1
|
Mitani K, Rathnayake N, Rathnayake U, Dang TL, Hoshino Y. Brain Activity Associated with the Planning Process during the Long-Time Learning of the Tower of Hanoi (ToH) Task: A Pilot Study. Sensors (Basel) 2022; 22:8283. [PMID: 36365987 PMCID: PMC9654550 DOI: 10.3390/s22218283] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Planning and decision-making are critical managerial functions involving the brain's executive functions. However, little is known about the effect of cerebral activity during long-time learning while planning and decision-making. This study investigated the impact of planning and decision-making processes in long-time learning, focusing on a cerebral activity before and after learning. The methodology of this study involves the Tower of Hanoi (ToH) to investigate executive functions related to the learning process. Generally, ToH is used to measure baseline performance, learning rate, offline learning (following overnight retention), and transfer. However, this study performs experiments on long-time learning effects for ToH solving. The participants were involved in learning the task over seven weeks. Learning progress was evaluated based on improvement in performance and correlations with the learning curve. All participants showed a significant improvement in planning and decision-making over seven weeks of time duration. Brain activation results from fMRI showed a statistically significant decrease in the activation degree in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, and premotor cortex between before and after learning. Our pilot study showed that updating information and shifting issue rules were found in the frontal lobe. Through monitoring performance, we can describe the effect of long-time learning initiated at the frontal lobe and then convert it to a task execution function by analyzing the frontal lobe maps. This process can be observed by comparing the learning curve and the fMRI maps. It was also clear that the degree of activation tends to decrease with the number of tasks, such as through the mid-phase and the end-phase of training. The elucidation of this structure is closely related to decision-making in human behavior, where brain dynamics differ between "thinking and behavior" during complex thinking in the early stages of training and instantaneous "thinking and behavior" after sufficient training. Since this is related to human learning, elucidating these mechanisms will allow the construction of a brain function map model that can be used universally for all training tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keita Mitani
- School of Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, 185 Miyanokuchi, Tosayamada, Kami 782-8502, Kochi, Japan
| | - Namal Rathnayake
- School of Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, 185 Miyanokuchi, Tosayamada, Kami 782-8502, Kochi, Japan
| | - Upaka Rathnayake
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka
| | - Tuan Linh Dang
- School of Information and Communications Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Yukinobu Hoshino
- School of Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, 185 Miyanokuchi, Tosayamada, Kami 782-8502, Kochi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fernandes AC, Viegas ÂA, Lacerda ACR, Nobre JNP, Morais RLDS, Figueiredo PHS, Costa HS, Camargos ACR, Ferreira FDO, de Freitas PM, Santos T, da Silva Júnior FA, Bernardo-Filho M, Taiar R, Sartorio A, Mendonça VA. Association between executive functions and gross motor skills in overweight/obese and eutrophic preschoolers: cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:498. [PMID: 35999515 PMCID: PMC9400322 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03553-2] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Preschool age (3–5 years old) is a crucial period for children to acquire gross motor skills and develop executive functions (EFs). However, the association between the qualitative gross motor skills and EFs remains unknown in preschoolers, especially among overweight and obese children. Methods This was a cross-sectional, exploratory, and quantitative study carried out on 49 preschool children, divided into two subgroups according to their body mass index (overweight/obese: 24; eutrophic [normal weight]: 25). The mean age was 4.59 years. More than half of the sample were boys (55%) and most of the mothers had completed high school (67%) and were class C socioeconomic level (63%). Gross motor skills were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2, while EFs were evaluated using Semantic verbal fluency (SVF), Tower of Hanoi (TH), Day/Night Stroop, and Delayed Gratification tests. Multiple linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, maternal education, socioeconomic status, quality of the home environment, and quality of the school environment using the stepwise method were executed, considering the cognitive tasks as independent variables and gross motor skills as dependent variable. Results The overweight/obese preschoolers showed worse locomotor skills than their eutrophic peers and below average gross motor quotient (GMQ). Overweight/obese girls performed worse in OC skills than boys with excess weight. SVF (number of errors) and TH (rule breaks) explained 57.8% of the variance in object control (OC) skills and 40.5% of the variance in GMQ (p < .05) in the overweight/obese children. Surprisingly, there was no significant association between any of the EF tasks and gross motor skills in the eutrophic children. Conclusion A relationship between EF tasks (number of errors in SVF and rule breaks in TH) and gross motor skills (OC and GMQ) was demonstrated in the overweight/obese preschoolers, indicating that worse cognitive flexibility, working memory, planning, and problem solving are associated with worse gross motor skills in this population when compared to eutrophic children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Cristina Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil
| | - Ângela Alves Viegas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Nogueira Pontes Nobre
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rosane Luzia De Souza Morais
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Saúde, Sociedade e Ambiente (PPGSaSA), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Scheidt Figueiredo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Henrique Silveira Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Resende Camargos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Martins de Freitas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia da Saúde (PPGPSI), Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde da Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Thiago Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fidelis Antônio da Silva Júnior
- Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mário Bernardo-Filho
- Laboratório de Vibrações Mecânicas e Práticas Integrativas - LAVIMPI, Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes and Policlínica Piquet Carneiro, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Redha Taiar
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, MATIM, 51100, Reims, France
| | - Alessandro Sartorio
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Division of Auxology and Metabolic Diseases & Experimental Laboratory for Auxo-endocrinological Research, Piancavallo-Verbania, Italy
| | - Vanessa Amaral Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. .,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Antoniou F, AlKhadim G, Stamovlasis D, Vasiou A. The regulatory properties of anger under different goal orientations: the effects of normative and outcome goals. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:106. [PMID: 35459190 PMCID: PMC9027722 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00815-7] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The present study aimed to evaluate the self-regulatory properties of anger on the performance of individuals under various motivational dispositions using an experimental design.
Methods The participants were 99 university students who participated in response to extra credit. The performance of the participants was evaluated using the Tower of Hanoi task. Their anger was measured using a facial expression recognition system and arousal was assessed using a heart-rate monitoring device. Two motivational dispositions were assessed: performance goals with normative evaluative standards and performance goals with a focus on outcomes. Results The results indicated that a nonlinear function explained the relationship between anger, arousal, and achievement under different goal conditions. Specifically, the Cusp Catastrophe Model showed that anger levels beyond a critical point were associated with the unpredictability of performance during the normative goal condition, suggesting that anger disturbed the relationship between arousal and achievement. Interestingly, a linear model was relevant for explaining the same relationships during the outcome goal condition. Conclusion Thus, this study concluded that anger plays a more salient role when coupled with the pressures arising from employing interpersonal evaluative standards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faye Antoniou
- Department of Educational Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
| | - Ghadah AlKhadim
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dimitrios Stamovlasis
- School of Philosophy and Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Vasiou
- Department of Primary Education, University of Western Macedonia, Kozani, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Karpova N, Zhang D, Beckwith AM, Bennett DS, Lewis M. Prenatal drug exposure and executive function in early adolescence. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 88:107036. [PMID: 34648914 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.107036] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Study of the relationship between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and executive function (EF) has yielded inconsistent results. The purpose of the current study is to examine whether PCE, biological sex, environmental risk, and their interaction predicted EF in early adolescence. METHODS 135 12-year-old adolescents (40.7% with PCE), who were followed prospectively from birth, attempted up to 8 Tower of Hanoi (ToH) puzzle trials of increasing complexity. The number of correctly completed puzzles served as the main outcome measure. Survival analysis was used to examine predictors of the number of successfully completed trials. RESULTS As trial difficulty increased, fewer adolescents were able to solve the TOH puzzle. Adolescents from high risk environments and with either prenatal alcohol or prenatal cannabis exposure completed fewer puzzles (p < .05). In addition, a hypothesized 3-way interaction of PCE x sex x environmental risk was found such that cocaine-exposed males with high environmental risk had the worst performance (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS The current findings are consistent with prior research indicating that males with PCE may be at particular risk of poorer functioning and highlight the potential importance of examining adolescent's sex and environmental risk as moderators of PCE effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Karpova
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Institute for the Study of Child Development, Department of Pediatrics, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States.
| | - Dake Zhang
- Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Department of Educational Psychology, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States.
| | - Anna Malia Beckwith
- Children's Specialized Hospital, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, 150 New Providence Rd, Mountainside, NJ 07092, United States.
| | - David S Bennett
- Drexel University, GLAD Program, 4700 Wissahickon Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144, United States.
| | - Michael Lewis
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Institute for the Study of Child Development, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang HB, Zhao D, Liu YP, Wang LX, Yang B, Yuan TF. Problem-solving deficits in methcathinone use disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2515-2524. [PMID: 34291307 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05874-z] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The use of methcathinone (MCAT), a psychostimulant drug that can lead to long-term health risks and executive dysfunction, increased to an alarming rate in recent years. Impairments in low-level executive function have been reported in substance use disorder. However, little empirical evidence is available regarding high-level executive function (e.g., problem solving), which may act as a risk factor for relapse. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to investigate whether the problem-solving ability was altered in abstinent individuals with methcathinone use disorder (MCUD). Here, we tested fifty male MCUD individuals (short-term MCUD group: twenty-nine patients with MCAT use less than 3 years, long-term MCUD group: twenty-one patients with MCAT use longer than 3 years, which were split by medium years of drug use) and twenty-four well-matched healthy controls (HC) in the Tower of Hanoi task (TOH) to assess the impact of task difficulty on drug-related changes in problem-solving performance. We used several measures to characterize problem-solving performance: the number of mistakes made, the completion time of the task, and the thinking time before the first move. RESULTS In the low task difficulty condition, the MCUD group and HC group showed similar levels of mistakes and completion time, while in the high task difficulty condition, the MCUD group reported more mistakes (the mean number of mistakes in each trial: 1.41 ± 1.15 vs 0.79 ± 0.76, P = 0.019, Cohen's d = 0.635) and longer completion time in the task (the mean completion time in each trial: 45.83 ± 20.51 s vs 33.40 ± 15.10 s, P = 0.010, Cohen's d = 0.690) than the HC group. The thinking time before the first move did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.257). We further found that the long-term (more than 3 years) MCUD group made more mistakes than the short-term MCUD group and HC group, mainly in the highly difficult subtasks. The longer time than HCs was reported in the long-term MCUD group among high task difficulty of subtasks. In addition, there was a positive correlation between years of MCAT use and the number of mistakes made in high task difficulty TOH task (r = 0.326, P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS Chronic methcathinone use was associated with deficits in problem-solving performance, which depended on the degree of task difficulty. The impairment was more evident in the long-term (> 3 years) MCAT group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hang-Bin Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Wanping South Road 600, Xuhui, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Wanping South Road 600, Xuhui, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Ping Liu
- China University of Political Science and Law, No. 25, West Tucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Xun Wang
- Changzhi Drug Rehabilitation Center, Changzhi, China
| | - Bo Yang
- China University of Political Science and Law, No. 25, West Tucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Wanping South Road 600, Xuhui, Shanghai, China. .,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China. .,Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Molins F, Pérez-Calleja T, Abad-Tortosa D, Alacreu-Crespo A, Serrano-Rosa MÁ. Positive emotion induction improves cardiovascular coping with a cognitive task. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10904. [PMID: 33763298 PMCID: PMC7958892 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10904] [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: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Feeling positive emotions seems to favour an adaptive cardiovascular response (greater heart rate variability, HRV), associated with improved cognitive performance. This study aims to test whether the induction of a positive emotional state produce such cardiovascular response and therefore, enhance coping and performance in Tower of Hanoi (ToH). Forty-two Participants were randomly distributed into two groups (Experimental and Control). Experimental group was subjected to the evocation of a memory of success, while control group was subjected to an attentional task before performing ToH. Heart Rate Variability (HRV), activity of the zygomatic major muscle (ZEMG) and emotions were measured. Emotional induction increased ZEMG activity, feelings of emotional valence and HRV, but the performance in ToH was not different from control. Experiencing positive emotions seems to favour an adaptive psychophysiological response when faced with a complex cognitive task. These results are discussed in relation to clinical practice and health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Molins
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Killgore WDS, Kamimori GH. Multiple caffeine doses maintain vigilance, attention, complex motor sequence expression, and manual dexterity during 77 hours of total sleep deprivation. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2020; 9:100051. [PMID: 33364521 PMCID: PMC7752712 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2020.100051] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep deprivation (SD) and fatigue have detrimental effects on performance in operational settings. Few studies have investigated the cumulative effects of SD and fatigue on performance under heavy workload demands. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of multiple repeated doses of caffeine as a countermeasure to SD and fatigue during 77 h total SD (TSD) during the early morning hours. Twenty-three males and females, 18 – 35 years of age, who identified as moderate caffeine consumers completed the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) 141 times during the experimental test period. Caffeine was administered in a multi-dose paradigm over three nights without sleep. Participants received either caffeine (200 mg) or placebo at the beginning of each 2-h test block from 0100 – 0900 (800 mg total per night). While PVT speed declined for both groups across all 3 nights, the caffeine group consistently out-performed the placebo group. Caffeine maintained attentiveness (1-5 s lapses) on night 1, but this advantage was lost on nights 2 and 3. Caffeine outperformed placebo for responsive lapses (5-9 s lapses) across all three nights, but caffeine performance was still notably worse than at baseline. Prolonged non-responsive lapses (beyond 10 s) were only reduced by caffeine on night 2. Caffeine was more effective than placebo across all nights at sustaining completion speed of a complex motor sequence task and a manual coordination task. Essentially, caffeine is an effective countermeasure for SD, as it mitigates declines in speed and failures to respond, and sustains motor planning and coordination. However, caffeine does not restore normal functioning during SD and cannot be considered as a replacement for sleep. Compared caffeine versus placebo during extreme sleep deprived monotony. Caffeine improved psychomotor vigilance speed and reduced lapses of all durations. Caffeine did not maintain normal performance after the first night of sleep loss. Caffeine sustained motor planning and coordination better than placebo. Caffeine mitigates sleep loss deficits but does not sustain performance at normal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William D S Killgore
- Department of Behavioral Biology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, USA
| | - Gary H Kamimori
- Department of Behavioral Biology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Milla K, Bakhshipour E, Bodt B, Getchell N. Does Movement Matter? Prefrontal Cortex Activity During 2D vs. 3D Performance of the Tower of Hanoi Puzzle. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:156. [PMID: 31191271 PMCID: PMC6539212 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In the current study, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to compare prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in adults as they performed two conditions of the Tower of Hanoi (ToH) disk-transfer task that have equivalent executive function (EF) but different motor requirements. This study explored cognitive workload, here defined as the cognitive effort utilized while problem-solving by performance output. The first condition included a two-dimensional (2D) computerized ToH where participants completed trials using a computer mouse. In contrast, our second condition used a traditional, three-dimensional (3D) ToH that must be manually manipulated. Our aim was to better understand the role of the PFC in these two conditions to detect if PFC activity increases as a function of motor planning. Twenty right-handed, neurotypical adults (10M/10F, x ¯ = 24.6, SD ± 2.8 years old) participated in two blocks (one per condition) of three 1-min trials where they were asked to solve as many puzzles as possible. These data were analyzed using a mixed effects ANOVA with participants nested within blocks for 2D vs. 3D conditions, presentation order (leading block), individual participants, and regions and additional follow-up statistics. Results showed that changes in oxygenated hemoglobin, ΔHbO, were significantly higher for 3D compared to 2D condition (p = 0.0211). Presentation order and condition interacted significantly (p = 0.0015). Notably, a strong correlation between performance and ΔHbO existed between blocks 1 and 2 (r = -0.69, r 2 = 0.473, p < 0.01) when the 3D condition was initially performed, in contrast to the 2D condition where no significant correlation was seen. Findings also showed a significant decrease in ΔHbO between the first and second block (p = 0.0015) while performance increased significantly for both 3D and 2D conditions (p < 0.005). We plan to use this information in the future to narrow the potential points of impairment on the perception-cognition-action continuum in certain developmental disabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Milla
- Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Interdisciplinary Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Developmental Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Elham Bakhshipour
- Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Interdisciplinary Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Developmental Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Barry Bodt
- Biostatistics Core, College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Nancy Getchell
- Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Interdisciplinary Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Developmental Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vermeulen MCM, Van der Heijden KB, Swaab H, Van Someren EJW. Sleep spindle characteristics and sleep architecture are associated with learning of executive functions in school-age children. J Sleep Res 2018; 28:e12779. [PMID: 30338601 PMCID: PMC7378945 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The macro‐ and microstructural characteristics of sleep electroencephalography have been associated with several aspects of executive functioning. However, only a few studies have addressed the association of sleep characteristics with the learning involved in the acquisition of executive functions, and no study has investigated this for planning and problem‐solving skills in the developing brain of children. The present study examined whether children's sleep stages and microstructural sleep characteristics are associated with performance improvement over repeated assessments of the Tower of Hanoi task, which requires integrated planning and problem‐solving skills. Thirty children (11 boys, mean age 10.7 years, SD = 0.8) performed computerized parallel versions of the Tower of Hanoi three times across 2 days, including a night with polysomnographically assessed sleep. Pearson correlations were used to evaluate the associations of Tower of Hanoi solution time improvements across repeated assessments with sleep stages (% of total sleep time), slow‐wave activity, and fast and slow spindle features. The results indicated a stronger performance improvement across wake in children with more Stage N2 sleep and less slow‐wave sleep. Stronger improvements across sleep were present in children in whom slow spindles were more dense, and in children in whom fast spindles were less dense, of shorter duration and had less power. The findings indicate that specific sleep electroencephalography signatures reflect the ability of the developing brain to acquire and improve on integrated planning and problem‐solving skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marije C M Vermeulen
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kristiaan B Van der Heijden
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hanna Swaab
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eus J W Van Someren
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Departments of Psychiatry and Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Knapp F, Viechtbauer W, Leonhart R, Nitschke K, Kaller CP. Planning performance in schizophrenia patients: a meta-analysis of the influence of task difficulty and clinical and sociodemographic variables. Psychol Med 2017; 47:2002-2016. [PMID: 28385166 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291717000459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a large body of research on planning performance in adult schizophrenia patients, results of individual studies are equivocal, suggesting either no, moderate or severe planning deficits. This meta-analysis therefore aimed to quantify planning deficits in schizophrenia and to examine potential sources of the heterogeneity seen in the literature. METHOD The meta-analysis comprised outcomes of planning accuracy of 1377 schizophrenia patients and 1477 healthy controls from 31 different studies which assessed planning performance using tower tasks such as the Tower of London, the Tower of Hanoi and the Stockings of Cambridge. A meta-regression analysis was applied to assess the influence of potential moderator variables (i.e. sociodemographic and clinical variables as well as task difficulty). RESULTS The findings indeed demonstrated a planning deficit in schizophrenia patients (mean effect size: ; 95% confidence interval 0.56-0.78) that was moderated by task difficulty in terms of the minimum number of moves required for a solution. The results did not reveal any significant relationship between the extent of planning deficits and sociodemographic or clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS The current results provide first meta-analytic evidence for the commonly assumed impairments of planning performance in schizophrenia. Deficits are more likely to become manifest in problem items with higher demands on planning ahead, which may at least partly explain the heterogeneity of previous findings. As only a small fraction of studies reported coherent information on sample characteristics, future meta-analyses would benefit from more systematic reports on those variables.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Knapp
- Kliniken Schmieder,Allensbach,Germany
| | - W Viechtbauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology,Maastricht University,Maastricht,The Netherlands
| | - R Leonhart
- Department of Psychology,University of Freiburg,Freiburg,Germany
| | - K Nitschke
- Department of Psychology,University of Freiburg,Freiburg,Germany
| | - C P Kaller
- Department of Neurology,Medical Center,University of Freiburg,Freiburg,Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Jostmann NB, Gieselmann A. When you have to climb downhill to reach the top: the effect of action versus state orientation on solvinga goal-subgoal conflict in the Tower of Hanoi task. Exp Psychol 2015; 61:394-401. [PMID: 24836122 DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Complex problems often include a response conflict between a subgoal and a final goal. The present experiment investigated the roles of situational demands and individual differences in self-regulation on solving goal-subgoal conflicts in a computerized Tower of Hanoi task. Action-oriented versus state-oriented individuals were randomly assigned to a demanding condition in which they deliberated about a personal decision problem, or to a nondemanding control condition. In line with expectations state-oriented individuals had greater difficulties to solve goal-subgoal conflicts in the demanding compared to the nondemanding condition. Action-oriented individuals performed well in both conditions. In line with Personality Systems Interactions theory (Kuhl, 2000) the findings show that complex problem solving depends on how well people are able to deal with situational demands.
Collapse
|
12
|
Wright L, Hardie SM. Left-handers look before they leap: handedness influences reactivity to novel Tower of Hanoi tasks. Front Psychol 2015; 6:58. [PMID: 25691878 PMCID: PMC4315011 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A sample of 203 task naïve left- and right-handed participants were asked to complete a combination of the 3- and 4-disk Towers of Hanoi (ToH), manipulating novelty and complexity. Self-reported state anxiety and latency to respond (initiation time) were recorded before each ToH. Novelty had a major effect on initiation time, particularly for left-handers. Left-handers had a longer latency to start and this was significantly longer on the first trial. Irrespective of hand-preference, initiation time reduced on the second trial, however, this was greatest for left-handers. Condition of task did not systematically influence initiation time for right handers, but did for left-handers. State anxiety was influenced by task novelty and complexity in a more complicated way. During the first trial, there was a significant handedness × number of disks interaction with left-handers having significantly higher state anxiety levels before the 3-disk ToH. This suggests that the initial reaction to this task for left-handers was not simply due to perceived difficulty. On their second trial, participants completing a novel ToH had higher state anxiety scores than those completing a repeated version. Overall, left-handers had a larger reduction in their state anxiety across trials. Relating to this, the expected strong positive correlation between state and trait anxiety was absent for left-handed females in their first tower presentation, but appeared on their second. This was driven by low trait anxiety individuals showing a higher state anxiety response in the first (novel) trial, supporting the idea that left-handed females respond to novelty in a way that is not directly a consequence of their trait anxiety. A possible explanation may be stereotype threat influencing the behavior of left-handed females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Wright
- Evolutionary and Biological Approaches to Behaviour Research Group, Division of Psychology, Abertay UniversityDundee, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|