Podcasts about dlpfc

Liebeskummer kann uns richtig hart treffen. Lisa ging es so. Sie ist nach der Trennung von ihrer ersten großen Liebe in ein Loch gefallen. Durch Liebeskummer können wir auch viel über uns selbst lernen und so unseren Weg raus aus dem Kummer finden.**********Ihr hört: Gesprächspartner*in: Lisa, hat jahrelang unter Liebeskummer gelitten Gesprächspartner*in: Elena-Katharina Sohn, Gründerin der Agentur "Die Liebeskümmerer" Gesprächspartner*in: Michael A. Nitsche, Professor für Neuromodulation am Leibniz-Institut für Arbeitsforschung an der TU Dortmund Autor*in und Host: Shalin Rogall Redaktion: Utz Dräger, Christian Schmitt, Grit Eggerichs, Ivy Nortey, Friederike Seeger Produktion: Jan Fraune**********Quellen:Targeting the left DLPFC and right VLPFC in unmarried romantic relationship breakup (love trauma syndrome) with intensified electrical stimulation: A randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled study (2024)**********Mehr zum Thema bei Deutschlandfunk Nova:Liebeskummer: Wie wir nach einer Trennung zu uns selbst finden könnenResilienz: Mit Achtsamkeit den Liebeskummer überwindenPsychische Gesundheit: Hilfsangebote**********Den Artikel zum Stück findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok auf&ab , TikTok wie_geht und Instagram .**********Meldet euch!Ihr könnt das Team von Facts & Feelings über WhatsApp erreichen.Uns interessiert: Was beschäftigt euch? Habt ihr ein Thema, über das wir unbedingt in der Sendung und im Podcast sprechen sollen?Schickt uns eine Sprachnachricht oder schreibt uns per 0160-91360852 oder an factsundfeelings@deutschlandradio.de.Wichtig: Wenn ihr diese Nummer speichert und uns eine Nachricht schickt, akzeptiert ihr unsere Regeln zum Datenschutz und bei WhatsApp die Datenschutzrichtlinien von WhatsApp.

Diese Woche mit Julia Nestlen und Aeneas Rooch. Ihre Themen sind: - Elektroden am Kopf sollen Liebeskummer heilen. Julia leidet mit (00:57) - Erleichterung für Callcenter: KI macht Schreie freundlich (06:32) - Bestattung in Wein – menschliche Asche in römischem Fund (12:36) - Schwafelnde Manager schaden dem Unternehmen (18:19) Weitere Infos und Studien gibt's hier: Targeting the left DLPFC and right VLPFC in unmarried romantic relationship breakup (love trauma syndrome) with intensified electrical stimulation: A randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395624002796#preview-section-abstract SWR Science Talk: Essstörungen – Ursachen und Therapien: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/science-talk/essstoerungen-ursachen-und-therapien/swr/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS9hZXgvbzIwMTY5NzE The Worlds oldest wine discovered: https://www.uco.es/investigacion/ucci/es/noticias-ingles/item/4717-the-world-s-oldest-wine-discovered Analyse von Finanzmarkt-Gesprächen: Schwafelnde Manager schaden dem Unternehmen: https://www.iwh-halle.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/detail/analyse-von-finanzmarkt-gespraechen-schwafelnde-manager-schaden-dem-unternehmen/ Unser Podcast-Tipp der Woche: Changemakers - Wie Sportler:innen die Welt verändern https://www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/changemakers-wie-sportler-innen-die-welt-veraendern/13636893/ Habt ihr auch Nerd-Facts und schlechte Witze für uns? Schreibt uns bei WhatsApp oder schickt eine Sprachnachricht: 0174/4321508 Oder per E-Mail: faktab@swr2.de Oder direkt auf http://swr.li/faktab Instagram: @charlotte.grieser @julianistin @sinologin @aeneasrooch Redaktion: Charlotte Grieser und Chris Eckardt Idee: Christoph König

Love is one of the most wonderful feelings that can be experienced, however when love ends it can also be one of the most painful. New research out this week in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has found that the best way to get over a painful breakup is with a quick electrical zap to the brain! The research looked at volunteers who had been diagnosed with love trauma syndrome (LTS). LTS is a clinically diagnosed syndrome that can occur after the end of a romantic relationship and is characterised by deep emotional pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, obsessive thoughts, as well as feelings of insecurity, helplessness and guilt. The 36 volunteers were all asked to wear a headsets for 20 minutes twice a day for five days. These headsets deliver a mild electrical current to specific areas of the brain. The volunteers were divided into three groups. One group was a control group and their headsets were never actually turned on. One group had headsets which applied an electrical current to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) part of the brain. The final group had headsets which applied an electrical current to the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) part of the brain. Both of the brain regions targeted are known to be involved in voluntary emotion regulation. After the 5 days of headset treatment, the researchers found that all of the volunteers who had been zapped showed a significant reduction in their LTS symptoms when compared to the control group with the volunteers who had been zapped around their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showing the greatest reduction in symptoms. The scientists also found that the zapped volunteers still felt better one month after their electrical treatment indicating a long term effect from this simple headset treatment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten +++ Forschende testen Hirnstimulation als Mittel gegen schwere Liebeskummer-Symptome +++ Wann selbstfahrende Fahrzeuge (nicht) sicherer als Menschen fahren +++ Ältester noch flüssiger Wein der Welt schmeckt wohl wie Sherry +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Targeting the left DLPFC and right VLPFC in unmarried romantic relationship breakup (love trauma syndrome) with intensified electrical stimulation: A randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, Juli 2024A matched case-control analysis of autonomous vs human-driven vehicle accidents. Nature Communications, 18.06.2024New archaeochemical insights into Roman wine from Baetica. Journal of Archaeological Science, September 2024Methane plume detection after the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosion in the Baltic Sea. Scientific Reports, 19.06.2024Negligible Warming Caused by Nord Stream Methane Leaks. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 11.11.2022Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.30.551169v1?rss=1 Authors: Noel, J.-P., Balzani, E., Savin, C., Angelaki, D. Abstract: Natural behaviors occur in closed action-perception loops and are supported by dynamic and flexible beliefs abstracted away from our immediate sensory milieu. How this real-world flexibility is instantiated in neural circuits remains unknown. Here we have macaques navigate in a virtual environment by primarily leveraging sensory (optic flow) signals, or by more heavily relying on acquired internal models. We record single-unit spiking activity simultaneously from the dorsomedial superior temporal area (MSTd), parietal area 7a, and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Results show that while animals were able to maintain adaptive task-relevant beliefs regardless of sensory context, the fine-grain statistical dependencies between neurons, particularly in 7a and dlPFC, dynamically remapped with the changing computational demands. In dlPFC, but not 7a, destroying these statistical dependencies abolished the areas ability for cross-context decoding. Lastly, correlation analyses suggested that the more unit-to-unit couplings remapped in dlPFC, and the less they did so in MSTd, the less were population codes and behavior impacted by the loss of sensory evidence. We conclude that dynamic functional connectivity between prefrontal cortex neurons maintains a stable population code and context-invariant beliefs during naturalistic behavior with closed action-perception loops. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.26.550620v1?rss=1 Authors: Kaminski, E., Carius, D., Knieke, J., Mizuguchi, N., Ragert, P. Abstract: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique which was found to have a positive modulatory effect on online sequence acquisition or offline motor consolidation, depending on the relative role of the associated brain region. Primary motor regions (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC) have both been related to sequential learning. However, research so far did not systematically disentangle their differential roles in online and offline learning especially in more complex sequential paradigms. In this study, the influence of M1-tDCS and DLPFC-tDCS on complex sequential learning (online and offline) was investigated using a complex whole body serial reaction time task (CWB-SRTT) in 42 healthy volunteers. TDCS groups did not differ from sham tDCS group regarding their total time to complete the sequence and reaction time (online) and also not in terms of over-night consolidation (offline). Results may be related to unspecific parameters such as timing of the stimulation or current intensity but can also be attributed to the relative role of M1 and DLPFC during early complex learning. Future studies should consider investigating neural parameters during early complex CWB-SRTT learning to gain information on changes in neural activation within sequence acquisition with a specific focus on M1 and DLPFC. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.25.549989v1?rss=1 Authors: Wang, B., Drammis, S., Hummos, A., Halassa, M., Pleger, B. Abstract: Humans and animals can maintain constant payoffs in an uncertain environment by steadily re-evaluating and flexibly adjusting current strategy, which largely depends on the interactions between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and mediodorsal thalamus (MD). While the ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) represents the level of uncertainty (i.e., prior belief about external states), it remains unclear how the brain recruits the PFC-MD network to re-evaluate decision strategy based on the uncertainty. Here, we leverage nonlinear dynamic causal modeling on fMRI data to test how prior belief-dependent activity in vmPFC gates the information flow in the PFC-MD network when individuals switch their decision strategy. We show that the prior belief-related responses in vmPFC had a modulatory influence on the connections from dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) to both, lateral orbitofrontal (lOFC) and MD. Bayesian parameter averaging revealed that only the connection from the dlPFC to lOFC surpassed the significant threshold, which indicates that the weaker the prior belief, the less was the inhibitory influence of the vmPFC on the strength of effective connections from dlPFC to lOFC. These findings suggest that the vmPFC acts as a gatekeeper for the recruitment of processing resources to re-evaluate the decision strategy in situations of high uncertainty. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.25.550477v1?rss=1 Authors: Chang, L.-A., Engelmann, J. B. Abstract: While the effects of anxiety on various cognitive processes, including memory, attention, and learning, have been relatively well documented, the neurobiological effects of anxiety on social cognitive processes remain largely unknown. We address this gap using threat-of-shock to induce incidental anxiety while participants performed two false-belief tasks, a standard and an economic-games version. During belief formation and belief inferences, regions in a canonical social cognition network showed activation reflecting mentalizing, including the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), precuneus, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). At the same time, we found threat-related suppression of social cognition regions during belief inferences. A conjunction analysis confirmed that a network of regions was simultaneously engaged during mentalizing and suppressed by anxiety: bilateral TPJ, bilateral IFG, and putamen. We examined how threat impacted the connectivity between seed regions from the conjunction analyses and its targets. During belief formation, we found that anxiety suppressed the connectivity between the precuneus seed and two key mentalizing nodes, the dmPFC and right TPJ. Moreover, during belief inferences threat specificallty suppressed belief-based connectivity between putamen and its targets in IPS and dlPFC, and dispositional distress significantly modulated threat-related suppression of connectivity between the left TPJ seed and left IPS. Our results highlight important effects of incidental and dispositional anxiety on specific nodes of the social cognition network. Taken together, our study uncovers novel interactions between the reward, social cognition, and attentional systems, indicating that social cognitive processes rely on support from other large-scale networks, and that these network interactions are disrupted under incidental anxiety. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.19.549741v1?rss=1 Authors: Deshpande, H. U., Kohut, S. Abstract: Introduction: Understanding age related changes in functional connectivity (FC) with regards to the maturation trajectories of cortical subcortical circuits is critical for identifying biomarkers for disease vulnerability. The present study investigated resting state FC in adolescent and adult nonhuman primates to characterize developmentally sensitive functional brain circuits. Methods: Resting-state fMRI data were acquired in adolescent (33.3 (sd=1.59) months; n=22) and adult (117.29 (sd=2.86) months; n=15) squirrel monkeys and FC was compared in seven prefrontal and ten subcortical regions of interest (ROIs). The effect of subject age on FC between each pair of ROIs was evaluated to identify nodes with the most age sensitive connections (hubs) which were then used in seed-to-whole brain FC analyses. A subset of adolescents (n=7) was also assessed over 3 longitudinal scans to track changes in hub connectivity throughout adolescence. Results: A significant effect of age on ROI to ROI FC was found for adolescent (p less than 0.001), but not adult, subjects (p=0.8). Evaluation of parameter estimates (beta) for each ROI to ROI pair found three within-prefrontal (dorsolateral (dlPFC), dorsomedial (dmPFC), and medial orbitofrontal cortices), two within-subcortical (R amygdala and L hippocampus), and three between prefrontal-subcortical (dlPFC, dmPFC, L caudate) hubs with the highest number of age-related connections. Large scale organizational differences were also observed between the adolescent and adult groups. Longitudinal scans found within subject changes in FC consistent with group effect. Conclusions: The relationship between changes in FC and age during adolescence indicates dynamic maturation of several prefrontal to subcortical circuits in nonhuman primates. These findings provide specificity in our understanding of the development of functional brain circuits during and into late adolescence. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.12.548742v1?rss=1 Authors: Kleinman, M., Wang, T., Xiao, D., Feghhi, E., Lee, K., Carr, N., Li, Y., Hadidi, N., Chandrasekaran, C., Kao, J. Abstract: Decision-making emerges from distributed computations across multiple brain areas, but it is unclear why the brain distributes the computation. In deep learning, artificial neural networks use multiple areas (or layers) to form optimal representations of task inputs. These optimal representations are sufficient to perform the task well, but minimal so they are invariant to other irrelevant variables. We recorded single neurons and multiunits in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in monkeys during a perceptual decision-making task. We found that while DLPFC represents task-related inputs required to compute the choice, the downstream PMd contains a minimal sufficient, or optimal, representation of the choice. To identify a mechanism for how cortex may form these optimal representations, we trained a multi-area recurrent neural network (RNN) to perform the task. Remarkably, DLPFC and PMd resembling representations emerged in the early and late areas of the multi-area RNN, respectively. The DLPFC-resembling area partially orthogonalized choice information and task inputs and this choice information was preferentially propagated to downstream areas through selective alignment with inter-area connections, while remaining task information was not. Our results suggest that cortex uses multi-area computation to form minimal sufficient representations by preferential propagation of relevant information between areas. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.04.07.536056v1?rss=1 Authors: Puig, S., Xue, X., Salisbury, R., Shelton, M. A., Kim, S.-M., Hildebrand, M. A., Glausier, J. R., Freyberg, Z., Tseng, G. C., Yocum, A. K., Lewis, D. A., Seney, M. L., MacDonald, M. L., Logan, R. W. Abstract: Opioid craving and the vulnerability to relapse is associated with severe and persistent disruptions to sleep and circadian rhythms. Investigations into the cellular and molecular pathways in the human brain underlying the relationship between circadian rhythms and OUD remain limited. In human subjects with OUD, previous transcriptomics work implicated a role for circadian regulation of synaptic processes in key cognitive- and reward-related brain regions, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). To provide further insights into the synaptic alterations associated with OUD, we used mass-spectrometry based proteomics to deeply profile protein alterations in tissue homogenates and synaptosomes from both NAc and DLPFC of unaffected and OUD subjects. Between unaffected and OUD subjects, we identified 43 differentially expressed (DE) proteins in NAc homogenates and 55 DE proteins in DLPFC homogenates. In synaptosomes, we found 56 DE proteins in NAc of OUD subjects and 161 DE proteins in DLPFC. Examining synaptosome enrichment of specific proteins enabled us to identify brain region- and synapse-specific pathway alterations in NAc and DLPFC associated with OUD. Across both regions, we found OUD-associated protein alterations primarily in pathways involved in GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic functions, as well as circadian rhythms. Using time-of-death (TOD) analyses, where the TOD of each subject is used as a time-point across a 24-hour cycle, we were able to map circadian-related changes in the synaptic proteomes in NAc and DLPFC associated with OUD. In OUD, TOD analysis revealed significant circadian changes in endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi vesicle-mediated transport and protein membrane trafficking in NAc synapses, accompanied by changes in platelet derived growth factor receptor beta signaling in DLPFC synapses. Together, our results lend further support for molecular disruption of circadian regulation of synaptic signaling in the human brain as a key factor in opioid addiction. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.04.04.535524v1?rss=1 Authors: Bouret, S., Paradis, E., Prat, S., Castro, L., Gilissen, E., Garcia, C. Abstract: The diversity of cognitive skills across primates remains both a fascinating and a controversial issue. Recent comparative studies provided conflicting results regarding the contribution of social vs ecological constraints to the evolution of cognition. Here, we used an interdisciplinary approach combining comparative cognitive neurosciences and behavioral ecology. Using brain imaging data from 16 primate species, we measured the size of two prefrontal brain regions, the frontal pole (FP) and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), respectively involved in metacognition and working memory, and examined their relation to a combination of socio-ecological variables. The size of these prefrontal regions, as well as the whole brain, was best explained by three variables: body mass, daily travelled distance (an index of ecological constraints) and population density (an index of social constraint). The strong influence of ecological constraints on FP and DLPFC volumes suggests that both metacognition and working memory are critical for foraging in primates. Interestingly, FP volume was much more sensitive to social constraints than DLPFC volume, in line with laboratory studies showing an implication of FP in complex social interactions. Thus, our data clarifies the relative weight of social vs ecological constraints on the evolution of specific prefrontal brain regions and their associated cognitive operations in primates. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.03.21.533662v1?rss=1 Authors: Xue, K., Zheng, Y., Rafiei, F., Rahnev, D. Abstract: Knowing when confidence computations take place is critical for building mechanistic understanding of the neural and computational bases of metacognition. Yet, even though substantial amount of research has focused on revealing the neural correlates and computations underlying human confidence judgments, very little is known about the timing of confidence computations. Subjects judged the orientation of a briefly presented visual stimulus and provided a confidence rating regarding the accuracy of their decision. We delivered single pulses of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at different times after stimulus presentation. TMS was delivered to either dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the experimental group or to vertex in the control group. We found that TMS to DLPFC, but not to vertex, led to increased confidence in the absence of changes to accuracy or metacognitive ability. Critically, equivalent levels of confidence increase occurred for TMS delivered between 200 and 500 ms after stimulus presentation. These results suggest that confidence computations occur during a broad window that begins before the perceptual decision has been fully made and thus provide important constraints for theories of confidence generation. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.03.14.532684v1?rss=1 Authors: Yang, X., Zeng, Y., Jiao, G., Gan, X., Linden, D., Hernaus, D., Zhu, C., Li, K., Yao, D., Yao, S., Jiang, Y., Becker, B. Abstract: Working memory (WM) represents a building-block of higher cognitive functions and a wide range of mental disorders are associated with WM impairments. Initial studies have shown that several sessions of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) informed real-time neurofeedback (NF) allow healthy individuals to volitionally increase activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region critically involved in WM. For the translation to therapeutic or neuroenhancement applications, however, it is critical to assess whether fNIRS-NF success transfers into neural and behavioral WM enhancement in the absence of feedback. We therefore combined single-session fNIRS-NF of the left DLPFC with a randomized sham-controlled design (N = 62 participants) and a subsequent WM challenge with concomitant functional MRI. Over four runs of fNIRS-NF, the left DLPFC NF training group demonstrated enhanced neural activity in this region, reflecting successful acquisition of neural self-regulation. During the subsequent WM challenge, we observed no evidence for performance differences between the training and the sham group. Importantly, however, examination of the fMRI data revealed that - compared to the sham group - the training group exhibited significantly increased regional activity in the bilateral DLPFC and decreased left DLPFC - left anterior insula functional connectivity during the WM challenge. Exploratory analyses revealed a negative association between DLPFC activity and WM reaction times in the NF group. Together, these findings indicate that healthy individuals can learn to volitionally increase left DLPFC activity in a single training session and that the training success translates into WM-related neural activation and connectivity changes in the absence of feedback. This renders fNIRS-NF as a promising and scalable WM intervention approach that could be applied to various mental disorders. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.24.529872v1?rss=1 Authors: Mao, Y., Li, L., Li, Y., Hou, X., Duan, S. Abstract: Background: Childhood maltreatment is considered as a robust predictor of depression. However, the underlying psychological and neurological mechanisms linking childhood maltreatment and depression remain poorly understood. Sufficient evidence demonstrates emotion dysregulation in individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment, but it is unknown whether these changes represent vulnerability for depression. Here we speculated that decreased cognitive reappraisal and its corresponding neural basis might explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and follow-up depression. Methods: First, we investigated whether cognitive reappraisal can explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression, with a cross-sectional (n = 657) behavioral sample. Then we recruit 38 maltreated participants and 27 controls to complete the cognitive reappraisal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task. The between-group difference in brain activation and functional connectivity (FC) were tested using independent t-tests. Finally, we investigated the relationship between childhood maltreatment, task-based brain activity and depression. Results: The behavior results suggested that cognitive reappraisal mediate the association between childhood maltreatment and depression. Specifically, participants with higher level of childhood maltreatment tend to have deficit in cognitive reappraisal, which ultimately predict higher level of depression when facing stressful life event. In addition, the maltreated group exhibited lower activation of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and higher FC of between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), OFC, and amygdala during cognitive reappraisal, compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, the FC of DLPFC-amygdala mediates the association between childhood maltreatment and depression. Conclusion: In summary, childhood maltreatment is associated with inefficient cognitive reappraisal ability, manifesting as aberrant modulation of cortical areas on amygdala. These cognitive and neural deficits might explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and risk of depression in later life. On the other side, cognitive reappraisal might also be a potential resilient factor for the prevention of maltreatment related emotional problems. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.26.530089v1?rss=1 Authors: Walker, C. S., Li, L., Geddes, M. R. Abstract: Objectives: Generativity is the desire and actions to improve the well-being of younger generations. Generativity is associated with purpose in life, with both being shown to independently improve cognition in older adults. Our aims were to identify the neural substrates supporting generativity and determine the mechanism underlying the relationship between generativity and purpose in life in older adults. Method: Forty-three older adults (Mage = 70.33, 79.1% female) at risk for Alzheimers disease underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and completed questionnaires assessing generativity, social support, and purpose in life. Seed-to-voxel analyses examined if resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum, key nodes at the intersection of subjective valuation and self-transcendence, were associated with generativity. Moderated mediation models examined if social support or rsFC mediated or moderated the association between generativity and purpose in life, respectively. Results: Generative desire was associated with enhanced rsFC between the vmPFC and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rdlPFC). Affectionate social support fully mediated the relationship between generative desire and purpose in life, and rsFC between the vmPFC and rdlPFC significantly moderated this association. Discussion: This study is the first to examine the rsFC underlying generativity and provides mechanistic insight into how purpose in life is enhanced through generative desire. Generative desire is supported by rsFC implicated in value-based social decision making and is associated with purpose in life through enhanced love and affection from others. This knowledge contributes to future developments of personalized interventions that promote resilience in at-risk aging. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.17.528919v1?rss=1 Authors: Yahata, N., Hirabayashi, T., Minamimoto, T. Abstract: Recent advances in genetic neuromodulation technology have enabled circuit-specific interventions in nonhuman primates (NHPs), thereby revealing the causal functions of specific neural circuits. Going forward, an important step is to use these findings to better understand neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders in humans, in which alterations in functional connectivity between brain regions are demonstrated. We recently identified the causal roles of the pathways from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to the lateral part of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MDl) and dorsal caudate nucleus (dCD) in working memory and decision-making, respectively. In the present study, we examined the resting-state functional connectivity of these two prefronto-subcortical circuits in healthy controls (HCs) and patients with various neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in humans. We found that the functional connectivity of two pathways, DLPFC-MDl and DLPFC-dCD, was significantly reduced in the SCZ groups compared to HCs; however, this hypoconnectivity was not observed in the ASD or MDD groups, suggesting a disease-specific profile of altered prefronto-subcortical connectivity at rest. These results suggest that causal findings of pathway-specific functions revealed in NHPs can be effectively translated to identify the altered connectivity in neuropsychiatric disorders with related symptoms in humans. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.15.528722v1?rss=1 Authors: Huuki-Myers, L. A., Spangler, A., Eagles, N. J., Montgomery, K. D., Kwon, S. H., Guo, B., Grant-Peters, M., Divecha, H. R., Tippani, M., Sriworarat, C., Nguyen, A. B., Ravichandran, P., Tran, M. N., Seyedian, A., PsychENCODE Consortium,, Hyde, T. M., Kleinman, J. E., Battle, A., Page, S. C., Ryten, M., Hicks, S. C., Martinowich, K., Collado-Torres, L., Maynard, K. R. Abstract: The molecular organization of the human neocortex has been historically studied in the context of its histological layers. However, emerging spatial transcriptomic technologies have enabled unbiased identification of transcriptionally-defined spatial domains that move beyond classic cytoarchitecture. Here we used the Visium spatial gene expression platform to generate a data-driven molecular neuroanatomical atlas across the anterior-posterior axis of the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Integration with paired single nucleus RNA-sequencing data revealed distinct cell type compositions and cell-cell interactions across spatial domains. Using PsychENCODE and publicly available data, we map the enrichment of cell types and genes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders to discrete spatial domains. Finally, we provide resources for the scientific community to explore these integrated spatial and single cell datasets at research.libd.org/spatialDLPFC/. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.13.528292v1?rss=1 Authors: Yang, G., Wu, H., Li, Q., Liu, X., Fu, Z., Jiang, J. Abstract: Cognitive control resolves conflict between task-relevant and -irrelevant information to enable goal-directed behavior. As conflict can arise from different sources (e.g., sensory input, internal representations), how a finite set of cognitive control processes can effectively address huge array of conflict remains a major challenge. We hypothesize that different conflict can be parameterized and represented as distinct points in a (low-dimensional) cognitive space, which can then be resolved by a limited set of cognitive control processes working along the dimensions. To test this hypothesis, we designed a task with five types of conflict that could be conceptually parameterized along one dimension. Over two experiments, both human performance and fMRI activity patterns in the right dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) support that different types of conflict are organized in a cognitive space. The findings suggest that cognitive space can be a dimension reduction tool to effectively organize neural representations of conflict for cognitive control. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.09.527840v1?rss=1 Authors: Gustavsson, J., Johansson, J., Falahati, F., Andersson, M., Papenberg, G., Avelar-Pereira, B., Bäckman, L., Kalpouzos, G., Salami, A. Abstract: Brain iron overload and decreased integrity of the dopaminergic system have been independently reported as brain substrates of cognitive decline in aging. Dopamine (DA), and iron are co-localized in high concentrations in the striatum and prefrontal cortex (PFC), but follow opposing age-related trajectories across the lifespan. DA contributes to cellular iron homeostasis and the activation of D1-like DA receptors (D1DR) alleviates oxidative stress-induced inflammatory responses, suggesting a mutual interaction between these two fundamental components. Still, a direct in-vivo study testing the iron-D1DR relationship and their interactions on brain function and cognition across the lifespan is rare. Using PET and MRI data from the DyNAMiC study (n=180, age=20-79, %50 female), we showed that elevated iron content was related to lower D1DRs in DLPFC, but not in striatum, suggesting that dopamine-rich regions are less susceptible to elevated iron. Critically, older individuals with elevated iron and lower D1DR exhibited less frontoparietal activations during the most demanding task, which in turn was related to poorer working-memory performance. Together, our findings suggest that the combination of elevated iron load and reduced D1DR contribute to disturbed PFC-related circuits in older age, and thus may be targeted as two modifiable factors for future intervention. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.08.527703v1?rss=1 Authors: Naqvi, N. H., Srivastava, A. B., Lee, J., Mariani, J. J., Patel, G. H., Levin, F. R. Abstract: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). We hypothesized that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a brain region implicated in cognitive control and goal-directed behavior, plays a role behavior change during CBT by facilitating regulation of craving. To examine this, treatment-seeking participants with AUD (N=22) underwent functional MRI scanning both before and after a 12-week single-arm trial of CBT, using a regulation of craving (ROC) fMRI task designed to measure the ability to control alcohol craving and previously shown to engage the DLPFC. We found that both the number of heavy drinking days (NHDD, the primary clinical outcome) and the self-reported alcohol craving measured during the ROC paradigm were significantly reduced from pre- to post-CBT [NHDD: t=15.69, p less than 0.0001; alcohol craving: (F(1,21)=16.16; p=0.0006)]. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no change in regulation effects on self-reported craving over time (F(1,21)=0.072; p=0.79), nor was there was a significant change in regulation effects over time on activity in any parcel. Searching the whole brain for neural correlates of reductions in drinking and craving after CBT, we found a significant 3-way interaction between the effects of cue-induced alcohol craving, cue-induced brain activity and timepoint of assessment (pre- or post-CBT) on NHDD in a parcel corresponding to area 46 of the right DLPFC (beta=-0.37, p=0.046, FDR corrected). Follow-up analyses showed that reductions in cue-induced alcohol craving from pre- to post-CBT were linearly related to reductions in alcohol cue-induced activity in area 46 only among participants who ceased heavy drinking during CBT (r=0.81, p=0.005) but not among those who continued to drink heavily (r=0.28, p=0.38). These results are consistent with a model in which CBT impacts heavy drinking by increasing the engagement of the DLPFC during cue-induced craving. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.06.527256v1?rss=1 Authors: Manassero, E., Concina, G., Caraig, M. C. C., Sarasso, P., Salatino, A., Ricci, R., Sacchetti, B. Abstract: Down-regulating emotional overreactions toward threats is fundamental for developing treatments for anxiety and post-traumatic disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical for top-down modulatory processes, and despite previous studies adopting repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) over this region provided encouraging results in enhancing extinction, no studies have hitherto explored the effects of stimulating the medial PFC (mPFC) on threat memory and generalization. Here we showed that rTMS applied before threat memory retrieval abolishes implicit reactions to learned and novel stimuli in humans. These effects were not due to inhibition of electrodermal reactivity and enduringly persisted one week later in the absence of rTMS. No effects were detected on explicit recognition. Critically, we observed stronger attenuation of defensive responses in subjects stimulated over the mPFC than the dlPFC. Our findings uncover a prefrontal region whose modulation can permanently hamper implicit reactions to learned dangers, representing an advance to long-term deactivating overreactions to threats. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.01.30.526374v1?rss=1 Authors: Ross, J. M., Cline, C. C., Sarkar, M., Truong, J., Keller, C. J. Abstract: Despite adoption of repetitive TMS (rTMS) for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, a lack of understanding of its neural effects limits our ability to monitor, personalize, and adapt treatments. Here we address the methodological limitations in capturing the neural response to a single TMS train, the fundamental building block of treatment. We developed methods to measure these effects noninvasively and evaluated the acute neural response to single and sequential TMS trains. In 16 healthy adults, we applied 10 Hz trains to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in a randomized, sham-controlled, event-related design and assessed changes to the TMS-evoked potential (TEP), a measure of local cortical excitability. We hypothesized that single TMS trains would induce changes in the local TEP amplitude that would accumulate across trains, but we found no evidence in support of this hypothesis. However, exploratory analyses demonstrated modulations non-locally and in phase and source space. Single and sequential TMS trains may not be sufficient to modulate the local TEP amplitude, but induce acute neural changes measured in alternative ways. This work should be contextualized as methods development for the monitoring of transient neural changes during rTMS and contributes to a growing understanding of the neural effects of rTMS. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.01.30.525877v1?rss=1 Authors: Lugrin, C., Konovalov, A., Ruff, C. C. Abstract: Behavior in social contexts is routinely accompanied by neural activity in a brain network comprising the bilateral temporoparietal junction (TPJ), dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dmPFC and dlPFC), and precuneus. This network - often referred to as the "social brain network" (SBN) - is thought to have evolved in response to the information processing demands of life in social groups. However, its precise functional contributions to behavior are unclear, since many of its areas are also activated in non-social contexts requiring, for example, attentional orienting or context updating. Here we argue that these results may reflect a basic neural mechanism implemented by areas in this network that is commonly required in both social and non-social contexts: Integrating multiple sensory and memory inputs into salient configurations, such as social constellations or perceptual Gestalts. We tested this hypothesis using a numeracy paradigm that orthogonally varied the salience of sensory target configurations and the required motor responses. Even in this non-social task, several regions of the SBN (TPJ, dmPFC, and precuneus) showed higher activity when the goal required the brain to attend to more versus less salient perceptual configurations. This activation pattern was specific to configuration salience and did not reflect general task demand or switching to new contexts. Taken together, these results suggest that the integration of information into salient configurations may be a key function of SBN regions, thus offering a new perspective on the widespread recruitment of these areas across social and non-social contexts. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.12.21.521411v1?rss=1 Authors: Lin, C.-P., Knoop, L. E., Frigerio, I., Bol, J. G., Rozemuller, A. J., Berendse, H. W., Pouwels, P. J., van de Berg, W. D., Jonkman, L. E. Abstract: Background Motor and cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with dopaminergic dysfunction that stems from substantia nigra (SN) degeneration and concomitant -synuclein accumulation. Diffusion MRI can detect microstructural alterations of the SN and its tracts to (sub)cortical regions, but their pathological sensitivity is still poorly understood. Objective To unravel the pathological substrate underlying microstructural alterations of the SN, and its tracts to the dorsal striatum and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in PD. Methods Combining post-mortem in-situ MRI and histopathology, T1-weighted and diffusion MRI of 9 PD, 6 PD with dementia (PDD), 5 dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and 10 control donors were collected. From MRI, mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived from the SN, and tracts between the SN and caudate nucleus, putamen, and DLPFC. Phosphorylated-Ser129--synuclein and tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry was included to quantify nigral Lewy pathology and dopaminergic degeneration, respectively. Results Compared to controls, PD and PDD/DLB showed increased MD of the SN and SN-DLPFC tract, as well as increased FA of the SN-caudate nucleus tract. Both PD and PDD/DLB showed nigral Lewy pathology and dopaminergic loss compared to controls. Increased FA of the SN and SN-caudate nucleus tract was associated with SN dopaminergic loss, while increased MD of the SN-DLPFC tract was associated with increased SN Lewy neurite load. Conclusions In PD and PDD/DLB, diffusion MRI captures microstructural alterations of the SN and tracts to the dorsal striatum and DLPFC, which differentially associates with SN dopaminergic degeneration and Lewy neurite pathology. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.12.14.516867v1?rss=1 Authors: Barde, S., Aguila, J., Zhong, W., Solarz, A., Mei, I., Prud'homme, J., Palkovits, M., Turecki, G., Mulder, J., Uhlen, M., Nagy, C., Mechawar, N., Hedlund, E., Hokfelt, T. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious disease and a burden to patients, families and society. Rodent experiments and human studies suggest that several neuropeptide systems, including substance P(SP)/tachykinin, neuropeptide Y(NPY) and their G protein-coupled receptors are involved in mood regulation.METHODS: We assessed the transcript levels (qPCR) of SP/tachykinin and NPY systems in five regions from postmortem brains of male and female depressed subjects who committed suicide (DSS) and controls: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), locus coeruleus (LC) and medullary raphe nuclei (MRN). We also analysed human LC neurons isolated using LCM with Smart-seq2 RNA sequencing. RESULTS: Transcripts for all nine members were detected in male and female controls with marked regional variations of the raw CT values and with the highest levels for several tachykinin and tachykinin receptor transcripts in the DRN and for NPY and NPYR transcripts in the PFC regions. Significant sex differences for controls were recorded only in the DRN (NPYR2 greater than in females) and LC (TAC3 and NPY greater than in females). Elevated expression in DSS was recorded in (i) DLPFC for SP, TAC and TAC3 in females, SP in males, and NPYR1 in both sexes; and (ii) LC for all tachykinin family transcripts in females, SP, TACR1 and TACR3 in males, NPY in both sexes, and NPYR1 in males. CONCLUSIONS: The selective perturbation of neuropeptide systems in MDD patients may assist in the search for novel treatment strategies for subjects afflicted by this grave disorder. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.11.22.517525v1?rss=1 Authors: Dominguez Martin de la Torre, O., Valero Cabre, A., Gallardo Pujol, D., Redolar Ripoll, D. Abstract: We investigated the modulatory effects of cathodal High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) on risk-taking. Methods: Thirty-four healthy adults underwent 3 independent cathodal HD-tDCS interventions (DLPFC, VLPFC, sham) delivered in counterbalanced order during the performance of the balloon analogue risk task (autoBART). Participants were clustered post-hoc in 3 separate personality profiles according to the HEXACO-60 and the Dark Triad dirty dozen and we reanalysed the data. Results: Dorsal prefrontal cathodal HD-tDCS significantly modulated autoBART performance rendering participants less prone to risk-taking (i.e., more conservative) under left DLPFC HD-tDCS compared to left VLPFC or sham stimulation. The re-analysis of the same dataset, taking into consideration personality traits, suggested specific effects in impulsive-disinhibited and normative participants for DLPFC and VLPFC stimulation, respectively. Specifically, we saw that participants classified as impulsive-disinhibited were more affected by HD-tDCS left DLPFC stimulation than other profiles. Conclusions: Both, dorsal and ventral prefrontal active HD-tDCS decrease risk-taking behaviour compared to sham stimulation. Importantly, such effects are likely influenced by personality traits (impulsive disinhibited vs normative) exhibited by the participants. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.10.17.512497v1?rss=1 Authors: Rassi, E., Zhang, Y., Mendoza, G., Mendez, J. C., Merchant, H., Haegens, S. Abstract: Beta oscillations are involved in a variety of cognitive functions beyond their traditional sensorimotor role. Based on prior findings of content-specific beta synchronization during working memory and decision making, we hypothesized that beta activity supports the activation and reactivation of cortical representations by mediating neural ensemble formation within and between brain regions. We here found that beta activity in monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and in pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA) reflects the content of a stimulus in relation to the task context, regardless of its objective properties. In multiple versions of a categorization task, we changed the boundary between categories from one block of trials to the next, such that a stimulus which belonged to one of two categories during one block could belong to the other category during the next one. During a delay in which monkeys had to hold their categorical decision in mind, we found that two distinct beta-band frequencies were consistently associated with the same two relative categories, and that activity in these respective bands predicted the animals' responses. We characterized beta at these frequencies as transient bursts with distinct temporal profiles. We further showed that dlPFC and preSMA are connected via these distinct frequency channels, with dlPFC driving the frequency separation, a result supported by Granger causality and spike-field coherence analyses. In sum, these results provide support for the role of beta in forming neural ensembles, and further show that such ensembles synchronize at different beta frequencies. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.09.19.508576v1?rss=1 Authors: Yusif Rodriguez, N. D. R., McKim, T. H., Basu, D., Ahuja, A., Desrochers, T. M. Abstract: Monitoring sequential information is an essential component of our daily lives. Many of these sequences are abstract, in that they do not depend on the individual stimuli, but do depend on an ordered set of rules (e.g., chop then stir when cooking). Despite the ubiquity and utility of abstract sequential monitoring, little is known about its neural mechanisms. Human rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC) exhibits specific increases in neural activity (i.e., "ramping") during abstract sequences. Monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to represent sequential information in motor (not abstract) sequence tasks, and contains a sub-region, area 46, with homologous functional connectivity to human RLPFC. To test the prediction that area 46 may represent abstract sequence information, and do so with parallel dynamics to those found in humans, we conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in monkeys. When monkeys performed no-report abstract sequence viewing, we found that right area 46 responded to both abstract sequential rule and number changes. Interestingly, left area 46 exhibited ramping activation similar to that observed in humans that also indicated abstract sequential rule changes. Together, these results indicate that monkey DLPFC monitors abstract visual sequential information, and may do so through unique, hemisphere-specific neural mechanisms. More generally, these results show that abstract sequences are represented in functionally homologous regions across monkeys and humans. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by PaperPlayer

Wagonikologia to nauka o wagonikach, a wagoniki, to test na ludzkie wybory w obszarze moralności. Odcinek poświęcony refleksji wokół przekonań dotyczących moralności, tego na ile jest pochodną rozumu, a na ile zupełnie nie. O tym kto dla kogo wskoczy do Wisły w drogich ciuchach i z jakiego powodu grzech zaniechania rozpatrujemy jako mniej szkodliwy. Mała porcja neurobiologii, która pozwala nam zrozumieć różnicę między absolutyzmem moralnym, a konstruktywizmem moralnym, a na koniec wnioski o tym jak bardzo nam jest potrzebna i jak bardzo w innej formie.

Gary Null Show Notes 02/08/21 CDC: Over 500 Deaths Now Following mRNA Experimental Injections – “Vaccine Hesitancy” Increasing Invasive Insects and Diseases Are Killing Our Forests How ExxonMobil Uses Divide and Rule to Get Its Way in South America How the Pandemic Left the $25 Billion Hudson Yards Eerily Deserted Bayer makes new $2 billion plan to head off future Roundup cancer claims Billionaire capitalists are designing humanity’s future. Don’t let them Citizen scientists are filling research gaps created by the pandemic After COVID, Davos Moves to The “Great Reset” COVID-19: Here’s why global travel is unlikely to resume ‘till 2024     The Acute and Chronic Cognitive Effects of a Sage Extract: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study in Healthy Humans Northumbria University (UK), January 31, 2021 The sage (Salvia) plant contains a host of terpenes and phenolics which interact with mechanisms pertinent to brain function and improve aspects of cognitive performance. However, previous studies in humans have looked at these phytochemicals in isolation and following acute consumption only. A preclinical in vivo study in rodents, however, has demonstrated improved cognitive outcomes following 2-week consumption of CogniviaTM, a proprietary extract of both Salvia officinalis polyphenols and Salvia lavandulaefolia terpenoids, suggesting that a combination of phytochemicals from sage might be more efficacious over a longer period of time. The current study investigated the impact of this sage combination on cognitive functions in humans with acute and chronic outcomes. Participants (n = 94, 25 M, 69 F, 30–60 years old) took part in this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel groups design where a comprehensive array of cognitions were assessed 120- and 240-min post-dose acutely and following 29-day supplementation with either 600 mg of the sage combination or placebo. A consistent, significant benefit of the sage combination was observed throughout working memory and accuracy task outcome measures (specifically on the Corsi Blocks, Numeric Working Memory, and Name to Face Recall tasks) both acutely (i.e., changes within day 1 and day 29) and chronically (i.e., changes between day 1 to day 29). These results fall slightly outside of those reported previously with single Salvia administration, and therefore, a follow-up study with the single and combined extracts is required to confirm how these effects differ within the same cohort. In conclusion, we have observed a consistent significant benefit of a sage combination intervention  in healthy adult humans on working memory and accuracy of performance cognitive domains. This significant activity was observed both acutely (after just 2 h following consumption) and chronically (after 29 days of administration). The pattern and magnitude of significance points towards an increase in product efficacy over the administration period and, taken together, suggests that future trials should focus on disentangling the working and spatial memory effects of this intervention in humans with an extended timeframe of perhaps several months. Validating the CaMKII mechanism in humans would also be advantageous. Blink! The link between aerobic fitness and cognition University of Tsukuba (Japan), February 3, 2021 Although exercise is known to enhance cognitive function and improve mental health, the neurological mechanisms of this link are unknown. Now, researchers from Japan have found evidence of the missing link between aerobic fitness and cognitive function. In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers from the University of Tsukuba revealed that spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR), which reflects activity of the dopamine system, could be used to understand the connection between cognitive function and aerobic fitness. The dopaminergic system is known to be involved in physical activity and exercise, and previous researchers have proposed that exercise-induced changes in cognitive function might be mediated by activity in the dopaminergic system. However, a marker of activity in this system was needed to test this hypothesis, something the researchers at the University of Tsukuba aimed to address. “The dopaminergic system is associated with both executive function and motivated behavior, including physical activity,” says first author of the study Ryuta Kuwamizu. “We used sEBR as a non-invasive measure of dopaminergic system function to test whether it could be the missing link between aerobic fitness and cognitive function.” To do this, the researchers asked healthy participants to undergo a measure of sEBR, a test of cognitive function, and an aerobic fitness test. They also measured brain activity during the cognitive task using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. “As expected, we found significant correlations between aerobic fitness, cognitive function, and sEBR,” explains Professor Hideaki Soya, senior author. “When we examined these relationships further, we found that the connection between higher aerobic fitness and enhanced cognitive function was mediated in part by dopaminergic regulation.” Furthermore, activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC) during the cognitive task was the same or lower in participants with higher sEBR compared with lower sEBR, even though those with higher sEBR appeared to have greater executive function, and thus higher neural efficiency. “Although previous studies have indicated that aerobic fitness and cognitive function are correlated, this is the first to provide a neuromodulatory basis for this connection in humans. Our data indicate that dopamine has an essential role in linking aerobic fitness and cognition,” says first author Kuwamizu. Given that neural efficiency in the l-DLPFC is a known characteristic of the dopaminergic system that has been observed in individuals with higher fitness and executive function, it is possible that neural efficiency in this region partially mediates the association between aerobic fitness and executive function. Furthermore, physical inactivity may be related to dopaminergic dysfunction. This information provides new directions for research regarding how fitness affects the brain, which may lead to improved exercise regimens. For instance, exercise that specifically focuses on improving dopaminergic function may particularly boost motivation, mood, and mental function. Vegan diet better for weight loss and cholesterol control than Mediterranean diet Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, February 5, 2021 A vegan diet is more effective for weight loss than a Mediterranean diet, according to a groundbreaking new study that compared the diets head to head. The randomized crossover trial, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, found that a low-fat vegan diet has better outcomes for weight, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels, compared with a Mediterranean diet. The study randomly assigned participants–who were overweight and had no history of diabetes–to a vegan diet or a Mediterranean diet in a 1:1 ratio. For 16 weeks, half of the participants started with a low-fat vegan diet that eliminated animal products and focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The other half started with the Mediterranean diet, which followed the PREDIMED protocol, which focuses on fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy, and extra virgin olive oil, while limiting or avoiding red meat and saturated fats. Neither group had a calorie limit, and participants did not change exercise or medication routines, unless directed by their personal doctors. As part of the crossover design, participants then went back to their baseline diets for a four-week washout period before switching to the opposite group for an additional 16 weeks. The study found that within 16 weeks on each diet: Participants lost an average of 6 kilograms (or about 13 pounds) on the vegan diet, compared with no mean change on the Mediterranean diet. Participants lost 3.4 kg (about 7.5 pounds) more fat mass on the vegan diet. Participants saw a greater reduction in visceral fat by 315 cm3 on the vegan diet. The vegan diet decreased total and LDL cholesterol levels by 18.7 mg/dL and 15.3 mg/dL, respectively, while there were no significant cholesterol changes on the Mediterranean diet. Blood pressure decreased on both diets, but more on the Mediterranean diet (6.0 mm Hg, compared to 3.2 mmHg on the vegan diet). “Previous studies have suggested that both Mediterranean and vegan diets improve body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors, but until now, their relative efficacy had not been compared in a randomized trial,” says study author Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee. “We decided to test the diets head to head and found that a vegan diet is more effective for both improving health markers and boosting weight loss.” The authors note that the vegan diet likely led to weight loss, because it was associated with a reduction in calorie intake, increase in fiber intake, decrease in fat consumption, and decrease in saturated fat consumption. “While many people think of the Mediterranean diet as one of the best ways to lose weight, the diet actually crashed and burned when we put it to the test,” says study author Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee. “In a randomized, controlled trial, the Mediterranean diet caused no weight loss at all. The problem seems to be the inclusion of fatty fish, dairy products, and oils. In contrast, a low-fat vegan diet caused significant and consistent weight loss.” “If your goal is to lose weight or get healthy in 2021, choosing a plant-based diet is a great way to achieve your resolution,” adds Dr. Kahleova. Study finds childhood diet has lifelong impact University of California at Riverside, February 3, 2021 Eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter your microbiome for life, even if you later learn to eat healthier, a new study in mice suggests. The study by UC Riverside researchers is one of the first to show a significant decrease in the total number and diversity of gut bacteria in mature mice fed an unhealthy diet as juveniles. “We studied mice, but the effect we observed is equivalent to kids having a Western diet, high in fat and sugar and their gut microbiome still being affected up to six years after puberty,” explained UCR evolutionary physiologist Theodore Garland. A paper describing the study has recently been published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The microbiome refers to all the bacteria as well as fungi, parasites, and viruses that live on and inside a human or animal. Most of these microorganisms are found in the intestines, and most of them are helpful, stimulating the immune system, breaking down food and helping synthesize key vitamins. In a healthy body, there is a balance of pathogenic and beneficial organisms. However, if the balance is disturbed, either through the use of antibiotics, illness, or unhealthy diet, the body could become susceptible to disease. In this study, Garland’s team looked for impacts on the microbiome after dividing their mice into four groups: half fed the standard, ‘healthy’ diet, half fed the less healthy ‘Western’ diet, half with access to a running wheel for exercise, and half without. After three weeks spent on these diets, all mice were returned to a standard diet and no exercise, which is normally how mice are kept in a laboratory. At the 14-week mark, the team examined the diversity and abundance of bacteria in the animals. They found that the quantity of bacteria such as Muribaculum intestinale was significantly reduced in the Western diet group. This type of bacteria is involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Analysis also showed that the gut bacteria are sensitive to the amount of exercise the mice got. Muribaculum bacteria increased in mice fed a standard diet who had access to a running wheel and decreased in mice on a high-fat diet whether they had exercise or not. Researchers believe this species of bacteria, and the family of bacteria that it belongs to, might influence the amount of energy available to its host. Research continues into other functions that this type of bacteria may have. One other effect of note was the increase in a highly similar bacteria species that were enriched after five weeks of treadmill training in a study by other researchers, suggesting that exercise alone may increase its presence. Overall, the UCR researchers found that early-life Western diet had more long-lasting effects on the microbiome than did early-life exercise. Garland’s team would like to repeat this experiment and take samples at additional points in time, to better understand when the changes in mouse microbiomes first appear, and whether they extend into even later phases of life. Regardless of when the effects first appear, however, the researchers say it’s significant that they were observed so long after changing the diet, and then changing it back. The takeaway, Garland said, is essentially, “You are not only what you eat, but what you ate as a child!” Turns Out Maple Syrup Is Anticarcinogenic Kindai University (Japan), February 2, 2021 Darker coloured syrup is suggested as healthier than lightly coloured syrup. Maple syrup is a classic natural sweetener that has been making a comeback recently as an alternative to refined sugar. The syrup is tapped from different species of maple trees, with the Canadian province of Quebec being a top producer. Along with a rich and complex flavor, maple syrup offers an abundance of amino acids, manganese and zinc, as well as phenolic compounds, including lignans and coumarin. A new study called “Inhibitory effect of maple syrup on the cell growth and invasion of human colorectal cancer cells” was guided by Dr. Tetsushi Yamamoto, a molecular and cell biologist from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Kindai University in Osaka, Japan. The research evaluated the effect of three different types of maple syrup. The main objective was to identify if maple syrup could be used as a phytomedicine within cancer treatment. Dr. Yamamoto and his research team classified the different types of maple syrup according to colour, as well as cell proliferation, and migration and invasion capability for colorectal cell cancer (CRC). Results showed that CRC cells administered maple syrup showed lower rates of carcinogenic cells when compared with cells administered only sucrose. Additionally, the study suggests that maple syrup should not only be classified by its sugar content, but also according to its nutritional and physiochemical components. This study showed that maple syrup, particularly when coloured darker, might be suitable as a phytomedicine, which may offer a more gentle alternative to traditional chemotherapy. This outstanding revelation is in contrast to other studies, which support the idea that sugar perpetuates cancer and other chronic diseases. However, this disparity might concern diverse types of sugar, including sucrose, fructose and glucose. Also, sugar behaves differently when consumed in diverse nutritional contexts. In this context, researchers experimented with different sucrose concentrations, ranging from 0.1% to 10%. Results showed that only maple syrup with a 10% concentration of sucrose inhibited colorectal cancer cell growth. The study explained that this is because higher concentrations might have cytotoxic effects due to high osmotic pressure. Brains are more plastic than we thought McGill University, January 31, 2021 Practice might not always make perfect, but it’s essential for learning a sport or a musical instrument. It’s also the basis of brain training, an approach that holds potential as a non-invasive therapy to overcome disabilities caused by neurological disease or trauma. Research at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University (The Neuro) has shown just how adaptive the brain can be, knowledge that could one day be applied to recovery from conditions such as stroke. Researchers Dave Liu and Christopher Pack have demonstrated that practice can change the way that the brain uses sensory information. In particular, they showed that, depending on the type of training done beforehand, a part of the brain called the area middle temporal (MT) can be either critical for visual perception, or not important at all. Previous research has shown the area MT is involved in visual motion perception. Damage to area MT causes “motion blindness”, in which patients have clear vision for stationary objects but are unable to see motion. Such deficits are somewhat mysterious, because it is well known that area MT is just one of many brain regions involved in visual motion perception. This suggests that other pathways might be able to compensate in the absence of area MT. Most studies have examined the function of area MT using a task in which subjects view small dots moving across a screen and indicate how they see the dots moving, because this has been proven to activate area MT. To determine how crucial MT really was for this task, Liu and Pack used a simple trick: They replaced the moving dots with moving lines, which are known to stimulate areas outside area MT more effectively. Surprisingly, subjects who practiced this task were able to perceive visual motion perfectly even when area MT was temporarily inactivated. On the other hand, subjects who practiced with moving dots exhibited motion blindness when MT was temporarily deactivated. The motion blindness persisted even when the stimulus was switched back to the moving lines, indicating that the effects of practice were very difficult to undo. Indeed, the effects of practice with the moving dot stimuli were detectable for weeks afterwards. The key lesson for brain training is that small differences in the training regimen can lead to profoundly different changes in the brain. This has potential for future clinical use. Stroke patients, for example, often lose their vision as a result of brain damage caused by lack of blood flow to brain cells. With the correct training stimulus, one day these patients could retrain their brains to use different regions for vision that were not damaged by the stroke. “Years of basic research have given us a fairly detailed picture of the parts of the brain responsible for vision,” says Christopher Pack, the paper’s senior author. “Individual parts of the cortex are exquisitely sensitive to specific visual features – colors, lines, shapes, motion – so it’s exciting that we might be able to build this knowledge into protocols that aim to increase or decrease the involvement of different brain regions in conscious visual perception, according to the needs of the subject. This is something we’re starting to work on now.” Higher Fiber Intake May Improve Lung Function   University of Nebraska, January 28, 2021 Eating a fiber-rich diet may help protect you against lung disease, a new study suggests. “Lung disease is an important public health problem, so it’s important to identify modifiable risk factors for prevention,” study author Corrine Hanson, an associate professor of medical nutrition at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said in a journal news release. “However, beyond smoking very few preventative strategies have been identified. Increasing fiber intake may be a practical and effective way for people to have an impact on their risk of lung disease,” she added. The findings were published recently in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Researchers looked at federal government data from almost 2,000 American adults. They were between 40 and 79 years old. The researchers found that 68 percent of those who had the highest fiber consumption (about 18 grams or more daily) had normal lung function compared to 50 percent for those with the lowest fiber intake. And, only 15 percent of those who ate a lot of fiber had airway restriction, but 30 percent of those with the lowest fiber intake did, the study showed. People with the highest fiber consumption also did better on two important breathing tests. They had larger lung capacity and could exhale more air in one second, the study said. Although the study found a link between fiber consumption and better lung health, it wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. But, if the findings are confirmed in future studies, public health campaigns may one day “target diet and fiber as safe and inexpensive ways of preventing lung disease,” Hanson said. Previous research has suggested a diet high in fiber protects against heart disease and diabetes, and that fiber reduces inflammation in the body, the researchers said.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.22.350280v1?rss=1 Authors: Thura, D., Cabana, J.-F., Feghaly, A., Cisek, P. Abstract: Several theoretical models suggest that deciding about actions and executing them are not completely distinct neural mechanisms but instead two modes of an integrated dynamical system. Here, we investigate this proposal by examining how neural activity unfolds during a dynamic decision-making task within the high-dimensional space defined by the activity of cells in monkey dorsal premotor (PMd), primary motor (M1), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as well as the external and internal segments of the globus pallidus (GPe, GPi). Dimensionality reduction shows that the four strongest components of neural activity are functionally interpretable, reflecting a state transition between deliberation and commitment, the transformation of sensory evidence into a choice, and the baseline and slope of the rising urgency to decide. Analysis of the contribution of each population to these components shows differences between regions but no distinct clusters within each region. During deliberation, cortical activity unfolds on a two-dimensional 'decision manifold' defined by sensory evidence and urgency, and falls off this manifold at the moment of commitment into a choice-dependent trajectory leading to movement initiation. The structure of the manifold varies between regions: In PMd it is curved, in M1 it is nearly perfectly flat, and in dlPFC it is almost entirely confined to the sensory evidence dimension. In contrast, pallidal activity during deliberation is primarily defined by urgency. We suggest that these findings reveal the distinct dynamics of different regions, supporting a unified recurrent attractor model of action selection and execution. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.07.329839v1?rss=1 Authors: Tran, M. N., Maynard, K. R., Spangler, A., Collado Torres, L., Sadashivaiah, V., Tippani, M., Barry, B. K., Hancock, D. B., Hicks, S. C., Kleinman, J. E., Hyde, T. M., Martinowich, K., Jaffe, A. E. Abstract: Single-cell/nucleus technologies are powerful tools to study cell type-specific expression in the human brain, but most large-scale efforts have focused on characterizing cortical brain regions and their constituent cell types. However, additional brain regions - particularly those embedded in basal ganglia and limbic circuits - play important roles in neuropsychiatric disorders and addiction, suggesting a critical need to better understand their molecular characteristics. We therefore created a single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) resource across five human brain regions (hippocampus, HPC; dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC; subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, sACC; nucleus accumbens, NAc; and amygdala, AMY), with emphasis on the NAc and AMY, given their involvement in reward signaling and emotional processing. We identified distinct and potentially novel neuronal subpopulations, which we validated by smFISH for various subclasses of NAc interneurons and medium spiny neurons (MSNs). We additionally benchmarked these datasets against published datasets for corresponding regions in rodent models to define cross-species convergence and divergence across analogous cell subclasses. We characterized the transcriptomic architecture of regionally-defined neuronal subpopulations, which revealed strong patterns of similarities in specific neuronal subclasses across the five profiled regions. Finally, we measured genetic associations between risk for psychiatric disease and substance use behaviors with each of the regionally-defined cell types. This analysis further supported NAc and AMY involvement in risk for psychiatric illness by implicating specific neuronal subpopulations, and highlighted potential involvement of an MSN population associated with stress signaling in genetic risk for substance use. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.06.328476v1?rss=1 Authors: Hutcherson, C. A., Rangel, A., Tusche, A. Abstract: What role do cognitive control regions like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) play in normative behavior (e.g., generosity, healthy eating)? Some models suggest that dlPFC activation during normative choice reflects the use of control to overcome default hedonistic preferences. Here, we develop an alternative account, showing that an attribute-based neural drift diffusion model (anDDM) predicts trial-by-trial variation in dlPFC response across three fMRI studies and two self-control contexts (altruistic sacrifice and healthy eating). Using the anDDM to simulate a variety of self-control dilemmas generated a novel prediction: although dlPFC activity might typically increase for norm-consistent choices, deliberate self-regulation focused on normative goals should decrease or even reverse this pattern (i.e., greater dlPFC response for hedonic, self-interested choices). We confirmed these predictions in both altruistic and dietary choice contexts. Our results suggest that dlPFC's response during normative choice may depend more on value-based evidence accumulation than inhibition of our baser instincts. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.12.294702v1?rss=1 Authors: McCoy, B., Lawson, R. P., Theeuwes, J. Abstract: Dopamine is known to be involved in several important cognitive processes, most notably in learning from rewards and in the ability to attend to task-relevant aspects of the environment. Both of these features of dopaminergic signalling have been studied separately in research involving Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, who exhibit diminished levels of dopamine. Here, we tie together some of the commonalities in the effects of dopamine on these aspects of cognition by having PD patients (ON and OFF dopaminergic medication) and healthy controls (HCs) perform two tasks that probe these processes. Within-patient behavioural measures of distractibility, from an attentional capture task, and learning performance, from a probabilistic classification reinforcement learning task, were included in one model to assess the role of distractibility during learning. Dopamine medication state and distractibility level were found to have an interactive effect on learning performance; less distractibility in PD ON was associated with higher accuracy during learning, and this was altered in PD OFF. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired during the learning task furthermore allowed us to assess multivariate patterns of positive and negative outcomes in fronto-striatal and visual brain regions involved in both learning processes and the executive control of attention. Here, we demonstrate that while PD ON show a clearer distinction between outcomes than OFF in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and putamen, PD OFF show better distinction of activation patterns in visual regions that respond to the stimuli presented during the task. These results demonstrate that dopamine plays a key role in modulating the interaction between attention and learning at the level of both behaviour and activation patterns in the brain. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.14.296707v1?rss=1 Authors: Seney, M., Kim, S.-M., Wang, J., Hildebrand, M., Xue, X., Glausier, J., Zong, W., Shelton, M., Phan, B., Srinivasan, C., Pfenning, A., Tseng, G., Lewis, D., Freyberg, Z., Logan, R. Abstract: Prevalence rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) have increased dramatically, accompanied by a a surge of overdose deaths. While opioid dependence has been extensively studied in preclinical models, we still have a very limited understanding of the biological changes that occur in the brains of people who chronically use opioids and who are diagnosed with OUD. To address this, we conducted the largest transcriptomics study to date using postmortem brains from subjects with OUD. We focused on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), two regions heavily implicated in OUD. We discovered a high degree of overlap in transcripts between DLPFC and NAc in OUD, primarily associated with neuroinflammation. Moreover, additional transcripts were enriched for factors control pro-inflammatory cytokine-mediated signaling and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Our results also implicate a role for microglia as a critical driver for opioid-induced neuroplasticity. Overall, our findings reveal new connections between the brain's immune system and opioid dependence in the human brain. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.14.297010v1?rss=1 Authors: Manoccio, F., Lowe, C., Hall, P. Abstract: Background: The beneficial effects of both single-session bouts of aerobic exercise and therapeutic exercise interventions on the cortical regions associated with executive functions (i.e., prefrontal cortex (PFC)) have been well documented. However, it remains unclear whether aerobic exercise can be used to offset temporary fluctuations in cortical activity. Objective: The current study sought to determine whether a single session of moderate intensity aerobic exercise can offset the attenuating effects of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Methods: Twenty-two right-handed participants between 18-30 years completed a 20 minute session of light intensity (10% heart rate reserve (HRR)) and moderate intensity (50% HRR) exercise in a counterbalanced order. Following each exercise session, participants received active cTBS to the left dlPFC. Changes in executive functions were quantified using a flanker paradigm employed at baseline, post-exercise and post-cTBS time points. Additionally, EEG methodologies were used to measure changes in inhibitory control specific event-related potential components (i.e., P3 and N2) in response to the flanker task. Results: Behavioural results from the flanker task revealed a significant improvement in task performance following an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise. Furthermore, the effect of cTBS in both light and moderate intensity conditions were non significant. Similarly, EEG data from P3 and N2 ERP components revealed no changes to amplitude across time and condition. P3 latency data revealed a significant effect of time in the light intensity condition, such that latency was faster following cTBS. Similarly, latency data within the N2 ERP component revealed a significant effect of time on congruent trials in the light intensity condition; N2 latency was faster following cTBS. Conclusion: The current study revealed that light and moderate intensity exercise may provide a buffer to cTBS- induced attenuation of the dlPFC. This study provides empirical and theoretical implications on the potential for exercise to promote cognitive control. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.08.287896v1?rss=1 Authors: Fatakdawala, I., Ayaz, H., Safati, A., Sakib, M. N., Hall, P. Abstract: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) are important nodes for self-control and decision-making, but through separable processes (cognitive control versus evaluative processing). This study aimed to examine the effects of excitatory brain stimulation (intermittent theta-burst stimulation; iTBS) targeting the dlPFC and dmPFC on food choice. iTBS was hypothesized to decrease consumption of appetitive snack foods, via enhanced interference control for dlPFC stimulation and reduced delay discounting for dmPFC stimulation. Using a single-blinded, between-subjects design, participants (N = 43) were randomly assigned to of the three conditions: 1) iTBS targeting the left dlPFC, 2) iTBS targeting bilateral dmPFC, or 3) sham. Participants then completed two cognitive tasks (delay discounting (DD) and Flanker), followed by a taste test. fNIRS imaging revealed increases in medial PFC activity were evident in the dmPFC stimulation group during the DD task; likewise, a neural efficiency effect was observed in the dlPFC stimulation group during the Flanker. Gender significantly moderated consumption during the taste test, with females in the dmPFC showing paradoxical increases in food consumption compared to sham. Findings are consistent with possible amplification of positive evaluative processing in the presence of dietary restraint, vis-a-vis excitation of the mPFC. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.08.26.268581v1?rss=1 Authors: DePasquale, E. A., Alganem, K., Bentea, E., Nawreen, N., McGuire, J., Naji, F., Hilhorst, R., Meller, J., McCullumsmith, R. Abstract: Motivation Phosphorylation by serine-threonine and tyrosine kinases is critical for determining protein function. Array-based approaches for measuring multiple kinases allow for the testing of differential phosphorylation between conditions for distinct sub-kinomes. While bioinformatics tools exist for processing and analyzing such kinome array data, current open-source tools lack the automated approach of upstream kinase prediction and network modeling. The presented tool, alongside other tools and methods designed for gene expression and protein-protein interaction network analyses, help the user better understand the complex regulation of gene and protein activities that forms biological systems and cellular signaling networks. Results We present the Kinome Random Sampling Analyzer (KRSA), a web-application for kinome array analysis. While the underlying algorithm has been experimentally validated in previous publications, we tested the full KRSA application on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in male (n=3) and female (n=3) subjects to identify differential phosphorylation and upstream kinase activity. Kinase activity differences between males and females were compared to a previously published kinome dataset (11 female and 7 male subjects) which showed similar patterns to the global phosphorylation signal. Additionally, kinase hits were compared to gene expression databases for in silico validation at the transcript level and showed differential gene expression of kinases. Availability and implementation: KRSA as a web-based application can be found at http://bpg-n.utoledo.edu:3838/CDRL/KRSA/. The code and data are available at https://github.com/kalganem/KRSA. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available online. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.08.05.237578v1?rss=1 Authors: Liu, Q., Yi, W., Rodriguez, C., McClure, S., Turner, B. Abstract: Intertemporal choice requires choosing between a smaller reward available after a shorter time delay and a larger reward available after a longer time delay. Previous studies suggest that intertemporal preferences are formed by generating a subjective value of the monetary rewards that depends on reward amount and the associated time delay. Neuroimaging results indicate that this subjective value is tracked by ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum. Subsequently, an accumulation process, subserved by a network including dorsal medial frontal cortex (dmFC), dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (pPC), selects a choice based on the subjective values. The mechanisms of how value accumulation interacts with subjective valuation to make a choice, and how brain regions communicate during decision making are undetermined. We developed and performed an EEG experiment that parametrically manipulated the probability of preferring delayed larger rewards. A computational model equipped with time and reward information transformation, selective attention, and stochastic value accumulation mechanisms was constructed and fit to choice and response time data using a hierarchical Bayesian approach. Phase-based functional connectivity between putative dmFC and pPC was found to be associated with stimulus processing and to resemble the reconstructed accumulation dynamics from the best performing computational model across experimental conditions. By combining computational modeling and phase-based functional connectivity, our results suggest an association between value accumulation, choice competition, and frontoparietal connectivity in intertemporal choice. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.07.16.206284v1?rss=1 Authors: Rogenmoser, L., Arnicane, A., Jancke, L., Elmer, S. Abstract: Background: Absolute pitch (AP) refers to the ability of effortlessly identifying given pitches without the reliance on any reference pitch. Correlative evidence suggests that the left posterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is responsible for the process underlying pitch labeling in AP. Objective: Here, we aimed at investigating the causal relationship between the DLPFC and the pitch-labeling process underlying AP. Methods: To address this, we measured sight-reading performance of right-handed AP possessors and matched control musicians (N=18 per sample) under cathodal and sham transcranial direct current stimulation of the left DLPFC. The participants were instructed to report visually presenting notations as accurately and fast as possible by playing with their right hand on a piano. The notations were simultaneously presented with distracting auditory stimuli that either matched or mismatched them in different semitone degrees. Results: Unlike the control participants, the AP possessors revealed an interference effect in that they responded slower in mismatching conditions than in the matching one. Under cathodal stimulation, half of the time discrepancies between matching and mismatching conditions vanished; specifically, the ones with small up to moderate deviations. Conclusions: These findings confirm that the pitch-labeling process underlying AP occurs automatically and is largely non-suppressible when triggered by tone exposure. The improvement of the AP possessors' sight-reading performance in response to the suppression of the left DLPFC using cathodal stimulation confirms a causal relationship between this brain structure and pitch labeling. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.06.11.145805v1?rss=1 Authors: Petrovskaya, A., Kirillov, B., Asmolova, A., Galli, G., Feurra, M., Medvedeva, A. Abstract: We aimed to replicate a published effect of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS)-induced recognition enhancement over the human ventrolateral prefrontal cortex [1] and analyse the data with machine learning. We investigated effects over an adjacent region, the dorsolateral PFC. We found weak or absent effects over the VLPFC and DLPFC. We conducted machine learning studies to examine the effects of semantic and phonetic features on memorization, which revealed no effect of VLPFC tDCS on the original dataset or the current data. The highest contributing factor to memory performance was individual differences in memory not explained by word features, tDCS group, or sample size, while semantic, phonetic, and orthographic word characteristics did not contribute significantly. To our knowledge, this is the first tDCS study to investigate cognitive effects with machine learning, and future studies may benefit from studying physiological as well as cognitive effects with data-driven approaches and computational models. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.06.01.128173v1?rss=1 Authors: Li, S., Constantinidis, C., Qi, X. Abstract: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in spatial working memory and its activity predicts behavioral responses in delayed response tasks. Here we addressed whether this predictive ability extends to categorical judgments based on information retained in working memory, and is present in other brain areas. We trained monkeys in a novel, Match-Stay, Nonmatch-Go task, which required them to observe two stimuli presented in sequence with an intervening delay period between them. If the two stimuli were different, the monkeys had to saccade to the location of the second stimulus; if they were the same, they held fixation. Neurophysiological recordings were performed in areas 8a and 46 of the dlPFC and 7a and lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP) of the PPC. We hypothesized that random drifts causing the peak activity of the network to move away from the first stimulus location and towards the location of the second stimulus would result in categorical errors. Indeed, for both areas, when the first stimulus appeared in a neuron's preferred location, the neuron showed significantly higher firing rates in correct than in error trials. When the first stimulus appeared at a non-preferred location and the second stimulus at a preferred, activity in error trials was higher than in correct. The results indicate that the activity of both dlPFC and PPC neurons is predictive of categorical judgments of information maintained in working memory, and the magnitude of neuronal firing rate deviations is revealing of the contents of working memory as it determines performance. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.18.101824v1?rss=1 Authors: Hori, Y., Mimura, K., Nagai, Y., Fujimoto, A., Oyama, K., Kikuchi, E., Inoue, K.-i., Takada, M., Suhara, T., Richmond, B. J., Minamimoto, T. Abstract: Temporal discounting captures both choice preferences and motivation for delayed rewards. While temporally discounted value for choice is represented in brain areas including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the striatum, the neural process of motivation for delayed rewards remains unidentified. Here we show that neuronal activity of the dorsal part of the primate caudate head (dCDh) -- a striatal region receiving projection from the DLPFC -- signals temporally discounted value essential for computing motivation for delayed rewards. Macaque monkeys performed an instrumental task, in which a visual cue indicated the forthcoming size and delay duration before reward. Single dCDh neurons represented the temporally discounted value without reflecting changes in the animals physiological state. Bilateral pharmacological or chemogenetic inactivation of dCDh specifically distorted a normal motivational performance based on the integration of reward size and delay. These results suggest a major contribution of dCDh to encoding a temporally discounted value, the integrated multidimensional information critical for formulating the motivation for action. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.14.096263v1?rss=1 Authors: Napoli, J. L., Camalier, C. R., Brown, A. L., Jacobs, J., Mishkin, M. M., Averbeck, B. B. Abstract: Auditory selective listening and decision making underlies important processes, including attending to a single speaker in a crowded room, often referred to as the cocktail party problem. To examine the neural mechanisms underlying these behaviors, we developed a novel auditory selective listening paradigm for monkeys. In this task, monkeys had to detect a difficult to discriminate target embedded in noise when presented in a pre-cued location (either left or right) and ignore it if it was in the opposite location. While the animals carried out the task we recorded neural activity in primary auditory cortex (AC), dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the basal lateral amygdala (BLA), given that these areas have been implicated in auditory decision making, selective listing, and/or reward-guided decision making. There were two main findings in the neural data. First, primary AC encoded the side of the cue and target, and the monkey's choice, before either dlPFC or the amygdala. The BLA encoded cue and target variables negligibly, but was engaged at the time of the monkey's choice. Second, decoding analyses suggested that errors followed primarily from a failure to encode the target stimulus in both AC and PFC, but earlier in AC. Thus, AC neural activity is poised to represent the sensory volley and decision making during selective listening before dlPFC, and they both precede activity in BLA. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.03.063206v1?rss=1 Authors: Greber, M., Klein, C., Leipold, S., Sele, S., Jäncke, L. Abstract: The neural basis of absolute pitch (AP), the ability to effortlessly identify a musical tone without an external reference, is poorly understood. One of the key questions is whether perceptual or cognitive processes underlie the phenomenon as both sensory and higher-order brain regions have been associated with AP. One approach to elucidate the neural underpinnings of a specific expertise is the examination of resting-state networks. Thus, in this paper, we report a comprehensive functional network analysis of intracranial resting-state EEG data in a large sample of AP musicians (n = 54) and non-AP musicians (n = 51). We adopted two analysis approaches: First, we applied an ROI-based analysis to examine the connectivity between the auditory cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using several established functional connectivity measures. This analysis is a replication of a previous study which reported increased connectivity between these two regions in AP musicians. Second, we performed a whole-brain network-based analysis on the same functional connectivity measures to gain a more complete picture of the brain regions involved in a possibly large-scale network supporting AP ability. In our sample, the ROI-based analysis did not provide evidence for an AP-specific connectivity increase between the auditory cortex and the DLPFC. In contrast, the whole-brain analysis revealed three networks with increased connectivity in AP musicians comprising nodes in frontal, temporal, subcortical, and occipital areas. Commonalities of the networks were found in both sensory and higher-order brain regions of the perisylvian area. Further research will be needed to confirm these exploratory results. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Continuing the study of our amazing brain's and their response to trauma.  This week we look at the DLPFC, the timekeeper! You know when you are in the middle of a difficult experience or in pain and it feels like it will last forever?  Yep, that's because of our DLPFC!  In this episode we learn how to live in the present and keep our brain's timekeeper in working order.     My favorite youtube yoga channel: Yoga with Adrienne Contact me through my website: My Audience is Me Book Referenced: The Body Keeps the Score

玩“宝可梦”竟然可以塑造视觉皮层！想轻松减肥？看这里！| 脑科学FM Nature |童年时玩“精灵宝可梦”竟然塑造了你的视觉皮层！小时候玩过“精灵宝可梦”的你们，或许有更多共同点。人类高级视觉皮层（比如识别面孔和地点的脑区）的功能结构在不同的人中具有高度一致性，是什么让我们“共有”这一大脑结构？近期有研究人员利用功能性磁共振成像，研究了童年时经常玩“精灵宝可梦”的一群成年人的大脑活动，游戏中那些像动物的角色图像有别于生活中鲜活的实物。结果发现，这些宝可梦资深玩家对宝可梦有显著的分散式皮层反应，他们童年时期的视网膜反常活动可以预测成年时期大脑对宝可梦的主要反应区域。研究者认为，“天生”的视觉皮层的功能型结构，加上童年时对某种刺激物的长期视觉行为，塑造了我们成年时期一致的大脑功能结构。（导读Dah Hi）文章链接：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0592-8 Neuron|想要轻松减肥吗？来，看这里。在人类大脑中存在着这样一类神奇的神经元，控制着食物的摄入。是你的肚子饿了吗?不，是你的大脑饿了。近日，发表在Neuron上的一篇文章指出，在海马区一类表达多巴胺2型受体（hD2R）的神经元能够感知营养状态，减少与食物相关的位置记忆，控制食物的过量摄入。该团队采用光遗传和化学遗传技术手段特异性地调控海马区的hD2R神经元，鉴定出了调节食物空间记忆的神经环路，主要是通过内嗅皮层投射到海马区hD2R神经元，再投射到中隔区。该团队研究发现hD2R神经元调节食物-位置联系的机制:操作hD2R神经元影响到了小鼠对食物位置的记忆的编码。激活海马区hD2R神经元，可以减少对食物的摄取。设想我们是否可以通过激活hD2R神经元的方式，意志控制大脑来实现轻松减肥？本研究同时还发现了压力荷尔蒙皮质醇可以激活hD2R神经元，但它们之间的关系有待进一步的研究。（导读：张立娟） 原文链接：https://myneuronews.com/general-neurology/a-role-of-drd2-hippocampal-neurons-in-context-dependent-food-intake/ Nature| 猪脑复活？没那么简单图片来源：https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-do-we-sleep-the-theories-and-purpose-of-sleeping-3014828 4月17日《自然》杂志的封面文章一经发表，立即引起了科学界的轰动。耶鲁大学的团队利用他们自主设计的体外脉冲灌流系统（BEx），在正常体温37℃下，对死后4小时后的猪脑进行体外灌流6小时。他们观测到，这个系统能够维持大脑的细胞结构；减少细胞死亡；重塑血管牵拉、胶质细胞炎症反应，自发性突触活动，以及脑部代谢活动。但是，大脑并没有表现出自发性的整体皮层电活动。因此，他们认为，这一系统能够重塑和维持死亡后大脑一定的分子和细胞功能，并希望这个技术能够应用于探索大脑细胞的相互作用和连接，药物在大脑中的药理以及代谢作用等问题。（导读：Effie Liu） 文章链接：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1099-1Nature Communications| 脑深部电刺激治疗抑郁症和强迫症 图片来源：The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research 我们常常认为，抑郁症和强迫症是心理疾病，必须通过情绪的疏导来改善，但其实这两种症状可能来源于大脑对于认知控制的缺失。在大脑中，信息传递是实质上是一种电信号的传递，当大脑自身无法顺利传递一些信息时，我们可以通过注入脉冲电刺激来帮助大脑传递信息。因此，医学上有将电极植入患者大脑来治疗与大脑相关疾病的应用，这种疗法被称为脑深部电刺激（DBS），在治疗抑郁症和强迫症上取得了一些成果”。Widge 等人在研究中尝试使用DBS 刺激大脑内囊（ventral internal capsule），这个大脑区域对于认知控制有很大的影响。实验中，当DBS 开启时，患者们在多源干扰任务中能以更快的反应速度来完成任务，表明DBS 能够改善大脑中的认知控制。研究结果也表明了，增强认知控制可能是精神疾病的有效治疗策略。（导读：陈可欣） 文章链接：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09557-4 Nature Neuroscience |人背外侧前额神经元调节主观决策及决策改变当你走在路上时，离轿车多远才会认为自己是安全的？你是如何做出这一判断的？这一主观决策的神经机制是什么？主观决策虽然一定程度上依赖于事实，但更常基于个人的内在信念，并且在个体内部和不同个体之间具有很大的可变性，在人类行为中发挥着重要作用。然而，其单细胞神经基础仍然未知。来自哈佛医学院的团队为我们揭示了这一机制：位于背外侧前额叶皮质（dlPFC）中的神经元的电活动变化与人们做主观决策时的变化相关。随着参与者在选项之间转换选择，这些神经元的电活动逐渐改变，并能反映选择的转换点。相反，将dlPFC的神经元局部中断后上述电活动减少，但其对感知觉和运动过程几乎没有影响。这些研究结果表明了人类dlPFC在主观决策中起着重要作用，并提出其调节主观决策形成的可能机制。（导读：74）文章链接：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-019-0378-3 Nature Communications |“以前我没得选择，现在我想做个好人”——大脑如何决定我们的道德策略 试想一下，当你在同伴的帮助下赢得了一笔财产后，你会分出多少给你的同伴？你会老老实实的分出一半，还是在不激怒同伴的前提下尽可能的给自己多留一些，抑或干脆把这笔财产尽数据为己有？不同的人有不同的答案，而导致不同行为出现的原因是人们拥有不同的道德原则和道德策略。在最近的《自然通讯》杂志中，来自荷兰奈梅亨大学的研究人员利用一种改进版的信任博弈实验，将参与者的道德策略粗略的分为四种——不公厌恶型、内疚厌恶型、贪得无厌型以及道德投机型。同时，功能性核磁共振数据显示，不同的道德策略对应着不同的神经通路。当以道德投机为策略的实验者的道德策略发生转换时，活跃的神经通路也会发生变化。这些发现从神经环路层面解释了为何不同个体拥有不同的道德原则。（导读：呱琦）原文链接：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09161-6 导读：DahHi、张立娟、EffieLiu、陈可欣、74、呱琦责编：呆苏克配音：Soma封面：Veronibah_背景音乐：景山将太- ミシロタウン

Die transkranielle Gleichstromstimulation (tDCS) stellt eine neue, nicht-invasive Methode zur Hirnstimulation dar. Mit Hilfe einer Konstantstromquelle und zweier Elektroden kann die Stimulation eines Hirnareals erfolgen. Vorläufige Studien weisen darauf hin, dass dieses Verfahren eine neue Therapieoption bei verschiedenen Hirnleistungsstörungen darstellen könnte. In einem randomisierten cross-over Design erhielten 22 therapieresistente depressive Patienten in unterschiedlicher Reihenfolge zwei Wochen eine Verum- und zwei Wochen eine Plazebo-tDCS-Behandlung des linken DLPFC. Es wurde jeweils fünf Tage pro Woche 20 Minuten lang stimuliert. Die ersten 10 Patienten erhielten eine Stimulation mit 1 mA, die 12 folgenden mit 2 mA. Zwei Patienten brachen die Studie im Verlauf ab. Die Anode wurde über dem linken DLPFC, die Kathode über dem rechten supraorbitalen Kortex fixiert. Zu Beginn und zum Abschluss jeder Stimulationsbedingung wurde eine Testbatterie durchgeführt, sowie Blut zur Messung des BDNF-Spiegels abgenommen. Als klinische Tests wurde die Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) und der Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) verwendet. Als neuropsychologische Tests wurden der formallexikalische Wortflüssigkeitstest (RWT), die Buchstaben-Zahlen-Folge (BZF) aus dem Wechsler-Intelligenztest für Erwachsene und der verbale Lern- und Merkfähigkeitstest (VLMT) durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse nach Verum-tDCS zeigten keinen signifikanten Unterschied zu den Ergebnissen nach Plazebo-Behandlung, weder in den klinischen- und neuropsychologischen Tests, wie auch in dem Verlauf des BDNF-Spiegels. Zwischen der Stimulation mit 1 mA und der mit 2 mA waren ebenfalls keine signifikanten Unterschiede zu erkennen. Die vorliegende Pilotstudie stellt die Effekte der tDCS auf kognitive Faktoren und auf den BDNF-Spiegel bei therapieresistenten depressiven Patienten in Frage. Vermutlich sind bei schwerkranken, therapieresistenten Patienten andere Stimulationsparameter zu verwenden.

Die präfrontale repetitive transkranielle Magnestimulation (rTMS) wird seit den 90er Jahren angewendet, um einerseits die Bedeutung des präfrontalen Kortex für verschiedene kognitive und affektive Prozesse zu erforschen und andererseits die Pathophysiologie psychiatrischer Erkrankungen zu untersuchen und therapeutisch zu modulieren. Von neuen Stimulationsprotokollen, wie der Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS), die analog zum Tiermodell zur Induktion von Langzeitpotenzierung beim Menschen entwickelt wurde, werden stärkere und länger anhaltende therapeutische Effekte erhofft. Im Gegensatz zur Stimulation des Motorkortex wurde die präfrontale rTMS bislang kaum neurophysiologisch untersucht. In dieser Arbeit werden daher zwei Experimente beschrieben, in denen eine niederfrequente 1 Hz-rTMS und TBS bezüglich ihrer Effekte auf ereigniskorrelierte Potentiale (EKP) in GoNogo-Aufgaben charakterisiert wurden. Sie verfolgten die Fragestellungen, ob EKP analog zu motorisch evozierten Potenzialen (MEP) geeignet sind die Wirkungsweise einer präfrontalen rTMS einzuschätzen und ob sich die TBS qualitativ oder quantitativ von herkömmlichen rTMS-Protokollen unterscheidet (Experiment 1 und 3). In einem Vorexperiment zu Experiment 3 (Experiment 2) wurde erstmals die Sicherheit verschiedener präfrontaler TBS-Formen mittels EEG und kognitiver Tests untersucht. In Experiment 1 wurden 18 gesunde Probanden mit einer als inhibitorisch geltenden 1 Hz rTMS über dem linken dorsolateralen präfrontalen Kortex (DLPFC), dem medialen präfrontalen Kortex (mPFC) und einer Kontrollregion stimuliert. Bei der nachfolgenden Bearbeitung einer GoNogo-Aufgabe, zeigte sich eine Vergrößerung der P3-Amplitude nach Stimulation des mPFC bei zeitgleich größerer parietaler Aktivität. Hypothesenkonform konnte eine Reduktion der N2-Amplitude bei Stimulation des linken DLPFC gefunden werden. Während der rTMS-Effekt auf die P3-Amplitude am besten durch die Initiierung von Aufmerksamkeitsprozessen erklärt werden kann, spricht der Einfluss der 1 Hz-rTMS über dem linken DLPFC für einen inhibitorischen Effekt auf kortikaler Ebene (Experiment 1). Im Hinblick auf die vorbeschriebenen nachhaltigeren Effekte von TBS-Protokollen am Motorkortex wurde in Experiment 2 die TBS am präfrontalen Kortex bei 24 gesunden Probanden plazebo-kontrolliert bezüglich ihrer Sicherheit untersucht, um diese als innovative Stimulationsform für weitere Experimente einsetzbar zu machen. Die Ergebnisse dieses Experimentes zeigten, dass eine präfrontale, als inhibitorisch geltende TBS (continuous TBS - cTBS) und eine als exzitatorisch geltende TBS (intermittent TBS - iTBS) keine epilepsietypischen Potenziale im EEG oder epileptische Anfälle triggerten. Es kamen jedoch bei drei von 25 Probanden vagale Reaktionen vor, deren Auftreten beachtet und deren Ursache in weiteren Studien erforscht werden sollte. In den neuropsychologischen Untersuchungen wurde eine verminderte Leistung im Arbeitsgedächtnis und in einer frontalen Testbatterie (Trend) nach iTBS des linken DLPFC und in der Anzahl der ‚false alarms’ einer GoNogo-Aufgabe nach cTBS des mPFC festgestellt. Diese Veränderungen spiegelten sich auch in neurophysiologischen Parametern wider. Eine Analyse der EEG-Daten mittels standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) ergab eine Zunahme der Aktivität im Alpha 2-Band links präfrontal nach iTBS des linken DLPFC, die bis zu einer Stunde nachweisbar blieb und einen Zusammenhang mit den Leistungen im Arbeitsgedächtnis und der frontalen Testbatterie zeigte. In Experiment 3 wurden dann 1 Hz rTMS, cTBS und eine Plazebostimulation bei 9 gesunden Probanden miteinander verglichen. Alle Stimulationen erfolgten neuronavigiert bezogen auf eine Aktivierung im individuellen funktionellen Magnetresonanztomographie (fMRT) Bild, die während der Entscheidungskomponente (Volition) einer modifizierten GoNogo-Aufgabe gefunden wurde. Hierbei konnte die in Experiment 1 beobachtete inhibitorische Wirkung der 1 Hz rTMS auf eine relevante EKP-Komponente (N2P2-peak-to-peak-Amplitude) analog repliziert werden (Trend). Bei einer zeitlichen Betrachtung der Stromdichten mittels sLORETA ließ sich deskriptiv eine Verminderung nach 1 Hz rTMS beobachten, während sich der Verlauf der Stromdichten in der cTBS-Bedingung abhängig vom Aktivierungszustand des Kortex zu ändern schien. In einer für ‚conflict monitoring’ relevanten region of interest (ROI) konnte in dem für die N2P2-Amplitude relevanten Zeitfenster eine Verminderung (Trend) der Stromdichte in der 1 Hz-Bedingung gefunden werden, die mit der N2P2-Amplitude korrelierte. Desweiteren waren in Experiment 1 und 3 keine Effekte auf Verhaltensdaten und EKP-Latenzen nachweisbar. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit sprechen dafür, dass die gemeinsame Betrachtung von Verhaltensdaten, EKP- und Stromdichteanalysen eine neurophysiologische Interpretation der rTMS erlaubt. Die alleinige Verwendung von EKP zur Beurteilung der Wirkungsweise einer präfrontalen rTMS hingegen ist methodisch und inhaltlich begrenzt. Am präfrontalen Kortex zeigten cTBS und iTBS andere Effekte als für den Motorkortex vorbeschrieben. Insgesamt betrachtet sprechen die Ergebnisse dafür, dass sich die TBS nicht nur quantitativ sondern auch qualitativ von einer 1 Hz rTMS unterscheidet. Nach diesen Pilotexperimenten stellt die Untersuchung rTMS-vermittelter Effekte auf präfrontal generierte EKP einen vielversprechenden Untersuchungsansatz dar, um die Bedeutung präfrontaler Regionen als Generatoren spezifischer EKP-Komponenten zu erforschen, die Wirkung verschiedener rTMS Protokolle neurophysiologisch zu untersuchen und diese Protokolle für experimentelle oder therapeutische Anwendungen weiter zu entwickeln. So könnte die Wirkung spezifischer TBS-Protokolle durch eine pathologisch veränderte Grundaktivität bei Patienten mit psychiatrischen Erkrankungen im Gegensatz zu gesunden Probanden verändert sein. Dies könnte in einem nächsten Schritt mit dem oben beschriebenen Untersuchungsansatz näher erforscht werden.

Beim Erkennen von Emotionen in Bildern und Gesichtern wurde in verschiedenen Studien eine emotionsspezifische Komponente des visuell evozierten Potentials (die „early posterior negativity“/ EPN) gefunden. Die Generatoren der occipito-parietal lokalisierten EPN wurden vor allem innerhalb des visuellen Systems vermutet. Wir untersuchten, ob eine entsprechende Komponente des akustisch evozierten Potentials bei der Verarbeitung auditorisch präsentierter emotionaler Reize auftritt. Unabhängig davon konnten in diversen Bildgebungsstudien unter Verwendung bestimmter Wahlreaktionsparadigmen unter anderem eine Aktivierung verschiedener Untereinheiten des ACC identifiziert werden. Insgesamt weisen jedoch die Ergebnisse von Untersuchungen des akustischen Wahrnehmungssystems geringe Konsistenz bezüglich der Quellenlokalisation für emotionale Reize auf. Des weiteren wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen bestimmten Persönlichkeitsfaktoren und neurophysiologischen Parametern in einem emotionsspezifischen Aktivierungssystem untersucht. Wir untersuchten 29 gesunde Probande in einer EKP- LORETA Studie mit drei verschiedenen akustischen Wahlreaktionen, bei welchen einmal eine rein kognitive Aufgabe ausgeführt werden musste, einmal die Unterscheidung emotional intonierter Silben und einmal die Identifizierung des emotionalen Inhaltes in Adjektiven verlangt waren. Die Persönlichkeitsmerkmale der Probanden wurden mit Hilfe des NEO-Fünf-Faktoren-Inventars ermittelt. Wir fanden beim Vergleich des neutralen mit den emotionalen Paradigmen eine zweigeteilte, kortikale, parietal lokalisierte „early posterior negativity“ (EPN). Die Stromdichteanalyse der Differenzwellen (emotional minus neutral) mit LORETA ergab bei der EPN 170 eine Mehraktivierung im inferioren Parietallappen (BA 40) der linken Hemisphäre, im supplementären/cingulären motorischen Cortex (SMA/CMA) links, im Lobulus paracentralis links (BA 31/5), im ventralen anterioren cingulären Cortex (ACC, BA 32) sowie im Gyrus temporalis superior (BA 42) links. Die Analyse der EPN 290 ergab eine vermehrte Aktivierung im dorsolateralen präfrontalen Cortex links (DLPFC, BA 9), im ventralen und dorsalen ACC links (BA 32/24) sowie im superioren rechten (BA 22) und medialen linken (BA 21) temporalen Gyrus. Wir konnten interindividuelle Unterschiede der Wahrnehmung von Emotionen nachweisen. Es ergab sich bei den emotionalen Paradigmen (Silben und Worte) eine signifikant höhere EPN 170-Amplitude bei der Gruppe der extravertierten im Vergleich zu den introvertierten Probanden.

Die repetitive transkranielle Magnetstimulation (rTMS) findet seit einigen Jahren zunehmende Beachtung als potentielle Behandlungsform für eine Reihe von neurologischen und psychiatrischen Erkrankungen. Die umfangreichste Datenbasis liegt bisher für die behandlung depressiver Störungen vor. In früheren rTMS-Studien wurde ein antidepressiver Effekt nach hochfrequenter Stimulation des linken dorsolateralen präfrontalen Kortex (DLPFC) und nach niederfrequenter Stimulation des rechten DLPFC nachgewiesen. In den ersten Studien mit hochfrequenter rTMS bei gesunden Probanden wurde über hemisphärisch lateralisierte Effekte berichtet, mit einer Stimmungsverschlechterung nach Stimulation des linken DLPFC und Stimmungsverbesserung nach Stimulation des rechten DLPFC. Weitere Studien mit ähnlichen Stimulationsparameter konnten diese Ergebnisse jedoch nicht verifizieren. Stimmungseffekte nach niederfrequenter Stimulation wurden bei gesunden Probanden bislang nur in einer Studie untersucht. Effekte nach Stimulation des anteromedialen präfrontalen Kortex (AMPFC) wurden bislang nicht systematisch untersucht. Weitere, nicht stimmungsbezogene Befindlichkeitsqualitäten wurden bisher kaum einbezogen. Fragestellung der Arbeit war, ob sich auch bei niederfrequenter rTMS signifikante lateralisierte Stimmungseffekte nachweisen lassen. In einem explorativen Teil wurde zusätzlich untersucht, ob sich Veränderungen weiterer Befindlichkeitsqualitäten zeigen. Zusätzlich wurde explorativ der Einfluß bestimmter Persönlichkeitszüge auf die Reagibilität der Probanden bei den einzelnen Untersuchungsbedingungen untersucht. In einem randomisierten cross-over Design erhielten 16 rechtshändige Probanden eine niederfrequente rTMS (0,5 Hz, 150 Stimuli pro Sitzung, 120% der individuellen motorischen Schwelle) des rechten und linken DLPFC, rechten und linken AMPFC sowie des occipitalen Kortex. Die Messung der Stimmung und der Befindlichkeit erfolgte mit einer standardisierten Selbstrating-Skala (Eigenschaftswörterliste, Globalform) mit 15 Subskalen sowie mit 8 visuellen Analogskalen. Zur Messung der Persönlichkeitszüge wurden der NEO-FFI und der Sensation-Seeking-Test (SSS, Globalskala) eingesetzt. Bei allen Skalen zeigten sich deutliche individuelle Unterschiede und inkonsistente Reaktionen. Bei den Stimmungsskalen ergaben sich nach α-Korrektur keine signifikanten Effekte, Tendenzen waren jedoch erkennbar. Auch im direkten Vergleich zwischen den einzelnen Regionen fanden sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede. Bei den Befindlichkeitsskalen waren die Effekte z.T. stärker als bei den Stimmungsskalen. Nach rechts dorsolateraler Stimulation kam es vor allem zu einer Abnahme von Extravertiertheit, Vertrautheit, Konzentriertheit und des globalen Zustandes. Links dorsolateral fand sich im Wesentlichen eine Abnahme der Erregtheit sowie eine Zunahme der Verträumtheit und der Ruhe. Nach rechts anteromedialer Stimulation kam es vor allem zu einer Zunahme der Selbstsicherheit und von Ärger. Links anteromedial war eine Zunahme von Introvertiertheit und Benommenheit sowie eine Abnahme von Aktiviertheit, Empfindlichkeit und der Angst zu verzeichnen. Nach occipitaler Stimulation fanden sich kaum Änderungen. Im Vergleich zur occipitalen Kontrollbedingung zeigten sich rechts dorsolateral eine Zunahme der Empfindlichkeit und eine Abnahme der Aktiviertheit und der Vertrautheit, links dorsolateral eine Abnahme der Aktiviertheit und der Konzentriertheit. Rechts anteromedial fand sich eine Abnahme der Ängstlichkeit, links anteromedial eine Abnahme der Extravertiertheit und der Aktiviertheit. Im Direktvergleich rechts vs. links ergaben sich dorsolateral signifikante Seitenunterschiede in den Skalen „Extravertiertheit“, „Erregtheit“ und „Verträumtheit“, anteromedial bei den Skalen „Aktiviertheit“, “Benommenheit“ und „Extravertiertheit“. Auch im Vergleich dorsolateral vs. anteromedial ergaben sich signifikante Unterschiede: rechts bei den Skalen „Extravertiertheit“ und „Globaler Zustand“, links bei „Aktiviertheit“ und „Empfindlichkeit“. Bei der explorativen Untersuchung des Einflusses von Persönlichkeitsfaktoren fanden sich im Bereich der Stimmungsskalen keine signifikanten Korrelationen mit dem NEO-FFI. Bei der Persönlichkeitseigenschaft „Sensation Seeking“ (SS) ergaben sich Hinweise auf eine Beteiligung des linken AMPFC: In einem Extremgruppenvergleich kam es nach rTMS des linken AMPFC bei der Gruppe mit hohem SS zu einer leichten Stimmungsverbesserung, bei Probanden mit niedrigem dagegen eher zu einer Stimmungsverschlechterung. Tendenziell kam es nach rTMS im Vergleich beider Gruppen zu einer Angleichung der Stimmungslage. Der SSS könnte damit ein Prädiktor für ein unterschiedliches Ansprechen von Probanden auf niederfrequente rTMS des linken AMPFC sein. Die auf der Basis des explorativen Teils der vorliegenden Arbeit generierten Hypothesen müssen in zukünftigen kontrollierten Probandenuntersuchungen spezifisch getestet werden. Von zunehmender Bedeutung dürften dabei die Kombination mit weiteren Verfahren wie z.B. funktionelle Bildgebung, Neuronavigation, brain-mapping sein. Insgesamt zeigt sich, daß die Methode der rTMS ein wertvolles Forschungsinstrument zur Untersuchung der komplexen Funktion des prä-frontalen Kortex darstellt und damit zu einem verbesserten Verständnis der Regulation von Stimmung, Emotionen und Befindlichkeit beitragen kann.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.04.22.054742v1?rss=1 Authors: Jackson, J. B., Feredoes, E., Rich, A. N., Lindner, M., Woolgar, A. Abstract: The way in which the brain prioritises processing of information relevant for our current goals is widely contested. Many studies implicate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and propose that it drives brain-wide focus by biasing processing in favour of relevant information. An alternative, however, is that dlPFC is involved in the inhibition of irrelevant information. Here, we address this longstanding debate using the inferentially powerful approach of applying transcranial magnetic stimulation during functional magnetic resonance imaging (concurrent TMS-fMRI) and testing for changes in information coding using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA). We ask whether dlPFC plays a causal role in prioritising information processing, and whether this is through selection of relevant information or inhibition of irrelevant information. Participants attended to one object feature whilst ignoring another feature of the same object. We reasoned that, if dlPFC is necessary for selection, active (disruptive) TMS should decrease coding of attended information compared to the low intensity (control) condition. Conversely, if right dlPFC is crucial for inhibition, active TMS should increase coding of irrelevant information relative to the control condition. The results showed that active TMS decreased coding of relevant information throughout the frontoparietal multiple demand regions, and that this impact was significantly stronger than the effect of TMS on irrelevant information coding, which was not statistically detectable. These data provide causal evidence for a specific role of dlPFC in supporting the representation of task-relevant information and demonstrate the crucial insights into high level cognitive-neural mechanisms possible with the combination of TMS-fMRI and MVPA. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info