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Almarzouki AF. Impact of on-call shifts on working memory and the role of burnout, sleep, and mental well-being in trainee physicians. Postgrad Med 2024:1-6. [PMID: 38656827 DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2024.2347195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimal cognitive functions, including working memory (WM), are crucial to enable trainee physicians to perform and excel in their clinical practice. Several risk factors, including on-call shifts, poor mental health, burnout, and sleep problems, can impair clinical practice in trainee physicians, potentially through cognitive impairment; however, these associations have not been fully explored. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the effect of on-call shifts on WM among trainee physicians and its association with burnout, depression, anxiety, affect, and sleep. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study involved 83 trainee physicians (45% male). We measured demographic and training-related factors including on-call shifts and working hours. We also assessed depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), both state and trait anxiety (STAI total score), burnout (OLBI total score), positive and negative affect scores (PANAS), and sleep disturbances (PSQI total score). WM was evaluated using spatial working memory (SWM) strategy scores that reflected performance and total error counts. RESULTS Trainee physicians with more on-calls per month had significantly worse depressive symptoms, burnout scores, and sleep, as well as more negative affect. While controlling for covariates, being on-call more times per month was significantly associated with worse WM. Worse depressive symptoms and burnout scores were also significantly associated with impaired WM. CONCLUSION Working more on-call shifts is associated with compromised WM. Trainee physicians who experienced more depressive symptoms and burnout had worse WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer F Almarzouki
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Kidder K, Gillis R, Miles J, Mizumori SJY. The medial prefrontal cortex during flexible decisions: Evidence for its role in distinct working memory processes. Hippocampus 2024; 34:141-155. [PMID: 38095152 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23594] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
During decisions that involve working memory, task-related information must be encoded, maintained across delays, and retrieved. Few studies have attempted to causally disambiguate how different brain structures contribute to each of these components of working memory. In the present study, we used transient optogenetic disruptions of rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during a serial spatial reversal learning (SSRL) task to test its role in these specific working memory processes. By analyzing numerous performance metrics, we found: (1) mPFC disruption impaired performance during only the choice epoch of initial discrimination learning of the SSRL task; (2) mPFC disruption impaired performance in dissociable ways across all task epochs (delay, choice, return) during flexible decision-making; (3) mPFC disruption resulted in a reduction of the typical vicarious-trial-and-error rate modulation that was related to changes in task demands. Taken together, these findings suggest that the mPFC plays an outsized role in working memory retrieval, becomes involved in encoding and maintenance when recent memories conflict with task demands, and enables animals to flexibly utilize working memory to update behavior as environments change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevan Kidder
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ryan Gillis
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jesse Miles
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sheri J Y Mizumori
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Zhang S, Ai H, Wang J, Liu T, Zheng X, Tian X, Bai W. Reduced Prefrontal-Thalamic Theta Flow During Working Memory Retrieval in APP/PS1 Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:1737-1749. [PMID: 38306044 PMCID: PMC10894573 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Working memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are linked to impairments in the retrieval of stored memory information. However, research on the mechanism of impaired working memory retrieval in Alzheimer's disease is still lacking. Objective The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and mediodorsal thalamus (MD) are involved in memory retrieval. The purpose of this study is to investigate the functional interactions and information transmission between mPFC and MD in the AD model. Methods We recorded local field potentials from mPFC and MD while the mice (APP/PS1 transgenic model and control) performed a T-maze spatial working memory task. The temporal dynamics of oscillatory activity and bidirectional information flow between mPFC and MD were assessed during the task phases. Results We mainly found a significant decrease in theta flow from mPFC to MD in APP/PS1 mice during retrieval. Conclusions Our results indicate an important role of the mPFC-MD input for retrieval and the disrupted information transfer from mPFC to MD may be the underlying mechanism of working memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongrui Ai
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jia Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tiaotiao Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuyuan Zheng
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Tian
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenwen Bai
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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Jiang Y, Wang X, Chen J, Zhang Y, Hashimoto K, Yang JJ, Zhou Z. Repeated ( S)-ketamine administration ameliorates the spatial working memory impairment in mice with chronic pain: role of the gut microbiota-brain axis. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2310603. [PMID: 38332676 PMCID: PMC10860353 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2310603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is commonly linked with diminished working memory. This study explores the impact of the anesthetic (S)-ketamine on spatial working memory in a chronic constriction injury (CCI) mouse model, focusing on gut microbiome. We found that multiple doses of (S)-ketamine, unlike a single dose, counteracted the reduced spontaneous alteration percentage (%SA) in the Y-maze spatial working memory test, without affecting mechanical or thermal pain sensitivity. Additionally, repeated (S)-ketamine treatments improved the abnormal composition of the gut microbiome (β-diversity), as indicated by fecal 16S rRNA analysis, and increased levels of butyrate, a key gut - brain axis mediator. Protein analysis showed that these treatments also corrected the upregulated histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) and downregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampi of CCI mice. Remarkably, fecal microbiota transplantation from mice treated repeatedly with (S)-ketamine to CCI mice restored %SA and hippocampal BDNF levels in CCI mice. Butyrate supplementation alone also improved %SA, BDNF, and HDAC2 levels in CCI mice. Furthermore, the TrkB receptor antagonist ANA-12 negated the beneficial effects of repeated (S)-ketamine on spatial working memory impairment in CCI mice. These results indicate that repeated (S)-ketamine administration ameliorates spatial working memory impairment in CCI mice, mediated by a gut microbiota - brain axis, primarily through the enhancement of hippocampal BDNF - TrkB signaling by butyrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubin Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xingming Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jiawei Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medicine School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yibao Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Jinling Clinical Medical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kenji Hashimoto
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jian-Jun Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Abdul Jafar NK, Tham EK, Eng DZ, Rifkin-Graboi A, Gooley JJ, Goh DY, Teoh OH, Lee YS, Shek LPC, Yap F, Gluckman PD, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Cai S, Broekman BF. Chronotype and time-of-day effects on spatial working memory in preschool children. J Clin Sleep Med 2023; 19:1717-1726. [PMID: 37143359 PMCID: PMC10545990 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.10650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Spatial working memory (SWM) capacity subserves complex cognitive functions, yet it is unclear whether individual diurnal preferences and time-of-day influence SWM in preschool children. The main and interaction effects of chronotype and time-of-day on SWM and SWM differences in preschoolers with different chronotypes within each time-of-day group will be examined. METHODS We studied a subset of typically developing 4.5-year-olds taking part in a birth cohort study (n = 359). The Children's Chronotype Questionnaire categorized children into morning-, intermediate-, and evening-types. Using a computerized neuropsychological test (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), SWM was determined from the total number of between-search errors (ie, between search-total errors) and Strategy scores. Higher between search-total errors or lower Strategy scores indicated worse SWM. Time-of-day was categorized into late morning (10:00 am to 11:59 am), afternoon (12:00 pm to 3:59 pm), and late afternoon (4:00 pm to 6:30 pm). In a subsample (n = 199), caregiver-reported chronotype was validated using actigraphy-measured sleep midpoint. RESULTS After controlling for ethnicity, no significant main and interaction effects of chronotype and time-of-day on between search-total errors and Strategy scores were seen (all P > .05). However, evening-types outperformed morning-types (ie, lower mean between search-total errors) in the late afternoon (P = .013) but not in the late morning and afternoon (all P > .05). Actigraphy data in the subsample confirmed that evening-types had later sleep midpoints during weekdays and weekends (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Since evening-type preschoolers had better SWM in the late afternoon compared to morning-type preschoolers, this gives insights into optimal learning opportunities in early childhood education. CITATION Abdul Jafar NK, Tham EKH, Eng DZH, et al. Chronotype and time-of-day effects on spatial working memory in preschool children. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(10):1717-1726.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur K. Abdul Jafar
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Elaine K.H. Tham
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Derric Z.H. Eng
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Anne Rifkin-Graboi
- Centre for Research in Child Development, Office of Educational Research, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Joshua J. Gooley
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Daniel Y.T. Goh
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Oon-Hoe Teoh
- Respiratory Medicine Service, Department of Paediatrics, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
| | - Yung S. Lee
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Lynette Pei-Chi Shek
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Fabian Yap
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Peter D. Gluckman
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yap-Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Michael J. Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Shirong Cai
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Human Potential Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Birit F.P. Broekman
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Psychiatry, OLVG and Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Funahashi S, Gao B, Takeda K, Watanabe Y, Wu J, Yan T. Individual prefrontal neurons contribute to sensory-to-motor information transformation by rotating reference frames during spatial working memory performance. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10258-10271. [PMID: 37557911 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Performing working memory tasks correctly requires not only the temporary maintenance of information but also the visual-to-motor transformation of information. Although sustained delay-period activity is known to be a mechanism for temporarily maintaining information, the mechanism for information transformation is not well known. An analysis using a population of delay-period activities recorded from prefrontal neurons visualized a gradual change of maintained information from sensory to motor as the delay period progressed. However, the contributions of individual prefrontal neurons to this process are not known. In the present study, we used a version of the delayed-response task, in which monkeys needed to make a saccade 90o clockwise from a visual cue after a 3-s delay, and examined the temporal change in the preferred directions of delay-period activity during the delay period for individual neurons. One group of prefrontal neurons encoded the cue direction by a retinotopic reference frame and either maintained it throughout the delay period or rotated it 90o counterclockwise to adjust visual information to saccade information, whereas other groups of neurons encoded the cue direction by a saccade-based reference frame and rotated it 90o clockwise. The results indicate that visual-to-motor information transformation is achieved by manipulating the reference frame to adjust visual coordinates to motor coordinates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Funahashi
- Advanced Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Haidian District, Beijing 100018, People's Republic of China
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Haidian District, Beijing 100018, People's Republic of China
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Binbin Gao
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Haidian District, Beijing 100018, People's Republic of China
| | - Kazuyoshi Takeda
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yumiko Watanabe
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Jinglong Wu
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Haidian District, Beijing 100018, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianyi Yan
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Haidian District, Beijing 100018, People's Republic of China
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Aoki S, Nagatani F, Kagitani-Shimono K, Ohno Y, Taniike M, Mohri I. Examining normative values using the Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery and developmental traits of executive functions among elementary school-aged children in Japan. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1141628. [PMID: 37663362 PMCID: PMC10469330 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1141628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) is a computerized and child-friendly neuropsychological assessment battery that includes subtests aimed at evaluating some aspects of executive functions. Using the CANTAB, this study aims to establish normative values based on the aspects of executive functions among school-aged children in Japan. The participants included 234 children (135 boys and 99 girls aged 6-12 years) enrolled in regular classes, without any clinical records of developmental disorders or educational support. The participants were grouped according to age (6-7, 8-9, and 10-12 years). Four CANTAB subtests, including spatial working memory (SWM) to assess spatial working memory, Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) to evaluate planning, intra/extradimensional set shift (IED) to evaluate attentional set shifting and flexibility, and stop signal task (SST) to evaluate inhibition, were administered to each participant. The results showed that performance in all the CANTAB subtests administered changed with age. Among the subtests, compared with performances in the SOC and IED, those in the SWM and SST improved earlier, thereby indicating that spatial working memory and inhibition develop earlier than planning as well as attentional set shifting and flexibility. Additionally, in the SST subtest, girls made fewer errors than boys did in the 6-7 years group. This study presents normative data of four CANTAB subtests according to age and sex among school-aged children in Japan. We expect that the findings will be used to develop effective tools for the early detection of and support for children with executive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Aoki
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Fumiyo Nagatani
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kuriko Kagitani-Shimono
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuko Ohno
- Department of Health Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masako Taniike
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ikuko Mohri
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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Invernizzi A, Renzetti S, van Thriel C, Rechtman E, Patrono A, Ambrosi C, Mascaro L, Cagna G, Gasparotti R, Reichenberg A, Tang CY, Lucchini RG, Wright RO, Placidi D, Horton MK. Covid-19 related cognitive, structural and functional brain changes among Italian adolescents and young adults: a multimodal longitudinal case-control study. medRxiv 2023:2023.07.19.23292909. [PMID: 37503251 PMCID: PMC10371098 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.19.23292909] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with brain functional, structural, and cognitive changes that persist months after infection. Most studies of the neurologic outcomes related to COVID-19 focus on severe infection and aging populations. Here, we investigated the neural activities underlying COVID-19 related outcomes in a case-control study of mildly infected youth enrolled in a longitudinal study in Lombardy, Italy, a global hotspot of COVID-19. All participants (13 cases, 27 controls, mean age 24 years) completed resting state functional (fMRI), structural MRI, cognitive assessments (CANTAB spatial working memory) at baseline (pre-COVID) and follow-up (post-COVID). Using graph theory eigenvector centrality (EC) and data-driven statistical methods, we examined differences in ECdelta (i.e., the difference in EC values pre- and post-COVID-19) and volumetricdelta (i.e., the difference in cortical volume of cortical and subcortical areas pre- and post-COVID) between COVID-19 cases and controls. We found that ECdeltasignificantly between COVID-19 and healthy participants in five brain regions; right intracalcarine cortex, right lingual gyrus, left hippocampus, left amygdala, left frontal orbital cortex. The left hippocampus showed a significant decrease in volumetricdelta between groups (p=0.041). The reduced ECdelta in the right amygdala associated with COVID-19 status mediated the association between COVID-19 and disrupted spatial working memory. Our results show persistent structural, functional and cognitive brain changes in key brain areas associated with olfaction and cognition. These results may guide treatment efforts to assess the longevity, reversibility and impact of the observed brain and cognitive changes following COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azzurra Invernizzi
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stefano Renzetti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Christoph van Thriel
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Elza Rechtman
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alessandra Patrono
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Claudia Ambrosi
- Department of Neuroscience, Neuroradiology Unit, ASST Cremona
| | | | - Giuseppa Cagna
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberto Gasparotti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Abraham Reichenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cheuk Y Tang
- Department of Diagnostic, Molecular, and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Roberto G Lucchini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Donatella Placidi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Megan K Horton
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Ott K, Heikkinen T, Lehtimäki KK, Paldanius K, Puoliväli J, Pussinen R, Andriambeloson E, Huyard B, Wagner S, Schnack C, Wahler A, von Einem B, von Arnim CAF, Burmeister Y, Weyer K, Seilheimer B. Vertigoheel promotes rodent cognitive performance in multiple memory tests. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1183023. [PMID: 37325043 PMCID: PMC10264630 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1183023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cognitive impairment associated with old age or various brain disorders may be very disabling for affected individuals, placing their carers and public health services under considerable stress. The standard-of-care drugs produce only transient improvement of cognitive impairment in older people, so the search for novel, safe and effective therapeutics that would help to reverse or delay cognitive impairment is warranted. Repurposing pharmacological therapies with well-established safety record for additional indications is a promising recent trend in drug development. Vertigoheel (VH-04), a multicomponent drug made of Ambra grisea, Anamirta cocculus L., Conium maculatum, and Petroleum rectificatum, has been successfully used for several decades in the treatment of vertigo. Here, we investigated effects of VH-04 on cognitive performance in standard behavioral tests assessing different types of memory and explored cellular and molecular underpinnings of VH-04's biological activity. Methods In the majority of behavioral experiments, namely in the spontaneous and rewarded alternation tests, passive avoidance test, contextual/cued fear conditioning, and social transmission of food preference, we examined the ability of single and repeated intraperitoneal administrations of VH-04 to improve cognitive parameters of mice and rats disrupted by the application of the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine. In addition, we also assessed how VH-04 affected novel object recognition and influenced performance of aged animals in Morris water maze. Furthermore, we also studied the effects of VH-04 on primary hippocampal neurons in vitro and mRNA expression of synaptophysin in the hippocampus. Results Administration of VH-04 positively influenced visual recognition memory in the novel object recognition test and alleviated the impairments in spatial working memory and olfactory memory caused by the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine in the spontaneous alternation and social transmission of food preference tests. In addition, VH-04 improved retention of the spatial orientation memory of old rats in the Morris water maze. In contrast, VH-04 did not have significant effects on scopolamine-induced impairments in tests of fear-aggravated memory or rewarded alternation. Experiments in vitro showed that VH-04 stimulated neurite growth and possibly reversed the age-dependent decrease in hippocampal synaptophysin mRNA expression, which implies that VH-04 may preserve synaptic integrity in the aging brain. Discussion Our findings allow a cautious conclusion that in addition to its ability to alleviate manifestations of vertigo, VH-04 may be also used as a cognitive enhancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anke Wahler
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Christine A. F. von Arnim
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Geriatrics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Li K, Yang J, Becker B, Li X. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy neurofeedback of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex enhances human spatial working memory. Neurophotonics 2023; 10:025011. [PMID: 37275655 PMCID: PMC10234406 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.10.2.025011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Significance Spatial working memory (SWM) is essential for daily life and deficits in this domain represent a common impairment across aging and several mental disorders. Impaired SWM has been closely linked to dysregulations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation. Aim The present study evaluates the feasibility and maintenance of functional near-infrared spectroscopy neurofeedback (fNIRS-NF) training of the DLPFC to enhance SWM in healthy individuals using a real-time fNIRS-NF platform developed by the authors. Approach We used a randomized sham-controlled between-subject fNIRS-NF design with 60 healthy subjects as a sample. Training-induced changes in the DLPFC, SWM, and attention performance served as primary outcomes. Results Feedback from the target channel significantly increased regional-specific DLPFC activation over the fNIRS-NF training compared to sham NF. A significant group difference in NF-induced frontoparietal connectivity was observed. Compared to the control group, the experimental group demonstrated significantly improved SWM and attention performance that were maintained for 1 week. Furthermore, a mediation analysis demonstrated that increased DLPFC activation mediated the effects of fNIRS-NF treatment on better SWM performance. Conclusions The present results demonstrated that successful self-regulation of DLPFC activation may represent a long-lasting intervention to improve human SWM and has the potential for further applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshuang Li
- East China Normal University, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Affiliated Mental Health Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinhao Yang
- East China Normal University, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Affiliated Mental Health Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Shanghai, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianchun Li
- East China Normal University, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Affiliated Mental Health Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Shanghai, China
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11
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Langer Horvat L, Španić Popovački E, Babić Leko M, Zubčić K, Horvat L, Mustapić M, Hof PR, Šimić G. Anterograde and Retrograde Propagation of Inoculated Human Tau Fibrils and Tau Oligomers in a Non-Transgenic Rat Tauopathy Model. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041004. [PMID: 37189622 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The tauopathy of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is first observed in the brainstem and entorhinal cortex, spreading trans-synaptically along specific pathways to other brain regions with recognizable patterns. Tau propagation occurs retrogradely and anterogradely (trans-synaptically) along a given pathway and through exosomes and microglial cells. Some aspects of in vivo tau spreading have been replicated in transgenic mice models expressing a mutated human MAPT (tau) gene and in wild-type mice. In this study, we aimed to characterize the propagation of different forms of tau species in non-transgenic 3-4 months old wild-type rats after a single unilateral injection of human tau oligomers and tau fibrils into the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC). We determined whether different variants of the inoculated human tau protein, tau fibrils, and tau oligomers, would induce similar neurofibrillary changes and propagate in an AD-related pattern, and how tau-related pathological changes would correlate with presumed cognitive impairment. We injected human tau fibrils and tau oligomers stereotaxically into the mEC and examined the distribution of tau-related changes at 3 days and 4, 8, and 11 months post-injection using antibodies AT8 and MC1, which reveal early phosphorylation and aberrant conformation of tau, respectively, HT7, anti-synaptophysin, and the Gallyas silver staining method. Human tau oligomers and tau fibrils exhibited some similarities and some differences in their ability to seed and propagate tau-related changes. Both human tau fibrils and tau oligomers rapidly propagated from the mEC anterogradely into the hippocampus and various parts of the neocortex. However, using a human tau-specific HT7 antibody, 3 days post-injection we found inoculated human tau oligomers in the red nucleus, primary motor, and primary somatosensory cortex, a finding not seen in animals inoculated with human tau fibrils. In animals inoculated with human tau fibrils, 3 days post-injection the HT7 antibody showed fibrils in the pontine reticular nucleus, a finding explained only by uptake of human tau fibrils by incoming presynaptic fibers to the mEC and retrograde transport of inoculated human tau fibrils to the brainstem. Rats inoculated with human tau fibrils showed as early as 4 months after inoculation a spread of phosphorylated tau protein at the AT8 epitopes throughout the brain, dramatically faster propagation of neurofibrillary changes than with human tau oligomers. The overall severity of tau protein changes 4, 8, and 11 months after inoculation of human tau oligomers and tau fibrils correlated well with spatial working memory and cognition impairments, as measured by the T-maze spontaneous alternation, novel object recognition, and object location tests. We concluded that this non-trangenic rat model of tauopathy, especially when using human tau fibrils, demonstrates rapidly developing pathologic alterations in neurons, synapses, and identifiable pathways together with cognitive and behavioral changes, through the anterograde and retrograde spreading of neurofibrillary degeneration. Therefore, it represents a promising model for future experimental studies of primary and secondary tauopathies, especially AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Langer Horvat
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ena Španić Popovački
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirjana Babić Leko
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Klara Zubčić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luka Horvat
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Mustapić
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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12
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Schettini E, Hiersche KJ, Saygin ZM. Individual Variability in Performance Reflects Selectivity of the Multiple Demand Network among Children and Adults. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1940-1951. [PMID: 36750368 PMCID: PMC10027032 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1460-22.2023] [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: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive function (EF) is essential for humans to effectively engage in cognitively demanding tasks. In adults, EF is subserved by frontoparietal regions in the multiple demand (MD) network, which respond to various cognitively demanding tasks. However, children initially show poor EF and prolonged development. Do children recruit the same network as adults? Is it functionally and connectionally distinct from adjacent language cortex, as in adults? And is this activation or connectivity dependent on age or ability? We examine task-dependent (spatial working memory and passive language tasks) and resting state functional data in 44 adults (18-38 years, 68% female) and 37 children (4-12 years, 35% female). Subject-specific functional ROIs (ss-fROIs) show bilateral MD network activation in children. In both children and adults, these MD ss-fROIs are not recruited for linguistic processing and are connectionally distinct from language ss-fROIs. While MD activation was lower in children than in adults (even in motion- and performance-matched groups), both showed increasing MD activation with better performance, especially in right hemisphere ss-fROIs. We observe this relationship even when controlling for age, cross-sectionally and in a small longitudinal sample of children. These data suggest that the MD network is selective to cognitive demand in children, is distinct from adjacent language cortex, and increases in selectivity as performance improves. These findings show that neural structures subserving domain-general EF emerge early and are sensitive to ability even in children. This research advances understanding of how high-level human cognition emerges and could inform interventions targeting cognitive control.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study provides evidence that young children already show differentiated brain network organization between regions that process cognitive demand and language. These data support the hypothesis that children recruit a similar network as adults to process cognitive demand; and despite immature characteristics, children's selectivity looks more adult-like as their executive function ability increases. Mapping early stages of network organization furthers our understanding of the functional architecture underlying domain-general executive function. Determining typical variability underlying cognitive processing across developmental periods helps establish a threshold for executive dysfunction. Early markers of dysfunction are necessary for effective early identification, prevention, and intervention efforts for individuals struggling with deficits in processing cognitive demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elana Schettini
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43212
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43212
| | - Kelly J Hiersche
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43212
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43212
| | - Zeynep M Saygin
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43212
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43212
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13
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Salazar AP, McGregor HR, Hupfeld KE, Beltran NE, Kofman IS, De Dios YE, Riascos RF, Reuter-Lorenz PA, Bloomberg JJ, Mulavara AP, Wood SJ, Seidler R. Changes in working memory brain activity and task-based connectivity after long-duration spaceflight. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2641-2654. [PMID: 35704860 PMCID: PMC10016051 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the longitudinal effects of approximately 6 months of spaceflight on brain activity and task-based connectivity during a spatial working memory (SWM) task. We further investigated whether any brain changes correlated with changes in SWM performance from pre- to post-flight. Brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging while astronauts (n = 15) performed a SWM task. Data were collected twice pre-flight and 4 times post-flight. No significant effects on SWM performance or brain activity were found due to spaceflight; however, significant pre- to post-flight changes in brain connectivity were evident. Superior occipital gyrus showed pre- to post-flight reductions in task-based connectivity with the rest of the brain. There was also decreased connectivity between the left middle occipital gyrus and the left parahippocampal gyrus, left cerebellum, and left lateral occipital cortex during SWM performance. These results may reflect increased visual network modularity with spaceflight. Further, increased visual and visuomotor connectivity were correlated with improved SWM performance from pre- to post-flight, while decreased visual and visual-frontal cortical connectivity were associated with poorer performance post-flight. These results suggest that while SWM performance remains consistent from pre- to post-flight, underlying changes in connectivity among supporting networks suggest both disruptive and compensatory alterations due to spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather R McGregor
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Kathleen E Hupfeld
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | | | - Igor S Kofman
- KBR, 601 Jefferson Street, Houston, TX 77002, United States
| | - Yiri E De Dios
- KBR, 601 Jefferson Street, Houston, TX 77002, United States
| | - Roy F Riascos
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Patricia A Reuter-Lorenz
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Jacob J Bloomberg
- NASA Johnson Space Center, 2101 E NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058, United States
| | | | - Scott J Wood
- NASA Johnson Space Center, 2101 E NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058, United States
| | - RachaelD Seidler
- Corresponding author: Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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14
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Volnova A, Kurzina N, Belskaya A, Gromova A, Pelevin A, Ptukha M, Fesenko Z, Ignashchenkova A, Gainetdinov RR. Noradrenergic Modulation of Learned and Innate Behaviors in Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats by Guanfacine. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11010222. [PMID: 36672730 PMCID: PMC9856099 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11010222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigation of the precise mechanisms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other dopamine-associated conditions is crucial for the development of new treatment approaches. In this study, we assessed the effects of repeated and acute administration of α2A-adrenoceptor agonist guanfacine on innate and learned forms of behavior of dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) rats to evaluate the possible noradrenergic modulation of behavioral deficits. DAT-KO and wild type rats were trained in the Hebb-Williams maze to perform spatial working memory tasks. Innate behavior was evaluated via pre pulse inhibition (PPI). Brain activity of the prefrontal cortex and the striatum was assessed. Repeated administration of GF improved the spatial working memory task fulfillment and PPI in DAT-KO rats, and led to specific changes in the power spectra and coherence of brain activity. Our data indicate that both repeated and acute treatment with a non-stimulant noradrenergic drug lead to improvements in the behavior of DAT-KO rats. This study further supports the role of the intricate balance of norepinephrine and dopamine in the regulation of attention. The observed compensatory effect of guanfacine on the behavior of hyperdopaminergic rats may be used in the development of combined treatments to support the dopamine-norepinephrine balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Volnova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Biological Faculty, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Natalia Kurzina
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Anastasia Belskaya
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Arina Gromova
- Biological Faculty, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Arseniy Pelevin
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Biological Faculty, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Maria Ptukha
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Zoia Fesenko
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | | | - Raul R. Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Saint Petersburg University Hospital, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
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15
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Li C, Tian W, He Y, Wang C, Wang X, Xu X, Bai L, Xue T, Liao Y, Xu T, Liu X, Wu S. How are patterned movements stored in working memory? Front Psychol 2023; 14:1074520. [PMID: 36874799 PMCID: PMC9982134 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1074520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In this study, the change detection paradigm was used to study the working memory of patterned movements and the relationship of this type of memory with the visuospatial sketchpad in three experiments. Methods Experiment 1 measured participants' working memory capacity for patterned movements and explored the influence of stimulus type with indicators such as response time and accuracy rate. Experiments 2 and 3 explored the relationship between patterned movements and the visual and spatial subsystems, respectively. Results The results of Experiment 1 indicated that individuals can store 3-4 patterned movements in working memory; however, a change in stimulus format or an increase in memory load may decrease the speed and efficiency of working memory processing. The results of Experiment 2 showed that working memory and visual working memory are independent when processing patterned movements. The results of Experiment 3 showed that the working memory of patterned movements was affected by spatial working memory. Discussion Changes in stimulus type and memory load exerted different effects on the working memory capacity of participants. These results provide behavioral evidence that the storage of patterned movement information is independent of the visual subsystem but requires the spatial subsystem of the visuospatial sketchpad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congchong Li
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenqing Tian
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang He
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chaoxian Wang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xianyang Wang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Air Force Bureau of Trainee Pilot Selection, Nanjing Central Division, Nanjing, China
| | - Lifeng Bai
- Department of Social Sciences, Aviation University of Air Force, Changchun, China
| | - Ting Xue
- Department of Social Sciences, Aviation University of Air Force, Changchun, China
| | - Yang Liao
- Air Force Medical Center, Air Force Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Secondary Air Force Healthcare Center for Special Services, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xufeng Liu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengjun Wu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
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16
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Singh BJ, Zu L, Summers J, Asdjodi S, Glasgow E, Kanwal JS. NemoTrainer: Automated Conditioning for Stimulus-Directed Navigation and Decision Making in Free-Swimming Zebrafish. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010116. [PMID: 36611725 PMCID: PMC9817937 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Current methods for associative conditioning in animals involve human intervention that is labor intensive, stressful to animals, and introduces experimenter bias in the data. Here, we describe a simple apparatus and a flexible, microcontroller-based conditioning paradigm that minimizes human intervention. Our methodology exploits directed movement towards a target that depends on spatial working memory, including processing of sensory inputs, motivational drive, and attentional mechanisms. Within a stimulus-driven conditioning paradigm designed to train zebrafish, we present a localized pulse of light via LEDs and/or sounds via an underwater transducer. A webcam placed below a glass tank records fish-swimming behavior. For classical conditioning, animals simply associate a sound or light with an unconditioned stimulus, such as a small food reward presented at a fixed location, and swim towards that location to obtain a few grains of food dispensed automatically via a sensor-triggered, stepper motor. During operant conditioning, a fish must first approach a proximity sensor at a remote location and then swim to the reward location. For both types of conditioning, a timing-gated interrupt activates stepper motors via custom software embedded within a microcontroller (Arduino). "Ardulink", a Java facility, implements Arduino-computer communication protocols. In this way, a Java-based user interface running on a host computer can provide full experimental control. Alternatively, a similar level of control is achieved via an Arduino script communicating with an event-driven application controller running on the host computer. Either approach can enable precise, multi-day scheduling of training, including timing, location, and intensity of stimulus parameters; and the feeder. Learning can be tracked by monitoring turning, location, response times, and directional swimming of individual fish. This facilitates the comparison of performance within and across a cohort of animals. Our scheduling and control software and apparatus ("NemoTrainer") can be used to study multiple aspects of species-specific behaviors as well as the effects on them of various interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bishen J. Singh
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1460, USA
| | - Luciano Zu
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1460, USA
| | - Jacqueline Summers
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1460, USA
| | - Saman Asdjodi
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1460, USA
| | - Eric Glasgow
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1460, USA
| | - Jagmeet S. Kanwal
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1460, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(202)-687-1305
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17
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Jo Y, Lee S, Jung T, Park G, Lee C, Im GH, Lee S, Park JS, Oh C, Kook G, Kim H, Kim S, Lee BC, Suh GS, Kim S, Kim J, Lee HJ. General-Purpose Ultrasound Neuromodulation System for Chronic, Closed-Loop Preclinical Studies in Freely Behaving Rodents. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2022; 9:e2202345. [PMID: 36259285 PMCID: PMC9731702 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202345] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS) is an effective noninvasive treatment modality for brain disorders with high clinical potential. However, the therapeutic effects of ultrasound neuromodulation are not widely explored due to limitations in preclinical systems. The current preclinical studies are head-fixed, anesthesia-dependent, and acute, limiting clinical translatability. Here, this work reports a general-purpose ultrasound neuromodulation system for chronic, closed-loop preclinical studies in freely behaving rodents. This work uses microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to design and fabricate a small and lightweight transducer capable of artifact-free stimulation and simultaneous neural recording. Using the general-purpose system, it can be observed that state-dependent ultrasound neuromodulation of the prefrontal cortex increases rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and protects spatial working memory to REM sleep deprivation. The system will allow explorative studies in brain disease therapeutics and neuromodulation using ultrasound stimulation for widespread clinical adoption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehhyun Jo
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Sang‐Mok Lee
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Taesub Jung
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI)Daegu41068Republic of Korea
| | - Gijae Park
- Department of Electrical EngineeringKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
| | - Chanhee Lee
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwon16419Republic of Korea
| | - Geun Ho Im
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwon16419Republic of Korea
| | - Seongju Lee
- Department of Biological SciencesKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Soo Park
- Department of Electrical EngineeringKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
- Creative Research Center for Brain ScienceKorea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)Seoul02792Republic of Korea
| | - Chaerin Oh
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Geon Kook
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunggug Kim
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Seongyeon Kim
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Chul Lee
- Creative Research Center for Brain ScienceKorea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)Seoul02792Republic of Korea
| | - Greg S.B. Suh
- Department of Biological SciencesKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Seong‐Gi Kim
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwon16419Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringSungkyunkwan UniversitySuwon16419Republic of Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare ConvergenceSungkyunkwan UniversitySuwon16419Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongyeon Kim
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI)Daegu41068Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjoo J. Lee
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology (KIHST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
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18
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Wang J, Zhang S, Liu T, Zheng X, Tian X, Bai W. Directional prefrontal-thalamic information flow is selectively required during spatial working memory retrieval. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1055986. [PMID: 36507330 PMCID: PMC9726760 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1055986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Spatial working memory is a kind of short-term memory that allows temporarily storing and manipulating spatial information. Evidence suggests that spatial working memory is processed through three distinctive phases: Encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. Though the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and mediodorsal thalamus (MD) are involved in memory retrieval, how the functional interactions and information transfer between mPFC and MD remains largely unclear. Methods We recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from mPFC and MD while mice performed a spatial working memory task in T-maze. The temporal dynamics of functional interactions and bidirectional information flow between mPFC and MD was quantitatively assessed by using directed transfer function. Results Our results showed a significantly elevated information flow from mPFC to MD, varied in time and frequency (theta in particular), accompanying successful memory retrieval. Discussion Elevated theta information flow, a feature that was absent on error trials, indicates an important role of the directional information transfer from mPFC to MD for memory retrieval.
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Murphy HM, Kalinina AI, Wideman CH. Effects of Chronic Oral Administration of Midazolam on Memory and Circadian Rhythms in Rats. Drug Res (Stuttg) 2022; 73:40-45. [PMID: 36302539 PMCID: PMC9810437 DOI: 10.1055/a-1937-9064] [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] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies have shown the ability of benzodiazepine drugs to cause memory loss in animals and humans. Midazolam is a benzodiazepine commonly administered intravenously during surgical procedures because it reacts rapidly, causes anterograde amnesia, and has few side effects. It has also been used in palliative medicine where, among others, an oral route has been employed for chronic administration of the drug. The current study evaluated the effects of chronic orally administered midazolam on spatial working memory and procedural memory in control and experimental female rats over a three-week experimental period utilizing the Morris water maze. Sample and test run times to a submerged platform in the maze were recorded daily. In addition, activity wheels attached to each cage were employed to monitor daily circadian activity of the animals. Spatial working memory was not impaired in either group. However, procedural memory amnesia occurred in animals receiving the drug indicative of a consolidation or retrieval problem. Concerning circadian rhythms, a phase-shift was noted in experimental animals possibly indicating that time of day of drug administration is important. The findings of the present study could shed insight into altered reactions observed in humans who have received midazolam as a component of treatment in palliative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Murphy
- John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, USA,Corresponding Dr. Helen M.
Murphy Neuroscience Program, John Carroll University 1
John Carroll Blvd, University Heights44118
OHUSA(216) 397-4359(216)
397-1633
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20
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Li Y, Sun H, Huang Y, Yin A, Zhang L, Han J, Lyu Y, Xu X, Zhai Y, Sun H, Wang P, Zhao J, Sun S, Dong H, Zhu F, Wang Q, Augusto Rohde L, Xie X, Sun X, Xiong L. Gut metagenomic characteristics of ADHD reveal low Bacteroides ovatus-associated host cognitive impairment. Gut Microbes 2022; 14:2125747. [PMID: 36128620 PMCID: PMC9519028 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2125747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder that can have three phenotypical presentations: inattentive (I-ADHD), hyperactive-impulsive (HI-ADHD), and combined (C-ADHD). Environmental factors correlated with the gut microbiota community have been implicated in the development of ADHD. However, whether different ADHD symptomatic presentations are associated with distinct microbiota compositions and whether patients could benefit from the correction of aberrant bacterial colonization are still largely unclear. We carried out metagenomic shotgun analysis with 207 human fecal samples to characterize the gut microbial profiles of patients with ADHD grouped according to their phenotypical presentation. Then, we transplanted the candidate low-abundance bacteria identified in patient subgroups into ADHD rats and evaluated ADHD-associated behaviors and neuronal activation in these rats. Patients with C-ADHD had a different gut microbial composition from that of healthy controls (HCs) (p = .02), but not from that of I-ADHD patients. Eight species became progressively attenuated or enriched when comparing the compositions of HCs to those of I-ADHD and C-ADHD; in particular, the abundance of Bacteroides ovatus was depleted in patients with C-ADHD. In turn, Bacteroides ovatus supplementation ameliorated spatial working memory deficits and reversed θ electroencephalogram rhythm alterations in ADHD rats. In addition, Bacteroides ovatus induced enhanced neuronal activation in the hippocampal CA1 subregion. These findings indicate that gut microbial characteristics that are unique to patients with C-ADHD may be masked when considering a more heterogeneous group of patients. We link the gut microbiota to brain function in an ADHD animal model, suggesting the relevance of testing a potential bacteria-based intervention for some aspects of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China,Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China,CONTACT Yan Li Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University; Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haiting Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | | | - Anqi Yin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Linjuan Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jiao Han
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yixuan Lyu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiangzhao Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yifang Zhai
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Huan Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | | | | | - Hailong Dong
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Luis Augusto Rohde
- ADHD and Developmental Psychiatry Programs, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Xuefeng Xie
- BGI-Sanya, Sanya, China,Xuefeng Xie BGI-Sanya, Sanya, China
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China,Xin Sun Department of Pediatrics, Xijing Hospital the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Lize Xiong
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence & Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Shanghai, China,Lize Xiong Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence & Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Shanghai, China
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Li B, Dong H, Wang Y, Li F, Gao X, Ma H, Gao L. Effects of sleep insufficiency on spatial working memory in low-pressure and hypoxic environments. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e30210. [PMID: 36107513 PMCID: PMC9439777 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000030210] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the effects of sleep insufficiency on spatial working memory in low-pressure and hypoxic environments. METHODS We selected 58 insufficient sleepers and 27 normal sleepers among the college students living in high-altitude areas for a long time to receive a spatial 2-back working memory task, while collecting behavioral and electroencephalograph data. We adopted an independent sample t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance to compare the differences in response time and accuracy, P2 and late positive potential components, and theta band energy values in the spatial working memory task between insufficient and normal sleepers. RESULTS We found no significant differences in response time and accuracy between the insufficient sleep group and the normal sleep group; however, the P2 peak value and the early theta band energy value were higher in the insufficient sleep group than in the normal sleep group. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the spatial working memory ability of individuals with sleep insufficiency was weakened under low-pressure and low-oxygen environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingqi Li
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University/South China Normal University, Lhasa, China
| | - Haotian Dong
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University/South China Normal University, Lhasa, China
| | - Yanxiang Wang
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University/South China Normal University, Lhasa, China
| | - Fangming Li
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University/South China Normal University, Lhasa, China
| | - Xiaolei Gao
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University/South China Normal University, Lhasa, China
| | - Hailin Ma
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University/South China Normal University, Lhasa, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University/South China Normal University, Lhasa, China
- *Correspondence: Lei Gao, Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University, Jiangsu Road No. 36, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000, China (e-mail: )
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22
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Kurzina N, Belskaya A, Gromova A, Ignashchenkova A, Gainetdinov RR, Volnova A. Modulation of Spatial Memory Deficit and Hyperactivity in Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats via α2A-Adrenoceptors. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:851296. [PMID: 35401264 PMCID: PMC8990031 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.851296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is manifested by a specific set of behavioral deficits such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. The dopamine neurotransmitter system is postulated to be involved in the pathogenesis of ADHD. Guanfacine, a selective α2A-adrenoceptor agonist, is prescribed for ADHD treatment. ADHD also is known to be associated with impairment of multiple aspects of cognition, including spatial memory, however, it remains unclear how modulation of the norepinephrine system can affect these deficits. Hyperdopaminergic dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) rats are a valuable model for investigating ADHD. The DAT-KO rats are hyperactive and deficient in spatial working memory. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of noradrenergic drugs on the fulfillment of spatial cognitive tasks by DAT-KO rats. The rats were tested in the Hebb - Williams maze during training and following noradrenergic drugs administration. The efficiency of spatial orientation was assessed as to how fast the animal finds an optimal way to the goal box. Testing in a new maze configuration allowed us to evaluate the effects of drug administration after the acquisition of the task rules. The behavioral variables such as the distance traveled, the time to reach the goal box, and the time spent in the error zones were analyzed. It has been observed that α2A-adrenoceptor agonist Guanfacine (0.25 mg/kg) had only a minimal inhibitory effect on hyperactivity of DAT-KO rats in the maze but significantly ameliorated their perseverative pattern of activity and reduced the time spent in the error zones. In contrast, α2A-adrenoceptor antagonist Yohimbine, at the dose of 1 mg/kg, increased the distance traveled by DAT-KO rats and elevated the number of perseverative reactions and the time spent in the error zones. Guanfacine caused minimal effects in wild-type rats, while Yohimbine altered several parameters reflecting a detrimental effect on the performance in the maze. These data indicate that modulation of α2A-adrenoceptor activity potently affects both dopamine-dependent hyperactivity and cognitive dysfunctions. Similar mechanisms may be involved in the beneficial effects of Guanfacine on cognitive deficits in ADHD patients. This study further supports the translational potential of DAT-KO rats for testing new pharmacological drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kurzina
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anastasia Belskaya
- Biological Faculty, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Arina Gromova
- Biological Faculty, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alla Ignashchenkova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Saint Petersburg University Hospital, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Volnova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Biological Faculty, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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23
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Zhou Q, Jiang Z, Ding J. Reward Expectation Differentially Modulates Global and Local Spatial Working Memory Accuracy. Front Psychol 2021; 12:744400. [PMID: 34721223 PMCID: PMC8554088 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it has been suggested that reward expectation affects the performance of spatial working memory tasks, controversial results have been found in previous experiments. Hence, it is still unclear to what extent reward expectation has an effect on working memory. To clarify this question, a memory-guided saccade task was applied, in which participants were instructed to retain and reconstruct a temporospatial sequence of four locations by moving their eyes in each trial. The global- and local-level spatial working memory accuracies were calculated to determine the reward effect on the global and local level of processing in spatial working memory tasks. Although high reward expectation enhanced the encoding of spatial information, the percentage of trials in which the cued location was correctly fixated decreased with increment of reward expectation. The reconstruction of the global temporospatial sequence was enhanced by reward expectation, whereas the local reconstruction performance was not affected by reward. Furthermore, the improvements in local representations of uncued locations and local sequences were at the cost of the representation of cued locations. The results suggest that the reward effect on spatial working memory is modulated by the level of processing, which supports the flexible resource theory during maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingjie Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zanzan Jiang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhong Ding
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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24
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Namgyal D, Ali S, Hussain MD, Kazi M, Ahmad A, Sarwat M. Curcumin Ameliorates the Cd-Induced Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Neuro-Inflammatory Proteins in the Prefrontal Cortex Region of the Brain. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10111710. [PMID: 34829581 PMCID: PMC8614802 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10111710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related neurodegenerative diseases and vascular dementia are major challenges to the modern health care system. Most neurodegenerative diseases are associated with impaired spatial working memory and anxiety-like behavior. Thus, it is important to understand the underlying cellular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases in different regions of the brain to develop an effective therapeutic approach. In our previous research paper, we have reported the ameliorative effect of curcumin in Cd-induced hippocampal neurodegeneration. However, recently many researchers had reported the important role of the prefrontal cortex in higher cognitive functions. Therefore, to look into the cellular mechanism of curcumin protection against Cd-induced prefrontal cortex neurotoxicity, we investigated spatial working memory, anxiety-like behavior and analyzed prefrontal cortex inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα), antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH, and CAT), and pro-oxidant MDA level. Further, we conducted histological studies of the prefrontal cortex in Swiss albino mice exposed to cadmium (2.5 mg/kg). We observed that curcumin treatment improved the spatial working memory and anxiety-like behavior of mice through reduction of prefrontal cortex neuroinflammation and oxidative stress as well as increasing the number of viable prefrontal cortex neuronal cells. Our result suggests that environmental heavy metal cadmium can induce behavioral impairment in mice through prefrontal cortex cellular inflammation and oxidative stress. We found that curcumin has a potential therapeutic property to mitigate these behavioral and biochemical impairments induced by cadmium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhondup Namgyal
- Amity Institute of Neuropsychology and Neuroscience, Amity University, Noida 201303, India;
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida 201303, India
| | - Sher Ali
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, India;
| | - Muhammad Delwar Hussain
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, California Health Sciences University, 120 N. Clovis Avenue, Clovis, CA 93612, USA;
| | - Mohsin Kazi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Ajaz Ahmad
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Maryam Sarwat
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida 201303, India
- Correspondence:
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Gokce A, Zinchenko A, Annac E, Conci M, Geyer T. Affective Modulation of Working Memory Maintenance: The Role of Positive and Negative Emotions. Adv Cogn Psychol 2021; 17:107-116. [PMID: 37706177 PMCID: PMC10497230 DOI: 10.5709/acp-0321-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the impact of task-irrelevant emotional images on the retention of information in spatial working memory (WM). Two experiments employed a delayed matching to-sample task where participants had to maintain the locations of four briefly presented squares. After a short retention interval, a probe item appeared and participants were required to indicate whether the probe position matched one of the previously occupied square positions. During the retention interval, task-irrelevant negative, positive, or neutral emotional pictures were presented. The results revealed a dissociation between negative and positive affect on the participants' ability to hold spatial locations in WM. While negative affective pictures reduced WM capacity, positive pictures increased WM capacity relative to the neutral images. Moreover, the specific valence and arousal of a given emotional picture was also related to WM performance: While higher valence enhanced WM capacity, higher levels of arousal in turn reduced WM capacity. Together, our findings suggest that emotions up- or down-regulate attention to items in WM and thus modulate the short term storage of visual information in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahu Gokce
- Department of Psychology, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Artyom Zinchenko
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Efsun Annac
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Markus Conci
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Thomas Geyer
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
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Huerta-Cervantes M, Peña-Montes DJ, López-Vázquez MÁ, Montoya-Pérez R, Cortés-Rojo C, Olvera-Cortés ME, Saavedra-Molina A. Effects of Gestational Diabetes in Cognitive Behavior, Oxidative Stress and Metabolism on the Second-Generation Off-Spring of Rats. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13051575. [PMID: 34066827 PMCID: PMC8150291 DOI: 10.3390/nu13051575] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational diabetes (GD) has a negative impact on neurodevelopment, resulting in cognitive and neurological deficiencies. Oxidative stress (OS) has been reported in the brain of the first-generation offspring of GD rats. OS has been strongly associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we determined the effect of GD on the cognitive behavior, oxidative stress and metabolism of second-generation offspring. GD was induced with streptozotocin (STZ) in pregnant rats to obtain first-generation offspring (F1), next female F1 rats were mated with control males to obtain second-generation offspring (F2). Two and six-month-old F2 males and females were employed. Anxious-type behavior, spatial learning and spatial working memory were evaluated. In cerebral cortex and hippocampus, the oxidative stress and serum biochemical parameters were measured. Male F2 GD offspring presented the highest level of anxiety-type behavior, whilst females had the lowest level of anxiety-type behavior at juvenile age. In short-term memory, adult females presented deficiencies. The offspring F2 GD females presented modifications in oxidative stress biomarkers in the cerebral cortex as lipid-peroxidation, oxidized glutathione and catalase activity. We also observed metabolic disturbances, particularly in the lipid and insulin levels of male and female F2 GD offspring. Our results suggest a transgenerational effect of GD on metabolism, anxiety-like behavior, and spatial working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maribel Huerta-Cervantes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Michoacán, Mexico; (M.H.-C.); (D.J.P.-M.); (R.M.-P.); (C.C.-R.)
| | - Donovan J. Peña-Montes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Michoacán, Mexico; (M.H.-C.); (D.J.P.-M.); (R.M.-P.); (C.C.-R.)
| | - Miguel Ángel López-Vázquez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Michoacán, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Morelia 58341, Michoacán, Mexico;
| | - Rocío Montoya-Pérez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Michoacán, Mexico; (M.H.-C.); (D.J.P.-M.); (R.M.-P.); (C.C.-R.)
| | - Christian Cortés-Rojo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Michoacán, Mexico; (M.H.-C.); (D.J.P.-M.); (R.M.-P.); (C.C.-R.)
| | - María Esther Olvera-Cortés
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Michoacán, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Morelia 58341, Michoacán, Mexico;
- Correspondence: (M.E.O.-C.); (A.S.-M.); Tel.: +52-443-322-2600 (M.E.O.-C.); +52-443-326-5790 (A.S.-M.)
| | - Alfredo Saavedra-Molina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Michoacán, Mexico; (M.H.-C.); (D.J.P.-M.); (R.M.-P.); (C.C.-R.)
- Correspondence: (M.E.O.-C.); (A.S.-M.); Tel.: +52-443-322-2600 (M.E.O.-C.); +52-443-326-5790 (A.S.-M.)
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Couperus JW, Lydic KO, Hollis JE, Roy JL, Lowe AR, Bukach CM, Reed CL. Individual Differences in Working Memory and the N2pc. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:620413. [PMID: 33776669 PMCID: PMC7990761 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.620413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateralized ERP N2pc component has been shown to be an effective marker of attentional object selection when elicited in a visual search task, specifically reflecting the selection of a target item among distractors. Moreover, when targets are known in advance, the visual search process is guided by representations of target features held in working memory at the time of search, thus guiding attention to objects with target-matching features. Previous studies have shown that manipulating working memory availability via concurrent tasks or within task manipulations influences visual search performance and the N2pc. Other studies have indicated that visual (non-spatial) vs. spatial working memory manipulations have differential contributions to visual search. To investigate this the current study assesses participants' visual and spatial working memory ability independent of the visual search task to determine whether such individual differences in working memory affect task performance and the N2pc. Participants (n = 205) completed a visual search task to elicit the N2pc and separate visual working memory (VWM) and spatial working memory (SPWM) assessments. Greater SPWM, but not VWM, ability is correlated with and predicts higher visual search accuracy and greater N2pc amplitudes. Neither VWM nor SPWM was related to N2pc latency. These results provide additional support to prior behavioral and neural visual search findings that spatial WM availability, whether as an ability of the participant's processing system or based on task demands, plays an important role in efficient visual search.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane W Couperus
- Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, United States.,Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Amy R Lowe
- Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Cindy M Bukach
- Psychology Department, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
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Kurikawa T, Mizuseki K, Fukai T. Oscillation-Driven Memory Encoding, Maintenance, and Recall in an Entorhinal-Hippocampal Circuit Model. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2038-2057. [PMID: 33230536 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During the execution of working memory tasks, task-relevant information is processed by local circuits across multiple brain regions. How this multiarea computation is conducted by the brain remains largely unknown. To explore such mechanisms in spatial working memory, we constructed a neural network model involving parvalbumin-positive, somatostatin-positive, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-positive interneurons in the hippocampal CA1 and the superficial and deep layers of medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). Our model is based on a hypothesis that cholinergic modulations differently regulate information flows across CA1 and MEC at memory encoding, maintenance, and recall during delayed nonmatching-to-place tasks. In the model, theta oscillation coordinates the proper timing of interactions between these regions. Furthermore, the model predicts that MEC is engaged in decoding as well as encoding spatial memory, which we confirmed by experimental data analysis. Thus, our model accounts for the neurobiological characteristics of the cross-area information routing underlying working memory tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Kurikawa
- Department of Physics, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1191, Japan
| | - Kenji Mizuseki
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
| | - Tomoki Fukai
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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Du Y, Wei J, Yang X, Dou Y, Zhao L, Qi X, Yu X, Guo W, Wang Q, Deng W, Li M, Lin D, Li T, Ma X. Plasma metabolites were associated with spatial working memory in major depressive disorder. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e24581. [PMID: 33663067 PMCID: PMC7909221 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000024581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common disease with both affective and cognitive disorders. Alterations in metabolic systems of MDD patients have been reported, but the underlying mechanisms still remains unclear. We sought to identify abnormal metabolites in MDD by metabolomics and to explore the association between differential metabolites and neurocognitive dysfunction.Plasma samples from 53 MDD patients and 83 sex-, gender-, BMI-matched healthy controls (HCs) were collected. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system was then used to detect metabolites in those samples. Two different algorithms were applied to identify differential metabolites in 2 groups. Of the 136 participants, 35 MDD patients and 48 HCs had completed spatial working memory test. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was applied to explore the relationship between differential metabolites and working memory in these 2 groups.The top 5 metabolites which were found in sparse partial least squares-discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) model and random forest (RF) model were the same, and significant difference was found in 3 metabolites between MDD and HCs, namely, gamma-glutamyl leucine, leucine-enkephalin, and valeric acid. In addition, MDD patients had higher scores in spatial working memory (SWM) between errors and total errors than HCs. Valeric acid was positively correlated with working memory in MDD group.Gamma-glutamyl leucine, leucine-enkephalin, and valeric acid were preliminarily proven to be decreased in MDD patients. In addition, MDD patients performed worse in working memory than HCs. Dysfunction in working memory of MDD individuals was associated with valeric acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Du
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
| | - Jinxue Wei
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Xiao Yang
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
| | - Yikai Dou
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
| | - Liansheng Zhao
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Xueyu Qi
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
| | - Xueli Yu
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Qiang Wang
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Wei Deng
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Minli Li
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Dongtao Lin
- College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Sichuan University, PR China
| | - Tao Li
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Xiaohong Ma
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health Center
- West China Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu
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30
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Sable HJ, MacDonnchadh JJ, Lee HW, Butawan M, Simpson RN, Krueger KM, Bloomer RJ. Working memory and hippocampal expression of BDNF, ARC, and P-STAT3 in rats: effects of diet and exercise. Nutr Neurosci 2021; 25:1609-1622. [PMID: 33593241 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2021.1885230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Mounting evidence suggests diet and exercise influence learning and memory (LM). We compared a high-fat, high-sucrose Western diet (WD) to a plant-based, amylose/amylopectin blend, lower-fat diet known as the Daniel Fast (DF) in rats with and without regular aerobic exercise on a task of spatial working memory (WM). METHODS Rats were randomly assigned to the WD or DF at 6 weeks of age. Exercised rats (WD-E, DF-E) ran on a treadmill 3 times/week for 30 min while the sedentary rats did not (WD-S, DF-S). Rats adhered to these assignments for 12 weeks, inclusive of ab libitum food intake, after which mild food restriction was implemented to encourage responding during WM testing. For nine months, WM performance was assessed once daily, six days per week, after which hippocampal sections were collected for subsequent analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein (ARC), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (P-STAT3, Tyr705). RESULTS DF-E rats exhibited the best DSA performance. Surprisingly, the WD-S group outperformed the WD-E group, but had significantly lower BDNF and ARC relative to the DF-S group, with a similar trend from the WD-E group. P-STAT3 expression was also significantly elevated in the WD-S group compared to both the DF-S and WD-E groups. DISCUSSION These results support previous research demonstrating negative effects of the WD on spatial LM, demonstrate the plant-based DF regimen combined with chronic aerobic exercise produces measurable WM and neuroprotective benefits, and suggest the need to carefully design exercise prescriptions to avoid over-stressing individuals making concurrent dietary changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen J Sable
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Harold W Lee
- College of Health Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Matthew Butawan
- College of Health Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Raven N Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Katie M Krueger
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
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31
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Crabtree J, Hudson JL, Brockman R, Newton-John T. Spatial working memory, not IQ or executive function, discriminates early psychosis and clinically vulnerable creative individuals. Early Interv Psychiatry 2021; 15:47-56. [PMID: 31910493 DOI: 10.1111/eip.12909] [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] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIM While associations between creativity and psychopathology have been well researched, the specific cognitive processes that distinguish highly creative from those with psychopathology warrant further investigation. This study will examine whether IQ, executive function, cognitive inhibition or spatial working memory differentiate individuals with early psychosis, clinically vulnerable creative individuals, creative controls and non-creative controls. METHODS The study sample consisted of 110 participants: early psychosis (n = 21); clinically vulnerable creative controls (n = 25); creative controls (n = 30) and non-creative control (n = 34). The Diagnostic Interview for Psychosis assessed early psychosis participants and the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to screen for psychopathology in the remaining groups. Several cognitive tests were administered: IQ, neurocognitive measures of executive function and spatial working memory. Creativity was assessed using the Torrance Test of Creativity and Creative Achievement Questionnaire. A measure of vividness of mental imagery was also given. RESULTS Across all cognitive tests, spatial working memory differentiated the early psychosis group from both creative and non-creative control groups. Spatial working memory predicted group membership but vivid imagery was a better predictor of creative achievement. The early psychosis, clinically vulnerable creative and creative groups all recorded significantly higher results on creative achievement and creative cognition compared to non-creative controls. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide further support for spatial working memory as an early neuro-cognitive marker for early psychosis. Spatial working memory, rather than IQ or executive function, may also be an early protective factor for clinically vulnerable young creative individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Crabtree
- Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Hudson
- Centre for Emotional Health, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robert Brockman
- Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Toby Newton-John
- Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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32
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Engelbeen S, Aartsma-Rus A, Koopmans B, Loos M, van Putten M. Assessment of Behavioral Characteristics With Procedures of Minimal Human Interference in the mdx Mouse Model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:629043. [PMID: 33551769 PMCID: PMC7855581 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.629043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe, progressive neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene resulting in loss of functional dystrophin protein. The muscle dystrophin isoform is essential to protect muscles from contraction-induced damage. However, most dystrophin isoforms are expressed in the brain. In addition to progressive muscle weakness, many DMD patients therefore also exhibit intellectual and behavioral abnormalities. The most commonly used mouse model for DMD, the mdx mouse, lacks only the full-length dystrophin isoforms and has been extensively characterized for muscle pathology. In this study, we assessed behavioral effects of a lack of full-length dystrophins on spontaneous behavior, discrimination and reversal learning, anxiety, and short-term spatial memory and compared performance between male and female mdx mice. In contrast to our previous study using only female mdx mice, we could not reproduce the earlier observed reversal learning deficit. However, we did notice small differences in the number of visits made during the Y-maze and dark-light box. Results indicate that it is advisable to establish standard operating procedures specific to behavioral testing in mdx mice to allow the detection of the subtle phenotypic differences and to eliminate inter and intra laboratory variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Engelbeen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Maarten Loos
- Sylics (Synaptologics B.V.), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maaike van Putten
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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33
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Kuang Y, Flouri E. Spatial working memory in young adolescents with different childhood trajectories of internalizing, conduct and hyperactivity/inattention problems. Br J Educ Psychol 2020; 91:827-849. [PMID: 33290577 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In children, internalizing and externalizing problems impact on learning. However, there is limited research on the specific impact of such problems on spatial working memory (SWM), strongly related to cognitive ability and children's learning. AIMS We explored distinct trajectories of internalizing problems and externalizing problems (conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention) in a large general-population sample of children followed from age 3 to age 11 years. We then assessed their role in SWM performance at age 11 years. SAMPLE Data were drawn from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study. Our analytic sample was children with data on SWM at age 11 years (N = 12,589). METHODS There were two stages of data analysis. Trajectory group membership was firstly estimated by group-based trajectory modelling for internalizing problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity/inattention at ages 3-11 years. Multiple regression then assessed the relationship between SWM at age 11 years and trajectory group membership after accounting for confounders. RESULTS Trajectories of internalizing, conduct, and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms across ages 3 to 11 years were related to SWM at age 11 years, even after controlling for confounding variables. For each of the three symptom domains, poor SWM was most consistently found in children with chronically high levels of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS In general, atypical patterns of internalizing problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity/inattention in childhood were related to poorer SWM in early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Kuang
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK
| | - Eirini Flouri
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK
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34
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Tournier BB, Barca C, Fall AB, Gloria Y, Meyer L, Ceyzériat K, Millet P. Spatial reference learning deficits in absence of dysfunctional working memory in the TgF344-AD rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Genes Brain Behav 2020; 20:e12712. [PMID: 33150709 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive disorders and alterations of behavioral traits such as anhedonia and anxiety. Contribution of nonphysiological forms of amyloid and tau peptides to the onset of neurological dysfunctions remains unclear because most preclinical models only present one of those pathological AD-related biomarkers. A more recently developed model, the TgF344-AD rat has the advantage of overexpressing amyloid and naturally developing tauopathy, thus making it close to human familial forms of AD. We showed the presence of a learning dysfunction in a reference memory test, without spatial working memory impairment but with an increase in anxiety levels and a decrease in motivation to participate in the test. In the sucrose preference test, TgF344-AD rats did not show signs of anhedonia but did not increase the volume of liquid consumed when the water was replaced by sucrose solution. These behavioral phenomena were observed at an age when tau accumulation are absent, and where amyloid deposits are predominant in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. Within the hippocampus itself, amyloid accumulation is heterogenous between the subiculum, the dorsal hippocampus and the ventral hippocampus. Thus, our data demonstrated heterogeneity in the appearance of various behavioral and neurochemical markers in the TgF344-AD rat. This multivariate analysis will therefore make it possible to define the stage of the pathology, to measure its evolution and the effects of future therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B Tournier
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Barca
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aïda B Fall
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yesica Gloria
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Léa Meyer
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kelly Ceyzériat
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Millet
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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35
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Peng Z, Dai C, Cai X, Zeng L, Li J, Xie S, Wang H, Yang T, Shao Y, Wang Y. Total Sleep Deprivation Impairs Lateralization of Spatial Working Memory in Young Men. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:562035. [PMID: 33122988 PMCID: PMC7573126 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.562035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Total sleep deprivation (TSD) negatively affects cognitive function. Previous research has focused on individual variation in cognitive function following TSD, but we know less about how TSD influences the lateralization of spatial working memory. This study used event-related-potential techniques to explore asymmetry in spatial-working-memory impairment. Fourteen healthy male participants performed a two-back task with electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings conducted at baseline and after 36 h of TSD. We selected 12 EEG points corresponding to left and right sides of the brain and then observed changes in N2 and P3 components related to spatial working memory. Before TSD, P3 amplitude differed significantly between the left and right sides of the brain. This difference disappeared after TSD. Compared with baseline, P3 amplitude decreased for a duration as extended as the prolonged latency of N2 components. After 36 h of TSD, P3 amplitude decreased more in the right hemisphere than the left. We therefore conclude that TSD negatively affected spatial working memory, possibly through removing the right hemisphere advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Peng
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Cimin Dai
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping Cai
- Department of Cadra Word 3 Division, PLA Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lingjing Zeng
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Jialu Li
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Songyue Xie
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Haiteng Wang
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyi Yang
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongcong Shao
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.,Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Yi Wang
- China Institute of Sports and Health Science, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.,State Key Lab of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Centre, Beijing, China
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36
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Li S, Hu J, Chang R, Li Q, Wan P, Liu S. Eye Movements of Spatial Working Memory Encoding in Children with and without Autism: Chunking Processing and Reference Preference. Autism Res 2020; 14:897-910. [PMID: 32959979 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience spatial working memory deficits and show different encoding mechanisms from typical developing (TD) peers. To effectively describe the encoding strategies of those with ASD and highlight their characteristics in cognitive processing, we adopted improved change detection tasks and added eye-movement indicators to investigate the chunking function and reference preference of children with and without ASD. The current study included 20 participants with ASD aged 8-16 and 20 TD children matched for age, gender, and intelligence. Experiment 1 used high/low-structured change detection tasks, and eye-movement indexes were recorded as they memorized the locations of the items to investigate spatial chunking strategies. In Experiment 2, changes in eye movement patterns were observed by adding a frame of reference. The results suggested different encoding strategies in ASD and TD individuals. The ASD group showed local processing bias and had difficulty adopting chunking strategies in spatial working memory. Eye-movement analysis suggested that they rarely showed integrated information processing tendency observed in TD children. Moreover, as a compensatory processing, they were more likely to use the frame of reference. In this study, we compared the spatial chunking strategies and reference preference of children with and without ASD, and eye-movement analysis was used to investigate the processing mechanism. These findings are significant for research on cognitive characteristics of ASD and provide a new focus for working memory training in children with ASD. LAY SUMMARY: The current study suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder are poorer at organizing items into chunks in spatial working memory, but rely more on reference frames. If the purpose of location memory is to strengthen the adaptability of children with autism, it should provide them with more clues or references. If it is for the purpose of intervention such as cognitive training, it should guide them to integrate information to improve the basic cognitive processing efficiency. Autism Res 2021, 14: 897-910. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songze Li
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Jinsheng Hu
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Ruosong Chang
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Peng Wan
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Shuqing Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
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37
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Stout JJ, Griffin AL. Representations of On-Going Behavior and Future Actions During a Spatial Working Memory Task by a High Firing-Rate Population of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Neurons. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:151. [PMID: 33061897 PMCID: PMC7488206 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial working memory (SWM) requires the encoding, maintenance, and retrieval of spatially relevant information to guide decision-making. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has long been implicated in the ability of rodents to perform SWM tasks. While past studies have demonstrated that mPFC ensembles reflect past and future experiences, most findings are derived from tasks that have an experimental overlap between the encoding and retrieval of trajectory specific information. In this study, we recorded single units from the mPFC of rats as they performed a T-maze delayed non-match to position (DNMP) task. This task consists of an encoding dominant sample phase, a memory maintenance delay period, and retrieval dominant choice phase. Using a linear classifier, we investigated whether distinct ensembles collectively reflect various trajectory-dependent experiences. We find that a population of high-firing rate mPFC neurons both predict a future choice and reflect changes in trajectory-dependent behaviors. We then developed a modeling procedure that estimated the number of high and low-firing rate units required to dissociate between various experiences. We find that low firing rate ensembles weakly reflect the direction that rats were forced to turn on the sample phase. This was in contrast to the highly active population that could effectively predict both future decision-making on early stem traversals and trajectory-divergences at T-junction. Finally, we compared the ensemble size necessary to code a forced trajectory to the size required to predict a decision. We provide evidence to suggest that a larger number of highly active neurons are employed during decision-making processes when compared to rewarded forced behaviors. Together, our study provides important insight into how specific ensembles of mPFC units support upcoming choices and ongoing behavior during SWM.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Stout
- Griffin Laboratory, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Amy L Griffin
- Griffin Laboratory, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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38
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Ferrera D, Gómez-Esquer F, Peláez I, Barjola P, Fernandes-Magalhaes R, Carpio A, De Lahoz ME, Díaz-Gil G, Mercado F. Effects of COMT Genotypes on Working Memory Performance in Fibromyalgia Patients. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E2479. [PMID: 32752289 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9082479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing research has reported the presence of a clear impairment of working memory functioning in fibromyalgia. Although different genetic factors involving dopamine availability (i.e, the COMT gene) have been associated with the more severe presentation of key symptoms in fibromyalgia, scientific evidence regarding the influence of COMT genotypes on cognitive impairment in these patients is still lacking. To this end, 167 participants took part in the present investigation. Working memory performance was assessed by the application of the SST (Spatial Span Test) and LNST (Letter and Number Sequence Test) belonging to the Weschler Memory Scale III. Significant working memory impairment was shown by the fibromyalgia patients. Remarkably, our results suggest that performance according to different working memory measures might be influenced by different genotypes of the COMT gene. Specifically, fibromyalgia patients carrying the Val/Val genotype exhibited significantly worse outcomes for the span of SST backward, SST backward score, SST total score and the Working Memory Index (WMI) than the Val/Val healthy carriers. Furthermore, the Val/Val patients performed worse on the SST backward and SST score than heterozygotes. Our findings are the first to show a link between the COMT gene and working memory dysfunction in fibromyalgia, supporting the idea that higher COMT enzyme activity would contribute to more severe working memory impairment in fibromyalgia.
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39
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Salazar AP, Hupfeld KE, Lee JK, Beltran NE, Kofman IS, De Dios YE, Mulder E, Bloomberg JJ, Mulavara AP, Seidler RD. Neural Working Memory Changes During a Spaceflight Analog With Elevated Carbon Dioxide: A Pilot Study. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:48. [PMID: 32848641 PMCID: PMC7399639 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight missions to the International Space Station (ISS) expose astronauts to microgravity, radiation, isolation, and elevated carbon dioxide (CO2), among other factors. Head down tilt bed rest (HDBR) is an Earth-based analog for spaceflight used to study body unloading, fluid shifts, and other factors unrelated to gravitational changes. While in space, astronauts need to use mental rotation strategies to facilitate their adaptation to the ISS environment. Therefore, spatial working memory is essential for crewmember performance. Although the effects of HDBR on spatial working memory have recently been studied, the results are still inconclusive. Here, we expand upon past work and examine the effects of HDBR with elevated CO2 (HDBR + CO2) on brain activation patterns during spatial working memory performance. In addition, we compare brain activation between 30 days of HDBR + CO2 and 70 days of HDBR to test the isolated effect of CO2. Eleven subjects (6 males, 5 females; mean age = 34 ± 8 years) underwent six functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions pre-, during, and post-HDBR + CO2. During the HDBR + CO2 intervention, we observed decreasing activation in the right middle frontal gyrus and left regions of the cerebellum, followed by post-intervention recovery. We detected several correlations between brain and behavioral slopes of change with the HDBR + CO2 intervention. For example, greater increases in activation in frontal, temporal and parietal regions were associated with larger spatial working memory improvements. Comparing the HDBR + CO2 group to data from our previous 70-day HDBR study, we found greater decreases in activation in the right hippocampus and left inferior temporal gyrus for the HDBR + CO2 group over the course of the intervention. Together, these findings increase our understanding of the neural mechanisms of HDBR, elevated levels of CO2 and spaceflight-related changes in spatial working memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Salazar
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Kathleen E Hupfeld
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jessica K Lee
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Edwin Mulder
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | - Rachael D Seidler
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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40
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Kasongo DW, de Leo G, Vicario N, Leanza G, Legname G. Chronic α-Synuclein Accumulation in Rat Hippocampus Induces Lewy Bodies Formation and Specific Cognitive Impairments. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0009-20.2020. [PMID: 32393581 PMCID: PMC7307628 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0009-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Occurrence of Lewy bodies (LBs)/Lewy neurites (LNs) containing misfolded fibrillar α-synuclein (α-syn) is one of the pathologic hallmarks of memory impairment-linked synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with LBs (DLB). While it has been shown that brainstem LBs may contribute to motor symptoms, the neuropathological substrates for cognitive symptoms are still elusive. Here, recombinant mouse α-syn fibrils were bilaterally injected in the hippocampus of female Sprague Dawley rats, which underwent behavioral testing for sensorimotor and spatial learning and memory abilities. No sensorimotor deficits affecting Morris water maze task performance were observed, nor was any reference memory disturbances detectable in injected animals. By contrast, significant impairments in working memory performance became evident at 12 months postinjection. These deficits were associated to a time-dependent increase in the levels of phosphorylated α-syn at Ser129 and in the stereologically estimated numbers of proteinase K (PK)-resistant α-syn aggregates within the hippocampus. Interestingly, pathologic α-syn aggregates were found in the entorhinal cortex and, by 12 months postinjection, also in the vertical limb of the diagonal band and the piriform cortices. No pathologic α-syn deposits were found within the substantia nigra (SN), the ventral tegmental area (VTA), or the striatum, nor was any loss of dopaminergic, noradrenergic, or cholinergic neurons detected in α-syn-injected animals, compared with controls. This would suggest that the behavioral impairments seen in the α-syn-injected animals might be determined by the long-term α-syn neuropathology, rather than by neurodegeneration per se, thus leading to the onset of working memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Walu Kasongo
- B.R.A.I.N. Laboratory for Neurogenesis and Repair, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste 34127, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Trieste 34127, Italy
| | - Gioacchino de Leo
- B.R.A.I.N. Laboratory for Neurogenesis and Repair, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste 34127, Italy
| | - Nunzio Vicario
- Section of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Giampiero Leanza
- B.R.A.I.N. Laboratory for Neurogenesis and Repair, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste 34127, Italy
- Molecular Preclinical and Translational Imaging Research Centre - IMPRonTE, University of Catania, Catania 95125, Italy
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95125, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Trieste 34127, Italy
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41
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Hellmuth J, Casaletto K, Cuneo R, Possin KL, Dillon W, Geschwind MD. Bilateral basal ganglia infarcts presenting as rapid onset cognitive and behavioral disturbance. Neurocase 2020; 26:115-119. [PMID: 32046584 PMCID: PMC7377550 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2020.1728341] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We describe a rare case of a patient with rapid onset, prominent cognitive and behavioral changes who presented to our rapidly progressive dementia program with symptoms ultimately attributed to bilateral basal ganglia infarcts involving the caudate heads. We review the longitudinal clinical presentation and neuropsychological testing for this patient, and discuss the implicated basal ganglia and frontal lobe neuroanatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Hellmuth
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, US
| | - Kaitlin Casaletto
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, US
| | - Richard Cuneo
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, CA, US
| | - Katherine L. Possin
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, US
| | - William Dillon
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, US
| | - Michael D. Geschwind
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, US
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42
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Li Y, Li S, Ren Y, Chen J, Yang W. The Modulation of Spatial Working Memory by Emotional Stickers and Facial Expressions. Front Psychol 2020; 10:3082. [PMID: 32038426 PMCID: PMC6989540 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03082] [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: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
This article aims to investigate the interaction effects of emotional valence (negative, positive) and stimulus type (sticker, face) on attention allocation and information retrieval in spatial working memory (WM). The difference in recognition of emotional faces and stickers was also further explored. Using a high-resolution event-related potential (ERP) technique, a time-locked delayed matching-to-sample task (DMST) was employed that allowed separate investigations of target, delay, and probe phases. Twenty-two subjects participated in our experiment. The results indicated that negative face can catch early attention in information encoding, which was indicated by the augmentation of the attention-related P200 amplitude. In the delay phase, the N170 component represents facial specificity and showed a negative bias against stickers. For information retrieval, the increase in the emotion-related late positive component (LPC) showed that positive emotion could damage spatial WM and consume more cognitive resources. Moreover, stickers have the ability to catch an individual’s attention throughout the whole course of spatial WM with larger amplitudes of the attention-related P200, the negative slow wave (NSW), and the LPC. These findings highlight the role of stickers in different phases of spatial WM and provide new viewpoints for WM research on mental patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueying Li
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shengnan Li
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanna Ren
- Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Management, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Jianxin Chen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weiping Yang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China.,Brain and Cognition Research Center (BCRC), Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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43
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Gogos A, Sbisa A, Witkamp D, van den Buuse M. Sex differences in the effect of maternal immune activation on cognitive and psychosis-like behaviour in Long Evans rats. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2614-2626. [PMID: 31901174 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of development of schizophrenia in later life. There are sex differences in schizophrenia, particularly in terms of age of onset, course of illness and severity of symptoms. However, there is limited and inconsistent literature on sex differences in the effects of maternal immune activation on behaviour with relevance to schizophrenia. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate sex differences in the effects of maternal immune activation by treating Long Evans rats with poly(I:C) on gestational day 15. We compared adult male and female offspring on spatial working memory in the touchscreen trial-unique nonmatching-to-location task, pairwise discrimination and reversal learning, as well as on prepulse inhibition and psychotropic drug-induced locomotor hyperactivity. Male, but not female poly(I:C) offspring displayed a deficit in spatial working memory, particularly at the longer delay. Neither pairwise discrimination nor reversal learning showed an effect of poly(I:C), but female controls outperformed male controls in the reversal learning task. Significant reduction of prepulse inhibition and enhancement of acute methamphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity was found similarly in male and female poly(I:C) offspring. These results show that maternal immune activation induces a range of behavioural effects in the offspring, with sex specificity in the effects of maternal immune activation on some aspects of cognition, but not psychosis-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Alyssa Sbisa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Diede Witkamp
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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44
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Fabius J, Ten Brink AF, Van der Stigchel S, Nijboer TCW. The relationship between visuospatial neglect, spatial working memory and search behavior. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2020; 42:251-262. [PMID: 31900083 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2019.1707779] [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] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Visuospatial neglect (VSN) is characterized by a lateralized attentional deficit in the visual domain. In addition, patients with VSN might have an impairment in the temporary storage of spatial information in working memory (spatial working memory; SWM) that, like VSN, could impair systematic searching behavior. Several studies have demonstrated either SWM impairments or impaired searching behavior in VSN patients. Here, we related SWM performance to search behavior in patients with and without VSN. We assessed SWM using a novel task in a group of 182 stroke patients (24 with VSN, 158 without) and 65 healthy controls. We related SWM performance to available stroke-related and cognitive data. Patients with VSN exhibited lower SWM performance than patients without VSN and healthy controls. Additional control analyses indicated that differences in SWM performance are specific to visuospatial processing, instead of e.g. verbal working memory or the general level of physical disability. Last, we related SWM performance to visual search performance on cancellation tasks, one where their cancellation markings remained visible and another one where their prior cancellations markings were invisible to the patient and therefore patients had to remember which targets they had canceled. SWM performance correlated with search organization. Together, these results from a large sample of stroke patients corroborate the findings of earlier studies, while excluding several alternative explanations: SWM impairment is a part of the neglect syndrome, and SWM impairments are related to search behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Fabius
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Antonia F Ten Brink
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Stefan Van der Stigchel
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tanja C W Nijboer
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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45
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Chang CW, Lo YC, Lin SH, Yang SH, Lin HC, Lin TC, Li SJ, Hsieh CCJ, Ro V, Chung YJ, Chang YC, Lee CW, Kuo CH, Chen SY, Chen YY. Modulation of Theta-Band Local Field Potential Oscillations Across Brain Networks With Central Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation to Enhance Spatial Working Memory. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1269. [PMID: 32038122 PMCID: PMC6988804 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-established technique for the treatment of movement and psychiatric disorders through the modulation of neural oscillatory activity and synaptic plasticity. The central thalamus (CT) has been indicated as a potential target for stimulation to enhance memory. However, the mechanisms underlying local field potential (LFP) oscillations and memory enhancement by CT-DBS remain unknown. In this study, we used CT-DBS to investigate the mechanisms underlying the changes in oscillatory communication between the CT and hippocampus, both of which are involved in spatial working memory. Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from microelectrode array implanted in the CT, dentate gyrus, cornu ammonis (CA) region 1, and CA region 3. Functional connectivity (FC) strength was assessed by LFP-LFP coherence calculations for these brain regions. In addition, a T-maze behavioral task using a rat model was performed to assess the performance of spatial working memory. In DBS group, our results revealed that theta oscillations significantly increased in the CT and hippocampus compared with that in sham controls. As indicated by coherence, the FC between the CT and hippocampus significantly increased in the theta band after CT-DBS. Moreover, Western blotting showed that the protein expressions of the dopamine D1 and α4-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors were enhanced, whereas that of the dopamine D2 receptor decreased in the DBS group. In conclusion, the use of CT-DBS resulted in elevated theta oscillations, increased FC between the CT and hippocampus, and altered synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, suggesting that CT-DBS is an effective approach for improving spatial working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Wen Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lo
- The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Huang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien City, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien City, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hung Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ching Lin
- Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Chun Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ssu-Ju Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Christine Chin-Jung Hsieh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Yang Ming University, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Vina Ro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Jung Chung
- Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Chi Chang
- Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wei Lee
- The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Hung Kuo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Neurological Institute, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Shin-Yuan Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien City, Taiwan.,Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien City, Taiwan
| | - You-Yin Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Yang Ming University, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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46
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Fanari R, Meloni C, Massidda D. Visual and Spatial Working Memory Abilities Predict Early Math Skills: A Longitudinal Study. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2460. [PMID: 31780987 PMCID: PMC6852704 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the influence of the visuospatial active working memory subcomponents on early math skills in young children, followed longitudinally along the first 2 years of primary school. We administered tests investigating visual active working memory (jigsaw puzzle), spatial active working memory (backward Corsi), and math tasks to 43 children at the beginning of first grade (T1), at the end of first grade (T2), and at the end of second grade (T3). Math tasks were selected according to the children’s age and their levels of formal education: the “Battery for the evaluation of numerical intelligence from 4 to 6 years of age” (BIN 4–6) at T1 to test early numerical competence and the “Test for the evaluation of calculating and problem-solving abilities” (AC-MT 6–11) to test math skills at T2 and T3. Three regression models, in which the predictors were identified through a backward selection based on the use of the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) index, were performed to study the relationship between visual and spatial working memory and math ability at the three points in time. The results show that spatial working memory influences early numerical performance at T1, while early numerical performance is the unique predictor of math performance at T2. At the end of the second grade, the regression model reveals a relationship between math performance and both visual and spatial working memory and the attenuation of the importance of domain-specific predictors. The study depicts the different implications of visual and spatial working memory predictors over the children’s development periods and brings additional evidence to the debate on the relationship between visuospatial working memory and math ability in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Fanari
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carla Meloni
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Davide Massidda
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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47
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Abstract
Working memory (WM) is required to bridge the time between the moment of sensory perception and the usage of the acquired information for subsequent actions. Its frequent and pharmacoresistent impairment in mental health disorders urges the development of rodent paradigms through back-translation of human WM tests, ideally avoiding the confounds of alternation-based assays. Here we show, that mice can acquire a delayed-matching-to-position (DMTP) operant spatial WM (SWM) paradigm that is akin to the combined attention and memory (CAM) task previously developed for rats, and that relies on a 5-choice wall [5-CSWM, 5-choice based operant testing of SWM (5-CSWM)]. Requiring ca. 3 months of daily training with a non-illuminated operant box in the default state, mice could attain a performance level of ≥70% choice accuracy with short (2 s) delays in the DMTP 5-CSWM task. Performance decreased with extended delays, as expected for WM processes. Modafinil (15 and 30 mg/kg) and guanfacine (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) showed no consistent efficacy in enhancing task performance. We also found, that mice did not improve beyond chance level, when trained in the DNMTP-version of the 5-CSWM. Our results outline the methodical possibility and constraints of assessing spatial WM in mice with an operant paradigm that provides high control over potentially confounding variables, such as cue-directed attention, motivation or mediating strategies like body-positioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Teutsch
- Institute of Applied Physiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Dennis Kätzel
- Institute of Applied Physiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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48
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Guidetti G, Guidetti R, Manfredi M, Manfredi M. Vestibular pathology and spatial working memory. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 40:72-78. [PMID: 31388191 PMCID: PMC7147543 DOI: 10.14639/0392-100x-2189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marco Manfredi
- Vertigo Centre, Poliambulatorio Chirurgico Modenese, Italy
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49
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Ren Z, Zhang Y, He H, Feng Q, Bi T, Qiu J. The Different Brain Mechanisms of Object and Spatial Working Memory: Voxel-Based Morphometry and Resting-State Functional Connectivity. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:248. [PMID: 31379543 PMCID: PMC6659551 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [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: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In working memory (WM), the ability to concurrently integrate different types of information and to maintain or manipulate them promotes the flow of ongoing tasks. WM is a key component of normal human cognition. In this study, we applied a combined voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis to investigate the relationship between the ability of object and spatial working memory (WM), and regional gray matter density (GMD), as well as intrinsic functional connectivity. The VBM analysis showed a positive correlation between the individual difference of object WM and GMD in the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG) and the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), which are responsible for coding object information and processing the shape of an object. The individual difference of the spatial WM was positively related to GMD in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), which confirmed that it is an important region for memory stores and maintains WM spatial representations. Further functional connectivity analysis revealed that the individual difference of object WM was significantly correlated with the rsFC of right intraparietal sulcus (IPS) - left postcentral gyrus (PostCG)/right precentral gyrus (PreCG)/left Supplementary Motor Area (SMA). While the capacity of spatial WM was significantly associated with the FC strength of the left dlPFC - left precuneus, right dlPFC - right MFG, and the left superior frontal sulcus (SFS) - left SMA/ right inferior parietal lobe (IPL). Our findings suggest that object WM is associated with the structure and functional organization of the brain regions involved in the ventral pathway (occipital - temporal regions) and the capacity of spatial WM is related to the dorsal pathway (frontal - parietal regions).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiting Ren
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong He
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiuyang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Taiyong Bi
- Center for Mental Health Research in School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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50
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Sun LL, Yang TY, Wei NN, Lu W, Jiao WX, Zhou QQ, Miao YZ, Gao Q, Wang XT, Sun Q, Wang K. Pharmacological characterization of JWX-A0108 as a novel type I positive allosteric modulator of α7 nAChR that can reverse acoustic gating deficits in a mouse prepulse inhibition model. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2019; 40:737-45. [PMID: 30333556 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-018-0163-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) is a ligand-gated Ca2+-permeable homopentameric ion channel implicated in cognition and neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacological enhancement of α7 nAChR function has been suggested for improvement of cognitive deficits. In the present study, we characterized a thiazolyl heterocyclic derivative, 6-(2-chloro-6-methylphenyl)-2-((3-fluoro-4-methylphenyl)amino)thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-one (JWX-A0108), as a novel type I α7 nAChR positive allosteric modulator (PAM), and evaluated its ability to reverse auditory gating and spatial working memory deficits in mice. In Xenopus oocytes expressing human nAChR channels, application of JWX-A0108 selectively enhanced α7 nAChR-mediated inward current in the presence of the agonist ACh (EC50 value = 4.35 ± 0.12 µM). In hippocampal slices, co-application of ACh and JWX-A0108 (10 µM for each) markedly increased both the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) recorded in pyramidal neurons, but JWX-A0108 did not affect GABA-induced current in oocytes expressing human GABAA receptor α1β3γ2 and α5β3γ2 subtypes. In mice with MK-801-induced deficits in auditory gating, administration of JWX-A0108 (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently attenuates MK-801-induced auditory gating deficits in five prepulse intensities (72, 76, 80, 84, and 88 dB). Furthermore, administration of JWX-A0108 (0.03, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reversed MK-801-induced impaired spatial working memory in mice. Our results demonstrate that JWX-A0108 is a novel type I PAM of α7 nAChR, which may be beneficial for improvement of cognitive deficits commonly found in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
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