. Pupillary unrest was assessed as a measure of central nervous activation. The Fatigue Assessment Scale was applied to assess subjective mental fatigue using the corresponding subscale. RESULTS VPS was reduced in post-COVID patients compared to controls (p = 0.005). In these patients, pupillary unrest (p = 0.029) and mental fatigue (p = 0.001) predicted VPS, explaining 34% of the variance and yielding a large effect with f2 = 0.51. CONCLUSION In post-COVID patients with subjective cognitive dysfunction, hypoarousal of the brain is reflected in decreased processing speed which is explained by a reduced level of central nervous activation and a higher level of mental fatigue. In turn, reduced processing speed objectifies mental fatigue as a core subjective clinical complaint in post-COVID patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Maria Martin
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
| | - Sven Rupprecht
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Sleep and Ventilatory Medicine, Jena University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Simon Schrenk
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Fabian Kattlun
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Isabelle Utech
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Monique Radscheidt
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Sleep and Ventilatory Medicine, Jena University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Brodoehl
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Philipp A Reuken
- Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Andreas Stallmach
- Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center of Visual Cognition, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kathrin Finke
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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le Sommer J, Low AM, Møllegaard Jepsen JR, Fagerlund B, Vangkilde S, Habekost T, Glenthøj B, Oranje B. Effects of methylphenidate on mismatch negativity and P3a amplitude of initially psychostimulant-naïve, adult ADHD patients. Psychol Med 2023; 53:957-965. [PMID: 34218835 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721002373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficient information processing in ADHD theoretically results in sensory overload and may underlie the symptoms of the disorder. Mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a amplitude reflect an individual's detection and subsequent change in attention to stimulus change in their environment. Our primary aim was to explore MMN and P3a amplitude in adult ADHD patients and to examine the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on these measures. METHODS Forty initially psychostimulant-naïve, adult ADHD patients without comorbid ASD and 42 matched healthy controls (HC) were assessed with an MMN paradigm at baseline. Both groups were retested after 6 weeks, in which patients were treated with MPH. RESULTS Neither significant group differences in MMN nor P3a amplitude were found at baseline. Although 6-week MPH treatment significantly reduced symptomatology and improved daily functioning of the patients, it did not significantly affect MMN amplitude; however, it did significantly reduce P3a amplitude compared to the HC. Furthermore, more severe ADHD symptoms were significantly associated with larger MMN amplitudes in the patients, both at baseline and follow-up. CONCLUSION We found no evidence for early information processing deficits in patients with ADHD, as measured with MMN and P3a amplitude. Six-week treatment with MPH decreased P3a but not MMN amplitude, although more severe ADHD-symptoms were associated with larger MMN amplitudes in the patients. Given that P3a amplitude represents an important attentional process and that glutamate has been linked to both ADHD and MMN amplitude, future research should investigate augmenting MPH treatment of less responsive adults with ADHD with glutamatergic antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julijana le Sommer
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ann-Marie Low
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Fagerlund
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birte Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bob Oranje
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Low AM, Vangkilde S, le Sommer J, Fagerlund B, Glenthøj B, Jepsen JRM, Habekost T. Effects of methylphenidate on subjective sleep parameters in adults with ADHD: a prospective, non-randomized, non-blinded 6-week trial. Nord J Psychiatry 2023; 77:102-107. [PMID: 35635014 DOI: 10.1080/08039488.2022.2080253] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Methylphenidate is a first-line treatment for ADHD; its contribution to sleep problems in adult ADHD is currently unclear. This study investigates (a) subjective sleep disturbances in a group of initially stimulant medication-naïve adults with ADHD and (b) reported changes in sleep problems after 6 weeks of methylphenidate treatment. METHOD A prospective, non-randomized, non-blinded, 6-week follow-up study utilising a self-report measure. RESULTS We found (1) a large difference in reported sleep quality between methylphenidate medication-naïve patients and controls at baseline, (2) a marked improvement in patients after methylphenidate medication, and (3) largest improvement for patients with the poorest reported sleep at baseline. CONCLUSION The study indicates that treatment with methylphenidate increases subjective sleep quality for at least some adults with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Marie Low
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julijana le Sommer
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Fagerlund
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birte Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Sommer JL, Low AM, Jepsen JRM, Fagerlund B, Vangkilde S, Habekost T, Glenthøj B, Oranje B. Effects of methylphenidate on sensory and sensorimotor gating of initially psychostimulant-naïve adult ADHD patients. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 46:83-92. [PMID: 33663902 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.004] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Deficient information processing in ADHD theoretically results in sensory overload, which in turn may underlie its symptoms. If this sensory overload is caused by deficient filtering of environmental stimuli, then one would expect finding deficits in P50 gating and prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI). Previous reports on these measures in ADHD have shown inconsistent findings, which may have been caused by either medication use or comorbidity (e.g. ASD). The primary aim of this study was therefore to explore P50 suppression and PPI in adult, psychostimulant-naïve patients with ADHD without major comorbidity, and to examine the effects of 6 weeks treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) on these measures. A total of 42 initially psychostimulant-naive, adult ADHD patients without major comorbidity and 42 matched healthy controls, were assessed for their P50 gating, PPI, and habituation/sensitization abilities at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with methylphenidate. Although six weeks of treatment with MPH significantly reduced symptomatology as well as improved daily life functioning in our patients, it neither significantly affected PPI, P50 suppression nor sensitization, but habituation unexpectedly decreased. The absence of PPI and P50 suppression deficits in our patients in the psychostimulant-naïve state indicates no gating deficits. In turn, this suggests that the difficulties to inhibit distraction of attention by irrelevant stimuli that many patients with (adult) ADHD report, have a different origin than the theoretical causes of sensory overload frequently reported in studies on patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julijana le Sommer
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Denmark
| | - Ann-Marie Low
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Fagerlund
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark
| | | | | | - Birte Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Denmark
| | - Bob Oranje
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, UMC-Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Low AM, Vangkilde S, le Sommer J, Fagerlund B, Glenthøj B, Jepsen JRM, Bundesen C, Petersen A, Habekost T. Visual attention in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder before and after stimulant treatment. Psychol Med 2019; 49:2617-2625. [PMID: 30560740 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718003628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which frequently persists into adulthood. The primary goal of the current study was to (a) investigate attentional functions of stimulant medication-naïve adults with ADHD, and (b) investigate the effects of 6 weeks of methylphenidate treatment on these functions. METHODS The study was a prospective, non-randomized, non-blinded, 6-week follow-up design with 42 stimulant medication-naïve adult patients with ADHD, and 42 age and parental education-matched healthy controls. Assessments included measures of visual attention, based on Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA), which yields five precise measures of aspects of visual attention; general psychopathology; ADHD symptoms; dyslexia screening; and estimates of IQ. RESULTS At baseline, significant differences were found between patients and controls on three attentional parameters: visual short-term memory capacity, threshold of conscious perception, and to a lesser extent visual processing speed. Secondary analyses revealed no significant correlations between TVA parameter estimates and severity of ADHD symptomatology. At follow-up, significant improvements were found specifically for visual processing speed; this improvement had a large effect size, and remained when controlling for re-test effects, IQ, and dyslexia screen performance. There were no significant correlations between changes in visual processing speed and changes in ADHD symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS ADHD in adults may be associated with deficits in three distinct aspects of visual attention. Improvements after 6 weeks of medication are seen specifically in visual processing speed, which could represent an improvement in alertness. Clinical symptoms and visual attentional deficits may represent separate aspects of ADHD in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Marie Low
- Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julijana le Sommer
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Fagerlund
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birte Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Bundesen
- Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Petersen
- Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Low AM, le Sommer J, Vangkilde S, Fagerlund B, Glenthøj B, Sonuga-Barke E, Habekost T, Jepsen JRM. Delay Aversion and Executive Functioning in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Before and After Stimulant Treatment. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 21:997-1006. [PMID: 30124878 PMCID: PMC6209856 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy070] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a heterogeneous disorder, associated with deficits in motivation (e.g., delay aversion) and cognition. Methylphenidate is recommended as a first line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms, but little is known about its nonacute effects on motivational and cognitive deficits, particularly in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. METHODS We utilized a prospective, non-randomized, non-blinded, 6-week follow-up design with 42 initially stimulant medication-naïve adult patients with moderate to severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 42 age- and parental education-matched healthy controls. Delay aversion and executive functioning were assessed with 2 questionnaires and 5 performance-based tests. RESULTS At baseline, patients and controls differed significantly on performance-based measures (moderate to large effect sizes), and self-report of delay aversion and executive functioning (very large effect sizes). Treatment with methylphenidate medication (mean dose 65.54 mg/d, SD=10.39) was not associated with improvements in performance-based measures of delay aversion and executive functioning compared to controls, although improvements in self-report executive functioning and delay aversion were found. Self-reported delay aversion was most consistently associated with ADHD symptomatology at baseline and after medication. CONCLUSION Methylphenidate treatment does not have an effect on performance-based measures of delay aversion and executive functioning, but may have significant effects on self-reported delay aversion and executive functioning. The latter finding should be interpreted cautiously, given the subjective nature of these measures and design limitations. Self-reported delay aversion is most consistently associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Marie Low
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Correspondence: Ann-Marie Low, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Østre Farimagsgade 2A, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark ()
| | - Julijana le Sommer
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Fagerlund
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birte Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Edmund Sonuga-Barke
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Wiegand I, Napiórkowski N, Töllner T, Petersen A, Habekost T, Müller HJ, Finke K. Event-related Electroencephalographic Lateralizations Mark Individual Differences in Spatial and Nonspatial Visual Selection. J Cogn Neurosci 2017; 30:482-497. [PMID: 29244636 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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
Selective attention controls the distribution of our visual system's limited processing resources to stimuli in the visual field. Two independent parameters of visual selection can be quantified by modeling an individual's performance in a partial-report task based on the computational theory of visual attention (TVA): (i) top-down control α, the relative attentional weighting of relevant over irrelevant stimuli, and (ii) spatial bias wλ, the relative attentional weighting of stimuli in the left versus right hemifield. In this study, we found that visual event-related electroencephalographic lateralizations marked interindividual differences in these two functions. First, individuals with better top-down control showed higher amplitudes of the posterior contralateral negativity than individuals with poorer top-down control. Second, differences in spatial bias were reflected in asymmetries in earlier visual event-related lateralizations depending on the hemifield position of targets; specifically, individuals showed a positivity contralateral to targets presented in their prioritized hemifield and a negativity contralateral to targets presented in their nonprioritized hemifield. Thus, our findings demonstrate that two functionally different aspects of attentional weighting quantified in the respective TVA parameters are reflected in two different neurophysiological measures: The observer-dependent spatial bias influences selection by a bottom-up processing advantage of stimuli appearing in the prioritized hemifield. By contrast, task-related target selection governed by top-down control involves active enhancement of target, and/or suppression of distractor, processing. These results confirm basic assumptions of the TVA framework, complement the functional interpretation of event-related lateralization components in selective attention studies, and are of relevance for the development of neurocognitive attentional assessment procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research.,Max Planck Institute for Human Development.,Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
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Sand K, Habekost T, Petersen A, Starrfelt R. Is word recognition crowded in pure alexia? J Vis 2017. [DOI: 10.1167/17.10.1037] [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: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katrine Sand
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
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Wiegand I, Petersen A, Bundesen C, Habekost T. Adult age differences in phasic alerting effects on components of visual attention. J Vis 2017. [DOI: 10.1167/17.10.697] [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: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenMax-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research
| | - Anders Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Claus Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
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Petersen A, Petersen AH, Bundesen C, Vangkilde S, Habekost T. The effect of phasic auditory alerting on visual perception. Cognition 2017; 165:73-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Development, Max-Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anders Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Wiegand I, Petersen A, Finke K, Bundesen C, Lansner J, Habekost T. Behavioral and Brain Measures of Phasic Alerting Effects on Visual Attention. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:176. [PMID: 28443009 PMCID: PMC5385325 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated effects of phasic alerting on visual attention in a partial report task, in which half of the displays were preceded by an auditory warning cue. Based on the computational Theory of Visual Attention (TVA), we estimated parameters of spatial and non-spatial aspects of visual attention and measured event-related lateralizations (ERLs) over visual processing areas. We found that the TVA parameter sensory effectiveness a, which is thought to reflect visual processing capacity, significantly increased with phasic alerting. By contrast, the distribution of visual processing resources according to task relevance and spatial position, as quantified in parameters top-down control α and spatial bias windex, was not modulated by phasic alerting. On the electrophysiological level, the latencies of ERLs in response to the task displays were reduced following the warning cue. These results suggest that phasic alerting facilitates visual processing in a general, unselective manner and that this effect originates in early stages of visual information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Lifespan Development, Max-Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlin, Germany.,Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchBerlin, Germany
| | - Anders Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kathrin Finke
- General and Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) MunichMunich, Germany.,Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University HospitalJena, Germany
| | - Claus Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jon Lansner
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
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Caspersen ID, Petersen A, Vangkilde S, Plessen KJ, Habekost T. Perceptual and response-dependent profiles of attention in children with ADHD. Neuropsychology 2017; 31:349-360. [PMID: 28368141 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex developmental neuropsychiatric disorder, characterized by inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Recent literature suggests a potential core deficit underlying these behaviors may involve inefficient processing when contextual stimulation is low. In order to specify this inefficiency, the aim of the present study was to disentangle perceptual and response-based deficits of attention by supplementing classic reaction time (RT) measures with an accuracy-only test. Moreover, it was explored whether ADHD symptom severity was systematically related to perceptual and response-based processes. METHOD We applied an RT-independent paradigm (Bundesen, 1990) and a sustained attention task (Dockree et al., 2006) to test visual attention in 24 recently diagnosed, medication-naïve children with ADHD, 14 clinical controls with pervasive developmental disorder, and 57 healthy controls. Outcome measures included perceptual processing speed, capacity of visual short-term memory, and errors of commission and omission. RESULTS Children with ADHD processed information abnormally slow (d = 0.92), and performed poorly on RT variability and response stability (d's ranging from 0.60 to 1.08). In the ADHD group only, slowed visual processing speed was significantly related to response lapses (omission errors). This correlation was not explained by behavioral ratings of ADHD severity. CONCLUSIONS Based on combined assessment of perceptual and response-dependent variables of attention, the present study demonstrates a specific cognitive profile in children with ADHD. This profile distinguishes the disorder at a basic level of attentional functioning, and may define subgroups of children with ADHD in a way that is more sensitive than clinical rating scales. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Dyhr Caspersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Anders Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
| | | | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen
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Fitzpatrick CM, Caballero-Puntiverio M, Gether U, Habekost T, Bundesen C, Vangkilde S, Woldbye DPD, Andreasen JT, Petersen A. Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) applied to mice in the 5-choice serial reaction time task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:845-855. [PMID: 28070619 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4520-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) is widely used to measure rodent attentional functions. In humans, many attention studies in healthy and clinical populations have used testing based on Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) to estimate visual processing speeds and other parameters of attentional capacity. OBJECTIVES We aimed to bridge these research fields by modifying the 5-CSRTT's design and by mathematically modelling data to derive attentional parameters analogous to human TVA-based measures. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were tested in two 1-h sessions on consecutive days with a version of the 5-CSRTT where stimulus duration (SD) probe length was varied based on information from previous TVA studies. Thereafter, a scopolamine hydrobromide (HBr; 0.125 or 0.25 mg/kg) pharmacological challenge was undertaken, using a Latin square design. Mean score values were modelled using a new three-parameter version of TVA to obtain estimates of visual processing speeds, visual thresholds and motor response baselines in each mouse. RESULTS The parameter estimates for each animal were reliable across sessions, showing that the data were stable enough to support analysis on an individual level. Scopolamine HBr dose-dependently reduced 5-CSRTT attentional performance while also increasing reward collection latency at the highest dose. Upon TVA modelling, scopolamine HBr significantly reduced visual processing speed at both doses, while having less pronounced effects on visual thresholds and motor response baselines. CONCLUSIONS This study shows for the first time how 5-CSRTT performance in mice can be mathematically modelled to yield estimates of attentional capacity that are directly comparable to estimates from human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Fitzpatrick
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - M Caballero-Puntiverio
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - U Gether
- Molecular Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - C Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - S Vangkilde
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - D P D Woldbye
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 3 Blegdamsvej, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J T Andreasen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Wiegand I, Petersen A, Lansner J, Finke K, Habekost T. Auditory alerting enhances visual attentional processing: Evidence from computational modeling and event-related lateralizations. J Vis 2016. [DOI: 10.1167/16.12.615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Inattentive behaviour is a defining characteristic of ADHD. Researchers have wondered about the nature of the attentional deficit underlying these symptoms. The primary purpose of the current study was to examine this attentional deficit using a novel paradigm based upon the Theory of Visual Attention (TVA). METHOD The TVA paradigm enabled a componential analysis of visual attention through the use of a mathematical model to estimate parameters relating to attentional selectivity and capacity. Children's ability to sustain attention was also assessed using the Sustained Attention to Response Task. The sample included a comparison between 25 children with ADHD and 25 control children aged 9-13. RESULTS Children with ADHD had significantly impaired sustained attention and visual processing speed but intact attentional selectivity, perceptual threshold and visual short-term memory capacity. CONCLUSION The results of this study lend support to the notion of differential impairment of attentional functions in children with ADHD.
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Abstract
In combination with whole report and partial report tasks, the theory of visual attention (TVA) can be used to estimate individual differences in five basic attentional parameters: the visual processing speed, the storage capacity of visual short-term memory, the perceptual threshold, the efficiency of top-down selectivity, and the spatial bias of attentional weighting. TVA-based assessment has been used in about 30 studies to investigate attentional deficits in a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions: (a) neglect and simultanagnosia, (b) reading disturbances, (c) aging and neurodegenerative diseases, and most recently (d) neurodevelopmental disorders. The article introduces TVA based assessment, discusses its methodology and psychometric properties, and reviews the progress made in each of the four research fields. The empirical results demonstrate the general usefulness of TVA-based assessment for many types of clinical neuropsychological research. The method's most important qualities are cognitive specificity and theoretical grounding, but it is also characterized by good reliability and sensitivity to minor deficits. The review concludes by pointing to promising new areas for clinical TVA-based research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Denmark
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition and Department of Psychology; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Center for Visual Cognition and Department of Psychology; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition and Department of Psychology; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
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Dyhr Caspersen I, Vangkilde S, Kelkjaer L, von Plessen K, Habekost T. Perceptual and response related visual attention in children with ADHD. J Vis 2014. [DOI: 10.1167/14.10.527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Habekost T, Petersen A, Behrmann M, Starrfelt R. From word superiority to word inferiority: visual processing of letters and words in pure alexia. Cogn Neuropsychol 2014; 31:413-36. [PMID: 24801564 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2014.906398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Visual processing and naming of individual letters and short words were investigated in four patients with pure alexia. To test processing at different levels, the same stimuli were studied across a naming task and a visual perception task. The normal word superiority effect was eliminated in both tasks for all patients, and this pattern was more pronounced in the more severely affected patients. The relationship between performance with single letters and words was, however, not straightforward: One patient performed within the normal range on the letter perception task, while being severely impaired in letter naming and word processing, and performance with letters and words was dissociated in all four patients, with word reading being more severely impaired than letter recognition. This suggests that the word reading deficit in pure alexia may not be reduced to an impairment in single letter perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- a Department of Psychology , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark
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Starrfelt R, Nielsen S, Habekost T, Andersen TS. How low can you go: spatial frequency sensitivity in a patient with pure alexia. Brain Lang 2013; 126:188-192. [PMID: 23774289 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Pure alexia is a selective deficit in reading, following lesions to the posterior left hemisphere. Writing and other language functions remain intact in these patients. Whether pure alexia is caused by a primary problem in visual perception is highly debated. A recent hypothesis suggests that a low level deficit - reduced sensitivity to particular spatial frequencies - is the underlying cause. We tested this hypothesis in a pure alexic patient (LK), using a sensitive psychophysical paradigm to examine her performance with simple patterns of different spatial frequency. We find that both in a detection and a classification task, LK's contrast sensitivity is comparable to normal controls for all spatial frequencies. Thus, reduced spatial frequency sensitivity does not constitute a general explanation for pure alexia, suggesting that the core deficit in this disorder is at a higher level in the visual processing stream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi Starrfelt
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Starrfelt
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Mellentin AI, Skøt L, Teasdale TW, Habekost T. Conscious knowledge influences decision-making differently in substance abusers with and without co-morbid antisocial personality disorder. Scand J Psychol 2013; 54:292-9. [PMID: 23682583 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Decision-making impairment, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), is a consistent finding among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). We studied how this impairment is influenced by co-morbid antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and conscious knowledge of the task. Three groups were investigated: SUD individuals without co-morbid ASPD (n = 30), SUD individuals with co-morbid ASPD (n = 16), and healthy controls (n = 17). Both SUD and SUD+ASPD participants had poor overall IGT performance. A block-by-block analysis revealed that SUD participants exhibited slow but steady improvement across the IGT, whereas SUD+ASPD participants exhibited initial normal improvement, but dropped off during the last 40 trials. Conscious knowledge of the task was significantly correlated to performance for controls and SUD participants, but not for SUD+ASPD participants. Our findings suggest that decision-making proceeds differently in SUD and SUD+ASPD individuals due to differences in acquisition and application of conscious knowledge.
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Wiegand I, Töllner T, Habekost T, Dyrholm M, Müller HJ, Finke K. Distinct neural markers of TVA-based visual processing speed and short-term storage capacity parameters. Cereb Cortex 2013; 24:1967-78. [PMID: 23535180 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An individual's visual attentional capacity is characterized by 2 central processing resources, visual perceptual processing speed and visual short-term memory (vSTM) storage capacity. Based on Bundesen's theory of visual attention (TVA), independent estimates of these parameters can be obtained from mathematical modeling of performance in a whole report task. The framework's neural interpretation (NTVA) further suggests distinct brain mechanisms underlying these 2 functions. Using an interindividual difference approach, the present study was designed to establish the respective ERP correlates of both parameters. Participants with higher compared to participants with lower processing speed were found to show significantly reduced visual N1 responses, indicative of higher efficiency in early visual processing. By contrast, for participants with higher relative to lower vSTM storage capacity, contralateral delay activity over visual areas was enhanced while overall nonlateralized delay activity was reduced, indicating that holding (the maximum number of) items in vSTM relies on topographically specific sustained activation within the visual system. Taken together, our findings show that the 2 main aspects of visual attentional capacity are reflected in separable neurophysiological markers, validating a central assumption of NTVA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 80802, Germany Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Thomas Töllner
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 80802, Germany
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, DK-1353 CopenhagenK, Denmark
| | - Mads Dyrholm
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, DK-1353 CopenhagenK, Denmark
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 80802, Germany Department of Psychology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Kathrin Finke
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 80802, Germany Neuro-Cognitive Psychology und Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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Abstract
Mental speed is a common concept in theories of cognitive aging, but it is difficult to get measures of the speed of a particular psychological process that are not confounded by the speed of other processes. We used Bundesen's (1990) Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) to obtain specific estimates of processing speed in the visual system controlled for the influence of response latency and individual variations of the perception threshold. A total of 33 non-demented old people (69-87 years) were tested for the ability to recognize briefly presented letters. Performance was analyzed by the TVA model. Visual processing speed decreased approximately linearly with age and was on average halved from 70 to 85 years. Less dramatic aging effects were found for the perception threshold and the visual apprehension span. In the visual domain, cognitive aging seems to be most clearly related to reductions in processing speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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McAvinue LP, Vangkilde S, Johnson KA, Habekost T, Kyllingsbæk S, Robertson IH, Bundesen C. The relationship between sustained attention, attentional selectivity, and capacity. Journal of Cognitive Psychology 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2011.628653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Christiansen J, Petersen A, Habekost T, Pedersen L, Bundesen C. Basic mechanisms of visual attention are normal in Asperger's syndrome. J Vis 2011. [DOI: 10.1167/11.11.438] [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: 11/24/2022] Open
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Bundesen C, Habekost T, Kyllingsbæk S. A neural theory of visual attention and short-term memory (NTVA). Neuropsychologia 2010; 49:1446-57. [PMID: 21146554 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2010] [Revised: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 12/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The neural theory of visual attention and short-term memory (NTVA) proposed by Bundesen, Habekost, and Kyllingsbæk (2005) is reviewed. In NTVA, filtering (selection of objects) changes the number of cortical neurons in which an object is represented so that this number increases with the behavioural importance of the object. Another mechanism of selection, pigeonholing (selection of features), scales the level of activation in neurons coding for a particular feature. By these mechanisms, behaviourally important objects and features are likely to win the competition to become encoded into visual short-term memory (VSTM). The VSTM system is conceived as a feedback mechanism that sustains activity in the neurons that have won the attentional competition. NTVA accounts both for a wide range of attentional effects in human performance (reaction times and error rates) and a wide range of effects observed in firing rates of single cells in the primate visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Bundesen
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, DK-1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
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Vangkilde S, Habekost T. Finding Wally: Prism adaptation improves visual search in chronic neglect. Neuropsychologia 2010; 48:1994-2004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2009] [Revised: 03/03/2010] [Accepted: 03/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Starrfelt R, Habekost T, Gerlach C. Visual processing in pure alexia: A case study. Cortex 2010; 46:242-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2009.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2008] [Revised: 03/20/2009] [Accepted: 03/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Abstract
Whether normal word reading includes a stage of visual processing selectively dedicated to word or letter recognition is highly debated. Characterizing pure alexia, a seemingly selective disorder of reading, has been central to this debate. Two main theories claim either that 1) Pure alexia is caused by damage to a reading specific brain region in the left fusiform gyrus or 2) Pure alexia results from a general visual impairment that may particularly affect simultaneous processing of multiple items. We tested these competing theories in 4 patients with pure alexia using sensitive psychophysical measures and mathematical modeling. Recognition of single letters and digits in the central visual field was impaired in all patients. Visual apprehension span was also reduced for both letters and digits in all patients. The only cortical region lesioned across all 4 patients was the left fusiform gyrus, indicating that this region subserves a function broader than letter or word identification. We suggest that a seemingly pure disorder of reading can arise due to a general reduction of visual speed and span, and explain why this has a disproportionate impact on word reading while recognition of other visual stimuli are less obviously affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi Starrfelt
- Department of Psychology, Center for Visual Cognition, Copenhagen University, DK-1361 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, Copenhagen University, Denmark.
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Abstract
Recently there has been a growing interest in visual short-term memory (VSTM) including the neural basis of the function. Processing speed, another main aspect of visual attention capacity, has received less investigation. For both cognitive functions human lesion studies are sparse. We used a whole report experiment for estimation of these two parameters in 22 patients with right side stroke. Psychophysical performance was analyzed using Bundesen's [Bundesen, C. (1990). A theory of visual attention. Psychological Review, 97, 523-547] Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) and compared statistically to lesion location and size measured by MRI. Visual processing speed was impaired in the contralesional hemifield for most patients, but typically preserved ipsilesionally, even after large cortico-subcortical lesions. When bilateral deficits in processing speed occurred, they were related to damage in the right middle frontal gyrus or leukoaraiosis. The storage capacity of VSTM was also normal for most patients, but deficits were found after severe leukoaraiosis or large strokes extending deep into white matter. Thus, the study demonstrated the importance of white-matter connectivity for both VSTM capacity and ipsilesional processing speed. The study also showed that lesions in a large region of the right hemisphere, including the putamen, insula, and inferior frontal cortex, do not lead to general deficits in the capacity of visual attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Linnesgade 22, 1361 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
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Abstract
Visual neglect and extinction are well-known effects of lesions in the right hemisphere. This study shows that even with minor or no clinical signs of these deficits, and in the stable phase of recovery, asymmetric visual perception is common after right side lesions. Whole, partial and colour report experiments were used to estimate psychophysical parameters related to visual capacity and attentional weighting in 26 patients with stroke in the right side of the brain. The results were analyzed using Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA [Bundesen, C. (1990). A theory of visual attention. Psychological Review, 97, 523-547]) including bootstrap estimation of the measurement error related to each test result [Habekost, T., & Bundesen, C. (2003). Patient assessment based on a theory of visual attention (TVA): Subtle deficits after a right frontal-subcortical lesion. Neuropsychologia, 41, 1171-1188]. Lesions were examined by MR scanning and analyzed statistically. Two main types of deficit were found. The first type was related to perception of unilateral displays, where most patients showed left side reductions of visual processing speed. This visual asymmetry correlated with injury to the putamen and surrounding white matter. The second deficit type occurred with bilateral displays, which increased the visual asymmetry (extinction effect) for most patients with large cortico-subcortical lesions, but rarely for patients with focal lesions. However, in a single case with pulvinar damage, visual asymmetry occurred selectively with bilateral stimulation. Overall, the study provided an overview of the cognitive structure and lesion anatomy of subtle visual asymmetries after right side stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Njalsgade 90, 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Habekost T, Starrfelt R. Alexia and quadrant-amblyopia: Reading disability after a minor visual field deficit. Neuropsychologia 2006; 44:2465-76. [PMID: 16737722 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2005] [Revised: 04/03/2006] [Accepted: 04/05/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Reading difficulties caused by hemianopia are well described. We present a study of alexia in a patient (NT) with a milder visual field deficit. The patient had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage causing damage to the left occipital cortex and underlying white matter. NT's text reading was slow and prone to error, but recognition of single letters was preserved. Single word reading was accurate, but slower than normal. On perimetric testing NT initially showed an upper right quadrantanopia, but by attending covertly to this quadrant he could achieve luminance detection except in a small scotoma above the reading line. A whole report experiment showed that letter perception was severely compromised in the quadrant, consistent with cerebral amblyopia. On follow-up testing one and a half year post stroke, a clear spontaneous recovery had occurred, reflected in improved text reading with close to normal eye movements. Still, subtle reading difficulties and oculo-motor abnormalities remained. Overall, the study shows how amblyopia in one quadrant can lead to a characteristic form of alexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Linnesgade 22, 1361 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
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Gerlach C, Marstrand L, Habekost T, Gade A. A case of impaired shape integration: Implications for models of visual object processing. Visual Cognition 2005. [DOI: 10.1080/13506280444000751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Abstract
A neural theory of visual attention (NTVA) is presented. NTVA is a neural interpretation of C. Bundesen's (1990) theory of visual attention (TVA). In NTVA, visual processing capacity is distributed across stimuli by dynamic remapping of receptive fields of cortical cells such that more processing resources (cells) are devoted to behaviorally important objects than to less important ones. By use of the same basic equations used in TVA, NTVA accounts for a wide range of known attentional effects in human performance (reaction times and error rates) and a wide range of effects observed in firing rates of single cells in the primate visual system. NTVA provides a mathematical framework to unify the 2 fields of research--formulas bridging cognition and neurophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Abstract
We report on a patient who complained of reduced awareness in the left visual field, but showed no visual neglect or extinction in clinical testing. By MR scanning, the brain damage was localized to the right basal ganglia, also involving structures in right frontal cortex. Using psychophysical testing and mathematical modeling based on Bundesen's theory of visual attention [TVA; Psychol. Rev. 97 (1990) 523], the patient's subjective experience of attentional disturbance was confirmed, and the deficit was specified into several components. At very short exposure durations, two effects were shown. The detection threshold was elevated, particularly in the left visual field, and stimuli in this side were given less attentional weight. In addition, the capacity of visual short-term memory (VSTM) was markedly reduced in both visual fields. The robustness of the test results was evaluated by bootstrap analysis. The study demonstrates the sensitivity and specificity gained by combining psychophysical testing with TVA modeling in the analysis of visual attention disorders. Extending the results of a pioneer study of parietal neglect patients by Duncan et al. [J. Exp. Psychol.: Gen. 128 (1999) 450], this study demonstrates the strength of the method in a single case, with a lesion outside parietal cortex, and only minor clinical symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Habekost
- Department of Psychology, Center for Visual Cognition, University of Copenhagen, Njalsgade 90, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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