Attention-related Behavior Research Articles

An Industry-Relevant Metal Mixture, Iron Status, and Reported Attention-Related Behaviors in Italian Adolescents.

Exposure to environmental metals has been consistently associated with attention and behavioral deficits in children, and these associations may be modified by coexposure to other metals or iron (Fe) status. However, few studies have investigated Fe status as a modifier of a metal mixture, particularly with respect to attention-related behaviors. We used cross-sectional data from the Public Health Impact of Metals Exposure study, which included 707 adolescents (10-14 years of age) from Brescia, Italy. Manganese, chromium, and copper were quantified in hair samples, and lead was quantified in whole blood, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Concentrations of Fe status markers (ferritin, hemoglobin, transferrin) were measured using immunoassays or luminescence assays. Attention-related behaviors were assessed using the Conners Rating Scales Self-Report Scale-Long Form, Parent Rating Scales Revised-Short Form, and Teacher Rating Scales Revised-Short Form. We employed Bayesian kernel machine regression to examine associations of the metal mixture with these outcomes and evaluate Fe status as a modifier. Higher concentrations of the metals and ferritin were jointly associated with worse self-reported attention-related behaviors: metals and ferritin set to their 90th percentiles were associated with 3.0% [; 95% credible interval (CrI): , 0.06], 4.1% (; 95% CrI: 0.00, 0.08), and 4.1% (; 95% CrI: 0.00, 0.08) higher -scores for self-reported attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) index, inattention, and hyperactivity, respectively, compared with when metals and ferritin were set to their 50th percentiles. These associations were driven by hair manganese, which exhibited nonlinear associations with all self-reported scales. There was no evidence that Fe status modified the neurotoxicity of the metal mixture. The metal mixture was not materially associated with any parent-reported or teacher-reported scale. The overall metal mixture, driven by manganese, was adversely associated with self-reported attention-related behavior. These findings suggest that exposure to multiple environmental metals impacts adolescent neurodevelopment, which has significant public health implications. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12988.

The relationship of prenatal acetaminophen exposure and attention-related behavior in early childhood

Acetaminophen is currently the only analgesic considered safe for use throughout pregnancy, but recent studies indicate that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen may be related to poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes. Multiple studies have suggested that it may be associated with attention problems, but few have examined this association by trimester of exposure. The Illinois Kids Development Study is a prospective birth cohort located in east-central Illinois. Exposure data were collected between December 2013 and March 2020, and 535 newborns were enrolled during that period. Mothers reported the number of times they took acetaminophen at six time points across pregnancy. When children were 2, 3, and 4 years of age, caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5–5 years (CBCL). Associations of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with scores on the Attention Problems and ADHD Problems syndrome scales, the Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior composite scales, and the Total Problems score were evaluated. Higher acetaminophen exposure during the second trimester of fetal development was associated with higher Attention Problems, ADHD Problems, Externalizing Behavior, and Total Problems scores at ages 2 and 3. Higher second trimester exposure was only associated with higher Externalizing Behavior and Total Problems scores at 4 years. Higher cumulative exposure across pregnancy was associated with higher Attention Problems and ADHD Problems scores at ages 2 and 3. Findings suggest that prenatal acetaminophen exposure, especially during the second trimester, may be related to problems with attention in early childhood.

Early life manganese exposure and reported attention-related behaviors in Italian adolescents.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient and neurotoxicant, and the neurodevelopmental effects of Mn may depend on exposure timing. Less research has quantitatively compared the impact of Mn exposure on neurodevelopment across exposure periods. We used data from 125 Italian adolescents (10-14 years) from the Public Health Impact of Metals Exposure Study to estimate prospective associations of Mn in three early life exposure periods with adolescent attention-related behaviors. Mn was quantified in deciduous teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to represent prenatal (2nd trimester-birth), postnatal (birth ~1.5 years), and childhood (~1.5-6 years) exposure. Attention-related behavior was evaluated using the Conners Behavior Rating Scales in adolescence. We used multivariable linear regression models to quantify associations between Mn in each exposure period, and multiple informant models to compare associations across exposure periods. Median tooth Mn levels (normalized to calcium) were 0.4 area under the curve (AUC) 55Mn:43Ca × 104, 0.1 AUC 55Mn:43Ca × 104, and 0.0006 55Mn:43Ca for the prenatal, postnatal, and childhood periods. A doubling in prenatal tooth Mn levels was associated with 5.3% (95% confidence intervals [CI] = -10.3%, 0.0%) lower (i.e., better) teacher-reported inattention scores, whereas a doubling in postnatal tooth Mn levels was associated with 4.5% (95% CI = -9.3%, 0.6%) and 4.6% (95% CI = -9.5%, 0.6%) lower parent-reported inattention and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder index scores, respectively. Childhood Mn was not beneficially associated with reported attention-related behaviors. Protective associations in the prenatal and postnatal periods suggest Mn is beneficial for attention-related behavior, but not in the childhood period.

The questionable validity of attention bias variability: Evidence from two conceptually unrelated cognitive tasks.

Attention bias variability is thought to measure fluctuations in attention towards and away from threat-related information and is elevated in affective disorders. However, recent evidence suggests that attention bias variability may quantify general reaction time variability rather than attention bias behavior per se. The current study calculated "attention bias variability" from two conceptually unrelated cognitive tasks: the dot-probe task (measuring attentional bias) and the arrow flanker task (measuring cognitive control). Attention bias variability measures were correlated across these unrelated tasks. Yet, when general reaction time variability was controlled, attention bias variability across tasks was no longer correlated. In addition, the reliability of attention bias variability measures decreased when controlling for general reaction time variability. Finally, although attention bias variability calculated from the dot-probe task initially correlated with anxious symptoms, this association was no longer significant when controlling for general reaction time variability. Our sample was comprised of high trait anxious individuals. Replication in clinical samples is warranted. These findings collectively provide strong empirical evidence that attention bias variability is not a valid measure of attention-related behavior, but reflective of general reaction time variability more broadly.

Why do students exhibit different attention-related behavior during instruction? Investigating effects of individual and context-dependent determinants

To determine the success of their instruction, teachers need to rely on observable cues in students' behavior. However, students exhibit different attention-related behavior within one lesson as well as compared with their peers. It is not yet clear to what extent these differences result from the design of classroom instruction and how individual and contextual factors determine students' behavior during instruction. In the present study, we applied a continuous behavior-rating system to 10 classroom videos and based our analysis on 1200 1-s intervals of N = 199 students. Using dynamic structural equation modeling, students' attention-related behavior was primarily determined by contextual factors, stressing the important role of teachers but also the impact of factors that are unique in individual classrooms.

Nociceptive input after peripheral nerve injury results in cognitive impairment and alterations in primary afferent physiology in rats.

Pain alters cognitive performance through centrally mediated effects in the brain. In this study, we hypothesized that persistent activation of peripheral nociceptors after injury would lead to the development of a chronic pain state that impairs attention-related behavior and results in changes in peripheral neuron phenotypes. Attentional performance was measured in rats using the 5-choice serial reaction time titration variant to determine the initial impact of partial L5 spinal nerve ligation and the effect of persistent nociceptor activation on the resolution of injury. The changes in peripheral neuronal sensibilities and phenotypes were determined in sensory afferents using electrophysiologic signatures and receptive field properties from dorsal root ganglion recordings. Partial spinal nerve injury impaired attentional performance, and this was further impaired in a graded fashion by nociceptive input through an engineered surface. Impairment in attention persisted for only up to 4 days initially, followed by a second phase 7 to 10 weeks after injury in animals exposed to nociceptive input. In animals with prolonged impairment in behavior, the mechanonociceptors displayed a persistent hypersensitivity marked by decreased threshold, increased activity to a given stimulus, and spontaneous activity. Nerve injury disrupts attentional performance acutely and is worsened with peripheral mechanonociceptor activation. Acute impairment resolves, but persistent nociceptive activation produces re-emergence of impairment in the attention-related task associated with electrophysiological abnormalities in peripheral nociceptors. This is consistent with the development of a chronic pain state marked by cognitive impairment and related to persistently abnormal peripheral input.

Incisional Nociceptive Input Impairs Attention-related Behavior and Is Associated with Reduced Neuronal Activity in the Prefrontal Cortex in Rats.

WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Cognitive capacity may be reduced from inflammation, surgery, anesthesia, and pain. In this study, we hypothesized that incision-induced nociceptive input impairs attentional performance and alters neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex. Attentional performance was measured in rats by using the titration variant of the 5-choice serial reaction time to determine the effect of surgical incision and anesthesia in a visual attention task. Neuronal activity (single spike and local field potentials) was measured in the medial prefrontal cortex in animals during the task. Incision significantly impaired attention postoperatively (area under curve of median cue duration-time 97.2 ± 56.8 [n = 9] vs. anesthesia control 25.5 ± 14.5 s-days [n = 9], P = 0.002; effect size, η = 0.456). Morphine (1 mg/kg) reduced impairment after incision (area under curve of median cue duration-time 31.6 ± 36.7 [n = 11] vs. saline 110 ± 64.7 s-days [n = 10], P < 0.001; η = 0.378). Incision also decreased cell activity (n = 24; 1.48 ± 0.58 vs. control, 2.93 ± 2.02 bursts/min; P = 0.002; η = 0.098) and local field potentials (n = 28; η = 0.111) in the medial prefrontal cortex. These results show that acute postoperative nociceptive input from incision reduces attention-related task performance and decreases neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. Decreased neuronal activity suggests nociceptive input is more than just a distraction because neuronal activity increases during audiovisual distraction with similar behavioral impairment. This suggests that nociceptive input and the medial prefrontal cortex may contribute to attentional impairment and mild cognitive dysfunction postoperatively. In this regard, pain may affect postoperative recovery and return to normal activities through attentional impairment by contributing to lapses in concentration for routine and complex tasks.

Intra-nasal dopamine alleviates cognitive deficits in tgDISC1 rats which overexpress the human DISC1 gene

The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene has been associated with mental illnesses such as major depression and schizophrenia. The transgenic DISC1 (tgDISC1) rat, which overexpresses the human DISC1 gene, is known to exhibit deficient dopamine (DA) homeostasis. To ascertain whether the DISC1 gene also impacts cognitive functions, 14–15 months old male tgDISC1 rats and wild-type controls were subjected to the novel object preference (NOP) test and the object-based attention test (OBAT) in order to assess short-term memory (1 h), long-term memory (24 h), and attention. Results: The tgDISC1 group exhibited intact short-term memory, but deficient long-term-memory in the NOP test and deficient attention-related behavior in the OBAT. In a different group of tgDISC1 rats, 3 mg/kg intranasally applied dopamine (IN-DA) or its vehicle was applied prior to the NOP or the OBAT test. IN-DA reversed cognitive deficits in both the NOP and OBAT tests. In a further cohort of tgDISC1 rats, post-mortem levels of DA, noradrenaline, serotonin and acetylcholine were determined in a variety of brain regions. The tgDISC1 group had less DA in the neostriatum, hippocampus and amygdala, less acetylcholine in neostriatum, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, and amygdala, more serotonin in the nucleus accumbens, and less serotonin and noradrenaline in the amygdala. Conclusions: Our findings show that DISC1 overexpression and misassembly is associated with deficits in long-term memory and attention-related behavior. Since behavioral impairments in tgDISC1 rats were reversed by IN-DA, DA deficiency may be a major cause for the behavioral deficits expressed in this model.

Daily administration of yokukansan and keishito prevents social isolation-induced behavioral abnormalities and down-regulation of phosphorylation of neuroplasticity-related signaling molecules in mice

BackgroundOur previous studies demonstrated that post-weaning social isolation (ISO) in mice induces behavior abnormalities such as deficits of sociability- and attention-like behaviors. These deficits can be attenuated by methylphenidate (MPH), a drug used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggesting that ISO mice offer a potential animal model of comorbid developmental disorder with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder symptoms. This study investigated the effects of Kampo formulae, yokukansan (YKS) and keishito (KST), on the neuropsychiatric symptoms of ISO mice to clarify the therapeutic or preventive/delaying potential of these formulae for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.MethodsThree-to-4-week old male ICR mice were socially isolated during an experimental period and YKS and KST (1523.6 and 2031.8 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered starting from week 2 and week 0 after starting ISO for the analysis of their therapeutic and preventive/delaying potentials, respectively. Sociability, attention-related behavior and fear memory were elucidated by a 3 chamber test, a water-finding test and fear conditioning test, respectively. Moreover, the phosphorylation of neuroplasticity-related signaling molecules in mice hippocampus was analyzed using western blotting.ResultsIn a therapeutic procedure, YKS ameliorated ISO-induced impairments of attention-like behavior and context-dependent fear memory, but not of sociability, whereas KST had no beneficial effects in ISO mice. In experiments to analyze the preventive/delaying potentials of these treatments, both YKS and KST improved sociability, attention, and context-dependent fear memory deficits. The improvement of sociability in mice by YKS and KST was not inhibited by a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, suggesting that YKS and KST improved the ISO-induced sociability deficit by other mechanisms besides activation of the dopaminergic system. On the other hand, the beneficial effects of YKS and KST on attention-like behavior were inhibited by a muscarinic antagonist, suggesting that YKS and KST ameliorated ISO-induced attention-like behavior through a cholinergic mechanism. Moreover, the phosphorylated forms of CaMKII and CREB were down-regulated by ISO stress and restored by YKS and KST administration.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that YKS and KST may be useful for the improvement of neurodevelopmental disorders.

The influence of low level pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and lead on attention performance and attention-related behavior among German school-aged children: results from the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study.

Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead are thought to be risk factors for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whereas the prenatal influence of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/Fs) on attention performance has been less studied. Within the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study, we investigated low-level exposure to these compounds in relation to children's attention. We measured blood levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and lead from pregnant mothers (32(nd) week of pregnancy) and PCDD/Fs and PCBs in breast milk (2 weeks after delivery). The attention of school-aged children (N=117) was investigated with a computer-based test battery of attention performance (KITAP) and a parent rating questionnaire of behaviors related to ADHD (FBB-ADHS). Influences of the exposure on attention were analyzed by multiple regression analyses. Increasing prenatal PCDD/F and PCB concentrations were significantly (p<0.05) associated with a higher number of omission errors in the subtest Divided Attention (47% and 42%; 95% confidence intervals (95%-CI): 1.08-2.00 and 1.07-1.89, respectively). Prenatal lead concentrations had few significant associations with attention performance (e.g., a 23% higher number of omission errors in the subtest Distractibility; 95%-CI: 1.00-1.51), whereas ADHD-related behavior (questionnaire based) was increased with increasing lead exposure (Overall-ADHD: 9%; 95%-CI: 1.01-1.17). ADHD-related behavior was negatively associated with prenatal PCDD/F or PCB exposures (e.g., for PCB exposure: -10%; 95%-CI: 0.82-0.99). Pre- and perinatal PCDD/F and PCB exposure may have subtle influences on attention performance in healthy children at low environmental levels, while behavior changes are negatively associated. Furthermore, we provide additional evidence for the impact of prenatal lead exposure on attention deficits.

The effects of clinically relevant doses of amphetamine and methylphenidate on signal detection and DRL in rats

Low dose amphetamine (AMPH) and methylphenidate (MPH, Ritalin®) are the most widely prescribed and most effective pharmacotherapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Certain low, clinically relevant doses of MPH improve sustained attention and working memory in normal rats, in contrast to higher doses that impair cognitive ability and induce locomotor activity. However, the effects of AMPH of MPH on sustained attention and behavioral inhibition remain poorly characterized. The present experiments examined the actions of AMPH (0.1 and 0.25 mg/kg) and MPH (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) in a rat model of 1) sustained attention, where signal and blank trials were interspersed randomly and occurred at unpredictable times, and 2) behavioral inhibition, using a differential reinforcement of low rate (DRL) schedule. In a signal detection paradigm, both 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg MPH and 0.25 mg/kg AMPH improve sustained attention, however neither AMPH nor MPH improve behavioral inhibition on DRL. Taken together with other recent studies, it appears that clinically-relevant doses of AMPH and MPH may preferentially improve attention-related behavior while having little effect on behavioral inhibition. These observations provide additional insight into the basic behavioral actions of low-dose psychostimulants and further suggest that the use of sustained attention tasks may be important in the development of novel pharmacological treatments for ADHD.

Dimensions of Disordered Attention in Traumatic Brain Injury: Further Validation of the Moss Attention Rating Scale

Hart T, Whyte J, Millis S, Bode R, Malec J, Richardson RN, Hammond F. Dimensions of disordered attention in traumatic brain injury: further validation of the Moss Attention Rating Scale. Objectives To investigate the factor structure of disordered attention in moderate to severe, acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to use factor analysis and item response theory to further validate and refine an observational rating scale of attention for clinical and research purposes. Design Multicenter inception cohort. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation units. Participants Patients with TBI (N=372) consecutively admitted to 8 Traumatic Brain Injury Model System centers within 2 weeks prior to observation, who consistently followed commands and who were on stable doses of all psychotropic medications for a 3-day rating period. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Participants were rated independently by treating occupational and physical therapists at an average of 1 month postinjury on the Moss Attention Rating Scale (MARS), a 45-item, Likert-type scale of attention-related behavior. Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed 3 correlated factors of disordered attention, interpreted as restlessness/distractibility, initiation, and sustained/consistent attention. Item response (Rasch) analysis was used to eliminate redundant items and to fill gaps in item difficulty. The resulting MARS consists of 22 items that can produce 3 factor scores and a total score that covers the broad construct of disordered attention. Conclusions The factor-scored MARS has potential utility as a quantitative observational method with which to assess and study different dimensions of disordered attention in acute TBI, and to monitor change over time and treatment response within these dimensions.

Attachment and Attention: Protection in Relation to Gender and Cumulative Social‐Contextual Adversity

Data from 918 children from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care were examined to test the interrelation of attachment and attentional performance and 2 known risks for poor attentional performance: male gender and social-contextual adversity. Attachment was measured using the Strange Situation at 15 months, attentional performance by a Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and maternal questionnaires at 54 months, and social-contextual adversity by a variety of measures from birth to 54 months. Findings indicated (a) that children with secure attachment were less susceptible to the effects of cumulative risk and gender on CPT attentional performance than their insecure counterparts and that (b) no such differential risk susceptibility was evident for maternal reports of attention-related behavior problems.

Attention and Attention-Related Behavior Problems Among Filipino Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Seen At the Comprehensive Sleep Disorder Center of the St. Luke's Medical Center, Philippines

Attention and Attention-Related Behavior Problems Among Filipino Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Seen At the Comprehensive Sleep Disorder Center of the St. Luke's Medical Center, Philippines

Early childhood otitis media in relation to children's attention-related behavior in the first six years of life.

This study examined whether otitis media with effusion (OME) and associated hearing loss during the first 4 years of life were related to the ratings of parents, teachers, and clinicians of children's attention and behavior in the first 6 years of life. In a prospective study, 85 black children were recruited from community-based child care programs when they were between 6 and 12 months old. OME and hearing status were monitored repeatedly from 6 months to 4 years old. Measures of attention and behavior were collected from parents, teachers, and clinicians when the children were infants, preschoolers, and first graders. On average, children experienced either bilateral or unilateral OME 30% of the time and hearing loss 19.9% of the time between 6 months and 4 years old. Descriptive and inferential analyses revealed no significant associations between OME or hearing loss and the measures of attention or behavior completed by parents, teachers, and clinicians. In this sample of children, there was no relationship between amount of early childhood OME or hearing loss and measures of attention or behavior in the first 6 years of life as reported by parents, teachers, and clinicians.otitis media, hearing, attention, behavior.

Phenotypic profiles of language-impaired children based on genetic/family history

Although etiological influences in developmental language impairment (dysphasia) are not well defined, a significant increase of family aggregation for the disorder has been reported. We report data from a large cohort of language-impaired (LI) children participating in the San Diego longitudinal study in which we examined whether children with or without positive family histories show different phenotypic profiles. Due to the longitudinal design of the study, questions pertaining to change over time are also addressed. Second, a subgroup of the most impaired children were reevaluated to obtain additional information pertaining to family history and phenotypic outcome. Approximately 70% of the LI children met criteria for inclusion as family history positive, with fathers reporting a history of language or learning problems one and a half to two times as frequently as mothers. LI children with or without a positive family history were not significantly different on language skills or IQ. However, subjects having a positive family history for developmental language/learning problems were significantly lower in socioeconomic status and were rated by parents and teachers as having more attention-related behavior problems than their family history negative counterparts. Similarly, family history positive LI children performed more poorly on standardized academic tests as well as on tests of auditory processing and attention.

A new psychometric test of attention-related behavior in rats; its validity in the aging process

The ability to distinguish relevance from irrelevance has been attributed to an attention-related mechanism and may be supposed to be disturbed in aging. The reaction to low electrical stimuli which causes neither pain nor escape behavior was investigated by means of a newly developed test in adult and aged rats. The animals' reaction was classified into two different responses depending on the intensity of the electrical stimuli. The first reaction related to sensitivity, the second reaction contained two components, an orienting response and a cognition-controlled type of discriminative behavior. There was no significant difference between the amperage values of the two reactions in adult rats. With respect to aged rats, the amperage values of both reactions are significantly increased as compared with the adult rats. The sensitivity reaction and the attention-related behaviors diverged considerably. These findings show very precisely that certain behavioral reactions may decline differently or even independently with age indicating different age-related changes in the underlying neuroanatomical systems of attention. The results demonstrate the sensitivity of the test used as a model for studying some types of attention-related mechanisms in the aging process. The use of a relatively simple test of animals' reactivity to sensory stimuli may reveal changes that are critical to understanding not only of the aging brain, but of different types of brain lesions and disorders, as well as of drug treatments.