Encephalitis of unknown etiology with anti-GluR epsilon2 autoantibody, showing divergent neuroradiologic and clinical findings.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
Aihide Yoshino
Publications and source records attributed to Aihide Yoshino.
Autonomic arousal in cognitive conflict resolution.
Although cognitive efforts were reported to elicit global autonomic arousal, which cognitive processes associate with autonomic arousal has not been clear. We investigated autonomic arousal using event-related skin conductance responses (SCRs) during the Stroop color-word task. After baseline SCR deflections were determined in each trial block, SCRs were compared between cognitive conflict conditions (incongruent vs. congruent stimuli), between tasks assigned (word reading vs. color naming), and between erroneous and correct responses. Baseline SCRs were significantly greater at the beginning of each trial block. SCRs were significantly greater with incongruent than congruent stimuli while SCRs differed little between word reading and color naming. SCRs were greater when responses were incorrect. The results suggested that autonomic arousal occurs during cognitive conflict resolution in addition to mental set adoption for a task and in error awareness.
Adult↗
Activation time course of responses to illusory contours and salient region: a high-density electrical mapping comparison.
Until recently, early visual areas (V1/V2) were believed to respond mainly to illusory contours (ICs). At present, however, functional neuroimaging suggests that the human lateral occipital complex (LOC), a higher tier than V2, responds strongly to ICs and that IC-related activation in V1/V2 in fact might be driven by feedback input from the LOC. When Kanizsa-type ICs are modified by rounding the corners of the inducers and misaligning them slightly, the impression of an enclosed salient region (SR) remains, although ICs no longer are perceived. Stanley and Rubin (Stanley, D.A., Rubin, N., 2003. fMRI activation in response to illusory contours and salient regions in the human lateral occipital complex. Neuron, 37, 323-331) found that the LOC responded to SR, suggesting that the LOC subserves a rapid but crude region-based segmentation process preceding boundary completion in V1/V2. The present study compared the time course of cortical responses to ICs with those to SR using high-density (74-channel) event-related potentials (ERPs). Scalp mapping and statistical analysis indicated that shared negative modulation for ICs and SR was distributed bilaterally over the lateral occipital scalp at a latency of 70 to 180 ms. Slightly later, a weak negative modulation occurred with ICs but not SR at the occipital pole scalp from 170 to 180 ms. Dipoles for early and late modulations were fitted optimally in the LOC and occipital pole, respectively. The present results suggested that IC-related cortical activation could be separated into region-based segmentation and subsequent boundary completion.
Adult↗
Relationships between temperament dimensions in personality and unconscious emotional responses.
BACKGROUND: In addition to character dimensions, personality includes temperament dimensions, defined as individual differences in implicit associative learning responses to environmental stimuli processed by unconscious memories. We examined whether temperament dimensions were associated with patterns of unconscious emotional responses of an autonomic nature. METHODS: From 70 healthy men, high and low novelty-seeking (NS) groups and high and low harm-avoidance (HA) groups were selected using scores on the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire measuring temperament dimensions. Emotionally negative, neutral, and positive visual stimuli were presented subliminally using backward masking, and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were measured as an autonomic index of emotional responses. Skin conductance responses to the three emotional stimulus conditions were compared between groups. RESULTS: Skin conductance responses in the high NS group were significantly greater than in the low NS group when positive or negative emotional stimuli were presented but not neutral stimuli. Skin conductance responses in the high HA group were significantly greater than in the low HA group for stimuli of all three valences. CONCLUSIONS: Autonomic response patterns to unconscious emotional perception differed between NS and HA, suggesting that different dimensions of temperament may be associated with different patterns of unconscious emotional responses. Novelty seeking and HA may be associated with specificity and susceptibility of preattentive emotional perception, respectively.
Adult↗
Exacerbating factors in neuroleptic malignant syndrome: comparisons between cases with death, sequelae, and full recovery.
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Aged↗
Interhemispheric difference in emotional response without awareness.
To investigate interhemispheric differences concerning unconscious human emotional responses processed, we measured human skin conductance responses (SCRs) to masked (unseen) emotional stimuli presented to left or right visual fields. Backward masking was used to preclude conscious processing of emotional stimuli. Masked negative or neutral emotional pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) were presented to 11 right-handed male volunteers. Mean SCR for negative emotional stimuli presented to the left visual field was significantly greater than mean SCRs for negative emotional stimuli to the right visual field and for neutral stimuli to the left or right visual fields. Thus, the right rather than the left hemisphere appears to respond to preattentive negative emotional stimuli.
Adult↗
Perception of apparent motion in depth: a high-density electrical mapping study in humans.
We evaluated brain activity using 64-channel visual evoked potentials (VEPs) while subjects perceived apparent motion in depth. Checkerboard patterns (CBPs) within small and large circles were presented in turn as experimental conditions. Motion in depth was perceived when the CBP in the large circle was coarser than in the small circle; when coarseness did not change, no motion in depth was perceived. As control conditions only fine or coarse CBPs were presented. We used ANOVA to compare VEPs associated with experimental vs. control conditions and with coarse vs. fine CBPs. Negative potentials at a latency near 190 ms showed statistically significant interactions between these comparisons in the right lateral occipital and posterior parietal areas when apparent motion in depth was perceived. This suggests that higher tiers of the dorsal stream mediate this motion perception.
Adult↗
Spatiotemporal differences between cognitive processes of spatially possible and impossible objects: a high-density electrical mapping study.
Differences in cognitive processing between spatially possible and impossible figures were investigated using event-related potentials (ERPs). Two types of figures with identical luminance and equivalent spatial frequency were used as visual stimuli: possible three-dimensional figures (drawn with perspective and existing in the three-dimensional world) and impossible figures (drawn with perspective but not existing in the three-dimensional world). High-density electroencephalographic recording (72 channels) was performed for analysis of ERPs accompanying perception of each figure type; amplitude differences between the conditions were considered neurophysiologic correlates to perceptual differences between possible and impossible objects. Low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) was used to identify the current source related to the differences. Compared with impossible three-dimensional figures, perception of possible figures showed a significant negative potential increase in the right inferior occipitotemporal region between 350 and 389 ms of latency. The current source was localized to the right fusiform gyrus. The results suggest that right fusiform gyrus is involved in discrimination between spatially possible and impossible objects.
Adult↗
Association study of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphism and alcoholism.
OBJECTIVE: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) influences dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters that are heavily linked to addiction. A quantitative trait loci study indicated that genes localized to 11p13, where the BDNF gene is mapped (11p13-15), increase the risk for severe alcohol withdrawal. Moreover, a recent study using a pooled-sample microarray suggested that the BDNF gene locus was included in the loci that were shown to be associated with drug abuse. These lines of evidence suggested that BDNF might play some role in the development of or vulnerability to alcoholism and/or clinical characteristics of alcoholic individuals. METHODS: The alcoholic subjects consisted of 377 male Japanese patients. A structured interview was used to obtain social background, drinking history, history of violence while intoxicated, history of alcohol withdrawal, and family history of alcoholism. The control group consisted of 336 nonalcoholic male subjects. Genotyping of the G196A polymorphism of the BDNF gene was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. RESULTS: Genotype and allele distributions of the BDNF gene polymorphism did not differ significantly between alcoholic and control subjects. However, comparing clinical characteristics across G196A genotypes, we found that alcoholic subjects with violent tendencies and a history of delirium tremens had a significantly higher frequency of AA genotypes and A allele frequencies than those without them. Moreover, alcoholic subjects with the A allele had earlier onset of the disease than those without it. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that BDNF gene polymorphism might modify phenotypes of alcoholism.
Alcoholism↗
The effectiveness of lithium augmentation of milnacipran: preliminary data using the modified Japanese Psychopharmacology Algorithm.
Medication algorithms based on the best evidence available together with expert consensus are considered to promote logical consistent clinical decision making in the choice of antidepressant drugs. We report our preliminary results using the modified algorithm established by the Japanese Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project (JPAP). Subjects were 24 patients with major depressive disorders who presented to the outpatient clinic of the Department of Psychiatry at the National Defense Medical College prior to any treatment for the current episode. Ultimately, 15 patients recovered with treatment according to our protocol, including 7 who recovered upon treatment with first-line drugs; the most effective of these was paroxetine, followed by fluvoxamine and then milnacipran. Six patients recovered with second-line treatments. Among these, a combination of milnacipran and lithium was most effective, with recovery of 4 of 4 patients. We have formed a strong impression that augmentation therapy, especially with milnacipran plus lithium, is likely to be effective if the first-line antidepressant is ineffective. Investigation of more cases will be needed to confirm or refine details of the algorithm and, more generally, to determine the best approach to antidepressant medication.
Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors↗
Neuroleptic dose reduction in stable chronic schizophrenia.
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Analysis of Variance↗
Topography of evoked potentials associated with illusory motion perception as a motion aftereffect.
Motion aftereffect (MAE) is a type of motion illusion. After visual focusing on an object moving in one direction, an illusory perception of motion in the opposite direction occurs while the object suddenly stops moving. In this study we explored components and distribution of evoked potentials related to this motion illusion using MAE caused by motion of concentric rings. When a single array of moving rings was placed to straddle right and left visual fields, a significant bilateral increase of a positive component at about 160 ms (P160) was observed in the occipitotemporal region at the time subjects perceived the motion illusion; this increase was most prominent in the right posterior temporal region. Thus, an early positive component P160 occurs in relation to motion illusion, in agreement with previous results concerning perception of actual motion. When stimuli were presented to produce MAE limited to either the right or left visual hemifield, we also observed a P160 distributed mainly in the right temporal and parietal region. A significant increase in this component was observed in the right posterior temporal region with left hemifield stimulation, while no significant increase was observed with right hemifield stimulation. The right hemispheric dominance of P160 seemed to result partly from functional specialization of the right hemisphere, but hemispheric differences in attentional mechanisms also might contribute to the asymmetric distribution of P160.
Adult↗
Validation study of the Japanese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale.
The Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) is a self-rating questionnaire that measures cognitive and behavioral aspects of craving for alcohol. The OCDS consists of two subscales: the obsessive thoughts of drinking subscale (OS) and the compulsive drinking subscale (CS). This study aims to validate the Japanese version of the OCDS. First, internal consistency and discriminant validity were evaluated. Second, a prospective longitudinal 3-month outcome study of 67 patients with alcohol dependence who participated in a relapse prevention program was designed to assess the concurrent and predictive validity of the OCDS. The OCDS demonstrated high internal consistency. The OS had high discriminant validity, while the CS did not. Twenty-three patients (34.3%) dropped out of treatment. These patients had significantly higher OS scores than those who completed the program. At 3 months, the relapse group had significantly higher OCDS scores than the no relapse group. Also, the OCDS score was higher in subjects who had early-onset alcohol dependence than late-onset dependence. The OCDS is useful for evaluating cognitive aspect of craving and predicts dropout and relapse.
Alcoholism↗
Executive dysfunction and clinical outcome in chronic alcoholics.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate which of 12 neuropsychological tests predict alcoholic patients' alcohol-specific and/or alcoholic-nonspecific outcome. Our hypothesis was that the ecologically valid neuropsychological tests that measure executive function are better predictors of alcoholics' functional outcome. METHODS: We administered 12 neuropsychological tests to chronic alcoholics. Included in the tests were tasks of Reaction Time, Symbol Digit Modalities, Figure Position, Digit Span, Block Design, Trail Making, and six subtests of a battery called the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS). Previous investigators have suggested that the BADS has ecological validity. Twenty-two male alcoholics were compared with 15 nonalcoholic control subjects on these neuropsychological measures 7 weeks after detoxification. Two functional outcome indices, i.e., resumption of drinking and occupation, were evaluated 18 months after discharge. RESULTS: The total profile score and the score on three of the six subtests of the BADS were lower in alcoholics than in nonalcoholic controls. Alcoholics' performance on the BADS predicted alcohol-nonspecific outcome (occupation) but not alcohol-specific (drinking) outcome. In contrast, other neuropsychological tests did not predict either of the two outcome indices. CONCLUSIONS: The BADS total profile score is related to alcohol-nonspecific outcome but not to alcohol-specific outcome.
Alcoholism↗