High-level Cognitive Functions Research Articles

Alterations of Adult Prefrontal Circuits Induced by Early Postnatal Fluoxetine Treatment Mediated by 5-HT7 Receptors

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a key role in high-level cognitive functions and emotional behaviors, and PFC alterations correlate with different brain disorders including major depression and anxiety. In mice, the first two postnatal weeks represent a critical period of high sensitivity to environmental changes. In this temporal window, serotonin (5-HT) levels regulate the wiring of PFC cortical neurons. Early-life insults and postnatal exposure to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (FLX) affect PFC development leading to depressive and anxiety-like phenotypes in adult mice. However, the mechanisms responsible for these dysfunctions remain obscure. We found that early postnatal FLX exposure (PNFLX) results in reduced overall firing and high-frequency bursting of putative pyramidal neurons (PNs) of deep layers of the medial PFC of adult mice of both sexes in vivo. Ex vivo, patch-clamp recordings revealed that PNFLX abolished high-frequency firing in a distinct subpopulation of deep-layer mPFC PNs, which transiently express the serotonin transporter SERT during the first 2 postnatal weeks. SERT+ and SERT− PNs exhibit distinct morphofunctional properties. Genetic deletion of 5-HT7Rs and pharmacological 5-HT7R blockade partially rescued both the PNFLX-induced reduction of PN firing in vivo and the altered firing of SERT+ PNs in vitro. This indicates a pivotal role of this 5-HTR subtype in mediating 5-HT-dependent maturation of PFC circuits that are susceptible to early-life insults. Overall, our results suggest potential novel neurobiological mechanisms, underlying detrimental neurodevelopmental consequences induced by early-life alterations of 5-HT levels.

EDUCATIONAL GRADIENTS IN HEALTH AND COGNITION: DOES THE TIMING OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT MATTER?

Abstract Educational attainment is a strong predictor of later-life health and cognition. However, studies on the relationship between educational attainment and these outcomes usually do not consider the role of the timing of educational attainment. There is considerable heterogeneity in the timing of college degree attainment in the US and there are pronounced differences in timing by gender and race. Using nationally representative longitudinal data from High School and Beyond (HSB) we ask: (1) Does the impact of educational attainment on midlife health and cognition vary by age of degree attainment? (2) Does age at degree attainment moderate the effects of education differently across racial/ethnic and gender groups? We estimate OLS and logistic regression models for a variety of health and cognitive outcomes including: hypertension, diabetes, mental health conditions, general cognition, immediate recall, semantic fluency, phonemic fluency, delayed recall and working memory. We control for an extensive set of potentially confounding variables such as cognitive skills and non-cognitive traits in adolescence, academic performance in high school, and health in adolescence. Preliminary results suggest that bachelor’s degrees obtained later in life are associated with substantially lower levels of cognitive functioning at midlife than degrees obtained earlier in life; however, people who obtain college degrees after age 40 still display higher levels of cognitive functioning than individuals without a bachelor’s degree. Rates of hypertension and diabetes among those who obtained their college degree after age 30, in contrast, do not differ from rates for individuals without college degrees.

Continuous temporal integration in the human visual system.

The human visual system is continuously processing visual information to maintain a coherent perception of the environment. Temporal integration, a critical aspect of this process, allows for the combination of visual inputs over time, enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio and supporting high-level cognitive functions. Traditional methods for measuring temporal integration often require a large number of trials made up of a fixation period, stimuli separated by a blank interval, a single forced choice, and then a pause before the next trial. This trial structure potentially introduces fatigue and biases. Here, we introduce a novel continuous temporal integration (CTI) task designed to overcome these limitations by allowing free visual exploration and continuous mouse responses to dynamic stimuli. Fifty participants performed the CTI, which involved adjusting a red bar to indicate the point where a flickering sine wave grating became indistinguishable from noise. Our results, modeled by an exponential function, indicate a reliable temporal integration window of ∼100 ms. The CTI's design facilitates rapid and reliable measurement of temporal integration, demonstrating potential for broader applications across different populations and experimental settings. This task provides a more naturalistic and efficient approach to understanding this fundamental aspect of visual perception.

Single-nucleus multi-omics analyses reveal cellular and molecular innovations in the anterior cingulate cortex during primate evolution.

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of the human brain is involved in higher-level cognitive functions such as emotion and self-awareness. We generated profiles of human and macaque ACC gene expression and chromatin accessibility at single-nucleus resolution. We characterized the conserved patterns of gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and transcription factor binding in different cell types. Combining the published mouse data, we discovered the molecular identities and cell-lineage origin of the primate von Economo neurons (VENs). Our invitro and invivo experiments identified a group of primate-shared and human-specific VEN marker genes, such as PCSK6, ADAMTSL3, and CDHR3, potentially contributing to VEN morphogenesis. We demonstrated that the human-specific sequence changes account for the cellular and functional innovations in the ACC during primate evolution and human origin. These findings provide new insights into understanding the cellular composition and molecular regulation of ACC and its evolutionary role in shaping human-owned higher cognitive skills.

A Panpsychist Interpretation of Evolutionary Theory

If there were to be a questionable element about the theory of evolution, it would probably be the randomness of mutations that can be seen as the fuel of evolution. The idea that errors in DNA sequences are the source of species change does not seem acceptable to many scientists and philosophers. According to them, adaptive evolution, which suggests that some mutations occur purposefully, is possible. Both views seem scientifically supportable. However, science typically excludes purposes, especially due to their implications of the supernatural. So, the philosophical problem here concerns which metaphysical framework would better explain a natural world in which purposes are at work, assuming that adaptive evolution is real. In this article, I propose panpsychism as a candidate. Although panpsychism is a well-known metaphysical view, it has rarely been associated with evolution. Panpsychism simply states that all actual natural entities possess some form of mentality that is intrinsic to matter. Mentality must be present at the most fundamental level of existence to manifest in any higher-level form. This idea of panpsychism that mentality develops gradually is already compatible with the traditional view of evolution that species change slowly and incrementally by small steps. Nevertheless the adaptive evolution hypothesis demands more. The idea that organisms can alter their own DNA in response to environmental conditions implies that this process occurs voluntarily in a controlled manner. However, adaptation does not always occur voluntarily, and such an understanding becomes difficult to accept as it attributes higher-level cognitive functions, such as choosing, will, and decision-making, to cells and molecules. Thus, a more naturalistic approach is needed. Panpsychism can take many forms such as dualistic panpsychism or idealistic panpsychism. I suggest dual-aspect panpsychism as a wholly naturalistic version of this concept. Accordingly, mentality and physicality are two aspects of the same thing or stuff. Just as there is no mental causation from the mental to the physical, there is no physical causation from the physical to the mental. There are processes or events that manifest as physical happenings when observed from the outside and as mental happenings when experienced from the inside. Along with an interpretation of dual-aspect panpsychism that is compatible with physicalism, when we accept that the most plausible way to extend mentality to all actual entities is to think of it as intentionality, it may become even more easier to situate adaptive evolution within a naturalistic framework. Non-random mutations do not occur as mental acts of choice, but arise from the organism's behavior being about or directed towards selective environmental conditions for the purpose of ensuring survival. The article consists of two main parts. The first part seeks to establish the possibility that some mutations may not be random on a scientific-philosophical basis. The second part aims to show the compatibility of this possibility with dual-aspect panpsychism. As a result, it is hoped that an acceptable interpretation of evolutionary theory, combined with a naturalistic interpretation of panpsychism, will result in a fruitful synthesis that explains the seemingly purposeful actions of cells and organisms.

The Conflict between Top-down and Bottom-up Impairments in Consciousness Disorder in Schizophrenia

Introduction: Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, is often associated with consciousness disorders, typically characterized by an elevated threshold of conscious perception. Over the years, a multitude of research has been dedicated to uncovering the primary cause of these disorders, leading to the development of several theories. Methods: In this article, two central answers to this problem have been reviewed. For this, the articles that were more related to the topic were selected. Based on the relevance to the subject of research, the main ideas of targeted articles are reordered to be comprehensible for the readers. Finally, the judgment and conclusion of the authors about the discussed problem are presented in this study. Discussion: The first theory, which we will explore in this article, suggests that the root cause of these disorders lies in defects within bottom-up processes. These processes, fundamental to our understanding of the world, involve the progression of sensory information from low-level perception to high-level awareness. In individuals with schizophrenia, these processes are believed to be compromised, leading to a distorted perception of reality. The second theory, in contrast, attributes the cause to impairments in top-down processes. These processes, which refer to the influence of high-level cognitive functions on lower-level sensory perception, are also considered dysfunctional in schizophrenic patients. This dysfunction is thought to disrupt the integration of sensory information, thereby affecting the individual's consciousness. However, a third perspective has emerged, suggesting the coexistence of impairments in both bottom- up and top-down processing. This perspective argues that to fully comprehend the nature of consciousness disorders in schizophrenia, it is crucial to determine the type and severity of both bottom-up and top-down impairments. Conclusion: In this review, we delve into these theories, examining the evidence supporting each and discussing their implications for our understanding of schizophrenia. Considering both bottom-up and top-down impairments, the third perspective offers a more holistic explanation for these disorders. We further argue that this perspective underscores the need for a more nuanced approach to studying schizophrenia. It suggests that future research should not only focus on these processes in isolation but also explore their interaction and the potential synergistic effects of their impairment. By doing so, we can hope to gain a more comprehensive understanding of consciousness disorders in schizophrenia, which could ultimately lead to more effective treatment strategies.

Transdiagnostic and Diagnosis-Specific Morphological Similarity Related Transcriptional Profile in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are both highly heritable developmental psychiatric disorders and exhibit a high degree of comorbidity. Our objective is to enhance understanding of the transdiagnostic and diagnosis-specific structural alterations and related cellular and genetic pathophysiological mechanisms between ADHD and ASD. We used structural magnetic resonance imaging data of 247 subjects from the publicly available 1000 Functional Connectomes Project, including 91 individuals with ADHD, 49 individuals with ASD, and 107 age- and sex-matched controls. We performed morphological similarity networks (MSN) and gene transcriptional profile analysis on these image data to identify the anatomical changes and MSN-related genes. Enrichment analysis was further conducted on ADHD/ASD risk genes and MSN-related genes. Individuals with ADHD showed the diagnosis-specific MSN changes distributing in areas related to high-level cognitive functions, whereas ASD had MSN changes in areas related to language comprehension and spatial location. ADHD and ASD exhibited the transdiagnostic morphological increase in the right middle temporal gyrus. Gene transcriptional profile analysis showed enrichment of ADHD and ASD risk genes in more than 10 biological processes, primarily including function of synapse transmission and development. Genes in excitatory and inhibitory neurons also enriched in pathways with similar function. The transdiagnostic morphological dedifferentiation in the right middle temporal gyrus might indicate the shared motion impairments in ADHD and ASD. Evidence from the transcription of MSN-related genes further indicates a potential imbalance in excitatory and inhibitory neural pathways in ADHD and ASD. We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. We worked to ensure sex balance in the selection of non-human subjects. We worked to ensure diversity in experimental samples through the selection of the cell lines. We worked to ensure diversity in experimental samples through the selection of the genomic datasets. Diverse cell lines and/or genomic datasets were not available. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list.

Otak Bilingual: Sinergi Dwibahasa dalam Meningkatkan Fungsi Eksekutif

Amidst the growing demand for proficiency in more than one language in today's global society, it is crucial to understand how bilingual abilities engage in various cognitive processes, particularly in executive functions from a neuropsychological perspective. The ability to acquire and use two languages affects high-level cognitive functions described through a tripartite model, including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Through a critical analysis of the literature, it is found that bilingual individuals often have an advantage in tasks requiring self-control and the management of complex information. This advantage is attributed to the need to manage and shift attention between two language systems, which intensively trains executive functions. This study also examines the neuropsychological implications of bilingual abilities, including structural and functional changes in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex area. In conclusion, bilingualism not only affects linguistic abilities but also supports cognitive development. This research underscores the potential significance of bilingualism in education and personal development as a tool to enhance critical thinking skills and mental flexibility, which are valuable for learning and adapting to ever-changing environments.

The connection between articulatory skill and higher-level executive function in monolinguals and bilinguals

While the existence of a bilingual advantage in higher-level executive function remains controversial, recent studies showed bilinguals consistently outperform monolinguals in learning new patterns of pronunciation (in both natural or artificially constructed novel dialects). Since audition and articulatory control are involved in this type of learning, the question arises to what extent these lower-level functions are enhanced in people with superior performance on phonetic learning tasks. Dugaillard & Spinu (2019) found that sequential bilinguals outperformed monolinguals and simultaneous bilinguals on a tongue-twister task (Goldrick & Blumstein 2006, McMillan&Corley 2010), suggesting an advantage in articulatory skill. In the current study, we aim to replicate the original findings with a new group of bilinguals and further explore the connection of articulatory skill with one aspect of executive function (i.e. interference/conflict resolution). The experimental tasks include (1) reading artificially constructed tongue-twisters such as “kifkivkivkif” three times in succession, matching a 150 bps rhythm on a metronome, and (2) a classic Simon task asking participants to react or inhibit their response to congruent and incongruent stimuli. We expect the findings to shed more light on the bilingual advantage phenomenon and the connection between lower- and higher-level cognitive functions in both populations.

No evidence for unconscious initiation and following of arithmetic rules: A replication study.

The field of consciousness studies has yielded various-sometimes contradicting-accounts regarding the function of consciousness, ranging from denying it has such function to claiming that any high-level cognitive function requires consciousness. Empirical findings supporting both accounts were reported, yet some of them have been recently revisited based on failures to replicate. Here, we aimed at replicating a remarkable finding reported by Ric and Muller (2012); participants were able to follow an unseen instruction, integrate it with a subsequently presented pair of unseen digits, and accordingly either add the digits (resulting in a priming effect), or simply represent them. This finding thus demonstrates unconscious task-switching, temporal integration (involving mental chaining), and arithmetic operation. Finding such high-level processes in the absence of awareness is of pivotal importance to our understanding of consciousness, as it challenges prominent theories in the field (e.g., the global neuronal workspace). Accordingly, in light of the self-correction wave in psychological science in general and in the field of consciousness studies in particular, we report here a preregistered replication aimed at testing the reproducibility of this finding, while also better controlling for subjects' awareness of both the instruction and the digits. Across two highly powered experiments, our results failed to replicate the original effect. We, therefore, conclude that the current evidence does not support the claim that arithmetic operations (specifically, addition) can be flexibly initiated without awareness, in line with the current arguments for a more limited scope of unconscious processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Evolution of the Human Brain and the Myth of its Ten-Percent Use

The human brain is a complex organ that controls nearly every function of the human body. As science believes, humans evolved from apes but over time, humans achieved domain specification and maturation in the nervous system due to which they gained sensory, language, and other social cognition functions, called higher-level cognitive functions. Neurogenesis, or brain development, is an organized process that starts from the early weeks of pregnancy to early childhood. During development, brain parts connect to each other directly and indirectly to process information. As the brain is a mysterious organ so many theories and myths are linked to its development and its use. A widespread misconception, a claim, is that most people use only about 10 % of their potential brain power. But there is no room for this myth because we have now mapped almost every region of the brain. Furthermore, PET scans and fMRI clearly show that almost all parts of the brain are connected to each other and all parts are functionally active. And if the parts of the brain are unnecessary and unused, then they must be removed or disappear, according to the rule of the theory of evolution. Now it is the time to put the myth to rest even though it has survived for a whole century.

Human-unique brain cell clusters are associated with learning disorders and human episodic memory activity.

The advanced evolution of the human cerebral cortex forms the basis for our high-level cognitive functions. Through a comparative analysis of single-nucleus transcriptome data from the human neocortex and that of chimpanzees, macaques, and marmosets, we discovered 20 subgroups of cell types unique to the human brain, which include 11 types of excitatory neurons. Many of these human-unique cell clusters exhibit significant overexpression of genes regulated by human-specific enhancers. Notably, these specific cell clusters also express genes associated with disease risk, particularly those related to brain dysfunctions like learning disorders. Furthermore, genes linked to cortical thickness and human episodic memory encoding activities show heightened expression within these cell subgroups. These findings underscore the critical role of human brain-unique cell clusters in the evolution of human brain functions.

Noninvasive neurostimulation promotes working memory performance in older adults: a systematic review

Working memory is a core component of high-level cognitive functions. A key feature of cognitive decline in older adults is the impairment of working memory capacity, which is also observed in many clinical conditions. In recent years, noninvasive neurostimulation techniques have garnered extensive research attention for their potential to enhance human cognitive function, particularly in older adults. This review focuses on several advanced noninvasive neurostimulation techniques for working memory in older adults. A systematic search of the PubMed and Google Scholar literature databases was conducted, covering research papers published from 2013 to 2023. This review identified 19 articles on transcranial electrical stimulation, 6 on transcranial magnetic stimulation, and 2 on transcranial photobiomodulation techniques that met the inclusion criteria. These results suggest that transcranial electrical stimulation, especially transcranial alternating current stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation, can improve working memory performance in healthy older adults. Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with cognitive training improves functional connectivity between relevant brain regions in addition to performance gains. Transcranial random noise stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial photobiomodulation also have the potential to improve working memory. Further research is needed to understand the neural mechanisms involved and optimize stimulation parameters. In addition, emerging techniques such as transcranial focused ultrasound may offer promising solutions for future studies on working memory enhancement in older adults.

Association between Life's Essential 8 and cognitive function among older adults in the United States

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently redefined cardiovascular health (CVH) with the introduction of Life's Essential 8 (LE8), which encompasses eight areas (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration body mass index, non-HDL cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure). This study aimed to explore the relationships between both the aggregate and individual CVH metrics, as defined by Life's Essential 8, and cognitive function in older adults in the United States. This cross-sectional, population-based study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2011 and 2014, focusing on individuals aged 60 years and older. CVH was categorized as low (0–49), moderate (50–79), or high (80–100). Cognitive function was assessed through the CERAD tests, Animal Fluency test, and Digit Symbol Substitution test. Multivariable logistic models and restricted cubic spline models were employed to investigate these associations. This study included a total of 2279 older adults in the United States. Only 11% of adults achieved a high total CVH score, while 12% had a low score. After further adjustment for potential confounding factors, higher LE8 scores were significantly associated with higher scores on CERAD: delayed recall score (0.02[0.01, 0.03]; P < 0.001), CERAD: total score (3 recall trials) (0.04[0.02, 0.06]; P < 0.001), animal fluency: total score (0.09[0.05, 0.12]; P < 0.001), and digit symbol: score (0.29[0.18, 0.41]; P < 0.001), demonstrating a linear dose–response relationship. Similar patterns were also observed in the associations between health behavior and health factor scores with cognitive function tests. LE8 scores exhibited positive linear associations with cognitive function. Maintaining better levels of CVH may be associated with higher levels of cognitive function in older Americans, but further research is needed to confirm the causal and temporal relationships between LE8 and cognitive function.

Epigenomic landscapes during prefrontal cortex development and aging in rhesus.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for higher-level cognitive functions. How epigenetic dynamics participates in PFC development and aging is largely unknown. Here, we profiled epigenomic landscapes of rhesus monkey PFCs from prenatal to aging stages. The dynamics of chromatin states, including higher-order chromatin structure, chromatin interaction and histone modifications are coordinated to regulate stage-specific gene transcription, participating in distinct processes of neurodevelopment. Dramatic changes of epigenetic signals occur around the birth stage. Notably, genes involved in neuronal cell differentiation and layer specification are pre-configured by bivalent promoters. We identified a cis-regulatory module and the transcription factors (TFs) associated with basal radial glia development, which was associated with large brain size in primates. These TFs include GLI3, CREB5 and SOX9. Interestingly, the genes associated with the basal radial glia (bRG)-associated cis-element module, such as SRY and SOX9, are enriched in sex differentiation. Schizophrenia-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms are more enriched in super enhancers (SEs) than typical enhancers, suggesting that SEs play an important role in neural network wiring. A cis-regulatory element of DBN1 is identified, which is critical for neuronal cell proliferation and synaptic neuron differentiation. Notably, the loss of distal chromatin interaction and H3K27me3 signal are hallmarks of PFC aging, which are associated with abnormal expression of aging-related genes and transposon activation, respectively. Collectively, our findings shed light on epigenetic mechanisms underlying primate brain development and aging.

Concept Mapping as Problem-Based Learning: Assessing its Effectiveness in Teaching-Learning Processes

Whether they are students or working doctors, effective people in the medical field have knowledge structures that are made up of large, integrated frameworks of linked topics. Improving clinical problem- solving along with other higher-level cognitive functions is one of the many potential results of developing this knowledge foundation. Concept mapping is a technique that makes it possible to see how students conceptualise the ideas that constitute the basis of the knowledge they have been given. Concept maps are based on theories from the academic field of learning theory and may be used by students as a support aid when they solve problems (PBL). In problem-based learning (PBL) classrooms, students may draw concept maps that integrate fundamental scientific and social concepts in addition to PBL cases. In addition to promoting communication, detecting knowledge gaps, coming up with ideas for learning goals, stimulating application across disciplinary boundaries, and evaluating each student's progress, the usage of concept maps in PBL lessons may also be advantageous. Concept mapping may also be useful for students in other PBL contexts, such as large-scale seminar discussion and team-based learning settings. Students may get a deeper understanding of the relationships between different concepts and the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) case that is being examined by using these kinds of PBL settings. The creation of reliable, validity-evidenced tools is one of the challenges preventing idea mapping from being widely used in medical education.

Can International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Be Used for Prediction of Work Capacity and Employment Status in Multiple Sclerosis?

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects many body functions and activities, including work capacity and ability to work. An evaluation of work-related parameters is important to understand the barriers to maintaining the job. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) core set for MS can be used to predict work capacity and employment status. Methods: The cohort included 151 participants with MS (99 female/52 male, mean age 49 years) referred for a work capacity evaluation. Results: 71 (47.0%) were employed and a major part (131, 86.7%) had a work capacity between 20 and 40% with no difference between those who were employed and those who were unemployed. The analysis revealed that age and the following categories explained 68.8% of the work capacity: b770 Gait pattern functions; b730 Muscle power functions; b134 Sleep functions; d845 Acquiring, keeping and terminating a job; and b620 Urination functions. The following categories in 79.5% predicted ability to work: b164 Higher-level cognitive functions; d510 Washing oneself; d630; Preparing meals; and d870 Economic self-sufficiency. Conclusions: Here, we show that different functions/activities predicted work capacity in comparison with employment status in MS. Therefore, ICF should be implemented when assessing work ability.

Modulation of alpha oscillations by attention is predicted by hemispheric asymmetry of subcortical regions.

Evidence suggests that subcortical structures play a role in high-level cognitive functions such as the allocation of spatial attention. While there is abundant evidence in humans for posterior alpha band oscillations being modulated by spatial attention, little is known about how subcortical regions contribute to these oscillatory modulations, particularly under varying conditions of cognitive challenge. In this study, we combined MEG and structural MRI data to investigate the role of subcortical structures in controlling the allocation of attentional resources by employing a cued spatial attention paradigm with varying levels of perceptual load. We asked whether hemispheric lateralization of volumetric measures of the thalamus and basal ganglia predicted the hemispheric modulation of alpha-band power. Lateral asymmetry of the globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and thalamus predicted attention-related modulations of posterior alpha oscillations. When the perceptual load was applied to the target and the distractor was salient caudate nucleus asymmetry predicted alpha-band modulations. Globus pallidus was predictive of alpha-band modulations when either the target had a high load, or the distractor was salient, but not both. Finally, the asymmetry of the thalamus predicted alpha band modulation when neither component of the task was perceptually demanding. In addition to delivering new insight into the subcortical circuity controlling alpha oscillations with spatial attention, our finding might also have clinical applications. We provide a framework that could be followed for detecting how structural changes in subcortical regions that are associated with neurological disorders can be reflected in the modulation of oscillatory brain activity.

Modulation of alpha oscillations by attention is predicted by hemispheric asymmetry of subcortical regions

Evidence suggests that subcortical structures play a role in high-level cognitive functions such as the allocation of spatial attention. While there is abundant evidence in humans for posterior alpha band oscillations being modulated by spatial attention, little is known about how subcortical regions contribute to these oscillatory modulations, particularly under varying conditions of cognitive challenge. In this study, we combined MEG and structural MRI data to investigate the role of subcortical structures in controlling the allocation of attentional resources by employing a cued spatial attention paradigm with varying levels of perceptual load. We asked whether hemispheric lateralization of volumetric measures of the thalamus and basal ganglia predicted the hemispheric modulation of alpha-band power. Lateral asymmetry of the globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and thalamus predicted attention-related modulations of posterior alpha oscillations. When the perceptual load was applied to the target and the distractor was salient caudate nucleus asymmetry predicted alpha-band modulations. Globus pallidus was predictive of alpha-band modulations when either the target had a high load, or the distractor was salient, but not both. Finally, the asymmetry of the thalamus predicted alpha band modulation when neither component of the task was perceptually demanding. In addition to delivering new insight into the subcortical circuity controlling alpha oscillations with spatial attention, our finding might also have clinical applications. We provide a framework that could be followed for detecting how structural changes in subcortical regions that are associated with neurological disorders can be reflected in the modulation of oscillatory brain activity.

Learning Spatiotemporal Brain Dynamics in Adolescents via Multimodal MEG and fMRI Data Fusion Using Joint Tensor/Matrix Decomposition.

Brain function is understood to be regulated by complex spatiotemporal dynamics, and can be characterized by a combination of observed brain response patterns in time and space. Magnetoencephalography (MEG), with its high temporal resolution, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), with its high spatial resolution, are complementary imaging techniques with great potential to reveal information about spatiotemporal brain dynamics. Hence, the complementary nature of these imaging techniques holds much promise to study brain function in time and space, especially when the two data types are allowed to fully interact. We employed coupled tensor/matrix factorization (CMTF) to extract joint latent components in the form of unique spatiotemporal brain patterns that can be used to study brain development and function on a millisecond scale. Using the CMTF model, we extracted distinct brain patterns that revealed fine-grained spatiotemporal brain dynamics and typical sensory processing pathways informative of high-level cognitive functions in healthy adolescents. The components extracted from multimodal tensor fusion possessed better discriminative ability between high- and low-performance subjects than single-modality data-driven models. Multimodal tensor fusion successfully identified spatiotemporal brain dynamics of brain function and produced unique components with high discriminatory power. The CMTF model is a promising tool for high-order, multimodal data fusion that exploits the functional resolution of MEG and fMRI, and provides a comprehensive picture of the developing brain in time and space.