Opposing Effects of Aging on Large-Scale Brain Systems for Memory Encoding and Cognitive Control

Data collection for the Norwegian Cognitive NeuroGenetics sample (NCNG) was initiated in 2003 with a research grant (to Ivar Reinvang) to study cognitive aging, brain function, and genetic risk factors. The original focus was on the effects of aging (from middle age and up) and candidate genes (e.g., APOE, CHRNA4) in cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, with the cognitive and MRI-based data primarily being used for this purpose. However, as the main topic of the project broadened from cognitive aging to imaging and cognitive genetics more generally, the sample size, age range of the participants, and scope of available phenotypes and genotypes, have developed beyond the initial project. In 2009, a genome-wide association (GWA) study was undertaken, and the NCNG proper was established to study the genetics of cognitive and brain function more comprehensively. The NCNG is now controlled by the NCNG Study Group, which consists of the present authors. Prominent features of the NCNG are the adult life-span coverage of healthy participants with high-dimensional imaging, and cognitive data from a genetically homogenous sample. Another unique property is the large-scale (sample size 300–700) use of experimental cognitive tasks focusing on attention and working memory. The NCNG data is now used in numerous ongoing GWA-based studies and has contributed to several international consortia on imaging and cognitive genetics. The objective of the following presentation is to give other researchers the information necessary to evaluate possible contributions from the NCNG to various multi-sample data analyses.

Download Full-text

Functional Connectivity Relationships Predict Similarities in Task Activation and Pattern Information during Associative Memory Encoding

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00533 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 1085-1099 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Maureen Ritchey ◽

Andrew P. Yonelinas ◽

Charan Ranganath

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Functional Properties ◽

Associative Memory ◽

Large Scale ◽

Memory Task ◽

Neural Systems ◽

General Level ◽

Specific Information ◽

Memory Encoding ◽

Cortical Regions

Neural systems may be characterized by measuring functional interactions in the healthy brain, but it is unclear whether components of systems defined in this way share functional properties. For instance, within the medial temporal lobes (MTL), different subregions show different patterns of cortical connectivity. It is unknown, however, whether these intrinsic connections predict similarities in how these regions respond during memory encoding. Here, we defined brain networks using resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) then quantified the functional similarity of regions within each network during an associative memory encoding task. Results showed that anterior MTL regions affiliated with a network of anterior temporal cortical regions, whereas posterior MTL regions affiliated with a network of posterior medial cortical regions. Importantly, these connectivity relationships also predicted similarities among regions during the associative memory task. Both in terms of task-evoked activation and trial-specific information carried in multivoxel patterns, regions within each network were more similar to one another than were regions in different networks. These findings suggest that functional heterogeneity among MTL subregions may be related to their participation in distinct large-scale cortical systems involved in memory. At a more general level, the results suggest that components of neural systems defined on the basis of RSFC share similar functional properties in terms of recruitment during cognitive tasks and information carried in voxel patterns.

Download Full-text

Large-scale network integration in the human brain tracks temporal fluctuations in memory encoding performance

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.32696 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ruedeerat Keerativittayayut ◽

Ryuta Aoki ◽

Mitra Taghizadeh Sarabi ◽

Koji Jimura ◽

Kiyoshi Nakahara

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Human Brain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Brain Network ◽

Time Varying ◽

Memory Encoding ◽

Graph Metrics ◽

Connectivity Patterns ◽

Network States

Although activation/deactivation of specific brain regions has been shown to be predictive of successful memory encoding, the relationship between time-varying large-scale brain networks and fluctuations of memory encoding performance remains unclear. Here, we investigated time-varying functional connectivity patterns across the human brain in periods of 30–40 s, which have recently been implicated in various cognitive functions. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants performed a memory encoding task, and their performance was assessed with a subsequent surprise memory test. A graph analysis of functional connectivity patterns revealed that increased integration of the subcortical, default-mode, salience, and visual subnetworks with other subnetworks is a hallmark of successful memory encoding. Moreover, multivariate analysis using the graph metrics of integration reliably classified the brain network states into the period of high (vs. low) memory encoding performance. Our findings suggest that a diverse set of brain systems dynamically interact to support successful memory encoding.

Download Full-text

Cognitive control of speech perception across the lifespan: A large-scale cross-sectional dichotic listening study.

Developmental Psychology ◽

10.1037/dev0000014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 51 (6) ◽

pp. 806-815 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

René Westerhausen ◽

Josef J. Bless ◽

Susanne Passow ◽

Kristiina Kompus ◽

Kenneth Hugdahl

Keyword(s):

Speech Perception ◽

Cognitive Control ◽

Dichotic Listening ◽

Large Scale ◽

Cross Sectional

Download Full-text

Message-Elicited Brain Response Moderates the Relationship Between Opportunities for Exposure to Anti-Smoking Messages and Message Recall

Journal of Communication ◽

10.1093/joc/jqz035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 69 (6) ◽

pp. 589-611

Author(s):

Elissa C Kranzler ◽

Ralf Schmälzle ◽

Rui Pei ◽

Robert C Hornik ◽

Emily B Falk

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Communication Theory ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Message Processing ◽

Memory Encoding ◽

Brain Response ◽

Real Cost ◽

Social Processing ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Brain

Abstract Campaign success is contingent on adequate exposure; however, exposure opportunities (e.g., ad reach/frequency) are imperfect predictors of message recall. We hypothesized that the exposure-recall relationship would be contingent on message processing. We tested moderation hypotheses using 3 data sets pertinent to “The Real Cost” anti-smoking campaign: past 30-day ad recall from a rolling national survey of adolescents aged 13–17 (n = 5,110); ad-specific target rating points (TRPs), measuring ad reach and frequency; and ad-elicited response in brain regions implicated in social processing and memory encoding, from a separate adolescent sample aged 14–17 (n = 40). Average ad-level brain activation in these regions moderates the relationship between national TRPs and large-scale recall (p < .001), such that the positive exposure-recall relationship is more strongly observed for ads that elicit high levels of social processing and memory encoding in the brain. Findings advance communication theory by demonstrating conditional exposure effects, contingent on social and memory processes in the brain.

Download Full-text

The Functional Foundations of Episodic Memory Remain Stable Throughout the Lifespan

Cerebral Cortex ◽

10.1093/cercor/bhaa348 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Didac Vidal-Piñeiro ◽

Markus H Sneve ◽

Inge K Amlien ◽

Håkon Grydeland ◽

Athanasia M Mowinckel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Cortex ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Large Scale ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Late Life ◽

Older Age ◽

Memory Encoding ◽

Brain Organization ◽

Life Phenomenon

Abstract It has been suggested that specific forms of cognition in older age rely largely on late-life specific mechanisms. Here instead, we tested using task-fMRI (n = 540, age 6–82 years) whether the functional foundations of successful episodic memory encoding adhere to a principle of lifespan continuity, shaped by developmental, structural, and evolutionary influences. We clustered regions of the cerebral cortex according to the shape of the lifespan trajectory of memory activity in each region so that regions showing the same pattern were clustered together. The results revealed that lifespan trajectories of memory encoding function showed a continuity through life but no evidence of age-specific mechanisms such as compensatory patterns. Encoding activity was related to general cognitive abilities and variations of grey matter as captured by a multi-modal independent component analysis, variables reflecting core aspects of cognitive and structural change throughout the lifespan. Furthermore, memory encoding activity aligned to fundamental aspects of brain organization, such as large-scale connectivity and evolutionary cortical expansion gradients. Altogether, we provide novel support for a perspective on memory aging in which maintenance and decay of episodic memory in older age needs to be understood from a comprehensive life-long perspective rather than as a late-life phenomenon only.

Download Full-text

Functional alterations of large-scale brain networks related to cognitive control in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Human Brain Mapping ◽

10.1002/hbm.21270 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 1089-1106 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Luca Cocchi ◽

Ben J Harrison ◽

Jesus Pujol ◽

Ian H Harding ◽

Alex Fornito ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Large Scale ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder

Download Full-text

Global connectivity of the frontoparietal cognitive control network is related to depression symptoms in the general population

10.1101/185306 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Douglas H. Schultz ◽

Takuya Ito ◽

Levi I. Solomyak ◽

Richard H. Chen ◽

Ravi D. Mill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cognitive Control ◽

Large Scale ◽

Brain Network ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Control Network ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Health Symptoms ◽

Cognitive Control Network ◽

The Brain

ABSTRACTWe all vary in our mental health, even among people not meeting diagnostic criteria for mental illness. Understanding this individual variability may reveal factors driving the risk for mental illness, as well as factors driving sub-clinical problems that still adversely affect quality of life. To better understand the large-scale brain network mechanisms underlying this variability we examined the relationship between mental health symptoms and resting-state functional connectivity patterns in cognitive control systems. One such system is the frontoparietal cognitive control network (FPN). Changes in FPN connectivity may impact mental health by disrupting the ability to regulate symptoms in a goal-directed manner. Here we test the hypothesis that FPN dysconnectivity relates to mental health symptoms even among individuals who do not meet formal diagnostic criteria but may exhibit meaningful symptom variation. We found that depression symptoms severity negatively correlated with between-network global connectivity (BGC) of the FPN. This suggests that decreased connectivity between the FPN and the rest of the brain is related to increased depression symptoms in the general population. These findings complement previous clinical studies to support the hypothesis that global FPN connectivity contributes to the regulation of mental health symptoms across both health and disease.AUTHOR SUMMARYUnderstanding how large-scale network interactions in the brain contribute to (or serve a protective role against) mental health symptoms is an important step toward developing more effective mental health treatments. Here we test the hypothesis that cognitive control networks play an important role in mental health by being highly connected to other brain networks and able to serve as a feedback mechanism capable of regulating symptoms in a goal-directed manner. We found that the more well-connected the frontoparietal cognitive control network was to other networks in the brain the less depression symptoms were reported by participants. These results contribute to our understanding of how brain network interactions are related to mental health symptoms, even in individuals who have not been diagnosed with a disorder.

Download Full-text

How the human brain introspects about one’s own episodes of cognitive control

10.1101/208637 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

David Soto ◽

Mona Theodoraki ◽

Pedro M. Paz-Alonso

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Human Brain ◽

Internal Model ◽

Large Scale ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Temporal Correlation ◽

Control Networks ◽

Control Functions ◽

Cognitive States ◽

Behavioural Performance

AbstractMetacognition refers to our capacity to reflect upon our experiences, thoughts and actions. Metacognition processes are linked to cognitive control functions that allow keeping our actions on-task. But it is unclear how the human brain builds an internal model of one’s cognition and behaviour. We conducted 2 fMRI experiments in which brain activity was recorded ‘online’ as participants engaged in a memory-guided search task and then later ‘offline’ when participants introspected about their prior experience and cognitive states during performance. In Experiment 1 the memory cues were task-relevant while in Experiment 2 they were irrelevant. Across Experiments, the patterns of brain activity, including frontoparietal regions, were similar during on-task and introspection states. However the connectivity profile amongst frontoparietal areas was distint during introspection and modulated by the relevance of the memory cues. Introspection was also characterized by increased temporal correlation between the default-mode network (DMN), frontoparietal and dorsal attention networks and visual cortex. We suggest that memories of one’s own experience during task performance are encoded in large-scale patterns of brain activity and that coupling between DMN and frontoparietal control networks may be crucial to build an internal model of one’s behavioural performance.

Download Full-text

Quantitative modeling links in vivo microstructural and macrofunctional organization of human and macaque insular cortex, and predicts cognitive control abilities

10.1101/662601 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Vinod Menon ◽

Gallardo Guillermo ◽

Mark A. Pinsk ◽

Van-Dang Nguyen ◽

Jing-Rebecca Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Neurological Disorders ◽

Diffusion Mri ◽

Large Scale ◽

Insular Cortex ◽

Neuronal Morphology ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Quantitative Modeling

AbstractThe human insular cortex is a heterogenous brain structure which plays an integrative role in guiding behavior. The cytoarchitectonic organization of the human insula has been investigated over the last century using postmortem brains but there has been little progress in noninvasive in vivo mapping of its microstructure and large-scale functional circuitry. Quantitative modeling of multi-shell diffusion MRI (dMRI) data from 440 HCP participants revealed that human insula microstructure differs significantly across its functionally defined dorsal anterior, ventral anterior, and posterior insula subdivisions that serve distinct cognitive and affective functions. The microstructural organization of the insula was mirrored in its functionally interconnected circuits with the anterior cingulate cortex that anchor the salience network, a system important for adaptive switching of cognitive control systems. Novel validation of the human insula findings came from quantitative dMRI modeling in macaques which revealed microstructural features consistent with known primate insula cytoarchitecture. Theoretical analysis and computer simulations, using realistic 3-dimensional models of neuronal morphology from postmortem tissue, demonstrated that dMRI signals reflect the cellular organization of cortical gray matter, and that these signals are sensitive to cell size and the presence of large neurons such as the von Economo neurons. Crucially, insular microstructural features were linked to behavior and predicted individual differences in cognitive control ability. Our findings open new possibilities for probing psychiatric and neurological disorders impacted by insular cortex dysfunction, including autism, schizophrenia, and fronto-temporal dementia.Statement of SignificanceThe human insular cortex is a heterogenous brain structure which plays an integrative role in identifying salient sensory, affective, and cognitive cues for guiding attention and behavior. It is also is one of the most widely activated brain regions in all of human neuroimaging research. Here we use novel quantitative tools with in vivo diffusion MRI in large group (N=440) of individuals to uncover several unique microstructural features of the human insula and its macrofunctional circuits. Crucially, microstructural properties of the insular cortex predicted human cognitive control abilities, in agreement with its crucial role in adaptive human behaviors. Our findings open new possibilities for probing psychiatric and neurological disorders impacted by insular dysfunction, including autism, schizophrenia, and fronto-temporal dementia.

Download Full-text