The effects of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) on brain structure and function

There is an increasing use of “Novel Psychoactive Substances” containing synthetic cannabinoids worldwide. Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) are highly addictive and cause severe adverse effects. The purpose of our study was to assess whether chronic use of SC alters brain volume and function. Fifteen SC chronic users and 15 healthy control participants undertook an MRI scan to assess brain volume and function while performing a working memory N-back task and a response-inhibition Go-No-Go task. SC users showed impaired performance on the N-back task but not on the Go-No-Go task. They also showed reduced total gray matter volume compared with control participants, as well as reduced gray matter volume in several cortical regions including the middle frontal gyrus, frontal orbital gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus. Moreover, SC users showed diminished brain activations in the precuneus, cuneus, lingual gyrus, hippocampus and cerebellum while performing the N-back task. No differences were found in brain activation while performing the response-inhibition task. This is the first study showing overall reduced grey matter volume and specific reduced grey matter volumes in chronic SC users. Furthermore, this study showed for the first time impairment in the neural brain mechanisms responsible for working memory in SC users. Our results of reduced grey matter density and diminished activation during a working memory task in SC users, may suggest vulnerability of the frontal-parietal network in chronic SC users.     

Right parietal contributions to verbal working memory: spatial or executive?

The left inferior parietal cortex has been claimed to be the site of the verbal short-term store, yet imaging studies report activity of a homologous right-hemisphere region in verbal working memory tasks as well. In spite of its prevalent activity, right parietal contributions to verbal working memory are poorly understood. To clarify its role in verbal working memory performance, we tested a patient with a lesion in the right parietal lobe on verbal and spatial versions of the N-back task. The patient was impaired in all the spatial conditions regardless of load (0-, 1-, and 2-back), whereas in the verbal N-back he was impaired only in the conditions with a memory demand (1- and 2-back). Given that we had presented stimuli at multiple locations in the verbal N-back, however, it remained possible that the lesion impaired spatial representation rather than verbal working memory per se. With central stimulus presentation, his performance dramatically improved indicating that his difficulty with the N-back task was largely due to his poor visuospatial abilities.     

基于Gabor视标的N-back工作记忆训练对视功能和流体智力的影响

目的 探索基于Gabor视标的N-back工作记忆训练对成人视觉功能和流体智力的影响作用.方法 控制组(13人)不参加训练,对试验组(14人)进行为期8d,每天约30 min的训练.训练任务以N-back方式,视觉刺激改进为Gabor视标且空间频率和对比度调整.采用OPTEC6500和瑞文标准推理测验,记录训练前和训练后的对比敏感度和流体智力数据,利用SPSS软件对数据进行分析处理.结果 对比敏感度:试验组训练后对比敏感度高于训练前[分别为(1.93 ±0.17)个log单位,(1.76±0.20)个log单位],差异有统计学意义(t=-4.579,P=0.001);流体智力:试验组训练后流体智力高于训练前[分别为(129.9±9.0)分,(113.7±16.0)分],差异有统计学意义(t=-4.373,P=0.001);训练后试验组优于控制组,差异有统计学意义(F=1.353,P=0.004).结论 基于Gabor视标的N-back工作记忆训练可以增强工作记忆,提高流体智力,改善视觉功能,获得了比传统的训练方法更为多样的训练效果.     

Influence of estradiol on functional brain organization for working memory

Working memory is a cognitive function that is affected by aging and disease. To better understand the neural substrates for working memory, the present study examined the influence of estradiol on working memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Pre-menopausal women were tested on a verbal n-back task during the early (EF) and late follicular (LF) phases of the menstrual cycle. Although brain activation patterns were similar across the two phases, the most striking pattern that emerged was that estradiol had different associations with the two hemispheres. Increased activation in left frontal circuitry in the LF phase was associated with increased estradiol levels and decrements in working memory performance. In contrast, increased activation in right hemisphere regions in the LF phase was associated with improved task performance. The present study showed that better performance in the LF than the EF phase was associated with a pattern of reduced recruitment of the left-hemisphere and increased recruitment of the right-hemisphere in the LF compared to EF phase. We speculate that estradiol interferes with left-hemisphere working-memory processing in the LF phase, but that recruitment of the right hemisphere can compensate for left-hemisphere interference. This may be related to the proposal that estradiol can reduce cerebral asymmetries by modulating transcallosal communication (Hausmann, 2005).     

White matter microstructure of the cingulum and cerebellar peduncle is related to sustained attention and working memory: A diffusion tensor imaging study

The non-invasive imaging technique of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been used to investigate the microstructural properties of white matter (WM). The present study investigated whether individual differences in the WM structure of normal subjects as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA) values correlate with cognitive performance in terms of sustained attention and working memory. Subjects underwent DTI and performed the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and N-back task. FA values throughout the brain were correlated with behavioral performance on a voxel-by-voxel basis to investigate relationships between WM microstructure and cognitive function. The discriminability index of CPT correlated positively with FA of the right cingulum. Accuracy of the 2-back task correlated positively with FA in bilateral cerebellar peduncles. WM microstructure of the right cingulum and bilateral cerebellar peduncles appears related to cognitive function such as sustained attention and working memory in the human brain.     

The n-back as a dual-task: P300 morphology under divided attention

The n-back task was hypothesized to be a dual task, permitting the imposition of parametrically increasing attentional and working memory demands, while keeping constant the demands of an embedded matching subtask. Visual targets were presented for 200 ms every 2.2 s at pseudorandomly varying positions on a computer screen. Participants were required to remember the most recent 0, 1, 2, or 3 positions and responded with a choice button push to whether the current target position matched the position presented n items previously. P300 peak latency was constant across n-back tasks, reflecting constant perceptual and cognitive demands of the matching subtask. P300 peak amplitude decreased with increasing memory load, reflecting reallocation of attention and processing capacity away from the matching subtask to working memory activity. These data support a dual-task nature of the n-back, which should be considered when employing this paradigm.     

注意缺陷/多动障碍工作记忆的bold-功能磁共振成像研究

目的应用bold-功能磁共振成像(bold-fMRI)技术来研究注意缺陷/多动障碍(AD/HD)患者的工作记忆。并探讨使用哌醋甲酯1个月治疗前后AD/HD患者的脑部激活的改变情况。方法利用倒数n刺激模式(n-back)对7例AD/HD(注意缺陷为主型)和7名正常人进行blod-fMRI检查,对照研究AD/HD患者在工作记忆时涉及的各脑区的激活情况。结果AD/HD组治疗后的1-back任务较治疗前1-back任务在右额下回和右额中回激活明显,二者有显著性差异(P<0.05);AD/HD组在治疗后的2-back任务较治疗前2-back任务在左额下回和左顶叶后下部激活明显(P<0.05)。正常组的1-back任务与患者组治疗前的1-back任务比较没有显著性差异,正常组的2-back任务与患者组治疗前2-back任务比较在左额下回和左顶叶后下部激活明显(P<0.05)。结论AD/HD障碍患者存在执行功能方面的缺陷,AD/HD患者的语义性工作记忆缺损可能与前额叶和顶叶的功能缺陷有关。     

轻微型肝性脑病患者空间工作记忆的fMRI研究

目的采用行为学和血氧依赖水平功能磁共振成像(BOLD-fMRI)方法探讨轻微型肝性脑病患者空间工作记忆损伤的脑神经机制。资料与方法从符合肝硬化诊断的40例患者中筛选出轻微型肝性脑病患者12例与正常对照者12名进行n-back任务负载下的脑fMRI扫描,以AFNI软件对fMRI数据进行定位定量分析。结果 (1)轻微型肝性脑病患者在三种任务负载下的正确率明显低于正常对照组,平均反应时间亦明显延长,两组差异具有显著性(P<0.001)。(2)fMRI结果发现,在n-back任务负载下,两组被试共同激活的脑区包括双侧前额叶(PFC),前运动区(PreMA),辅助运动区(SMA)及双侧顶叶(PA),且以右侧大脑半球优势为主。对这些感兴趣区进行定量分析发现,正常对照组这些脑区均表现出了和记忆负载相关的负载效应,而轻微型肝性脑病组只在双侧前运动区及双侧顶叶发现了这种负载效应。组间比较发现,在n-back任务负载下轻微型肝性脑病患者大部分工作记忆相关脑区的激活强度均比正常对照组小。结论轻微型肝性脑病患者存在空间工作记忆损伤,双侧前额叶、前运动区、辅助运动区及双侧顶叶功能减弱是空间工作记忆损伤的机制之一。     

Utility of the N-back task in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The N-back task is often used in functional brain imaging studies to activate working memory networks; however, limited information is available on its association to clinical outcomes in children or cancer survivors. A total of 137 survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; mean current age = 14.3 years, SD = 4.8; time since diagnosis = 7.6 years, SD = 1.6) completed the N-back task and comprehensive neurocognitive testing, including standardized measures of attention, processing speed, and working memory. Results indicated that females demonstrated significantly slower reaction times (0-back p = .02; 1-back p = .03) than males. Survivors <15 years old at the time of testing demonstrated a significant decrease in accuracy as working memory load increased compared to survivors ≥15 years old (p < .001). Performance on the N-back task was associated with nonverbal working memory (r_s = .56, p < .001) in survivors ≥15 years of age. For younger survivors, N-back performance was more strongly associated with attention skills. Results suggest the N-back assesses different cognitive constructs at younger compared to older childhood ages. These age differences should be considered in interpreting functional brain imaging results.     

工作记忆训练任务对大学生视觉对比敏感度的影响

目的 探究基于Gabor的双重N-back工作记忆训练任务对大学生视觉对比敏感度的影响,为改善对比敏感度提供一种可能的训练方法.方法 42名大学生被随机分为工作记忆训练组(13人)、Gabor朝向训练组(12人)和控制组(17人).控制组不训练,其余两组进行为期3周,每周5d,每天30 min工作记忆训练或Gabor训练.两组视觉刺激物均为固定空间频率和对比度的Gabor视标.训练前和训练后,采用Optec 6500对42名大学生进行对比敏感度测试.结果 工作记忆训练组,训练后对比敏感度明显高于训练前[分别为(1.87±0.13)个log单位,(1.48±0.26)个log单位],差异有统计学意义(t=-6.20,P＜0.05).Gabor朝向训练组训练前后[分别为(1.68±0.30)个log单位,(1.75±0.19)个log单位]和控制组训练前后[分别(1.61±0.26)个log单位,(1.67±0.25)个log单位]对比敏感度提高不显著(P＞0.05).结论 双重N-back工作记忆任务在Gabor朝向训练中对比敏感度提高有促进作用,可作为一种改善对比敏感度的训练方法.