Neurophysiologic aspects of sleep deprivation in depression

Study of EEG in 45 patients, suffering from endogenic and psychogenic depression, in the state of rest, in mental and emotional loads, SGR, orienting reaction and night sleep before and after a course of sleep deprivation has shown that neurophysiological shifts in the cycle alertness-sleep have one direction. The weakening of depression was accompanied by rather unidirected alterations of neurophysiological relations, which testified to the normalization of biological periods of the organism.     

Genetic variants in COMT and neurocognitive impairment in families of patients with schizophrenia

This study examined the relations of genetic variants in catechol- O -methyltransferase ( COMT ) gene, including rs737865 in intron 1, rs4680 in exon 4 (Val158Met) and downstream rs165599, to schizophrenia and its related neurocognitive functions in families of patients with schizophrenia. Totally, 680 individuals from 166 simplex (166 affected members and 354 nonpsychotic first-degree relatives) and 46 multiplex families (85 affected members and 75 nonpsychotic first-degree relatives) were interviewed using Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies, administered Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and drawn for venous blood. Both categorical (dichotomizing families on affected members' neurocognitive performance) and quantitative approaches toward the WCST and CPT performance scores were employed using the family-based association test and the variance components framework, respectively. Both false discovery rate and permutations were used to adjust for multiple testing. The genotypes of rs4680 were associated with both the WCST and CPT performance scores in these families, but not with schizophrenia per se in either whole sample or subgroup analyses. Meanwhile, the other two single nucleotide polymorphisms were differentially associated with the two tasks. For WCST indexes, regardless of subgroup analyses or quantitative approach, only rs737865 exhibited moderate associations. For CPT indexes, rs737865 exhibited association for the subgroup with deficit on CPT reaction time, whereas rs165599 exhibited association for the subgroup with deficit on CPT d' as well as quantitative undegraded d'. Our results indicate that the genetic variants in COMT might be involved in modulation of neurocognitive functions and hence conferring increased risk to schizophrenia.     

Executive functions profile in extreme eating/weight conditions: from anorexia nervosa to obesity

Background

Extreme weight conditions (EWC) groups along a continuum may share some biological risk factors and intermediate neurocognitive phenotypes. A core cognitive trait in EWC appears to be executive dysfunction, with a focus on decision making, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Differences between individuals in these areas are likely to contribute to the differences in vulnerability to EWC. The aim of the study was to investigate whether there is a common pattern of executive dysfunction in EWC while comparing anorexia nervosa patients (AN), obese subjects (OB) and healthy eating/weight controls (HC).

Methods

Thirty five AN patients, fifty two OB and one hundred thirty seven HC were compared using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST); Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT); and Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). All participants were female, aged between 18 and 60 years.

Results

There was a significant difference in IGT score (F(1.79); p<.001), with AN and OB groups showing the poorest performance compared to HC. On the WCST, AN and OB made significantly more errors than controls (F(25.73); p<.001), and had significantly fewer correct responses (F(2.71); p<.001). Post hoc analysis revealed that the two clinical groups were not significantly different from each other. Finally, OB showed a significant reduced performance in the inhibition response measured with the Stroop test (F(5.11); p<.001) compared with both AN and HC.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that EWC subjects (namely AN and OB) have similar dysfunctional executive profile that may play a role in the development and maintenance of such disorders.     

Emotional Reasoning Processes and Dysphoric Mood: Cross-Sectional and Prospective Relationships

Emotional reasoning refers to the use of subjective emotions, rather than objective evidence, to form conclusions about oneself and the world [1]. Emotional reasoning appears to characterise anxiety disorders. We aimed to determine whether elevated levels of emotional reasoning also characterise dysphoria. In Study 1, low dysphoric (BDI-II≤4; n = 28) and high dysphoric (BDI-II ≥14; n = 42) university students were administered an emotional reasoning task relevant for dysphoria. In Study 2, a larger university sample were administered the same task, with additional self-referent ratings, and were followed up 8 weeks later. In Study 1, both the low and high dysphoric participants demonstrated emotional reasoning and there were no significant differences in scores on the emotional reasoning task between the low and high dysphoric groups. In Study 2, self-referent emotional reasoning interpretations showed small-sized positive correlations with depression symptoms. Emotional reasoning tendencies were stable across an 8-week interval although not predictive of subsequent depressive symptoms. Further, anxiety symptoms were independently associated with emotional reasoning and emotional reasoning was not associated with anxiety sensitivity, alexithymia, or deductive reasoning tendencies. The implications of these findings are discussed, including the possibility that while all individuals may engage in emotional reasoning, self-referent emotional reasoning may be associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms.     

Working Memory in the Processing of the Iowa Gambling Task: An Individual Differences Approach

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is a sequential learning task in which participants develop a tendency towards advantageous options arising from the outcomes associated with their previous decisions. The role of working memory in this complex task has been largely debated in the literature. On one hand, low working memory resources lead to a decrease in the number of advantageous decisions and make a significant part of participants unable to report explicitly which options are the most profitable. On the other hand, several studies have shown no contribution of working memory to the IGT decision patterns. In order to investigate this apparent incompatibility of results, we used an individual differences approach, which has proven an effective method to investigate the role of working memory in cognition. We compared the IGT decision patterns of participants as a function of their working memory capacity (WMC). As expected, contrary to low WMC participants, high WMC participants developed a tendency towards advantageous decisions. These findings lead us to discuss the role of WMC in decision making tasks.     

Complex estimation of adaptation abilities of the organism in children using the indices of responsiveness of the cardiovascular system and characteristics of EEG

Based on the complex analysis of the data of cardiointervalographic (CIG) and rheoencephalographic (REG) examination of 37 healthy children and 63 children suffering from bronchial asthma (BA), we identified the most informative indices characterizing reactions of the cardiovascular system under conditions of an active orthostatic test (coefficient of autonomic responsiveness and index of responsiveness of the vessels). We conclude that the relation between the values of these indices allows one to identify the level of strain of the regulatory mechanisms and the state of the adaptation systems of the organism, which determine the adequacy of control of the autonomic sphere. The following gradations can be classified: an optimum level, compensated adaptation disorders (strain and overstrain of the regulatory mechanisms), and decompensated adaptation disorders (exhaustion of the regulatory mechanisms and failure of adaptation). Among clinically healthy children, we found a risk group (about 30%) with manifestations of lowering of the organism’s adaptive abilities. It is shown that groups of healthy children and children suffering from BA differ from each other in the shares of different patterns of EEG and variants of EEG responses to a hyperventilation test. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of EEG in children, despite high interindividual variability, clearly correlate with the state of adaptation processes. The expedience of a complex approach in estimating the adaptation ability of the child based on the data of CIG, REG and EEG examinations is discussed. Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 72–84, January–February, 2006.     

Reduced Dopamine Transporter Availability and Neurocognitive Deficits in Male Patients with Alcohol Dependence

Dopamine plays an important role in the development of alcohol dependence, cognitive dysfunction, and is regulated via dopamine transporter activity. Although dopamine transporter activity is critically involved in alcohol dependence, studies observing this relationship are limited. Thus the current study examined whether dopamine transporter availability is associated with developing of alcohol dependence and cognitive dysfunction. Brain imaging with ^99mTc-TRODAT-1 as a ligand was used to measure dopamine transporter availability among 26 male patients with pure alcohol dependence and 22 age- and sex- matched healthy volunteers. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) were administered to assess neurocognitive functioning and personality traits, respectively. Compared to healthy controls, patients with alcohol dependence showed a significant reduction in dopamine transporter availability (p < 0.001), as well as diminished performance on the WCST (p < 0.001). Dopamine transporter availability was negatively correlated with both total and perseverative WCST errors among healthy controls, but only patients with alcohol dependence showed a positive correlation between dopamine transporter availability and a harm avoidance personality profile. Thus, reductions in dopamine transporter availability may play a pathophysiological role in the development of pure alcohol dependence, given its association with neurocognitive deficits. Moreover, personality may influence the development of pure alcohol dependence; however, additional clinical subgroups should be examined to confirm this possibility.     

首发抑郁症患者血清成纤维细胞生长因子22、胶质纤维酸性蛋白水平及其临床意义

摘要 目的：检测首发抑郁症患者血清中成纤维细胞生长因子22（FGF-22）和胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）水平,并探讨其临床意义。方法：选取2018年2月至2019年2月我院就诊并住院的首发抑郁症患者40例（抑郁症组）和体检中心的健康体检人员40例（健康对照组）作为研究对象,采用酶联免疫吸附试验检测研究对象血清中的FGF-22和GFAP水平,采用汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD-17）评价研究对象的抑郁症状,采用威斯康星卡片分类测验（WCST）测试研究对象的执行功能,采用Pearson积矩相关系数分析血清FGF-22和GFAP水平与HAMD-17评分及执行功能的关系,采用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线评估FGF-22、GFAP的诊断价值。结果：抑郁症组患者血清GFAP水平、HAMD-17评分、WCST持续错误数和随机错误数显著高于健康对照组（P<0.05）,血清FGF-22水平、WCST正确应答数和完成分类数显著低于健康对照组（P<0.05）。抑郁症组患者血清FGF-22浓度与WCST正确应答数和完成分类数呈正相关（P<0.05）,与HAMD -17评分、WCST持续错误数和随机错误数呈负相关（P<0.05）;抑郁症组患者血清GFAP水平与WCST正确应答数和完成分类数呈负相关（P<0.05）,与HAMD-17评分、WCST持续错误数和随机错误数呈正相关（P<0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示,FGF-22诊断首发抑郁症的最佳界点为194.3 ng/mL,诊断灵敏度和特异度分别为87.5%和72.5%,ROC曲线下面积(AUC)为0.848（95%的置信区间为0.755-0.941）;GFAP诊断首发抑郁症的最佳界点为1128 ng/L,诊断敏感度和特异度分别为80.0%和85.0%,AUC为0.866（95%的置信区间为0.785-0.948）。结论：首发抑郁症患者血清FGF-22和GFAP水平与患者抑郁严重程度和执行功能损害有关。     

Neurophysiological and Psychophysiological Effects of Sulpiride in the Norm and in Patients with Opiate Addiction

We studied characteristics of the EEG activity and psychophysiological indices in healthy persons and patients with opiate addiction (in the states of abstinence and remission) before and after peroral introduction of 200 mg sulpiride. In the initial state, spectral characteristics of EEG in patients with opiate addiction differed from those in the control (in healthy tested subjects) by higher relative powers of low- and high-frequency components (delta and beta waves) and a considerable depression of the alpha rhythm. Treatment with sulpiride evoked changes in the spectral characteristics of EEG, which showed a significant intergroup specificity; intensification of alpha oscillations was a general effect in all groups. We conclude that the effects of sulpiride on the EEG activity comprised components typical of both neuroleptics and antidepressants; in the group of patients in the abstinence state, the pattern of effects of sulpiride was close in its profile to the effect of anxiolytics. Dynamics of the indices of psychophysiological testing after sulpiride treatment demonstrated that the drug exerts mostly positive regulating effects on the state of higher nervous functions in patients with opiate addiction.     

Post Learning Sleep Improves Cognitive-Emotional Decision-Making: Evidence for a ‘Deck B Sleep Effect’ in the Iowa Gambling Task

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is widely used to assess real life decision-making impairment in a wide variety of clinical populations. Our study evaluated how IGT learning occurs across two sessions, and whether a period of intervening sleep between sessions can enhance learning. Furthermore, we investigate whether pre-sleep learning is necessary for this improvement. A 200-trial version of the IGT was administered at two sessions separated by wake, sleep or sleep and wake (time-of-day control). Participants were categorized as learners and non-learners based on initial performance in session one. In session one, participants initially preferred the high-frequency reward decks B and D, however, a subset of learners decreased choice from negative expected value ‘bad’ deck B and increased choices towards with a positive expected value ‘good’ decks (decks C and D). The learners who had a period of sleep (sleep and sleep/wake control conditions) between sessions showed significantly larger reduction in choices from deck B and increase in choices from good decks compared to learners that had intervening wake. Our results are the first to show that post-learning sleep can improve performance on a complex decision-making task such as the IGT. These results provide new insights into IGT learning and have important implications for understanding the neural mechanisms of “sleeping on” a decision.     

Features of the dynamics of the forebrain EEG of Emys orbicularis during the solving of an extrapolation problem

Sharp EEG changes are recorded in bioelectrical activity of the dorsal cortex and dorsal ventricular edge in marsh tortoises in conditions of free movement during solving of an extrapolation task (a test of elementary reasoning ability). These changes of a pathological character, accompanied by neurotic states, were observed in some animals having correctly solved the task several times in succession (2-5), beginning with the first presentation. Such changes of EEG and behaviour were not found in tortoises that committed errors at first presentations of the task and only gradually learned correct solving. Formation of the adequate behaviour can proceed by two means: on the basis of elementary reasoning ability and learning. Disturbance of adequate behaviour in the experiment with characteristic changes of EEG testifies to a difficult state of the animal during solving of the extrapolation task.     

Facial and Prosodic Emotion Recognition Deficits Associate with Specific Clusters of Psychotic Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Background

Patients with schizophrenia perform significantly worse on emotion recognition tasks than healthy participants across several sensory modalities. Emotion recognition abilities are correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms, particularly negative symptoms. However, the relationships between specific deficits of emotion recognition across sensory modalities and the presentation of psychotic symptoms remain unclear. The current study aims to explore how emotion recognition ability across modalities and neurocognitive function correlate with clusters of psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

111 participants who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and 70 healthy participants performed on a dual-modality emotion recognition task, the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy 2-Taiwan version (DANVA-2-TW), and selected subscales of WAIS-III. Of all, 92 patients received neurocognitive evaluations, including CPT and WCST. These patients also received the PANSS for clinical evaluation of symptomatology.

Results

The emotion recognition ability of patients with schizophrenia was significantly worse than healthy participants in both facial and vocal modalities, particularly fearful emotion. An inverse correlation was noted between PANSS total score and recognition accuracy for happy emotion. The difficulty of happy emotion recognition and earlier age of onset, together with the perseveration error in WCST predicted total PANSS score. Furthermore, accuracy of happy emotion and the age of onset were the only two significant predictors of delusion/hallucination. All the associations with happy emotion recognition primarily concerned happy prosody.

Discussion

Deficits in emotional processing in specific categories, i.e. in happy emotion, together with deficit in executive function, may reflect dysfunction of brain systems underlying severity of psychotic symptoms, in particular the positive dimension.     

Comparative analysis of changes in short EEG segments during music perception based on event-related synchronization/desynchronization and wavelet synchronicity

The goal of the pilot study was to analyze the characteristics of changes in short EEG segments recorded from 32 sites during perception of musical melodies by healthy subjects depending on logical (recognition) and emotional (pleasant/unpleasant) estimation of the melody. For this purpose, the changes in event-related synchronization/desynchronization and the indices of wavelet synchrony of EEG responses were compared in 31 healthy subjects (18 to 60 years old). It has been shown that melody recognition during logical estimation of music is accompanied by event-related desynchronization in the left frontal-parietal-temporal area. Emotional estimation of a melody is characterized by event-related synchronization in the left frontal-temporal area for pleasant melodies, desynchronization in the temporal area for unpleasant melodies, and desynchronization in the occipital area for melodies inducing no emotional response. The analysis of EEG wavelet synchronization characterizing reactive changes in the interaction between cortical areas shows that the most distinct topographic differences are associated with the type of music processing: logical (familiar/unfamiliar) or emotional (pleasant/unpleasant). The changes in interhemispheric connections between the associative cortical areas (central, frontal, temporal) are greater during emotional estimation, while the changes in inter- and intrahemispheric connections between the projection areas of the acoustic analyzer (temporal area) are greater during logical estimation. It is assumed that the revealed event-related synchronization/desynchronization is most likely to reflect the activation component of musical fragment estimation, whereas wavelet analysis provides insight into the character of musical stimulus processing.     

The contribution of sound intensity in vocal emotion perception: behavioral and electrophysiological evidence

Although its role is frequently stressed in acoustic profile for vocal emotion, sound intensity is frequently regarded as a control parameter in neurocognitive studies of vocal emotion, leaving its role and neural underpinnings unclear. To investigate these issues, we asked participants to rate the angry level of neutral and angry prosodies before and after sound intensity modification in Experiment 1, and recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) for mismatching emotional prosodies with and without sound intensity modification and for matching emotional prosodies while participants performed emotional feature or sound intensity congruity judgment in Experiment 2. It was found that sound intensity modification had significant effect on the rating of angry level for angry prosodies, but not for neutral ones. Moreover, mismatching emotional prosodies, relative to matching ones, induced enhanced N2/P3 complex and theta band synchronization irrespective of sound intensity modification and task demands. However, mismatching emotional prosodies with reduced sound intensity showed prolonged peak latency and decreased amplitude in N2/P3 complex and smaller theta band synchronization. These findings suggest that though it cannot categorically affect emotionality conveyed in emotional prosodies, sound intensity contributes to emotional significance quantitatively, implying that sound intensity should not simply be taken as a control parameter and its unique role needs to be specified in vocal emotion studies.     

Dissolved oxygen concentration regulation using auto-tuning proportional-integral-derivative controller in fermentation process

A novel control method involving an automatic tuning of digital proportional-integral-derivative controller parameters has been developed for better regulation of dissolved oxygen concentration by manipulating agitation speed in batch fermentation processes. Heuristic reasoning allows the proportional-integral-derivative controller to reach improved tuning decisions based upon the supervision of certain control performance indices in the same cognitive manner as in expert control.     

The information theory of emotions in heuristic learning

The well-known P. V. Simonov structural formula of emotions shows that the level of emotional experience depends on need and difference between known information and that necessary for solving of the arising problem by the subject. Adopting the interpretation of this formula in the heuristic method of learning based on Socratic dialogue reasoning, it is possible, by varying the difficulty of prompting questions, to attain maximum emotional stimulation of lesson conduction and thus to promote effective mastering of the material.     

Features of the organization of biopotentials of a cerebral cortex and visceral status at the person at neurotic depression

Researches are spent on 20 patients with various clinical variants of neurotic depression. The regional organization of bioelectric activity of a brain by a method cross-correlation and coherent analysises was studied. Vegetovisceral status was studied by auricular criotest (measuring of cold sensibility of auricular points). It is shown, that the clinical picture of neurotic depression finds reflectance in frame of regional organization EEG. Regional organization EEG is modified depending on a degree of manifestation of the most neurotic depression and concomitant syndromes of alarm and an asthenia. In bunch with a depressive syndrome without concomitant asthenic and disturbing exhibitings the maximum changes are taped in the right frontotemporal range--left posttemporal ranges. In bunch where along with depression the alarm--depression cross-correlation and coherent communications frontotemporal ranges of both hemispheres was taped, strongly pronounced rising cross-correlation attitudes in right occipital ranges. In bunch where depressive and disturbing syndromes were combined with the expressed asthenic exhibitings, depression cross-correlation and coherent communications in frontotemporal ranges of both hemispheres was observed. The clinic of neurotic infringements finds reflection in a specific picture of variations of the spatial organization of electric activity of a brain and in variations of parameters of the vegetovisceral status. Realization of negative emotional conditions at the person is accompanied by variations visceral functions. Thus variations in the central brain structures cover zones of representation of emotional reactions and the zones connected with cortical representation visceral functions. The minimal central regulation, even insignificant central variations can cause vegetovisceral dysfunctions.     

Correlations of the Characteristics of Evoked EEG Potentials with the Neuroticism Level in Healthy Adults

We studied correlations between the estimates of the neuroticism level (one of the most significant factors of the emotional sphere of a personality) and the amplitude/time characteristics of evoked EEG potentials (EPs). Passive and negative emotiogenic, as well as neutral (from the emotional aspect) visual images (stimuli from the set of the International Affective Picture System, IAPS), were presented to 102 tested persons. The neuroticism level was estimated based on Eysenck’s personality questionnaire. We found that subjects with high estimates of the neuroticism level are characterized, in general, by somewhat higher rates and intensities of processing of emotionally negative information, a higher level of activation of the processes of automatic attention, and readiness to react to both significant and insignificant visual signals (with the aim of probably fighting of a threat). These peculiarities were manifested as relatively shorter latencies of the Р1, N1, Р2, N2, and Р3 components and as higher amplitudes of the Р2 component in the EPs induced by emotionally negative stimuli, as compared with the corresponding indices in subjects with a low neuroticism level. The amplitudes of the N2 component in the case of presentation of negative and neutral stimuli showed a trend toward a decrease. The approach used can be applied for obtaining objective indices interpreted as correlates of peculiarities of the emotional responsiveness typical of a personality.     

Clustering by neurocognition for fine mapping of the schizophrenia susceptibility loci on chromosome 6p

Chromosome 6p is one of the most commonly implicated regions in the genome-wide linkage scans of schizophrenia, whereas further association studies for markers in this region were inconsistent likely due to heterogeneity. This study aimed to identify more homogeneous subgroups of families for fine mapping on regions around markers D6S296 and D6S309 (both in 6p24.3) as well as D6S274 (in 6p22.3) by means of similarity in neurocognitive functioning. A total of 160 families of patients with schizophrenia comprising at least two affected siblings who had data for eight neurocognitive test variables of the continuous performance test (CPT) and the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) were subjected to cluster analysis with data visualization using the test scores of both affected siblings. Family clusters derived were then used separately in family-based association tests for 64 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the region of 6p24.3 and 6p22.3. Three clusters were derived from the family-based clustering, with deficit cluster 1 representing deficit on the CPT, deficit cluster 2 representing deficit on both the CPT and the WCST, and a third cluster of nondeficit. After adjustment using false discovery rate for multiple testing, SNP rs13873 and haplotype rs1225934-rs13873 on BMP6-TXNDC5 genes were significantly associated with schizophrenia for the deficit cluster 1 but not for the deficit cluster 2 or nondeficit cluster. Our results provide further evidence that the BMP6-TXNDC5 locus on 6p24.3 may play a role in the selective impairments on sustained attention of schizophrenia.     

The alexithymic brain: the neural pathways linking alexithymia to physical disorders

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and is associated with psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders. The mechanisms underlying the link between emotional dysregulation and psychosomatic disorders are unclear. Recent progress in neuroimaging has provided important information regarding emotional experience in alexithymia. We have conducted three brain imaging studies on alexithymia, which we describe herein. This article considers the role of emotion in the development of physical symptoms and discusses a possible pathway that we have identified in our neuroimaging studies linking alexithymia with psychosomatic disorders. In terms of socio-affective processing, alexithymics demonstrate lower reactivity in brain regions associated with emotion. Many studies have reported reduced activation in limbic areas (e.g., cingulate cortex, anterior insula, amygdala) and the prefrontal cortex when alexithymics attempt to feel other people’s feelings or retrieve their own emotional episodes, compared to nonalexithymics. With respect to primitive emotional reactions such as the response to pain, alexithymics show amplified activity in areas considered to be involved in physical sensation. In addition to greater hormonal arousal responses in alexithymics during visceral pain, increased activity has been reported in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and midbrain. Moreover, in complex social situations, alexithymics may not be able to use feelings to guide their behavior appropriately. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) was developed to assess decision-making processes based on emotion-guided evaluation. When alexithymics perform the IGT, they fail to learn an advantageous decision-making strategy and show reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a key area for successful performance of the IGT, and increased activity in the caudate, a region associated with impulsive choice. The neural machinery in alexithymia is therefore activated more on the physiologic, motor-expressive level and less in the cognitive-experiential domains of the emotional response system. Affects may play an important role in alleviating intrinsic physiologic reactions and adapting to the environment. Deficient development of emotional neural structures may lead to hypersensitivity to bodily sensations and unhealthy behaviors, a possible mechanism linking alexithymia to psychosomatic disorders.