From Counting to Retrieving: Neural Networks Underlying Alphabet–Arithmetic Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Wim Fias ◽  
Muhammet Ikbal Sahan ◽  
Daniel Ansari ◽  
Ian M. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Functional Relationship ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Verification Task ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Left Angular Gyrus

Abstract This fMRI study aimed at unraveling the neural basis of learning alphabet–arithmetic facts, as a proxy of the transition from slow and effortful procedural counting-based processing to fast and effortless processing as it occurs in learning addition arithmetic facts. Neural changes were tracked while participants solved alphabet–arithmetic problems in a verification task (e.g., F + 4 = J). Problems were repeated across four learning blocks. Two neural networks with opposed learning-related changes were identified. Activity in a network consisting of basal ganglia and parieto-frontal areas decreased with learning, which is in line with a reduction of the involvement of procedure-based processing. Conversely, activity in a network involving the left angular gyrus and, to a lesser extent, the hippocampus gradually increases with learning, evidencing the gradual involvement of retrieval-based processing. Connectivity analyses gave insight in the functional relationship between the two networks. Despite the opposing learning-related trajectories, it was found that both networks become more integrated. Taking alphabet–arithmetic as a proxy for learning arithmetic, the present results have implications for current theories of learning arithmetic facts and can give direction to future developments.

scholarly journals Gray Matter Differentiation Between Two Subordinate Personality Traits of Extraversion: Enthusiasm and Assertiveness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Frisk ◽  
Fredrik Åhs ◽  
Kristoffer Månsson ◽  
Jörgen Rosén ◽  
Granit Kastrati
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Level Cluster ◽  
Left Angular Gyrus ◽  
Cluster Level

Enthusiasm and assertiveness are two subordinate personality traits of extraversion. These traits reflect different aspects of extroversion and have distinct implications on mental health. Whereas enthusiasm predicts satisfaction in life and positive relationships, assertiveness predicts psychological distress and reduced social support. The neural basis of these subordinate traits is not well understood. To investigate brain regions where enthusiasm and assertiveness have diverging relationship with morphology, enthusiasm and assertiveness were regressed to gray matter volume (GMV) across the whole brain in a sample of 301 healthy individuals. A significant interaction was found between enthusiasm and assertiveness in the left angular gyrus (t(296) = 4.18, family wise error corrected, FWE p = .001 (cluster-level); Cluster size = 880 voxels). Larger GMV in this area was associated with more enthusiasm and less assertiveness. Our study emphasizes the value of separating extraversion into its subordinate traits when investigating associations to neuroanatomy.

scholarly journals Effects of Age on Prestimulus Neural Activity Predictive of Successful Memory Encoding: An fMRI Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Song Liu ◽  
Joshua D Koen ◽  
Michael D Rugg
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Left Hippocampus ◽  
Dependent Signal ◽  
Left Angular Gyrus

Abstract Prestimulus subsequent memory effects (SMEs)—differences in neural activity preceding the onset of study items that are predictive of later memory performance—have consistently been reported in young adults. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment investigated potential age-related differences in prestimulus SMEs. During study, healthy young and older participants made one of two semantic judgments on images, with the judgment signaled by a preceding cue. In test phase, participants first made an item recognition judgment and, for each item judged old, a source memory judgment. Age-invariant prestimulus SMEs were observed in left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and right subgenual cortex. In each case, the effects reflected lower blood oxygen level dependent signal for later recognized items, regardless of source accuracy, than for unrecognized items. A similar age-invariant pattern was observed in left orbitofrontal cortex, but this effect was specific to items attracting a correct source response compared to unrecognized items. In contrast, the left angular gyrus and fusiform cortex demonstrated negative prestimulus SMEs that were exclusive to young participants. The findings indicate that age differences in prestimulus SMEs are regionally specific and suggest that prestimulus SMEs reflect multiple cognitive processes, only some of which are vulnerable to advancing age.

scholarly journals Effects of age on pre-stimulus neural activity predictive of successful memory encoding: an fMRI study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Song Liu ◽  
Joshua D. Koen ◽  
Michael D. Rugg
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Memory Encoding ◽  
Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Left Hippocampus ◽  
Left Angular Gyrus

AbstractPre-stimulus subsequent memory effects (SMEs) – differences in neural activity preceding the onset of study items that are predictive of later memory performance – have consistently been reported in young adults. The present fMRI experiment investigated potential age-related differences in pre-stimulus SMEs. During study, healthy young and older participants made one of two semantic judgments on images, with the judgment signaled by a preceding cue. In the test phase, participants first made an item recognition judgment and, for each item judged old, a source memory judgment. Age-invariant pre-stimulus SMEs were observed in left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and right subgenual cortex. In each case, the effects reflected lower BOLD signal for later recognized items, regardless of source accuracy, than unrecognized items. A similar age-invariant pattern was observed in left orbitofrontal cortex, but the effect in this region was specific to items attracting a correct source response compared to unrecognized items. In contrast, the left angular gyrus and fusiform cortex demonstrated negative pre-stimulus SMEs that were exclusive to young participants. The findings indicate that age differences in pre-stimulus SMEs are regionally specific and suggest that pre-stimulus SMEs reflect multiple cognitive processes, only some of which are vulnerable to advancing age.

scholarly journals Altered Intrinsic and Casual Functional Connectivities of the Middle Temporal Visual Motion Area Subregions in Chess Experts

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Limei Song ◽  
Yanming Ge ◽  
Jinfeng Long ◽  
Peng Dong
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Left Angular Gyrus

An outstanding chess player needs to accumulate massive visual and spatial information for chess configurations. Visual motion area (MT) is considered as a brain region specialized for visual motion perception and visuospatial attention processing. However, how long-term chess training shapes the functional connectivity patterns of MT, especially its functional subregions, has rarely been investigated. In our study, using resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and Granger causality analysis (GCA), we studied the changed functional couplings of MT subregions between 28 chess master players and 27 gender- and age-matched healthy novices to reveal the neural basis of long-term professional chess training. RSFC analysis identified decreased functional connections between right dorsal-anterior subregion (CI1.R) and left angular gyrus, and increased functional connections between right ventral-anterior MT subregion (CI2.R) and right superior temporal gyrus in chess experts. Moreover, GCA analyses further found increased mutual interactions of left angular gyrus and CI1.R in chess experts compared to novice players. These findings demonstrate that long-term professional chess training could enhance spatial perception and reconfiguration and semantic processing efficiency for superior performance.

Neural basis for impaired time reproduction in Parkinson's disease: An fMRI study

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1088-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
CATHERINE L. ELSINGER ◽  
STEPHEN M. RAO ◽  
JANICE L. ZIMBELMAN ◽  
NORMAN C. REYNOLDS ◽  
KAREN A. BLINDAUER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Motor Timing ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Imaging Results

Studies involving brain-lesioned subjects have used the paced finger tapping (PFT) task to investigate the neural systems that govern motor timing. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), for example, demonstrate abnormal performance on the PFT, characterized by decreased accuracy and variability changes, suggesting that the basal ganglia may play a critical role in motor timing. Consistent with this hypothesis, an fMRI study of healthy participants demonstrated that the medial frontostriatal circuit (dorsal putamen, ventrolateral thalamus, SMA) correlated with explicit time-dependent components of the PFT task. In the current fMRI study, PD patients and healthy age-matched controls were imaged while performing the PFT. PD patients underwent 2 imaging sessions, 1 on and the other off dopamine supplementation. Relative to controls, PD patients were less accurate and showed greater variability on the PFT task relative to controls. No PFT performance differences were observed between the on and off medication states despite significantly greater motor symptoms on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) in the off medication state. Functional imaging results demonstrated decreased activation within the sensorimotor cortex (SMC), cerebellum, and medial premotor system in the PD patients compared to controls. With dopamine replacement, an increase in the spatial extent of activation was observed within the SMC, SMA, and putamen in the PD patients. These results indicate that impaired timing reproduction in PD patients is associated with reduced brain activation within motor and medial premotor circuits. Despite a lack of improvement in PFT performance, PD patient's brain activation patterns were partially “normalized” with dopamine supplementation. These findings could not be attributed to greater head movement artifacts or basal ganglia atrophy within the PD group. (JINS, 2003, 9, 1088–1098.)

An Effective Brain Imaging Biomarker for AD and aMCI: ALFF in Slow-5 Frequency Band

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luoyu Wang ◽  
Qi Feng ◽  
Mei Wang ◽  
Tingting Zhu ◽  
Enyan Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Imaging ◽  
Frequency Band ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Imaging Biomarker ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Frequency Bands ◽  
Local Functional ◽  
Left Angular Gyrus

Background: As a potential brain imaging biomarker, amplitude of low frequency fluc-tuation (ALFF) has been used as a feature to distinguish patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from normal controls (NC). However, it remains unclear whether the frequency-dependent pattern of ALFF alterations can effectively distinguish the different phases of the disease. Methods: In the present study, 52 AD and 50 aMCI patients were enrolled together with 43 NC in total. The ALFF values were calculated in the following three frequency bands: classical (0.01-0.08 Hz), slow-4 (0.027-0.073 Hz) and slow-5 (0.01-0.027 Hz) for the three different groups. Subsequently, the local functional abnormalities were employed as features to examine the effect of classification among AD, aMCI and NC using a support vector machine (SVM). Results: We found that the among-group differences of ALFF in the different frequency bands were mainly located in the left hippocampus (HP), right HP, bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and bilateral precuneus (PCu), left angular gyrus (AG) and left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). When the local functional abnormalities were employed as features, we identified that the ALFF in the slow-5 frequency band showed the highest accuracy to distinguish among the three groups. Conclusion: These findings may deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of AD and suggest that slow-5 frequency band may be helpful to explore the pathogenesis and distinguish the phases of this disease.

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