Dataset Information

Trail Making Test Elucidates Neural Substrates of Specific Poststroke Executive Dysfunctions.

ABSTRACT: Poststroke cognitive impairment is typified by prominent deficits in processing speed and executive function. However, the underlying neuroanatomical substrates of executive deficits are not well understood, and further elucidation is needed. There may be utility in fractionating executive functions to delineate neural substrates.One test amenable to fine delineation is the Trail Making Test (TMT), which emphasizes processing speed (TMT-A) and set shifting (TMT-B-A difference, proportion, quotient scores, and TMT-B set-shifting errors). The TMT was administered to 2 overt ischemic stroke cohorts from a multinational study: (1) a chronic stroke cohort (N=61) and (2) an acute-subacute stroke cohort (N=45). Volumetric quantification of ischemic stroke and white matter hyperintensities was done on magnetic resonance imaging, along with ratings of involvement of cholinergic projections, using the previously published cholinergic hyperintensities projections scale. Damage to the superior longitudinal fasciculus, which colocalizes with some cholinergic projections, was also documented.Multiple linear regression analyses were completed. Although larger infarcts (?=0.37, P<0.0001) were associated with slower processing speed, cholinergic hyperintensities projections scale severity (?=0.39, P<0.0001) was associated with all metrics of set shifting. Left superior longitudinal fasciculus damage, however, was only associated with the difference score (?=0.17, P=0.03). These findings were replicated in both cohorts. Patients with ?2 TMT-B set-shifting errors also had greater cholinergic hyperintensities projections scale severity.In this multinational stroke cohort study, damage to lateral cholinergic pathways and the superior longitudinal fasciculus emerged as significant neuroanatomical correlates for executive deficits in set shifting.

SUBMITTER: Muir RT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4589519 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Trail Making Test Elucidates Neural Substrates of Specific Poststroke Executive Dysfunctions.

Muir Ryan T RT Lam Benjamin B Honjo Kie K Harry Robin D RD McNeely Alicia A AA Gao Fu-Qiang FQ Ramirez Joel J Scott Christopher J M CJ Ganda Anoop A Zhao Jiali J Zhou X Joe XJ Graham Simon J SJ Rangwala Novena N Gibson Erin E Lobaugh Nancy J NJ Kiss Alex A Stuss Donald T DT Nyenhuis David L DL Lee Byung-Chul BC Kang Yeonwook Y Black Sandra E SE

Stroke 20150917 10

<h4>Background and purpose</h4>Poststroke cognitive impairment is typified by prominent deficits in processing speed and executive function. However, the underlying neuroanatomical substrates of executive deficits are not well understood, and further elucidation is needed. There may be utility in fractionating executive functions to delineate neural substrates.<h4>Methods</h4>One test amenable to fine delineation is the Trail Making Test (TMT), which emphasizes processing speed (TMT-A) and set s ...[more]

PMID: 26382176

Similar Datasets

Project description:Animal approach-avoidance conflict paradigms have been used extensively to operationalize anxiety, quantify the effects of anxiolytic agents, and probe the neural basis of fear and anxiety. Results from human neuroimaging studies support that a frontal-striatal-amygdala neural circuitry is important for approach-avoidance learning. However, the neural basis of decision-making is much less clear in this context. Thus, we combined a recently developed human approach-avoidance paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify neural substrates underlying approach-avoidance conflict decision-making. Fifteen healthy adults completed the approach-avoidance conflict (AAC) paradigm during fMRI. Analyses of variance were used to compare conflict to nonconflict (avoid-threat and approach-reward) conditions and to compare level of reward points offered during the decision phase. Trial-by-trial amplitude modulation analyses were used to delineate brain areas underlying decision-making in the context of approach/avoidance behavior. Conflict trials as compared to the nonconflict trials elicited greater activation within bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and caudate, as well as right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC). Right caudate and lateral PFC activation was modulated by level of reward offered. Individuals who showed greater caudate activation exhibited less approach behavior. On a trial-by-trial basis, greater right lateral PFC activation related to less approach behavior. Taken together, results suggest that the degree of activation within prefrontal-striatal-insula circuitry determines the degree of approach versus avoidance decision-making. Moreover, the degree of caudate and lateral PFC activation related to individual differences in approach-avoidance decision-making. Therefore, the approach-avoidance conflict paradigm is ideally suited to probe anxiety-related processing differences during approach-avoidance decision-making.

Dataset Information

Trail Making Test Elucidates Neural Substrates of Specific Poststroke Executive Dysfunctions.

Publications

Trail Making Test Elucidates Neural Substrates of Specific Poststroke Executive Dysfunctions.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets