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Unraveling the attentional functions of cortical cholinergic inputs: interactions between signal-driven and cognitive modulation of signal detection.

Neurophysiological studies demonstrated that increases in cholinergic transmission in sensory areas enhance the cortical processing of thalamic inputs. Cholinergic activity also suppresses the retrieval of internal associations, thereby further promoting sensory input processing. Behavioral studies documented the role of cortical cholinergic inputs in attentional functions and capacities by demonstrating, for example, that the integrity of the cortical cholinergic input system is necessary for attentional performance, and that the activity of cortical cholinergic inputs is selectively enhanced during attentional performance. This review aims at integrating the neurophysiological and behavioral evidence on the functions of cortical cholinergic inputs and hypothesizes that the cortical cholinergic input system generally acts to optimize the processing of signals in attention-demanding contexts. Such signals 'recruit', via activation of basal forebrain corticopetal cholinergic projections, the cortical attention systems and thereby amplify the processing of attention-demanding signals (termed 'signal-driven cholinergic modulation of detection'). The activity of corticopetal cholinergic projections is also modulated by direct prefrontal projections to the basal forebrain and, indirectly, to cholinergic terminals elsewhere in the cortex; thus, cortical cholinergic inputs are also involved in the mediation of top-down effects, such as the knowledge-based augmentation of detection (see Footnote 1) of signals and the filtering of irrelevant information (termed 'cognitive cholinergic modulation of detection'). Thus, depending on the quality of signals and task characteristics, cortical cholinergic activity reflects the combined effects of signal-driven and cognitive modulation of detection. This hypothesis begins to explain signal intensity or duration-dependent performance in attention tasks, the distinct effects of cortex-wide versus prefrontal cholinergic deafferentation on attention performance, and it generates specific predictions concerning cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release in attention task-performing animals. Finally, the consequences of abnormalities in the regulation of cortical cholinergic inputs for the manifestation of the symptoms of major neuropsychiatric disorders are conceptualized in terms of dysregulation in the signal-driven and cognitive cholinergic modulation of detection processes.

Acetylcholine↗

Color naming universals: the case of Berinmo.

Proponents of a self-identified 'relativist' view of cross-language color naming have confounded two questions: (1) Is color naming largely subject to local linguistic convention? and (2) Are cross-language color naming differences reflected in comparable differences in color cognition by their speakers? The 'relativist' position holds that the correct answer to both questions is Yes, based on data from the Berinmo language of Papua New Guinea. It is shown here that the Berinmo facts instead support a more complex view -- that cross-language color naming follows non-trivial universal tendencies, while cross-language color-naming differences do indeed correlate with differences in color cognition. The rhetoric of 'relativity' versus 'universalism' impedes understanding of cross-language color naming and cognition.

Cognition↗

Selective influences of cross-modal spatial-cues on preattentive auditory processing: a whole-head magnetoencephalography study.

The processing streams of the various sensory modalities are known to interact within the central nervous system. These interactions differ depending on the level of stimulus representation and attention. The current study focused on cross-sensory influences on stimulus change detection during unattended auditory processing. We employed an oddball paradigm to assess cortical processing using whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 20 volunteers. While subjects performed distraction tasks of varying difficulties, auditory duration deviants were applied randomly to the left or the right ear preceded (200-400 ms) by oculomotor, static visual, or flow field co-stimulation at either side. Mismatch fields were recorded over both hemispheres. Changes in gaze direction and static visual stimuli elicited the most reliable enhancement of deviance detection at the same side (most prominent at the right auditory cortex). Under both conditions, the lateralized unattended and unpredictive pre-cues acted analogously to shifts in selective attention, but were not reduced by attentional load. Thus, the early cognitive representation of sounds seems to reflect automatic cross-modal interference. Preattentive multisensory integration may provide the neuronal basis for orienting reactions to objects in space and thus for voluntary control of selective attention.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Investigating the human mirror neuron system by means of cortical synchronization during the imitation of biological movements.

The human mirror neuron system (MNS) has recently been a major topic of research in cognitive neuroscience. As a very basic reflection of the MNS, human observers are faster at imitating a biological as compared with a non-biological movement. However, it is unclear which cortical areas and their interactions (synchronization) are responsible for this behavioural advantage. We investigated the time course of long-range synchronization within cortical networks during an imitation task in 10 healthy participants by means of whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG). Extending previous work, we conclude that left ventrolateral premotor, bilateral temporal and parietal areas mediate the observed behavioural advantage of biological movements in close interaction with the basal ganglia and other motor areas (cerebellum, sensorimotor cortex). Besides left ventrolateral premotor cortex, we identified the right temporal pole and the posterior parietal cortex as important junctions for the integration of information from different sources in imitation tasks that are controlled for movement (biological vs. non-biological) and that involve a certain amount of spatial orienting of attention. Finally, we also found the basal ganglia to participate at an early stage in the processing of biological movement, possibly by selecting suitable motor programs that match the stimulus.

Adult↗

Relationship between cortisol and age-related memory impairments in Holocaust survivors with PTSD.

RATIONALE: Holocaust survivors with PTSD appear to show an accelerated aging effect as evidenced by their performance on tests of explicit memory, and also show more exaggerated patterns on age-related alterations in cortisol release over the diurnal cycle than Holocaust survivors without PTSD and nonexposed subjects. To investigate the implications of age-related HPA axis alterations on cognition, we examined correlations between parameters reflecting circadian cortisol release and implicit and explicit memory performance. METHODS: Nineteen Holocaust survivors with PTSD (7 men, 12 women), 16 Holocaust survivors without PTSD (7 men, 9 women), and 28 non-exposed healthy comparison subjects (13 men, 15 women) collected salivary samples at six times over the diurnal cycle, and were tested with Paired Associates and Word Stem Completion Tests. RESULTS: Negative correlations were observed between several measures of salivary cortisol concentrations and explicit memory in Holocaust survivors with PTSD after adjusting for IQ, years of education and current age reflecting poorer performance in association with higher cortisol levels. This relationship was absent in Holocaust survivors without PTSD and in demographically-comparable subjects who were not exposed to the Holocaust or other extremely traumatic events. CONCLUSION: The significantly different relationship between cortisol and memory performance in these groups suggests that the neuropsychological impairments observed in Holocaust survivors with PTSD may reflect an interaction of PTSD and aging effects.

Aged↗

The course and clinical correlates of dysfunctions in visual perceptual organization in schizophrenia during the remission of psychotic symptoms.

This study evaluated deficits in visual perceptual organization in schizophrenia over the course of inpatient treatment, in relation to the remission of particular psychotic symptoms. Disorganized (n=14) and non-disorganized (n=33) schizophrenia patients were tested upon admission to an inpatient psychiatric unit, and again after 3 weeks of treatment, on two measures of visual perceptual organization. Performance of schizophrenia patients was compared to groups of patients with psychotic disorders other than schizophrenia (n=19) and non-psychotic psychiatric disorders (n=25). Symptom ratings were collected at both assessment points. Deficits in visual perceptual organization were observed for both tasks in disorganized schizophrenia patients at index and these deficits improved during the course of treatment. Moreover, improvement in visual perceptual organization correlated significantly with reductions in disorganized symptoms in the schizophrenia group. We interpret these data as further support for the hypothesis that the disorganization syndrome in schizophrenia reflects a widespread deficit in the cognitive coordination of contextually related stimuli, leading to dysfunctional organization of stimulus features in vision, thought and language.

Adult↗

Interleukin-2-induced increases in climbing behavior: inhibition by dopamine D-1 and D-2 receptor antagonists.

Interleukin (IL)-2 is a potent modulator of dopamine activity in the mesocorticolimbic and mesostriatal systems. It is also associated with behavioral changes (increased motor activity) and psychopathological outcomes (schizophrenia, Parkinson's Disease, cognitive deficits) that at least partly reflect aberrations in central dopaminergic transmission. Nonetheless, there is no evidence that a functional link exists between IL-2, dopaminergic processes, and related behavioral changes. We thus determined if IL-2 treatment increases the expression of climbing behavior, a behavior that is linked with dopamine D-1 and/or D-2 receptors and one used to test the efficacy of neuroleptics. IL-2 treatment (5-daily i.p. injections; 0.4 microg/BALB/c mouse) induced a marked 2-fold increase in climbing scores; a single injection had no effect. IL-2-induced increases in climbing behavior were completely blocked by a selective dopamine D-1 receptor antagonist (SCH 23390; 0.05 or 0.2 mg/kg; i.p.), or by a relatively high dose of a D-2 antagonist (sulpiride; 80 mg/kg; i.p.). In contrast, MK-801, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, had no effect. This is the first demonstration of a functional link between IL-2, dopaminergic receptors, and behavior. These findings could shed light on the mechanisms by which IL-2 increases vulnerability to psychiatric abnormalities associated with aberrations in central dopaminergic processes.

Animals↗

Lesch-Nyhan disease and the basal ganglia.

The purpose of this review is to summarize emerging evidence that the neurobehavioral features of Lesch-Nyhan disease (LND), a developmental disorder caused by congenital deficiency of the purine salvage enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT), may be attributable to dysfunction of the basal ganglia. Affected individuals have severe motor disability described by prominent extrapyramidal features that are characteristic of dysfunction of the motor circuits of the basal ganglia. They also display disturbances of ocular motility, cognition, and behavioral control that may reflect disruption of other circuits of the basal ganglia. Though neuropathologic studies of autopsy specimens have revealed no obvious neuroanatomical abnormalities in LND, neurochemical studies have demonstrated 60-90% reductions in the dopamine content of the basal ganglia. In addition, recent PET studies have documented significant reductions in dopamine transporters and [18F]fluorodopa uptake in the basal ganglia. These findings support the proposal that many of the neurobehavioral features of LND might be related to dysfunction of the basal ganglia.

Animals↗

Defining the temporal threshold for ocular fixation in free-viewing visuocognitive tasks.

Patterns of ocular fixation in free-viewing tasks reflect aspects of visual attention and cognition. To quantify these patterns, fixations must be identified in raw eye movement data by applying explicit spatial and temporal thresholds. A temporal threshold of 200 ms is commonly used in clinical visuocognitive research, despite having been originally derived from a study of eye movements in reading. We systematically explored temporal fixation thresholds below 200 ms, using biologically relevant (human face) and abstract (complex geometric) stimuli. Short fixations (<200 ms) significantly altered spatiotemporal patterns of fixation for both the face and geometric stimuli, by increasing the number of fixations and the scanpath length. A threshold of 100 ms was found to discriminate fixations from other oculomotor activity effectively, and was consistent with current physiological and visuocognitive models. Statistical examination of fixation duration data for each subject suggested the median was a less biased and more robust measure of central tendency than the mean.

Adult↗

Spatial, object, and affective working memory in social anhedonia: an exploratory study.

The domain-specificity of working memory was examined in psychosis-prone individuals with elevated social anhedonia scores. A group of individuals with deviant scores on the revised Social Anhedonia Scale (n=43) were compared with a normal control group (n=39) on delayed match-to-sample tasks involving spatial, identity, and affective information. The social anhedonia group performed less well on the spatial and emotion delayed match-to-sample tasks relative to the normally hedonic group. The two groups did not differ in terms of their performance on the identity delayed match-to-sample task. Although the social anhedonia group reported less positive affect, greater negative affect, and more alexithymic tendencies relative to the control group, there were no significant associations between these personality traits and working memory performance. In summary, the findings suggest that poorer working memory performance is not domain-specific in socially anhedonic individuals. The authors conclude that the socially anhedonic group's relatively poor performance on the emotion delayed match-to-sample task reflects difficulty and/or inefficiency in handling cognitively taxing tasks.

Adolescent↗

Abnormal CNV in chronic heavy drinkers.

OBJECTIVE: We used the contingent negative variation (CNV), a slow negative shift in the human electroencephalogram, to investigate the effects of heavy chronic alcohol use on frontal lobe function. METHODS: Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 30 heavy drinkers (HD) and 30 age-, sex-, and education-matched light or non-drinkers (LD), using a classical two-stimulus reaction time (RT) paradigm. Structural magnetic resonance images and neuropsychological tests were also administered. RESULTS: The amplitude of the late CNV was significantly reduced in HD relative to light drinkers. Moreover, diminished CNV amplitudes in HD appear to be closely related to the amount of recent alcohol consumption. There were no significant differences in neuropsychological measures of frontal lobe function and frontal lobe volume between light and HD. However, in HD, reduced late CNV amplitudes were associated with decreased frontal lobe gray matter volume and poor performance on the Trail Making Test B. In LD but not in HD, late CNV amplitude correlated positively with RT, suggesting that the late CNV reflects some aspect of motor and cognitive preparation. CONCLUSIONS: The inverse relationships between frontal lobe gray matter volume, performance on the Trail Making Test B, and late CNV amplitude in HD suggest that the ERP abnormalities observed in the current study may be indices of alcohol-related damage to the frontal lobe. The lack of a significant relationship between CNV amplitude and RT in HD suggests that chronic heavy alcohol use may disrupt response preparation.

Adult↗

The creation of new figurative expressions: psycholinguistic evidence in Italian children, adolescents and adults.

According to a developmental model of figurative language acquisition--the global elaboration model (Levorato & Cacciari, 1995)--the metalinguistic awareness necessary to use figurative language in a creative way is acquired late, and is subsequent to the ability to comprehend and produce figurative expressions. One hundred and eight children aged 9;6, one hundred and twenty-four children aged 11;3, one hundred and twelve adolescents aged 18;5 and one hundred adults participated in Experiment 1 which studied the development of metalinguistic awareness through an elicitation task. The subjects produced a high percentage of figurative expressions with a clear developmental trend that is concluded in adolescence. In addition, Experiment 2 showed that the production of comprehensible, appropriate and novel metaphors, as they were rated by adult judges, also increased with age. These results show that the ability to use figurative language in a creative and sensible way requires a long developmental time span and is strictly connected with the ability to reflect on language as a complex cognitive and interpersonal phenomenon.

Adolescent↗

Psychometric validation of the revised Functional Assessment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (FAHI) quality of life instrument.

The revised Functional Assessment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (FAHI) quality of life (QoL) instrument has been updated and expanded to provide more complete and accurate coverage of human immune deficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)-related QoL. Factor analysis and the Rasch measurement model were used to determine a new subscale structure for the FAHI. The content of these subscales, including physical well-being (ten items, alpha = 0.91), function and global well-being (13 items, alpha = 0.86), emotional well-being/living with HIV (10 items, alpha = 0.82), social well-being (eight items, alpha = 0.73), and cognitive functioning (three items; alpha = 0.75), reflect both general illness- and HIV/AIDS-specific QoL concerns: a total QoL score can also be calculated for the FAHI (44 items, alpha = 0.91). Psychometric evaluation revealed good internal consistency reliability for the FAHI and its subscales. In addition, construct validity, known groups validity and sensitivity to change were demonstrated by significant associations between the FAHI and additional indicators of functional status, psychological symptoms, stress and illness severity. In summary, the FAHI is a psychometrically sound instrument that captures multiple important dimensions of HIV/AIDS-related QoL. It is brief, easy to administer and score, has been translated into nine languages other than English and is appropriate for use in clinical trials and clinical practice.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Anger cognitions and cardiovascular recovery following provocation.

The current study describes the creation and validation of the Anger Cognitions Inventory (ACI) to assess the cognitive appraisals associated with resentful and reflective anger. The ACI was created based on a content analysis of self-reports of participants' thoughts and feelings following anger provocation in the laboratory. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on two separate college student samples (N = 267 and N = 276, respectively) revealed five subscales which could validly be grouped into resentful and reflective anger. Convergent and divergent validity data showed that resentful anger correlated positively with anger-out/trait anger and reflective anger correlated positively with anger-in/brooding. A second study showed positive correlations between rumination and delayed cardiovascular recovery following anger provocation. Limitations of both studies include restricted samples which limit generalizability of results and cardiovascular recovery data collected in Study II which does not include assessment of autonomic balance between vagal and sympathetic responsivity.

Adolescent↗

Hypnotic amnesia as a strategic enactment: breaching amnesia in highly susceptible subjects.

Hypnotically amnesic subjects frequently maintain their amnesia in the face of strong and repeated exhortations to recall honestly and to try their best to recall. Some investigators have argued that these subjects lose control over memory processes and, consequently, are unable to recall the material for which amnesia had been suggested. We propose instead that amnesic subjects maintain control over their memory processes. They often fail to breach amnesia because to do so would conflict with their self-presentation as deeply hypnotized. In two interrelated experiments we demonstrated that highly susceptible hypnotically amnesic subjects could be easily induced to recall all of the "forgotten" target items by defining successful recall as supportive of rather than as inconsistent with a self-presentation as deeply hypnotized. In the first part of Experiment 1, all subjects showed amnesia despite repeated demands to recall honestly. In the second part of this experiment, subjects were led to believe that they possessed a "hidden part" to their mind that remained aware of the target items covered by the amnesia suggestion. Each subject recalled all of the forgotten items when the experimenter contacted their hidden part. In Experiment 2 we replicated this effect and also demonstrated that the characteristics of subjects' hidden reports were a function of the instructions they received and did not reflect the operation of a dissociated cognitive subsystem that subconsciously held the forgotten items. These findings are inconsistent with traditional theorizing about hypnosis, but offer strong support for the hypothesis that hypnotic amnesia is a strategic enactment under the subject's voluntary control.

Adult↗

The role of ego-control, ego-resiliency, and IQ in delay of gratification in adolescence.

The delay-of-gratification behavior of 104 14-year-old Ss (54 girls and 50 boys) was assessed in an experiment in which each subject chose between immediate monetary payment and larger, delayed payment on 5 occasions. Personality data were obtained on these adolescents in the form of California Adult Q-Set ratings made by several research examiners who were blind to the subjects' delay behavior. The number of delayed payments chosen was strongly correlated with these personality ratings, within both sexes. Ss who exhibited the most delay of gratification tended to be independently described as responsible, productive, ethically consistent, interested in intellectual matters, and overly controlled. They tended not to be described as unable to delay gratification, rebellious, unpredictable, self-indulgent, or hostile. Delay behavior in both sexes was also correlated positively with IQ and with Q-sort-derived indexes of ego resiliency and ego control. The relationship between ego control and delay behavior was particularly strong after both IQ and ego resiliency were partialled. These results were interpreted as reflecting the fundamental importance of both cognitive skillfulness and impulse control for adaptive delay behavior in situations that contain strong motivational inducements.

Adolescent↗

Identified and introjected forms of political internalization: extending self-determination theory.

Canadian voters' reasons for following political events were assessed prior to the 1992 Constitutional Referendum and the 1993 federal election. Results showed that reasons reflecting identification were endorsed more frequently than those reflecting introjection, and distinctive patterns of cognitions, emotions, and actions were associated with the 2 types of internalization. Identification was associated with actively seeking information about political events, possessing a complex set of political attitudes, and being more likely to actually vote. Introjection was associated with relying on the influence of important others, experiencing conflicted emotions about political outcomes, and vulnerability to persuasion. The study also provided evidence that identification and introjection toward politics are distinguishable from intrinsic motivation and amotivation.

Affect↗

Do right- and left-handed monkeys differ on cognitive measures?

Twelve left- and 14 right-handed monkeys were compared on 6 measures of cognitive performance (2 maze-solving tasks, matching-to-sample, delayed matching-to-sample, delayed response using spatial cues, and delayed response using form cues). The dependent variable was trials-to-training criterion for each of the 6 tasks. Significant differences were found between left- and right-handed monkeys on the 2 versions of the delayed response task. Right-handed monkeys reached criterion significantly faster on the form cue version of the task, whereas left-handed monkeys reached criterion significantly faster on delayed response for spatial position (p < .05). The results suggest that sensitive hand preference measures of laterality can reveal differences in cognitive performance, which in turn may reflect underlying laterality in functional organization of the nervous system.

Animals↗