The parahippocampal gyrus-orbitofrontal cortex(PHG-OFC)circuit in humans is homologous to the postrhinal cortex(POR)-ventral lateral orbitofrontal cortex(vlOFC)circuit in rodents.Both are associated with visuospatial ...The parahippocampal gyrus-orbitofrontal cortex(PHG-OFC)circuit in humans is homologous to the postrhinal cortex(POR)-ventral lateral orbitofrontal cortex(vlOFC)circuit in rodents.Both are associated with visuospatial malfunctions in Alzheimer’s disease(AD).However,the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.In this study,we explored the relationship between an impaired POR-vlOFC circuit and visuospatial memory deficits through retrograde tracing and in vivo local field potential recordings in 5XFAD mice,and investigated alterations of the PHG-OFC circuit by multi-domain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)in patients on the AD spectrum.We demonstrated that an impaired glutamatergic POR-vlOFC circuit resulted in deficient visuospatial memory in 5XFAD mice.Moreover,MRI measurements of the PHG-OFC circuit had an accuracy of 77.33%for the classification of amnestic mild cognitive impairment converters versus non-converters.Thus,the PHG-OFC circuit explains the neuroanatomical basis of visuospatial memory deficits in AD,thereby providing a potential predictor for AD progression and a promising interventional approach for AD.展开更多
BACKGROUND： Previous studies have analyzed cerebral activation and lateralization of cognitive functions, as well as cerebellar function with reference to high-level cognitive processing. However, there has been very...BACKGROUND： Previous studies have analyzed cerebral activation and lateralization of cognitive functions, as well as cerebellar function with reference to high-level cognitive processing. However, there has been very little research on systematization and diversification. In particular, there are no reports on cerebellar lateralization, although reliable results have been reported on cerebral lateralization. OBJECTIVE： This study analyzed cerebellar activation and lateralization in relation to verbal and visuospatial tasks using functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI）. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A block design for fMRI observation was performed at the fMRI Laboratory, Brain Science Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology from May 2006 to September 2008. PARTICIPANTS： Sixteen healthy, male, college students, aged （23.3 ± 0.5） years, and 16 healthy, male, college students, aged （21.5 ± 2.3） years, participated in the study, respectively. METHODS： Verbal and visuospatial tasks were presented while functional brain images were acquired using a 3T fMRI system. Verbal analogy testing required the subject to select the word with the same relationship as one of the given words. Verbal antonym testing required the subject to select the word with a different meaning among four words. Visuospatial tasks involved selecting a shape that corresponded to a given figure with four examples, as well as selecting a development figure of a diagram. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Changes in cerebellar activation and lateralization between two cognition tasks. RESULTS： Bilateral hemisphere Iobules VI and IX, right hemisphere Iobule VIII, bilateral hemisphere Iobules Crus I, and vermis Iobule IV, V, and Vl were closely related to verbal tasks in comparison to visuospatial tasks. Conversely, bilateral hemisphere Iobules IV and V, as well as the right hemisphere Iobule VI, were closely related to visuospatial tasks compared to verbal tasks. There was no great difference between the number of activated voxels in the cerebellums during the tasks, and cerebellar lateralization was not observed. CONCLUSION： In the cerebellum, the activation region, but not lateralization, was different between verbal and visuospatial tasks.展开更多
Development of the prefrontal cortex and its connectivity with different cortical areas has strong implications for the improvement of working memory. The aim of this research was to characterize the interhemispheric ...Development of the prefrontal cortex and its connectivity with different cortical areas has strong implications for the improvement of working memory. The aim of this research was to characterize the interhemispheric (INTER) prefrontal and hemispheric (INTRA) frontopolar-dorsolateral prefrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal-parietal correlation (r) in children, adolescents and adults during performance of a visuospatial working memory task (VSWM). INTERr and INTRAr of 36 different aged male participants (11 - 13, 18 - 20 and 26 - 30 years old) were calculated during performance of the Corsi Block-Tapping task, which assessed VSWM. On this task, children showed lower correct responses than adolescents and adults. Adults also showed lower total execution times than children and adolescents, with a more efficient performance. On the EEGs, the older groups showed both higher interfrontal correlations and left and right prefronto-parietal correlations than children. According to our results, the progressive efficiency in VSWM is related to differences in EEG patterns among children, adolescents and adults.展开更多
The relevant studies using a cross sectional view of speech organs supplemented with visuospatial cues and verbal text to explore EFL learners’learning effectiveness and behavior through mobile devices when learning ...The relevant studies using a cross sectional view of speech organs supplemented with visuospatial cues and verbal text to explore EFL learners’learning effectiveness and behavior through mobile devices when learning English phonetics are scarce.This study was attempted to investigate whether the presence of visuospatial cues can benefit EFL learners with different levels of prior knowledge in learning English phonetics through mobile devices.The present study investigated the interaction between the experimental condition and the learners’prior knowledge on their task performances and cognitive load ratings.Fifty-six English as a foreign language(EFL)learners recruited from two sections of a linguistics course participated in the experiment.First,their background knowledge concerning English phonetics was evaluated to determine their prior knowledge level.Then,they were randomly assigned into two experimental conditions-picture-plus-text and picture-plus-text-plus-cueing.After the experimental treatment,the participants were administered retention and transfer tests as well as cognitive load measurement.Experimental treatment and prior knowledge were the independent variables,while retention test,transfer test,study time,and number of clicks were the dependent variables.The results of the present study emphasized the importance of visuospatial cues on inducing deep cognitive processing as indicated by the learners’test performance and study patterns.展开更多
Although plasticity in the neural system underlies working memory, and working memory can be improved by training, there is thus far no evidence that children with developmental dyslexia can benefit from working-memor...Although plasticity in the neural system underlies working memory, and working memory can be improved by training, there is thus far no evidence that children with developmental dyslexia can benefit from working-memory training. In the present study, thirty dyslexic children aged 8-11 years were recruited from an elementary school in Wuhan, China. They received working-memory training including training in visuospatial memory, verbal memory, and central executive tasks. The difficulty of the tasks was adjusted based on the performance of each subject, and the training sessions lasted 40 minutes per day, for 5 weeks. The results showed that working-memory training significantly enhanced performance on the nontrained working memory tasks such as the visuospatial, the verbal domains, and central executive tasks in children with developmental dyslexia. More importantly, the visual rhyming task and reading fluency task were also significantly improved by training. Progress on working memory measures was related to changes in reading skills. These experimental findings indicate that working memory is a pivotal factor in reading development among children with developmental dyslexia, and interventions to improve working memory may help dyslexic children to become more proficient in reading.展开更多
BACKGROUND Efficient detection of delirium and comorbid delirium-dementia is a key diagnostic challenge.Development of new,efficient delirium-focused methods of cognitive assessment is a key challenge for improved det...BACKGROUND Efficient detection of delirium and comorbid delirium-dementia is a key diagnostic challenge.Development of new,efficient delirium-focused methods of cognitive assessment is a key challenge for improved detection of neurocognitive disorders in everyday clinical practice.AIM To compare the accuracy of two novel bedside tests of attention,vigilance and visuospatial function with conventional bedside cognitive tests in identifying delirium in older hospitalized patients.METHODS 180 consecutive elderly medical inpatients(mean age 79.6±7.2;51%female)referred to a psychiatry for later life consultation-liaison service with delirium,dementia,comorbid delirium-dementia and cognitively intact controls.Participants were assessed cross-sectionally with conventional bedside cognitive tests[WORLD,Months Backward test(MBT),Spatial span,Vigilance A and B,Clock Drawing test and Interlocking Pentagons test]and two novel cognitive tests[Lighthouse test,Letter and Shape Drawing test(LSD)-4].RESULTS Neurocognitive diagnoses were delirium(n=44),dementia(n=30),comorbid delirium-dementia(n=60)and no neurocognitive disorder(n=46).All conventional tests had sensitivity of>70%for delirium,with best overall accuracy for the Vigilance-B(78.3%),Vigilance-A(77.8%)and MBT(76.7%)tests.The sustained attention component of the Lighthouse test was the most distinguishing of delirium(sensitivity 84.6%;overall accuracy 75.6%).The LSD-4 had sensitivity of 74.0%and overall accuracy 74.4%for delirium identification.Combining tests allowed for enhanced sensitivity(>90%)and overall accuracy(≥75%)with the highest overall accuracy for the combination of MBT-Vigilance A and the combined Vigilance A and B tests(both 78.3%).When analyses were repeated for those with dementia,there were similar findings with the MBTVigilance A the most accurate overall combination(80.0%).Combining the Lighthouse-SA with the LSD-4,a fail in either test had sensitivity for delirium of 91.4 with overall accuracy of 74.4%.CONCLUSION Bedside tests of attention,vigilance and visuospatial ability can help to distinguish neurocognitive disorders,including delirium,from other presentations.The Lighthouse test and the LSD-4 are novel tests with high accuracy for detecting delirium.展开更多
Event-related potential （ERP） studies of cognitive function in Parkinson＇s disease （PD） have focused on P300 and N270. However, little is known regarding face recognition ERP in PD. The present study assessed cog...Event-related potential （ERP） studies of cognitive function in Parkinson＇s disease （PD） have focused on P300 and N270. However, little is known regarding face recognition ERP in PD. The present study assessed cognitive function in PD patients using neuropsychological scales and analyzed N170 of visuospatial function impairment （VFI） in PD. Results showed that Montreal cognitive assessment can be used for assessing cognitive impairment when visuospatial functioning is changed during the early stage of PD. Face recognition has clinical significance for detecting changes in visuospatial functioning. However, N170 is not sensitive for detection of VFI in PD, which implies that VFI does not appear in the stage of structure coding in face recognition. In addition, VFI affects face recognition.展开更多
This study examined the functioning of facilitation and suppression in visual selective attention in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Electrophysiological data were examined in control adul...This study examined the functioning of facilitation and suppression in visual selective attention in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Electrophysiological data were examined in control adults and adults with ADHD during a cued visual spatial selective attention task where in addition to directing attention, the cue probabilistically predicted the presence of a distractor. Late activity following the cue (ADAN) showed attention modulation for all participants. However, only ADHD participants showed additional significant distractor anticipation modulations. Stimulus related activity showed modulations of early visual processing (P1) as a function of attention and anticipated distractor presence for all participants suggesting functional facilitation and suppression. Findings suggest functional visual spatial selective attention in adults with ADHD.展开更多
We investigated if attentional bias directed to the right increased with age. We assessed the characteristics of the following types of eye-gaze by using the Posner cueing paradigm. Younger (n =16) and older (n = 20) ...We investigated if attentional bias directed to the right increased with age. We assessed the characteristics of the following types of eye-gaze by using the Posner cueing paradigm. Younger (n =16) and older (n = 20) adults participated in this study. First of all, a face which looked straight ahead was presented at the center of screen, followed by a gaze cue that looked left or right. Immediately after this informative cue, a target stimulus (“*”) appeared to the left or right of the face. The stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) between the cue and the target was selected from 300, 700, and 1100 ms. Participants were required to judge whether the target appeared to the left or the right of the gaze cue as quickly and accurately as possible. Results showed that older adults indicate a larger positive gaze-cueing effect when the eye-gaze shifted rightward, whereas this effect was not observed for a leftward shift. Moreover, a negative gaze-cueing effect (inhibition of return) was observed when the SOA was longer only for the leftward eye-gaze shift of older adults. These modulations of the cueing effect did not appear in younger adults. These findings demonstrate that the rightward attentional bias in older adults is more robust than the leftward bias.展开更多
In this study the mechanical version of the three-disk Tower of London task with changes in the movements was conducted by fifteen elderly participants with concurrent articulatory suppression. Also, this executive ta...In this study the mechanical version of the three-disk Tower of London task with changes in the movements was conducted by fifteen elderly participants with concurrent articulatory suppression. Also, this executive task was conducted without verbal secondary task and the results of these two states were com- pared with each other. From this comparison, got evidences based on inner speech role in more complicated Tower of London tasks, although in general, the results suggest a more outstanding role of inner scribe in spatial planning in this executive task. Then inner speech and inner scribe roles have been described in Tower of London task applying “Baddeley and Logie” working memory model.展开更多
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with an increased incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia. Population-based cohort of 25 patients with incident PD underwent a large neuropsychological battery. Executive...Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with an increased incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia. Population-based cohort of 25 patients with incident PD underwent a large neuropsychological battery. Executive functions were the most affected cognitive domain including particularly initiation, mental flexibility and inhibition. Episodic memory and visuo-spatial functions were less affected. We found that 92% of patients were classified as having Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI);most of them experienced PD-MCI Single-Domain (17 patients) with disturbances on executive functions. Less frequently, we identified a group of patients with multiple-domain PD-MCI demonstrating deficits on executive functions as well as on episodic memory and/or visuospatial capacities.展开更多
RompecPC is a computerized program designed to create and assemble jigsaw puzzles. The program automatically records the solver’s responses as the number of pieces positioned correctly, the number of correct and inco...RompecPC is a computerized program designed to create and assemble jigsaw puzzles. The program automatically records the solver’s responses as the number of pieces positioned correctly, the number of correct and incorrect movements, the number of times that she/he attempts to move a piece to the same place (perseverations), and the latency and place to which each piece is moved or attempted to be moved. These features facilitate the implementation and evaluation of puzzles while also reducing human error. Therefore, RompePC is a useful tool for the neuropsychological assessment of visuospatial skills in both clinical and experimental research.展开更多
We hypothesized that keeping one’s balance with eyes open in the dark is different and more difficult than eyes closed because the brain continues to process visual inputs in the dark when the eyes are open. On the o...We hypothesized that keeping one’s balance with eyes open in the dark is different and more difficult than eyes closed because the brain continues to process visual inputs in the dark when the eyes are open. On the other hand, when the eyes are closed, the visual system does not signal incongruent information with which the brain must compare the other sensory systems. A variety of cognitive (subtracting backwards by seven as quickly and accurately as possible) and support surface (fixed versus sway-referenced) conditions were used to probe the neural mechanisms underlying the sensory organization processes in healthy young adults. Peak-to-peak anteroposterior sway performance revealed two dissociated components of the treatment effects. The first component came from the visuospatial factor. Balance control during eye closure and eyes open in the dark were found to be similar but poorer than baseline condition (eyes open under typical lighting). The second component was the effect of task difficulty in which balance control in the sway-referenced condition was worse compared to fixed support during eye closure or eyes open in the dark. Analyses of the cognitive performance also revealed different underlying neural mechanisms of the experimental conditions. Subtraction speed under the fixed support surface condition was similar among all the conditions but was faster with eyes closed during the sway-referenced support surface condition. Accuracy was not affected among the visual and surface conditions. We conclude that sensory processing load with eyes closed is lower than eyes open in the dark, thereby allowing cognitive performance to proceed more efficiently. Performing a difficult subtraction task with eyes closed may afford a decrease in dual-task interference since similar brain areas, particularly the parietal region, are involved in both tasks. The results are discussed with reference to clinical application and spatial disorientation in aviation.展开更多
The history of how Homo sapiens out-survived the Neanderthals is recalled here with the goal of conceiving an edge in our coming competition with a faster, stronger artificial intelligence (AI) who has far greater cap...The history of how Homo sapiens out-survived the Neanderthals is recalled here with the goal of conceiving an edge in our coming competition with a faster, stronger artificial intelligence (AI) who has far greater capacity for information storage. The social and cognitive differences between the two hominid species, Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, are described. Based on findings from genomics, neuroscience, archaeology, and paleobiology, it appears possible that the capacities of Homo sapiens could outreach those of AIs in some ways. Especially important are human visuospatial, cultural, and, oddly enough, theological capacities, and the interaction of these capacities in group problem-solving. While communication between AIs is fast and can be widespread, the authors ask whether this is the right kind of communication for solving problems of survival. An important question is explored throughout: Is it ethical to withhold from AIs human-like capacities that may become possible to install? Finally, a worrisome question is broached: Is it the best course to create AIs in our own image to safeguard our existence in unknown future interactions with extraterrestrial species, both organic and inorganic?展开更多
Background:Amblyopia(lazy eye)is one of the most common causes of monocular visual impairment.Intensive investigation has shown that amblyopes suffer from a range of deficits not only in the primary visual cortex but ...Background:Amblyopia(lazy eye)is one of the most common causes of monocular visual impairment.Intensive investigation has shown that amblyopes suffer from a range of deficits not only in the primary visual cortex but also the extra-striate visual cortex.However,amblyopic brain processing deficits in large-scale information networks especially in the visual network remain unclear.Methods:Through resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI),we studied the functional connectivity and efficiency of the brain visual processing networks in 18 anisometropic amblyopic patients and 18 healthy controls(HCs).Results:We found a loss of functional correlation within the higher visual network(HVN)and the visuospatial network(VSN)in amblyopes.Additionally,compared with HCs,amblyopic patients exhibited disruptions in local efficiency in the V3v(third visual cortex,ventral part)and V4(fourth visual cortex)of the HVN,as well as in the PFt,hIP3(human intraparietal area 3),and BA7p(Brodmann area 7 posterior)of the VSN.No significant alterations were found in the primary visual network(PVN).Conclusion:Our results indicate that amblyopia results in an intrinsic decrease of both network functional correlations and local efficiencies in the extra-striate visual networks.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81420108012,81671046,91832000,and 31700936)the Program of Excellent Talents in Medical Science of Jiangsu Province,China (JCRCA2016006)+4 种基金a Special Project of Clinical Medicine Science and Technology in Jiangsu Province,China (BL2014077)a Guangdong Province Grant (2017A030310496)Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province,China (2018B030331001)a National Special Support Grant (W02020453)Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior (2017B030301017)。
文摘The parahippocampal gyrus-orbitofrontal cortex(PHG-OFC)circuit in humans is homologous to the postrhinal cortex(POR)-ventral lateral orbitofrontal cortex(vlOFC)circuit in rodents.Both are associated with visuospatial malfunctions in Alzheimer’s disease(AD).However,the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.In this study,we explored the relationship between an impaired POR-vlOFC circuit and visuospatial memory deficits through retrograde tracing and in vivo local field potential recordings in 5XFAD mice,and investigated alterations of the PHG-OFC circuit by multi-domain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)in patients on the AD spectrum.We demonstrated that an impaired glutamatergic POR-vlOFC circuit resulted in deficient visuospatial memory in 5XFAD mice.Moreover,MRI measurements of the PHG-OFC circuit had an accuracy of 77.33%for the classification of amnestic mild cognitive impairment converters versus non-converters.Thus,the PHG-OFC circuit explains the neuroanatomical basis of visuospatial memory deficits in AD,thereby providing a potential predictor for AD progression and a promising interventional approach for AD.
文摘BACKGROUND： Previous studies have analyzed cerebral activation and lateralization of cognitive functions, as well as cerebellar function with reference to high-level cognitive processing. However, there has been very little research on systematization and diversification. In particular, there are no reports on cerebellar lateralization, although reliable results have been reported on cerebral lateralization. OBJECTIVE： This study analyzed cerebellar activation and lateralization in relation to verbal and visuospatial tasks using functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI）. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A block design for fMRI observation was performed at the fMRI Laboratory, Brain Science Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology from May 2006 to September 2008. PARTICIPANTS： Sixteen healthy, male, college students, aged （23.3 ± 0.5） years, and 16 healthy, male, college students, aged （21.5 ± 2.3） years, participated in the study, respectively. METHODS： Verbal and visuospatial tasks were presented while functional brain images were acquired using a 3T fMRI system. Verbal analogy testing required the subject to select the word with the same relationship as one of the given words. Verbal antonym testing required the subject to select the word with a different meaning among four words. Visuospatial tasks involved selecting a shape that corresponded to a given figure with four examples, as well as selecting a development figure of a diagram. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Changes in cerebellar activation and lateralization between two cognition tasks. RESULTS： Bilateral hemisphere Iobules VI and IX, right hemisphere Iobule VIII, bilateral hemisphere Iobules Crus I, and vermis Iobule IV, V, and Vl were closely related to verbal tasks in comparison to visuospatial tasks. Conversely, bilateral hemisphere Iobules IV and V, as well as the right hemisphere Iobule VI, were closely related to visuospatial tasks compared to verbal tasks. There was no great difference between the number of activated voxels in the cerebellums during the tasks, and cerebellar lateralization was not observed. CONCLUSION： In the cerebellum, the activation region, but not lateralization, was different between verbal and visuospatial tasks.
文摘Development of the prefrontal cortex and its connectivity with different cortical areas has strong implications for the improvement of working memory. The aim of this research was to characterize the interhemispheric (INTER) prefrontal and hemispheric (INTRA) frontopolar-dorsolateral prefrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal-parietal correlation (r) in children, adolescents and adults during performance of a visuospatial working memory task (VSWM). INTERr and INTRAr of 36 different aged male participants (11 - 13, 18 - 20 and 26 - 30 years old) were calculated during performance of the Corsi Block-Tapping task, which assessed VSWM. On this task, children showed lower correct responses than adolescents and adults. Adults also showed lower total execution times than children and adolescents, with a more efficient performance. On the EEGs, the older groups showed both higher interfrontal correlations and left and right prefronto-parietal correlations than children. According to our results, the progressive efficiency in VSWM is related to differences in EEG patterns among children, adolescents and adults.
文摘The relevant studies using a cross sectional view of speech organs supplemented with visuospatial cues and verbal text to explore EFL learners’learning effectiveness and behavior through mobile devices when learning English phonetics are scarce.This study was attempted to investigate whether the presence of visuospatial cues can benefit EFL learners with different levels of prior knowledge in learning English phonetics through mobile devices.The present study investigated the interaction between the experimental condition and the learners’prior knowledge on their task performances and cognitive load ratings.Fifty-six English as a foreign language(EFL)learners recruited from two sections of a linguistics course participated in the experiment.First,their background knowledge concerning English phonetics was evaluated to determine their prior knowledge level.Then,they were randomly assigned into two experimental conditions-picture-plus-text and picture-plus-text-plus-cueing.After the experimental treatment,the participants were administered retention and transfer tests as well as cognitive load measurement.Experimental treatment and prior knowledge were the independent variables,while retention test,transfer test,study time,and number of clicks were the dependent variables.The results of the present study emphasized the importance of visuospatial cues on inducing deep cognitive processing as indicated by the learners’test performance and study patterns.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30872132
文摘Although plasticity in the neural system underlies working memory, and working memory can be improved by training, there is thus far no evidence that children with developmental dyslexia can benefit from working-memory training. In the present study, thirty dyslexic children aged 8-11 years were recruited from an elementary school in Wuhan, China. They received working-memory training including training in visuospatial memory, verbal memory, and central executive tasks. The difficulty of the tasks was adjusted based on the performance of each subject, and the training sessions lasted 40 minutes per day, for 5 weeks. The results showed that working-memory training significantly enhanced performance on the nontrained working memory tasks such as the visuospatial, the verbal domains, and central executive tasks in children with developmental dyslexia. More importantly, the visual rhyming task and reading fluency task were also significantly improved by training. Progress on working memory measures was related to changes in reading skills. These experimental findings indicate that working memory is a pivotal factor in reading development among children with developmental dyslexia, and interventions to improve working memory may help dyslexic children to become more proficient in reading.
基金This work was supported by a research project grant from the Health Research Board(HRA 2011/48).
文摘BACKGROUND Efficient detection of delirium and comorbid delirium-dementia is a key diagnostic challenge.Development of new,efficient delirium-focused methods of cognitive assessment is a key challenge for improved detection of neurocognitive disorders in everyday clinical practice.AIM To compare the accuracy of two novel bedside tests of attention,vigilance and visuospatial function with conventional bedside cognitive tests in identifying delirium in older hospitalized patients.METHODS 180 consecutive elderly medical inpatients(mean age 79.6±7.2;51%female)referred to a psychiatry for later life consultation-liaison service with delirium,dementia,comorbid delirium-dementia and cognitively intact controls.Participants were assessed cross-sectionally with conventional bedside cognitive tests[WORLD,Months Backward test(MBT),Spatial span,Vigilance A and B,Clock Drawing test and Interlocking Pentagons test]and two novel cognitive tests[Lighthouse test,Letter and Shape Drawing test(LSD)-4].RESULTS Neurocognitive diagnoses were delirium(n=44),dementia(n=30),comorbid delirium-dementia(n=60)and no neurocognitive disorder(n=46).All conventional tests had sensitivity of>70%for delirium,with best overall accuracy for the Vigilance-B(78.3%),Vigilance-A(77.8%)and MBT(76.7%)tests.The sustained attention component of the Lighthouse test was the most distinguishing of delirium(sensitivity 84.6%;overall accuracy 75.6%).The LSD-4 had sensitivity of 74.0%and overall accuracy 74.4%for delirium identification.Combining tests allowed for enhanced sensitivity(>90%)and overall accuracy(≥75%)with the highest overall accuracy for the combination of MBT-Vigilance A and the combined Vigilance A and B tests(both 78.3%).When analyses were repeated for those with dementia,there were similar findings with the MBTVigilance A the most accurate overall combination(80.0%).Combining the Lighthouse-SA with the LSD-4,a fail in either test had sensitivity for delirium of 91.4 with overall accuracy of 74.4%.CONCLUSION Bedside tests of attention,vigilance and visuospatial ability can help to distinguish neurocognitive disorders,including delirium,from other presentations.The Lighthouse test and the LSD-4 are novel tests with high accuracy for detecting delirium.
文摘Event-related potential （ERP） studies of cognitive function in Parkinson＇s disease （PD） have focused on P300 and N270. However, little is known regarding face recognition ERP in PD. The present study assessed cognitive function in PD patients using neuropsychological scales and analyzed N170 of visuospatial function impairment （VFI） in PD. Results showed that Montreal cognitive assessment can be used for assessing cognitive impairment when visuospatial functioning is changed during the early stage of PD. Face recognition has clinical significance for detecting changes in visuospatial functioning. However, N170 is not sensitive for detection of VFI in PD, which implies that VFI does not appear in the stage of structure coding in face recognition. In addition, VFI affects face recognition.
文摘This study examined the functioning of facilitation and suppression in visual selective attention in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Electrophysiological data were examined in control adults and adults with ADHD during a cued visual spatial selective attention task where in addition to directing attention, the cue probabilistically predicted the presence of a distractor. Late activity following the cue (ADAN) showed attention modulation for all participants. However, only ADHD participants showed additional significant distractor anticipation modulations. Stimulus related activity showed modulations of early visual processing (P1) as a function of attention and anticipated distractor presence for all participants suggesting functional facilitation and suppression. Findings suggest functional visual spatial selective attention in adults with ADHD.
文摘We investigated if attentional bias directed to the right increased with age. We assessed the characteristics of the following types of eye-gaze by using the Posner cueing paradigm. Younger (n =16) and older (n = 20) adults participated in this study. First of all, a face which looked straight ahead was presented at the center of screen, followed by a gaze cue that looked left or right. Immediately after this informative cue, a target stimulus (“*”) appeared to the left or right of the face. The stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) between the cue and the target was selected from 300, 700, and 1100 ms. Participants were required to judge whether the target appeared to the left or the right of the gaze cue as quickly and accurately as possible. Results showed that older adults indicate a larger positive gaze-cueing effect when the eye-gaze shifted rightward, whereas this effect was not observed for a leftward shift. Moreover, a negative gaze-cueing effect (inhibition of return) was observed when the SOA was longer only for the leftward eye-gaze shift of older adults. These modulations of the cueing effect did not appear in younger adults. These findings demonstrate that the rightward attentional bias in older adults is more robust than the leftward bias.
文摘In this study the mechanical version of the three-disk Tower of London task with changes in the movements was conducted by fifteen elderly participants with concurrent articulatory suppression. Also, this executive task was conducted without verbal secondary task and the results of these two states were com- pared with each other. From this comparison, got evidences based on inner speech role in more complicated Tower of London tasks, although in general, the results suggest a more outstanding role of inner scribe in spatial planning in this executive task. Then inner speech and inner scribe roles have been described in Tower of London task applying “Baddeley and Logie” working memory model.
文摘Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with an increased incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia. Population-based cohort of 25 patients with incident PD underwent a large neuropsychological battery. Executive functions were the most affected cognitive domain including particularly initiation, mental flexibility and inhibition. Episodic memory and visuo-spatial functions were less affected. We found that 92% of patients were classified as having Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI);most of them experienced PD-MCI Single-Domain (17 patients) with disturbances on executive functions. Less frequently, we identified a group of patients with multiple-domain PD-MCI demonstrating deficits on executive functions as well as on episodic memory and/or visuospatial capacities.
文摘RompecPC is a computerized program designed to create and assemble jigsaw puzzles. The program automatically records the solver’s responses as the number of pieces positioned correctly, the number of correct and incorrect movements, the number of times that she/he attempts to move a piece to the same place (perseverations), and the latency and place to which each piece is moved or attempted to be moved. These features facilitate the implementation and evaluation of puzzles while also reducing human error. Therefore, RompePC is a useful tool for the neuropsychological assessment of visuospatial skills in both clinical and experimental research.
文摘We hypothesized that keeping one’s balance with eyes open in the dark is different and more difficult than eyes closed because the brain continues to process visual inputs in the dark when the eyes are open. On the other hand, when the eyes are closed, the visual system does not signal incongruent information with which the brain must compare the other sensory systems. A variety of cognitive (subtracting backwards by seven as quickly and accurately as possible) and support surface (fixed versus sway-referenced) conditions were used to probe the neural mechanisms underlying the sensory organization processes in healthy young adults. Peak-to-peak anteroposterior sway performance revealed two dissociated components of the treatment effects. The first component came from the visuospatial factor. Balance control during eye closure and eyes open in the dark were found to be similar but poorer than baseline condition (eyes open under typical lighting). The second component was the effect of task difficulty in which balance control in the sway-referenced condition was worse compared to fixed support during eye closure or eyes open in the dark. Analyses of the cognitive performance also revealed different underlying neural mechanisms of the experimental conditions. Subtraction speed under the fixed support surface condition was similar among all the conditions but was faster with eyes closed during the sway-referenced support surface condition. Accuracy was not affected among the visual and surface conditions. We conclude that sensory processing load with eyes closed is lower than eyes open in the dark, thereby allowing cognitive performance to proceed more efficiently. Performing a difficult subtraction task with eyes closed may afford a decrease in dual-task interference since similar brain areas, particularly the parietal region, are involved in both tasks. The results are discussed with reference to clinical application and spatial disorientation in aviation.
文摘The history of how Homo sapiens out-survived the Neanderthals is recalled here with the goal of conceiving an edge in our coming competition with a faster, stronger artificial intelligence (AI) who has far greater capacity for information storage. The social and cognitive differences between the two hominid species, Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, are described. Based on findings from genomics, neuroscience, archaeology, and paleobiology, it appears possible that the capacities of Homo sapiens could outreach those of AIs in some ways. Especially important are human visuospatial, cultural, and, oddly enough, theological capacities, and the interaction of these capacities in group problem-solving. While communication between AIs is fast and can be widespread, the authors ask whether this is the right kind of communication for solving problems of survival. An important question is explored throughout: Is it ethical to withhold from AIs human-like capacities that may become possible to install? Finally, a worrisome question is broached: Is it the best course to create AIs in our own image to safeguard our existence in unknown future interactions with extraterrestrial species, both organic and inorganic?
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant numbers 81501942,81701665,81500754)by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(grant number WK2100230016).
文摘Background:Amblyopia(lazy eye)is one of the most common causes of monocular visual impairment.Intensive investigation has shown that amblyopes suffer from a range of deficits not only in the primary visual cortex but also the extra-striate visual cortex.However,amblyopic brain processing deficits in large-scale information networks especially in the visual network remain unclear.Methods:Through resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI),we studied the functional connectivity and efficiency of the brain visual processing networks in 18 anisometropic amblyopic patients and 18 healthy controls(HCs).Results:We found a loss of functional correlation within the higher visual network(HVN)and the visuospatial network(VSN)in amblyopes.Additionally,compared with HCs,amblyopic patients exhibited disruptions in local efficiency in the V3v(third visual cortex,ventral part)and V4(fourth visual cortex)of the HVN,as well as in the PFt,hIP3(human intraparietal area 3),and BA7p(Brodmann area 7 posterior)of the VSN.No significant alterations were found in the primary visual network(PVN).Conclusion:Our results indicate that amblyopia results in an intrinsic decrease of both network functional correlations and local efficiencies in the extra-striate visual networks.
